BMC Oral Health最新文献

Background: This study investigated the effects of periodontitis and smoking on salivary interleukin (IL)-39, IL-41, IL-1β, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) levels. IL-39 and IL-41 are recently identified cytokines whose roles in periodontal inflammation remain largely unexplored. Clarifying their salivary profiles may provide new, non-invasive biomarkers for disease activity and tobacco-related modulation of the host immune response.

Methods: 88 participants were classified into four groups based on periodontal and smoking status. Unstimulated saliva samples were collected and analyzed for IL-39, IL-41, IL-1β, and TNF-α levels using ELISA. Clinical periodontal parameters were recorded, correlations between salivary cytokine levels and clinical parameters were assessed, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to evaluate diagnostic accuracy.

Results: Periodontitis patients exhibited significantly higher salivary IL-39, IL-1β, and TNF-α levels compared with periodontally healthy individuals (p < 0.001), whereas IL-41 showed no significant differences among groups. IL-39 and TNF-α demonstrated the strongest correlations with clinical periodontal parameters. ROC analysis revealed that IL-39 had the highest diagnostic accuracy for distinguishing periodontitis from health in both smokers (AUC = 0.861) and non-smokers (AUC = 0.808), while the diagnostic capacity of IL-1β was impaired in smokers.

Conclusions: Salivary IL-39 and TNF-α emerged as the most reliable biomarkers for distinguishing periodontitis from health, whereas IL-1β showed reduced diagnostic accuracy in smokers and IL-41 provided limited utility. These findings indicate that smoking primarily modulates the diagnostic performance rather than the absolute levels of salivary cytokines.

Trial registration: The current study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT06528522) on July 12, 2024.

Background: This study evaluates the potential of routine clinical photon-counting computed tomography (PCCT) of the cervical spine for opportunistic dental diagnostics.

Methods: Thirty-three patients undergoing routine PCCT were included in this study, with imaging performed at an average dose of 13 mGy. Images were reconstructed to a voxel size of 156 μm and a slice thickness of 0.4 mm. Quantitative image quality was assessed using the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) between dental structures, while qualitative assessment of structures like enamel, dentine, root canals, and cortical bone was conducted by two experienced readers using a five-point scale.

Results: The inter-reader reproducibility and intra-class correlation coefficient were excellent (all > 0.947). CNRs ranged from 1.6 to 6.1 for all relevant contrasts, and qualitative scores were excellent for all dental structures. Dental pathologies were detected in a significant portion of patients: caries-induced decay in 9 patients (27%) at 26 sites, apical lesions in 12 patients (36%) at 26 sites, and alveolar bone loss in 12 patients (36%) at 12 sites. At least one pathology was present in 23 patients (70%).

Conclusions: PCCT offers potential for opportunistic dental diagnostics, providing earlier detection of dental issues and potentially improving overall dental care outcomes.

Background: This study aimed to investigate the clinical prognostic factors of oral and maxillofacial Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH-OMF) and the dynamics of regulatory T (Treg) cells and M2 macrophages.

Methods: We retrospectively analysed nine patients who were definitively diagnosed with LCH-OMF and examined clinical factors including age, sex, disease type, lesion site, clinical findings, the presence or absence of central nervous system (CNS) risk lesions, other organ lesions, treatment methods and prognosis. Immunohistochemical and fluorescent immunohistochemical analyses were performed to investigate prognostic factors from a cell biological perspective regarding the mechanism of onset in these patients.

Results: None of the nine patients followed the previously reported clinical prognostic patterns, and no patient with lesions in cranio-maxillofacial bones within the CNS risk region developed CNS-related disease. One patient had multi-system LCH with risk organ involvement (MS [RO +]) and the poorest prognosis; in this case, an increase in Tregs in the LCH lesion may have caused tumour immunosuppression, suggesting an association with disease severity. Findings from this patient suggested that interleukin (IL)-10 secretion by M2 macrophages may be an initiating factor in the mechanisms that regulate tumour growth; however, this interpretation is hypothesis-generating and based on a small number of cases.

Conclusion: Assessing the prognosis of LCH-OMF requires a comprehensive consideration of the disease type, age, CNS-risk regions, risk organs, acute systemic inflammatory response, and skin involvement. A better understanding of IL-10 derived from Tregs and M2 macrophages in LCH-OMF and in LCH overall may enhance our comprehension of inflammatory dysregulation and Langerhans cell progression in LCH and could help to identify potential treatment strategies.

Background: Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a chronic metabolic disorder that has been linked to an increased risk of periodontal disease. Among the oral manifestations associated with DM, periodontal disease has been the most extensively studied. Dental calculus, which forms when dental plaque mineralizes over time, is known to trap biological substances and may preserve biochemical markers indicative of systemic health. Therefore, it could provide valuable information about patients' overall health. In this study, we analyzed the elemental composition of dental calculus in diabetic and non-diabetic (control) patients using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) combined with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), with a specific focus on potassium (K) content.

Patients and methods: We analyzed 57 dental calculus samples, including 17 from individuals diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and 40 from non-diabetic controls. The elemental composition was assessed using scanning electron microscopy paired with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX), targeting standardized 100 × 100 μm regions. Potassium content, along with other elemental data, was reported in both mass and atomic percentages.

Results: The results showed elevated potassium levels in diabetic patients compared to controls, with the difference reaching the treshold of statistical significance (0.484 ± 0.710 wt.% versus 0.186 ± 0.320 wt.%). A similar trend was observed in atomic percentage values (0.249 ± 0.387 versus 0.092 ± 0.174; p = 0.0555). Notably, potassium was present in 100% of the diabetic samples. Carbon and oxygen were the predominant elements in both groups, with the diabetic group exhibiting a slight increase in oxygen and lower levels of calcium and phosphorus.

Conclusion: These findings suggest that potassium concentration in dental calculus could serve as a potential biomarker for diabetes. They also highlight the feasibility of incorporating dental calculus analysis after routine dental treatments- which involve the removal of calculus-for early diabetes detection. This approach provides a cost-effective and painless alternative to traditional diagnostic methods. However, we note that while the data are still preliminary, the results indicate a potential biochemical link that warrants further exploration in larger, well-controlled studies.

Objective: Flowable composite resins are widely used in dentistry, and their biocompatibility is a critical factor. This study aimed to evaluate the cytotoxicity of flowable composite resins with different compositions using an MTT assay on L929 mouse fibroblast cultures.

Materials and methods: In this study, four types of flowable composite resins with different compositions were used: nanoparticle-containing (Filtek Supreme - FS), self-adhesive (Vertise Flow - VF), highly filled (G-aenial Universal Injectable - GUI), and fibre-reinforced (EverX Flow - EF) resins. A total of 28 disc samples (seven from each material), each with a diameter of 5 mm and a thickness of 2 mm, were prepared and polymerized. Five different dilutions (1:1, 1:2, 1:4, 1:8, and 1:16) of the test materials were added to the L929 mouse fibroblast culture medium. The effects of the test materials on cell viability were evaluated using the MTT assay at three different time points (24, 48, and 72 h). The optical densities of the cells were measured with a spectrophotometer. The calculated viability percentages (%) were statistically analysed along with their standard deviations. The effects of the materials' dose and incubation time on cell viability were evaluated using two-way ANOVA. A Bonferroni post hoc test was applied to determine which factor or interaction group the difference originated from (p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant).

Results: FS, GUI, and EF materials showed no cytotoxic effects at any of the tested concentrations and incubation times; cell viability was found to be above 70% under all conditions. In contrast, undiluted VF material showed cytotoxic effects at all time points, while the 1/2 concentration exhibited cytotoxicity at 72 h.

Conclusion: FS, GUI, and EF materials are considired to be biocompatible based on ISO 10993-5 criteria, However, the dose- and time-dependent cytotoxicity observed for the VF material limits its biocompatibility. This may be attributed to differences in monomer and filler composition, highlighting the importance of evaluating the biocompatibility of flowable composite resins before clinical use.

Background: Computer-Aided Design (CAD) combined with 3-dimensional (3D) printing technology has been extensively applied in the treatment of endodontic diseases. The goal of this novel report is to highlight a fully guided autotransplantation with CAD and 3D printing technology for treatment of tooth fracture.

Case presentation: The maxillary left first molar #26 had a vertical fracture that severely affected occlusion and life quality of the patient. Clinical examination showed an oblique crack across the mesiobuccal cusp and the distopalatal cusp of #26, cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) showed a vertical fracture line reaching the floor of pulp chamber, a subtle increase in the palatal periodontal ligament space, and hypodensity in the distobuccal apex area. Due to the strong desire to preserve natural tooth and financial considerations, the patient declined conventional prosthetic restoration and chose autotransplantation of mandibular left third molar #38 to the site of #26. A 3D printed guide was used to precisely prepare the extraction socket, facilitating the immediate and accurate autotransplantation of #38 into the site of #26. Root canal therapy was performed 3 weeks after surgery.

Results: During the 3-year follow-up, the patient could chew normally without any discomfortable feelings, X-ray radiographs showed a significant increase in bone density around the root and a superior periodontal ligament healing without root resorption.

Conclusions: For patients who do not choose prosthetic restoration due to socio-economic conditions, we propose tooth autotransplantation as an alternative treatment for tooth fractures under the help of modern CAD and 3D printing technology.