Fernanda Brito

Prevalence of periodontitis and DMFT index in patients with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis

AIM To compare the prevalence of periodontal disease and the decayed, missing and filled teeth (DMFT) index in patients with Crohns disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) with those without these diseases. MATERIAL AND METHODS Ninety-nine CD (39.0 SD+/-12.9 years), 80 UC (43.3 SD+/-13.2) and 74 healthy controls (40.3 SD+/-12.9) were compared for DMFT index and presence of periodontitis. Probing pocket depth (PPD), clinical attachment loss (CAL), bleeding on probing (BOP), plaque and DMFT index were measured on all subjects. The presence of periodontitis was defined as having CAL > or =3 mm in at least four sites in different teeth. RESULTS Significantly more patients with UC (90.0%; p<0.001) and CD (81.8%; p=0.03) had periodontitis than controls (67.6%). Among smokers, UC patients had significantly more periodontitis. CD had a greater mean DMFT score (18.7 versus 13.9; p=0.031) compared with controls and UC had greater median PPD (2.2 versus 1.7 mm; p<0.0001) than controls. Among non-smokers, CD (2.4 mm; p<0.0001) and UC showed deeper pockets (2.3 mm; p<0.0001) compared with controls (1.5 mm). UC had a greater mean DMFT score (15.3 versus 12.1; p=0.037) compared with controls. CONCLUSIONS CD and UC patients had higher DMFT and prevalence of periodontitis than controls, but smoking was an effect modifier.

Extent and severity of chronic periodontitis in chronic kidney disease patients

UNLABELLED BACKGROUND AND OBJECTVE: Chronic inflammatory diseases have been investigated as a possible source of inflammation in chronic kidney disease patients; however, there is a shortage of information about the prevalence of periodontitis in such individuals. Therefore, the aim of this cross-sectional study was to determine the extent and severity of periodontitis in chronic kidney disease patients undergoing the following three different treatment modalities: predialysis; continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD); and hemodialysis (HD); and to compare the findings with those from systemically healthy individuals. MATERIAL AND METHODS Forty CAPD patients (mean age 52±12 years), 40 HD patients (mean age 50±10 years), 51 predialysis patients (mean age 54±11 years) and 67 healthy individuals (mean age 50±7 years) were examined. The periodontal examination included probing pocket depth, clinical attachment loss, bleeding on probing and presence of plaque. Patients with at least four sites with clinical attachment loss ≥6 mm were considered to have severe chronic periodontitis, and those with at least 30% of sites with clinical attachment loss ≥4 mm were considered to have generalized chronic periodontitis. RESULTS Predialysis and HD patients had significantly more sites with clinical attachment loss ≥6 mm than healthy individuals. The CAPD patients had similar periodontal condition to healthy subjects. There were significantly more cases of severe chronic periodontitis in predialysis and HD patients. CONCLUSION Predialysis and HD are associated with a higher prevalence of severe periodontitis compared with healthy individuals and CAPD patients.

Subgingival microflora in inflammatory bowel disease patients with untreated periodontitis.

Objective To analyze the subgingival microflora composition of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients with untreated chronic periodontitis and compare them with systemically healthy controls also having untreated chronic periodontitis. Method Thirty IBD patients [15 with Crohn’s disease (CD) and 15 with ulcerative colitis (UC)] and 15 control individuals participated in the study. All patients had been diagnosed with untreated chronic periodontitis. From every patient, subgingival plaque was collected from four gingivitis and four periodontitis sites with paper points. Samples from the same category (gingivitis or periodontitis) in each patient were pooled together and stored at −70°C until analysis using a checkerboard DNA–DNA hybridization technique for 74 bacterial species. Results Multiple-comparison analysis showed that the groups differed in bacterial counts for Bacteroides ureolyticus, Campylobacter gracilis, Parvimonas micra, Prevotella melaninogenica, Peptostreptococcus anaerobius, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus anginosus, Streptococcus intermedius, Streptococcus mitis, Streptococcus mutans, and Treponema denticola (P<0.001). CD patients had significantly higher levels of these bacteria than UC patients either in gingivitis or in periodontitis sites (P<0.05). CD patients harbored higher levels of P. melaninogenica, S. aureus, S. anginosus, and S. mutans compared with controls both at gingivitis and at periodontitis sites (P<0.05). UC patients harbored higher levels of S. aureus (P=0.01) and P. anaerobius (P=0.05) than controls only in gingivitis sites. Conclusion Our study showed that even with similar clinical periodontal parameters, IBD patients harbor higher levels of bacteria that are related to opportunistic infections in inflamed subgingival sites that might be harmful for the crucial microbe–host interaction.

Short term clinical effect of active and inactive Salvadora persica miswak on dental plaque and gingivitis.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Salvadora persica shrub has been used traditionally in folk medicine for different medical condition treatments. The habitual use of Salvadora persica roots (chewing sticks) for dental hygiene is still wildly spread throughout parts of Asia, Africa, and Middle. It is one of the most important species with its reported strong antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral effects. Mechanical removal of dental plaque is regarded as an effective mean of controlling progression of periodontal disease. AIM OF THE STUDY To evaluate the effect of active and inactive miswak on dental plaque, subgingival microbiota and gingival inflammation in patients with gingivitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS In this double blinded randomized controlled trial 68 gingivitis patients were randomly assigned to either active or inactive miswak group, and were instructed to use only issued miswaks for oral hygiene during 3 weeks experimental period. Registration of plaque, gingival inflammation, and plaque samples were taken at baseline and on completion of the study. Plaque samples were analyzed by DNA-DNA hybridization technique. RESULTS Active miswak significantly reduced dental plaque (p = 0.007). There were no differences between active and inactive miswak in reduction of approximal plaque and composition of subgingival microbiota. CONCLUSIONS Miswak has an overall effect on dental plaque and gingival inflammation scores. Similar results were achieved by active and inactive miswak in difficult to reach areas, indicating miswak has limited chemical effects on this study population. Therefore, miswak can be used as a dental hygiene method in conjunction with interproximal cleaning aides.

Expression of cytokines in the gingival crevicular fluid and serum from patients with inflammatory bowel disease and untreated chronic periodontitis

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Previous studies have reported an increased prevalence/severity of chronic periodontitis in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. However, the pathogenesis of periodontal lesions in such patients has not been characterized. The aim of this pilot study was to characterize the pattern of expression of cytokines in the gingival crevicular fluid and serum from patients with untreated chronic periodontitis and Crohns disease, ulcerative colitis and systemically healthy controls. MATERIAL AND METHODS Fifteen patients with Crohns disease, 15 patients with ulcerative colitis and 15 controls participated in the study. All subjects had been diagnosed with untreated chronic periodontitis. The clinical parameters evaluated were clinical attachment loss, bleeding on probing and percentage of plaque. The gingival crevicular fluid was sampled from four shallow and four deep periodontal sites of each patient. The concentrations of the cytokines interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12p40, IL-12p70, interferon-γ and tumor necrosis factor-α were measured using a commercially available Lincoplex kit and the concentration of IL-18 was measured using an ELISA. RESULTS Multiple comparisons analysis showed that clinical attachment loss, bleeding on probing, percentage of plaque and volume of gingival crevicular fluid were similar across the groups. The concentration of IL-4 in the gingival crevicular fluid differed significantly between groups in shallow sites (p = 0.046), with higher values found for the controls. In serum, the concentration of IL-18 was also significantly different between groups, with lower values found for controls (p = 0.018). CONCLUSION This study showed a higher concentration of IL-18 in serum, but not in the gingival crevicular fluid, from periodontitis patients with Crohns disease or ulcerative colitis compared with controls. The expression of cytokines was similar in the gingival crevicular fluid from patients with untreated chronic periodontitis who also had Crohns disease or ulcerative colitis and in systemically healthy controls with untreated chronic periodontitis.

Alterações da articulação temporomandibular e suas repercussões orofaciais em pacientes portadores de artrite idiopática juvenil

Patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) can have alterations in bone metabolism and skeletal growth, as well as damage to the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), which can generate extra and/or intraoral alterations, resulting in craniofacial disorders. Our goal is to carry out a review of the literature on orofacial alterations in patients with JIA. Among the orofacial disorders in patients with JIA, alterations in mandibular growth, caused by dysfunctions in the TMJ region, seem highly prevalent in these patients. The most often found alterations are: retrognathia, micrognathia, anterior open bite, dental crowding, facial asymmetry and mouth opening limitation. Thus, the rheumatologist becomes a key agent in the early detection of these disorders, helping with patient referral to a dentist. The diagnosis, in turn, should be performed by the orthodontist, using clinical examination and imaging methods, allowing early treatment and a favorable prognosis. TMJ disorders should be treated by a multidisciplinary team, including pharmacological treatment for pain control and dental care through functional appliance and/or orthodontic therapy, physical therapy and sometimes, speech therapy. We conclude that among the orofacial disorders in patients with JIA, alterations in mandibular growth generated by dysfunctions in the TMJ region seem highly prevalent. Such dysfunctions can cause mainly open bite, mandibular retrusion, micrognathia, dental crowding and facial asymmetry. The rheumatologist can detect these alterations at an early stage, with immediate patient referral to a team that should preferably be a multidisciplinary one, consisting of an orthodontist, physical therapist and speech therapist, to reduce future occlusal and mandibular growth complications.

The impact of non-surgical periodontal treatment on serum levels of long chain- polyunsaturated fatty acids: a pilot randomized clinical trial

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Our group recently found higher levels of serum long chain-polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs) in patients with chronic periodontitis compared to controls. However, the effect of periodontal treatment on LC-PUFA serum levels has not been investigated. The primary aim of the present study was to investigate the impact of periodontal treatment on LC-PUFA serum levels. A secondary aim was to assess the effect of dietary ω-3 supplementation on clinical outcome. MATERIAL AND METHODS The test group was composed of 10 patients with generalized chronic periodontitis (mean age 44 ± 6.4 years) treated with scaling and root planing associated with 4 mo of ω-3 supplementation eicosapetaenoic acid (EPA) plus docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), 3 g/d. The placebo group was composed of 11 patients (47.9 ± 10.5 years) that received scaling and root planing plus placebo. The periodontal examination included probing depth, clinical attachment level, bleeding on probing and visible plaque index. Docosapentaenoic acid (DPA), EPA, DHA and arachidonic acid (AA) were detected using gas chromatograph. RESULTS In the placebo group, all LC-PUFAs levels reduced significantly (DHA, DPA and AA, p = 0.004; EPA, p = 0.008). In the test group, only DPA and AA showed a significant reduction (p = 0.005). Moreover, a significant decrease in the ratios AA/EPA and AA/DHA (p = 0.005) was observed in the test group. CONCLUSION Non-surgical periodontal treatment reduced significantly the serum levels of all analyzed LC-PUFAs except those presented in the supplementation. The ω-3 dietary supplementation had no effect on clinical outcome of treatment.

Cytokine expression in gingival and intestinal tissues of patients with periodontitis and inflammatory bowel disease: An exploratory study

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the expression of the cytokines IFN-γ, IL-1β, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-21, IL-22, IL-23, IL-25, IL-31, IL-33, IL-17A, IL-17F, sCD40L, and TNF-α in gingival tissue and intestinal mucosa of patients having both periodontitis and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and assess how they cluster in both tissues. METHODS This cross-sectional study selected 28 patients with periodontitis (18 with Crohns disease and 10 with ulcerative colitis) from the IBD gastroenterology outpatient clinic at the Pedro Ernesto University Hospital. Patients were assessed using questionnaire, medical chart check and periodontal examination. Gingival and intestinal biopsies were collected and homogenized using a cell disruptor. Cytokines expression was evaluated through multiplex technology. Cluster analysis was performed based on cytokinés correlation strength and presented in dendrograms. RESULTS Crohns disease and ulcerative colitis patients exhibited no significant difference between them in cytokine levels (p>0.05), so they were analysed together. Significantly higher levels of IL-17A, IL-17F, IL-22, IL-25, IL-33, IL-10, and INF-γ were found in gingival tissues in comparison with intestinal mucosa (p<0.05). In gingival tissue, cytokines formed the following clusters: IL-25/IL-10/IL-33 (r=0.775), IL-22/IL-23/IL-6 (r=0.681) and IL-6/IL-25/IL-33/IL-10 (r=0.660). In intestinal mucosa, the following clusters were formed: IL-6/IL-21/IL-10 (r=0.880), IL-17A/IL-6/IL-21/IL-10 (r=0.826), IL-I7F/IL-33/IL-25 (r=0.813) and IL-23/IL-2/IL-17A/IL-6/IL-21/IL-10 (r=0.785). CONCLUSION Expression of IL-17A, IL-17F, IL-22, IL-25, IL-33, IL-10, and INF-γ was significantly increased in gingival tissue in comparison with intestinal mucosa of patients with periodontitis and IBD. The cytokine clustering pattern was different in gingival and intestinal tissues.