Roberto José Meyer Nascimento

Sickle cell disease does not predispose to caries or periodontal disease.

This study investigated the prevalence of dental caries and periodontal condition in a population with sickle cell disease (SCD), analyzing some associations with disease severity. The Decayed, Missing and Filled Teeth index (DMFT) and Community Periodontal Index (CPI) were recorded for 99 individuals with SCD and 91 matched controls. Socio-demographic status, oral health behaviors, and history of clinical severity of SCD were assessed. Statistical comparisons were performed between the group with SCD and the control group, as well as multivariate logistic regression analyses with DMFT index and CPI as the dependent variables. The mean number of decayed teeth was significantly higher in individuals with HbSS. Older age, female gender, and daily smoking were identified as risk factors for higher DMFT, while older age and absence of daily use of dental floss were risk factors for the development of periodontal disease. In conclusion, risk factors known to cause caries and periodontal disease had more influence on oral health than the direct impact of SCD.

Chronic Pain: Cytokines, Lymphocytes and Chemokines

Chronic pain is a debilitating condition and, in most cases, difficult to treat. A prominent example of this is neuropathic pain. Understanding pathophysiological mechanisms of pain and, therefore, making this knowledge into an effective treatment is still a challenge to experts. Pain can now be considered as a neuro-immune disorder, since recent data indicate critical involvement of innate and adaptive immune responses following injury, and this interaction plays an important role in the onset and perpetuation of chronic pain. The aim of this article is to review the relationship between immune system and chronic pain, especially about neuropathic pain, and focusing on cytokines, chemokines and lymphocytes.

Correlation between maxillofacial radiographic features and systemic severity as sickle cell disease severity predictor.

This study was conducted to investigate the relationship among radiographic features observed on panoramic radiographs of sickle cell disease patients and analyze their relationship with history of systemic severity of the disease. Panoramic radiographs of 71 subjects with sickle cell disease were evaluated for the presence of the following radiographic bony alterations: radiopaque areas, increased spacing of bony trabeculae, horizontal arrangement of bony trabeculae and corticalization of mandibular canal. History of clinical systemic severity was assessed through direct questioning about the frequency of vaso-occlusive crisis, history of stroke, clinical jaundice, femur head necrosis, and leg ulceration. Chi-square or Fisher’s exact test were applied in order to analyze possible associations between radiographic features and history of complications, with p < 0.05 significance level. Increased spacing of bony trabeculae was statistically associated with absence of corticalization of mandibular canal (p < 0.01) and horizontal arrangement of bony trabeculae (p = 0.04). Statistically significant associations were demonstrated between history of clinical jaundice and presence of increased spacing of bony trabeculae (p = 0.02) and between history of stroke and presence of horizontal arrangement of bony trabeculae (p = 0.04). Based on the results of the current study, maxillofacial radiographic features may be associated with clinical parameters of systemic complications in sickle cell disease patients. The relationship between radiographic features and history of complications associated with clinical severity of sickle cell disease has not been demonstrated in the literature. Acknowledgment of such possible association may help establish prognosis and influence clinical treatment of systemic and oral complications.

Prevalence of orofacial alterations in sickle cell disease: a review of literature

Aim: To evaluate the manifestations of sickle cell disease on the orofacial complex through a review of current literature concerning prevalence of dental caries, periodontal disease, temporomandibular joint disorders and radiographic alterations of maxillofacial bones. Methods: Full-text papers retrieved from MEDLINE and LILACS electronic databases were critically reviewed. Results: Alterations of maxillofacial bones are well documented in the literature, but studies reporting caries, periodontal condition and temporomandibular joint alterations in are scarce and inconclusive. Conclusion: Further well-designed epidemiological studies are needed to indicate the real impact of this disease on the stomatognathic health, collaborating to improve public health policies.

Bioquímica da esquistossomose mansônica: V - atividade mitocondrial em fígados e rins de sagüis (Callitrix penicillata) infestados pelo Schistosoma mansoni

Foram estudadas mitocondrias isoladas de figados e rins de saguis (Callitrix penicillata) infestados pela inoculacao de 200 cercarias e entre 80 e 100 dias de infeccao, nos aspectos relativos as suas atividades respiratorias endogenas, bem como frente ao succinato e ao alfa ceto glutarato de sodio. Cada experiencia foi acompanhada de controle, usando-se mitocondrias isoladas de figados e rins de animais nao infectados. As medidas das atividades respiratorias foram efetuadas polarograficamente e expressas em microlitros de oxigenio consumidos por miligrama de proteinas totais por minuto. Os resultados mostraram que as respiracoes endogenas das mitocondrias isoladas dos animais infectados foram sempre maiores do que aquelas observadas nos controles. Detectou-se um estimulo para o figado de 217% e para o rim de 84%. O succinato de sodio estimulou em 85% a respiracao das mitocondrias dos figados dos animais controles, enquanto a inibiu de 39% nos infectados. Com referencia aos rins, este mesmo substrato estimulou a referida respiracao tanto nos controles quanto nos infectados, em 89% e 94% respectivamente. O alfa ceto glutarato estimulou as mitocondrias hepaticas isoladas dos controles em 48% e as renais em 84%. Nos animais esquistossomoticos ou ele nao modificou a capacidade respiratoria mitocondrial como se observou para o rim, ou a inibiu de 58%, no caso do figado. Os dados obtidos sugerem que o figado sofre muito mais, em termos bioquimicos, com a esquistossomose mansonica do que os rins, pelo menos em nossas condicoes experimentais. As atividades do sistema enzimatico succinato desidrogenase e do complexo alfa ceto glutarato desidrogenase permitiram identificar bioquimicamente, em nossos animais esquistossomoticos, varios graus de lesao celular, principalmente hepaticos, que vao desde os mais simples, decorrentes de modificacoes da fisico-quimica dos sistemas de membranas, ate os mais graves, tipo necrose.Foram estudadas mitocondrias isoladas de figados e rins de saguis (Callitrix penicillata) infestados pela inoculacao de 200 cercarias e entre 80 e 100 dias de infeccao, nos aspectos relativos as suas atividades respiratorias endogenas, bem como frente ao succinato e ao alfa ceto glutarato de sodio. Cada experiencia foi acompanhada de controle, usando-se mitocondrias isoladas de figados e rins de animais nao infectados. As medidas das atividades respiratorias foram efetuadas polarograficamente e expressas em microlitros de oxigenio consumidos por miligrama de proteinas totais por minuto. Os resultados mostraram que as respiracoes endogenas das mitocondrias isoladas dos animais infectados foram sempre maiores do que aquelas observadas nos controles. Detectou-se um estimulo para o figado de 217% e para o rim de 84%. O succinato de sodio estimulou em 85% a respiracao das mitocondrias dos figados dos animais controles, enquanto a inibiu de 39% nos infectados. Com referencia aos rins, este mesmo substrato estimulou a referida respiracao tanto nos controles quanto nos infectados, em 89% e 94% respectivamente. O alfa ceto glutarato estimulou as mitocondrias hepaticas isoladas dos controles em 48% e as renais em 84%. Nos animais esquistossomoticos ou ele nao modificou a capacidade respiratoria mitocondrial como se observou para o rim, ou a inibiu de 58%, no caso do figado. Os dados obtidos sugerem que o figado sofre muito mais, em termos bioquimicos, com a esquistossomose mansonica do que os rins, pelo menos em nossas condicoes experimentais. As atividades do sistema enzimatico succinato desidrogenase e do complexo alfa ceto glutarato desidrogenase permitiram identificar bioquimicamente, em nossos animais esquistossomoticos, varios graus de lesao celular, principalmente hepaticos, que vao desde os mais simples, decorrentes de modificacoes da fisico-quimica dos sistemas de membranas, ate os mais graves, tipo necrose.

Interferon-gamma release assay performance in northeastern Brazil: influence of the IFNG + 874 A>T polymorphism

INTRODUCTION Latent tuberculosis infection diagnosis based on the release of interferon-gamma in cultures of peripheral blood cells stimulated with Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigens has replaced the tuberculin skin test in many countries with low tuberculosis prevalence. The IFN-γ production can be influenced by genetic polymorphisms, of which the IFNG+874 (rs62559044) locus is the most studied. We investigated the possible influence of the IFNG+874 A/T polymorphism on interferon-gamma test performance. METHODS Patients diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis (75), volunteers with positive tuberculin skin test (70) and healthy volunteers with negative tuberculin skin test and no history of contact with tuberculosis (57) were evaluated regarding the IFNG+874 genotype and the IFN-γ levels in whole blood cultures performed using an interferon-gamma commercial kit (QuantiFERON-TB® Gold In-Tube). RESULTS IFN-γ production was not influenced by the IFNG+874 genotype, regardless of antigen or mitogen-based stimulation, which suggests that other genes may influence IFN-γ production in response to mycobacteria. The IFNG+874 polymorphism was found to exert no influence over QFT-IT test sensitivity in our study. CONCLUSIONS The IFNG+874 polymorphism was not shown to influence QuantiFERON-TB® Gold In-Tube test performance in an admixed population from northeastern Brazil.