Short-term, nonsurgical periodontal therapy boosts interleukin-12 levels and reduces oral cancer risk.

BACKGROUND: Cytokines, including interleukin-12 (IL-12), are proteins that regulate cell survival, proliferation, differentiation, and function. IL-12 is a heterodimeric proinflammatory cytokine. It possesses tumoricidal properties and promotes M1 macrophage polarization and IFN-γ production by T helper (Th1) cells, which in turn stimulates the antitumor cytotoxic cluster of eight positive (CD8+) and natural killer cells, therefore activating an effector immune response against tumor cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Herein, the IL-2 levels of 60 patients with generalized chronic periodontitis (GCP) were assessed. Plaque index, gingival index, pocket probing depth, bleeding on probing percentage (BOP %), and clinical attachment loss were the clinical indicators reported. RESULTS: Patients with GCP in the pretreatment group had substantially lower mean IL-12 levels than those in the post-treatment group. Short-term, nonsurgical treatment (NST) considerably improved periodontal indices and increased IL-12 levels, thereby reducing oral cancer risk. CONCLUSION: NST is a cost-effective and accessible cancer prevention procedure for general dentists.

Prioritization and characterization of validated biofilm blockers targeting glucosyltransferase C of Streptococcus mutans.

To date, several Glucosyltransferase C (GtfC) inhibitors have been identified and experimentally validated. All these inhibitors have been validated at different experimental conditions like degree of purity, animal models, kinetic conditions, experimental environment etc.; and most of these inhibitors (ligands) proved to be quite effective in their respective validation environment. However, due to varied experimental validation conditions, and absence of molecular interaction data, there is no way to prioritize these validated ligands for their inhibition potential against GtfC. The present study is a novel attempt of comparative evaluation of the interaction of the validated ligands on a single platform and under similar conditions with a dual objective, i.e. ligand prioritization for their respective inhibitory potential and elucidation of the involved unknown molecular interactions. Carbohydrate derivatives (6-Deoxy sucrose and Trichloro-galactosucrose) were identified as the most promising GtfC inhibitors. In addition, Asp588, Trp517, and Asn481 amino acid residues of the domain A1 proved vital for the inhibitory effect. The study highlights the importance of the comparative analysis of the validated ligands in order to identify the most promising leads for drug discovery against dental caries.

Link between MnSOD Ala16Val (rs4880) polymorphism and asthma risk is insignificant from sequential meta-analysis.

The mitochondrial manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) enzyme protects lungs against oxidative stress by neutralizing the free radical superoxide produced in the respiratory function. This has relevance to asthma. Therefore, it is of interest to describe the potential effect of MnSOD Ala16Val genetic polymorphism to asthma risk. Known data in this context is inconclusive in nature. The possible link between MnSOD Ala16Val polymorphism and asthma is explored using sequence meta-analysis. Data from the pooled analysis of MnSOD Ala16Val polymorphism using five genetic models i.e., allelic (Val vs. Ala: p=0.846; OR=1.033, 95% CI=0.742 to 1.440) is discussed. Homozygous (Val Val vs. Ala Ala: p=0.517; OR=1.307, 95% CI=0.582 to 2.932) and heterozygous (Val Ala vs. Ala Ala: p=0.307; OR=1.138, 95% CI=0.888 to 1.459) data using the described models are documented. Data from the dominant model (Val Val + Val Ala vs. Ala Ala: p=0.301; OR=1.289, 95% CI=0.797 to 2.085) and the recessive model (Val Val vs. Val Ala + Ala Ala: p=0.761; OR=0.924, 95% CI=0.555 to 1.538) analyses for several ethnic subgroups in this context is reported.

Alveolar Osteitis: Patient's Compliance with Post-extraction Instructions Following Permanent Teeth Extraction.

AIM: The study aims to evaluate the patients' compliance with post-extraction instructions to prevent the development of alveolar osteitis and keep the health of the socket. Alveolar osteitis "Dry socket" is considered one of the most common complications after extraction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Study was based on an observational cross-sectional design involving 201 subjects (individuals). The subjects were evaluated via a survey questionnaire and clinical examination after obtaining their verbal and written consent. The study questionnaire was divided into the following sections; section one records the demographic data about the subject while the second section focuses on self-assessment mainly regarding compliance with post-extraction instructions and pain. RESULTS: A total number of patients included in the study was 201, 122 (60.7%) male and 79 (39.3%) female with an age of more than 18 years. No statistically significant association was reported between a medical condition and dry socket. Out of 201 patients came for clinical examination, 89 felt pain at the site of extraction at different period started from the day of extraction till the day of examination with various pain intensity. Females were the most to feel pain after tooth extraction with 78%. Regarding prevalence, 14 (7%) patients reported having dry socket and poor socket status. A statistically significant association of non-complying patients with the incidence of the dry socket was observed for a wide range of age (18 to 40 years) Conclusion: The study showed a high degree of association between the incidence of dry socket cases for patients with poor compliance with post-extraction instruction. A strong relation was observed between the patients who felt pain and their gender (females) Clinical significance: Based on the findings of the present study, we recommend the need to properly educate patients on the effect of compliance and the various complications and factors affecting the socket status after tooth extraction due to non-compliance.