Relationship Between Periodontal Screening and Recording Index Scores and Need for Periodontal Access Surgery.

Background: The validity of using pretreatment Periodontal Screening and Recording (PSR) index sextant scores to estimate periodontal access surgery needs is evaluated in patients with chronic periodontitis before and after completion of non-surgical periodontal therapy.

Methods: In 110 adults, pretreatment probing data identified 486 sextants with PSR scores of 4 and 125 sextants with PSR scores of 3. Periodontal access surgery needs for all sextants were determined prior to treatment and after completion of non-surgical periodontal therapy for 213 sextants in 38 patients by two experienced periodontist examiners.

Impact of plasma histones in human sepsis and their contribution to cellular injury and inflammation.

Introduction: Circulating histones have been identified as mediators of damage in animal models of sepsis and in patients with trauma-associated lung injury. Despite existing controversies on actual histone concentrations, clinical implications and mechanism of action in various disease conditions, histone levels in human sepsis, association with disease progression and mediated effects on endothelial and immune cells remain unreported. This study aimed to determine histone levels and its clinical implication in septic patients and to elucidate histone-mediated effects ex-vivo.

Thrombin generation as marker to estimate thrombosis risk in patients with abnormal test results in lupus anticoagulant routine diagnostics.

Background: Lupus anticoagulant (LA) is known to inhibit thrombin generation although patients have an increased risk to develop thrombosis. We tried to determine whether thrombin generation is altered in plasma samples of patients with abnormal test results in LA routine diagnostics and whether its measurement may improve the risk assessment of thrombosis.

Methods: Samples from 63 patients (39 with abnormal test results; 24 controls) were included in the study.

Using chlorhexidine varnish to prevent early childhood caries in American Indian children.

Objectives: To test the efficacy of 10% chlorhexidine (CHX) dental varnish applied to the mothers' dentition in preventing caries in American Indian children.

Methods: This was a placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized clinical trial. Mother-child pairs were enrolled when the child was 4.

Rediscovering Sig Socransky, the genius and his legacy.

Some individuals make contributions so vital to their field of knowledge that their names become almost synonymous with that field. This is the case of Sig Socransky and the field of periodontal microbiology. Sig Socransky, or simply Sig, was born in Toronto, Canada and received his DDS degree from the University of Toronto in 1957.