Reliability of attachment loss measurements in a longitudinal clinical trial.

In order to appropriately carry out a longitudinal assessment of periodontal attachment loss in individuals with untreated periodontitis, reliable criteria for determining "real" changes in attachment level (AL) are required. In the present study, 25 subjects were to be examined every 2 months for up to 2 years to determine changes in AL and to relate clinical and laboratory criteria to such changes. Trained examiners for the study underwent calibration trials to determine inter-examiner and intra-examiner reliability both before the study and at intervals during the study.

Serum antibodies to periodontal bacteria.

The purpose of this study was to determine how serum antibodies reactive with periodontitis-associated bacteria with relates to the diagnosis of periodontitis subjects. Study groups included localized juvenile periodontitis (LJP) subjects, severe periodontitis (SP) subjects, chronic adult periodontitis (AP) subjects, and age matched controls. Twenty-two bacterial strains, representing 18 different species most commonly found in early onset periodontitis were evaluated using serum from LJP, SP, and age matched controls.

[Adhesion, migration and phagocytic behavior of blood granulocytic neutrophils from the rat and humans in essential hypertension].

Relations between the functions of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PML) and essential hypertension have been studied. In spite of an increased number in the blood of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) their neutrophils moved for shorter distances than PML of normotensive animals. Neutrophils of hypertensive patients were characterized by a decreased reaction to chemotactic stimulation and an increased adhesion.

Differential effects of oestrogen treatment on the proportionality of growth in tall girls.

We studied the differential inhibitory effects of conjugated oestrogens on lower leg length and standing height increments in 17 excessively tall girls compared to a control group of 17 tall healthy untreated girls. Standing height, lower leg length and body weight were recorded at weekly or monthly intervals. Standing height velocity dropped from 150 microns/day to 122 microns/day, whereas daily weight gain increased from 17 to 48 g/day during oestrogen treatment.

[Measuring short-term periodicity of pediatric growth].

The study of human growth is traditionally based on investigations of body height. Differences of height which significantly surpass the technical error of the measuring device then by definition represent growth. However, this definition proved to be unsatisfying if applied to changes of body stature within very short time intervals.

Predictive criteria for successful growth promotion in growth hormone therapy of short stature: a comparison between common endocrine parameters and knemometry.

Due to increased availability of growth hormone (GH) for the treatment of short stature, its use has been proposed for a number of conditions besides classic GH deficiency. We have studied growth response during a one year treatment period with 14 IU/m2/week of GH in a heterogenous group of 24 short children with various conditions associated with short stature (SDS for body height ranging between -2.2 and -4.

Standards for the predictive accuracy of short term body height and lower leg length measurements on half annual growth rates.

Determinations of body height and calculations of growth velocity are still the major parameters for the assessment of normal and aberrant growth. The present study was performed to investigate the minimum time interval between consecutive measurements that is necessary for a statement on significant length increment both of total body height and lower leg length. We present standards for the predictive accuracy of short term measurements for the prediction of the conventional half annual growth rate.

Analysis of differential growth of the right and the left leg.

In spite of well documented standards for length and annual growth rates of the femur and tibia, there is little information on short term longitudinal bone growth. We investigated differential growth dynamics of the lower leg in 10 children, aged 6:3 to 14:2 years, by knemometry, a novel and non-invasive technique of accurate lower leg length measurement with a technical error of 0.09 to 0.

The association between birth order and adult stature.

First-borns are smaller than later-borns at birth. We investigated adult stature of families with three or more adult children, aged between 20 and 70 (mean 32) years. There was no significant correlation between size of the family and final adult stature of the siblings.

Periodical changes of short term growth velocity ('mini growth spurts') in human growth.

Evidence has accumulated that predictions of annual or half-annual growth rates are of limited validity when derived from extrapolations of short term growth rates. In order to investigate whether the poor predictive qualities of short sections of individual growth curves are caused by non-linearity of human growth, we have studied 73 healthy children, aged 2.9 to 15.

Knemometry in childhood: accuracy and standardization of a new technique of lower leg length measurement.

Recently, a new anthropometric method of accurate lower leg length measurement (knemometry) was introduced. The present study was performed to investigate rigorously its strengths and weaknesses for auxological purposes, and to promote a standardized method of use. The data are based on 6 x 2200 single estimations of the lower leg length in 90 children of both sexes with normal, tall or short stature aged between 2.

Bacteriology of human gingivitis.

The subgingival bacterial floras of naturally occurring gingivitis in adults and children were characterized and compared with the floras of other periodontal conditions previously studied. The composition of the gingivitis floras was found to be distinct from that of floras associated with health or with moderate, severe, or juvenile periodontitis. There were no major differences between the floras of naturally-occurring gingivitis and the floras of the human experimental gingivitis model.

Relationship of serum antibody to attachment level patterns in young adults with juvenile periodontitis or generalized severe periodontitis.

The goal of this study was to relate attachment loss patterns in early onset periodontitis subjects (juvenile periodontitis n = 47 and severe (generalized) periodontitis n = 52) with antibody reactivities to 25 bacterial strains which were suspected periodontal pathogens. The 25 antibody reactivities were screened by correlation analysis. Eleven strains were found to be significantly related to attachment loss.

Early onset periodontitis: a comparison and evaluation of two proposed modes of inheritance.

Two rare types of familial periodontitis, a localized form usually diagnosed in late adolescence, and a more generalized form with a latter mean age of diagnosis, have been analyzed with respect to genetic models currently favored in the dental literature. These include autosomal recessive and X-linked dominant (partial penetrance) inheritance. Since there is variation in severity, extent, age of onset, altered sex ratio of affected individuals, and a low population prevalence, it is not surprising that genetic mechanisms heretofore have not been revealed.

Can the knemometer shorten the time for growth rate assessment?

A total of 105 healthy children of both sexes and various ages were measured once or twice weekly by knemometry over periods of 161-202 days on 11-50 occasions. These data were used to calculate percentiles of the predictive error that occurred if short-term lower leg length differences were used to extrapolate half-annual growth rates. From these data, and observations on day-to-day variations of the lower leg length, it was concluded that growth rates derived from single differences between two consecutive lower leg length measurements are invalid and without predictive power for mean long-term lower leg increments.

[Effect of amrinone and trapidil on adherence, migration and phagocytic behavior of neutrophilic granulocytes of the human].

Amrinone and trapidile belong to a group of positive inotropic and simultaneously vasodilating substances, whose effects are based on an inhibition of phosphodiesterase (PDE), thus enriching intracellular c-AMP. In neutrophilic granulocytes these PDE-antogonists will produce an inhibition of adherence and phagocytosis, whereas the migration was not affected. The lower leukocyte effective concentration of 10 mmol/l can be achieved by a therapeutical application, so that a slight inhibition of the leukocyte function has to be accounted for as a side effect.

[Effect of verapamil and nifedipine on the adhesion, migration and phagocytosis of human neutrophilic granulocytes].

The calcium antagonists Verapamil and Nifedipin have a different effect on adherence, migration and phagocytosis of human neutrophilic granulocytes. Whereas Verapamil (10(-4) mol/1) will inhibit the leukocyte function, Nifedipin is ineffective. The leukocyte function cannot be expected to be impaired by using Nifedipin and Verapamil in therapeutic doses.

Relationship between gingival crevicular fluid and serum antibody titers in young adults with generalized and localized periodontitis.

The objective of the present study was to determine the relationship between concentrations of antibodies in serum and those in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) of patients with juvenile periodontitis and severe periodontitis. Most antigens used to quantitate antibodies were obtained from a panel of bacteria associated with juvenile periodontitis or severe periodontitis. We further investigated variation in antibody titer among different periodontal sites and the extent to which antibody in GCF is locally derived.

Comparative bacteriology of juvenile periodontitis.

Statistical comparisons of the floras associated with juvenile periodontitis, severe periodontitis, and moderate periodontitis indicated that differences in the bacterial compositions of affected sites in these populations were not statistically significant. The subgingival flora of affected juvenile periodontitis sites was statistically significantly different from the adjacent supragingival flora and from the subgingival floras of people with healthy gingiva and of children with developing (experimental) gingivitis. However, the subgingival flora of affected juvenile periodontitis sites was not significantly different from the flora of sites with gingival index scores of 1 or 2 in adults with developing (experimental) gingivitis.

Bacteriology of experimental gingivitis in children.

Children are more resistant to gingivitis than are adults. To determine possible differences in their periodontal floras, an experimental gingivitis study, identical in design to one reported earlier with young adults, was conducted with four 4- to 6-year-old children. The incidence of sites that developed gingival index scores of 2 in children was less than one-third of the incidence observed in adults.

Localized juvenile periodontitis and generalized severe periodontitis: clinical findings.

Medically healthy subjects (N = 103), 10-32 years of age, with localized (juvenile periodontitis = JP) or generalized (severe periodontitis = SP) advanced periodontal disease were analyzed for interrelationships of sex, race, age and clinical findings. Females predominated (2:1) in both JP and SP. There were significantly more subjects of the black race in JP, but when age was included as a cofactor the race distinction became insignificant.