The prevalence of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, and Bacteroides forsythus in humans 1 year after 4 randomized treatment modalities

The relationship between probing attachment changes in treated periodontal pockets and the prevalence of selected periodontal pathogens was assessed in 10 patients with adult periodontitis 1 year following randomized therapy. All patients had at least 1 tooth in each quadrant with an inflamed pocket of probing depth > or =5 mm and clinical attachment loss and harbored at least one of the following 3 major periodontal pathogens: Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, or Bacteroides forsythus. The number of target organisms per site was determined preoperatively; at 1 week; and at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively utilizing DNA probes. The following clinical parameters were measured and recorded preoperatively and at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months post-treatment: gingival fluid flow, gingival index, plaque index, probing depth, probing attachment level, gingival recession, and bleeding on probing. One quadrant in each patient was randomly assigned to 1 of the following 4 treatments: 1) scaling and root planing; 2) pocket reduction through osseous surgery and apically-positioned flap; 3) modified Widman flap; and 4) modified Widman flap and topical application of saturated citric acid at pH 1 for 3 minutes. All 4 treatments were rendered in one appointment using local anesthesia. No postoperative antibiotics were used, but patients rinsed with 0.12% chlorhexidine for the first 3 months postoperatively and received a prophylaxis every 3 months. This investigation revealed: 1) 30.0% of the sites were infected by at least 1 species at 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively. 2) Failing sites were infected by a high number of both Pg and Bf These sites had a mean of 24.2+/-9.0 x 10(3) Pg and 93.1+/-42.0 X 10(3) Bf while stable sites had a mean of 6.8+/-0.5 x 10(3) Pg and 7.2+/-1.2 x 10(3) Bf (P = 0.06 and P = 0.05, respectively). 3) The infected sites lost significantly more mean clinical attachment at 12 months (1.5+/-0.5 mm compared to a loss of 0.2+/-0.3 mm for uninfected sites, P = 0.017). 4) The infected sites had a significantly greater BOP (67+/-14% versus 25+/-8% for uninfected sites at 12 months, P = 0.012). 5) The choice of treatment modality did not affect the prevalence of the target species at 1 year post-treatment. These results suggest that prevalence of microbial pathogens negatively affects the 1 year outcome of periodontal surgical and nonsurgical therapy.     

Serum antibodies to Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans and Porphyromonas gingivalis in juvenile periodontitis and adult periodontitis (part I)

Recent microbiological studies support the concept that specific gram negative bacteria play a major role in the etiology and pathogenesis of human chronic inflammatory periodontal disease. Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans has been isolated frequently from juvenile periodontitis and Porphyromonas gingivalis has been shown to be a prominent species in adult periodontitis in humans. The purpose of this study was to determine levels of the specific antibodies to A.actinomycetemcomitans and P.gingivalis in 17 patients with juvenile and 15 patients with adult periodontitis and 24 healthy subjects. IgG and IgM antibody titers against these antigens were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The levels of antibodies against A.actinomycetemcomitans were significantly higher in the juvenile periodontitis compared to the adult periodontitis patients and controls. Anti-P.gingivalis antibodies were elevated in adult periodontitis compared to juvenile periodontitis patients and controls.     

The effects of periodontal therapy on serum antibody levels to Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans and Porphyromonas gingivalis (part II)

Levels of IgG and IgM antibodies were estimated against Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans and Porphyromonas gingivalis were determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 17 patients with juvenile periodontitis, 15 with adult periodontitis and 24 healthy controls at the beginning of treatment and 3 to 8 months after periodontal therapy. After treatment, antibodies to A. actinomycetemcomitans and P.gingivalis had decreased in patients, but the levels were still significantly higher than in healthy controls. Whether or not an of antibody level against a specific bacteria changes after periodontal treatment is however, still debatable.     

Comparison of polymerase chain reaction and culture methods for detection of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans and Porphyromonas gingivalis in subgingival plaque samples

In a formerly drug-dependent patient of 35 years of age suffering from an advanced HIV infection there was a development within a period of a few months of rapid weight loss amounting to 12 kg, persistent subfebrile temperatures and progressive dyspnoea on exercise. The histological pattern obtained via bronchoscopy revealed not only pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, which had already been suspected clinically, but also a not very differentiated adenocarcinoma of the lung with lymphangiosis carcinomatosa. The patient died three months after tis diagnosis was established, which had been followed by the usual pneumocystosis therapy and palliative treatment with glucocorticoids.     

Molecular cloning and characterization of Porphyromonas gingivalis lysine-specific gingipain. A new member of an emerging family of pathogenic bacterial cysteine proteinases

The proteinases of Porphyromonas gingivalis are key virulence factors in the etiology and progression of periodontal disease. Previous work in our laboratories resulted in the purification of arginine- and lysine-specific cysteine proteinases, designated gingipains, that consist of several tightly associated protein subunits. Recent characterization of arginine-specific gingipain-1 (gingipain R1; RGP-1) revealed that the sequence is unique and that the protein subunits are initially translated as a polyprotein encoding a proteinase domain and multiple adhesin domains (Pavloff, N., Potempa, J., Pike, R. N., Prochazka, V., Kiefer, M. C., Travis, J., and Barr, P. J. (1995) J. Biol. Chem. 270, 1007-1010). We now show that the lysine-specific gingipain (gingipain K; KGP) is also biosynthesized as a polyprotein precursor that contains a proteinase domain that is 22% homologous to the proteinase domain of RGP-1 and multiple adhesin domains. This precursor is similarly processed at distinct sites to yield active KGP. The key catalytic residues in the proteinase domain of KGP are identical to those found in RGP-1, but there are significant differences elsewhere within this domain that likely contribute to the altered substrate specificity of KGP. Independent expression of the proteinase domain in insect cells has shown that KGP does not require the presence of the adhesin domains for correct folding to confer proteolytic activity.     

Cloning and sequencing of part of the S10 operon from Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans FDC Y4

Linear dye penetration was evaluated in teeth with open apices in which calcium phosphate cement was used as an apical barrier to facilitate obturation. The apical foramens of 42 extracted single-rooted human teeth were opened to a size 90 file. Half the teeth received apical barriers consisting of calcium phosphate cement (CPC) followed by obturation using a customized gutta-percha cone/ lateral condensation technique. The other half were obturated without benefit of apical barriers. Linear dye penetration was measured after 48 h exposure to India ink. The teeth receiving apical CPC barriers before obturation had significantly less dye penetration than teeth without apical barriers. Based on its proven biocompatibility and osteconductive potential, calcium phosphate cement may serve well as a replacement for calcium hydroxide in a single-visit immediate apical barrier apexification technique.     

Helicobacter pylori among preschool children and their parents: evidence of parent-child transmission

This study assessed the role of parental infection status in the transmission of Helicobacter pylori infection in a large population-based sample of preschool-aged children. The subjects, who lived in Ulm, Germany, and in two nearby communities, were screened for school fitness between January and July 1997. Their H. pylori infection status was determined by 13C-urea breath test. Of 1522 eligible children, 1221 (80.2%) participated in the study. Crude prevalence of H. pylori infection in children was 11.3% (95% confidence interval [CI], 9.5-13.3) and 36.4% in their parents (95% CI, 33.5-39.4). The crude odds ratio (OR) for H. pylori infection of children whose mothers were infected was 16.5 (95% CI, 8.9-30.8) and 7.9 after adjustment for potential confounders (95% CI, 4.0-15.7). The crude OR if the child's father was infected was 7.8 (95% CI, 2. 5-24.2) and 3.8 after adjustment for potential confounders (except maternal infection) (95% CI, 0.8-19.1). The results suggest that infected parents, especially infected mothers, may have a key role in transmission of H. pylori within families.     

The phytochrome family: dissection of functional roles and signalling pathways among family members

There is considerable evidence that individual members of the five-membered phytochrome family of photoreceptors in Arabidopsis have differential functional roles in controlling plant photomorphogenesis. Emerging genetic evidence suggests that this differential activity may involve initially separate signalling pathway branches specific to individual family members.     

Distributions of caregiving tasks among family members: The place of gender and availability.

To extend family-oriented approaches to caregiving, participants in 2 studies were asked to distribute tasks among a set of adult children, first with information only about gender and then with systematically varied information about commitments to paid work, marriage, and/or parenting. Making the distributions, using a computer-based program, were 2 groups of older adults (ages 60 to 90 years). In Study 1, gender composition was kept constant (2 sons and 2 daughters). In Study 2, it was varied. The results showed several ways in which people combine attention to gender and to availability. The results also pointed to the need to consider both the number and type of tasks allocated. The results are discussed in terms of implications for the way caregiving is regarded, the development of multiple-factor models for variations among family members, and the possible replications and extensions to other circumstances and populations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A meta-analytic review of internalizing, externalizing, and academic adjustment among children of deployed military service members.

Parental deployment during military conflicts has the potential to impact child adjustment. As increased numbers of military Service members have children, it is critical to understand the association between military deployment and child adjustment. In order to resolve inconsistencies in the existing literature, we performed a meta-analytic review of 16 studies that report associations of military deployment with internalizing, externalizing, and academic adjustment among children. Results indicate a small association between deployment and poorer adjustment. This association varied across several features of the studies. Age moderation was such that the associations are strongest in middle childhood and weakest during adolescence. The method that adjustment was assessed also moderated this association, such that maladjustment was evident primarily with parents' reports. Study design also moderated associations, such that comparisons to civilian controls indicated associations with maladjustment, whereas comparisons to nondeployed military and prepost comparisons did not. These findings summarize the existing quantitative literature to indicate that parental deployment has a negligible association with child maladjustment and provide a foundation for future research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Measuring treatment outcome and client satisfaction among children and families: A case report.

Formal assessment of client satisfaction and treatment outcome is more frequently being requested as a component of mental health services. This article outlines a treatment outcome and client satisfaction program implemented at the Children's Health Council, a private nonprofit mental health agency in Palo Alto, California, affiliated with the Stanford University Medical Center. The program was designed to be simple and inexpensive, and it is intended to serve as an example for other agencies and practicing professionals wishing to measure treatment outcome and client satisfaction. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Expressed emotion and subclinical psychopathology observable within the transactions between schizophrenic patients and their family members.

The authors examined whether young, recently discharged schizophrenic patients from high (n?=?34) and low (n?=?14) expressed emotion (EE) families differ in their level of subclinical symptomatology during a direct interaction task. Compared with patients from low-EE homes, patients from high-EE homes showed significantly more odd and disruptive behavior with family members. High-EE relatives were more likely than low-EE relatives to respond with criticism to the first unusual thought verbalized by the patient; when this occurred, the probability of a second unusual thought was augmented. Results suggest that high-EE family members may display negative attitudes toward patients in part because they are exposed to higher levels of unusual or disruptive behavior than low-EE relatives. The data also support a bidirectional, transactional model of the relationship between relatives' EE and patient psychopathology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Isolation of Porphyromonas gingivalis and detection of immunoglobulin A specific to fimbrial antigen in gingival crevicular fluid

The present study evaluated the prevalence of Porphyromonas gingivalis and the correlation between the bacterial culture method and the detection of immunoglobulin A (IgA) specific to the P. gingivalis fimbrial antigen in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF). P. gingivalis was isolated from 78.3% of subgingival plaque samples obtained from active sites and 34.7% of those from inactive sites of periodontal patients. P. gingivalis was isolated from only 4.7% of healthy subjects (control group). Immunoglobulins specific to the P. gingivalis fimbrial antigen were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The overall agreement between the results of the P. gingivalis culture method and the results of specific IgA detection in periodontal patients was 71.7% for active sites and 58.7% for inactive sites. IgA specific to P. gingivalis was absent in GCF from all of the sites of healthy subjects. The results suggest that P. gingivalis is associated with the local production of specific IgA. The detection of IgA antibodies specific to P. gingivalis in GCF by ELISA may be used as a predictive parameter to reveal the early phase of the activation of recurrent periodontal infections.     

Antimicrobial susceptibilities of Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella intermedia, and Prevotella nigrescens spp. isolated in Spain

The susceptibilities of 143 Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella intermedia, and Prevotella nigrescens isolates to 18 antimicrobial agents were tested. All P. gingivalis isolates were susceptible. In contrast, some Prevotella spp. (17%) were resistant to beta-lactams, erythromycin, clindamycin, or tetracycline and carried resistance genes, ermF or tetQ, or beta-lactamases.     

Epidemiology of encephalitis in children. A prospective multicentre study

We found 175 cases with acute encephalitis in a population of 791,712 children aged 1 month-15 years during a 2-year surveillance period in 1993-1994. The overall incidence was 10.5/100,000 child-years with the highest figure in children < 1 year of age, 18.4/100,000 child-years. The microbial diagnosis was considered proven or suggested in 110 cases (63%); varicella zoster, respiratory and enteroviruses comprised 61% of these, and adeno, Epstein Barr-, herpes simplex and rota viruses comprised 5% each. A clearcut change seems to have occurred in the aetiology of encephalitis. Mumps, measles, and rubella virus associated encephalitides have been almost eliminated. Varicella zoster, respiratory, and enteroviruses have increased in frequency and occur in younger age groups. New causes were identified, especially Chlamydia pneumoniae and HHV-6. Our data should assist in making a specific diagnosis and defining appropriate antimicrobial therapy. CONCLUSIONS: The spectrum of encephalitis in children has changed due to vaccination programs. The incidence, however, appears to be about the same due to increasing frequency of other associated old and new microbes.     

High school completion among Mexican-American children: Individual and family background variables.

Examined some of the potential differences between siblings of high school dropouts and persisters. Ss were 80 Mexican-American children in Grades 3–5; 40 siblings of drop outs and 40 siblings of persisters. Persisters were defined as students who had already graduated or who had reached the age of 16 and were making satisfactory progress in school. Variables examined included the younger S's expectation of completing high school, ratings of academic self-competence, school attitude, number of absences, and whether retention had occurred. Results indicate that Ss of dropouts reported a lower expectation of completing high school and had more absences than Ss of persisters. Elementary schools should integrate measures of absenteeism and expectancy in their identification of at-risk students. An examination of current school policies is recommended to assure that schools work to establish solid relationships with ethnic minority parents. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Concepts of family among children and adolescents: Effect of cognitive level, gender, and family structure.

Assessed the effects of age, cognitive level, gender, and family structure on 120 Ss' definitions of family, divorce, and adoption and their acceptance or nonacceptance as instances of family each of 21 human groupings that varied on biological, legal, and spatial relatedness. Affect was the most frequently mentioned criterion in definitions of family, especially among Ss who were older and at higher cognitive levels. Age and cognitive level effects were also found for Ss' definitions of divorce and adoption. Although mean acceptance rates were higher than 75% for several of the sets of human groupings as instances of family, age and cognitive level effects were found on Ss' acceptances of those groupings composed only of biological relatedness or of biological and spatial relatedness, and there were gender effects on Ss' acceptances of groupings composed only of legal ties or of legal and spatial ties. The general absence of family structure effects is discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Molecular cloning and structural characterization of the Arg-gingipain proteinase of Porphyromonas gingivalis. Biosynthesis as a proteinase-adhesin polyprotein

The identification of proteinases of Porphyromonas gingivalis that act as virulence factors in periodontal disease has important implications in the study of host-pathogen interactions as well as in the discovery of potential therapeutic and immunoprophylactic agents. We have cloned and characterized a gene that encodes the 50-kDa cysteine proteinase gingipain or Arg-gingipain-1 (RGP-1) described previously (Chen, Z., Potempa, J., Polanowski, A., Wikstrom, M., and Travis, J. (1992) J. Biol. Chem. 267, 18896-18901). Analysis of the amino acid sequence of RGP-1 deduced from the cloned DNA sequence showed that the biosynthesis of this proteinase involves processing of a polyprotein that contains multiple adhesin molecules located at its carboxyl terminus. This finding corroborates previous evidence (Pike R., McGraw, W., Potempa, J., and Travis, J. (1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269, 406-411) that RGP-1 is closely associated with adhesin molecules, and that high molecular weight forms of the proteinase are involved in the binding of erythrocytes.