Prevalence and microscopic features of enamel pearls from permanent human molars

Enamel pearls are ectopic structures observed mainly on the roots of permanent teeth and could be related to periodontal diseases. Aim: To evaluate the prevalence of enamel pearls in extracted human molars and characterize their structures using light and scanning electron microscopy. Methods: The study comprised 2,201 extracted human permanent molars. The teeth were analyzed and classified according to morphological features. The presence, location and shape of enamel pearls were investigated. Fifteen human molars with enamel pearls were embedded in acrylic resin and observed by light microscopy. Results: Seventy-one enamel pearls were identified on third molar root. Microscopically, most pearls were composed of prismatic irregular enamel and normal dentin. The dentinoenamel junction presented an irregular course. The number of dentinal tubules was normal and they presented curvature to continue within the root dentin of the carrier tooth. Dentinal tubules below the enamel pearls were closer to each other. Conclusions: Scanning electron microscopic analysis revealed that the enamel pearls were similar to coronal enamel.

Prevalence and reasons for tooth loss in a sample from a dental clinic in Brazil

Purpose. To evaluate the prevalence and reasons for teeth extractions in a sample from a dental clinic in Brazil. Methods. The prevalence of teeth mortality was analyzed by gender, age, tooth type and reasons for extraction on 800 teeth of 439 subjects, whose data was collected in clinical records in a convenience sample. Results. The groups with range from 35 to 44 years, 45 to 54 years and 55 to 64 years revealed significantly greater number of teeth extractions than other age groups (P < 0.0001). The anterior teeth loss increased significantly with aging, while the tooth mortality of premolar and molar were higher in younger people. The caries was the more prevalent reason for tooth mortality among young and adults up to 44 years old, while the periodontal disease was the main reason for extractions from 45 years old until range of 81 years (P < 0.0001). Conclusions. It can be suggested that some reasons for tooth loss were age-dependent, but the caries and the periodontal diseases were the main reasons for tooth mortality in this Brazilian sample. Copyright © 2012 Andréia Montandon et al.

Influence of TNF-α blockers on the oral prevalence of opportunistic microorganisms in ankylosing spondylitis patients

Objectives: To compare the oral prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility of Candida spp., staphylococci, enterobacteriaceae, and pseudomonas spp.from ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients receiving conventional and anti-TNF-α therapy. Methods: The study included 70 AS patients, diagnosed according to the modified New York criteria (1984). The volunteers were divided into 2 groups: a biological group (AS BioG) (n=35) (on anti-TNF-α therapy) and a conventional group (AS ConvG) (n=35). The control group (ContG) (n=70) was made up of healthy individuals matched for age, gender, and oral conditions. After clinical examination, oral rinse samples were collected and plated in specific culture media. The number of colony-forming units per milliliter (cfu/ml) was obtained, and isolates were identified using the API system. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests were performed according to the NCCLS guidelines. Prevalence and counts of microorganisms were statistically compared between the 3 groups, using the Mann-Whitney and Chi-square tests. Significance level was set at 5%. Results: In both the AS BioG and the AS ConvG, staphylococci counts were higher than that in the ContG (p<0.0001). Candida albicans and staphylococcus epidermidis were the most commonly found species in all the groups. Serratia marcescens and klebsiella oxytoca were more prevalent in the AS BioG and the AS ConvG, respectively. Two Candida isolates (2.8%) from the AS BioG and 5 (10.8%) from the AS ConvG were resistant to amphotericin B and 5-fluorocytosine. A low percentage of staphylococci isolates was resistant to amoxicillin, ciprofloxacin, and doxycycline. Conclusion: Higher counts of staphylococci were observed in both AS groups, regardless of the current therapy, age, sex, and oral conditions. Anti-TNF-α therapy could not be correlated with increased counts of microorganisms. © Copyright CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL RHEUMATOLOGY 2012.

Potentially inappropriate medications used by the elderly: Prevalence and risk factors in Brazilian care homes

Abstract. Background: The use of potentially inappropriate medications (PIM) among the elderly is a serious public health problem because it is intrinsically linked to increased morbidity and mortality, causing high costs to public health systems. This study's objective was to verify the prevalence of and the factors associated with the use of PIMs by elderly Brazilians in institutional settings. Methods. We performed a transversal study, by consulting the case files of elderly people living in Long Term Care for the Elderly (LTC) in towns in the State of São Paulo, Brazil, as well as structured interviews with the nurses responsible for them.We identified PIMs using the list of recently updated Beers criteria developed by a group of specialists from the American Geriatrics Society (AGS), who reviewed the criteria based on studies with high scientific evidence levels. We defined the factors studied to evaluate the association with PIM use prior to the statistical analyses, which were the chi-square test and multiple logistic regression. Results: Among the elderly who used drugs daily, 82.6% were taking at least one PIM, with antipsychotics (26.5%) and analgesics (15.1%) being the most commonly used. Out of all the medications used, 32.4% were PIMs, with 29.7% of these being PIMs that the elderly should avoid independent of their condition, 1.1% being inappropriate medication for older adults with certain illnesses or syndromes, and 1.6% being medications that older adults should use with caution. In the multivariate analysis, the factors associated with PIM use were: polypharmacy (p = 0.0187), cerebrovascular disease (p = 0.0036), psychiatric disorders (p < 0.0001) and dependency (p = 0.0404). Conclusions: The results of this study showed a high prevalence of PIM use in institutionalized elderly Brazilian patients. and the associated factors were polypharmacy, psychiatric disorders, cerebrovascular diseases and dependency. © 2013 Lima et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

Prevalence of deciduous tooth erosion in childhood

Objectives: The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of deciduous tooth erosion and to identify possible associations with sex, age and toothbrushing frequency in children aged 4-6 years. Methods: The sample was drawn from attendants (n = 7058) of 57 public preschools in a Brazilian city. Tooth wear index was used to evaluate erosion. Descriptive statistical analysis consisted of the calculation of the prevalence of dental erosion; chi-squared and Fisher's exact tests were performed to verify the association between dental erosion and sex, age and toothbrushing frequency. Results: Two thousand and seven hundred and fifty-nine preschool students were examined. Deciduous tooth erosion was observed in 0.6% of children and its incidence did not differ between sexes. The highest prevalence was observed in children aged 6 years (58.3%) and the most affected sextants were the fourth (22.86%) and sixth (20.00%), indicating that lingual and occlusal tooth surfaces were most frequently involved. The degree of involvement was classified as incipient in 54.29% of children and moderate in 45.71%. The significance level was set at 5%. No association was found between erosion and sex, age or toothbrushing frequency. Conclusions: The prevalence of deciduous tooth erosion was low in Brazilian children, and this disorder is not considered a public health problem in this part of the population. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors among Latin American adolescents: a multilevel analysis

High blood pressure (HBP) and obesity is a well-established major risk factor for stroke and coronary heart disease. However, the literatures are scarce about these informations in adolescents from low-and-middle income countries. This school-based survey was carried out among students from Maringá (Brazil) and Buenos Aires (Argentina) selected random sampling. We studied 991 Brazilian adolescents (54.5% girls) in the age range of 14-18 years. In Argentina, we studied 933 adolescents (45.9% female) in the age range of 11-17 years. The outcomes of this study are general obesity, abdominal obesity and HBP. The associated factors analysed were gender, age and health behaviours. The prevalence of obesity was 5.8% in Brazil and 2.8% in Argentina, the prevalence of abdominal obesity was 32.7% in Brazil and 11.1% in Argentina, the prevalence of HBP was 14.9% in Brazil and 13.5% in Argentina. The multilevel analysis showed that older adolescents (>14 years old) have a little likelihood of being overweight, whereas male adolescents are more likely to be obese and have HBP. The abdominal obesity in both indicators were not associated with the independent variables. The prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors is high in Latin American adolescents independent of each country, and was associated with male gender.Journal of Human Hypertension advance online publication, 15 August 2013; doi:10.1038/jhh.2013.74.

Use of PCR to estimate the prevalence of Equus caballus papillomavirus in aural plaques in horses

Aural plaques occur on the skin of the medial surface of the pinnae of horses. In this study the presence of Equus caballus papillomavirus (EcPV)-3 and -4 DNA was assessed in 45 such plaques using a 'touchdown' PCR. Papillomaviruses (PVs) were detected in 62.3% (28/45) of samples: EcPV-3 and -4 DNA in 8.89% (4/45) and 37.78% (17/45) of samples, respectively, with 15.56% (7/45) of samples exhibiting co-infection. Viral DNA was not detected in 37.78% (17/45) of samples, suggesting the possible existence of other equine PVs. Neither EcPV-3 nor -4 were detected in negative control skin. This study is the first to evaluate the prevalence of these two viruses in equine aural plaques. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

Prevalence of neoplasia diagnosed in dogs at the veterinary hospital at eduardo mondlane university, mozambique

A retrospective study of tumors in dogs was carried out in the School Veterinary Hospital (HVE), Eduardo Mondlane University, Mozambique, between January 2004 and January 2009. Data from clinical-surgical records of tumor samples surgically removed, necropsy and cytological exams were used and sent for histopathology exams. During the study 210 tumors and about 27 different types of tumors were identified. Skin tumors (61.0%) were the most frequent, followed by mammary gland tumors (27.60%), reproductive system tumors (11.90%) and bone system tumors. The mammary gland tumors were observed only in females, with high prevalence in bitches which were not spayed or spayed after two years old. It was concluded that the neoplasia prevalence increase was correlated to the higher longevity of dogs, and breed also contributed for the development of determined tumors due to high incidence of mastocitomas in Boxer and German Shepherd breeds. The 100 % incidence of mammary gland neoplasia in females confirmed the higher predisposition for mammary gland neoplasia in females.

Molecular and serological prevalence of Babesia bovis and Babesia bigemina in water buffaloes in the north region of Brazil

Bovine babesiosis is a tick-borne disease caused mainly by Babesia bovis and Babesia bigemina, which are associated to considerable economic losses in cattle herds worldwide. Approximately 60% of buffalo herds in South America are located in Northern Brazil. Little is known about the impact of babesiosis on buffalo herds in Brazil. The present work aimed to verify the occurrence of B. bovis and B. bigemina in 542 water buffaloes in the state of Pará, Northern Brazil, using molecular and serological techniques. The percentage of seropositive animals for B. bovis and B. bigemina was 41.2% and 19.0%, respectively, by ELISA. B. bovis and B. bigemina DNA were detected in 15 and 16% of sampled buffaloes, respectively. A high correlation (Kappa index of 0.9) between serological and molecular tests suggests that the combination of the utilized techniques in the present study is suitable for babesiosis diagnosis in an endemic unstable area. Significantly difference of positivity for serological and molecular assays was verified to localities and reproductive status of sampled animals, but not between buffalo breeds. The immune status of sampled buffaloes associated to the circulation of babesiosis agents in sampled population suggests that the studied area is at risk to clinical babesiosis outbreaks. Furthermore, this study demonstrated that this region can be classified as endemically unstable. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

Prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii and Leishmania spp. infection in cats from Brazil

A total of 386 feline blood samples from Brazil were collected and analyzed by the indirect immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT) for the presence of Toxoplasma gondii and Leishmania spp. antibodies. Specific antitoxoplasma IgG were found in 63 of 386 (16.3%) cats and immunoglobulin G against Leishmania spp. was detected in two serum samples. The overall prevalence was significantly higher in adult cats than in juvenile cats for T. gondii infection. There were no significant differences between positivity and gender or breed. The frequency of T. gondii antibodies found in domestic cats of Brazil suggests active transmission within an urban environment. This study proved the occurrence of two important protozoan zoonosis in felines from Brazilian endemic area for visceral leishmaniasis. © 2013.

DECREASING PREVALENCE OF THE ACUTE/SUBACUTE CLINICAL FORM OF PARACOCCIDIOIDOMYCOSIS IN MATO GROSSO DO SUL STATE, BRAZIL

Com o objetivo de avaliar o comportamento da paracoccidioidomicose nas últimas três décadas, dados clínicos e epidemiológicos de 595 pacientes atendidos dentre 1980 a 2009 no Hospital da Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul foram estudados. Sexo, faixa etária, forma clínica, associação com tuberculose ou AIDS e mortalidade foram comparados por década em que a doença foi diagnosticada. Observou-se, nas três décadas do estudo, uma redução do percentual de mulheres, de pacientes do grupo de 20 a 39 anos, assim como de casos com a forma aguda/subaguda. Estas alterações estão intimamente relacionadas e podem ser analisadas simultaneamente. Houve aumento de casos de coinfecção com AIDS da primeira para segunda década, coincidindo com o surgimento da epidemia, e manteve-se estável durante a década seguinte. Não houve alteração da taxa de coinfecção com tuberculose, que no geral foi de 6,9% o que reforça a importância desta comorbidade. A taxa geral de mortalidade foi de 6,7% e também não variou entre as décadas estudadas. A manutenção da taxa de óbitos chama a atenção para a relevância dessa doença negligenciada.

Prevalence of high blood pressure in Brazilian adolescents and quality of the employed methodological procedures: systematic review

OBJETIVO:Revisar a literatura sobre estudos que estimaram a prevalência de pressão arterial elevada (PAE) ou hipertensão arterial sistêmica (HAS) em adolescentes brasileiros, considerando os procedimentos metodológicos empregados.MÉTODOS:Pesquisa bibliográfica de estudos de prevalência de PAE/HAS em adolescentes de 1995 a 2010. A busca foi realizada nas bases de dados eletrônicos PubMed/Medline, Lilacs, SciELO, Isi e Adolec. Foram utilizados os descritores: hipertensão, pressão arterial, adolescente, estudantes, estudos transversais, prevalência e Brasil, nas línguas portuguesa e inglesa. Além disso, foi elaborado um escore, baseado nas Recommendations for Blood Pressure Measurement in Humans and Experimental Animals e nas VI Diretrizes Brasileiras de Hipertensão, para a análise dos procedimentos utilizados para medida da PA nos estudos variando de 0 a 18.RESULTADOS:Foram identificados 21 artigos, a maioria publicada nos últimos 10 anos, sendo 90,5% realizados em base escolar e nas regiões sudeste, nordeste e sul do país. As prevalências de PAE/HAS variaram de 2,5 a 30,9%. A pontuação dos estudos variou de 0 a 16. Foi observada uma correlação negativa significante (rho = -0,504; p = 0,020) entre a prevalência de PAE/HAS e o escore da qualidade da medida da PA.CONCLUSÃO:A grande variabilidade das estimativas da PAE/HAS parece ser influenciada pelos procedimentos metodológicos utilizados nos estudos.

Prevalence of risk factors for stuttering among boys: analytical cross-sectional study

CONTEXTO E OBJETIVO:Há poucos estudos sobre os fatores de risco para os subgrupos de gagueira. O objetivo deste estudo foi caracterizar os fatores de risco para a gagueira desenvolvimental familial em meninos que gaguejam e que não gaguejam como tipologia das disfluências, fatores qualitativos e comunicativos associados, estresse físico e emocional, atitude familiar e reação pessoal.TIPO DE ESTUDO E LOCAL:Estudo transversal analítico com um grupo controle, realizado no Laboratório de Estudo da Fluência, que faz parte do Departamento de Fonoaudiologia de uma universidade pública.MÉTODOS:Pais de 40 meninos com e sem gagueira pareados por idade fizeram parte do estudo. Os participantes foram divididos em dois grupos: crianças com gagueira e crianças sem gagueira, com idades entre 6 anos 0 meses e 11 anos 11 meses Inicialmente todos os participantes foram submetidos a uma avaliação de fluência e depois os dados foram coletados por meio do Protocolo de Risco para a Gagueira do Desenvolvimento.RESULTADOS:Não foi observada diferença nos fatores de estresse físicos e reações pessoais entre os grupos. As atitudes inadequadas familiares foram apresentadas por 95% das crianças com gagueira e 30% das crianças sem gagueira. Quatro fatores de risco analisados não ocorreram nas crianças sem gagueira, a saber, disfluências gagas, fatores qualitativos, estresse físico e emocional.CONCLUSÕES:Os achados sugerem que a presença de disfluências gagas, fatores qualitativos e comunicativos associados, estresse emocional e atitude familiar inadequada são fatores de risco importantes para a gagueira desenvolvimental familial em meninos.

Prevalence of mesiodens in orthodontic patients with deciduous and mixed dentition and its association with other dental anomalies

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of mesiodens in deciduous and mixed dentitions and its association with other dental anomalies. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Panoramic radiographs of 1,995 orthodontic patients were analyzed retrospectively, obtaining a final sample of 30 patients with mesiodens. The following aspects were analyzed: gender ; number of mesiodens; proportion between erupted and non-erupted mesiodens; initial position of the supernumerary tooth; related complications; treatment plan accomplished; and associated dental anomalies. The frequency of dental anomalies in the sample was compared to reference values for the general population using the chi-square test (c²), with a significance level set at 5%. RESULTS: The prevalence of mesiodens was 1.5% more common among males (1.5:1). Most of the mesiodens were non-erupted (75%) and in a vertical position, facing the oral cavity. Extraction of the mesiodens was the most common treatment. The main complications associated with mesiodens were: delayed eruption of permanent incisors (34.28%) and midline diastema (28.57%). From all the dental anomalies analyzed, only the prevalence of maxillary lateral incisor agenesis was higher in comparison to the general population. CONCLUSION: There was a low prevalence of mesiodens (1.5%) in deciduous and mixed dentition and the condition was not associated with other dental anomalies, except for the maxillary lateral incisor agenesis.

Depressive symptoms and harmful alcohol use in hepatitis C patients: prevalence and correlates

Introduction It is important to understand the characteristics and vulnerabilities of people who have hepatitis C because this disease is currently an important public health problem. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of depressive symptoms and harmful alcohol use in patients with hepatitis C and to study the association between these outcomes and demographic, psychosocial and clinical variables. Methods This cross-sectional, descriptive and analytical study involved 82 hepatitis C patients who were being treated with pegylated interferon and ribavirin at a public university hospital. The primary assessments used in the study were the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test and the Beck Depression Inventory. Bivariate analyses were followed by logistic regression. Results The prevalence of depressive symptoms was 30.5% (n=25), and that of harmful alcohol use was 34.2% (n=28). Logistic regression analysis showed that individuals who were dissatisfied with their social support (OR=4.41; CI=1.00-19.33) and were unemployed (OR=6.31; CI=1.44-27.70) were at a higher risk for depressive symptoms, whereas harmful alcohol use was associated with the male sex (OR=6.78; CI=1.38-33.19) and the use of illicit substances (OR=7.42; CI=1.12-49.00). Conclusions High prevalence rates of depressive symptoms and harmful alcohol use were verified, indicating vulnerabilities that must be properly monitored and treated to reduce emotional suffering in this population.