Goltz syndrome in males: A clinical report of a male patient carrying a novel variant and a review of the literature.

Here, we report a novel mosaic mutation in the gene in a male Goltz syndrome patient. We also compare the phenotypes of all reported males with a confirmed molecular diagnosis. This report serves to further clarify the phenotype of Goltz syndrome and suggests that expression in males varies.

Dysbiosis and alterations in predicted functions of the subgingival microbiome in chronic periodontitis.

Chronic periodontitis is an inflammatory disease of the periodontium affecting nearly 65 million adults in the United States. Changes in subgingival microbiota have long been associated with chronic periodontitis. Recent culture-independent molecular studies have revealed the immense richness and complexity of oral microbial communities.

Benefits of early systemic antibiotics in localized aggressive periodontitis: a retrospective study.

Background: Treatment of localized aggressive periodontitis (LAP) may include systemic antibiotics, yet it is unclear at what stage of treatment planning antibiotics are most effective.

Aim: This retrospective analysis compared immediate versus delayed antibiotic therapy on clinical parameters and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) inflammatory mediators.

Material And Methods: At baseline, 3 months and 6 months after treatment, clinical parameters [probing depth (PD), clinical attachment level (CAL), bleeding on probing (BoP) and plaque] and GCF were collected from LAP participants, who received a 7-day antibiotic regimen immediately (ImA) or 3 months following (DelA) mechanical therapy.

Local inflammatory markers and systemic endotoxin in aggressive periodontitis.

While much research has focused on local and systemic factors contributing to periodontal disease, little is known regarding mechanisms linking these factors. We have previously reported a systemic hyper-inflammatory response to bacterial endotoxin in localized aggressive periodontitis (LAP). The objectives of this study were to delineate cyto/chemokines in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) and evaluate systemic levels of endotoxin associated with LAP.

Could alkali production be considered an approach for caries control?

This study investigated the relationship of arginine deiminase (ADS) and urease activities with dental caries through a case-control study. ADS and urease activities were measured in dental smooth-surface supragingival plaque and whole saliva samples from 93 subjects, who were in three different groups: caries-free (n = 31), caries-active (n = 30), and caries-experienced (n = 32). ADS activity was measured by quantification of the ammonia generated from the incubation of plaque and saliva samples in a mixture containing 50 mM arginine-HCl and 50 mM Tris-maleate buffer, pH 6.

Preliminary assessment of safety and effectiveness in humans of ProBiora3, a probiotic mouthwash.

Aims: To conduct a pilot human clinical trial to assess the safety and to test the ability of a probiotic mouthwash, ProBiora(3), to affect the levels of Streptococcus mutans and certain known periodontal pathogens in the mouth when administered twice daily over a period of 4 weeks.

Methods And Results: The mouthwash contained three specific strains of naturally occurring oral bacteria and was tested at two dose levels: 10(6) and 10(8) colony forming units each of Strep. oralis strain KJ3sm, Strep.

Single site meta-analysis of 6% hydrogen peroxide whitening strip effectiveness and safety over 2 weeks.

Objectives: This research evaluated efficacy and safety of 6% hydrogen peroxide whitening strips from a clinical trials database accumulated over a multi-year period at a single site.

Methods: The inclusive meta-analysis involved seven different randomized clinical trials at one dental school. Each study used 6% hydrogen peroxide whitening strips twice daily for 30min over a 2-week period.

Matrix metalloproteinase levels in children with aggressive periodontitis.

Background: Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a family of host-derived proteinases reported to mediate multiple functions associated with periodontal destruction and inflammation. Most of the existing data have been gathered from adults with chronic periodontitis. The purpose of this study was to determine the MMP levels in a cohort of African American children with and without aggressive periodontitis.

Modified-release subantimicrobial dose doxycycline enhances scaling and root planing in subjects with periodontal disease.

Background: Previous studies showed that adjunctive subantimicrobial dose doxycycline (SDD; 20 mg, twice daily) provides significant clinical benefits to scaling and root planing (SRP). A modified-release SDD formulation containing 40 mg doxycycline (SDD-40) to be taken once daily has been developed. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of SDD-40 when used as an adjunct to SRP for the treatment of periodontitis.

Combining host modulation and topical antimicrobial therapy in the management of moderate to severe periodontitis: a randomized multicenter trial.

Background: Previous studies showed that host modulation therapy (HMT) or topical antimicrobial therapy (TAT) provided significant adjunctive benefits to scaling and root planing (SRP) in the treatment of chronic periodontitis (CP). The purpose of this study was to evaluate a combination therapy involving SRP, HMT, and TAT in the treatment of moderate to severe CP.

Methods: A 6-month, randomized, multicenter, placebo-controlled, examiner-masked study was undertaken to evaluate the clinical usefulness of a combination treatment of systemically delivered doxycycline hyclate (HMT; 20 mg, twice a day) plus locally delivered doxycycline hyclate gel (TAT; 10%, in pockets > or =5 mm) in combination with SRP versus SRP plus placebo.

The relationship between dental caries status and dental plaque urease activity.

Introduction: Ammonia production from the metabolism of urea by urease enzymes of oral bacteria moderates plaque acidification and may inhibit dental caries, as suggested by in vitro studies and indirect clinical observations. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship of urease activity with dental caries at the clinical level.

Methods: Urease activity was measured in dental plaque and saliva samples from 25 caries-free subjects (CF) and in eight subjects with six or more open caries lesions (CA).

Placebo-controlled clinical trial evaluating a 10% hydrogen peroxide whitening strip.

Objective: A placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of a 10% hydrogen peroxide strip-based whitening system in subjects with tooth discoloration and no previous history of tooth whitening.

Methodology: Informed consent was obtained, and 39 healthy adults were randomly assigned to either 10% hydrogen peroxide whitening strips (Crest Whitestrips Premium) or placebo strips with no peroxide. Strips were used unsupervised twice daily for 30 minutes over a seven-day period.

Quantification and analysis of pain in nonsurgical scaling and/or root planing.

Background: Three efficacy studies, comprising a database of 337 subjects, were conducted as part of the clinical evaluation of the noninjectable anesthetic gel Oraqix (AstraZeneca, Södertälje, Sweden). The authors discuss some of the challenges encountered when they interpreted the results of the clinical studies and present the results from an alternative analysis of the anesthetic efficacy.

Methods: The three multicenter studies were double-blind, randomized and placebo-controlled.

Leukocyte esterase and protein levels in saliva, as indicators of gingival and periodontal diseases in children.

Purpose: This study was to determine if dip stick assays of children's saliva for leukocyte esterase or protein (Serim Research Corporation, Elkhart, Ind) reflect the presence or severity of gingival or periodontal diseases in children.

Methods: The study included 13 children with periodontitis [study group] and a control group of 17 children without periodontitis. The saliva leukocyte esterase and protein values (scales from 1 to 4) were tested with dip stick analyses.

Clinical comparison of two self-directed bleaching systems.

Purpose: This randomized clinical trial compared the clinical efficacy and tolerability of 2 marketed self-directed vital tooth-whitening systems.

Materials And Methods: Balancing for baseline tooth color, self-reported coffee/tea use, and age, 57 adult volunteers were randomized to either a whitening strip containing 6% hydrogen peroxide or a tray-based 10% carbamide peroxide/dentifrice/mouth rinse combination system. Following the manufacturer's directions, the strip group bleached twice daily for 30 minutes, whereas the tray group bleached twice daily for 20-30 minutes, preceded by tooth brushing with a whitening dentifrice and followed by mouth rinsing with a whitening solution.

Placebo-controlled clinical trial of a 19% sodium percarbonate whitening film: initial and sustained whitening.

Purpose: To evaluate in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial the initial, cumulative and sustained whitening with a brush-applied, peroxide-based, overnight tooth whitener.

Methods: 50 adults were randomized to Crest Night Effects, a 19% sodium percarbonate gel that dries to form an adherent film, or a placebo gel without any peroxide source. The treatments were brush-applied at night, and removed the next morning with normal toothbrushing.

Accuracy of probing attachment levels using a CEJ probe versus traditional probes.

Background: Current interest in the assessment of probing attachment level measurements has been stimulated by recent introduction of novel periodontal probes as well as by the reclassification of periodontal diseases. Clinical attachment level (CAL) is currently the "gold standard" for diagnosing and monitoring periodontal diseases.

Aim: To evaluate the performance of the newly introduced cementoenamel junction (CEJ) Probe in detecting CAL using the CEJ as a fixed reference point, and to compare the CEJ Probe with the Florida Disk Probe and a standard Manual Probe (North Carolina Probe).

Intrapocket anesthesia for scaling and root planing in pain-sensitive patients.

Background: In 2 previous multicenter studies evaluating the efficacy of a novel anesthetic gel (lidocaine 25 mg/g plus prilocaine 25 mg/g), there was a rather small, although statistically significant, overall difference between the active and placebo gels. There were, however, large center variations. At centers where the placebo-treated patients reported high pain scores, the difference between treatments was large, suggesting that the anesthetic gel is most effective in patients who experience the procedure as painful.

Evidence of active cytomegalovirus infection and increased production of IL-6 in tissue specimens obtained from patients with inflammatory bowel diseases.

Recent reports have focused interest on human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). Our aim in this study was to examine the frequency of HCMV-infected intestinal cells in tissue sections obtained from patients with IBD, and to investigate if HCMV-infected intestinal cells produce the proinflammatory cytokine IL-6. We studied intestinal tissue sections from 13 patients with ulcerative colitis, 10 with Crohn's disease, 10 cancer patients without intestinal inflammation, and 10 samples from HCMV-infected AIDS patients.

The effectiveness of two different battery-powered toothbrushes on whitening through removal of stain.

Whitening dentifrices have recently become popular, achieving a whitening benefit by surface chemical action and/or abrasion that serve to remove extrinsic stains and/or prevent extrinsic stain buildup. Some powered toothbrushes have also been demonstrated to have whitening/stain-removal efficacy when used with standard dentifrice products. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an experimental prototype powered toothbrush (Crest SpinBrush Pro) and a commercially available powered toothbrush (Crest SpinBrush) on dental whitening through the removal of extrinsic stain.

Vital bleaching with two at-home professional systems.

Purpose: To compare the whitening effectiveness of two professional vital bleaching systems in a randomized clinical trial.

Materials And Methods: Balancing for baseline color, 6 9 adult volunteers were randomized to either a whitening strip containing 6.5% hydrogen peroxide (Professional Crest Whitestrips) or a custom tray-based system using both hydrogen and carbamide peroxide (Nite White Excel2).

Thymidylate synthase expression in colorectal cancer: a prognostic and predictive marker of benefit from adjuvant fluorouracil-based chemotherapy.

Purpose: We studied the prognostic value of thymidylate synthase (TS) expression in primary colorectal cancer (CRC) and the role of TS expression as a predictor of chemotherapeutic benefit in patients treated with adjuvant chemotherapy.

Patients And Methods: TS expression was immunohistochemically assessed on tumor sections from 862 patients with CRC Dukes' stages B and C enrolled onto randomized trials evaluating fluorouracil (5-FU)-based adjuvant chemotherapy.

Results: TS expression was an independent prognostic factor for disease-free (P =.

Treatment of periodontitis by local administration of minocycline microspheres: a controlled trial.

Background: Periodontitis is an inflammatory condition of tooth-supporting tissues that is usually treated by mechanical removal of plaque and microorganisms that adhere to teeth. This treatment, known as scaling and root planing, is not optimally effective. Adjunctive therapy with locally delivered antimicrobials has resulted in improved clinical outcomes such as probing depth reduction.

Allopurinol as prophylaxis against pouchitis following ileal pouch-anal anastomosis for ulcerative colitis. A randomized placebo-controlled double-blind study.

Background: Pouchitis is the major long-term complication of restorative proctocolectomy for ulcerative colitis (UC). Allopurinol is a scavenger of oxygen-derived free radicals, which it is suggested play a role in the development of UC and pouchitis. The first aim was to test the hypothesis that the incidence of pouchitis can be reduced by prophylactic Allopurinol, and secondly to evaluate if Allopurinol influences the overall pouch function.

Intrapocket anesthesia for scaling and root planing: results of a double-blind multicenter trial using lidocaine prilocaine dental gel.

Background: The efficacy of a novel anesthetic gel (lidocaine 25 mg/g plus prilocaine 25 mg/g in thermosetting agents) for non-invasive periodontal pocket anesthesia was evaluated.

Methods: One hundred twenty-two (122) patients in 8 centers with moderate to severe periodontitis requiring scaling and root planing (SRP) were enrolled in this multicenter, randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trial. The active dental gel or a matching placebo gel was applied into the periodontal pocket using a blunt applicator.