Potential protein biomarkers for burning mouth syndrome discovered by quantitative proteomics.

Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is a chronic pain disorder characterized by severe burning sensation in normal looking oral mucosa. Diagnosis of BMS remains to be a challenge to oral healthcare professionals because the method for definite diagnosis is still uncertain. In this study, a quantitative saliva proteomic analysis was performed in order to identify target proteins in BMS patients' saliva that may be used as biomarkers for simple, non-invasive detection of the disease. By using isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation labeling and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry to quantify 1130 saliva proteins between BMS patients and healthy control subjects, we found that 50 proteins were significantly changed in the BMS patients when compared to the healthy control subjects ( p ≤ 0.05, 39 up-regulated and 11 down-regulated). Four candidates, alpha-enolase, interleukin-18 (IL-18), kallikrein-13 (KLK13), and cathepsin G, were selected for further validation. Based on enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay measurements, three potential biomarkers, alpha-enolase, IL-18, and KLK13, were successfully validated. The fold changes for alpha-enolase, IL-18, and KLK13 were determined as 3.6, 2.9, and 2.2 (burning mouth syndrome vs. control), and corresponding receiver operating characteristic values were determined as 0.78, 0.83, and 0.68, respectively. Our findings indicate that testing of the identified protein biomarkers in saliva might be a valuable clinical tool for BMS detection. Further validation studies of the identified biomarkers or additional candidate biomarkers are needed to achieve a multi-marker prediction model for improved detection of BMS with high sensitivity and specificity.

A case of conversion disorder presenting as chronic trismus.

Trismus can be the symptom of several diseases. For the most part, the inability to open the mouth is due to an articular disorder but occasionally, the cause may be extra-articular. In this case, being reported, non-articular hysterical trismus caused the jaw to lock in an 11-year-old boy for 3 months. During this period the jaw was completely locked and the locking was associated with moderate to severe pain. After three sessions of therapy the patient was able to open his mouth 33 mm and his eating was back to normal. Conversion disorders often present with dramatic physical presentation including trismus and jaw lock. This report highlights the importance of complete history taking and a thorough clinical examination to make a correct diagnosis in a patient with trismus.

Case report: an orofacial pain patient with spots on the brain-multiple sclerosis versus central systemic lupus erythematosus.

Orofacial pain bridges an important gap between medicine and dentistry. This article presents the case of a man who reported preauricular pain, tinnitus, and vertigo that began after extraction of an impacted third molar and who was sent for evaluation of a possible temporomandibular joint disorder. However, he was subsequently found to have markers and imaging results consistent with recurrent and more centralized lupus and/or multiple sclerosis.

Use of botulinum toxin type A injection for neuropathic pain after trigeminal nerve injury.

OBJECTIVE: To present a case that neuropathic pain following traumatic injury of the inferior alveolar nerve, which was relieved by the injection of BTX-A. DESIGN: Case report. SETTING: Tertiary care University hospital. SUBJECT: A 62-year-old female was referred by her general dentist to our clinic due to numbness and pain over the left side of her lower lip and chin region. INTERVENTION: Botulinum toxin type A injected into the middle of chin area subcutaneously. RESULTS: At 1 month after BTX-A injection, the affected area had decreased in size. And at 2 months, the patient reported a slight decreased in pain, and CPT differences being sustained at a reduced level. CONCLUSIONS: This case report suggests an effective new modality for treating neuropathic pain after trigeminal nerve injury. A further randomized controlled study involving a large number of patients is needed.

Cell-Seeded Adhesive Biomaterial for Repair of Annulus Fibrosus Defects in Intervertebral Discs.

Defects in the annulus fibrosus (AF) of intervertebral discs allow nucleus pulposus tissue to herniate causing painful disability. Microdiscectomy procedures remove herniated tissue fragments, but unrepaired defects remain allowing reherniation or progressive degeneration. Cell therapies show promise to enhance repair, but methods are undeveloped and carriers are required to prevent cell leakage. To address this challenge, this study developed and evaluated genipin-crosslinked fibrin (FibGen) as an adhesive cell carrier optimized for AF repair that can deliver cells, match AF material properties, and have low risk of extrusion during loading. Part 1 determined that feasibility of bovine AF cells encapsulated in high concentration FibGen (F140G6: 140 mg/mL fibrinogen; 6 mg/mL genipin) for 7 weeks could maintain high viability, but had little proliferation or matrix deposition. Part 2 screened tissue mechanics and in situ failure testing of nine FibGen formulations (fibrin: 35-140 mg/mL; genipin: 1-6 mg/mL). F140G6 formulation matched AF shear and compressive properties and significantly improved failure strength in situ. Formulations with reduced genipin also exhibited satisfactory material properties and failure behaviors warranting further biological screening. Part 3 screened AF cells encapsulated in four FibGen formulations for 1 week and found that reduced genipin concentrations increased cell viability and glycosaminoglycan production. F70G1 (70 mg/mL fibrinogen; 1 mg/mL genipin) demonstrated balanced biological and biomechanical performance warranting further testing. We conclude that FibGen has potential to serve as an adhesive cell carrier to repair AF defects with formulations that can be tuned to enhance biomechanical and biological performance; future studies are required to develop strategies to enhance matrix production.

Diagnostic and treatment challenges in occlusal dysesthesia.

The aim of this chapter is to provide the dentist with an overview of potential diagnostic and treatment challenges posed by patients who present with occlusal dysesthesia or "Phantom Bite." Occlusal dysesthesia is seen as a form of somatoform disorder where dental treatments must be avoided and instead the focus should be on addressing the somatoform disorder through behavior change.

Headache impact in patients with orofacial pain.

BACKGROUND: The authors conducted a cross-sectional survey to assess headache disability in patients with orofacial pain. METHODS: The authors administered a Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS) questionnaire to 337 university-based clinic patients with OFP and 367 general dental (GD) patients, who served as controls. They made primary and secondary diagnoses in patients with OFP according to standard diagnostic criteria. The authors classified the patients into three major categories: primary headache (PH), musculoskeletal disorders (MS) and neuropathic pain (NP). They categorized the MIDAS score into four severity grades (I, the lowest, through IV, the highest). The authors analyzed the data using chi(2), t test, one-way analysis of variance and logistic regression for calculated odds ratios. RESULTS: Patients with OFP had a greater prevalence of headache than did patients in the GD group (72.7 percent versus 31.9 percent, respectively; P < .001), with a higher total MIDAS score, number of headache days in the previous three months and headache severity (P < .001). Within the OFP group, the diagnostic prevalence of PH, MS and NP was 7.1 percent, 79.8 percent and 13.1 percent, respectively (P < .001). The authors categorized 56 percent of patients with OFP and headache into the high-impact headache group (MIDAS grades III and IV; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with OFP had a higher prevalence of headache with greater disability impact than did control subjects. The degree of disability was related strongly to the MS diagnosis. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: The coexistence of PH and MS disorders can lead to higher headache disability. Clinicians need to treat both disorders concomitantly, which will result in improved treatment outcomes.

A Brief Report on the Development of The Usability of Sleep Apnea Equipment-Oral Appliance (USE-OA) Questionnaire: A Pilot Study.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To develop a questionnaire for measuring human factors (usability) associated with oral appliance use and to assess the feasibility of administering the questionnaire to patients with obstructive sleep apnea in a clinic setting. METHODS: We developed the 11-item Usability of Sleep Apnea Equipment-Oral Appliance (USE-OA) Questionnaire by adapting items from a published questionnaire that had been developed to assess human factors associated with positive airway pressure device use. Then we distributed the USE-OA to patients at a university dental clinic between January and July 2014. We evaluated our survey methods qualitatively, calculated the response rate, and assessed completeness and response patterns of the USE-OA. RESULTS: Our formative evaluation revealed that the questionnaire was easy to distribute and administer in a clinic setting. Our response rate was 23%. A majority of respondents gave favorable usability ratings, and a small number of respondents gave unfavorable usability ratings. CONCLUSIONS: The USE-OA questionnaire can be easily administered in a dental clinic setting. Additional studies conducted in high-volume sleep oral appliance clinics are needed to assess the psychometric properties of the USE-OA and to compare the results of the USE-OA to direct observation of patients getting their oral appliance ready for use and cleaning their oral appliance.

Sodium hypochlorite-related injury with chronic pain sequelae.

BACKGROUND: A 29-year-old woman visited a general dental residency clinic with a complaint of severe aching and burning facial pain with occasional sharp stabbing pain and persistent numbness. The symptoms had been present for seven months after sudden onset during endodontic irrigation with sodium hypchlorite. She was evaluated and treated by one of the authors, who was trained in orofacial pain management. CASE DESCRIPTION: The patient reported experiencing debilitating symptoms since the hypochlorite injury. She had been treated with methylprednisolone followed by antiseizure, anti-inflammatory and opioid medications prescribed by a neurologist. Examination and testing revealed static and dynamic mechanical allodynia along with neurological deficits on the left side of the face, implicating both peripheral and central pain mechanisms. The orofacial pain clinician made a diagnosis of peripheral painful traumatic trigeminal neuropathy involving all three branches of the left trigeminal nerve. The addition of an oral neurosensory stent and modification of medications reduced the patient's pain, resulting in improved function and quality of life. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Sodium hypochlorite irrigation may lead to injury and persistent neuropathic pain. Diagnosis and management of chronic orofacial pain require an understanding of pain mechanisms and appropriate treatment options. A multidisciplinary approach with clear communication among the general dentist, dental specialists, primary care physician and medical specialists often is necessary.

Temporomandibular disorder pain and dental treatment of obstructive sleep apnea.

Treatment of sleep apnea with mandibular advancement devices (MADs) may be associated with the development of symptoms of temporomandibular disorder (TMD). This article discusses the different types of TMD and orofacial pain problems that may occur during treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) with a MAD. It is critical that the general dentist who is providing dental devices for OSA perform a thorough physical and neurologic assessment of the temporomandibular joint and associated structures before providing such a device so that preexisting problems are identified and discussed with the patient.

Estudo do impacto da enxaqueca na severidade da dor miofascial da musculatura mastigatória / Muscle pain intensity of patients with myofascial pain with different additional diagnoses

OBJETIVO: comparar a severidade da dor subjetiva e objetiva, além de outras características associadas entre pacientes com dor miofascial com e sem o diagnóstico adicional de enxaqueca. MÉTODOS: foram selecionados 203 pacientes, com idade média de 40,3 anos (89,2 por cento do sexo feminino), que se apresentaram à Clínica de Dor Orofacial da Universidade da Califórnia, Los Angeles, EUA - todos com diagnóstico primário de dor miofascial. Pacientes com diagnóstico secundário de enxaqueca foram incluídos (n=83) e formaram o grupo 2. O teste de Mann-Whitney foi utilizado para comparar o grupo 1 (dor miofascial) com o 2 (dor miofascial + enxaqueca) quanto à intensidade de dor à palpação e subjetiva, através de Escalas Analógicas Visuais (EAV). Também com o auxílio de EAV, foram comparados estado de humor, problemas com a função, qualidade do sono e incapacidade. Em todos os testes foi adotado um nível de significância de 5 por cento. RESULTADOS: o grupo 2 apresentou níveis de dor à palpação muscular estatisticamente maiores que o grupo 1 (p<0,05). Ao se analisar a intensidade de dor subjetiva obtida através da EAV, o grupo 2 apresentou níveis maiores de dor subjetiva (EAV) em todas as medições, com significância estatística para "dor no momento" e "dor máxima" (p<0,05). Da mesma maneira, o grupo 2 mostrou níveis maiores, obtidos através da EAV, de problemas com humor, incapacidade, problemas com a função mandibular e problemas com sono/descanso, sendo que apenas o último apresentou significância estatística (p<0,05). CONCLUSÕES: a comorbidade enxaqueca exerce forte impacto na severidade da dor e na qualidade de vida de pacientes que apresentam diagnóstico primário de dor miofascial.

OBJECTIVES: To compare subjective and objective pain intensity and associated characteristics in myofascial pain (MFP) patients with and without migraine. METHODS: The sample was comprised by 203 consecutive patients, mean age of 40.3 (89.2 percent of females), primarily diagnosed with MFP, who presented to the UCLA Orofacial Pain Clinic. Patients with secondary diagnosis of migraine (n=83) were included and comprised group 2. In order to compare group 1 (MFP) with group 2 (MFP + migraine) regarding objective pain (palpation scores) and subjective by means of visual analog scales (VAS) pain levels. Also, comparisons of mood problems, jaw function problems, sleep quality and disability levels using VAS were performed using the Mann-Whitney test. A significance level of 5 percent was adopted. RESULTS: Mann-Whitney test revealed that group 2 presented significantly higher pain levels on palpation of masticatory and cervical muscles in comparison to group 1 (p<0.05). Group 2 also presented higher levels of subjective pain, with statistical significance for "pain at the moment" and "highest pain" (p<0.05). Additionally, group 2 showed higher levels of mood problems, disability, jaw function impairment and sleep problems than group 1 with statistical significance for the later (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Migraine comorbidity demonstrated a significant impact on pain intensity and life quality of patients with MFP. Clinicians should approach both conditions in order to achieve better treatment outcomes.

Intraoral neuropathy.

Chronic nonodontogenic toothache has been reported in the literature since the 1700s. This problem has followed a similar scenario since those first reports. The patient typically is misdiagnosed and then subjected to multiple unnecessary procedures, ultimately resulting in tooth extractions because of dentists and physicians being unaware of the existence of atypical odontalgia and other types of intraoral neuropathic pain that are treatable without sacrificing the teeth. This paper reviews the medications and procedures used to treat nonodontogenic toothache.