Influence of residual pockets on periodontal tooth loss: A retrospective analysis.

BACKGROUND: Individuals enrolled in supportive periodontal therapy (SPT) can still present with tooth loss due to periodontitis (TLP). There is limited evidence on the influence of residual pockets (RPc) and a defined "threshold" at which a patient's profile is set to be at high risk for TLP in the literature. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the influence of RPc on TLP and determine the prognostic performance of RPc compared to the staging and grading of periodontitis on TLP risk. METHODS: Clinical data from 168 patients (3869 teeth) treated for periodontitis and receiving SPT for at least 10 years were evaluated in this retrospective study. TLP and the percentage of sites with RPc ≥ 5 mm or ≥6 mm per patient were collected. The prognostic performance of RPc was compared to the staging and grading of the disease on TLP using a multilevel Cox proportional hazard regression model. RESULTS: Over a median follow-up of 25 years, 13.7% of teeth were lost, 4.6% of which were due to periodontitis. Most patients with TLP had ≥1 site with RPc ≥5 mm (90.8%) or ≥6 mm (77.6%). Multivariate multilevel Cox regression revealed that patients with >15% of sites with RPc ≥5 mm had a hazard ratio of 2.34, and grade C had a hazard ratio of 4.6 for TLP compared to RPc ≤4 mm/grade A. Grading exhibited the best discrimination and model fit. CONCLUSION: Patients with RPc ≥5 mm at >15% of the sites are at risk for tooth loss. Grading and RPc ≥5 mm displayed very good predictive capability of TLP.

Four single implant-supported crowns replacing the maxillary incisors: A retrospective report of 10 cases with 2-9 years of follow-up.

OBJECTIVE: This retrospective case series aimed to assess the stability of the papilla around four single crowns supported by narrow-diameter implants replacing all maxillary incisors. Secondary objectives included assessment of marginal bone level stability, incidence of technical and biological complications, and patient satisfaction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Individuals with four adjacent implants in maxillary incisor sites, placed with a 3 mm inter-implant distance and rehabilitated with single crowns were included. Retrospective data were obtained from photographs and radiographs taken at the delivery of the prosthesis (baseline-T0). Patients were then recalled (≥2 years after T0) for clinical and radiographic examination (follow-up-T1). Photographs were obtained and patient satisfaction was assessed using a visual analogue scale. Papilla height and marginal bone level were compared over time. RESULTS: Data from 10 patients with medium-low smile lines and rehabilitated with 40 implants, in function for 5.4 ± 1.9 years, were analyzed. The papilla height between implants (T0: 2.3 ± 0.9 mm; T1: 2.6 ± 0.7 mm; p = .011) and between tooth and implant (T0: 3.4 ± 0.9 mm; T1: 3.8 ± 0.8 mm; p = .025) increased significantly over the years. The marginal bone level remained stable over time (T0: 0.88 ± 0.57 mm; T1: 0.71 ± 0.67 mm; p = .007). Patients were highly satisfied (97.7 ± 0.3%) with the treatment outcome. CONCLUSION: Within its limitations, this study demonstrated that four single implant-supported crowns placed at maxillary incisor sites may exhibit soft tissue and marginal bone stability over a long period of time. This treatment approach, however, should be restricted to few patients as it requires a proper case selection and skillful execution of all surgical and prosthetic steps.

Antimicrobial Activity of Peptides Produced by Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis on Swine Pathogens.

Swine production is of great importance worldwide and has huge economic and commercial impact. Due to problems with bacterial infection, the use of antimicrobials has increased in the last decades, particularly in Latin America and Asia. This has led to concerns about antimicrobial resistance, which poses risks to human health and the environment. The use of probiotic organisms has been proposed as an alternative to this use, as these beneficial bacteria can produce antimicrobial peptides, such as bacteriocins, which allow the induction of inhibitory effects against pathogenic microorganisms. Among probiotics, some bacteria stand out with the inhibition of animal pathogens. The bacteriocin-like inhibitory substances (BLISs) of Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis strain L2, present in its cell-free supernatant, were tested against pathogenic strains isolated from pig samples, such as Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica, Streptococcus suis, Streptococcus dysgalactiae, Staphylococcus hyicus, and Enterococcus faecalis. Compounds secreted by L. lactis L2 have been shown to inhibit the growth of some pathogenic species, particularly Gram-positive bacteria, with S. suis being the most prominent. Antimicrobial peptides with a molecular size of 500-1160 Daltons were isolated from BLISs. The results highlight the potential of L. lactis BLISs and its peptides as natural antimicrobials for use in the food industry and to reduce the use of growth promoters in animal production.

Tracking new insights into antifungal and anti-mycotoxigenic properties of a biofilm forming Pediococcus pentosaceus strain isolated from grain silage.

The present study offers detailed insights into the antifungal and anti-mycotoxigenic potential of a biofilm forming lactic acid bacterium (Pediococcus pentosaceus) against one atoxigenic (Aspergillus flavus) and two toxigenic (Aspergillus nomius and Fusarium verticillioides) fungal strains. The antifungal effect of P. pentosaceus LBM18 strain was initially investigated through comparative analysis of fungi physiology by macroscopic visual evaluations and scanning electron microscopy examinations. The effects over fungal growth rate and asexual sporulation were additionally accessed. Furthermore, analytical evaluations of mycotoxin production were carried out by HPLC-MS/MS to provide insights on the bacterial anti-mycotoxigenic activity over fungal production of the aflatoxins B1, B2, G1 and G2 as well as fumonisins B1 and B2. Finally, reverse transcription quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) analysis was employed at the most effective bacterial inoculant concentration to evaluate, at the molecular level, the down-regulation of genes aflR, aflQ and aflD, related to the biosynthesis of aflatoxins by the strain of Aspergillus nomius. The effects over mycotoxin contamination were thought to be result of a combination of several biotic and abiotic factors, such as interaction between living beings and physical-chemical aspects of the environment, respectively. Several possible mechanisms of action were addressed along with potentially deleterious effects ascribing from P. pentosaceus misuse as biopesticide, emphasizing the importance of evaluating lactic acid bacteria safety in new applications, concentrations, and exposure scenarios.

The effect of brushing discomfort on peri-implant health in sites exhibiting inadequate keratinized mucosa width: A cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate the effect of brushing discomfort (BD) on peri-implant health in sites exhibiting inadequate keratinized mucosa (KM) width. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Patients presenting with at least one implant exhibiting KM <2 mm and in function for ≥1 year were eligible for inclusion. BD was assessed with the visual analogue scale (VAS), and implants were classified into two groups: Absence (aBD; VAS = 0) or Presence (pBD; VAS > 0) of BD. Bleeding on probing (BoP), modified plaque index (mPI), probing depth (PD), clinical attachment level (CAL), suppuration (Sup), and marginal bone level (MBL) were recorded. Mann-Whitney, chi-square test, and a multilevel model were used for analysis. RESULTS: Fifty-nine patients with 155 dental implants were analyzed, of which 60 presented no BD, and 95 presented some level of BD. BoP, PD, CAL, and MBL were significantly higher in the pBD than in the aBD group (p < .05). The prevalence of peri-implant diseases at implant level was also higher in the pBD group than in the aBD group. However, after controlling for confounding factors, only mPI showed an effect on BoP. In addition, difficulty to perform oral hygiene was statistically higher in the pBD group. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the present study suggest that although BD around implants exhibiting KM <2 mm did not influence tissue inflammation, it could represent a symptom of peri-implant diseases. Further clinical trials assessing the long-term effect of BD must be considered to better ascertain its effects on peri-implant health.

Use of Probiotic Bacteria and Bacteriocins as an Alternative to Antibiotics in Aquaculture.

In addition to their use in human medicine, antimicrobials are also used in food animals and aquaculture, and their use can be categorized as therapeutic against bacterial infections. The use of antimicrobials in aquaculture may involve a broad environmental application that affects a wide variety of bacteria, promoting the spread of bacterial resistance genes. Probiotics and bacteriocins, antimicrobial peptides produced by some types of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), have been successfully tested in aquatic animals as alternatives to control bacterial infections. Supplementation might have beneficial impacts on the intestinal microbiota, immune response, development, and/or weight gain, without the issues associated with antibiotic use. Thus, probiotics and bacteriocins represent feasible alternatives to antibiotics. Here, we provide an update with respect to the relevance of aquaculture in the animal protein production sector, as well as the present and future challenges generated by outbreaks and antimicrobial resistance, while highlighting the potential role of probiotics and bacteriocins to address these challenges. In addition, we conducted data analysis using a simple linear regression model to determine whether a linear relationship exists between probiotic dose added to feed and three variables of interest selected, including specific growth rate, feed conversion ratio, and lysozyme activity.

Beneficial effects of probiotics on the pig production cycle: An overview of clinical impacts and performance.

In pig nutrition, antibiotics are used to promote growth and/or to treat diseases in order to improve animal performance. However, due to the potential risk of cross selective pressure for antibiotic resistance among bacterial pathogens, the development of new nutritional additives is needed. Among them, probiotics are of great interest since they could improve the immune response, maintain animal intestinal health, and improve nutritional efficiency. Studies with probiotics have also demonstrated their antimicrobial effects on several pathogenic strains, emphasizing that the form of administration can enhance the beneficial effects. In view of the promising advances in probiotic research, it is opportune to highlight their capacity to modulate health and improve performance at all stages of pig production. Therefore, in this review, we will discuss the benefits of probiotics on physiological, immunological, and clinical aspects during different stages of the pig's life cycle. Specifically, probiotics improve performance during pregnancy, parturition and lactation in sows, they can improve immunohematological parameters and defenses in the growing phase, they can influence the quality of meat in the finishing phase and can also help in the reduction of environmental pollutants.

An oxidation resistant pediocin PA-1 derivative and penocin A display effective anti-Listeria activity in a model human gut environment.

Pediocin PA-1 is a class IIa bacteriocin that is particularly effective against the foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes. The loss of activity of PA-1 pediocin due to methionine oxidation is one of the challenges that limit the wider application of the bacteriocin. In this study, we heterologously expressed an oxidation resistant form of pediocin PA-1, i.e., pediocin M31L, and compared its activity to that of native pediocin PA-1 and to penocin A, a pediocin-like bacteriocin that displays a narrower antimicrobial spectrum. Minimal inhibitory concentration assays revealed that pediocin M31L was as effective as PA-1 and more effective than synthetic penocin A against Listeria with negligible activity against a range of obligate anaerobic commensal gut bacterial species. The anti-Listeria activity of these pediocins was also assessed in a simulated human distal colon model assay using the L. monocytogenes, spiked at 6.5 ± 0.13 Log CFU/mL, as a bioindicator. At 24 h, pediocin M31L and penocin A (2.6 µM) reduced Listeria counts to 3.5 ± 0.4 and 3.64 ± 0.62 Log CFU/mL, respectively, whereas Listeria counts were considerably higher, i.e. 7.75 ± 0.43 Log CFU/mL, in the non-bacteriocin-containing control. Ultimately, it was established that synthetic penocin A and the stable pediocin M31L derivative, heterologously produced, display effective anti-Listeria activity in a human gut environment.

Audience Control over Children's Honest Reports.

We evaluated audience control over children's honest reports using a reversal (ABA or ABAB) design. Four typically developing children performed a computer game in which they had to shoot a target and then report on their performance during and at the end of each session. Baseline assessed the accuracy of their reports in the absence of an experimenter. During the audience condition, an adult was present in the room and observed the child during the task. Participants accurately reported their errors when an adult was present, whereas they lied about their performance by systematically reporting errors as correct responses when an adult was absent. Honest reports about their total score at the end of the session also increased in the presence of the audience member. These results suggest that the presence of an adult exerted control over children's honest/accurate reports. We discussed the reasons why the presence of an adult may have served as a discriminative stimulus for honest reports.

Characterization of levan produced by a Paenibacillus sp. isolated from Brazilian crude oil.

A levan-type fructooligosaccharide was produced by a Paenibacillus strain isolated from Brazilian crude oil, the purity of which was 98.5% after precipitation with ethanol and dialysis. Characterization by FTIR, NMR spectroscopy, GC-FID and ESI-MS revealed that it is a mixture of linear ß(2 â†’ 6) fructosyl polymers with average degree of polymerization (DP) of 18 and branching ratio of 20. Morphological structure and physicochemical properties were investigated to assess levan microstructure, degradation temperature and thermomechanical features. Thermal Gravimetric Analysis highlighted degradation temperature of 218 °C, Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) glass transition at 81.47 °C, and Dynamic Mechanical Analysis three frequency-dependent transition peaks. These peaks, corresponding to a first thermomechanical transition event at 86.60 °C related to the DSC endothermic event, a second at 170.9 °C and a third at 185.2 °C, were attributed to different glass transition temperatures of oligo and polyfructans with different DP. Levan showed high morphological versatility and technological potential for the food, nutraceutical, and pharmaceutical industries.

SOME CHALLENGES IN CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION IN A MIDDLE INCOME COUNTRY: THE BRAZILIAN PERSPECTIVE.

In this article, we present child abuse and neglect data available in Brazilian public health system platform and in a national childline reporting channel (Dial 100) from 2011-2017. Overall, Brazil has a robust set of laws to protect its children, however, the implementation of public policies is insufficient. The pathway to solve these problems goes through increased governmental funding, intense professional training, and the adoption of an evidence-based perspective to design and implement the policies.

Estudos documentais sobre alienação parental: uma revisão sistemática / Documentary studies on parental alienation: a systematic review / Estudios documentales sobre alienación parental: una revisión sistemática

A Alienação Parental (AP) é uma modalidade de violência psicológica que pode ser identificada no contexto das disputas de pais pela guarda de crianças em tribunais de justiça, espaço que constitui uma rica fonte de dados para pesquisa. Com o objetivo de analisar a produção científica nacional e internacional sobre AP composta por estudos com amostras documentais judiciais, este estudo realizou uma revisão sistemática utilizando o protocolo PRISMA. A palavra-chave "parental alienation" e sua respectiva tradução para o português, "alienação parental", foram pesquisadas nas bases de dados Scopus, PsycNET, PubMed e Scielo. Foi consultado também o acervo de livros do Laboratório de Análise e Prevenção da Violência (Laprev/UFSCar). Das bases de dados pesquisadas foram selecionados cinco artigos, três brasileiros, um canadense e um italiano. Do acervo do laboratório, foi selecionado um livro brasileiro. Nos artigos selecionados, nota-se que a maioria das sentenças judiciais corroborava as conclusões dos documentos psicológicos. No entanto, as análises dos relatórios psicológicos realizadas pelos estudos brasileiros e italiano identificaram uma preocupante deficiência na avaliação psicológica de suspeitas de AP, com destaque para posturas enviesadas, inadequação das normas e da estrutura dos relatórios, avaliações psicológicas mal planejadas e fraco embasamento teórico. Essas constatações apontam urgente necessidade de desenvolvimento de estratégias de aprimoramento da avaliação psicológica, a fim de fortalecer a proteção e a garantia de direitos de crianças e adolescentes envolvidos em situações de litígio conjugal.(AU)

Parental Alienation (PA) is a modality of psychological violence identifiable in the context of child custody disputes in courts of law - institution that provides a rich source of research data. To analyze the national and international literature on PA of studies conducted with court documents, this study consists of a systematic review, performed according to the PRISMA guidelines, on the Scopus, PsycNET, PubMed, and Scielo databases, as well as in the library of the Laboratory of Analysis and Prevention of Violence (LAPREV/UFSCar), for articles including the keyword "parental alienation" and its respective Portuguese translation. The search provided six samples: five articles selected from the databases (three Brazilian, one Canadian, and one Italian) and a Brazilian book from the lab collection. Most judicial sentences analyzed in the selected studies corroborate the psychological reports conclusions. However, the psychological evaluation of alleged PA cases of Brazilian and Italian reports showed concerning deficiencies, with emphasis on biased opinions, lack of adequate standards, poorly planned assessments, and questionable theoretical background. These findings stress the urgent need to develop strategies for improving psychological assessments to strengthen the protection and guaranteeing the rights of children involved in marital litigation.(AU)

La alienación parental (AP) consiste en una violencia psicológica que ejerce uno de los progenitores por la custodia de los hijos en el contexto de disputas judiciales, donde hay una rica fuente de datos de investigación. Con el fin de analizar la producción científica nacional e internacional sobre AP a partir de estudios documentales judiciales, este estudio realizó una revisión sistemática siguiendo el protocolo PRISMA. La palabra clave "parental alienation" y su correspondiente traducción al portugués "alienação parental" norteó las búsquedas en las bases de datos Scopus, PsycNET, PubMed y SciELO. Se consultó también la colección en el Laboratório de Análise e Prevenção da Violência (LAPREV/UFSCar). Las búsquedas dieron como resultado cinco artículos: tres brasileños, uno canadiense y uno italiano. De la colección del laboratorio se seleccionó un libro brasileño. Se observó en los artículos seleccionados que la mayoría de las sentencias judiciales analizadas corroboraron las conclusiones de los informes psicológicos. Sin embargo, el análisis de los documentos psicológicos realizados por los estudios brasileños e italiano identificó una preocupante deficiencia en la evaluación psicológica de sospechosas de AP, destacándose las posturas sesgadas, la inadecuación entre las normas y la estructura de los informes psicológicos, y las evaluaciones psicológicas mal planificadas y con débil fundamentación teórica. Tales constataciones apuntan que hay una necesidad urgente de desarrollar estrategias que mejoran la evaluación psicológica a fin de fortalecer la protección y la garantía de los derechos de los niños y adolescentes involucrados en situaciones de litigio familiar.(AU)

Bacteriocin-like inhibitory substance of Pediococcus pentosaceus as a biopreservative for Listeria sp. control in ready-to-eat pork ham.

The growing demand of consumers for synthetic chemical-free foods has increased the search for natural preservatives such as bacteriocins and bacteriocin-like inhibitory substances (BLIS) to give them adequate microbiological safety, sensory characteristics, and shelf life. In this study, the antimicrobial activity of BLIS produced by Pediococcus pentosaceus ATCC 43200 was compared with that of nisin. Lactobacillus sakei ATCC 15521, Listeria seeligeri NCTC 11289, Enterococcus En2052 and En2865, and Listeria monocytogenes CECT 934 and NADC 2045 exhibited larger inhibition halos in BLIS-treated than in Nisaplin-treated samples, unlike Listeria innocua NCTC 11288. In artificially contaminated ready-to-eat pork ham, BLIS was effective in inhibiting the growth of L. seeligeri NCTC 11289 for 6 days (counts from 1.74 to 0.00 log CFU/g) and ensured lower weight loss (2.7%) and lipid peroxidation (0.63 mg MDA/kg) of samples compared with the control (3.0%; 1.25 mg MDA/kg). At the same time, coloration of ham samples in terms of luminosity, redness, and yellowness as well as discoloration throughout cold storage was not influenced by BLIS or Nisaplin taken as a control. These results suggest the potential use of P. pentosaceus BLIS as a biopreservative in meat and other food processing industries.

Celiac Disease in Brazilian First-degree Relatives: The Odds Are Five Times Greater for HLA DQ2 Homozygous.

First-degree relatives (FDRs) of 47 outpatients with celiac disease (CD) answered a questionnaire about symptoms related to CD and were investigated for human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DQ2, DQB102 homozygosis, and DQ8 alleles. Genetically susceptible individuals were tested for antitransglutaminase antibody immunoglobulin A. Seropositive FDR underwent small bowel biopsies.From 114 FDR, 74.5% (n = 85) were positive for DQ2, DQ8, or both haplotypes. Homozygosity of DQB102 was found in 11.4% (n = 13) individuals. Three FDR were previously diagnosed with CD. Among the genetically susceptible individuals, 67.1% had at least 1 symptom related to CD. Seropositivity was 8/82 (9.8%), and 4/8 biopsies were compatible with CD. Therefore, the total number of FDR with CD was 6.1% (7/114), 95% confidence interval (1.71, 10.49). Three out of 7 FDR with CD were HLA DQB102 homozygous. The odds of being CD is 5 times, 95% confidence interval (0.99, 26.23), greater for HLA DQ B102 homozygous in FDR.

Bacteriocin production by Lactobacillus plantarum ST16Pa in supplemented whey powder formulations.

Whey, the main by-product of the dairy industry, is frequently disposed of in the environment without any treatment due to the high cost of this process. Alternatively, whey can be used as a medium to culture lactic acid bacteria and produce value-added products such as bacteriocins. In this work, we attempted to improve bacteriocin production by Lactobacillus plantarum ST16Pa in a whey powder formulation supplemented with additional sources of carbon, nitrogen, and vitamin B12 at different levels and varying the agitation intensity according to a Plackett-Burman experimental design. Only the addition of tryptone positively influenced the production of this bacteriocin. The results allowed us to identify a supplemented whey formulation, comprising 150 g/L of whey total solids plus 10 g/L of tryptone and soybean extract, whose fermentation by Lb. plantarum ST16Pa in shake flasks under agitation at 150 rpm led to a cell-free supernatant with an antimicrobial activity against Listeria innocua 6a CLIST 2865 (inhibition zone of 13.23 mm) close to that previously obtained in de Man, Rogosa and Sharpe medium by other authors. These results are significant considering that the same strain cultured in cheese whey did not previously display any antimicrobial activity.

Influence of the keratinized mucosa on the stability of peri-implant tissues and brushing discomfort: A 4-year follow-up study.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the present prospective follow-up study was to evaluate the long-term influence of the peri-implant keratinized mucosa (KM) on marginal bone level (MBL), peri-implant tissues health, and brushing discomfort. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Eighty patients were initially recruited during their maintenance visit from January to October 2013 and allocated in two groups according to KM width around implants: Wide Group (KM ≥ 2 mm) and Narrow Group (KM < 2 mm). In the four-year follow-up examination (T4), marginal bone level (MBL), modified plaque index (mPI), probing depth (PD), clinical attachment level (CAL), bleeding on probing (BoP), and brushing discomfort (BD) were reassessed and compared to the initial assessments (T0). Mann-Whitney, Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and a multilevel model were used for the statistical analysis. RESULTS: Fifty-four patients with 202 implants returned at T4. Mean mPI (0.91 ± 0.60), BoP (0.67 ± 0.21), and BD (12.28 ± 17.59) were higher in the Narrow Group than in the Wide Group (0.54 ± 0.48, 0.56 ± 0.26, and 4.25 ± 8.39, respectively). Marginal bone loss was higher in the Narrow Group (0.26 ± 0.71) than in the Wide Group (0.06 ± 0.48). Multilevel analysis suggested that KM width and time in function had a statistically significant effect on MBL. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the present study indicate that KM width had an effect on MBL, plaque accumulation, tissue inflammation, and brushing discomfort over the studied period. Thus, the presence of a KM ≥ 2 mm around implants appears to have a protective effect on peri-implant tissues.

Influence of fructooligosaccharides on the fermentation profile and viable counts in a symbiotic low fat milk.

This study evaluated the effects of prebiotics on fermentation profile and growth of Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, and Bifidobacterium lactis in co-cultures with Streptococcus thermophilus. Acidification rate and viability were positively influenced by the co-culture with B. lactis and by both inulin or oligofructose in low fat milk.

Effect of different prebiotics on the fermentation kinetics, probiotic survival and fatty acids profiles in nonfat symbiotic fermented milk.

The simultaneous effects of different binary co-cultures of Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Bifidobacterium lactis with Streptococcus thermophilus and of different prebiotics on the production of fermented milk were investigated in this paper. In particular, we determined and compared the kinetics of acidification of milk either as such or supplemented with 4% (w/w) maltodextrin, oligofructose and polydextrose, as well as the probiotic survival, chemical composition (pH, lactose, lactic acid and protein contents), fatty acids profile and conjugate linoleic acid (CLA) content of fermented milk after storage at 4 degrees C for 24 h. Fermented milk quality was strongly influenced both by the co-culture composition and the selected prebiotic. Depending on the co-culture, prebiotic addition to milk influenced to different extent kinetic acidification parameters. All probiotic counts were stimulated by oligofructose and polydextrose, and among these B. lactis always exhibited the highest counts in all supplemented milk samples. Polydextrose addition led to the highest post-acidification. Although the contents of the main fatty acids were only barely influenced, the highest amounts of conjugated linoleic acid (38% higher than in the control) were found in milk fermented by S. thermophilus-L. acidophilus co-culture and supplemented with maltodextrin.

High prevalence of celiac disease in Brazilian blood donor volunteers based on screening by IgA antitissue transglutaminase antibody.

OBJECTIVE: To study the prevalence of celiac disease among blood donor volunteers based on screening by IgA antitissue transglutaminase antibody, followed by a confirmatory small intestine biopsy. METHODS: The transversal study involved 3000 potential blood donors, residing in the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil. The participants were gender divided into 1500 men and 1500 women, with an average age 34.4+/-10.8 years, and included blood donor volunteers who could be turned down owing to anemia. All participants answered a questionnaire concerning the presence of diarrhea, constipation or abdominal pain during the 3 months before the study. Each participant with human recombinant IgA antitissue transglutaminase antibody level above 10 U/ml was invited to undergo a small intestine biopsy by means of an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. The presence of villous atrophy and a positive antibody test were suggestive of possible celiac disease. RESULTS: Antitissue transglutaminase antibody was positive in 1.5% (45/3000) of the study population. Among the antibody-positive group, 21 (46.6%) agreed to have a biopsy performed, and within them the histological pattern of villous atrophy was confirmed in 66.7% (14/21). Consequently, the suggestive prevalence of celiac disease was at the minimum, one per 214 of the potential blood donor volunteers. A significant association was found between celiac disease and the symptoms of diarrhea, constipation and abdominal pain. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of celiac disease in Sao Paulo city is high and comparable to that observed in European countries. It is possible that in Brazil the prevalence of this disease had previously been underestimated.