Prevalence and socio-behavioral determinants of dental caries in Sicilian schoolchildren.

Background: Epidemiological data revealed a marked decline in dental caries prevalence in schoolchildren of Western industrialized countries. In Italy this decline is not well documented, particularly for schoolchildren living in southern Italy. This study investigated the prevalence of caries in schoolchildren in the city of Palermo, Sicily, and assessed the relationship between socio-behavioral determinants and caries.

Detection of human T lymphotropic virus type II/b in human immunodeficiency virus type 1-coinfected persons in southeastern Italy.

A preliminary screening of 511 persons at risk for AIDS living in southeastern Italy disclosed 20 cases of seroreactivity to human T lymphotropic viruses (HTLV). To verify and type the HTLV infection among these subjects, confirmatory serologic tests, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and virus culture were done. No evidence of HTLV-I infection was found.