Mouthwash Samples Research Articles

Oral Microbiome Composition Reflects Prospective Risk for Esophageal Cancers.

Bacteria may play a role in esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), although evidence is limited to cross-sectional studies. In this study, we examined the relationship of oral microbiota with EAC and ESCC risk in a prospective study nested in two cohorts. Oral bacteria were assessed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing in prediagnostic mouthwash samples from n = 81/160 EAC and n = 25/50 ESCC cases/matched controls. Findings were largely consistent across both cohorts. Metagenome content was predicted using PiCRUST. We examined associations between centered log-ratio transformed taxon or functional pathway abundances and risk using conditional logistic regression adjusting for BMI, smoking, and alcohol. We found the periodontal pathogen Tannerella forsythia to be associated with higher risk of EAC. Furthermore, we found that depletion of the commensal genus Neisseria and the species Streptococcus pneumoniae was associated with lower EAC risk. Bacterial biosynthesis of carotenoids was also associated with protection against EAC. Finally, the abundance of the periodontal pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis trended with higher risk of ESCC. Overall, our findings have potential implications for the early detection and prevention of EAC and ESCC. Cancer Res; 77(23); 6777-87. ©2017 AACR.

Simultaneous determination of alcohols including diols and triols by HPLC with ultraviolet detection based on the formation of a copper(II) complex

We developed a reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography method with ultraviolet detection using on-line complexation with Cu(II) ion for analysis of five alcohols including diols and triol (methanol, ethanol, 1,2-propanediol, 1,3-propanediol, and glycerol). The Cu(II) ion concentration in the mobile phase had a great influence on the peak areas of these alcohols, but not on their retention times. Column temperature (25-40°C) and pH of the mobile phase did not affect the separation of analytes. The optimum separation conditions were determined as 5mM CuSO4 , 3mM H2 SO4 , and 3mM NaOH at 30°C. The ratio of the peak areas for three alcohols (methanol, 1,2-propanediol, and glycerol) was in good agreement with that calculated from the obtained stability constants, molar absorption coefficients for the 1:1 Cu(II) complexes with the three alcohols, and the injected molar quantities. This fact strongly suggests that the observed high-performance liquid chromatography signals resulted from formation of the 1:1 Cu(II)-alcohol complexes. Using the proposed method, these five alcohols in spirit, liquid for electronic cigarette, mouthwash, and nail enamel remover samples were successfully analyzed with only a simple pretreatment.

Oral shedding of human herpesviruses in renal transplant recipients.

To describe the shedding profile of human herpesviruses in the saliva of renal transplant recipients. This is a prospective case-control study of 50 renal transplant recipients and control group of 50 individuals (non-transplanted and immunocompetent). Mouthwash samples were collected via oral rinse and then submitted to screening for the presence of eight types of herpesviruses by using multiplex PCR. Fisher's exact, chi-square, and Student t tests were used for statistical analysis, and the significance level was set at 5%. The mean age of the study group was 49.42±12.94years, 28/50 (56%) were female, and the time elapsed after transplantation was 68.20±67.19months. Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) (P=0.025) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) (P=0.024) were, statistically, more excreted in the saliva of renal transplant recipients compared to control group. Gender (P=1.00) and age (P=0.563) did not influence the salivary shedding of herpesviruses in renal transplant recipients. Individuals who excreted varicella-zoster virus in saliva had a shorter mean time of transplantation (22:00+2.82months) (P<0.001). Renal transplant recipients excreted herpesviruses more often than controls, especially HSV-1 and EBV, with salivary shedding of herpesviruses being more frequent in patients with recent kidney transplantation. The present findings support other longitudinal studies evaluating the relationship between oral shedding of human herpesviruses and clinical presence of active infection and renal transplant failure.

Abstract 4961: The oral microbiome and prospective risk for esophageal cancer: A population-based nested case-control study

Abstract Background: The two most common types of esophageal cancer, esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) and squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), are highly fatal. The human microbiota have been suggested to play a role in esophageal cancer etiology, although the evidence is limited to small, cross-sectional studies. We hypothesized that the oral microbiota, which shape the esophageal microbiota, may be causative agents in esophageal carcinogenesis. Methods: We conducted a prospective study nested in two large U.S. cohorts: ACS CPS-II and NCI-PLCO. Oral bacteria were assessed in pre-diagnostic mouth-wash samples collected from cases and controls (n=81/160 EAC and n=25/50 ESCC cases/matched controls), using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. We compared overall microbial composition between cases and controls using permutational multivariate analysis of variance (PERMANOVA) of UniFrac distances, and we examined associations between centered log-ratio transformed taxon abundances and cancer risk using conditional logistic regression. Metagenome functional content was predicted from taxonomic composition using PiCRUST. Results: Overall microbial composition did not differ between EAC cases and matched controls or ESCC cases and matched controls, adjusting for matching factors (age, sex, race, cohort, time to diagnosis/selection), BMI, smoking, and alcohol intake (all p&amp;gt;0.40). The periodontal pathogens Tannerella forsythia and Porphyromonas gingivalis were nominally associated with increased risk for EAC (OR [95% CI] = 1.21 [1.01, 1.46], p=0.04) and ESCC (OR [95% CI] = 1.3 [0.96, 1.77], p=0.09), respectively. Conversely, genus Neisseria, previously shown to be depleted by cigarette smoking, was associated with protection against EAC (OR [95% CI] = 0.88 [0.8, 0.97], p=0.01). Other species associated with EAC risk (p&amp;lt;0.05) included Corynebacterium durum, Prevotella nanceiensis, and Streptococcus pneumoniae (inversely associated with EAC), and Actinomyces cardiffensis, Selenomonas oral taxon 134, and Veillonella oral taxon 917 (positively associated with EAC). Other species associated with ESCC risk (p&amp;lt;0.05) included Aggregatibacter paraphrophilus (inversely associated with ESCC) and Prevotella nanceiensis, Bergeyella oral taxon 322, and Neisseria weaveri (positively associated with ESCC). Analysis of inferred metagenomes revealed that bacterial carotenoid biosynthesis was associated with protection against EAC (OR [95% CI] = 0.84 [0.7, 1.0], p=0.05). Conclusions: Our findings from this prospective study suggest that specific bacterial pathogens may play a causal role in esophageal cancer, while members of the healthy oral microbiota may protect against carcinogenesis. Unique microbial profiles may contribute to each of the distinct esophageal cancer types, EAC and ESCC. Oral microbiota manipulation may be a future strategy for preventing this highly fatal disease. Citation Format: Brandilyn A. Peters, Jing Wu, Zhiheng Pei, Liying Yang, Mark P. Purdue, Neal D. Freedman, Eric J. Jacobs, Susan M. Gapstur, Richard B. Hayes, Jiyoung Ahn. The oral microbiome and prospective risk for esophageal cancer: A population-based nested case-control study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4961. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-4961

Human papillomavirus prevalence in mouthwashes of patients undergoing tonsillectomy shows dominance of HPV69, without the corresponding finding in the tonsils

Background: The role of human papillomavirus (HPV) in tonsillar squamous cell carcinomas (TSCC) is of interest, since a considerable proportion of TSCC in Sweden and other Western countries is HPV positive. Nevertheless, the natural history of HPV in normal tonsils, and the progression from localized infection to pre-malignant lesion to cancer are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to investigate whether HPV types found in mouthwash samples correlated to those in tonsillar tissue from the same individuals undergoing tonsillectomy.Methods: Mouthwash samples from 232 patients, aged 3–56 years, undergoing tonsillectomy, the majority with chronic tonsillitis, were collected at the time of surgery and analysed for the presence of 27 HPV types by a bead based multiplex assay.Results: An HPV prevalence of 10.3% (24/232) was observed in mouthwash samples, with HPV 69 being the dominant type (10/24). Ten patients were positive for high risk HPV (HPV 16, 33, 35, 45, 56, 59). None of the tonsils resected from patients with HPV-positive mouthwash samples were positive for HPV.Conclusions: Despite an oral HPV prevalence of 10.3% in mouthwash samples from tonsillectomized patients, with dominance of HPV 69, none of the corresponding tonsillar samples exhibited the presence of HPV.

M22 - Common Genetic Variants Associated With Personality Dimensions In The Heidelberg Cohort Study of The Elderly (HEIDE)

Background Personality traits show substantial heritable components (e.g. Power and Pluess, 2015 ). The HeiDE study is an ongoing longitudinal investigation. At baseline, in the beginning of the 1990s, it assessed demographics and lifestyle factors together with an array of personality tests (n=5,114). At follow-up, approximately ten years later, putative associations of personality dimensions with incidence of somatic disorders were investigated (e.g. Sturmer et al., 2006 ). Principal components factor analysis was used to identify five latent personality dimensions (“The Heidelberg Five”; e.g. Amelang et al., 2004 ), interpreted as emotional lability, lack of behavioral control, type-A-behavior, locus of control over disease, and psychoticism. At this follow-up, DNA from responding participants was collected via mouthwash sample and analyzed on the PsychChip (Illumina; n=2,734). This sample presents a unique opportunity to study the association of personality, genetics, and longitudinally defined phenotypes. We have therefore embarked to study common genetic variants underlying those previously identified personality dimensions. Methods Calculation of individual factor scores Personality tests collected at baseline were the following: Time Urgency and Perpetual Activation Scale, State-Trait-Anger Expression-Inventory, Hostility, Exaggerated social control, Depression Scale, Sense of Coherence Scale, Optimism, Questionnaire for measuring the locus of control over diseases, Social Support-Scale, Eysenck-Personality-Inventory, and Psychoticism. Original data were re-analyzed using principal components factor analysis with varimax rotation. We used Bartlett’s method to calculate individual factor scores. Analysis of common genetic variants We have imputed common variants (MAF 0.01) using the 1000 Genomes Phase 3 reference panel. We plan to investigate personality dimensions within a multivariate framework that accounts for association of multiple phenotypes with a SNP. Results Replication of latent personality dimensions The first ten Eigenvalues of the principal components analysis were 5.08-2.26-1.45-1.17-0.99-0.84-0.79-0.70-0.68-0.64 and are thus in perfect agreement with previously reported analyses. Genetic analyses We will present results of our research project at the meeting. Discussion None

Associations of Oral α-, β-, and γ-Human Papillomavirus Types With Risk of Incident Head and Neck Cancer

Prospective studies are needed to examine the temporal relationship between oral human papillomavirus (HPV) detection and risk of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Moreover, the oral cavity contains a wide spectrum of α-, β-, and γ-HPV types, but their association with risk of HNSCC is unknown. To prospectively examine associations between α-, β-, and γ-HPV detection in the oral cavity and incident HNSCC. A nested case-control study was carried out among 96 650 participants, cancer free at baseline, with available mouthwash samples in 2 prospective cohort studies: (1) the American Cancer Society Cancer Prevention Study II Nutrition Cohort and (2) the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial. Incident cases of HNSCC (n = 132) were identified during an average 3.9 years of follow-up in both cohorts. Three controls per case (n = 396) were selected through incidence density sampling and matched on age, sex, race/ethnicity, and time since mouthwash collection. Through a next-generation sequencing assay, DNA from α-, β-, and γ-HPV types were detected. Conditional logistic regression models were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs, adjusting for smoking history, alcohol consumption, and detection of HPV-16 for β- and γ-HPVs. Incident HNSCC, which includes cancers of the oropharynx, oral cavity, and larynx. A total of 132 participants developed HNSCC during the follow-up period (103 men and 29 women; average age at baseline, 66.5 years). Oral HPV-16 detection was associated with incident HNSCC (OR, 7.1; 95% CI, 2.2-22.6), with positive association for oropharyngeal SCC (OR, 22.4; 95% CI, 1.8-276.7), but not for oral cavity (OR, 4.5; 95% CI, 0.6-34.7) or laryngeal SCCs (OR, 0.11; 95% CI, 0.01-834.80). Detection of β1-HPV-5 and β2-HPV-38 types, as well as γ-11 and γ-12 species, had ORs for HNSCC that ranged from 2.64 to 5.45 (P < .01 for all comparisons). Detection of β1-HPV-5 type was associated with oropharyngeal (OR, 7.42; 95% CI, 0.98-56.82; P = .054), oral cavity (OR, 5.34; 95% CI, 1.51-18.80; P = .01), and laryngeal SCCs (OR, 2.71; 95% CI, 1.00-7.43; P = .05), whereas γ11- and γ12-HPV species were associated with both oral cavity (OR, 7.47; 95% CI, 1.21-46.17; P = .03; and OR, 6.71; 95% CI, 1.47-30.75; P = .01, respectively) and laryngeal SCCs (OR, 7.49; 95% CI, 1.10-51.04; P = .04 and OR, 5.31; 95% CI, 1.13-24.95; P = .03, respectively). This study demonstrates that HPV-16 detection precedes the incidence of oropharyngeal SCC. Associations of other HPVs, including γ11- and γ12-HPV species and β1-HPV-5 type suggest a broader role for HPVs in HNSCC etiology.

Opportunities for precision medicine: Factors associated with participation in genetic research among breast cancer survivors.

94 Background: Finding unique cancer therapies based on the specific genomic profiles of a person’s tumor is a national priority. Precision medicine can reduce disparate outcomes – particularly among Black breast cancer survivors who have higher mortality rates. Black women tend to be underrepresented in genomic research. Methods: Hormone receptive positive breast cancer survivors (Whites = 334, Blacks = 124, Other = 23) were recruited via hospitals and outreach. Data were collected via telephone interviews to assess sociocultural and health care processes; clinical data were abstracted from charts. Cell pellets were harvested from mouthwashes by centrifugation, followed by washing with PBS solution twice. After the baseline, women had a brief telephone information session. Low literacy materials explaining biospecimen collection were mailed. The primary outcome was receipt of the biospecimen sample in three months. Logistic regression assessed factors associated with biospecimens receipt. Results: Most (69%) survivors provided biospecimens. Most (92.8%) samples had good size cell pellets. Most (93%) of the mouth wash samples will have sufficient DNA for genotyping assays. In bivariate analysis, race, education, and mistrust were not associated with biospecimen receipt (p&gt; .05). Survivors more likely to provide biospecimens had higher ratings of: confidence in physicians’ technical skills, communication with providers, satisfaction with time with providers, and overall satisfaction with care (p&lt; .05). Health literacy and functional well-being were also associated with biospecimen receipt. In multivariate models, only survivor’s ratings of their level of confidence in her oncologists’ technical skills remained significant (OR: 1.6 per 1 point increase; CI: 1.1, 2.5). Conclusions: Regardless of race, most breast cancer survivors are willing to provide biospecimens for genomics research. Brief informational sessions and simple low-literacy materials may enhance participation. Relationships with oncologists are salient to promoting survivors participation in genomics research.

Efficacy of mouth rinse in maintaining oral health of patients attending orthodontic clinics

Aim: This study is designed to find out the spirochaete (Treponema denticola ) load in orthodontic patients and evaluate the benefit of mouth rinses containing chlorhexidine and hydrogen peroxide in reducing the bacterial load in the mouth. Objective : Orthodontic procedures are always long with the patients having the appliances placed in the mouth for longer duration. This will compromise the oral hygiene of the patients. Oral prophylaxis is very important to prevent the complications during the treatment period. Physical removal of the debris and plaque is difficult in orthodontic patients. In such case mouth rinses are widely used by many patients. Among the bacteria that colonises the mouth, treponemes dominate because they proliferate rapidly in devitalised tissue with the availability of simple source of nutrient. This study is done to know the presence of spirochetes and to evaluate the effects of mouth rinses containing chlorhexidine and hydrogen peroxide on reducing the spirochetes. Background: Placing orthodontic appliance leads increase in oral microbiota. The spirochetes present in mouth increases due to incomplete removal by normal brushing mechanism henceforth mouth washes provide a safe, effective means of reducing or eliminating the spirochetes found in oral cavity. Materials and methods : Patients undergoing orthodontic treatment are subjected in this study, they were made into three groups, group A:control group (orthodontic patients not taking antibiotics or mouth wash) group B using hydrogen per oxide local smear and group C chlorhexidine mouth wash Samples were collected using sterile tooth picks and transferred to glass slabs and smears are microscopically examined. Result: The variation in the effect of two different disinfectants over the spirochete count in oral flora of orthodontic patients wearing intra oral appliance is evaluated .

Association of interleukin-8 gene polymorphisms in HIV patients with opportunistic infections in Limpopo Province, South Africa.

Opportunistic infections (OIs) are common among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients; however, genetic susceptibility to these infections has not been studied. Recent studies have shown that interleukin-8 (IL-8) A/T genotype carriers are more susceptible to a variety of diseases. In this study, we showed the effects of IL-8 gene polymorphisms on OIs and symptoms such as sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), tuberculosis (TB), diarrhea, shortness of breath, weight loss, and viral load, in HIV and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome patients. Genomic DNA was purified from mouthwash samples collected from patients attending HIV centers in the Vhembe district. The IL-8 (-251) A/T locus was genotyped using allele-specific polymerase chain reaction followed by agarose gel electrophoresis. The results showed a weak association between the IL-8 AA genotype and OIs such as STDs (P = 0.143), diarrhea (P = 0.906), and TB (P = 0.762). Significant associations were found between the IL-8 AT genotype and weight loss (P = 0.019), shortness of breath (P = 0.043), and skin problems (P = 0.003). Low viral load was also found to be significantly associated with IL-8 AA genotype (P = 0.009). The present study suggests that different IL-8 genotypes are associated with resistance to various OIs. However, further studies using larger samples sizes are needed to confirm this hypothesis.

Abstract LB-181: Oral HPV DNA detection and subsequent risk of head and neck cancers in two prospective cohorts

Abstract Background: Alpha HPV16 detection in the oral cavity is associated with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), particularly oropharyngeal cancer. However, there have been no prospective studies examining the temporal relationship between oral HPV detection and subsequent risk of HNSCC. Moreover, recent data indicates that the oral cavity contains a plethora of HPV types in addition to alpha HPVs (e.g. beta and/or gamma HPVs), but their association with risk of HNSCC is unknown. Methods: We examined prospective associations between alpha, beta and gamma HPVs and risk of HNSCC, using a nested case-control design among &amp;gt;120,000 participants with available mouthwash samples in the American Cancer Society (ACS) Cancer Prevention Study-II Nutrition Cohort (CPS-II) and the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial. A total of N = 132 incident cases of HNSCC (oropharyngeal, oral and laryngeal SCCs) were identified during an average 3.94 years of follow-up (range 0.02-9.0) in both cohorts. Three controls per case (N = 396) were selected using incidence density sampling, with matching on age (±2 years), race/ethnicity, gender, and time since mouthwash collection (±3 months). Detection of HPV DNA in mouthwash samples was carried out using (1) a novel next-generation sequencing assay designed to detect all HPV types, (2) the MY09/MY11 assay targeting alpha-HPV types, and (3) a RT-PCR specific for HPV16. Associations of alpha, beta and gamma HPVs with risk of HNSCC were evaluated using conditional logistic regression models for matched risk sets to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI), adjusting for smoking and alcohol as well as alpha HPV16 for beta and gamma HPVs. Results: The prevalence of oral HPV16 was 1.8% in controls. HPV16 detection was associated with a 7.1-fold higher risk of overall HNSCC (95% CI 2.2-22.6); the risk was highest for oropharyngeal cancer (OR = 22.41, 95% CI 1.8 - 276.7), while no excess was found for oral cavity or larynx cancers. There were no associations between other alpha HPVs and risk of HNSCC. Oral prevalence of any beta or gamma HPVs was 59.4% and 38.2%, respectively in controls. Detection of any beta HPV (OR = 1.74, p = 0.05) or any gamma HPV (OR = 2.11, p = 0.005) was also associated with risk of HNSCC, with several beta (β1 HPV5, β2 HPV17, β2 HPV38) and gamma (γ11, γ12) HPVs having statistically significant increased risks (ORs from 3.92 to 7.36). In regard to tumor location, β1HPV5 was associated with oropharyngeal (OR = 7.42, p = 0.05), oral cavity (OR = 5.34, p = 0.01) and laryngeal cancers (OR = 2.71, p = 0.05); while β2 HPV38 was associated with oropharyngeal cancer (OR = 7.28, p = 0.02) only. Gamma HPV species groups 11 and 12 were associated with both oral cancer (OR = 7.47, p = 0.03; and OR = 6.71, p = 0.01, respectively) and laryngeal cancers (OR = 7.49, p = 0.04 and OR = 5.31, p = 0.03). Conclusion: This study is the first to demonstrate that alpha HPV16 detection precedes the incidence of oropharyngeal cancers. Risks identified with other HPV types from gamma11 and 12 species as well as beta HPV5, previously associated with skin cancer, suggests a broader role for HPVs in HNSCC etiology. Readily-collected oral wash samples provide a strong prospective marker for oropharyngeal cancer and, with the incorporation of other HPV types, may indicate risk for a broader spectrum of HNSCC. Citation Format: Ilir Agalliu, Zigui Chen, Tao Wang, Rebecca Ludvigsen, Lauren Teras, Aimee R. Kreimer, Richard B. Hayes, Susan Gapstur, Robert D. Burk. Oral HPV DNA detection and subsequent risk of head and neck cancers in two prospective cohorts. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-181. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-LB-181

Non-Invasive DNA Sampling for Molecular Analysis of Beta-Thalassemia: Amiable Alternative Sampling Methods with Accurate Results for Pediatric Patients.

Beta-thalassemia is the most common genetic disorder in Malaysia. Confirmation of the β-globin gene mutations involved in thalassemia is usually carried out by molecular analysis of DNA extracted from leukocytes in whole blood. Molecular analysis is generally carried out when affected children are around 1 - 2 years as clinical symptoms are expressed during this period. Blood taking at this age can be distressing for the child. High yield and pure DNA extracted from non-invasive sampling methods can serve as alternative samples in molecular studies for genetic diseases especially in pediatric cases. In this study, mouthwash, saliva, and buccal cytobrush samples were collected from β-thalassemia major patients who had previously been characterized using DNA extracted from peripheral blood. DNA was extracted from mouthwash, saliva, and buccal cytobrush samples using the conventional inexpensive phenol-chloroform method and was measured by spectrophotometry for yield and purity. Molecular characterization of β-globin gene mutations was carried out using the amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS). DNA extracted from mouthwash, saliva, and buccal cytobrush samples produced high concentration and pure DNA. The purified DNA was successfully amplified using ARMS. Results of the β-globin gene mutations using DNA from the three non-invasive samples were in 100% concordance with results from DNA extracted from peripheral blood. The conventional in-house developed methods for non-invasive sample collection and DNA extraction from these samples are effective and negate the use of more expensive commercial kits. In conclusion, DNA extracted from mouthwash, saliva, and buccal cytobrush samples provided sufficiently high amounts of pure DNA suitable for molecular analysis of β-thalassemia.

Comet assay in salivary leukocytes: evaluation of early effects of air pollution exposure in pre-school children.

Comet assay in salivary leukocytes: evaluation of early effects of air pollution exposure in pre-school children.

Fluoride Contents Analysis of Tea Infusion, Mouthwash and Tooth Paste Samples of Pakistan Using Ion Selective Electrode

Fluoride Contents Analysis of Tea Infusion, Mouthwash and Tooth Paste Samples of Pakistan Using Ion Selective Electrode

Study to assess the prevalence of HLA-A 3101 allele among Indian epileptic patients and its influence on safety and efficacy of antiepileptic therapy.

Background: The objective was to study the prevalence of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A*3101 allele among epileptic patients and to assess the safety and efficacy of antiepileptic therapy. Methods: 295 subjects were selected and divided into two groups, Group I had 192 epileptic patients and Group II had 103 normal healthy controls. After written informed consent, 30 ml of mouthwash sample was collected from each subject and DNA was extracted by standard salting-out technique and used for HLA-A*3101 genotyping by two-step nested allele-specific polymerase chain reaction amplification and agarose gel electrophoresis. Results: In Group I, 12 (6.25%) of the 192 patients were tested positive for HLA-A*3101 allele and all were taking carbamazepine (CBZ). Among them, 56 (30%) subjects had developed less severe adverse effects such as headache and giddiness, skin rashes and memory disturbances, and HLA-A*3101 was present in 8 of them while 136 had no adverse effects in which 4 of them were tested positive for the allele. In Group II, 3 (2.9%) of the 103 healthy controls were tested positive for the allele. No difference was found in response to antiepileptic therapy between allele positive and negative patients. Conclusion: The present study had shown that HLA-A*3101 is prevalent in 6.25% of the Indian epileptic population under study. The presence of this allele has a significant association with the development of mild cutaneous reactions like skin rashes. However, no difference was observed in allele positive patients in response to antiepileptic therapy in comparison with allele negative patients.

Healthcare-associated respiratory tract infection and colonization in an intensive care unit caused by Burkholderia cepacia isolated in mouthwash

Burkholderia cepacia has been linked to healthcare-associated infections and colonization caused by contamination of alcohol-free mouthwash used in patients undergoing mechanical ventilation. The purpose of our study was to establish the source of a clustering of healthcare-associated B. cepacia isolates in patients on mechanical ventilation in the intensive care unit (ICU). During April 2012 the Infection Control Committee became concerned when B. cepacia was isolated from tracheal aspirate cultures of three ICU patients. The medical records for the years 2011 and 2012 were reviewed to identify further cases. Cultures of potential reservoirs were done. Isolates from patients and an alcohol-free mouthwash were submitted to multilocus sequence typing (MLST) analysis and antimicrobial resistance testing. Four patients with positive cultures for B. cepacia were identified before the review of the medical records for the years 2011 and 2012. Nine further cases were identified in the review, defined as a patient with pneumonia who had a culture of respiratory secretions that was positive for B. cepacia. Three were cases of infection and 10 were colonizations. All of the isolates from patients (J, K, L, and M) and mouthwash samples (B19, B20, and B21) were genetically identical by MLST analysis. Our findings strongly suggest that alcohol-free mouthwash solution intrinsically contaminated with B. cepacia was the source of these colonizations and infections involving adults in the ICU.

Genetic susceptibility to beryllium: a case–referent study of men and women of working age with sarcoidosis or other chronic lung disease

ObjectiveThe study was designed to investigate whether beryllium exposure was related to illness diagnosed as sarcoidosis. Chronic beryllium disease (CBD) and sarcoidosis are clinically and pathologically indistinguishable, with only the...

A novel platform based on graphene/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/iron (III) hexacyanoferrate (II) composite film for electrocatalytic reduction of H2O2

A new platform for electrocatalysis of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) based on graphene and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) as support to iron (III) hexacyanoferrate (II) was developed. The platform was constructed by electropolymerizing PEDOT and Fe4III[FeII(CN)6]3 (FeHCF) onto the graphene modified electrode. Surface morphology and electrochemical properties of the composite film modified gold electrode were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and amperometry. The Graphene/PEDOT/FeHCF modified electrode showed an excellent electrocatalytic activity toward hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) reduction with a diminution of the overpotential of about 400mV, compared to the process at an unmodified electrode. Cyclic voltammetry and amperometry experiments indicated that the H2O2 reduction reaction involves two electrons and a catalytic rate constant (kcat) about of 4.0×106mol−1Ls−1. The electrochemical sensor presented better performance in 0.1molL−1 phosphate buffer solution (PBS) at pH 7.0. Under optimized conditions, a linear response range from 18 up to 10,000μmolL−1 was obtained with a sensitivity of 0.26μALμmol−1 and limit of detection of 1.0μmolL−1. The proposed method was effectively applied for the determination of H2O2 in antiseptic mouthwash samples and the results were in agreement with those obtained by a comparative method described in the literature.

High-risk HPV and survival in patients with oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma – 5-year follow up of a population-based study

Conclusion: No statistically significant 5-year survival difference was seen in patients with oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OOPSCC) between high-risk HPV-positive and -negative groups in this population-based study. Objectives: To see if the formerly observed higher risk for recurrence or second primary tumour (SPT) in high-risk HPV-positive patients with OOPSCC corresponds to worse survival. Methods: A total of 128 consecutive, previously untreated patients with OOPSCC, who were part of a population-based case-control study in southern Sweden during 2000–2004, were included. A mouthwash sample was collected and exfoliated cells were collected with cotton-tipped swabs from the tonsillar fossa and the tumour. Specimens were analysed for HPV DNA using nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Disease-specific survival (DSS) and DSS difference between HPV-negative and HPV-positive patients were calculated. The relationship between age, stage, high-risk HPV status and DSS was assessed. Oral and oropharyngeal tumours were assessed separately. Results: Mean DSS in months was 80.7/68.6 (high-risk HPV-negative/high-risk HPV-positive) for oral cavity tumours (p = 0.18) and 67.6/78.3 (high-risk HPV-negative/high-risk HPV-positive) for oropharyngeal tumours (p = 0.47). For oral cavity tumours, age, T status, N status and stage all showed significant differences in DSS. For oropharyngeal tumours, no significant difference regarding DSS was found.

Human papillomavirus prevalence is high in oral samples of patients with tonsillar and base of tongue cancer

Presence of HPV DNA was analyzed in mouthwash and tonsillar swab samples, if indicative of HPV-positive tonsillar or base of tongue cancer in 76 patients, with suspected head neck cancer, undergoing diagnostic endoscopy at Karolinska University Hospital. The diagnosis and tumor HPV status was later obtained from patients' records. As controls, 37 tumor-free dental visitors were included. Of the 76 patients, 22/29 (76%) and 16/18 (89%) had an HPV-positive tonsillar and base of tongue cancer respectively, with 18/22 (82%) and 8/16 (50%) respectively having tumor concordant HPV-type positive oral samples. Two other HPV-positive oral samples in the base of tongue cancer group did not correlate to the tumor HPV status. Among the remaining patients, 19 with other head neck cancer and 10 with benign conditions, 4/29 (14%) had HPV-positive oral samples. Consequently, of the HPV-positive oral samples, dominated by HPV16 and high signals, 27/32 (84%) were derived from 26 patients with concordant HPV-type positive tonsillar or base of tongue cancer and one patient with an unknown primary head and neck cancer. The other five HPV-positive oral samples, with mainly low signals were derived from two patients with non-concordant HPV-type positive tumor biopsies, two patients with HPV-negative tumor biopsies and a patient with a benign condition. Of the dental patients, 3/37 (8%) had HPV-positive tonsillar swabs with weak signals. In patients with suspected head neck cancer, HPV-positive oral samples, especially HPV16 with high signals, could be indicative of HPV-positive tonsillar or base of tongue cancer.