Evaluation of the relationship between dental caries and dermatoglyphics in 3 to 6-Year-Old Iranian children.

BACKGROUND: As enamel and finger buds have an ectodermal origin and grow at the same time, it might be supposed that factors and agents that affect dental caries might give rise to the diversity of dermatoglyphic dermal ridge patterns. AIM: The present study aimed to evaluate the relationship between dental caries and dermatoglyphics in 3 to 6-year-old Iranian children. METHODS: The present case-control study was performed on 3 to 6-year-old children. The decayed, missing, and filled teeth (dmft) scale was used to evaluate the oral and dental health status in the participants. Then, the patients were divided into two groups: 1) The case group: patients with a dmft of ≥3 (101 cases); 2) the control group: those with dmft value of zero (86 cases). Afterward, using a fingerprint recording device, the fingerprints were obtained from both hands of the participants. RESULTS: There was no significant relationship between the patterns of fingerprints and dental caries. The percentages of whorls, loops, and arches in the case group were higher than those in the control group; however, these differences were not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Dermatoglyphic patterns could not be used as a variable for the detection or prediction of dental caries in Iranian children.

Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) meningitis: a narrative review of the literature from 2000 to 2020.

Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) are recognized as comprising the main part of human normal microbiota and are rarely associated with severe and intensive infections. However, these organisms can cause a number of infections in humans, especially immunocompromised patients and neonates. Bacterial meningitis, as an important and acute infection in the central nervous system, is still a major global health challenge and a serious infectious disease, causing a high rate of mortality and morbidity. CoNS as causative agents of meningitis are generally related to trauma or direct implantation of foreign bodies and the presence of a cerebrospinal fluid shunt. Numerous epidemiologic and clinical studies have shown that different CoNS isolates such as Staphylococcus capitis, Staphylococcus lugdunensis, Staphylococcus hominis, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus schleiferi, Staphylococcus saprophyticus, Staphylococcus warneri and Staphylococcus haemolyticus are more frequently associated with meningitis. This study attempts to determine the role of CoNS in meningitis and reviews the reported cases of meningitis induced by CoNS from the year 2000 to 2020 in the literature.

Multi Detector-Row Computed Tomography (MDCT) had excellent reproducibility of coronary calcium measurements.

OBJECTIVE: To assess reproducibility of coronary calcium measurements with Multi Detector-Row Computed Tomography (MDCT) imaging and to evaluate whether different measurement protocols, slice thickness, and cardiovascular risk factors affect inter and intra-observer reproducibility. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: In a cross-sectional design, the study population comprised 199 healthy postmenopausal women. Coronary calcium was assessed using a 16-MDCT (Philips Mx 8000 IDT 16). Images were made using 1.5 and 3.0mm slice thicknesses. To assess inter and intra-observer reproducibility, the images were read by two observers. One observer read the images of 52 subjects twice. The Agatston score, a volume, and a mass measurement were used to quantify coronary calcium. Reproducibility was determined by estimation of mean, absolute, and relative differences between scores of the observers and by estimation of intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). RESULTS: 60.3% participants (n=120) had a positive calcium score. Median Agatston score for the first observer was 2.20 with a range of 0-2,019. The reproducibility of coronary calcium measurements between and within observers was excellent with ICC of >0.95, and small mean, absolute, and relative differences. Reproducibility findings were similar for 1.5mm slices as for 3.0mm slices, and equal for Agatston, volume, and mass measurements. CONCLUSION: Reproducibilility of coronary calcium measurement using MDCT is excellent, irrespective of slice thickness and type of calcium parameter.

The biomarker-based validity of a food frequency questionnaire to assess the intake status of folate, pyridoxine and cobalamin among Iranian primary breast cancer patients.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Folate, pyridoxine and cobalamin are coenzymatically essential in one-carbon methyl metabolism, and their deficiencies could explain some alterations during breast carcinogenesis. We aimed to evaluate the validity of folate, pyridoxine and cobalamin estimates from a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) on the basis of their corresponding fasting plasma biomarkers, in breast cancer (BC) patients. SUBJECTS/METHODS: In a prospective, consecutive case series, 149 women with primary BC aged between 30 and 69 years as a representative sample of Iranian women with BC were recruited. The 136-item FFQ was used for the validity assay. Fasting plasma folate and cobalamin were tested by automated electrochemiluminescence. The high-pressure liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection was used to determine the plasma levels of pyridoxal-5'-phosphate (PLP) and total homocysteine (tHcy). RESULTS: Area under the curve (AUC) for assessing the diagnostic accuracy of folate-related data through an FFQ was 0.74 (P<0.01) in the reference model (folate plasma level<5.9 ng/ml), with sensitivity and specificity of 68% and 63%, respectively. The positive and negative predictive values (PPV and NPV) were 96.9% and 96.8%, respectively. The AUC for cobalamin intake in the reference model (plasma cobalamin<260 pmol/l) was 0.64 (P<0.01), with 60% sensitivity and 61% specificity. Although tHcy ≥10.0 µmol/l was used as reference indicator, the folate intake (AUC=0.71, P<0.01) and cobalamin intake status (AUC=0.67, P<0.05) were also determined appropriately by FFQ. CONCLUSIONS: Dietary folate and cobalamin estimates from FFQ were significantly correlated with their fasting plasma concentrations. Our data supported the validity of new FFQ to rank individuals by dietary intake status of folate and cobalamin.

α-Tocopherol supplementation reduces biomarkers of oxidative stress in children with Down syndrome: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Down syndrome (DS) is the most common human chromosomal abnormality. It is characterized by mental retardation and several metabolic disturbances, including elevated oxidative stress, which may be causally linked. Treatment with dietary antioxidants has been suggested as a potential method to alleviate the oxidative damage and retardation of DS patients, but prior supplementation work has been equivocal. AIM: To evaluate the effects of supplementation with antioxidants α-tocopherol and α-lipoic acid (ALA) on oxidative stress biomarkers in DS children. METHODS: Ninety-three DS children aged 7-15 years from both sexes were randomly allocated to three groups: α-tocopherol (400 IU/day), ALA (100 mg/day) and placebo. The intervention period was 4 months. A healthy control group consisted 26 non-DS siblings. Serum thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and urinary 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8OHdG) were used as biomarkers of oxidative stress. RESULTS: DS children had greater levels of baseline oxidative stress than their siblings. Moreover, males had greater levels of 8OHdG than females (P<0.001) but there was no significant association between age and biomarkers of oxidative stress. Serum levels of TBARS did not change significantly over time, or relative to placebo. Although urinary 8OHdG concentrations decreased significantly in both α-tocopherol and ALA, groups compared with the baseline levels (P<0.001), mean final levels of urinary 8OHdG concentrations differed significantly only between α-tocopherol and placebo groups (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: α-Tocopherol supplementation of the diets of DS children may attenuate oxidative stress at the DNA level.