Implications of COVID-19 and mitigation measures on gender and the Zimbabwean economy.

This paper provides a macro-micro modeling analysis of the ex-ante effects of COVID-19 mitigation and recovery policies on macroeconomic and distributional effects, particularly on female and male workers, income distribution, and poverty in Zimbabwe. With an emphasis on modeling gender-disaggregated labor markets and COVID-19 policy responses, the paper presents and combines the most recent data on poverty, gender, and the economy at the national level. The study finds that i) without any government mitigation measures, the gross domestic product will remain below business-as-usual levels; ii) poorer women are hardest hit because they are employed in sectors that are exposed and vulnerable to COVID-19 response measures; and iii) mitigation measures to counteract the negative effects of increases in poverty are effective only in the short term, and additional measures to sustain poverty reduction for the long term to sustain the poverty reductions are required. These results highlight the short-term versus long-term dilemma the government faces when contemplating responses to COVID-19.

Males and females with first episode psychosis present distinct profiles of social cognition and metacognition.

Deficits in social cognition and metacognition impact the course of psychosis. Sex differences in social cognition and metacognition could explain heterogeneity in psychosis. 174 (58 females) patients with first-episode psychosis completed a clinical, neuropsychological, social cognitive, and metacognitive assessment. Subsequent latent profile analysis split by sex yielded two clusters common to both sexes (a Homogeneous group, 53% and 79.3%, and an Indecisive group, 18.3% and 8.6% of males and females, respectively), a specific male profile characterized by presenting jumping to conclusions (28.7%) and a specific female profile characterized by cognitive biases (12.1%). Males and females in the homogeneous profile seem to have a more benign course of illness. Males with jumping to conclusions had more clinical symptoms and more neuropsychological deficits. Females with cognitive biases were younger and had lower self-esteem. These results suggest that males and females may benefit from specific targeted treatment and highlights the need to consider sex when planning interventions.

Evaluation of cardiovascular risk in patients with psoriatic disease in a multiracial population: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Psoriatic disease (PD) is a chronic inflammatory disorder often associated with cardiovascular risk (CVR) factors such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidaemia and smoking. It is estimated that 2%-4% of the population worldwide has PD. Cutaneous lesions of psoriasis (PsO) may be associated with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in up to 40% of patients. Studies have been carried out around the world with the aim of evaluating CVR in such patients. AIM: To determine CVR in a multiracial population with PsA or PsO from southeastern Brazil, which has a predominantly tropical climate, compared with controls. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out in outpatients with PsO or PsA followed up at a quaternary referral hospital in Rio de Janeiro. The Framingham Risk Score (FRS) was used to predict cardiovascular events (CVEs) over 10 years in patients with PsO and PsA compared with controls. RESULTS: FRS was significantly higher at 10 years in patients with PsO (mean ± SD 16.3 ± 14) and PsA (18.0 ± 15) compared with controls (10.6 ± 9.5) (P = 0.01) and also increased with age. The chance of having a high FRS in the PsO and PsA groups increased by 0.30 and 0.23 times per year, respectively, compared with controls (PsO vs. controls 95% CI 0.090-1.00; PsA vs. controls 95% CI 0.08-0.75). CONCLUSION: In this multiethnic Brazilian population, both PsO and PsA were associated with higher CVR compared with controls. The frequency of high FRS was highest in the sixth decade of life for all three groups of participants. Annual assessment of patients with PD is necessary in order to prevent CVEs.

What to expect when AGEP is induced by terbinafine? Case report and critical review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Acute Generalised Exanthematous Pustulosis (AGEP) is a rash with multiple sterile intraepidermal or subcorneal non-follicular pustules on edematous papules, with a sudden development and rapid evolution, triggered by drugs, vaccination, insect bites, exposure to mercury, and allergens. OBJECTIVES AND METHODS: We describe a female patient who developed extensive and abnormally prolonged AGEP following exposure to terbinafine and SARS-CoV vaccine. A detailed review of terbinafine-induced-AGEP cases was performed, with the aim of evaluating if the AGEP criteria would follow a different pattern when the disease is triggered by this drug. A PubMed search helped retrieve all terbinafine-induced AGEP case reports. AGEP-specific Sideroff criteria were analysed in terbinafine-induced cases and compared to other trigger causes. CONCLUSIONS: When the AGEP causative drug was terbinafine, a delay in recovery was observed, compared to the existing AGEP criteria when other causes are considered. Terbinafine frequently leads to delayed resolution AGEP probably due to the presence of the drug in the skin for several weeks after exposure, even after discontinuation, and the disease severity may be potentialised by additional factors such as concomitant viral infections or vaccination.

Intergenerational transmission of parental smoking: when are offspring most vulnerable?

BACKGROUND: Previous literature has showed that the likelihood of smoking is higher among offspring with smoking parents. The aim of this cohort study is to investigate during which smoking initiation stages and at what ages adolescents are more likely to be influenced by parental smoking. METHODS: This study used the EPITeen Cohort, which recruited 13-year-old adolescents born in 1990, enrolled at schools in Porto, Portugal. Participants (n = 996) were followed across four waves at 13, 17, 21 and 24 years old. We computed the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals for the prevalence of the different smoking states (never smoking, experimenter, less than daily smoker, daily smoker and former smoker), and incidence transitions between these states (to smoking experimenter; to less than daily smoker, to daily smoker; to former smoker) as function of age, parental smoking status and their interaction. RESULTS: Compared with other participants, those with two smoking parents had an increased prevalence of experimentation at 13 years (OR for the interaction at 13 years compared with 24 years = 2.13 [1.50-3.01]) and daily smoking at all ages (OR for parental smoking =1.91 [1.52-2.40]). The latter increase is related to a significantly increased risk to transit from early smoking stages to daily smoking at all ages (OR for parental smoking = 1.83 [1.43-2.34]). CONCLUSIONS: Parental smoking influences offspring's daily smoking prevalence especially by increasing the risk to transit to daily smoking up to early adulthood. Prevention should focus on parents and parental influences especially among offspring who may transition to daily smokers.

Radiological Structured Report Integrated with Quantitative Imaging Biomarkers and Qualitative Scoring Systems.

The benefits of structured reporting (SR) in radiology are well-known and have been widely described. However, there are limitations that must be overcome. Radiologists may be reluctant to change the conventional way of reporting. Error rates could potentially increase if SR is used improperly. Interruption of the visual search pattern by keeping the eyes focused on the report rather than the images may increase reporting time. Templates that include unnecessary or irrelevant information may undermine the consistency of the report. Last, the lack of support for multiple languages may hamper the adaptation of the report to the target audience. This work aims to mitigate these limitations with a web-based structured reporting system based on templates. By including field validators and logical rules, the system avoids reporting mistakes and allows to automatically calculate values and radiological qualitative scores. The system can manage quantitative information from imaging biomarkers, combining this with qualitative radiological information usually present in the structured report. It manages SR templates as plugins (IHE MRRT compliant and compatible with RSNA's Radreport templates), ensures a seamless integration with PACS/RIS systems, and adapts the report to the target audience by means of natural language extracts generated in multiple languages. We describe a use case of SR template for prostate cancer including PI-RADS 2.1 scoring system and imaging biomarkers. For the time being, the system comprises 24 SR templates and provides service in 37 hospitals and healthcare institutions, endorsing the success of this contribution to mitigate some of the limitations of the SR.

Coexistence of onychomycosis and nail psoriasis and its correlation with systemic treatment.

BACKGROUND: Epidemiological studies indicate that onychomycosis may affect up to 79% of psoriatic patients. Onychomycosis in psoriatic patients is more commonly caused by yeasts comparing with non-psoriatic. OBJECTIVES: Evaluate the prevalence of fungi in nail psoriasis. Evaluate the association between direct mycological examination (DME) and mycological culture, Nail Psoriasis Severity Index (NAPSI) and systemic treatment for psoriasis. METHODS: Of 133 nails from 20 patients with nail psoriasis were evaluated as follows: 9 patients were using topical treatment and 11 were on systemic treatment. The assessment of psoriasis severity using NAPSI was performed in all psoriatic nails. The presence of fungi was confirmed in DME and culture. RESULTS: DME showed the presence of fungal elements in 45 nails (33.83%) with a predominance of blastoconidia (95.5%) No septate hyphae were seen. Mycological culture was positive in 36 (27.06%) samples. Among them, Candida grew in 31 (86.1%): Candida parapsilosis in 15 (48.38%), Candida spp in 14 (45.16%). No growth of dermatophytes was observed. Patients with systemic treatment showed a higher frequency of positive test (DME and culture) for fungi when compared to topic treatment (p:.006). There was a positive correlation between NAPSI, mycological culture and systemic treatment (p:.0063); the risk was four times higher (OR:4.0). LIMITATION OF THE STUDY: Sample size. CONCLUSION: These results are consistent with some previous reports, Candida was the fungus with higher frequency on the psoriatic nails, however, the role of these fungi is controversial (contamination x colonisation x infection). The fact that the immunosuppressive treatment increases the chance of fungal infection leads us to a greater attention to this patient profile, to prevent the intensification of nail psoriasis (Köbner phenomenon).

Treatment of keloids and hypertrophic scars. Position statement of the Brazilian expert group GREMCIQ.

Keloids (K) and hypertrophic scars (HS) are abnormal responses to wound healing that occur as the result of dermal inflammation. Despite the advances on their treatment, many patients still suffer from the negative effects of excessive scarring; its approach is impaired by the lack of objective data on different treatments and the large genetic variability among patients and the difficulties in producing multicentre studies. Their incidence among the Brazilian population is high, as the result of an admixture of Amerindians, Europeans and Africans ancestral roots. With the aim of producing multicentre studies on K and HS, a panel of senior Brazilian dermatologists focused on their treatment was invited to contribute with the K and HS Treatment Brazilian Guidelines. In the first part of this study, different treatment modalities for keloids and HS are fully reviewed by the panel. The second part of the study presents a consensus recommendation of treatment for different types of lesions. More than a literature review, this article aims to show the pitfalls and pearls of each therapeutic option, as well as a therapeutic approach by the Panel of Experts on keloids and Scars on a highly mixed population, providing simple guidelines.

Trajectories of depressive symptoms through adolescence and young adulthood: social and health outcomes.

Depressive symptoms display heterogeneous trajectories across adolescence, which can lead to different consequences. This study aimed to identify trajectories of depressive symptoms from adolescence to young adulthood, assessing the association with social and health outcomes at young adulthood. Adolescents born in 1990, enrolled in schools of Porto, Portugal, in 2003-2004 (EPITeen study) completed the Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II) at 13, 17 and 21 years. Mixed models and model-based clustering were used to describe the trajectories in the BDI-II score (n = 2010). Outcomes were assessed at age 21 years with self-administered questionnaires and face-to-face interviews (n = 1594). Odds ratios or regression coefficients, with 95% confidence intervals, were estimated using logistic and linear regression. Three trajectory classes of depressive symptoms were identified, similar in shape in both sexes: High (8.4%), Moderate (31.3%) and Low (60.2%). Participants in High or Moderate classes were more likely to describe lower scores of community involvement, more medical appointments during the last year, higher levels of pain and had higher probability of self-rating health as "good" or "fair or poor". Females in the High and Moderate classes were more likely to be current smokers, to describe ever using drugs and to report more sexual partners, emergency room visits and the use of antidepressants. The risk of depressive symptoms in adulthood is likely to be early determined in adolescence. The trajectory classes with higher levels of symptoms were associated with worse social and health outcomes.

Diabetes is a major cause of influenza-associated mortality in Mexico.

BACKGROUND: Influenza is a major cause of mortality worldwide. Most influenza-associated deaths are associated with cardiovascular or respiratory disorders. However, a large proportion of influenza-associated deaths do not have respiratory or cardiovascular disorders declared as the underlying cause of death. Diabetic individuals are at increased risk for influenza-mortality. In this study, we assessed the contribution of diabetes to influenza-associated mortality in Mexico. METHODS: Diabetes influenza-associated mortality was estimated for the Mexican population using National Mortality Databases from the Mexican Ministry of Health from 1998 through 2015. Diabetes influenza-associated mortality was calculated applying Serfling cyclical regression models to weekly mortality rates for persons 20-59 years, 60 and more years, and all ages, and by sex. RESULTS: There was a high correlation between weekly pneumonia and influenza mortality and diabetes-related mortality. Yearly influenza-associated diabetes mortality rates varied between 2.0 and 5.9/100,000. Up until the 2005-2006 season, diabetes-associated mortality rates were higher in females, while after that season rates were higher in males. Yearly influenza-associated diabetes mortality rates for adults 20-59 years of age ranged between 1.7 and 3.4/100,000, while estimates for adults 60 years and older ranged between 16.3 and 46.1/100,000. Approximately one third of estimated diabetes influenza-associated deaths occurred in adults 20-59 years of age. On average, diabetes deaths accounted for 19.6% of estimated influenza-associated all-cause mortality. CONCLUSION: Diabetes is a major cause of estimated influenza-associated mortality in Mexico. Health-care authorities and professionals in countries with high diabetes prevalence should be aware of the potential impact of influenza in individuals with this condition.

Laparoscopic Liver Resection: A South American Experience with 2887 Cases.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic liver resections (LLR) have been increasingly performed in recent years. Most of the available evidence, however, comes from specialized centers in Asia, Europe and USA. Data from South America are limited and based on single-center experiences. To date, no multicenter studies evaluated the results of LLR in South America. The aim of this study was to evaluate the experience and results with LLR in South American centers. METHODS: From February to November 2019, a survey about LLR was conducted in 61 hepatobiliary centers in South America, composed by 20 questions concerning demographic characteristics, surgical data, and perioperative results. RESULTS: Fifty-one (83.6%) centers from seven different countries answered the survey. A total of 2887 LLR were performed, as follows: Argentina (928), Brazil (1326), Chile (322), Colombia (210), Paraguay (9), Peru (75), and Uruguay (8). The first program began in 1997; however, the majority (60.7%) started after 2010. The percentage of LLR over open resections was 28.4% (4.4-84%). Of the total, 76.5% were minor hepatectomies and 23.5% major, including 266 right hepatectomies and 343 left hepatectomies. The conversion rate was 9.7%, overall morbidity 13%, and mortality 0.7%. CONCLUSIONS: This is the largest study assessing the dissemination and results of LLR in South America. It showed an increasing number of centers performing LLR with the promising perioperative results, aligned with other worldwide excellence centers.

Active lifestyles moderate clinical outcomes in autosomal dominant frontotemporal degeneration.

INTRODUCTION: Leisure activities impact brain aging and may be prevention targets. We characterized how physical and cognitive activities relate to brain health for the first time in autosomal dominant frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). METHODS: A total of 105 mutation carriers (C9orf72/MAPT/GRN) and 69 non-carriers reported current physical and cognitive activities at baseline, and completed longitudinal neurobehavioral assessments and brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. RESULTS: Greater physical and cognitive activities were each associated with an estimated >55% slower clinical decline per year among dominant gene carriers. There was also an interaction between leisure activities and frontotemporal atrophy on cognition in mutation carriers. High-activity carriers with frontotemporal atrophy (-1 standard deviation/year) demonstrated >two-fold better cognitive performances per year compared to their less active peers with comparable atrophy rates. DISCUSSION: Active lifestyles were associated with less functional decline and moderated brain-to-behavior relationships longitudinally. More active carriers "outperformed" brain volume, commensurate with a cognitive reserve hypothesis. Lifestyle may confer clinical resilience, even in autosomal dominant FTLD.

Randomized trial of two types of gastrojejunostomy after pancreatoduodenectomy and risk of delayed gastric emptying (PAUDA trial).

BACKGROUND: Delayed gastric emptying (DGE) is the most important cause of an extended hospital stay after pancreatoduodenectomy. Reports suggest that a Roux-en-Y gastroenteric anastomosis may have lower incidence of DGE than a Billroth II reconstruction. The primary aim of this RCT was to compare Billroth II (single loop) and Roux-en-Y (double loop) after pancreatoduodenectomy to determine whether Roux-en-Y reconstruction is associated with a lower incidence of DGE. Secondary endpoints were postoperative complications. METHODS: This was a randomized unblinded single-centre trial without masked evaluation of the main outcome. Patients undergoing pancreatoduodenectomy between 2013 and 2015 were randomized to undergo one of two types of gastroenteric anastomosis for reconstruction. RESULTS: A total of 80 patients were randomized, 40 in each group. The incidence of DGE was the same in patients undergoing Billroth II or Roux-en-Y gastroenteric anastomosis (both 18 of 40 patients; P = 1·000). The grade of DGE was also similar in the Billroth II and Roux-en-Y groups (grade A, both 10 of 40; grade B, 5 of 40 versus 6 of 40; grade C, 3 of 40 versus 2 of 40; P = 0·962). The mortality rate was 3 per cent, with no significant difference between the two groups. There were no differences in the overall rate of postoperative morbidity, relaparotomy rate or duration of hospital stay. CONCLUSION: The incidence and severity of DGE does not differ between single- or double-loop gastroenteric anastomosis performed after pancreatoduodenectomy. Registration number: NCT00915863 (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov).

Longitudinal association of adiposity and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein from adolescence into early adulthood.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Longitudinal studies relating adiposity with low-grade inflammation are scarce. We aimed to examine the longitudinal association between the cumulative exposure to adiposity and low-grade inflammation from adolescence into early adulthood. METHODS AND RESULTS: Data from a population-based cohort (EPITeen) (n = 1147) was analyzed. Body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage (BF%), waist circumference (WC), and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) were ascertained at 13, 17 and 21 years of age and standardized for each wave. Generalized least squares models with a compound symmetry correlation structure were fitted to estimate the longitudinal effect of adiposity on hsCRP and results were presented as linear regression coefficients and 95% confidence intervals [ß (95%CI)].The final model estimated the association between the difference in adiposity between two consecutive evaluations (13-17 and 17 to 21-years-old), adjusted for previous adiposity and hsCRP levels, sex, parental education, leisure-time physical activity and fruits and vegetables intake. A positive association between the cumulative exposure to adiposity and final hsCRP was observed, in which the difference between adiposity indicators of two consecutive study waves was independently associated with hsCRP: 0.382 (0.299; 0.465) for BMI, 0.234 (0.164; 0.304) for WC, 0.395 (0.314; 0.477) for BF% and 0.195 (0.133; 0.258) for WHtR. CONCLUSION: A significant longitudinal effect of the accumulation of adiposity on low-grade inflammation was observed. The change in adiposity from consecutive study waves was shown to have a stronger effect on final hsCRP concentrations than both previous adiposity and hsCRP levels.

Quantification of histopathological changes in patients with psoriasis before and after phototherapy.

BACKGROUND: One of the most used resources for the treatment of psoriasis is ultraviolet radiation (UV) with psoralens (PUVA) and narrow-band UV (UVB-NB 311-312 nm). Although many researchers have assessed the histopathological effects of this therapy modality, none used a morphological classification system specific to psoriasis. PURPOSE: To assess the clinical and histopathological response in the phototherapy treatment of plaque psoriasis with PUVA and UVB-NB with use of PASI and TROZAK. METHODS: Histopathological changes of plaque psoriasis were quantified with help of the grading system for psoriasis-Trozak in 20 patients of both sexes, before and after 32 PUVA phototherapy sessions (10 patients-GPUVA) and UVB-NB (10 patients-GUVB-NB). The severity and extension of psoriasis was evaluated through PASI. The slides stained with hematoxylin and eosin were scanned in an Aperio CS2 scanner (Leica Biosystems) and evaluated through the software ImageScopeTM (Aperio Technologies). Statistical analysis was performed with the use of the program SPSS 22.0, with application of the Wilcoxon and Mann-Whitney tests. RESULTS: All patients presented improvement in psoriatic plaques with decrease in PASI after treatment (P < 0.01) and significant reduction in histopathological changes in psoriasis from 15.4 ± 1.7 to 3.7 ± 3.2 (P < 0.01) in group GPUVA and from 13.2 ± 1.7 to 4.9 ± 5.2 (P < 0,01) in group GUVB-NB. CONCLUSIONS: Phototherapy, regardless of type, is an effective treatment for moderate and severe psoriasis, with possibility of being quantified clinically by PASI and histopathologically by Trozak.

Depressive symptoms at 13 years as predictors of depression in older adolescents: a prospective 4-year follow-up study in a nonclinical population.

Depression is the most important source of disability in adolescents, partially due to its recurrence. There is a lack of studies on population-based samples investigating the continuity of depressive symptoms during adolescence. This study evaluates depressive symptoms at early adolescence as predictors of depressive symptoms later in adolescence. Urban adolescents born in 1990 and enrolled in schools of Porto, Portugal, in 2003-2004 (EPITeen study) were evaluated at 13 and 17 years (n = 1106, 55.9% females), and completed a questionnaire comprising health behaviors and Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II) to assess depressive symptoms. A questionnaire on socio-demographic and clinical characteristics was self-reported. Regression coefficients (ß) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated using simple linear regression. The prevalence of adolescents with depressive symptoms above the cut-off (BDI-II > 13) was 11.9% at 13 years (girls: 17.1%; boys: 5.3%) and 10.8% at 17 years (girls: 14.7%; boys: 5.7%). Almost 6% of girls and 2% of boys had BDI-II > 13 at both assessments, and 35% of girls and boys with BDI-II > 13 at baseline also had BDI-II > 13 at follow-up. For both genders, depressive symptoms at age 13 were independently associated with depressive symptoms at age 17 (girls: ß = 0.35, 95% CI 0.28-0.42; boys: ß = 0.37, 95% CI 0.30-0.44). Depressive symptoms at age 13 were an independent predictive factor for adolescents' depressive symptoms at age 17. The prevalence of adolescents with BDI-II > 13 was higher in females, but the strength of this association was similar in both genders, highlighting the heavy burden of depressive symptoms already at an early age, among girls and boys.

Gluconacin from Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus PAL5 is an active bacteriocin against phytopathogenic and beneficial sugarcane bacteria.

AIMS: This study aimed to explore the possibility of using the Gluconacin from Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus strain PAL5 in the biological control of diverse sugarcane phytopathogenic bacteria. METHODS AND RESULTS: An in silico analysis was first employed to determine the phylogenetic relationship between Gram-negative/positive bacteriocin producers and Gluconacin. The analysis showed that this trait is widespread among tested bacterial species and a well-conserved gene within the Acetobacteraceae family. The bacteriocin gene (GDI_0415) present in the genome of strain PAL5 was than cloned in pDEST™17 and expressed in Escherichia coli BL21-AI™. A bioassay showed growth inhibition of Xanthomonas albilineans by the recombinant bacteriocin. Subsequent bioassays indicated different levels of antagonistic activity against the majority of the sugarcane phytopathogenic bacteria (Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. vasculorum, Acidovorax avenae subsp. avenae, Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae, Xanthomonas vasicola pv. vasculorum). In addition, the bacteriocin was also antagonistic to some beneficial bacterial strains belonging to G. diazotrophicus and endophytic Bacillus species, which also colonize sugarcane plants. CONCLUSIONS: The GDI_0415 gene, responsible for the production of Gluconacin, is well conserved within the Acetobacteraceae family and presented antagonistic activity against phytopathogenic and a few beneficial sugarcane bacteria. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The production of a recombinant protein, named Gluconacin, opens new avenues for the agro-biotechnology application in agriculture, mainly with regard to the sugarcane crop.

Food intake and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels in adolescents.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Diet comprises factors with anti and pro-inflammatory potential that can contribute to modulate obesity-induced inflammation. We aimed to assess the association between food intake and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels in adolescents. METHODS AND RESULTS: A cross-sectional analysis of 991 adolescents aged 13 years old was conducted as part of the EPITeen cohort, Porto, Portugal. Food intake was assessed by a food frequency questionnaire and thirteen food groups were defined. Anthropometric assessment was performed and serum hsCRP was measured in a fasting blood sample. hsCRP concentrations above the 75th percentile were considered high. Logistic regression was fitted to estimate the association between the intake frequency of the food groups and hsCRP, stratified by BMI and adjusted for sex, parental education and total energy intake. Median (25-75th percentiles) hsCRP concentrations increased with increasing values of BMI [normal weight: 0.20 (0.10-0.50); overweight: 0.40 (0.20-0.80); obese: 1.10 (0.40-2.15) mg/l, p < 0.001]. After adjustment for sex, parental education and total energy intake, no statistically significant associations were found amongst normal weight and overweight participants. However, among obese individuals, having as reference the first frequency category (<1 per day), a higher frequency of vegetables/legumes intake showed a decreased odds of high hsCRP levels (OR: 0.10, 95%CI 0.03-0.38, 1-3 per day; and OR: 0.14, 95%CI 0.04-0.52, >3 per day). CONCLUSION: Among participants with obesity-induced higher hsCRP levels, a higher frequency of vegetable/legume intake was inversely related to hsCRP.

Autologous dental pulp mesenchymal stem cells for inferior third molar post-extraction socket healing: A split-mouth randomised clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Since the discovery of adult mesenchymal stem cells extensive research has been conducted to determine their mechanisms of differentiation and effectiveness in cell therapy and regenerative medicine. MATERIAL AND METHODS: To assess the efficacy of autologous dental pulp mesenchymal stem cells delivered in a collagen matrix for post-extraction socket healing, a single-centre, double-blind, randomised, split-mouth, controlled clinical trial was performed. Both impacted mandibular third molars were extracted from 32 patients. Dental pulp was collected and dissociated; the resulting cell suspension, obtained by centrifugation, was incorporated into a resorbable collagen matrix and implanted in 32 experimental post-extraction sockets. Collagen matrices alone were implanted in 32 contralateral, control post-extraction sockets. Two neuroradiologists independently assessed the extent of bone repair at 6 months after the extractions. Computed tomography (CT, Philips Brilliance) and an advanced display platform (IntelliSpace Portal) was used to record extraction socket density, expressed as Hounsfield units (HU) and height (mm) of the distal interdental bone septum of the second molar. Measurements at 6 months post-extraction were compared with measurements obtained immediately after extraction. Data were analysed with the statistical program STATA 14. RESULTS: Two patients dropped out of the study. The final sample consisted of 22 women and 8 men (mean age, 23 years; range: 18-30 years). Clinical, radiological, and surgical characteristics of impacted third molars of the control and experimental groups were homogeneous. Measurements obtained by the two neuroradiologists showed agreement. No significant differences were found in the extent of bone repair during analyses of density (p=0.4203 neuroradiologist 1; p=0.2525 neuroradiologist 2) or interdental septum height (p=0.2280 neuroradiologist 1; p=0.4784 neuroradiologist 2). CONCLUSIONS: In our clinical trial, we were unable to demonstrate that autologous dental pulp mesenchymal stem cells reduce socket bone resorption after inferior third molar extraction.