Oral mucosal immunity and HIV/SIV infection.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) transmission through genital and rectal mucosa has led to intensive study of mucosal immune responses to HIV and to the development of a vaccine administered locally. However, HIV transmission through the oral mucosa is a rare event. The oral mucosa represents a physical barrier and contains immunological elements to prevent the invasion of pathogenic organisms. This particular defense differs between micro-compartments represented by the salivary glands, oral mucosa, and palatine tonsils. Secretory immunity of the salivary glands, unique features of cellular structure in the oral mucosa and palatine tonsils, the high rate of oral blood flow, and innate factors in saliva may all contribute to the resistance to HIV/Simian Immunodeficiency Virus (SIV) oral mucosal infection. In the early stage of HIV infection, humoral and cellular immunity and innate immune functions in oral mucosa are maintained. However, these particular immune responses may all be impaired as a result of chronic HIV infection. A better understanding of oral mucosal immune mechanisms should lead to improved prevention of viral and bacterial infections, particularly in immunocompromised persons with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), and to the development of a novel strategy for a mucosal AIDS vaccine, as well as vaccines to combat other oral diseases, such as dental caries and periodontal diseases.

Mixed dentition analysis for Asian-Americans.

One of the important aspects of diagnosis in the mixed dentition is the determination of the tooth size-arch length relationship. Such a determination is often made before eruption of the permanent canines and first and second premolars. The most commonly used prediction method of Tanaka and Johnston is based on data from a sample of children of Northern European descent. The accuracy of this method when applied to a different ethnic population is questionable. In this study, 201 dental plaster casts of Asia-Pacific-American subjects, all of whom were under the age of 21 years, were used. The actual measurements were compared with the predicted values derived from the Tanaka and Johnston equations and significant differences were found. The data illustrate the limitations of the Tanaka and Johnston method when applied to a sample population of other than European descent. From this data, two linear regression equations were developed for tooth size prediction in Asian-American children.

Allergens in Hymenoptera venom. XXVII: bumblebee venom allergy and allergens.

BACKGROUND: Allergic reactions to bumblebee stings are much less common than allergic reactions to honeybee stings. Preliminary studies suggest that there may be a high degree of cross-reactivity between honeybee and bumblebee venoms. OBJECTIVE: This study was done to determine the immunochemical and structural relationships between bumblebee and honeybee venom allergens. METHODS: Allergens were purified from bumblebee venom and compared immunochemically with sera from patients with allergy and hyperimmunized rabbits. The purified proteins were characterized, enzyme activities were measured, and the complete amino acid sequences of two proteins were determined. RESULTS: The venoms wer highly cross-reactive, consistent with the degree of structural similarity in the phospholipases. Hyaluronidases and acid phosphatases were also similar. Bumblebee venom contained several proteins not found in honeybee venom, including an interesting tryptic amidase related to clotting enzymes and acrosin. CONCLUSION: Skin testing with honeybee venom will detect almost all cases of bumblebee venom allergy, however; RAST with bumblebee venom can detect some additional cases.

Subjective evaluation of profile prediction using video imaging.

Video imaging has become a popular tool for predicting soft tissue profiles. However, it is important not to create false expectations with its use. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical acceptability of video imaging for the prediction of soft tissue changes in mandibular advancement orthognathic surgery, and thus, to determine its suitability for patient presentation, education, and subsequent treatment planning. Simulated mandibular advancements were performed on 30 patients (21 women and 9 men) using the Dentofacial Planner Plus v1.5 software program. Two separate panels consisting of 25 laypersons and 25 dental professionals (17 orthodontists and 8 oral and maxillofacial surgeons) compared prediction images to actual posttreatment images. Overall profile predictions were found to be clinically acceptable by orthodontists and oral and maxillofacial surgeons in 87.8% of the cases and by laypersons in 95.6% of the cases. No significant differences were found among the individual facial regions graded by the dental professional panel. The results of this study suggest that video imaging is an acceptable tool for profile prediction.

The relationship between presurgical hyoid bone position and 1-year postsurgical change in mandibular position following mandibular advancement surgery.

The presurgical hyoid bone position and its relationship to changes in the position of the mandible 1 year following mandibular advancement surgery was studied. Thirty-eight adult patients with mandibular deficiency underwent surgical correction with a bilateral sagittal split ramus osteotomy procedure and rigid fixation. Lateral cephalometric radiographs taken presurgically, 1 week postsurgically, and approximately 1 year postsurgically were hand traced and digitized. Horizontal and vertical measurements, made from the landmarks hyoidale and pogonion to a vertical reference line perpendicular to sellanasion line + 7 degrees and passing through basion point, were used to determine the position of the hyoid bone and the mandible, respectively. The presurgical hyoid bone position and the amount of postsurgical change in position of the mandible were compared using the Pearson's correlation coefficient (r). Results of this study indicate that no statistically significant correlation exists between the presurgical hyoid bone position and the degree of mandibular change 1 year following mandibular advancement surgery (P < .05).

Allergens in Hymenoptera venoms. XXIII. Venom content of imported fire ant whole body extracts.

A two-site immunoassay using monoclonal antibodies has been developed to measure the imported fire ant venom allergen Sol i III. The assay is specific for Solenopsis invicta venom, since one of the monoclonal antibodies does not react with Sol r III. A commercial imported fire ant whole body extract, known from RAST and skin test data to be potent, was found to contain 10.3 micrograms of Sol i III per milliliter. This was comparable to the content of an extract freshly prepared in our laboratory. The immunoassay detected Sol i III in an extract of fire ant abdomens, but not in head and thorax extract. The amount of imported fire ant venom in a potent whole body extract appears to be sufficient to provide possible protection for patients receiving it as immunotherapy, although this can only be verified by controlled clinical trials with intentional sting challenges.

Allergens in Hymenoptera venom. XX. Isolation of four allergens from imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta) venom.

Commercial Solenopsis invicta (Sol i) venom was fractionated by gel filtration and high-performance cation exchange chromatography. Four proteins were isolated and purified to homogeneity. The four proteins were tested with a panel of sera from patients allergic to fire ant venom; all proteins had significant allergenic activity. These proteins corresponded to four of the bands we previously reported to be allergenic by immunoblot analysis. Sol i I has an apparent molecular weight of 37,000 daltons and yields bands of 18,000, 16,500 and 14,000 daltons in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis; cation-exchange chromatography indicates that there are three charge forms. Sol i II has a native molecular weight of 28,000 daltons and appears to be easily cleaved into half molecules; it is a phospholipase structurally unlike either bee or wasp phopholipases. Sol i III has a native and denatured molecular weight of 26,000 daltons. Sol i IV has an apparent native molecular weight of 20,000 daltons and gives a single chain of 15,000 daltons in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Sol i II and III are the major proteins in the venom; there are only small amounts of Sol i I and IV. All are significant allergens, and patients are found who react most strongly with each. Regression analysis of RAST data with highly purified allergens indicated that the IgE responses to the allergens were not related to each other. Amino acid compositions indicated that the four allergens were distinct and that the allergens were structurally different from each other. Four proteins identical to Sol i I to IV were isolated from hand-milked pure venom.

Allergens in hymenoptera venom. XIX. Allergy to Vespa crabro, the European hornet.

The European hornet, Vespa crabro, is a very large insect native to much of Europe and Asia and introduced into eastern North America. Four cases of allergic reactions to V. crabro stings are presented, one of which was fatal. V. crabro venom contains 2% protein and peptide. There are three major proteins: Phospholipase AB, antigen 5 and hyaluronidase. These proteins are structurally and antigenically related to those from other vespid wasps, especially Vespula yellow jackets. IgE antibodies from patients allergic to Vespula usually cross-react with V. crabro venom. In three of the four patients with known reactions to V. crabro venom antigen 5 appeared to be the most important allergen. Serum from one patient was most reactive with hyaluronidase. Phospholipase had relatively little IgE-binding activity, although it was the major protein in the venom. V. crabro venom is at least as closely related to Vespula venoms as Dolichovespula venoms are.

A pilot comparison of purging and non-purging bulimics.

This study compared (1) purging bulimics (those who terminate binging with self-induced vomiting and/or excessive use of laxatives), N = 26; (2) non-purging bulimics, N = 24; and (3) control subjects (in whom no eating problems were apparent), N = 24. These groups were examined empirically on several personality and demographic variables. Additionally, procedures were taken to control for the effects that being overweight may have had on the personality characteristics, which surprisingly has not been undertaken in previous research on bulimia. The comparison of the bulimics (purging and non-purging bulimics grouped together) with the controls empirically confirmed former clinical observations that have linked bulimics with low self-esteem, high anxiety, external locus of control, and a high incidence of maternal and family obesity. With regard to the comparison between the purging and non-purging bulimics, no significant differences between them appeared on any of the dimensions examined here.

Allergens in hymenoptera venom XII: how much protein is in a sting?

The protein content of insect venoms was determined using a Coomassie blue dye binding assay as well as the Lowry phenol assay. The Lowry method tended to give excessively high values with many of the venoms because of the presence of low molecular weight phenolic compounds and other interfering substances. Using the dye binding method honey bee stings were found to contain 59 +/- 7 micrograms of protein, bumblebee and carpenter bee stings from 10 to 31 micrograms, yellow jacket stings from 1.7 to 3.1 micrograms, white faced hornet stings 2.4 to 5.0 micrograms and paper wasp stings from 4.2 to 17 micrograms protein. This is in good agreement with the value of 50 micrograms previously estimated for honey bee stings and is the first reported data for the other species.

Selected methodological problems in research in child abuse: a developmental perspective.

It is apparent from extensive literature reviews that only a few authors have attempted to enhance the quality of their research in the area of child abuse. Despite the refinements made by these authors there are still gross weaknesses apparent in much of the research. These deficits are clearly linked to the problems encountered in doing research in childhood psychopathology in general where there is fragmentation both on an empirical and theoretical level. The aim of this paper is to represent some of the many issues which have to be taken into account when conducting research into childhood psychopathology in general and child abuse in particular and when making comparative evaluations of the research. Amongst the issues discussed are: the purpose of the research; naturalistic v. experimental continuum; techniques of data collection; expectations of subjects; experimental bias; individual v. group observation; sampling issues viz definition of abuse; age at which assault occurred; time lapse investigation and last known incidence of abuse; definition of subject sample; demographic variables; technical issues and behavioural research, e.g. specificity v. generality of behaviour; unit of use and time sampling.

Peer group interaction of physically abused children.

The aim of this research study was to test the assumption that physically abused children differ significantly from their non-abused peers along dimensions which characterize abusing adults and other social deviants. Nineteen 5-10 year-old physically abused children and 38 non-abused peers were assessed by video-taped behavioral observations during free-flowing social interaction in a playroom. The dimensions tapped were: aggression, warmth, fear, pleasure, concentration, imagination and social participation. The dimension social participation was split into three variables: total social participation, negative participation and positive participation. The data from these nine dimensions was subject to a Pearson's correlation. Given the high correlation amongst these variables the data was subject to a principal components analysis with varimax rotation. From this analysis two components emerged which explained 76.9% of the total variance. These components were designated "social interaction" (component 1) and "hostility" (component 2) and were then subject to analyses of variance. A significant difference was found between the two groups on the "social interaction" component. The implications of these findings were explored and treatment possibilities examined.