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Background: Periodontitis and cognitive impairment or dementia is relatively common among older adults. Few cross-sectional studies and some longitudinal studies have attempted to link oral health with dementia diagnosis or disease pathology but none has investigated the role of inflammation as a potential mediator., Objectives: This study was planned to establish a relation of inflammatory mediators between periodontitis and dementia., Materials and Methods: Fifty-five patients with severe periodontitis (range 60-69 years), 20 with dementia (10:10 M:F; range 59-69) and 32 healthy controls (range 58-69 years) were selected. The socio-demographic characteristics, physical health, oral health, education status, and medical status were measured. Serum C-reactive protein (CRP), matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-8, MMP-9, total IGF-I, free IGF-I and TNF-alpha and GCF MMP-8 &MMP-9 were calculated., Results: There was no significant difference between the three groups in the level of education, age, occupation, BMI, CAD, CHF and diabetes except dentate status. After adjusting for age, significant differences were found between patients and controls with respect to gingival inflammation, dental plaque, bleeding on probing and probing pocket depth. Total counts of WBCs, neutrophils, thrombocytic counts and serum CRP, MMP-8, MMP-9, TNF-alpha levels were significantly higher in dementia and periodontitis patients in contrast to healthy controls, while, RBC counts, total IGF-I and Hb levels were lowered in dementia and periodontitis patients in comparison to healthy controls, although higher in dementia as compared to periodontitis patients., Conclusions: This study data suggest a relationship of inflammatory mediators between periodontitis and dementia. Further exploration of this is warranted., (© 2010 The Gerodontology Society and John Wiley & Sons A/S.)

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), the key enzymes responsible for matrix degradation, are derived from polymorphonuclear leukocytes during the early stages of periodontitis. The present study determined the levels of GCF matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and salivary MMP-8 in patients with gingivitis and periodontitis and in healthy controls. Levels of crevicular MMP-2, MMP-9 and salivary MMP-8 were determined by ELISA in subjects with healthy gingiva (n = 15), gingivitis (n = 18) and periodontitis (n = 20). Significantly higher salivary MMP-8 and crevicular MMP-9 were observed in cases of periodontitis compared to gingivitis and healthy adults. On the other hand, crevicular MMP-2 levels in periodontitis subjects were lower than those in gingivitis and healthy subjects. The three MMP levels were highly correlated to probing depth, and bleeding on probing. Salivary MMP-8, crevicular MMP- 2 and 9 may serve as biomarkers of periodontal disease and aid in early detection of periodontitis or gingivitis.

Objectives : To compare the gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) myeloperoxidase (GM) levels in smokers and non-smokers. Materials and methods : This study comprised 45 subjects: (a) 12 smokers with periodontitis, (b) 10 non-smokers with periodontitis, (c) 11 smokers with healthy periodontium, and (d) 12 non-smokers with healthy periodontium were recruited for the study and their GM levels were analyzed. Results and conclusion : GM levels were significantly higher in smokers with periodontitis compared with others. Hence, more incidence of mutagenesis and cytotoxicity were noted at sites of inflammation mediated by GM in smokers compared with non-smokers.

Current projected missions to Mars will require 18 to 24 months of exposure to microgravity conditions, which might have serious effects on human physiology, including that of the oral cavity. Very few studies have been published on the effect of microgravity on the oral cavity, although it has been reported that microgravity increases the prevalence of periodontitis, dental caries, bone loss and fracture in the jaw bone, pain and numbness in teeth and oral cavity tissue, salivary duct stones, and oral cancer. Aeronautic dentistry is a new field, so further study of the effects of microgravity are required. In this article, we review the role of aeronautic dentistry in space missions and offer our recommendations for the future growth of this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Some cross-sectional and longitudinal studies attempted to link periodontitis with stress. To our knowledge, only one small study was published on the mechanism by which stress may influence periodontal diseases, suggesting behavioral and physiologic mechanisms and investigating the role of inflammation as a potential mediator. The present study is planned to explore the associations among periodontal disease, psychologic factors, and salivary markers of stress, psychoneuroimmunologic variables, and health behaviors. Methods: One hundred periodontitis patients were selected, and participants provided information on general health, chronic stress, and demographics. Stress markers (choromogranin A, cortisol, α-amylase, and (β-endorphin) were measured from saliva. A dentist assessed the presence of dental plaque on lingual and buccal surfaces, the gingival index, and the number of remaining teeth with periodontal disease. Results: Stress and salivary stress markers were significantly correlated with clinical parameters of periodontal disease (ranging from 0.19 to 0.59; P<0.001). Neglecting to brush teeth during stress was associated with missing teeth. After adjusting for stress variables, salivary cortisol and (β-endorphin were significantly associated with tooth loss and periodontal clinical parameters (P<0.001; R² = 0.59). Conclusions: This study suggests that stress might be associated with periodontal disease through physiologic and behavioral mechanisms. In making diagnoses of psychiatric patients, the association between salivary stress markers and periodontal disease needs to be included. Further exploration of relationships between periodontitis and stress is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Pesquisa Brasileira em Odontopediatria e Clinica Integrada is the property of Pesquisa Brasileira em Odontopediatria e Clinica Integrada Journal (Brazil) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Pesquisa Brasileira em Odontopediatria e Clinica Integrada is the property of Pesquisa Brasileira em Odontopediatria e Clinica Integrada Journal (Brazil) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Pesquisa Brasileira em Odontopediatria e Clinica Integrada is the property of Pesquisa Brasileira em Odontopediatria e Clinica Integrada Journal (Brazil) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)