Translation and validation of a French version of the Xerostomia Inventory.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the transcultural adaptation and psychometric properties of the French-language version of the Xerostomia Inventory (XI-Fr). METHODS: In total, 65 patients aged 65 years or older were recruited from three departments of a single French hospital. Patients had to have a Mini Mental State Examination score of 10 or more and be able to read and write French. The XI-Fr was administered to all patients after transcultural adaptation, at the start of the study, and again at 7 days after inclusion. We assessed reliability, acceptability, validity, internal consistency and reproducibility of the instrument in its French-language version. RESULTS: The XI-Fr showed good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha 0.79) and good reliability (intra-class correlation 0.83) at 7 days. Convergent validity showed no relation between salivary flow and XI-Fr score, as with the original instrument. Discriminant validity showed a positive correlation between the XI-Fr and the GOHAI, but no difference for the MNA or miniGDS scores. CONCLUSION: The XI-Fr is a valid and reliable measure of xerostomia in French, with psychometric properties comparable to those of the original English-language version.

Cationic antimicrobial peptides and periodontal physiopathology: A systematic review.

The purpose of this systematic review was to establish if patients suffering from periodontal diseases present differences in the expression or production of cationic antimicrobial peptides in saliva, gingival fluid, and periodontal tissues. Periodontal diseases are among the most common chronic diseases worldwide and share similar etiological or risk factors (genetic and/or environmental) with other systemic disorders. Over the last decade, an increasing number of publications have suggested the implication of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) in periodontal and oral tissues conditions. Literature searches were conducted through MEDLINE-PubMed and EMBASE databases which identified 1267 publications. Only clinical studies that focused on assays of the expression and/or production of AMPs in human adult oral fluids (gingival crevicular fluid or saliva) or in oral tissues were retained and finally seventy-four publications meeting inclusion criteria were included. Cathelicidin, α- and ß-defensins 1-3 are the most documented AMPs regarding periodontal status. Significant correlations between clinical periodontal indexes (PD, CAL) and/or bacteriological index and LL37 level were retrieved. Data remain inconsistent between the studies for hBDs mainly due to heterogeneity of the results, periodontal disease diagnostic criteria and assaying technique employed. Given their role in innate immunity and their antimicrobial functions, LL-37 and α-defensins may be eligible as periodontal clinical biomarkers and could be an interesting way for therapeutic development.

Antimicrobial peptide gene expression in periodontitis patients: A pilot study.

AIM: Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are one of the most active components of innate immunity and have characteristics that could place them at the heart of the pathogenesis of periodontal disease. This study investigated differences in the expression of AMP coding genes obtained using a simple harvesting technique, gingival smear, between two groups of patients: chronic periodontitis subjects versus healthy ones. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-three patients were enrolled in two groups: 12 were diagnosed with moderate or severe generalized chronic periodontitis, and 11 were diagnosed as clinically healthy. Gingival smears were retrieved and studied using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) after mRNA purification. RESULTS: Fifteen gene expressions were obtained using real-time RT-qPCR. Three AMP genes, histatin 3 (HTN3), α-defensin 4 (DEFA4) and lysozyme C (LYZ), presented different expression levels in periodontitis patients compared with healthy subjects. The relative expression level of DEFA4 appeared to be a protective factor against periodontitis. CONCLUSION: Gingival smears studied by RT-qPCR may be used to assess the expression of AMPs coding genes. A lack of expression of DEFA4 could be a potential indicator of periodontitis status.