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Sandhya Nagarakanti, Robert Orenstein Division of Infectious Diseases, Mayo Clinic Arizona, Phoenix, AZ, USACorrespondence: Sandhya Nagarakanti, Mayo Clinic Arizona, Division of Infectious Diseases, 577 East Mayo Boulevard, Phoenix, AZ, 85054, USA, Tel +1-480-342-0115, Fax +1-480-342-0689, Email Nagarakanti.Sandhya@mayo.eduAbstract: Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is a pressing health care issue due to the limited effectiveness of current treatments and high recurrence rates. Current available antibiotic options for CDI disrupt the fecal microbiome which predisposes recurrent CDI. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has improved the outcomes of recurrent CDI, but concerns surrounding the safety and standardization of the product persist. Microbiota-based live biotherapeutic products (LBPs), are emerging as potential alternatives to FMT for CDI treatment. This review explores the potential of LBPs as safe and effective therapy for CDI. While preclinical and early clinical studies have shown promising results, further research is necessary to determine the optimal composition and dosage of LBPs and to ensure their safety and efficacy in clinical practice. Overall, LBPs hold great promise as a novel therapy for CDI and warrant further investigation in other conditions related to disruption of the colonic microbiota.Keywords: Clostridioides difficile, microbiome, live biotherapeutic products, recurrence

Context: Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease in which periodontal tissues are damaged as a result of an imbalance in the oxidant/antioxidant systems. Melatonin is one hormone that controls circadian rhythms and is also an antioxidant and immune modulator., Aim: The present study was aimed to evaluate the effect of scaling and root planing (SRP) on salivary melatonin levels (SM) in patients with periodontal disease., Settings and Design: A single-center clinical trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of SRP on SM levels in patients with periodontal disease., Materials and Methods: Forty-five participants of age 30-60 years were equally divided into three groups: 15 healthy participants, 15 participants with gingivitis, and 15 participants with periodontitis. Unstimulated salivary samples were collected from all the participants at baseline and 1 month after SRP from participants of gingivitis and periodontitis group and SM levels were determined by commercially available ELISA kit., Statistical Analysis Used: Group comparisons were made using t -test. The level of significance was set at a P < 0.05 for all tests., Results: SM levels were significantly lower in the chronic periodontitis group. There was a significant improvement in clinical parameters and SM levels in both chronic periodontitis and gingivitis groups after SRP., Conclusion: This study determined that there is a negative correlation between SM levels and the severity of periodontal disease and showed a significant increase in SM levels after SRP, suggesting that melatonin might have a protective role against periodontal disease and can be considered as an effective biomarker., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2023 Indian Society of Periodontology.)

The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a pandemic that affected the overall mental health of the population. As seen in previous situations, there seemed to be an extreme impact of disasters on the mental health of pregnant women and new mothers; therefore, we investigated the relationship between COVID-19 and maternal mental health. The pregnant subjects were identified during the study period through convenience sampling. The study received Institutional Review Board approval and online surveys were sent to subjects via email. The questions were focused on feelings about being pregnant and the influence of the practices during the pandemic. Fifty-one (51) pregnant patients were identified. Our study found that 92.3% of the participants felt negatively, as the COVID-19 precautions did not permit their significant other to attend their routine prenatal visits with them. 64.7% felt that the visits were less personal, 100% felt that they had to take more precautions. Only 42% of the doctors of the subjects discussed how COVID-19 could affect the pregnancy and the baby. Pregnant subjects all had negative feelings towards the pandemic, routine precautions, and the inability to include significant others in prenatal visits and delivery. The majority did not feel their medical teams discussed how COVID-19 could affect the baby.

Background: The goals of periodontal therapy are to prevent the disease, arrest the disease progression, and regeneration of lost periodontium. Diode laser gained popularity in periodontal practice with a wide range of potential benefits., Aim: This study aims to evaluate and compare the clinical effects of laser-assisted open flap debridement (OFD) versus conventional OFD for the periodontitis treatment., Materials and Methods: A split-mouth, randomized clinical trial was conducted on fifteen participants with periodontitis having probing pocket depths (PPD) ≥5 mm. A total of 30 sites, two sites in each patient, were randomly divided into two groups. Group A received conventional OFD, and Group B received laser-assisted OFD. The assessment of PPD, relative attachment level (RAL), modified sulcular bleeding index (mSBI) was done at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months. Wound healing index (WHI) was assessed at 3 rd and 7 th day postsurgery, patient response to pain using visual analog scale (VAS) was assessed immediately, 1 day, and 1 week after surgery., Results: The results revealed a significant reduction in PPD, mSBI, and gain in RAL within the groups from baseline to 3 months and 6 months. Intergroup comparison showed a significant difference in PPD, RAL, mSBI, WHI and VAS scores., Conclusions: The use of 980 nm diode laser provided additional benefits over conventional flap therapy., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2022 Indian Society of Periodontology.)