Oral colonization by Candida species in AIDS pediatric patients.

The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of factors associated with oral colonization by Candida spp. in pediatric patients with AIDS. The sample comprised of 117 children. Clinical status, medicines in use, and laboratory findings were obtained from hospital records; sociodemographic data were given by relatives. A dental examination assessed the prevalence of dental caries. The prevalence of oral colonization by Candida was 62%. Only seven children presented clinical manifestation of oral candidosis despite their high viral load index and low-for-age CD4 count. Candida colonization was directly associated with frequent use of antibiotics (prevalence ratio [PR] = 1.44), sulfa drugs (PR = 1.23), alteration in the oral mucosa (PR = 1.55), and untreated dental caries (PR = 1.93). It was inversely associated with the use of antiretroviral therapies (PR = 0.65). Candida albicans was the most frequently detected species (80%); phenotypic tests did not detect C. dubliniensis strains. This study observed a low prevalence of Candida-related oral lesions in these patients, which is compatible with the hypothesis that antiretroviral medicines may have contributed to reducing oral manifestations from Candida infection. The high prevalence of Candida colonization in HIV+/AIDS children with untreated dental caries reinforces the importance of oral health care in interdisciplinary health units that assist these patients.

Antifibrinolytic prevention of alveolitis sicca dolorosa.

In a double-blind study dental cones containing the antifibrinolytically active propylic ester of p-hydroxybenzoic acid (PEPH), sulfanilamide and sulfathiazol or placebo were placed in dental sockets following removal of impacted mandibular third molars on 95 consecutive patients, 50 women and 45 men. The duration of the operation, the type of surgeon, preoperative symptoms and the use of peroral anticonception were recorded. The patients were asked to return to the clinic on the seventh postoperative day, and it was then noted whether the healing was disturbed by Alveolitis Sicca Dolorosa (ASD) or not. Statistical analysis showed a significantly prophylactic effect of PEPH against ASD. The prophylactic effect was most pronounced in the group of male patients without preoperative symptoms and in the group of patients operated by dental students. It could not be demonstrated that the sulfa drugs in the cones were of any benefit to the healing of the socket.

The effect of sulfonamides on pain and swelling following removal of ectopic third molars.

A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was carried out to study the value of cones containing sulfanilamide and sulfathiazole in the healing of third molar sockets. On the seventh postoperative day, 94 patients were examined regarding pain, swelling and the overall effect of the operation. Trials were run to compare sulfa cones directly with a placebo: in addition, the placebo and sulfa drugs were each compared with the effects of no medication. Pairs were made of the left and right mandibular third molars in the same patient and the results assessed by sequential analysis. It was found that although sulfa cones were better than the placebo, they themselves were no better or worse than leaving the socket alone.

Effects of the anthelmintics clorsulon, rafoxanide, mebendazole and arprinocid on Echinostoma caproni in ICR mice.

Female ICR mice, 5 to 6 weeks old, were exposed by stomach tube to 25 metacercarial cysts of Echinostoma caproni per mouse. At 14 days post-exposure, mice were fed by stomach tube clorsulon (1000 mg/kg, 500 mg/kg and 100 mg/ kg) or rafoxanide (50 mg/kg, 25 mg/kg and 5 mg/kg) dissolved in dimethylsulphoxide (DMSO) carrier and mebendazole (1000 mg/kg and 500 mg/ kg) or arprinocid (100 mg/kg and 50 mg/kg) suspended in a 2:1 polyethylene glycol (PEG)/DMSO carrier. All drugs were obtained from Merck Inc. (Rahway, New Jersey, USA) and only single dose regimes were used. Experimentally infected mice that served as controls received either DMSO or 2:1 PEG/DMSO carriers or were not given the carrier. Mice were necropsied 15, 16, 18 and 20 days postexposure to worms. Doses of 100 mg/kg of clorsulon and 50 mg/kg of rafoxanide were 100% effective in eliminating the echinostomes on day 1 post-administration of the anthelmintics. Mebendazole and arprinocid were ineffective in eliminating worms at 1 or 2 days post drug administration.