Assessment of the efficacy of the utilisation of conventional and electric toothbrushes by the older adults.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of electric and conventional toothbrushes for a group of elderly individuals. BACKGROUND: Although the electric toothbrush has been recommended for elderly individuals, there had previously never been a study regarding its efficacy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Sixty independent elders of both genders with different oral conditions from the Center Adult Day Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil, were randomly divided into two groups of 30 individuals. One group received the Oral B CrossAction Power electric toothbrush, whereas the other received a conventional Bitufo Class 32 soft toothbrush to perform oral hygiene. The bacterial plaque index (O'Leary Plaque Index) and DMFT index were assessed as a measure of oral hygiene and oral health. The data were analysed using the Shapiro-Wilk, Mann-Whitney and Wilcoxon tests. RESULTS: The results of the efficacy of the Oral B Cross Action Power electric toothbrush demonstrated that on the 7th and 15th days, the bacterial plaque indexes were 24.91 ± 12.81 and 22.11 ± 14.46, respectively, which corresponds to a 50.24% removal of bacterial plaque on the 7th and 55.83% on the 15th days. Although the electric toothbrush removed more bacterial plaque than the conventional toothbrush, the difference was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Both the conventional and the electric toothbrushes were effective in removing bacterial plaque within the elderly group. More studies are necessary to test the efficacy of electric toothbrushes in relation to conventional toothbrushes for elderly patients.

Hepatitis C virus antibodies in high risk juvenile onset systemic lupus erythematosus.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in high risk juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus (JSLE). STUDY DESIGN: Forty low income JSLE patients (6M:34F; mean age 19±4.4 yrs; mean disease duration 6±3.2 yrs) were studied. Twenty healthy children and adolescents matched for social economical level were included as controls. Anti-HCV tests were performed using a third generation microparticle enzyme immunoassay. Inclusion criterion was low social economical level. RESULTS: The frequencies of anti-HCV antibody were low and comparable between JSLE and control group (2.5% vs. 0, p=1.0). JSLE patients had significantly more risk factors for HCV infection compared to the control group, including immunosuppressive treatment (90% vs. 0, p<0.0001), hospitalization (50% vs. 12.5%, p=0.0006) and invasive procedures (47.5% vs. 12.5%, p=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The observed low frequency of anti-HCV antibodies in high risk JSLE suggests that this virus does not seem to have a relevant role in the pathogenesis of this disease.

Intraclonal Genome Stability of the Metallo-ß-lactamase SPM-1-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa ST277, an Endemic Clone Disseminated in Brazilian Hospitals.

Carbapenems represent the mainstay therapy for the treatment of serious P. aeruginosa infections. However, the emergence of carbapenem resistance has jeopardized the clinical use of this important class of compounds. The production of SPM-1 metallo-ß-lactamase has been the most common mechanism of carbapenem resistance identified in P. aeruginosa isolated from Brazilian medical centers. Interestingly, a single SPM-1-producing P. aeruginosa clone belonging to the ST277 has been widely spread within the Brazilian territory. In the current study, we performed a next-generation sequencing of six SPM-1-producing P. aeruginosa ST277 isolates. The core genome contains 5899 coding genes relative to the reference strain P. aeruginosa PAO1. A total of 26 genomic islands were detected in these isolates. We identified remarkable elements inside these genomic islands, such as copies of the blaSPM-1 gene conferring resistance to carbapenems and a type I-C CRISPR-Cas system, which is involved in protection of the chromosome against foreign DNA. In addition, we identified single nucleotide polymorphisms causing amino acid changes in antimicrobial resistance and virulence-related genes. Together, these factors could contribute to the marked resistance and persistence of the SPM-1-producing P. aeruginosa ST277 clone. A comparison of the SPM-1-producing P. aeruginosa ST277 genomes showed that their core genome has a high level nucleotide similarity and synteny conservation. The variability observed was mainly due to acquisition of genomic islands carrying several antibiotic resistance genes.

Hepatitis C virus antibodies in high risk juvenile onset systemic lupus erythematosus / Anticorpos contra o vírus da hepatite C em pacientes de alto risco com lúpus eritematoso sistêmico de início juvenil

Abstract Objective To evaluate the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in high risk juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus (JSLE). Study design Forty low income JSLE patients (6M:34F; mean age 19 ± 4.4 yrs; mean disease duration 6 ± 3.2 yrs) were studied. Twenty healthy children and adolescents matched for social economical level were included as controls. Anti-HCV tests were performed using a third generation microparticle enzyme immunoassay. Inclusion criterion was low social economical level. Results The frequencies of anti-HCV antibody were low and comparable between JSLE and control group (2.5% vs. 0, p = 1.0). JSLE patients had significantly more risk factors for HCV infection compared to the control group, including immunosuppressive treatment (90% vs. 0, p < 0.0001), hospitalization (50% vs. 12.5%, p = 0.0006) and invasive procedures (47.5% vs. 12.5%, p = 0.001). Conclusions The observed low frequency of anti-HCV antibodies in high risk JSLE suggests that this virus does not seem to have a relevant role in the pathogenesis of this disease.

Resumo Objetivo Avaliar a prevalência de infecção pelo vírus da hepatite C (VHC) em pacientes de alto risco com lúpus eritematoso sistêmico de início juvenil (LESJ). Desenho do estudo Foram estudados 40 pacientes de baixa renda com LESJ (6 H: 34 M, com média de 19 ± 4,4 anos; duração média da doença de 6 ± 3,2 anos). Incluíram-se no grupo controle 20 crianças e adolescentes saudáveis pareados por nível socioeconômico. Fizeram-se testes anti-VHC com um ensaio imunoenzimático de micropartículas de terceira geração. O critério de inclusão foi o baixo nível socioeconômico. Resultados As frequências de anticorpos anti-VHC foram baixas e comparáveis entre os grupos LESJ e controle (2,5% versus 0, p = 1). Os pacientes com LESJ tinham significativamente mais fatores de risco para infecção por VHC em comparação com o grupo controle, incluindo tratamento imunossupressor (90% versus 0, p < 0,0001), internação (50% versus 12,5%, p = 0,0006) e procedimentos invasivos (47,5% versus 12,5%, p = 0,001). Conclusões A baixa frequência de anticorpos anti-VHC observada nos pacientes de alto risco com LESJ sugere que esse vírus não parece ter um papel relevante na patogênese dessa doença.