Oral Candida carriage and resistance against common antifungal agents in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation recipients.

PURPOSE: Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients receiving long-term and high-dose immunosuppressive medications suffer commonly from oral candida infections. This prospective cohort study examined oral fungal carriage in HSCT recipients and screened the susceptibility against commonly used antifungal agents. An increasing oral occurrence of Candida spp. and the development of resistance against clinically administered fluconazole were hypothesized. METHODS: Two hundred HSCT recipients were included and followed up for 2 years post-HSCT. Oral microbiological specimens were analyzed with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry assays (MALDI-TOF). The colorimetric method was applied for the susceptibility testing by commercially available Sensititre YeastOne (SYO®, TREK Diagnostics Systems, Thermo-Fisher, UK). RESULTS: The prevalence of oral Candida spp. carriage increased statistically significantly after a year post-HSCT being 30, 26, 35, 44, and 47%, pre-HSCT, 3, 6, 12, and 24 months post-HSCT, respectively. Altogether, 169 clinical oral Candida strains were isolated. Fourteen Candida spp. were identified, and C. albicans was predominant in 74% of the isolates pre-HSCT with a descending prevalence down to 44% 2 years post-HSCT. An increasing relative proportion of non-albicans species post-HSCT was evident. No development of resistance of C. albicans against fluconazole was found. Instead, a shift from C. albicans towards non-albicans species, especially C. dubliensis, C. glabrata, and relatively seldom found C. krusei, was observed. CONCLUSION: Oral Candida carriage increases after HSCT. Instead of the expected development of resistance of C. albicans against fluconazole, the relative proportion of non-albicans strains with innate resistance against azole-group antifungals increased.

Expression of advanced glycation end products and their receptors in diabetic periodontitis patients.

AIM: The systematic review aimed to compare the levels of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and RAGE (AGE receptors) expression in diabetic periodontitis patients with non-diabetic periodontitis patients and to identify the relationship of AGE and RAGE levels with periodontal disease severity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The literature search was carried out according to PRISMA guidelines by two independent researchers using four online databases: PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science Core Collection, and Pro-Quest. Relevant studies published between 2000 and March 2023 were included in this review. The association of diabetes and AGE/RAGE levels on periodontal health, periodontal pocket depth (PPD), and clinical attachment loss (CAL) was studied. RESULTS: Sixteen cross-sectional studies, including 2794 patients (age range 15-75 years), were identified in the final stage. An elevated AGE level was observed among patients with diabetes and chronic periodontal disease compared to the non-diabetic group. Furthermore, the levels of AGE and RAGE are associated with CAL and PPD. Potential confounding factors like genetic and methodological differences were also responsible for AGE and RAGE variation. CONCLUSION: Levels of AGEs and RAGE expressions in diabetic periodontitis patients differ from non-diabetic periodontitis patients. The differences may impact the course and severity of periodontal disease.

Oral lesions in human monkeypox disease and their management.

OBJECTIVE: The current outbreak of human monekypox (MPX) in several endemic and non-endemic regions in 2022 has generated significant international attention. Despite the early classification as zoonotic, MPXV has demonstrated the potential for human-to-human transmission through close contact with lesions, body fluids, respiratory droplets, and contaminated materials. Therefore, our objective was to elaborate on the oral lesions in human MPX and their management. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Articles published up to August, 2022, were screened to identify relevant studies in humans that reported oral lesions in MPX. RESULTS: Oral lesions have been found to manifest differently and transform from vesicles to pustules, accompanied by umbilication and crusting within four weeks. Along with fever and lymphadenopathy, these lesions may develop in the oral cavity and then spread to the skin surrounding the extremities in a centrifugal pattern. In some patients, the oropharyngeal and perioral lesions were the initial presentations. CONCLUSIONS: The oral lesions of MPX infection and its management strategies are relevant for dentists. Dental practitioners may be the first to detect the initial lesions of MPX. Therefore, high alertness should be there, especially while examining patients with fever and lymphadenopathy. It is also essential to thoroughly examine the oral cavity for macular and papular lesions in oral mucosa, tongue, gingiva, and epiglottis. Symptomatic and supportive care of oral lesions is recommended.

Anaplasmosis in Pennsylvania: Clinical Features, Diagnosis, and Outcomes of Patients Diagnosed With Anaplasma phagocytophilum Infection at Hershey Medical Center From 2008 to 2021.

Anaplasmosis is an emerging infection in the United States and in particular, Pennsylvania. We highlight the abrupt rise in cases of anaplasmosis in the past decade in the state of Pennsylvania with the hope of increasing clinician awareness. We identified a cohort of 61 patients diagnosed with anaplasmosis at our institution as well as cases reported to the Department of Health. From our review, we identified not only an increase in cases over time but what appears to be an expansion further into central and western Pennsylvania over time.

Oral lesions in human monkeypox disease and their management-a scoping review.

OBJECTIVE: Monkeypox (MPX) disease poses a threat to the frontline health workers, including dental practitioners; however, there is limited literature on its dental implications. The objective of this scoping review was to map the oral manifestations of MPX and its management based on existing information. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Articles published up to July 31, 2022 were searched to select relevant observational and experimental studies in humans who reported oral lesions in MPX disease, including case reports. The findings of this review are based on the pooled data of 1,136 patients (age range: 2-52 years) reported from different parts of the world. RESULTS: Oral lesions included mouth sores, oral mucosal lesions, ulcers on the tongue, tongue swelling, pustular lesions on the gingiva, perioral erosive lesions, oral candidiasis, and oropharyngeal lesions. Oral lesions of MPX infection and their management strategies are relevant to dentists. Dental practitioners may be the first to detect the initial symptoms of MPX disease. CONCLUSION: Oral lesions may present as initial lesions of MPX suggesting that dentists and dental personnel should be aware of the nature of the disease. Clinicians must be alert to rashes resembling MPX lesions and distinguish MPX from herpetic and similar vesicular-bullous lesions for differential diagnosis. Symptomatic and supportive care for oral lesions is important.

Antimicrobial Prescription Patterns among Oral Implantologists of Kerala, India: A Cross-Sectional Survey.

Background and Objectives: Antimicrobial resistance is a grave public health concern, and it is important to optimize the use of antimicrobials in dental surgeries. Antimicrobial prescriptions in dental implant placements are often empiric and not guided by consensus or specific guidelines. The aim of this study was to elucidate antibiotic prescribing patterns among oral implantologists. The objectives were to identify the frequency of antimicrobial usage and preferences regarding the perioperative timing of prescriptions, type of antibiotic, dosage, and duration in different implant placement scenarios. Subjects and Methods: An anonymized web-based survey was carried out. Participants were drawn from the lists of oral implantologists from all local branches of the Indian Dental Association in the state of Kerala, India, until the required sample size was met. Responses were recorded using an Internet-based validated questionnaire sent via e-mail to the participants. The questionnaire contained five sections with both open-ended and closed-ended questions. Results: Among the 93 participants, 59% of the dental implantologists preferred 0.2% povidone-iodine as a preprocedural mouth rinse in the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, and 68% prescribed 0.12%-0.2% chlorhexidine as the postoperative mouth rinse. The majority of the participants (73%) routinely prescribed systemic antibiotics perioperatively during implant placement surgery. Interestingly, while none of the participants preferred a solely preoperative regimen, 92.4% of the dentists in our survey prescribed both pre- and postoperative antibiotics. Antibiotics of choice as the preoperative agents were amoxicillin and amoxicillin plus clavulanic acid. The most preferred postoperative agent was amoxicillin plus clavulanic acid. The popularly reported rationale behind a preoperative antibiotic was to decrease or eliminate local or systemic infections (79%), and the majority of the participants (60%) prescribed postoperative antibiotics to prevent postoperative infection. Conclusions: Systemic antibiotic prescriptions in implant placement surgery are not based on currently available evidence. Most oral implantologists who participated in the survey prescribed systemic antibiotics to prevent perioperative infection, even in simple and straightforward implant placements. Specific guidelines need to be generated in complex implant placement situations and implant placement in medically compromised patients to prevent excessive prescriptions.

Nitric Oxide in the Management of Respiratory Consequences in COVID-19: A Scoping Review of a Different Treatment Approach.

The severe acute respiratory distress syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus causing COVID-19 significantly affects the respiratory functions of infected individuals by massively disrupting the pulmonary oxygenation and activating the synthesis of proinflammatory cytokines, inducing severe oxidative stress, enhanced vascular permeability, and endothelial dysfunction which have rendered researchers and clinicians to depend on prophylactic treatment due to the unavailability of proper disease management approaches. Previous studies have indicated that nitric oxide (NO) application appears to be significant concerning the antiviral activities, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties in relieving disease-related symptoms. To identify, explore, and map the literature on the role of nitric oxide in the management of respiratory consequences in COVID-19 through this scoping review, Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed during the search to answer the focal question: "What are the potential uses of nitric oxide in the management of respiratory failure in COVID-19?" Administering exogenous NO in the form of inhaled gas or stimulating the system to produce NO appears to be a suitable option to manage COVID-19-induced pneumonia and respiratory illness. This treatment modality seems to attenuate respiratory distress among patients suffering from severe infections or patients with comorbidities. Exogenous NO at different doses effectively reduces systemic hyperinflammation and oxidative stress, improves arterial oxygenation, and restores pulmonary alveolar cellular integrity to prevent the lungs and other organs from further damage. This therapy could pave the way for better management of COVID-19 before the onset of disease-related complications.

Chronic metabolic and induced stress impacts mesenchymal stromal cell differentiation and modulation of dental origin in-vitro.

The impact of induced (smoking) and metabolic stress (diabetes) on dental stem cells with respect to pre-impact consideration on differentiation and bone formation were investigated. The progenitor stem cells isolated from dental pulp, follicle and gingival tissues were phenotyped and subjected to nicotine and high glucose stress mimicking the smoking and diabetic condition in-vitro. The results showed that the cellular viability post treatment with 100 µM nicotine and 10uM glucose was about 86% to 89% respectively in all the three cell types while about 73% in combined nicotine and glucose treatment. No variation in the expression of pro-inflammatory TNF-α, IL-1ß and IL-12 in all the three cell types were noticed. The observed viability in nicotine treated cells were due to elevated IL-6, IL-10 while in glucose was due to brain derived neurotropic factor (BDNF). Higher expression of IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, TGF-ß and heme oxygenase -1 (HO-1) were found high in both stressors treated cells. Differentiation and mineralization markers Alkaline phosphatase (ALP), Collagenase I (COL1), Osteocalcin, Runt related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2), Osteopontin and Bone sialoprotein were expressed in the dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) and gingival mesenchymal stem cells (GMSCs) at varying levels post nicotine or glucose treatment while not significantly observed in dental follicular stem cells (DFSCs). Therefore, it is evident that the stem cells of varied dental origin responded to the stress are more or less uniform with physiological delay in differentiation into osteoblast. It is evident from the study that, the metabolic or induced stress subverts the process of regenerative healing by mesenchymal stromal cells with their anatomical niche.

Detection of invisible dental biofilm using light-induced autofluorescence in adult patients-A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Autofluorescence (AF) spectroscopy is a potent yet non-invasive technique with diagnostic and therapeutic applications. It identifies and characterizes changes occurring in the human body based on the changes in the fluorescence signatures. AIM: The primary purpose of this systematic review is to address the question "Is it feasible to detect dental plaque using light-induced auto-fluorescence in adult patients with invisible grade 1 plaque?" MATERIALS AND METHODS: The literature search was conducted independently MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Scopus databases for relevant studies from January 2000 and June 2021, using the following terms in various combinations: detection, dental biofilm, plaque, light, auto-fluorescence, caries, gingivitis, sensitivity and specificity. Studies describing various fluorescence techniques for the detection of plaque, including sensitivity and specificity, were included. RESULTS: The majority of the studies indicated that AF spectroscopy allows fluorescence-based detection of various diseases, including early-stage dental plaque. While results of conventional plaque detection techniques are inconsistent, the data from the AF technique is reliable and reproducible, which can be used for patient documentation. However, a wide range of non-uniformity existed in these studies. AF spectroscopy, as a non-invasive technique, represents a viable and patient-friendly clinical tool for the early detection of dental biofilm plaque, and its meticulous removal has been directly responsible for the prevention of this disease. CONCLUSION: Despite the heterogeneity and limitations of studies included in this review, the future for light-induced autofluorescence spectroscopy technologies in diagnostic dentistry certainly presents an accurate and potentially applicable option.

Does periodontitis influence the risk of COVID-19? A scoping review.

OBJECTIVE: Research has shown that the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) significantly influences the oral microbiome to expedite systemic diseases by invading harmful oral pathogens near and distant organs. To identify, explore, and map the possible mechanisms underlying periodontitis in severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Relevant articles published from December 2019 to February 2022 were identified and screened using keywords and inclusion criteria from various databases. RESULTS: This review sheds light on multiple pathways of periodontitis, the spread of periodontal infection and microbial metabolites to the lungs, and the dysregulated immune system with elevated cytokines, reactive oxygen species generation, nuclear DNA damage, and senescence, which have the potential to promote stronger viral attachment to host cells and the onset of COVID-19 manifestation with increased severity and risk of mortality. In addition, the cytokine connection to SARS-CoV-2, T-cell responses against periodontitis, its connection with COVID-19, the role of host factors, and periodontal therapy have been discussed. CONCLUSIONS: The relationship between COVID-19 and periodontitis needs further investigation along with the development of alternative therapies to prevent periodontitis for better management and control of COVID-19.

Comparison of Salivary IGF-1, IGFBP-3, and CTX with Periodontal Status among Patients Belonging to Various Skeletal Maturity Groups.

PURPOSE: To compare the levels of salivary IGF-1, IGFBP-3, and CTX with periodontal status among patients belonging to various skeletal maturity groups. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 80 participants 6 to 25 years of age. Based on skeletal maturity, the participants were categorised into 3 different stages: prepubertal, pubertal, and post-pubertal stages. The periodontal status of the participants was assessed using the simplified oral hygiene index (OHI-S), bleeding on probing (BOP), probing pocket depth (PPD), clinical attachment loss (CAL), and community periodontal index (CPI). The saliva samples were examined for IGF-1, IGFBP-3, and CTX using the respective ELISA kits. One-way ANOVA was used to determine statistically significant differences of means across the study groups for continuous variables. RESULTS: The study demonstrated statistically significant differences for the parameters OHI-S, bleeding on probing, PPD, CPI, and CAL (p < 0.05) depending on skeletal maturity stage. ANOVA test showed a statistically significant difference by stage in IGF-1, IGFPB3, and CTX (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: An association exists between periodontal status and levels of salivary IGF-1, IGFBP-3, and CTX in patients belonging to various skeletal maturity groups.

Correlation between Salivary Levels of IGF-1, IGFBP-3, IGF-1/IGFBP3 Ratio with Skeletal Maturity Using Hand-Wrist Radiographs.

Objective: The relevance of growth determination in orthodontics is driving the search for the most precise and least invasive way of tracking the pubertal growth spurt. Our aim was to explore whether minimally invasive salivary estimation of biomarkers Insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) and Insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) could be used to estimate skeletal maturity for clinical convenience, especially in children and adolescent age groups. Materials and Method: The cross-sectional study was conducted on 90 participants (56 girls and 34 males) with ages ranging from 6 to 25 years. Each subject's hand-wrist radiograph was categorized based on skeletal maturity, and saliva samples were estimated for IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 using the respective ELISA kits. Kruskal−Wallis nonparametric ANOVA was applied to compare different skeletal stages. Results: The study demonstrated low salivary IGF-1 levels at the prepubertal stage, with increase during pubertal onset and peak pubertal stage followed by a decline during pubertal deceleration to growth completion. Spearman's correlation coefficient demonstrated a strong positive association (r = 0.98 p < 0.01) between salivary IGF/IGFBP-3 ratio and different stages of skeletal maturity. Conclusion: Salivary IGF-1, IGFBP-3, and IGF/IGFBP-3 ratio could serve as a potential biochemical marker for predicting the completion of skeletal maturity.

Bioluminescence and ventilator-associated pneumonia caused by oral biofilm in ICU during COVID-19 -Is there a possible relationship?

Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) has been claiming many lives in the intensive care unit (ICU) during COVID-19. Oral biofilm and bacterial contamination that can be passed on from the oral cavity to the lungs during endotracheal intubation has been found to be the main culprit. Bioluminescence-based assays are emerging as potential clinical diagnostics methods. Hence, we hypothesize that the bioluminescent imaging technique can be used in the ICU to determine the load of biofilm-associated with patients undergoing endotracheal intubation. Early detection of such infections and their management can effectively bring down mortality and influence the death rate in ICU caused due to VAP. Government agencies and policymakers should be made to take this issue of deaths in the ICU due to VAP more seriously and act judiciously to methods such as bioluminescence based on sound scientific evidence.

Corticosteroid therapy for COVID-19: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Corticosteroid treatment is an effective and common therapeutic strategy for various inflammatory lung pathologies and may be an effective treatment for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis of current literature was to investigate the clinical outcomes associated with corticosteroid treatment of COVID-19. METHODS: We systematically searched PubMed, medRxiv, Web of Science, and Scopus databases through March 10, 2021 to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that evaluated the effects of corticosteroid therapies for COVID-19 treatment. Outcomes of interest were mortality, need for mechanical ventilation, serious adverse events (SAEs), and superinfection. RESULTS: A total of 7737 patients from 8 RCTs were included in the quantitative meta-analysis, of which 2795 (36.1%) patients received corticosteroids plus standard of care (SOC) while 4942 (63.9%) patients received placebo and/or SOC alone. The odds of mortality were significantly lower in patients that received corticosteroids as compared to SOC (odds ratio [OR] = 0.85 [95% CI: 0.76; 0.95], P = .003). Corticosteroid treatment reduced the odds of a need for mechanical ventilation as compared to SOC (OR = 0.76 [95% CI: 0.59; 0.97], P = .030). There was no significant difference between the corticosteroid and SOC groups with regards to SAEs and superinfections. CONCLUSION: Corticosteroid treatment can reduce the odds for mortality and the need for mechanical ventilation in severe COVID-19 patients.

Efficacy of convalescent plasma therapy for COVID-19: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to examine clinical outcomes associated with convalescent plasma therapy in COVID-19 patients. We performed a literature search on PubMed, medRxiv, Web of Science, and Scopus to identify studies published up to December 10th, 2020 that examined the efficacy of convalescent plasma treatment for COVID-19. The primary endpoints were mortality, clinical improvement, and hospital length of stay. We screened 859 studies that met the search criteria, performed full-text reviews of 56 articles, and identified 15 articles that fulfilled inclusion criteria for meta-analysis. The odds of mortality were significantly lower in the convalescent plasma group compared to the control group (OR = 0.59 [95% CI = 0.44; 0.78], P < .001), although results from two key randomized controlled trials did not support the mortality benefit. The odds of clinical improvement were significantly higher in the convalescent plasma group compared to the control group (OR = 2.02 [95% CI = 1.54; 2.65], P < .001). There was no difference in hospital length of stay between the convalescent plasma group and the control group (MD = -0.49 days [95% CI = -3.11; 2.12], P = .713). In all, these data indicate that a mortality benefit with convalescent plasma is unclear, although there remain benefits with convalescent plasma therapy for COVID-19.

Efficacy and safety of lopinavir/ritonavir in the treatment of COVID-19: A systematic review.

Objectives: To systematically review the clinical literature reporting the use of Lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/r) for the treatment of patients with Cornonavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) to assess the efficacy of LPV/r for the treatment of COVID-19.Methods: The authors systematically searched PubMed and MedRxiv databases for studies describing treatment of COVID-19 patients using LPV/r compared to other therapies. Articles were excluded if they were case reports, opinion editorials, preclinical studies, single-armed studies, not written in English, not relevant to the topic, or published before May 2020. The included outcomes were viral clearance as measured by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) negativity and/or improvement on chest computed tomography (CT), mortality, and adverse events.Results: Among 858 total studies, 16 studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the qualitative review. These studies consisted of 3 randomized control trials, 3 open-label trials, and 10 observational studies. Most of these studies did not report positive clinical outcomes with LPV/r treatment.Conclusion: The systematic review revealed insufficient evidence of effectiveness and clinical benefit of LPV/r in the treatment of COVID-19 patients. Specifically, LPV/r does not appear to improve clinical outcome, mortality, time to RT-PCR negativity, or chest CT clearance in patients with COVID-19.

Prevalence of Periodontal Disease among Obese Young Adult Population in Saudi Arabia-A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background and objectives: We aimed to assess the prevalence of periodontal disease among obese young adults in Saudi Arabia and to analyze the association between different body mass indexes and the severity of periodontal disease. Materials and methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study consisted of 307 obese patients aged 18-39 years, with body mass index (BMI) ≥30. Demographic variables for periodontal disease, anthropometric parameters such as BMI along with clinical parameters such as oral hygiene index-simplified, community periodontal index (CPI) score and loss of attachment (LOA), were assessed. Multivariate binary logistic regression analysis was used to identify the predictors for chronic periodontitis in obese young adults between 18-40 years of age. Results: The majority of the participants (71.3%) had periodontal disease. Obese and extremely obese patients together showed a statistically significant difference in the age group of 21-30 years in terms of CPI score for inflammation (p < 0.05) and LOA (p < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis showed age (OR: 3.180; 95%CL: 1.337-7.561; p <.001), occasional dental visit (OR: 5.965; 95%CL: 3.130-11.368; p < 0.001), smoking >10 cigarettes (OR: 11.868; 95%CL: 3.588-39.254; p < 0.001) and poor oral hygiene status (OR: 17.250; 95%CL: 6.958-42.764; p < 0.001) were associated with a significantly higher risk of having periodontal disease. Conclusions: This study showed a high prevalence of periodontal disease in obese patients among the Saudi Arabian population.