adam, Author at IAOMT Library

Removal of dental amalgam decreases anti-TPO and anti-Tg autoantibodies in patients with autoimmune thyroiditis.

OBJECTIVES:
The impact of dental amalgam removal on the levels of anti-thyroid peroxidase (anti-TPO) and anti-thyroglobulin (anti-Tg) antibodies was studied in patients with autoimmune thyroiditis (AT) with and without mercury allergy.

METHODS:
Thirty-nine patients with AT were tested by an optimized lymphocyte proliferation test MELISA for allergy (hypersensitivity) to inorganic mercury. Patients were divided into two groups: Group I (n = 12) with no hypersensitivity to mercury and Group II (n = 27) with hypersensitivity to mercury. Amalgam fillings were removed from the oral cavities of 15 patients with hypersensitivity to mercury (Group IIA) and left in place in the remaining 12 patients (Group IIB). The laboratory markers of AT, anti-TPO and anti-Tg autoantibodies, were determined in all groups at the beginning of the study and six months later.

RESULTS:
Compared to levels at the beginning of the study, only patients with mercury hypersensitivity who underwent amalgam replacement (Group IIA) showed a significant decrease in the levels of both anti-Tg (p=0.001) and anti-TPO (p=0.0007) autoantibodies. The levels of autoantibodies in patients with or without mercury hypersensitivity (Group I and Group IIB) who did not replace amalgam did not change.

CONCLUSION:
Removal of mercury-containing dental amalgam in patients with mercury hypersensitivity may contribute to successful treatment of autoimmune thyroiditis.

By Sterzl I, Prochazkova J, Hrda P, Matucha P, Bartova J, Stejskal V.|2018-07-31T21:24:41+00:00January 1st, 2006|Mercury|

Overview of the clinical toxicity of mercury.

Mercury is ubiquitous in the environment and therefore every human being, irrespective of age and location, is exposed to one form of mercury or another. The major source of environmental mercury is natural degassing of the earth’s crust, but industrial activities can raise exposure to toxic levels directly or through the use or misuse of the liquid metals or synthesized mercurial compounds. The aim of this review is to survey differences in human exposure and in the toxicology of different forms of mercury. It covers not only symptoms and signs observed in poisoned individuals by a clinician but also subclinical effects in population studies, the final evaluation of which is the domain of statisticians.

By Magos L, Clarkson TW.|2018-07-25T20:17:12+00:00January 1st, 2006|Mercury|

LTT-MELISA (R) is clinically relevant for detecting and monitoring metal sensitivity.

OBJECTIVES:

Chronic low-level metal exposure may result in metal sensitization and undesirable side-effects. The main sources of metal exposure are from the environment or from corrosion of dental metal alloys. Affected patients are routinely diagnosed with the epicutaneous (patch) test. However, such testing may induce false-positive (irritative) reactions and may in itself sensitize or exacerbate symptoms. Alternatively, MELISA (Memory Lymphocyte ImmunoStimulation Assay), an optimized lymphocyte transformation test (LTT), can be used. In this study we analyzed the overall frequency and distribution of metal sensitization among symptomatic, metal-exposed patients. In addition, we determined the reproducibility of the assay and assessed its clinical relevance for detecting and monitoring hypersensitivity to metals.

METHODS:

To analyze the frequency and distribution of metal sensitization, blood from 700 consecutive patients was tested against a total of 26 metals in the validated LTT-MELISA. For reproducibility testing, 391 single metal tests from 63 patients were performed in parallel. Finally, to assess clinical relevance, 14 patients with known metal exposure showing local (dry mouth, Oral Lichen Planus, Burning Mouth Syndrome, eczema) and/or systemic (chronic infections, fatigue, autoimmune disorders, central nervous system disturbances, depression) effects were tested in LTT-MELISA. In 7 cases testing was repeated following removal of the allergy-causing metals or, in 2 additional cases, without therapeutic intervention.

RESULTS:

Of the 700 patients tested, 74.6% responded to >/= 1 metal in LTT-MELISA, with a subgroup of 17.9% responding to >/= 3 metals. Reactivity was most frequent to nickel (68.2%), followed by cadmium (23.7%), gold (17.8%), palladium (12.7%), inorganic mercury (11.4%), molybdenum (10.8%), beryllium (9.7%), titanium dioxide (4.2%), lead (3.7%), and platinum (3.4%). Reproducibility was 94.9%, with most discordant results in a low-positive range. Removal of the alloys or prostheses containing allergenic metals resulted in remarkable clinical improvement correlating with a significant reduction or complete normalization of specific lymphocyte reactivity. In contrast, both LTT-MELISA reactivity and clinical symptoms remained unchanged in follow-up samples from the 2 patients who did not remove the source of metal exposure.

CONCLUSION:

The optimized LTT-MELISA test is a clinically useful and reliable tool for identifying and monitoring metal sensitization in symptomatic metal-exposed individuals.

By Valentine-Thon E, Muller K, Guzzi G, Kreisel S, Ohnsorge P, Sandkamp M.|2020-01-18T19:03:16+00:00January 1st, 2006|Other|

Professional flossing is effective in reducing interproximal caries risk in children who have low fluoride exposures.

The treatment comparisons of interest included flossing versus no flossing, or a comparison of different frequencies of flossing use. Studies where the effect of flossing could not be separated from the effects of other treatments were excluded. The primary study outcome was a measure of caries incidence. There were no restrictions with respect to the study population. Study designs were limited to con-trolled clinical trials.

By Longbottom C.|2018-07-25T18:28:14+00:00January 1st, 2006|Fluoride|

Legal aspects of fluoride in salt, particularly within the EU.

In seven European countries there are national legal regulations, or salt producers have obtained individual authorisations, for the production and marketing of fluoridated edible salt. On the basis of EU mutual recognition rules, there are other countries which import fluoridated edible salt. All European countries practise salt fluoridation on a voluntary basis. In the near future, a European regulation is expected to supersede the national conditions.

By Gotzfried F.|2018-07-21T17:22:08+00:00January 1st, 2006|Fluoride|

One in a million: the first community trial of water fluoridation.

Annual examination of selected samples of children continuously resident in Grand Rapids continued for 15 years. Muskegon remained the non-fluoridated control city until July 1951, at which time, in response to the observed effects in Grand Rapids, city officials decided to fluoridate the supply in Muskegon also.

By Lennon MA.|2018-07-25T18:09:28+00:00January 1st, 2006|Fluoride|

Treatment of health complaints attributed to amalgam.

The aim of the present study was to compare the reduction of subjective complaints by 3 treatment strategies in 90 “amalgam patients” whose complaints could not be explained by a medical or psychological disorder. The individuals were randomly assigned either to removal of dental amalgam only (removal group), or removal in combination with a “biological detoxification” therapy with high doses of vitamins and trace elements (removal-plus group), or participation in a health promotion program without removal of dental amalgam (no-removal group). Between baseline and month 12, the sum score of main complaints decreased by 3.5 (SD=2.2) points on average in the removal group as well as in the removal-plus group, and by 2.5 (SD=2.4) points in the no-removal group (p=0.152). Both removal groups showed a significant decrease in steady-state levels of inorganic mercury compared with the no-removal group. Thus, all 3 interventions were associated with clinically relevant improvements.

By Melchart D, Vogt S, Köhler W, Streng A, Weidenhammer W, Kremers L, Hickel R, Felgenhauer N, Zilker T, Wühr E, Halbach S.|2018-07-26T16:53:46+00:00January 1st, 2006|Mercury|

Detection of diverse bacterial signatures in atherosclerotic lesions of patients with coronary heart disease

BACKGROUND:

Bacterial infection has been discussed as a potential etiologic factor in the pathophysiology of coronary heart disease (CHD). This study analyzes molecular phylogenies to systematically explore the presence, frequency, and diversity of bacteria in atherosclerotic lesions in patients with CHD.

METHODS AND RESULTS:

We investigated 16S rDNA signatures in atherosclerotic tissue obtained through catheter-based atherectomy of 38 patients with CHD, control material from postmortem patients (n=15), and heart-beating organ donors (n=11) using clone libraries, denaturating gradient gel analysis, and fluorescence in situ hybridization. Bacterial DNA was found in all CHD patients by conserved PCR but not in control material or in any of the normal/unaffected coronary arteries. Presence of bacteria in atherosclerotic lesions was confirmed by fluorescence in situ hybridization. A high overall bacterial diversity of >50 different species, among them Staphylococcus species, Proteus vulgaris, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Streptococcus species, was demonstrated in >1500 clones from a combined library and confirmed by denaturating gradient gel analysis. Mean bacterial diversity in atheromas was high, with a score of 12.33+/-3.81 (range, 5 to 22). A specific PCR detected Chlamydia species in 51.5% of CHD patients.

CONCLUSIONS:

Detection of a broad variety of molecular signatures in all CHD specimens suggests that diverse bacterial colonization may be more important than a single pathogen. Our observation does not allow us to conclude that bacteria are the causative agent in the etiopathogenesis of CHD. However, bacterial agents could have secondarily colonized atheromatous lesions and could act as an additional factor accelerating disease progression.

By Ott SJ, El Mokhtari NE, Musfeldt M, Hellmig S, Freitag S, Rehman A, Kuhbacher T, Nikolaus S, Namsolleck P, Blaut M, Hampe J.|2019-06-02T01:38:48+00:00January 1st, 2006|Other|

Fluoride poisoning of horses from artificially fluoridated drinking water.

On a farm in Pagosa Springs, Colorado, Quarter horses consuming artificially fluoridated water (up to 1.3 ppm F) for extended periods of time developed classical symptoms of chronic fluoride intoxication including dental fluorosis, crooked legs, hyperostosis and enostosis, hoof deformities, and microscopic evidence of reduced bone resorption. These symptoms began to appear about two years after fluoridation started in 1985 and gradually became more severe. Representative postmortem F concentrations in dry matter bone were: 587 ppm in a 20-year-old gelding drinking F water for the last 10 years; 936 ppm in a 17-year-old gelding on F water for the last 11 years; and 757 ppm in a 21-year-old mare on F water all her life. Blood serum thyroxin in a 19-year old mare (T4) was “very low”, and interference with reproduction was noted after five years. Radiographs of the third metacarpal bone revealed osteomegaly with thick lamellae from both ends extending throughout the medullary space. The levels of F ingestion and the bone F concentrations of these horses are far below those claimed to cause F intoxication in cattle. After fluoridation was terminated on March 29, 2005, colic gradually ceased and other significant improvements have occurred.

By Krook LP, Justus C.|2018-07-25T00:57:17+00:00January 1st, 2006|Fluoride|

Water fluoridation: A review of recent research and actions.

Current fluoridating agents, sodium hexafluorosilicate and hexafluorosilicic acid, which replaced sodium fluoride by 1980, differ from the calcium fluoride in naturally fluoridated water, which was the basis for claims of tooth decay prevention in early epidemiologic studies. Studies reported in the past 15 years support only possible slight benefits from water fluoridation for the deciduous teeth of 5-year-old children, although topical fluoride treatments may be effective.

By Kauffman JM.|2018-07-23T23:44:50+00:00January 1st, 2005|Fluoride|

adam

About Sterzl I, Prochazkova J, Hrda P, Matucha P, Bartova J, Stejskal V.