Effect of non-surgical periodontal treatment on the subgingival microbiota of patients with chronic kidney disease

This study investigated the effect of non-surgical periodontal therapy on the composition of subgingival microbiota of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Sixteen CKD pre-dialysis individuals (CKD) and 14 individuals without clinical evidence of kidney disease (C) presenting chronic periodontitis were treated by scaling and root planing. Subgingival samples were collected from each patient and analyzed for their composition by checkerboard at baseline and 3 months post-therapy. Significant differences between groups at baseline were sought by the Mann-Whitney and χ² tests. Changes over time were examined by the Wilcoxon test. At baseline, the CKD group had significantly lower counts of E. faecalis compared to the C group (p < 0.05). After treatment, the levels of a greater number of species were reduced in the C group. Higher levels of A. israelii, C. rectus, F. periodonticum, P. micra, P. nigrescens, T. forsythia, N. mucosa, and S. anginosus (p < 0.05) were found in the CKD group compared to the C group. Also, non-responsive sites in CKD individuals harbored significantly higher levels of pathogenic species (T. forsythia, P. gingivalis, T. denticola, Fusobacterium spp., D. pneumosintes, E. faecalis and S. aureus; p < 0.05) than sites that responded to therapy, as well as non-responsive sites in the C group. The periodontitis-associated subgingival microbiota of CKD and systemically healthy individuals was similar in composition. However, high levels of pathogenic species persisted in the subgingival microbiota of patients with CKD after treatment.

Importancia del estudio del balance del contenido vaginal (BACOVA) en el control preventivo de las trabajadoras sexuales / Importance of studying the balance of vaginal content (BAVACO) in the preventive control of sex workers

El objetivo de este trabajo fue estudiar a un grupo de 229 trabajadoras sexuales de Comodoro Rivadavia (Chubut), atendidas en centros públicos de salud de dicha ciudad, mediante la aplicación del método conocido como balance del contenido vaginal (BACOVA). Este método comprende el estudio morfológico de la microbiota vaginal, como así también de la reacción infamatoria. Incluye el análisis del contenido vaginal en fresco y por tinciones de Gram y de Giemsa, de modo de integrar la exploración de todo el panorama biológico. El 35,37 % de estas mujeres presentó microbiota normal (MN); el 15,72 %, microbiota intermedia (MI); el 23,14 %, vaginosis bacteriana (VB) y el 10,48 %, vaginitis microbiana inespecífca (VMI). Los casos de vaginitis por levaduras y por Trichomonas vaginalis comprendieron el 8,30 % y 6,99 % de las mujeres, respectivamente. Se observó el desplazamiento de la MN hacia una MI, que se correspondió con el predominio de bacterias corineformes. Por otra parte, no se reconoció un marcado desequilibrio del contenido vaginal ante la colonización e infección por levaduras o por T. vaginalis: el 48 % de los casos de estas vaginitis convencionales no presentaron reacción infamatoria vaginal (RIV). El 24,89 % de los casos de MN presentaron una signifcativa RIV, y en más del 50 % de las mujeres se diagnosticaron disfunciones vaginales en ausencia de sintomatología. Estos resultados se podrían asociar a un incremento del riesgo gineco-obstétrico, lo que afecta la salud sexual y reproductiva de la población estudiada.

The aim of this work was to study the vaginal microenvironment in sex workers from Comodoro Rivadavia, Chubut. For that purpose, BAVACO procedures were applied. A total of 229 female sex workers attended public health centers. Vaginal secretions were analyzed by Gram and Giemsa stains. The following results were obtained: normal microbiota 35.37 %, intermediate microbiota 15.72 %, bacterial vaginosis 23.14 %, microbial nonspecifc vaginitis, Donders'"aerobic vaginitis" 10.48 %, yeast vulvovaginitis 8.30 %, and trichomoniasis 6.99 %. The intermediate microbiota was characterized by a decrease in the number of lactobacilli and the presence of diphtheroid bacilli cell types. The population studied shared increased values of vaginal dysfunctions. These results are considered risk factors for obstetric and gynecologic diseases.

Translational research into gut microbiota: new horizons in obesity treatment / Pesquisa translacional em microbiota intestinal: novos horizontes no tratamento da obesidade

Obesity is a pandemic which has been rapidly developing for three decades. When a population is submitted to the same nutritional stress, some individuals are less susceptible to diet-induced weight gain and hyperglycemia. This observation suggests that other mechanisms are involved which are not directly related to the human genome. The human gut contains an immense number of microorganisms, collectively known as the microbiota. Evidence that gut microbiota composition can differ between obese and lean humans has led to the speculation that gut microbiota can participate in the pathophysiology of obesity. Different mechanisms have been proposed to explain the link between gut flora and obesity. The first mechanism consists in the role of the gut microbiota to increase energy extraction from indigestible dietary polysaccharides. The second, consists in the role of gut flora to modulate plasma lipopolysaccharide levels which triggers chronic low-grade inflammation leading to obesity and diabetes. A third mechanism proposes that gut microbiota may induce regulation of host genes that modulate how energy is expended and stored. However, further studies are needed to clarify a number of issues related to the relationship between the gut microbiota and obesity.

A obesidade é uma pandemia que afeta milhões de pessoas em todo o mundo. Quando uma população é submetida ao mesmo estresse nutricional, alguns indivíduos são menos suscetíveis ao ganho de peso induzido pela dieta e à hiperglicemia. Essa observação sugere que outros mecanismos não diretamente relacionados ao genoma humano estejam envolvidos. O intestino humano é colonizado por milhões de bactérias, que coletivamente constituem a flora comensal normal. A evidência de que a composição da flora intestinal pode ser diferente em humanos magros e obesos levou à especulação de que a flora intestinal pode participar na fisiopatologia da obesidade. Diferentes mecanismos foram propostos para tentar explicar a correlação entre flora intestinal e obesidade. O primeiro mecanismo consiste no papel da flora intestinal na extração de energia de polissacarídeos não digeríveis. O segundo mecanismo envolve a modulação dos níveis de lipopolissacarídeo pela flora intestinal, o que desencadeia uma inflamação crônica subclínica que acarreta obesidade e diabetes. Um terceiro mecanismo propõe que a flora intestinal pode induzir a regulação de genes do hospedeiro que modulam como a energia é gasta e armazenada. Entretanto, estudos adicionais são necessários para estabelecer o papel da flora intestinal no desenvolvimento da obesidade.