"This aim of this document is to provide health professionals, especially cardiologists and periodontists, a better
understanding of the link between atherosclerotic CVD and periodontitis and, on the basis of current information, an
approach to reducing the risk for primary and secondary atherosclerotic CVD events in patients with periodontitis."
"This review explores the different aspects of constitutional factors in early life that modulate toxicokinetics and toxicodynamics of low-dose mercury resulting from acute ethylmercury (etHg) exposure in Thimerosal-containing vaccines (TCV). Major databases were searched for human and experimental studies that addressed issues related to early life exposure to TCV. It can be concluded that: a) mercury load in fetuses, neonates, and infants resulting from TCVs remains in blood of neonates and infants at sufficient concentration and for enough time to penetrate the brain and to exert a neurologic impact and a probable influence on neurodevelopment of susceptible infants; b) etHg metabolism related to neurodevelopmental delays has been demonstrated experimentally and observed in population studies; c) unlike chronic Hg exposure during pregnancy, neurodevelopmental effects caused by acute (repeated/cumulative) early life exposure to TCV-etHg remain unrecognized; and d) the uncertainty surrounding low-dose toxicity of etHg is challenging but recent evidence indicates that avoiding cumulative insults by alkyl-mercury forms (which include Thimerosal) is warranted. It is important to a) maintain trust in vaccines while reinforcing current public health policies to abate mercury exposure in infancy; b) generally support WHO policies that recommend vaccination to prevent and control existing and impending infectious diseases; and c) not confuse the 'need' to use a specific 'product' (TCV) by accepting as 'innocuous' (or without consequences) the presence of a proven 'toxic alkyl-mercury' (etHg) at levels that have not been proven to be toxicologically safe. "
"Background. The authors assessed the association between enamel fluorosis and dental caries to determine if there is any beneficial effect of enamel fluorosis in U.S. schoolchildren. Methods. The authors used data from a National Institute of Dental Research survey of the oral health of U.S. children conducted in 1986 and 1987 to determine the prevalence of caries and mean decayed, missing or filled surfaces on permanent maxillary right first molars in children 7 to 17 years of age who had a history of a single residence. (To date, this is the only national oral health data set in the United States with detailed information on fluoride exposures.) They examined the association between enamel fluorosis and caries using logistic regression analysis, controlling for potential confounders in communities with water at or above optimal fluoridation levels and in communities with nonfluoridated or suboptimally fluoridated water. Results. Permanent maxillary right first molars with fluorosis consistently had lower levels of caries experience than did normal molars. Adjusted odds ratios for caries prevalence in molars with fluorosis were 0.71 (95 percent confidence interval [CI], 0.56–0.89) in communities with nonfluoridated or suboptimally fluoridated water and 0.89 (95 percent CI, 0.74–1.06) in communities with water at or above optimal fluoridation levels. Conclusion. This study’s findings suggest that molars with fluorosis are more resistant to caries than are molars without fluorosis. Clinical Implications. The results highlight the need for those considering policies regarding reduction in fluoride exposure to take into consideration the caries-preventive benefits associated with milder forms of enamel fluorosis."
"Mice fed either (1) a pelleted rodent diet, (2) evapora ted milk, or (3) a synthetic diet (high protein, low fat) exhibited different rates of whole body mercury elimination and fecal mercury excretion after exposure (per os) to methylmercuric chloride. The percentage of the total mercury body burden present as mercuric mercury was highest (35.3%) in mice fed the synthetic diet (which had the highest rate of mercury elimination) and lowest (6.6%) in the a nimals having the lowest mercury elimination rate (milk-fed mice). Mice fed the synthetic diet had lower mercury concentrations and had a higher proportion of mercuric mercury in their tissues tha n the mice from the other dietary groups. Treatment of the mice with antibiotics throughout the experimental period to suppress the gut flora reduced fecal mercury excretion and the dietary differences in whole body rete ntion of mercury. Tissue mercury concentrations and proportion of organic mercury in feces, cecal contents, liver, and kidneys were increased by a ntibiotic treatment of mice fed the pe lleted or synthetic diets. These results are consistent with the theory that demethylation of methylmercury by intestinal microflora is a major factor determining the excretion rate of mercury."
“This article offers a practical assessment of the cost implications of an outright total ban on amalgam use as well as a partial ban in children, pregnant women and women of childbearing age. In addition, we discuss trends in amalgam use and the impact of a ban in these populations on the future utilization of broad based dental services.”
"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."
"Mercury is one of the most toxic substances known to humans. It has been introduced into the human environment and has also been widely used in medicine. Since circumstantial evidence exists that the pathology of Alzheimer's disease (AD) might be in part caused or exacerbated by inorganic mercury, we conducted a systematic review using a comprehensive search strategy. Studies were screened according to a pre-defined protocol. Two reviewers extracted relevant data independent of each other. One thousand and forty one references were scrutinized, and 106 studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Most studies were case control or comparative cohort studies. Thirty-two studies, out of 40 testing memory in individuals exposed to inorganic mercury, found significant memory deficits. Some autopsy studies found increased mercury levels in brain tissues of AD patients. Measurements of mercury levels in blood, urine, hair, nails, and cerebrospinal fluid were inconsistent. In vitro models showed that inorganic mercury reproduces all pathological changes seen in AD, and in animal models inorganic mercury produced changes that are similar to those seen in AD. Its high affinity for selenium and selenoproteins suggests that inorganic mercury may promote neurodegenerative disorders via disruption of redox regulation. Inorganic mercury may play a role as a co-factor in the development of AD. It may also increase the pathological influence of other metals. Our mechanistic model describes potential causal pathways. As the single most effective public health primary preventive measure, industrial, and medical usage of mercury should be eliminated as soon as possible."
"This longitudinal, case-control pilot study examined amygdala growth in rhesus macaque infants receiving the complete US childhood vaccine schedule (1994-1999). Longitudinal structural and functional neuroimaging was undertaken to examine central effects of the vaccine regimen on the developing brain. Vaccine-exposed and saline-injected control infants underwent MRI and PET imaging at approximately 4 and 6 months of age, representing two specific timeframes within the vaccination schedule. Volumetric analyses showed that exposed animals did not undergo the maturational changes over time in amygdala volume that was observed in unexposed animals. After controlling for left amygdala volume, the binding of the opioid antagonist [(11)C]diprenorphine (DPN) in exposed animals remained relatively constant over time, compared with unexposed animals, in which a significant decrease in [(11)C]DPN binding occurred. These results suggest that maturational changes in amygdala volume and the binding capacity of [(11)C]DPN in the amygdala was significantly altered in infant macaques receiving the vaccine schedule. The macaque infant is a relevant animal model in which to investigate specific environmental exposures and structural/functional neuroimaging during neurodevelopment."
"Universal hepatitis B vaccination was recommended for U.S. newborns in 1991; however, safety findings are mixed. The association between hepatitis B vaccination of male neonates and parental report of autism diagnosis was determined. This cross-sectional study used weighted probability samples obtained from National Health Interview Survey 1997-2002 data sets. Vaccination status was determined from the vaccination record. Logistic regression was used to estimate the odds for autism diagnosis associated with neonatal hepatitis B vaccination among boys age 3-17 years, born before 1999, adjusted for race, maternal education, and two-parent household. Boys vaccinated as neonates had threefold greater odds for autism diagnosis compared to boys never vaccinated or vaccinated after the first month of life. Non-Hispanic white boys were 64% less likely to have autism diagnosis relative to nonwhite boys. Findings suggest that U.S. male neonates vaccinated with the hepatitis B vaccine prior to 1999 (from vaccination record) had a threefold higher risk for parental report of autism diagnosis compared to boys not vaccinated as neonates during that same time period. Nonwhite boys bore a greater risk."
"Lead, cadmium, mercury, and arsenic are common environmental pollutants in industrialized countries, but their combined impact on children's health is little known. We studied their effects on two main targets, the renal and dopaminergic systems, in > 800 children during a cross-sectional European survey. Control and exposed children were recruited from those living around historical nonferrous smelters in France, the Czech Republic, and Poland. Children provided blood and urine samples for the determination of the metals and sensitive renal or neurologic biomarkers. Serum concentrations of creatinine, cystatin C, and beta2-microglobulin were negatively correlated with blood lead levels (PbB), suggesting an early renal hyperfiltration that averaged 7% in the upper quartile of PbB levels (> 55 microg/L; mean, 78.4 microg/L). The urinary excretion of retinol-binding protein, Clara cell protein, and N-acetyl-beta-d-glucosaminidase was associated mainly with cadmium levels in blood or urine and with urinary mercury. All four metals influenced the dopaminergic markers serum prolactin and urinary homovanillic acid, with complex interactions brought to light. Heavy metals polluting the environment can cause subtle effects on children's renal and dopaminergic systems without clear evidence of a threshold, which reinforces the need to control and regulate potential sources of contamination by heavy metals."