Obstructive Sleep Apnea: a risk for uncontrolled and more severe asthma in adults that we should keep an eye on.

Summary: Background. Asthma control can be influenced by several factors, including obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The literature reports variable prevalence and magnitude of OSA impact on asthma outcomes. The aim of our study is to analyze the frequency of high-risk for OSA in asthma patients and its impact on disease severity and control. Methods. We conducted a cross-sectional study at an Allergy Department with adult asthma patients recruited while undergoing routine lung function tests. Data on sex, age, body mass index, allergen sensitization, smoking habits, risk of OSA (using the Berlin questionnaire), rhinitis control (through CARAT), asthma severity (based on GINA 2023), asthma control (using the ACT), adherence to asthma treatment (through Treatment Adherence Measure) and pulmonary function test results were collected. Results. We included 216 patients, predominantly women (70.4%), with a median (P25-P75) age of 29.0 (21.0-45.0) years, of whom 28.2% were on GINA treatment levels 4-5. In 75.5% of cases asthma was controlled. High-risk for OSA was identified in 21.8% of patients. Asthma patients with high-risk for OSA were more likely to have uncontrolled [(47.8%; n = 22) vs (15.8%; n = 26); p less than 0.001] and more severe disease [(44.7%; n = 21) vs (23.7%; n = 40), p = 0.006]. In multivariable analysis, high-risk for OSA (OR 2.81 [95%CI 1.1.28-6.17], p = 0.010), sex (women) (OR 5.21 [95% CI 1.70-15.96], p = 0.004), uncontrolled rhinitis (OR 3.65 [95%CI 1.38-9.64], p = 0.009) and GINA asthma treatment steps 4-5 (OR 2.46 [95%CI 1.15-5.26], p = 0.020) were associated with uncontrolled asthma. Conclusions. It is crucial to actively investigate OSA, especially in patients with uncontrolled and more severe forms of asthma.

The impact of the association between Val16Ala-SOD2 SNP and SOD2 immunohistochemistry expression in the prognosis of patients with esophageal cancer.

INTRODUCTION: Esophageal cancer is an extensive public health issue worldwide, warranting the search for biomarkers related to its risk and progression. Previous studies have indicated an association between Val16AlaSOD2 single nucleotide polymorphism in the gene encoding the enzyme superoxide dismutase 2 and esophageal cancer. However, further investigations are needed to clarify its role in disease risk and progression. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of Val16AlaSOD2-SNP in esophageal cancer progression and in the survival of patients METHODS: Tumor samples were utilized for Val16Ala-SNP genotyping, while SOD2 expression levels in tissue were assessed using immunohistochemistry. A SOD2 Val16Ala-SNP database was used to obtain information on the genotype of healthy individuals. Risk and overall survival analyzes were performed. RESULTS: The Val16Ala SNP was associated with an increased risk of esophageal cancer (RR 2.18, 95%CI 1.23-3.86), regardless of age and gender, but did not have a significant effect on patient survival. In contrast, weak SOD2 expression demonstrated a significantly associated with poor overall survival after treatment, independent of other clinicopathological variables (HR, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.22-0.79 P = 0.007). CONCLUSIONS: Val16Ala SNP was positively associated with esophageal cancer, and the expression of SOD2 was an independent prognostic marker.

Pediatric postmortem CT angiography: validation of vascular access for PMCT angiography in stillbirths, babies and toddlers.

PURPOSE: The use of angiography in postmortem CT angiography (PMCTA) has several advantages. In adults, femoral vascular access is well established. Due to the small and specific anatomy in fetuses and infants, the technique has to be adapted, especially regarding the vascular access. The aim of this study was to evaluate vascular access for pediatric PMCTA (pedPMCTA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ten pedPMCTAs were performed in stillbirths, babies, and one toddler. A femoral approach by cannulation of the femoral artery and vein, an umbilical approach by cannulation of the umbilical vessels, and an intraosseous approach by an intraosseous needle were evaluated by handling and resulting imaging. RESULTS: The insertion of a cannula with a size of 18-20 G in the femoral vessels was possible in babies. An umbilical access with peripheral venous cannulas with a size of 14-20 G was feasible in stillbirths and newborns. An intraosseous access is advisable as equal alternative to umbilical and in cases where a femoral access is not possible. The most significant problem with the vascular access is the extravasation of contrast media, but this can be reduced significantly with practice. CONCLUSION: When performing pedPMCTA, an umbilical vascular access is recommended if an umbilical cord with open vessels is still present. Otherwise, a bone marrow access should be preferred in the presence of an arteriovenous shunt or if only the venous system needs to be shown. If that is not the case, the femoral access with the possibility to separate venous and arterial scan should be used.

The impact of a drug allergy label in an internal medicine ward.

Summary: Background. Drug hypersensitivity reactions are presumably immune-mediated reactions that cause reproducible signs and/or symptoms. Overdiagnosis of drug allergy, frequently self-reported, is common and carries significant limitations. We intended to analyze the frequency and impact of drug allergy in hospitalized patients. Methods. A retrospective study was conducted in an Internal Medicine ward at a tertiary hospital in Portugal. All patients with a drug allergy report admitted within a 3-year period were included. Data were collected from their electronic medical records. Results. We found that 15.4% of patients had a report of drug allergy, with antibiotics being the most common (56.4%), followed by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (21.7%) and radiocontrast media (7.0%). The allergy report affected the clinical approach of 14.5% of patients by motivating the use of second-line agents, or the eviction of necessary procedures. The usage of alternative antibiotics entailed a cost increase of 2.4 times. There were 14.7% of patients to whom the suspected drug was administered: 87.0% tolerated and 13.0% developed a reaction. Only 1.9% were referred to our Allergy and Clinical Immunology department and proceeded in their allergy study. Conclusions. In this study, a considerable number of patients had a drug allergy label on their records. This label contributed to an increase in the cost of treatment, or the avoidance of necessary exams. However, disregarding an allergy record may lead to potentially life-threatening reactions that proper risk assessment could avoid. Further investigation should always be part of the follow-up routine of these patients, and better articulation between departments should be encouraged.

Emergence and evolution of the Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variant in the island of Martinique.

INTRODUCTION: We aimed to describe the epidemiological situation during the Omicron variant circulation in light of genomic surveillance data in Martinique, a territory with low vaccination rates. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We exploited COVID-19 national databases of virological tests, for the collection of hospital data and for the sequencing data from December 13, 2021 to July 11, 2022. RESULTS: Three prevailing sub-lineages of Omicron have been identified in Martinique (BA.1, BA.2, BA.5) during this period causing three distinct waves characterized by an increase in virological indicators compared to previous waves, with moderate severity in the first and last waves, caused by BA.1 and BA.5, respectively. CONCLUSION: The SARS-CoV-2 outbreak is still progressing in Martinique. Genomic surveillance system in this overseas territory must be continued for rapid detection of emerging variants/sub-lineages.

Orientational phase transition in monolayers of multipolar straight rigid rods: The case of 2-thiophene molecule adsorption on the Au(111) surface.

Monte Carlo simulations and finite-size scaling theory have been carried out to study the critical behavior and universality for the isotropic-nematic (IN) phase transition in a system of straight rigid pentamers adsorbed on a triangular lattice with polarized nonhomogeneous intermolecular interactions. The model was inspired by the deposition of 2-thiophene molecules over the Au(111) surface, which was previously characterized by experimental techniques and density functional theory. A nematic phase, observed experimentally by the formation of a self-assembled monolayer of parallel molecules, is separated from the isotropic state by a continuous transition occurring at a finite density. The precise determination of the critical exponents indicates that the transition belongs to the three-state Potts universality class. The finite-size scaling analysis includes the study of mutability and diversity. These two quantities are derived from information theory and they have not previously been considered as part of the conventional treatment of critical phenomena for the determination of critical exponents. The results obtained here contribute to the understanding of formation processes of self-assembled monolayers, phase transitions, and critical phenomena from novel compression algorithms for studying mutual information in sequences of data.

Additional activation of the AR gene may be involved in the development of the castration resistance phenotype in prostate cancer.

INTRODUCTION: Several studies have already shown that changes in the AR gene may be associated with a more aggressive disease phenotype and even castration-resistant prostate cancer. Thus, we investigated cytogenetic and molecular alterations linked to AR. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To evaluate AR methylation, we performed a cytogenetic-molecular analysis using fluorescence in situ hybridization that uses specific probes for the AR gene (Xq11.12) and the X chromosome centromere. For AR activity, we performed a qualitative analysis of human androgen receptor activity. To analyze the expression of AR in PC3 and LNCaP cell lines, we used qPCR assays. RESULTS: In the qPCR assay, we found downregulation of AR in the PC3 cell line compared with the LNCaP. We found the presence of X chromosome polysomy in PC-3 and LNCaP cell lines by FISH assay. In the HUMARA-Q assay, we found two X chromosomes/cell and the activity of both AR in the PC-3 cell line. In LNCaP cells, we found two X chromosomes/cell and methylation of only one AR. CONCLUSION: Castration-resistant prostate cancer phenotype represents a significant challenge in the setting of urological management. The X chromosomes and AR-linked alterations may contribute to a better understanding of the disease. However, further studies should be performed in an attempt to elucidate as much as possible the role of AR in the castration-resistant prostate cancer phenotype.

Immunoallergic disorders in the elderly.

Summary: Although allergic diseases have become increasingly prevalent in the elderly, there are few data on this population. Through a retrospective analysis of the electronic medical records of patients aged 65 years and above followed in our Immunoallergology Unit, we aimed to characterize the immunoallergic diseases of the elderly. The most common disorders were respiratory diseases (n = 185; 50%), mucocutaneous diseases (n = 113; 31%), drug allergy (n = 31; 8%), food allergy (n = 9; 2%), and anaphylaxis (n = 9; 2%). Use of specific immunotherapy was residual (n = 2; 1%). There was an association between anaphylaxis and both, drug (p = 0.004) and food (p = 0.013) allergies. Non-allergic rhinitis and bronchial asthma were more frequent in females, and ACE inhibitors/ARB induced-angioedema in males. Recognizing the characteristics of immunoallergic diseases in the elderly and the specificities of this age group is paramount in providing these patients with the best possible care.

Protocols for Mechanical Cleaning of the Post Space on the Bond Strength Between Root Dentin and Cementation System.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of mechanical versus chemical cleaning protocols for cleaning the root dentin surface before cementation of fiberglass posts for their effect on the bond strength, failure mode, and dentinal penetration of the cementing agent using an etch-and-rinse adhesive system on dentin prepared to receive a fiberglass post. METHODS: Forty roots of bovine teeth were endodontically treated and prepared for fiber post cementation. The specimens were randomized into 4 groups of 10: Control group (CO) - irrigation with 2.5% NaOCl; DW group- irrigation with distilled water; RB group - rotating brush for cleaning root canals, and CUI group - continuous ultrasonic irrigation. The fiberglass posts were cemented, and the specimens were immersed in distilled water for 6 months. A push-out test was performed on the cervical, middle, and apical thirds of the samples. Dentinal penetration of the cementing agent and the fracture pattern were evaluated by laser confocal microscopy. Statistical analysis was performed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and post hoc Tukey tests (α=0.05). Results: The RB and CUI groups showed significantly higher bond strength values when compared to the Control and DW groups (p<0.05). In addition, in the control and DW groups, the apical third presented lower bond strength values when compared to middle and cervical thirds. CONCLUSION: While DW showed the highest incidence of adhesive type failure, CUI resulted in the highest dentinal penetration of the cementing agent (p<0.05). RB and CUI resulted in the highest bond strength between cementation system and root dentin. In addition, CUI favored greater dentinal penetration of fiberglass post cementing agent.

Short communication: Socio-psychological factors influencing dairy farmers' intention to adopt high-grain feeding in Brazil.

This study aimed to apply the theory of planned behavior to determine the effects of attitude, perceived behavioral control, and subjective norms on the intention of dairy farmers toward high-grain feeding. Quantitative data were collected through interviews with 150 dairy farmers in Paraná, Brazil. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data. We observed that farmers with a positive perception of grain feeding (attitude) and a positive perception of their ability to increase the use of grains (perceived behavioral control) had higher intention to increase grain feeding. Social pressure (subjective norm) had no effect on the intention to grain feed. These results can contribute to the development of public strategies and policies that encourage the use of high-grain diets in dairy farms.

Validation of the Seegene RV15 multiplex PCR for the detection of influenza A subtypes and influenza B lineages during national influenza surveillance in hospitalized adults.

Background. The Serious Outcomes Surveillance Network of the Canadian Immunization Research Network (CIRN SOS) has been performing active influenza surveillance since 2009 (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01517191). Influenza A and B viruses are identified and characterized using real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and multiplex testing has been performed on a subset of patients to identify other respiratory virus aetiologies. Since both methods can identify influenza A and B, a direct comparison was performed.Methods. Validated real-time RT-PCRs from the World Health Organization (WHO) to identify influenza A and B viruses, characterize influenza A viruses into the H1N1 or H3N2 subtypes and describe influenza B viruses belonging to the Yamagata or Victoria lineages. In a subset of patients, the Seeplex RV15 One-Step ACE Detection assay (RV15) kit was also used for the detection of other respiratory viruses.Results. In total, 1111 nasopharyngeal swabs were tested by RV15 and real-time RT-PCRs for influenza A and B identification and characterization. For influenza A, RV15 showed 98.0 % sensitivity, 100 % specificity and 99.7 % accuracy. The performance characteristics of RV15 were similar for influenza A subtypes H1N1 and H3N2. For influenza B, RV15 had 99.2 % sensitivity, 100 % specificity and 99.8 % accuracy, with similar assay performance being shown for both the Yamagata and Victoria lineages.Conclusions. Overall, the detection of circulating subtypes of influenza A and lineages of influenza B by RV15 was similar to detection by real-time RT-PCR. Multiplex testing with RV15 allows for a more comprehensive respiratory virus surveillance in hospitalized adults, without significantly compromising the reliability of influenza A or B virus detection.

The Impact of Prior Season Vaccination on Subsequent Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness to Prevent Influenza-related Hospitalizations Over 4 Influenza Seasons in Canada.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have demonstrated the possibility of negative associations between prior influenza vaccines and subsequent influenza vaccine effectiveness (VE), depending on season and strain. We investigated this association over 4 consecutive influenza seasons (2011-2012 through 2014-2015) in Canada. METHODS: Using a matched test-negative design, laboratory-confirmed influenza cases and matched test-negative controls admitted to hospitals were enrolled. Patients were stratified into 4 groups according to influenza vaccine history (not vaccinated current and prior season [referent], vaccinated prior season only, vaccinated current season only, and vaccinated both current and prior season). Conditional logistic regression was used to estimate VE; prior vaccine impact was assessed each season for overall effect and effect stratified by age (<65 years, ≥65 years) and type/subtype (A/H1N1, A/H3N2, influenza B). RESULTS: Overall, mainly nonsignificant associations were observed. Trends of nonsignificant decreased VE among patients repeatedly vaccinated in both prior and current season relative to the current season only were observed in the A/H3N2-dominant seasons of 2012-2013 and 2014-2015. Conversely, in 2011-2012, during which B viruses circulated, and in 2013-2014, when A/H1N1 circulated, being vaccinated in both seasons tended to result in a high VE in the current season against the dominant circulating subtype. CONCLUSIONS: Prior vaccine impact on subsequent VE among Canadian inpatients was mainly nonsignificant. Even in circumstances where we observed a trend of negative impact, being repeatedly vaccinated was still more effective than not receiving the current season's vaccine. These findings favor continuation of annual influenza vaccination recommendations, particularly in older adults. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION: NCT01517191.

Impact of bisphosphonate therapy on dental implant outcomes: An overview of systematic review evidence.

The purpose of this overview was to assess the methods, quality, and outcomes of systematic reviews conducted to evaluate the impact of bisphosphonates on dental implants and the risk of developing bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw after dental implant surgery. An electronic search without date or language restriction was performed in the PubMed/MEDLINE, Cochrane CENTRAL, Web of Science, and LILACS databases (to January 2018). Eligibility criteria included systematic reviews that evaluated the impact of bisphosphonates on implant outcomes. The quality assessment of the included reviews was done using AMSTAR 2 guidelines. The protocol of this overview was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42018089617). The search and selection process yielded seven reviews, published between 2009 and 2017. None of the systematic reviews included in this study obtained the maximum score in the quality assessment. The scientific evidence available demonstrates that patients with a history of bisphosphonate use do not present a higher risk of dental implant failure or marginal bone loss compared to patients who have not used bisphosphonates. The literature also suggests that patients who undergo surgical trauma during the installation of dental implants may be more susceptible to bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw.

Intraindividual comparison of 68Ga-DOTATATE PET / CT vs 11C-Choline PET / CT in patients with prostate cancer in biochemical relapse: in vivo evaluation of the expression of somatostatin receptors. / Comparación intraindividual de la PET/TC con 68Ga-DOTATATE vs. PET/TC con 11C-colina en pacientes con cáncer de próstata en recaída bioquímica: evaluación in vivo de la expresión de receptores de la somatostatina.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To prospectively compare the detection rate of 68Ga-DOTATATE versus 11C-choline PET/CT in patients with prostate cancer in biochemical relapse, and to evaluate somatostatin receptor expression in vivo to plan targeted therapies (177Lu-DOTATATE). MATERIAL AND METHODS: We prospectively analysed 64 patients with biochemical relapse (median PSA: 4.25 ng/mL). A PET/CT was performed with 11C-choline, and another with 68Ga-DOTATATE. The SUVmax was measured in all lesions. The correlative images, histopathology and/or clinical and biochemical follow-up were taken as the reference standard. RESULTS: The overall detection rate per patient was 48.43% for 68Ga-DOTATATE and 46.87% for 11C-choline. The results were concordant in 53 cases (82.81%). The maximum SUV of 11C-choline was significantly higher than that of 68Ga-DOTATATE for all the concordant lesions (n=130): 6.17 (1.7-15.5) versus 4.38 (1.37-26.7), median (range) for each radiotracer, respectively (p < .0001). The sensitivity and specificity values per patient were the same for both techniques: 0.82 (0.65-0.93) and 0.9 (0.73-0.98), respectively. Although the difference was not significant, the sensitivity was lower in patients with lower PSA levels: 0.63 vs. 0.89; p=.13. A significant correlation was found between the SUVmax of both tracers (r = 0.41, n = 130, p <.0001). CONCLUSIONS: 68Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT and 11C-choline PET/CT seem to have a high capacity to detect pathological lesions in the assessment of patients with prostate cancer with biochemical relapse. Further studies are required to test the potential complementary value of these PET/CT techniques, and to evaluate the potential role of 8Ga-DOTATATE for planning somostatin receptor-mediated therapies (177Lu-DOTATATE).

Effects of rumen-undegradable protein on intake, performance, and mammary gland development in prepubertal and pubertal dairy heifers.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of different amounts of rumen-undegradable protein (RUP) on intake, N balance, performance, mammary gland development, carcass traits, and hormonal status of Holstein heifers at different physiological stages (PS). Sixteen prepubertal (PRE) heifers (initial BW = 106 ± 7.6 kg; age = 4.3 ± 0.46 mo) and 16 pubertal (PUB) heifers (initial BW = 224 ± 7.9 kg; age = 12.6 ± 0.45 mo) were used in an experiment over a period of 84 d. Four diets with increasing RUP contents (38, 44, 51, and 57% of dietary crude protein) and heifers at 2 PS (PRE or PUB) were used in a 4 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments in a completely randomized design. Throughout the experiment, 2 digestibility trials were performed over 5 consecutive days (starting at d 36 and 78) involving feed and ort sampling and spot collections of feces and urine. At d 0 and 83, body ultrasound images were obtained for real-time carcass trait evaluation. The mammary gland was ultrasonically scanned at d 0 and every 3 wk during the experiment. Blood samples were taken at d 0 and 84 to determine serum concentrations of progesterone, estrogen, insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), and insulin. No interaction between PS and the level of RUP was found for any trait. Apparent digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, and neutral detergent fiber corrected for ash and protein was not affected by RUP level but was lower for PRE compared with PUB heifers. Sorting against neutral detergent fiber corrected for ash and protein (tendency only) and for crude protein was greater for PUB than PRE heifers. Pubertal heifers had greater average daily gain (905 vs. 505 g/d) and N retention (25.9 vs. 12.5 g/d) than PRE heifers. In addition, average daily gain and N retention were greatest at 51% RUP of dietary protein. Mammary ultrasonography indicated no effects of RUP amounts on mammary gland composition, whereas PRE heifers had greater pixel values than PUB, indicating higher contents of fat rather than protein in the mammary glands of PRE heifers. Serum progesterone and IGF-I concentration was affected only by PS, and PRE heifers had greater values of progesterone and IGF-I concentrations than PUB heifers. Serum insulin concentration was unaffected by PS but tended to be higher at 51% of RUP. In conclusion, an RUP level of 51% increases body weight, average daily gain, feed efficiency, and N retention in heifers regardless of the PS. In addition, PRE heifers have a lower sorting ability and reduced intake, total-tract digestibility, and N retention. They also have higher amounts of fat in their mammary glands, even at moderate growth rates.

Colour-Doppler ultrasound imaging as a laparoscopy substitute to count corpora lutea in superovulated sheep.

This study evaluated colour-Doppler ultrasound imaging (UI) as a substitute for laparoscopy to count the corpora lutea (CL) in superovulated sheep. Twenty-five Santa Ines ewes were superovulated three times at 21-day intervals. Corpora lutea were counted by colour-Doppler UI (CLDOPPLER ) 6 days after each superovulation and confirmed by laparoscopy (CLLAP ) 12 hr later. The mean number of CL was similar for both techniques (2.1 ± 2.5 vs. 2.1 ± 2.7 for CLDOPPLER and CLLAP , respectively) with a significant positive correlation (r = .94; r2 =.89). Colour-Doppler UI effectively evaluated the ovarian response in superovulated ewes and efficiently identified animals that did not respond to superovulation.

Metabolomics as a promising tool for early osteoarthritis diagnosis.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the main cause of disability worldwide, due to progressive articular cartilage loss and degeneration. According to recent research, OA is more than just a degenerative disease due to some metabolic components associated to its pathogenesis. However, no biomarker has been identified to detect this disease at early stages or to track its development. Metabolomics is an emerging field and has the potential to detect many metabolites in a single spectrum using high resolution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques or mass spectrometry (MS). NMR is a reproducible and reliable non-destructive analytical method. On the other hand, MS has a lower detection limit and is more destructive, but it is more sensitive. NMR and MS are useful for biological fluids, such as urine, blood plasma, serum, or synovial fluid, and have been used for metabolic profiling in dogs, mice, sheep, and humans. Thus, many metabolites have been listed as possibly associated to OA pathogenesis. The goal of this review is to provide an overview of the studies in animal models and humans, regarding the use of metabolomics as a tool for early osteoarthritis diagnosis. The concept of osteoarthritis as a metabolic disease and the importance of detecting a biomarker for its early diagnosis are highlighted. Then, some studies in plasma and synovial tissues are shown, and finally the application of metabolomics in the evaluation of synovial fluid is described.

Candida albicans biofilms: comparative analysis of room-temperature and cryofixation for scanning electron microscopy.

Biofilms are frequently related to invasive fungal infections and are reported to be more resistant to antifungal drugs than planktonic cells. The structural complexity of the biofilm as well as the presence of a polymeric extracellular matrix (ECM) is thought to be associated with this resistant behavior. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) after room temperature glutaraldehyde-based fixation, have been used to study fungal biofilm structure and drug susceptibility but they usually fail to preserve the ECM and, therefore, are not an optimised methodology to understand the complexity of the fungal biofilm. Thus, in this work, we propose a comparative analysis of room-temperature and cryofixation/freeze substitution of Candida albicans biofilms for SEM observation. Our experiments showed that room-temperature fixative protocols using glutaraldehyde and osmium tetroxide prior to alcohol dehydration led to a complete extraction of the polymeric ECM of biofilms. ECM from fixative and alcohol solutions were recovered after all processing steps and these structures were characterised by biochemistry assays, transmission electron microscopy and mass spectrometry. Cryofixation techniques followed by freeze-substitution lead to a great preservation of both ECM structure and C. albicans biofilm cells, allowing the visualisation of a more reliable biofilm structure. These findings reinforce that cryofixation should be the indicated method for SEM sample preparation to study fungal biofilms as it allows the visualisation of the EMC and the exploration of the biofilm structure to its fullest, as its structural/functional role in interaction with host cells, other pathogens and for drug resistance assays.

Zoledronic acid and alendronate sodium and the implications in orthodontic movement.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate orthodontic tooth movement (OTM) in rats treated with two types of bisphosphonates (BPs), alendronate sodium (A) and zoledronic acid (Z). DESIGN: In all, 15 male Wistar rats were randomly divided into three groups. Group OTM+A: orthodontic tooth movement and subcutaneous administration of alendronate sodium (2.5 mg/kg); Group OTM+Z: orthodontic tooth movement and subcutaneous administration of zoledronic acid (0.02 mg/kg), and Group OTM: orthodontic tooth movement and subcutaneous injection of saline. The BPs were administered once a day during 25 days before OTM started and during 10 days of OTM. The left upper first molar was moved with a stainless-steel closed coil spring which delivered an initial force of 0.4N. OTM was measured with a digital caliper comparing the moved and the contralateral side. The histomorphometric analysis counted the number of osteoclasts, inflammatory cells, blood vessels and fibroblasts (n/104  m2 ) in periodontal ligament (PDL) of the distobuccal root. RESULTS: A reduction of 58.3% of OTM was found in Group OTM+A and 99.6% in Group OTM+Z, when compared with Group OTM. There was a significant decrease of osteoclasts and inflammatory cells in BP-treated groups. Blood vessels and fibroblastic cells decreased mainly in Group OTM+Z. CONCLUSION: Alendronate sodium and zoledronic acid have similar effects on the periodontal tissue during orthodontic treatment in rats. Especially, zoledronic acid can affect orthodontic tooth movement.