Prevalence of oral Capnocytophaga species and their association with dental plaque accumulation and periodontal inflammation in middle­aged and older people.

Capnocytophaga species are commonly found in human oral microbiome. The aim of the present study was to understand the association of the prevalence of oral Capnocytophaga species with oral hygiene and periodontal inflammation. A total of 136 patients (median age 72 years) who visited the Hiroshima University Hospital (Hiroshima, Japan) between April 2021 and June 2023 were enrolled. Swab samples were obtained from the tongue surface. DNA from Capnocytophaga species (C. ochracea and C. sputigena) was detected by real-time PCR analysis. Dental plaque accumulation was observed to assess the oral hygiene condition of participants. Additionally, clinical periodontal inflammation was assessed with periodontal inflamed surface area (PISA) scores. Clinical confounding factors such as age, sex, lifestyle-related disease, remaining teeth and denture wearing between Capnocytophaga species-positive and -negative groups were adjusted with a propensity score matching method. Mann-Whitney U and χ2 or Fisher's exact test were employed for statistical analysis. The prevalence rate was 67.6% for oral C. ochracea and 83.1% for C. sputigena. C. ochracea-positive participants showed significantly higher plaque control record scores (an indicator of dental plaque accumulation) than C. ochracea-negative participants (P=0.03). Additionally, C. ochracea/C. sputigena dual-positive participants exhibited significantly higher plaque control record and PISA scores than non-dual-positive participants (P=0.01 and P=0.04, respectively). Propensity score matching was conducted in the C. ochracea/C. sputigena dual-positive group and the non-dual-positive group for adjustment of clinical factors, resulting in 51 matched patient pairs. C. ochracea/C. sputigena dual-positive participants had significantly higher plaque control record scores than non-dual-positive participants (P=0.02). The present results suggest that the prevalence of both oral C. ochracea and C. sputigena is associated with poor oral hygiene in middle-aged and older people.

Periodontitis and postoperative inflammation in gastric cancer patients: Propensity score analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to clarify the association between preoperative periodontitis and postoperative systemic inflammation in patients with gastric cancer. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This retrospective cohort study analyzed data from 140 gastric cancer patients who underwent surgery at Hiroshima University Hospital between May 2019 and May 2022. Periodontal inflamed surface area (PISA) scores were determined to assess periodontitis severity using modified Nesse's methods. Propensity score matching was used to compare patients with high and low PISA scores (> or < the median PISA score of 92.4, respectively). Propensity scores were calculated using a logistic regression model, based on 17 clinical parameters: age, sex, smoking, alcohol consumption, hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, cardiovascular disease, stroke, clinical stage, surgical procedure, surgical approach, neoadjuvant chemotherapy, surgery duration, blood loss during surgery, remaining teeth, and denture use. RESULTS: Thirty-seven patients were propensity-score-matched. Participants with high PISA scores had a higher incidence of surgical site infection (10.5%) than those with low PISA scores (5.3%). Moreover, participants with high PISA scores had significantly higher C-reactive protein levels on postoperative days 1 than those with low PISA scores. CONCLUSION: Preoperative periodontitis may determine the level of postoperative systemic inflammation in patients with gastric cancer.

Associations between Oral Human Herpesvirus-6 and -7 and Periodontal Conditions in Older Adults.

BACKGROUND: The associations between oral human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) and HHV-7, periodontal conditions, and lifestyle-related diseases, such as hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia, have not been fully investigated in older adults. METHODS: Seventy-four older patients who visited Hiroshima University Hospital were enrolled. Tongue swab samples were employed, and a real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed to detect HHV-6 and HHV-7 DNA. Dental plaque accumulation, probing pocket depth, and bleeding on probing (BOP) (i.e., a sign of periodontal inflammation) were examined. The periodontal inflamed surface area (PISA) value (i.e., an indicator of the severity of periodontitis) was also examined. RESULTS: Of the 74 participants, one participant (1.4%) was HHV-6 DNA-positive and 36 participants (48.6%) were HHV-7 DNA-positive. A significant association between HHV-7 DNA and probing depth was found (p = 0.04). The HHV-7 DNA-positive participants had a higher positive rate of a ≥6-mm periodontal pocket with BOP (25.0%) than the HHV-7 DNA-negative participants (7.9%). Additionally, the HHV-7 DNA-positive participants had a higher PISA value than the HHV-7 DNA-negative participants. However, there was no significant association between HHV-7 and the PISA value (p = 0.82). No significant association was found between HHV-7 and lifestyle-related diseases (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Oral HHV-7 infection is associated with a deep periodontal pocket.

Prevalence of oral Epstein-Barr virus and Porphyromonas gingivalis and their association with periodontal inflamed surface area: A cross-sectional study.

We previously reported that oral herpesviruses, such as Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), are associated with periodontitis. However, the relationship between oral EBV or dual oral EBV and Porphyromonas gingivalis infections and periodontal inflammation severity remains unclear. We conducted this study to determine the relationship between oral EBV and P gingivalis prevalence and the periodontal inflamed surface area (PISA) in middle-aged and older adults. We analyzed 205 patients (median age, 70 years) who visited Hiroshima University Hospital. Tongue swab samples were used to investigate the presence of EBV and P gingivalis DNA using real-time PCR. Probing pocket depth and bleeding on probing were measured at 6 sites per tooth. PISA scores were calculated based on the results of probing pocket depth and bleeding on probing. Propensity scores were calculated via logistic regression analysis of 8 clinical factors: age, sex, smoking status, remaining teeth, denture use, hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia. EBV DNA was present in 41 of the 205 participants (20.0%). Thirty-seven EBV-positive or -negative participants in 74 matched pairs after propensity-score matching were examined via univariate analysis. EBV-positive participants exhibited higher plaque control record scores and PISAs than did EBV-negative participants. EBV DNA was significantly associated with plaque control record scores and PISA (both P = .04). Of the 205 participants, 111 were positive for P gingivalis (54.1%). Nineteen participants (9.3%) were infected with both oral EBV and P gingivalis. Logistic regression analysis revealed that dual infection with EBV and P gingivalis was significantly associated with diabetes (odds ratio = 3.37, 95% confidence interval: 1.13-10.1; P = .03). Oral EBV prevalence is associated with oral hygiene and the spread of inflamed periodontal tissue. Diabetes may be a risk factor for dual infection with oral EBV and P gingivalis.

Interaction of valproic acid and carbapenem antibiotics with multidrug resistance-associated proteins in rat erythrocyte membranes.

We recently reported that the decrease in plasma valproic acid (VPA) level by carbapenem antibiotics (CPs) may partly be due to the increased erythrocyte distribution of VPA. In order to clarify the mechanisms underlying altered VPA distribution in erythrocytes, we examined the role of multidrug resistance-associated proteins (Mrps). The uptake of 2,4-dinitrophenyl-S-glutathione (DNP-SG), a substrate of Mrps, by inside-out vesicles (IOVs) prepared from rat erythrocytes was an ATP-dependent, active process. DNP-SG uptake was mediated by high- and low-affinity transport systems, and was inhibited by various Mrp inhibitors such as probenecid and indomethacin. Glutathione stimulated only the high-affinity transport system. VPA inhibited the low-affinity transport of DNP-SG, while panipenem, a CP, inhibited both high- and low-affinity transport. ATP-dependent, Mrp-mediated transport of methotrexate, another Mrp substrate, in IOVs was also observed, and VPA and various CPs inhibited the transport. The uptake of [(3)H]VPA was examined, and found to be ATP-dependent. ATP-dependent uptake of [(3)H]VPA was inhibited by Mrp inhibitors and panipenem, while the inhibition was not observed in the absence of ATP. These results indicate that VPA and CPs interact with Mrp-mediated transport in erythrocyte membranes, and VPA itself is transported by Mrps, which is inhibited by panipenem. Thus, the increased erythrocyte distribution of VPA by CPs observed under in vivo conditions may partly be explained by their interaction with Mrps in erythrocyte membranes.

Intramolecular charge-transfer fluorescence of 1-phenyltridecamethylbicyclo[2.2.2]octasilane.

1-Phenyltridecamethylbicyclo[2.2.2]octasilane (1) is prepared by the reaction of the corresponding 1-chlorotridecamethylbicyclo[2.2.2]octasilane with phenyllithium in the presence of N,N,N',N'-tetramethylethylenediamine and the molecular structure of is determined by X-ray crystallography. Phenyloligosilane shows dual fluorescence even in non-polar hexane though the TICT-like mechanism is not applicable.