We observed a predominance of IgA1 titers of 64 (45.5%) in saliva samples from chronic severe periodontal disease patients and titers averaging 512 (30.8%) in chronic moderate periodontal disease patients. We detected mRNA for IFN-gamma in six out of 10 chronic severe periodontal disease subjects and in two out of 13 chronic moderate periodontal disease patients. TNF-alpha expression was similar in both groups. Our data suggest that higher levels of IgA1 may exert partial protection of the periodontal tissue in chronic moderate periodontal disease diabetic patients when compared to severe periodontal disease. Despite the small number of patients, IFN-gamma expression had a trend association with severity of periodontitis and TNF-alpha gene expression did not correlate with severity of periodontal disease.

Abstract:The protective effect of the Synadenium carinatum latex lectin (ScLL), and the possibility of using it as an adjuvant in murine model of vaccination against American cutaneous leishmaniasis, were evaluated. BALB/c mice were immunized with the lectin ScLL (10, 50, 100 µg/animal) separately or in association with the soluble Leishmania amazonensis antigen (SLA). After a challenge infection with 10 6 promastigotes, the injury progression was monitored weekly by measuring the footpad swelling for 10 weeks. ScLL appeared to be capable of conferring partial protection to the animals, being most evident when ScLL was used in concentrations of 50 and 100 µg/animal. Also the parasite load in the interior of macrophages showed significant reduction (61.7%) when compared to the control group. With regard to the cellular response, ScLL 50 and 100 µg/animal stimulated the delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) reaction significantly (P < 0.05) higher than SLA or SLA plus ScLL 10 weeks after the challenge infection. The detection of high levels of IgG2a and the expression of mRNA cytokines, such as IFN-γ, IL-12, and TNF-α (Th1 profiles), corroborated the protective role of this lectin against cutaneous leishmaniasis. This is the first report of the ScLL effect on leishmaniasis and shows a promising role for ScLL to be explored in other experimental models for treatment of leishmaniasis.

Direct resin composite restoration of endodontically-treated permanent molars in adolescents: bite force and patient-specific finite element analysis Objective: To evaluate the influence of three levels of dental structure loss on stress distribution and bite load in root canal-treated young molar teeth that were filled with bulk-fill resin composite, using finite element analysis (FEA) to predict clinical failure. Methodology: Three first mandibular molars with extensive caries lesions were selected in teenager patients. The habitual occlusion bite force was measured using gnathodynamometer before and after endodontic/restoration procedures. The recorded bite forces were used as input for patient-specific FEA models, generated from cone-beam computed tomographic (CT) scans of the teeth before and after treatment. Loads were simulated using the contact loading of the antagonist molars selected based on the CT scans and clinical evaluation. Pre and post treatment bite forces (N) in the 3 patients were 30.1/136.6, 34.3/133.4, and 47.9/124.1.Results: Bite force increased 260% (from 36.7±11.6 to 131.9±17.8 N) after endodontic and direct restoration. Before endodontic intervention, the stress concentration was located in coronal tooth structure; after rehabilitation, the stresses were located in root dentin, regardless of the level of tooth structure loss. The bite force used on molar teeth after pulp removal during endodontic treatment resulted in high stress concentrations in weakened tooth areas and at the furcation. Conclusion: Extensive caries negatively affected the bite force. After pulp removal and endodontic treatment, stress and strain concentrations were higher in the weakened dental structure. Root canal treatment associated with direct resin composite restorative procedure could restore the stress-strain conditions in permanent young molar teeth.

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This study evaluated the effect of the use of glass ionomer cement (GIC) and flowable bulk-fill resin composite (BFRC) for filling pulp chambers and the type of high-speed handpiece light used on dentin removal during access preparation for endodontic retreatment in molar teeth. Twenty maxillary molars were treated endodontically. BFRC (Opus Bulk Fill Flow APS, FGM) was used to fill the pulp chamber and replace coronal dentin (n = 10). In the remaining teeth, the pulp chamber was filled with GIC (Maxion R, FGM). Conventional resin composite (Opallis, FGM) was used to restore the enamel layer in all teeth. The samples in each group were divided into two subgroups, and the root canals were reaccessed using a handpiece with white or ultraviolet light. The teeth were scanned using micro-CT before and after root canal reaccess. The dentin volume removed was calculated and analyzed using 2-way analysis of variance and Tukey’s test (α = 0.05). The crown and pulp chamber locations with dentin removal are described using frequency distribution. During the access, fewer pulp chamber walls were affected and a lower volume of dentin was removed from the pulpal floor in the group restored with GIC than in the group restored with BFRC. No effect was observed on the coronal dentin walls with respect to the filling protocols and type of light used. For dentin removal from the pulp chamber, handpieces with white light performed better than those with ultraviolet light, irrespective of the filling protocol used. The use of GIC to fill the pulp chamber and use of white handpiece light reduced dentin removal from the pulpal floor and resulted in fewer affected dentin walls.