The purpose of this study was to detect bacterial periodontal DNA from subgingival dental plaque and serum in patients affected by rheumatoid arthritis and periodontitis. The study group included 19 patients with periodontitis and refractory rheumatoid arthritis. The patients were clinically examined and diagnosed and the bacterial DNA was detected in the subgingival bacterial plate and serum by PCR. Severe chronic periodontitis was the most commonly diagnosed (42.2%). The DNA of periodontopathogenic bacteria was detected 100% in subgingival plate samples, and in serum samples it was identified in 84.2% of cases. The most commonly found species in subgingival plate samples were P. intermedia (100%), T. denticola (84.2%) and P. gingivalis (78.9%). In serum samples, the most frequently detected species were P. intermedia (89.4% and 73.6% respectively) and P. gingivalis (57.8% and 42.1%, respectively). A. actinomycetemcomitans and P. gingivalis did not show statistically significant differences between samples. This finding suggests that it could be an association because the same bacteria species detected in the serum were present in bacterial plaque samples. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis contain levels of oral pathogens in the serum and subgingival plaque that are common to red complex organisms, namely Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia and Prevotella intermedia.

Sutures are classified into non-absorbable and absorbable, and mechanical properties of these materials vary by the composition. In this study we analyze four different types of sutures used commonly in surgery: silk, nylon, polyglycolic acid (PGA) and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). The materials were chosen to represent a wide range of suture material categories: absorbable and nonresorbable, monofilament and multifilament, natural and synthetic in order to assess their mechanical properties but also the bacterial adherence to each type. The objective of this study was to measure the total bacterial adherence by using real time PCR at 7 days postop and to analyze the antibacterial and mechanical properties comparatively depending on the type and composition of sutures. Tensile properties such as maximum tensile load, elongation rate, stiffness and energy absorbed before breakage were taken into consideration. Experimental determination pointed out that the average total bacterial load was lowest for PTFE and highest for silk. The results of the study are useful in choosing an appropriate suture wire according to the mechanical properties taking into account the bacterial load of the surgical site in order to aid in tissue repair.

Oncogenic viruses are recognized to be involved in some cancers, based on very well-established criteria of carcinogenicity. For cervical cancer and liver cancer, the responsible viruses are well-known (e.g., HPV, HBV); in the case of skin cancer, there are still many studies which are trying to identify the possible viral etiologic agents as principal co-factors in the oncogenic process. We analysed scientific literature published in the last 5 years regarding mechanisms of carcinogenicity, methods of detection, available targeted therapy, and vaccination for Merkel cell polyomavirus, and beta human papillomavirus types, in relation to skin cancer. This review is targeted at presenting the recent findings which support the involvement of these viruses in the development of some types of skin cancers. In order to optimize the management of skin cancer, a health condition of very high importance, it would be ideal that the screening of skin cancer for these two analysed viruses (MCPyV and beta HPV types) to be implemented in each region’s/country’s cancer centres’ molecular detection diagnostic platforms, with multiplex viral capability, optimal sensitivity, and specificity; clinically validated, and if possible, at acceptable costs. For confirmatory diagnosis of skin cancer, another method should be used, with a different principle, such as immunohistochemistry, with specific antibodies for each virus.

Objective: This study aimed to identify possible differences between blood culture-negative and blood culture-positive groups of infective endocarditis (IE), and explore the associations between biological parameters and in-hospital mortality. Methods: This was a retrospective study of patients hospitalized for IE between 2007 and 2017. Epidemiological, clinical and paraclinical characteristics, by blood culture-negative and positive groups, were collected. The best predictors of in-hospital mortality based on the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analysis and AUC (area under the curve) results were identified. Results: A total of 126 IE patients were included, 54% with negative blood cultures at admission. Overall, the in-hospital mortality was 28.6%, higher in the blood culture-negative than positive group (17.5% vs. 11.1%, p = 0.207). A significant increase in the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease Excluding International Normalized Ratio (MELD-XI) score was observed in the blood culture-negative group (p = 0.004), but no baseline characteristics differed between the groups. The best laboratory predictors of in-hospital death in the total study group were the neutrophil count (AUC = 0.824), white blood cell count (AUC = 0.724) and MELD-XI score (AUC = 0.700). Conclusion: Classic laboratory parameters, such as the white blood cell count and neutrophil count, were associated with in-hospital mortality in infective endocarditis. In addition, MELD-XI was a good predictor of in-hospital death.

Oral microbiota have shown a higher bacterial diversity in patients with cancers of the digestive tract, with higher levels of periopathogens. Recent studies have shown that Fusobacterium links to gastro-intestinal neoplastic tissue and accelerates its progression, as well as worsening patient outcome. The present pilot study was carried out between February and December 2020 to evaluate the possible association between the abundance of some periopathogens (Fusobacterium nucleatum, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Treponema denticola and Tannerella forsythia) in subgingival plaque and periodontal status with characteristics of gastric cancer. The study was performed on a sample of 24 patients with gastric cancer from the 1st Department of Surgery and Department of Gastroenterology within the Clinical County Hospital of Emergency of Craiova, Romania. The patients’ oral cavity was examined, gingival crevicular samples were collected, and signs of periodontal disease were recorded. On the histopathological exam, the differentiation grade and size of the tumour were registered. Our results showed that, from the periopathogens studied, the most abundant bacteria were F. nucleatum followed by T. forsythia in all groups. In our present study, the strong correlation between tumour dimension and all periodontal parameters but also between tumour dimension and F. nucleatum could suggest a positive association between periodontal disease, tumoral growth and periopathogens implication in this process.