Relationship between levels of neuropeptide Substance P in periodontal disease and chronic pain: a literature review

The aim of the current review was to investigate the relationship between levels of neuropeptide Substance P in periodontal disease and chronic pain. Substance P is a neuropeptide that is directly related with pain. In periodontal disease, it is expressed during the inflammatory process, and is one of the factors responsible for bone resorption. Studies have shown that Substance P levels are highest in the gingival crevicular fluid from sites with active periodontal disease and bone loss. The persistence of these substances could be sufficient to stimulate neurogenic inflammation in susceptible tissues, and cause pain. The scientific literature shows that Substance P expressed during periodontal disease can be a risk factor for patients with systemic inflammatory pathologies, such as chronic arthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. Additional research is needed to confirm the participation of this substance in the origin of some types of chronic pain.

Factors associated with temporomandibular disorders pain in adolescents

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Long-term follow-up in sacroiliac joint pain patients treated with radiofrequency ablative therapy

Sacroiliac joint (SIJ) pain is responsible for up to 40% of all cases of lumbar back pain. Objective Report the long-term efficacy of radiofrequency denervation for sacroiliac joint pain at six, twelve and eighteen months. Method Third-two adults’ patients with sacroiliac join pain diagnosis were included for a prospective study. Primary outcome measure was pain intensity on the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS). Secondary outcome measure was Patient Global Impression of Change Scale (PGIC). Results Short-term pain relief was observed, with the mean NRS pain score decreasing from 7.7 ± 1.8 at baseline to 2.8 ± 1.2 at one month and to 3.1 ± 1.9 at six months post-procedure (p < 0.001). Long-term pain relief was sustained at twelve and eighteen months post-procedure, with NRS pain remaining at 3.4 ± 2.1 and 4.0 ± 2.7, respectively. Conclusion Radiofrequency denervation of the SIJ can significantly reduce pain in selected patients with sacroiliac syndrome.

Prevalence of low back pain and associated factors in adults from a middle-size Brazilian city

Objective: To determine the prevalence of low back pain and some related variables among adults of both genders. Methods: Was conduct a cross-sectional study of population-based in the urban area of Presidente Prudente, São Paulo. The sample consisted of 743 adult residents for over two years in this city. Low back pain, quality of sleep and physical activity were collected through face to face interview at the residence of respondents. Was used the chi-square test to analyze the association between variables, later was created tree multivariate models with hierarchical inclusion of confounding factors. Results: The prevalence of low back pain reported last year was 50.2% (95% CI: 46.6, 53.8), and the last week 32.3% (95% CI: 28.9, 35.6). Was association among low back pain and females (p-value = 0.031), older age, lower education, altered sleep and overweight, the adjusted model found that people over the age of 45 years (45 to 59.9 years, OR = 13.1 [1.72-98.5] and ≥ 60 years, OR = 9.10 [1.15-71.7]), with some alteration of sleep (OR = 3.21 [1.84-5.61]) and obese (OR = 2.33 [1:26 to 4:33]) seems to be a risk group for low back pain. Conclusion: The prevalence of low back pain is high and obese people aged over 45 years, with any sleep disturbance are a group at higher risk for low back pain.

Relationship between therapeutic alliance and deep abdominal muscle recruitment in nonspecific low back pain sufferers

Chronic low back pain is a difficult condition to be treated. As some patients respond positively to treatment and others do not present any improvements, one can think there are others conditional factors that need to be elucidated. By means of this study, we sought to investigate the association between the occurrence of the formation of a positive relationship between patient and therapist, assessed by the therapeutic alliance inventory, and the adequate recruitment of the deep abdominal muscles, as well as to verify the effect of a protocol intervention based on motor control exercises on levels of pain and disability. The recruitment of the transverse abdominal and internal oblique muscles was examined by ultrasound imaging in 12 subjects with nonspecific chronic low back pain before and after implementation of a protocol for motor control exercises, with subsequent application of the therapeutic alliance inventory questionnaire. No association was found between the level of therapist/patient alliance and muscle recruitment. The proposed protocol was effective in reducing the levels of pain and disability; however, recruitment of transverse abdominal and internal oblique muscles showed no significant changes in the end of the intervention. Based on these findings, we verified that the therapeutic alliance has no association with muscle recruitment in the short term. However, although there were no changes in muscle recruitment after the intervention program, the level of pain and disability was reduced.

A visceral azulejaria de Adriana Varejão

Pós-graduação em Artes - IA

Relação entre presença de anticorpos anti-leishmania spp. e carga parasitária em sangue de cães de área endêmica para leishmaniose visceral

Pós-graduação em Ciência Animal - FMVA

Imunofenótipos de linfócitos T no sangue e no liquor de cães com leishmaniose visceral: correlação com as lesões encefálicas

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Infecção de Lutzomyia longipalpis por leishmania spp. em área urbana endêmica para leishmaniose visceral no Estado de São Paulo, Brasil

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Avaliação das lesões encefálicas e fenotipagem de linfócitos T e células dentríticas em linfócitos de cães com leishmaniose visceral

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

The involvement of TLR2 and TLR4 in cytokine and nitric oxide production in visceral leishmaniasis patients before and after treatment with anti-leishmanial drugs

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Refinement and partial validation of the UNESP-Botucatu multidimensional composite pain scale for assessing postoperative pain in horses

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Sex hormones change visceral pigmentation in Eupemphix nattereri (Anura): effects in testicular melanocytes and hepatic melanomacrophages

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Functional neurologic recovery in two dogs diagnosed with severe luxation of the vertebral column

Traumatic injuries to the vertebral column, spinal cord, and cauda equina nerve roots occur frequently in human and veterinary medicine and lead to devastating consequences. Complications include partial or complete loss of motor, sensory, and visceral functions, which are among the main causes of euthanasia in dogs. The present case report describes neurological functional recovery in two dogs that were treated surgically for severe spinal fracture and vertebral luxation. In the first case, a stray, mixed breed puppy was diagnosed with thoracolumbar syndrome and Schiff-Scherrington posture, as well as a T13 caudal epiphyseal fracture with 100% luxation between vertebrae T13 and L1; despite these injuries, the animal did show deep pain sensation in the pelvic limbs. Decompression through hemilaminectomy and spinal stabilization with vertebral body pins and bone cement were performed, and the treatment was supplemented with physiotherapy and acupuncture. In the second case, a mixed breed dog was diagnosed with a vertebral fracture and severe luxation between L6 and L7 after a vehicular trauma, but maintained nociception and perineal reflex. Surgical stabilization of the spine was performed using a modified dorsal segmental fixation technique Both patients showed significant recovery of neurological function. Complete luxation of the spinal canal observed radiographically does not mean a poor prognosis, and in some cases, motor, sensory, and visceral functions all have the potential for recovery. In the first case the determining factor for good prognosis was the presence of deep pain perception, and in the second case the prognosis was determined by the presence of sensitivity and anal sphincter tone during the initial neurological examination.

The relationship between obesity, low back pain, and lumbar disc degeneration when genetics and the environment are considered: a systematic review of twin studies

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: The relationships between obesity and low back pain (LBP) and lumbar disc degeneration (LDD) remain unclear. It is possible that familial factors, including genetics and early environment, affect these relationships.PURPOSE: To investigate the relationship between obesity-related measures (eg, weight, body mass index [BMI]) and LBP and LDD using twin studies, where the effect of genetics and early environment can be controlled.STUDY DESIGN: A systematic review with meta-analysis.METHODS: MEDLINE, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science, and EMBASE databases were searched from the earliest records to August 2014. All cross-sectional and longitudinal observational twin studies identified by the search strategy were considered for inclusion. Two investigators independently assessed the eligibility, conducted the quality assessment, and extracted the data. Metaanalyses (fixed or random effects, as appropriate) were used to pool studies'estimates of association.RESULTS: In total, 11 articles met the inclusion criteria. Five studies were included in the LBP analysis and seven in the LDD analysis. For the LBP analysis, pooling of the five studies showed that the risk of having LBP for individuals with the highest levels of BMI or weight was almost twice that of people with a lower BMI (odds ratio [OR] 1.8; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.6-2.0; I-2 = 0%). A dose-response relationship was also identified. When genetics and the effects of a shared early environment were adjusted for using a within-pair twin case-control analysis, pooling of three studies showed a reduced but statistically positive association between obesity and prevalence of LBP (OR 1.5; 95% CI 1.1-2.1; I-2 = 0%). However, the association was further diminished and not significant (OR 1.4; 95% CI 0.8-2.3; I-2 = 0%) when pooling included two studies on monozygotic twin pairs only. Seven studies met the inclusion criteria for LDD. When familial factors were not controlled for, body weight was positively associated with LDD in all five cross-sectional studies. Only two cross-sectional studies investigated the relationship between obesity-related measures and LDD accounting for familial factors, and the results were conflicting. One longitudinal study in LBP and three longitudinal studies in LDD found no increase in risk in obese individuals, whether or not familial factors were controlled for.CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this review suggest that genetics and early environment are possible mechanisms underlying the relationship between obesity and LBP; however, a direct causal link between these conditions appears to be weak. Further longitudinal studies using the twin design are needed to better understand the complex mechanisms underlying the associations between obesity, LBP, and LDD.