Periodontitis and systemic parameters in chronic kidney disease: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To perform a systematic review with meta-analysis to assess recent scientific evidence on the association between periodontitis and systemic parameters/conditions in individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The search for studies was performed in MedLine/PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and BIREME databases. Reference lists of selected articles were also searched. Studies with different epidemiological designs evaluating the influence of exposure to periodontitis on serum markers and mortality in individuals with CKD were eligible for inclusion. Three independent reviewers performed the article selection and data extraction. The assessment of methodological quality used the adapted Newcastle Ottawa Scale. Random effects meta-analysis was performed to calculate association measurements and 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: In total, 3053 records were identified in the database search, with only 25 studies meeting the eligibility criteria and, of these, 10 studies contributed data for meta-analysis. Using a random-effects model, periodontitis was associated with hypoalbuminemia (PRunadjusted = 2.47; 95%CI:1.43-4.26), with high levels of C-reactive protein (PRunadjusted = 1.35; 95%CI%:1.12-1.64), death from cardiovascular disease (RRunadjusted = 2.29; 95%CI:1.67-3.15) and death from all causes (RRunadjusted = 1.73; 95%CI:1.32-2.27). CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this review validated a positive association between periodontitis and serum markers and mortality data in individuals with CKD.

Depression and associated factors among Brazilian adults: the 2019 national healthcare population-based study.

BACKGROUND: Mental disorders represent a major public health challenge worldwide, affecting 80% of people living in low- and middle-income countries. Depression, a mental disorder, is a chronic disease of long duration that causes changes in the brain, resulting from a combination of genetic, physiologic, environmental, and behavioral factors. The aim of this study was to investigate possible factors associated with depression in Brazilian adults. METHODS: A population-based, cross-sectional study was carried out using the public domain database of the 2019 National Health Survey, conducted in Brazil. Depression was considered the dependent variable, and through hierarchical analysis, predictor variables were investigated such as, at the distal level-socioeconomic variables, at the intermediate level-variables related to lifestyle behavior, health condition, and history, and at the proximal level-demographic variables. Logistic regression analysis was used to obtain the adjusted Odds Ratio and the respective 95% confidence interval to identify possible factors associated with depression. RESULTS: The study included 88,531 participant records with 10.27% diagnosed with depression. The adjusted association measurements, after selecting the independent variables in the hierarchical analysis, showed the following factors associated with depression with differing magnitudes: age, brown and white race/skin color, female sex, poor, very poor, or regular self-reported health condition, diagnosis of cardiovascular disease, work-related musculoskeletal disorder, history of smoking habit, and macroeconomic region. CONCLUSIONS: An effective strategy for preventing and managing depression in Brazilian adults must include the control of health status and lifestyle behavior factors, with actions and programs to reduce people's exposure to these factors, understanding that socioeconomic-demographic differences of each population can potentially reduce the disease burden.

Periodontitis severity relationship with metabolic syndrome: A systematic review with meta-analysis.

The objective of this study was to investigate the association between periodontitis severity and metabolic syndrome (MetS) through systematic review, registered in PROSPERO: CRD42021232120. Selected articles were independently chosen by three reviewers from six databases, including using article reference lists, up until March 2022. Eligible studies were observational, without language limitation, and in subjects aged at least 18 years. The methodological quality of selected studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Random effects models calculated summary measurements (odds ratio-OR, 95% confidence interval, 95%CI). The I2 test evaluated the statistical heterogeneity of the data. Sensitivity, subgroup, and meta-regression analyses were performed. For the reliability of evidence, the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations tool was used. A total of 2133 records were identified, and 14 studies were included comprising 24,567 participants. The summary odds ratio showed a positive association between individuals with moderate (ORadjusted  = 1.26; 95%CI = 2.10-5.37; I2  = 45.85%), and severe periodontitis (ORadjusted  = 1.50; 95%CI:1.28-1.71; I2  = 56.46%), and MetS. Subgroup and meta-regression analyses showed that study effect size was influenced by year of publication, study design, and MetS diagnostic criteria, contributing to inter-study variability. The findings showed that moderate and severe levels of periodontitis are associated with MetS, suggesting a possible dose-response effect.

Periodontitis is a factor associated with dyslipidemia.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between the severity of periodontitis (exposure) and dyslipidemia (outcome). METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study of users of public health services. Periodontitis was defined using the Center for Disease Prevention and Control and the American Academy of Periodontology criteria. Lipid evaluation used data on systemic biomarkers. Dyslipidemia diagnosis was based on the Guidelines of total cardiovascular risk of the World Health Organization. Weight, height, waist circumference, and blood pressure were measured, and socioeconomic-demographic, lifestyle behavior factors, general and oral health conditions of the participants were collected. Hierarchical and logistic regression analyzes were used to determine the association between the exposures and the outcome. Odds Ratios, unadjusted and adjusted, and 95% confidence intervals were estimated. RESULTS: Of 1,011 individuals examined, 75.17% had dyslipidemia, and 84.17% had periodontitis, 0.2% with mild, 48.56% moderate, and 35.41% severe disease. The association between periodontitis and dyslipidemia was maintained through hierarchical analysis and in the multiple regression modeling, showing that the occurrences of dyslipidemia in the group with periodontitis, and its moderate and severe levels, were, respectively, 14%, 30%, and 16% higher compared with those without periodontitis. CONCLUSIONS: The results showed a positive association between moderate and severe periodontitis and dyslipidemia.

Obesity and periodontitis are not associated in pregnant women.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate an association between obesity (exposure) and periodontitis (outcome) in pregnant women. BACKGROUND: This association was investigated and only five studies were identified as showing a positive association. However, some of these studies had limitations such as reduced sample sizes, inadequate exposure criteria and outcome measures, which question the internal validity of these investigations. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out with a sample of 644 pregnant women of the public health service of the municipality of Santo Antônio de Jesus, Bahia, Brazil. Data were obtained by collecting of socioeconomic-demographic information, health behavior, health conditions, and reproductive history through an interview. Obesity was evaluated using body mass index adjusted for gestational age and expected weight gain. The diagnosis of periodontitis followed two criteria: (a) Center for Disease Prevention and Control and American Academy of Periodontology (CDC/AAP); (b) Gomes-Filho et al (2018) using criterion that also evaluated bleeding upon probing; Prevalence ratios and respective 95% confidence intervals were obtained by Poisson regression analysis. RESULTS: In accordance with the outcome diagnostic criterion, the frequency of periodontitis was 17.24% (Gomes-Filho et al) and 66.92% (CDC/AAP). The participants were classified as low weight (19.72%), adequate weight (42.39%), overweight (24.84%), and obesity (13.04%), based on the exposure diagnostic criterion. The low weight and overweight groups were excluded from the data analysis, giving a final sample of 357 pregnant women. The association between obesity in pregnant women and periodontitis was not statistically significant, after adjusting for confounders such as age, schooling level, alcoholic beverage consumption, alimentary and nutritional orientation, urinary infection, and dental flossing. CONCLUSIONS: The findings showed a high frequency of periodontitis, obesity, and overweight in the studied population but no association between obesity and periodontitis in pregnant women was found.

Periodontitis and respiratory diseases: A systematic review with meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the recent scientific literature addressing the association between periodontitis and asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and pneumonia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The search for studies was carried out using MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE, Lilacs, Web of Science, Scopus, and SciELO databases, including the gray literature (ProQuest). Reference lists of selected articles were also searched. Studies having varying epidemiological designs assessing the association between periodontitis and respiratory diseases in human subjects were eligible for inclusion. Three independent reviewers performed the selection of articles and data extraction. Fixed and random effects meta-analysis were performed for the calculation of the association measurements (Odds Ratio-OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). RESULTS: A total of 3,234 records were identified in the database search, with only 13 studies meeting the eligibility criteria and 10 studies contributed data for meta-analysis. Using a random effects models periodontitis was associated with asthma: ORadjusted: 3.54 (95% CI: 2.47-5.07), I2  = 0%; with COPD: OR adjusted: 1.78 (95% CI: 1.04-3.05), I2  = 37.9%; and with pneumonia: OR adjusted: 3.21 (95% CI: 1.997-5.17), I2  = 0%. CONCLUSIONS: The main findings of this systematic review validated an association between periodontitis and asthma, COPD and pneumonia.

Factors associated with dental caries, periodontitis and intra-oral lesions in individuals with HIV / AIDS.

This study aimed to investigate the factors associated with oral diseases in individuals with HIV/AIDS. A cross sectional study was carried out which included 312 individuals registered in the Specialized Care Services for HIV/AIDS in three municipalities of the State of Bahia: Feira de Santana, Santo Antonio de Jesus and Juazeiro, Brazil. Socioeconomic-demographic characteristics related to life style and to dental caries, periodontitis and intra-oral mucosal lesions were investigated in patients with HIV/AIDS infection. Prevalence Ratio with 95% Confidence Interval and significance level of 5% were employed for the statistical analysis. The majority of the individuals evaluated were male with a mean age (± standard deviation) of 41.5 ± 11.3 years, and a mean time of HIV infection diagnosis (± standard deviation) of 5.2 ± 4.4 years. The presence of dental caries was observed in 78.7% of the sample, periodontitis in 25.4% and 36.2% showed intra-oral lesions. Oral health status showed a statistically significant association with the following variables: gender, age, schooling level, current occupation, family income, past and current smoking, antiretroviral use time, latest viral burden dosage, latest CD4-positive T lymphocyte count, use of complete/partial dental prosthesis, need for dental prosthesis, and use of dental floss. With the exception of those factors directly related to HIV/AIDS i.e., antiretroviral use time, latest viral burden dosage and latest CD4-positive T lymphocyte count, the factors associated with oral diseases in this population were the same as those associated with oral diseases in the non-HIV/AIDS population.

Effect of maternal periodontitis and low birth weight--a case control study.

INTRODUCTION: Since the 1990s, evidence has been raised that there is an association between maternal periodontal disease and undesirable gestational events, for example low birth weight; this issue is controversial. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether there is an association between maternal periodontitis and low birth weight (LBW). METHODS: A case-control study was carried out on 951 mothers that had been cared for by the Brazilian Unified Health System in Petrolina-PE and Juazeiro-BA, Brazil. The case group (n = 269) consisted of mothers of newborns with birth weight <2500 g and a control group (n = 682) of mothers of newborns with birth weight ≥2500 g. An interview was realized, using a questionnaire as well as a full mouth examination to diagnose the periodontal condition. Women who had at least four teeth with probing depth ≥4 mm and clinical attachment loss ≥3 mm, with bleeding on probing at the same site, were diagnosed with periodontitis. The birth weight was obtained through the hospital book record. The main association was evaluated using the multivariate regression model, considering confounders. RESULTS: The frequency of periodontitis was 16.4% (case group) and 17.4% (control group). Periodontitis did not show an association with LBW (ORcrude = 0.92; 95% CI = 0.63-1.35), even after adjustment for the following confounders: maternal age, pre-gestational body mass index, number of pre-natal consultations, number of pregnancies, maternal schooling level, smoking habit during pregnancy and hypertension (ORadjusted = 1.00; 95% CI = 0.61-1.68). CONCLUSION: The findings of this study showed no association between maternal periodontal disease and low birth weight, even after appropriate adjustments for confounding factors.

Diagnosis of metabolic syndrome in nursing professionals: An accuracy study.

Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) represents a group of cardiovascular risk factors. This article aims to evaluate the accuracy of the tools of MetS diagnosis in Nursing professionals from Primary Health Care (PHC) in Bahia, Brazil. A cross-sectional study with a random sample selected according to essential health information for the diagnostic of MetS. For MetS diagnostic, we used EGIR, NCEP-ATPIII, AACE, IDF, Barbosa et al. (2006), and IDF/AHA/NHLBI (defined as gold standard) definition. Sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, and likelihood ratio were estimated for each diagnostic tool and compared with the gold standard. Kappa statistic was used to determine the agreement between the diagnostic methods. One thousand one hundred and eleven nursing professionals were included in this study. Sensitivity varied from 15% to 95.1%, and specificity varied between 99.5% and 100%. IDF and Barbosa et al. (2006) definitions were more sensitive (95.1% and 92.8%, respectively), and EGIR, NCEP, ATP III, and IDF showed 100% specificity. IDF and Barbosa et al. (2006) use suitable metabolic syndrome identification and confirmation criteria. The highest agreement was found in the definition of the IDF, Barbosa et al. (2006) and the NCEP ATP III. Defining metabolic syndrome with a higher diagnostic accuracy could contribute to the screening and the early identification of nursing professionals with cardiovascular disease risk factors, which provide opportunities for appropriate prevention and treatment.

Temporal Trends in Mortality from Alzheimer's Disease in Federal District, Brazil: An Ecological Study (2010-2018).

INTRODUCTION: Neuropsychiatric diseases, particularly dementias, has become more prominent with a great impact on the quality of life of the elderly population. OBJECTIVE: To verify the rate of increase in mortality due to Alzheimer's disease in the Federal District, Brazil from 2010 to 2018. METHOD: An ecological study was conducted, with a time series, about the evolution of the mortality coefficient in the Federal District, Brazil carried out at the Federal District State Department of Health. Mortality rates were defined as the dependent variable and years evaluated as the independent variable-from 2010 to 2018. For temporal trend analysis, the Prais-Winsten linear regression model was used and the increment rate with the respective 95% confidence interval was estimated. RESULTS: From 2010 to 2018, 1665 deaths which had Alzheimer's disease as the underlying cause were recorded in the Mortality Information System. The results showed an overall mortality rate of 6.55 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, with a higher predominance in females, non-Black people, and those aged 80 years or older. There was an increase in the annual trend of the overall mortality coefficient in both sexes. CONCLUSION: The findings demonstrated a significant increase in the temporal evolution of mortality due to Alzheimer's disease in the Federal District, Brazil. It was recommended to conduct original studies to evaluate the factors that can cause the disease in order to collaborate in the process of formulating policies in the area of public health and improvements in clinical practice.

Periodontitis in individuals with few remaining teeth and a high gingival bleeding index increases the probability of dyslipidemia.

BACKGROUND: Dyslipidemia, a silent multifactorial condition, is characterized by changes in blood lipid levels, affecting all socioeconomic strata, increasing the risk for atherosclerotic diseases. This study investigated whether there is an association between dyslipidemia and the combined exposure of periodontitis plus the number of remaining teeth, gingival bleeding, or caries. METHODS: A two-center cross-sectional study was conducted involving 1270 individuals, with a minimum age of 18 years. Socioeconomic and demographic data, health conditions, lifestyle parameters, and anthropometric, biochemical, and oral clinical examinations were performed. The exposures considered were the presence of periodontitis, dental caries, number of remaining teeth, and gingival bleeding. The outcome was dyslipidemia as defined by the Brazilian Guidelines on Dyslipidemia and Prevention of Atherosclerosis. The combined associations between periodontitis plus other oral health conditions and dyslipidemia were estimated using confounder-adjusted prevalence ratios (PRsingle , PRmultiple , for single and multiple covariable adjustments) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs), in a Poisson regression model with robust variance. RESULTS: The occurrence of dyslipidemia was 70.1% and periodontitis was 84.1%. A positive association between periodontitis and dyslipidemia existed: PRsingle  = 1.13; 95% CI: 1.01-1.26. Combined exposure of periodontitis plus <11 remaining teeth (PRmultiple  = 1.23; 95% CI: 1.05-1.43), as well as combined exposure of periodontitis plus ≥10% gingival bleeding and <11 remaining teeth (PRmultiple  = 1.22; 95% CI: 1.03-1.44), represented greater probabilities of 23% and 22% of individuals having a diagnosis of dyslipidemia. CONCLUSION: Periodontitis combined with fewer than 11 teeth doubled the likelihood of being diagnosed with dyslipidemia.

Factors Associated with Cocaine Consumption among Suicide Victim.

Cocaine use is an increasingly frequent event, especially in young people, and can cause irreversible consequences, such as suicide. To evaluate the factors associated with cocaine use in the moments preceding to suicide. This is a population-based, cross-sectional, and analytical study conducted in the Brazilian Federal District by researchers from the Department of Health and the Civil Police Institute of Criminalistics. All people who died due to suicide in 2018 were included in the survey. Cocaine use was considered the dependent variable, and robust Poisson regression was performed to estimate the crude and adjusted prevalence ratios and their respective population confidence intervals. In 2018, 12,157 deaths were recorded, of which suicide accounted for 1.56% of all deaths. It was observed that being between 25 and 44 years old, male, and under the influence of alcohol or cannabis, had a strong positive association with cocaine consumption among suicide victims. Males, people with black skin, with lower level of education, with employment, and who were under the effect of the use of cannabis and/or alcohol in the previous hours of death had a higher propensity to consume cocaine immediately before suicide, with a moderate to strong magnitude of prevalence ratio. The findings of this research indicated the need for monitoring, by health services, of people most vulnerable to suicide through the consumption of psychoactive substances.

[Maternal periodontitis and low birth weight: systematic review and meta-analysis]. / Periodontite materna e baixo peso ao nascer: revisão sistemática e metanálise.

Recent evidence points to the influence of periodontal inflammatory processes on the occurrence of low birth weight. Although many studies employed robust investigation methods, there is still no general agreement on the relationship between maternal periodontitis and low birth weight. The search for studies was conducted until April 2019. The studies included cohort and case-control studies that estimated the association between periodontitis and low birth weight, with no restriction on language or date of publication. Analysis of the heterogeneity of studies, subgroup analyses and meta-analyses with a random effects model were performed. Summary association measurements were estimated using the crude and adjusted Odds Ratio, with respective 95% confidence intervals. Visual inspection of graphs was used to assess publication bias. A total of 21 articles were identified, all of which were selected for the meta-analysis. The final model indicates that periodontitis in pregnant women was associated with low birth weight (ORgross=2.13; CI95%=1.60-2.83; I2=80.0% and ORadjusted=2.64; CI95%=2.04-3.42; I2=17.4%). Pregnant women with periodontitis may be more than twice as likely to have low birth weight babies.

Evidências recentes apontam para a influência de processos inflamatórios periodontais na ocorrência de baixo peso ao nascer. Embora muitos estudos empregaram métodos robustos de investigação, ainda não existe consenso sobre o tópico. Analisar sistematicamente a relação entre a periodontite materna e o baixo peso ao nascer. A busca por estudos foi realizada até abril de 2019. Os delineamentos de estudos incluídos foram coorte e caso-controle que estimaram a associação entre a periodontite e o baixo peso ao nascer, sem limite quanto ao idioma ou data da publicação. Análise de heterogeneidade dos estudos, análises de subgrupo e metanálises com modelo de efeitos randômicos foram realizadas. Foram estimadas as medidas de associação sumária por meio da Odds Ratio bruta e ajustada, com respectivos intervalos de confiança a 95%. A inspeção visual de gráficos foi empregada para avaliar viés de publicação. Um total de 21 artigos foram identificados e todos foram selecionados para a metanálise. O modelo final aponta que a periodontite em gestantes se associou ao baixo peso ao nascer (ORbruta=2,13; IC95%=1,60-2,83; I2=80,0% e ORajustada=2,64; IC95%=2,04-3,42; I2=17,4%). Gestantes com periodontite podem ter mais que o dobro de probabilidade de terem filhos com baixo peso ao nascer.

Oropharyngeal colostrum immunotherapy and nutrition in preterm newborns: meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigated the effect of oropharyngeal colostrum immunotherapy in reducing the time required for very low birth weight preterm newborns (VLBW-PTNB: < 1,500g and < 37 weeks) to achieve full enteral nutrition. METHODS: Literature search was conducted using four databases, including gray literature, with additional manual search of the references of selected articles. Eligibility criteria consisted of randomized clinical trials, without restriction regarding the date or language of the publication. Two independent reviewers performed the article selection and data extraction. The random-effects meta-analysis used a non-standard technique to assess the mean difference in days to achieve full enteral nutrition, carried out by the Stata 15 statistic program. RESULTS: The systematic review comprised 10 studies, and five were selected for meta-analysis, with a population of 764 VLBW-PTNB and gestational age of birth between 25 and 32 weeks. The studies were conducted between 2011 and 2018 in North America, Asia and Africa, with only one conducted in South America. Altogether, they reported the number of days it took 708 VLBW-PTNB to achieve full enteral nutrition, with newborns treated with immunotherapy showing a shorter time in only three studies. Meta-analysis showed a mean difference of -4.26 days, (95% CI -7.44; -1.08d), with high heterogeneity (I2 = 83.1%). CONCLUSION: The use of oropharyngeal colostrum immunotherapy can reduce the time for VLBW-PTNB to achieve full nutrition when compared to those who used a placebo or received routine care.

What is the future of Periodontal Medicine?

In the last five decades, considerable progress has been made towards understanding the etiology and pathogenesis of periodontal diseases and their interactions with the host. The impact of an individual periodontal condition on systemic homeostasis became more evident because of this knowledge and prompted advances in studies that associate periodontitis with systemic diseases and conditions. The term Periodontal Medicine describes how periodontal infection/inflammation can affect extraoral health. This review presents the current scientific evidence on the most investigated associations between periodontitis and systemic diseases and conditions, such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, preterm birth and low birth weight, and pneumonia. Additionally, other associations between periodontitis and chronic inflammatory bowel disease, colorectal cancer, and Alzheimer's disease that were recently published and are still poorly studied were described. Thus, the aim of this review was to answer the following question: What is the future of Periodontal Medicine? Epidemiological evidence and the evidence of biological plausibility between periodontitis and general health reinforce the rationale that the study of Periodontal Medicine should continue to advance, along with improvements in the epidemiological method, highlighting the statistical power of the studies, the method for data analysis, the case definition of periodontitis, and the type of periodontal therapy to be applied in intervention studies.

Associated factors to abusive alcoholic beverage consumption in suicide victims.

BACKGROUND: Suicide is a worldwide phenomenon, as well as a challenge for public health, and alcoholic beverage abuse is one of the most important risk factors. However, the association between possible factors related to alcoholic beverage consumption in suicide victims has rarely been investigated. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the factors associated with abusive alcoholic beverage consumption among people who died from suicide in the Brazilian Federal District (BFD). METHOD: A population-based and cross-sectional study with suicide victims in the BFD between 2016 and 2017. Information was collected about sociodemographic characteristics, autopsy appraisal, and drug use. A trained team evaluated all cases to define factors associated with abusive alcoholic beverage consumption. This outcome was measured using the Blood Alcohol Concentration. Poisson regression analysis was applied to calculate the Prevalence Ratios and respective populational confidence intervals. RESULTS: The findings of the present study were collected from a database containing information related to 278 suicide victims. Being male and having cocaine identified in the toxicological test were the factors that showed a strong association with abusive alcohol beverage consumption in suicide victims. Other factors showed a slight association (PR < 1.5): having an education level with greater than 8 years of study, being black, having a professional occupation or being retired or pensioner, and having the presence of cannabis in the toxicological test. CONCLUSION: Socioeconomic-demographic and behavioral factors proved to be positively associated with abusive alcoholic beverage consumption among suicide victims, suggesting the need for effective public health policy measures to combat this health problem.

An accuracy study of the clinical diagnosis of periodontitis in pregnant women.

BACKGROUND: There exists a diverse range of criteria used in epidemiological studies for the diagnosis of periodontitis. The results from these studies should be evaluated with consideration to the diagnostic criteria used, and this may account for differences between studies especially in some population groups such as pregnant females. The objective is to evaluate the diagnostic criteria used in a variety of epidemiologic studies of periodontitis in pregnant females. METHODS: An accuracy study with cross-sectional design was performed out from a database of 671 pregnant females, using six different sets of criteria for the diagnosis of periodontitis. Women were classified for periodontitis, as follows: Center for Disease Control and Prevention/American Academy of Periodontology (CDC/AAP, 2012 criterion), the gold standard, Gomes-Filho et al.(2018) criterion, Albandar et al.(2007) criterion, Bassani et al.(2007) criterion, López et al.(2002) criterion, and Nesse et al.(2008) criterion. For comparison amongst the gold standard and the other criteria, sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, and likelihood ratio were determined. RESULTS: The frequency of periodontitis ranged from 25.0% to 90.2%. The Bassani et al. (2007) criterion was found to be more sensitive among the studies, and thus more suitable for diagnostic screening studies. Gomes-Filho et al.(2018), Albandar et al. (2007), López et al. (2002), and Nesse et al. (2008) criteria were considered more specific, which makes them more useful for studies of periodontitis with the aim of using diagnosis for confirmation of disease. CONCLUSIONS: A variation in the occurrence of periodontitis was observed. The criterion must be chosen according to the research aims and population characteristics.

Microbiological findings of the maternal periodontitis associated to low birthweight.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the association between the presence of periodontal pathogens and low birthweight. METHODS: This observational and case-control study consisted of mothers of infants weighing <2,500g (Group A), and mothers of newborns weighing ≥2,500g (Group B), born at Hospital da Mulher in Feira de Santana (BA), Brazil. A semi-structured questionnaire covering demographic data, gestational history and aspects related to general and oral health was employed postpartum. Following a complete periodontal examination, biofilm samples were collected at six sites in the mouth. The participants were further categorized in terms of presence or absence of periodontitis. Differences between the groups were determined using Pearson's χ 2 test, odds ratio, and confidence intervals were obtained using the Mantel-Haenszel test. RESULTS: Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Treponema denticola, Tannerella forsythia and Prevotella intermedia were detected by polymerase chain reaction. A total of 303 postpartum women were evaluated, 224 (73.9%) in Group B. Statistically significant differences between the groups were found for age, body mass index and history of previous low birthweight babies. Group A had a higher frequency of periodontitis (33.34%) than Group B (16.22%). P. gingivalis and P. intermedia were detected more frequently among women with periodontitis (74.19% and 88.70%, respectively). CONCLUSION: In this population, there was no association between the presence of maternal periodontal pathogens and the occurrence of low birthweight infants.

Colostrum immunotherapy and length of hospital stay in preterm infants: an intervention study / Imunoterapia de colostro e tempo de internamento de prematuros: estudo de intervenção

Abstract Objectives: to evaluate the effect of oropharyngeal colostrum immunotherapy on the length of hospital stay in preterm newborns with very low birth weight. Methods: interventional ambispective study, which consisted of eight daily administrations of 0.2 ml (four drops) of colostrum, totaling up to 56 syringes (for up to seven days). The control was historic. The main independent variable: length of hospital stay (days). Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier Method and the survival effect was estimated - Log Rank Test (Mantel-Cox) and Breslow Test (Generalized Wilcoxon). A significance level of 5% was adopted. Results: of the 109 mother/child pairs, 56 were part of the treatment and 53 were part of the control group. There was no association between oropharyngeal colostrum immunotherapy and length of stay for preterm newborns with very low birth weight in the general sample. However, after stratification, a shorter hospital stay (42 versus 51 days, HR= 1.78, CI95%=1.02-3.09, p=0.04) was demonstrated among premature infants with ≥28 gestational weeks undergoing oropharyngeal colostrum immunotherapy. Conclusions: we found an association between oropharyngeal colostrum immunotherapy and shorter median length of hospital stay in the subgroup of premature infants ≥ 28 weeks of gestational age, but we did not find significant differences in those <28 weeks.

Resumo Objetivos: avaliar o efeito da imunoterapia orofaríngea de colostro no tempo de internamento hospitalar de recém-nascidos pré-termos de muito baixo peso. Métodos: estudo de intervenção, ambispectivo, que consistiu em oito administrações diárias de 0,2 ml (quatro gotas) de colostro, totalizando até 56 seringas (por até sete dias). O controle foi histórico. A variável independente principal: tempo de permanência hospitalar (dias). Realizada análise de sobrevivência pelo Método de Kaplan-Meier e estimado o efeito da sobrevida - Teste de Log Rank (Mantel-Cox) e Teste de Breslow (Wilcoxon Generalizado). Adotou-se o nível de significância de 5%. Resultados: das 109 duplas mães/filho, 56 fizeram parte da análise do grupo tratamento e 53 do controle. Não houve associação entre imunoterapia orofaríngea de colostro e tempo de internamento de recém-nascidos pré-termos de muito baixo peso na amostra geral. Após estratificação demonstrou-se menor tempo de permanência hospitalar (43 versus 51 dias, HR=1,78, IC95%= 1,02-3,09, p=0,04) entre os prematuros com ≥28 semanas gestacionais submetidos a imunoterapia orofaríngea de colostro. Conclusões: encontrou-se associação entre imunoterapia orofaríngea de colostro e menor mediana de tempo de internamento hospitalar no subgrupo de prematuros ≥ 28 semanas de idade gestacional, porém não foram encontradas diferenças significativas naqueles < 28 semanas.

Exclusive breast-feeding is associated with reduced pacifier sucking in children: Breast-feeding and pacifier-sucking habit.

BACKGROUND: Studies suggest that when children do not achieve the emotional satiety and adequate stimulus provided by breast-feeding, they exhibit sucking behaviors. This study aimed to estimate the association from 4 through 6 months of exclusive breast-feeding (EB) postpartum and pacifier-sucking behavior at 12 months of life. METHODS: A cohort study was conducted with 1,037 infants, born alive and monitored up to 12 months. At 4 and 6 months after birth, the children were classified according to the type of breast-feeding they had received: exclusive, predominant, complementary, or none. The prevalence of pacifier-sucking behavior was calculated, and the association between the 2 events was estimated. Mothers' socioeconomic-demographic characteristics, delivery features, and prenatal care, as well as the biological characteristics of the children, were determined. Relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated. RESULTS: In comparison with EB infants, the RR of pacifier-sucking behavior at 12 months of life was higher in children receiving complementary breast-feeding or no breast-feeding for both 4 months (RRadjusted, 1.68 [95% CI, 1.39 to 2.02] and RRadjusted, 2.67 [95% CI, 2.24 to 3.17], respectively) and 6 months (RRadjusted, 1.43 [95% CI, 1.03 to 2.00] and RRadjusted, 3.30 [95% CI, 2.40 to 4.54], respectively). CONCLUSIONS AND PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: EB for 6 months postpartum is associated with reduced pacifier-sucking behavior, adjusted for maternal color, number of prenatal consultations, and family income. Promotion of EB may reduce the use of pacifiers and their potential deleterious effects on oral health. Dental health care professionals should consider discussing the importance of breast-feeding with their patients with regard to the possible development of sucking habits in their children.