This study aimed to evaluate the effects of aging on the evolution of Apical Periodontitis (AP) lesions in rats. Elderly males (study group, n = 12) and young males (control group, n = 12) Wistar rats were used. When the study group were 24 months old and the control group were 3 months old, AP lesions were induced by creating pulp exposure of the mandibular left first molars. After 21 and 40 days, the animals were euthanized and the mandibles were removed. The left hemi- mandibles were radiographed and the AP lesions of the mesial roots of the first molars were measured using ImageJ software (National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, USA). The AP lesions were significantly larger in the Elderly (E) group (p = 0.0006) compared to the Control (C) group (E 21: 218.8 ± 72.96, C 21: 94.77 ± 9.44, E 40: 237.8 ± 57.20, C 40: 85.23 ± 6.63). The lesions of the animals in the elderly groups were significantly larger than the lesions in the younger animals. These findings suggest that the bone and immunological changes caused by aging can influence the progression of AP lesions.

Diabetes mellitus has been regarded as a condition capable of influencing the evolution of periapical lesions. Therefore, this study evaluated the immunoexpression of IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-17 in apical periodontitis from type 2 diabetic patients through immunohistochemistry. Twenty-six periapical lesions were selected, and the images obtained through immunohistochemistry reactions were analyzed. The statistical significance was set at p < 0.05 . IL-1β expression was considered focal (54%), weak to moderate (38%), and strong (8%) in diabetics, and focal (46%), weak to moderate (31%), and strong (23%), in controls. TNF-α was focal (85%) and weak to moderate (15%) in diabetics, and focal (92%) and weak to moderate (8%), in controls. IL-17 was focal (8%), weak to moderate (46%), and strong (46%) in diabetics, and focal (62%), weak to moderate (8%), and strong (30%), in controls. The quantitative analysis revealed greater expression of IL-17, with a significant difference between IL-17 × IL-1β × TNF-α p = 0.0009 in the diabetic group. The cytokines IL-1β and TNF-α did not express statistical differences between the tested groups. The IL-17 showed higher immunoexpression in the diabetic group p = 0.047 , which may suggest higher bone resorption activity in chronic apical periodontitis in this group of patients.

Os distúrbios de coagulação, como hemofilia e doença de Von Willebrand, são caracterizados por mudanças nas respostas inflamatórias e na reparação de tecidos. As respostas inflamatórias podem estar envolvidas na destruição do osso perirradicular e / ou interferir nos mecanismos de reparo após tratamento endodôntico. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a prevalência de periodontite apical (PA) e tratamento endodôntico em diferentes distúrbios da coagulação. Radiografias panorâmicas (106 do grupo de estudo e 106 do controle) foram examinadas para a presença de lesões perirradiculares em dentes não tratados e tratados endodonticamente. O número de dentes e a prevalência de tratamentos endodônticos também foram registrados. Dois endodontistas avaliaram todos os itens separadamente. As análises estatísticas foram realizadas por meio do programa Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS), versão 21.0 (IBM, Armonk, NY, EUA) e o nível de significância estatística foi estabelecido em 5% (p <0,05). A prevalência de PA não foi significativamente diferente entre os grupos (p = 0,574). No entanto, as análises comparativas revelaram diferenças estatisticamente significativas em variáveis ​​como presença de tratamento endodôntico (p = 0,007), preenchimento adequado (p = 0,014), tratamento endodôntico com PA (p <0,0001) e presença de PA em dentes bem obturados e restaurados (p = 0,003). Os distúrbios da coagulação não influenciaram na manifestação da PA, porém afetaram as respostas inflamatórias e os mecanismos de reparo tecidual.