This study analyses the effects of academic stress on crevicular interleukin-1beta(I1-1beta) both at experimental gingivitis sites and at sites of perfect oral hygiene. I1-1beta is thought to play a predominant role in periodontal tissue destruction. 13 medical students participating in a major medical exam (exam group) and 13 medical students not participating in any exam throughout the study period (control group) volunteered for the study. In a split-mouth-design, they refrained from any oral hygiene procedures in two opposite quadrants for 21 days (experimental gingivitis) while they maintained perfect hygiene levels at the remaining sites. Crevicular fluid was sampled for further I1-1beta analysis at teeth 5 and 6 of the upper jaw at days 1, 5, 8, 11, 14, 18 and 21 of the experimental gingivitis period. Exam students showed significantly higher I1-1beta levels than controls both at experimental gingivitis sites (area under the curve, exam group: 1240.64+/-140.07; control group: 697.61+/-111.30; p=0.004) and at sites of perfect oral hygiene (exam group: 290.42+/-63.19; control group: 143.98+/-42.71; p = 0.04). These results indicate that stress might affect periodontal health by increasing local I1-1beta levels especially when oral hygiene is neglected.
Mercury levels measured in urine, hair, and saliva of 245 German children ( 8 -10 years old ) are reported. Mercury concentrations in urine ranged between < 0.1 and 5.3 g / l [ geometric mean ( GM ) 0.26 g / l or 0.25 g / g creatinine; median for both, 0.22 in g / l and g / g, respectively ]. Using multiple linear regression analysis, two predictors have been found accounting for 25.3% of the variance of mercury levels in urine: the number of teeth with amalgam fillings ( 23.2% ) and the number of defective amalgam fillings ( 2.1% ). The mercury content in hair ranged from < 0.06 to 1.7 g / g ( GM 0.18 g / g; median 0.18 g / g ). The frequency of fish consumption, the smoking habits of the parents, and the age of the children accounted for 20.4% of the variance of mercury levels in hair. The correlation between the hair mercury content and urine mercury concentration was low ( r = 0.297 ). Mercury levels in saliva ranged between < 0.32 and 4.5 g / l ( median 0.16 g / l ). The mercury concentration in saliva was below the limit of quantification of 0.32 g / l in more than 70% of the samples. Mercury analysis in urine is suitable to estimate mercury exposure due to amalgam fillings, whereas hair mercury better reflects mercury intake by fish consumption. Up to now, saliva does not seem to be a suitable tool to monitor the mercury burden, at least not at low exposure levels.
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