Comparison of salivary cytokines levels among individuals with Down syndrome, cerebral palsy and normoactive.

BACKGROUND: Individuals with Down syndrome (DS) present increased susceptibility to infections and high prevalence of periodontal disease. The objective of this study is to evaluate the salivary concentrations of IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, TNFα and IL-12p70 of DS individuals and compare to cerebral palsy (CP) and normoactive patients (all with gingivitis). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twenty-two individuals with DS, 24 with CP and 22 normoactive participated in this cross-sectional study. Salivary flow rate, osmolality rate, Oral Hygiene Index, Gingival Index (GI) and salivary inflammatory markers IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, TNFα and IL-12p70 were evaluated. Shapiro-Wilks, Chi-square, ANOVA One-Way and Kruskal Wallis tests were applied with significance level at 5%. RESULTS: The groups were homogenous for gender, age, and IL12p70 cytokine (p>0.05). GI was significantly higher in DS compared to CP and healthy (p<0.05). CP presented reduced salivary flow and increased osmolality rate. CP showed significantly higher values for TNFα, IL10, and IL6 compared to DS and normoactive (p<0.05). DS and CP presented significantly higher values of IL-1ß and IL8 compared to normoactive (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Individuals with CP have higher risk to develop periodontal disease due to reduced salivary flow rate, increased salivary osmolality rate and elevated TNFα, IL-10, IL-6 compared to DS. Key words:Cytokines, biomarkers, gingivitis, periodontal diseases, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, saliva.

Quality of life and burden of caregivers of children and adolescents with disabilities.

AIMS: To evaluate the quality of life (QoL) and burden of primary caregivers of children and young adults (PCCYAs) with and without disabilities. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out with sample composed of 336 PCCYAs with cerebral palsy (CP; n = 84), Down syndrome (DS; n = 84), autism spectrum disorder (ASD; n = 84), and without disabilities (control group: CG n = 84), matched by gender and age. The burden of caregivers was assessed with the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI), whereas QoL was assessed using the WHOQOL-BREF instrument. RESULTS: QoL and burden of CG presented better results compared to groups with disabilities, with the lowest environmental domain of all study groups (P <.001). The prevalence of burden was moderate for PCCAs of groups with disabilities. There was association between all WHOQOL-BREF and ZBI domains and variables age, schooling, occupation and per capita income (Spearman's correlation coefficient, P <.05). There is a negative impact on WHOQOL-BREF, with an increase in the level of burden of PCCAs with disabilities. CONCLUSION: The majority of PCCYAs were unemployed married mothers, with low schooling and health problems. Older caregivers experience even higher burden and greater impact on QoL.

Barriers to Access to Dental Treatment for People with Physical Disabilities in a Brazilian Metropolis

Objective: To evaluate the barriers for accessing dental care for people with physical disabilities. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study with 191 caregivers of individuals with physical disabilities attending a rehabilitation center in São Paulo, who responded to a questionnaire about information related to barriers (user, caregiver, government and professional) found in dental treatment, visit to the dentist and age of the first dental appointment. Data were collected from medical records regarding age, sex, family income and medical diagnosis of patients. Statistical analysis was performed using the MedCalc for Windows software version 12.3.0. The Chi-square test was applied for heterogeneity, with significance level of 5%. Results: The main barriers identified by caregivers (p<0.0001) were patient fear/anxiety (66.8%), patient requiring accompaniment to access treatment (87.4%), treatment costs (82.7%), lack of treatment at primary health care units (73.3%) and professionals not specialized in dental care for people with physical disabilities (67.0%). It was observed that caregivers of individuals with cerebral palsy reported greater physical barriers for accessing dental treatment compared to caregivers of other diagnoses (p=0.0307). Conclusion: Individuals with physical disabilities face financial constraints, fear of dental treatment, lack of treatment options in public services and, perhaps most importantly, lack of qualified professionals interested in treating such individuals.