Quantitative Detection of Enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis Subtypes Isolated from Children with and without Diarrhea

A rapid real-time PCR ( RT-PCR) approach was developed to detect the bft gene subtypes in Bacteroides fragilis isolated from fecal samples. DNA obtained from diarrhea (110) and nondiarrhea (150) samples was evaluated. Subtype 1 was observed in 9 (8.2%) diarrhea and 7 (4.7%) nondiarrhea samples. Subtype 2 was not detected in any DNA samples, and subtype 3 was observed in only 1 diarrhea sample. The presence of the bft-1 gene did not show any statistically significant differences between the groups of children. This technique could be used to evaluate a possible correlation between disease and the presence of B. fragilis enterotoxin.

Some factors associated with dental caries in the primary dentition of children with Down syndrome

Aim It is well reported in the scientific literature that there is a high level of periodontal disease and lower caries prevalence in Down Syndrome (DS) individuals, when compared with age-matched non DS individuals. This study was conducted to investigate the process of dental caries in DS children. Materials and methods In this study the following parameters were considered: oral hygiene habits, levels of Streptococcus mutans (SM) and Lactobacillus spp. (LB), Modified Gingival Index (MGI), and Simplified Oral Hygiene Index (OHI-S). A case group with DS children (n=69) and a control group of non DS children (n=69) were formed to perform this study Dental caries severity was determined using the DMFT index. Samples of non-stimulated saliva were collected to determine the Lactobacillus spp levels. For SM levels, MSB agar plates were used. Results The findings revealed that the case group attended, dental check-ups more frequently brushed their teeth more times per day, flossed less, and also more frequently had SM levels classified as ""high count"". The MGI was higher and the OHI-S was lower than the control group (p<0.001). Conclusion No significant differences were found between the DMFT indexes of children from the two groups (p=0.345). The logistic regression analysis showed that in the case group, age, MGI, and SM count were positively related to dental caries (p<0.05).