Publications by authors named "Eick S"

The placenta is crucial for fetal development, is affected by PFAS toxicity, and evidence is accumulating that gestational PFAS perturb the epigenetic activity of the placenta. Gestational PFAS exposure can adversely affect offspring, yet individual and cumulative impacts of PFAS on the placental epigenome remain underexplored. Here, we conducted an epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) to examine the relationships between placental PFAS levels and DNA methylation in a cohort of mother-infant dyads in Arkansas (N=151).

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Periodontal disease affects over 1 billion people globally. This study investigated how periodontitis affects the protein profile of the periodontal ligament (PDL) in rats. Eight Holtzman rats were divided into control and experimental periodontitis groups.

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Background: Exposure to maternal stress and depression during pregnancy can have a marked impact on birth outcomes and child development, escalating the likelihood of preterm birth, lower birth weight, and various domains of physical and neurodevelopment.

Methods: The joint ECHO.CA.

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Objectives: To compare the plaque reducing efficacy of oil pulling with sesame oil compared to distilled water in a randomized, controlled, examiner-blinded parallel group study.

Materials And Methods: Forty probands without advanced periodontal disease of the University Hospital for Restorative Dentistry and Periodontology, Medical University of Innsbruck (Austria) were randomized allocated to test- (sesame oil) or control group (distilled water) and asked to pull daily in the morning for eight weeks with their allotted fluid for 15 min. Rustogi Modified Navy Plaque Index (RMNPI) and gingival bleeding index were assessed at baseline and after four and eight weeks.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study assessed the impact of various air pollutants on metabolic changes in a large group of 1,096 women over the age of 65, utilizing blood samples collected between 1998 and 2001.
  • Significant associations were found between air pollutants such as particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide and 95 metabolites involved in processes like oxidative stress and inflammation, with 60 metabolites showing strong evidence linking them to air pollution.
  • This research confirms and expands upon previous studies by highlighting biological responses to long-term exposure to air pollution, utilizing a sophisticated analysis of pollutant mixtures.
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Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are widely detected in pregnant persons and can be transferred to the developing fetus in utero. Breastfeeding may represent an important source of PFAS exposure for infants. However, studies quantifying levels of PFAS in breastmilk samples remain scarce, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.

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Introduction: Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the periodontium that can lead to the loss of affected teeth if left untreated. It is induced by a multifactorial process centered on microbial pathogens such as Fusobacterium nucleatum . Non-invasive physical plasma (NIPP), a highly reactive gas, has become a focus of research, not only for its hemostatic, proliferation-enhancing and apoptotic properties, but also for its antimicrobial potential.

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Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic raised the question about the extent of microbial exposure encountered by dentists during dental therapy. The purpose of this study was to quantify microbial counts on surgical masks related to duration and type of dental therapy, as well as patient oral health variables.

Materials And Methods: Sterile filter papers were fixed on surgical masks used during routine daily dental therapy.

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Adjunctive treatment of periodontitis lacks solutions which allow for enough time for wound healing in the periodontal pockets by avoiding fast re-colonization. Such a solution might be an antibiotic-containing formulation with a controlled release over a period of weeks. Here, a recently described minocycline-containing approach is qualified for further clinical development by focusing on proof-of-concept, systemic burden, resistance development, and degradation studies.

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Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate a possible immunomodulatory role of the periodontopathogen Filifactor alocis through the antimicrobial peptide hBD-2 on the expression of chemokines in human gingival keratinocytes.

Materials And Methods: Cells were cultured in the presence or absence of periodontopathogenic bacteria, such as F. alocis, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, and Treponema denticola, to evaluate the regulation of hBD-2, CXCL8 and CCL20.

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Objective: Evidence suggests that prenatal environmental phenol exposures negatively impact child neurodevelopment, however there is little research on the effects of mixtures of multiple phenol exposures. We analyzed associations between prenatal exposure to phenol mixtures and cognitive neurodevelopment at two years of age among 545 mother-child pairs from the South African Drakenstein Child Health Study.

Material And Methods: We measured maternal urine environmental phenol concentrations once during the second trimester of pregnancy.

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Background: Longitudinal trends in per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) serum concentrations across pregnancy have not been thoroughly examined, despite evidence linking prenatal PFAS exposures with adverse birth outcomes.

Objectives: We sought to characterize longitudinal PFAS concentrations across pregnancy and to examine the maternal-fetal transfer ratio among participants in a study of risk and protective factors for adverse birth outcomes among African Americans.

Methods: In the Atlanta African American Maternal-Child cohort (2014-2020), we quantified serum concentrations of four PFAS in 376 participants and an additional eight PFAS in a subset of 301 participants during early (8-14 weeks gestation) and late pregnancy (24-30 weeks gestation).

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To better understand the link between periodontitis and metabolic diseases, our in vitro study aimed to assess the influence of the adipokine apelin and/or the periodontal pathogen on periodontal cells. Periodontal ligament (PDL) cells were exposed to in the presence and absence of apelin. Scratch assays were used to analyze the in vitro wound healing and velocity of cell migration.

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Article Synopsis
  • Childhood sleep quality is influenced by factors such as maternal stress during pregnancy and can predict later health outcomes.
  • The study examined data to understand how prenatal stress relates to sleep quality in children aged 4-8, finding that both prenatal and postnatal stress have significant effects.
  • Results indicate that postnatal stress mediates the impact of prenatal stress on sleep issues, highlighting the need for further research on maternal mental health and child sleep disturbances.
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  • This study looked at how being exposed to certain chemicals called phthalates during pregnancy could affect a baby's memory when they are around 7.5 months old.
  • Phthalates are found in many products we use, and they might cause extra stress in the body, known as oxidative stress.
  • The researchers found that higher levels of certain phthalates in pregnant mothers were linked to more oxidative stress and could affect how well babies remember new things.
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  • Prenatal exposure to phthalates, found in many consumer products, may negatively impact infant and child development, especially when compounded by maternal depression and anxiety.
  • A study involving 81 participants analyzed urine samples from expectant mothers to measure exposure to eight phthalate metabolites during early pregnancy and assessed maternal mental health through validated questionnaires.
  • Results indicated no overall link between phthalate levels and infant attention/arousal, but for mothers with high depressive symptoms, specific phthalate metabolites showed a significant increase in newborn arousal, suggesting potential vulnerability in this group.
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Background: Phenols and parabens are two classes of high production volume chemicals that are used widely in consumer and personal care products and have been associated with reproductive harm and pregnancy complications, such as preeclampsia and gestational diabetes. However, studies examining their influence on maternal blood pressure and gestational hypertension are limited.

Objectives: We investigated associations between individual phenols, parabens, and their mixture on maternal blood pressure measurements, including systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP) and hypertension during pregnancy (defined as stage 1 or 2 hypertension), among Puerto Rico PROTECT study participants.

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Background: In mechanistic and preliminary human studies, prenatal exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is associated with oxidative stress, a potential contributor to maternal liver disease. Bilirubin is an endogenous antioxidant abundant in the liver that may serve as a physiological modulator of oxidative stress in pregnant people. Hence, our objective was to estimate the association between repeated measures of PFAS and bilirubin during pregnancy.

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Introduction: Recent studies have demonstrated a positive role of hyaluronic acid (HA) on periodontal clinical outcomes. This study aimed to investigate the impact of four different HAs on interactions between periodontal biofilm and immune cells.

Methods: The four HAs included: high-molecular-weight HA (HHA, non-cross-linked), low-molecular-weight HA (LHA), oligomers HA (OHA), and cross-linked high-molecular-weight HA (CHA).

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Background: Anemia is common in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), causing significant health issues and social burdens. Exposure to household air pollution from using biomass fuels for cooking and heating has been associated with anemia, but the exposure-response association has not been studied.

Objectives: We evaluated the associations between personal exposure to air pollution and both hemoglobin levels and anemia prevalence among pregnant women in a multi-country randomized controlled trial.

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