The effect of local application of scaffold-like preparation rich in growth factors (PRGF) on bone regeneration in artificial defects and the potential effect of humidifying titanium dental implants with liquid PRGF on their osseointegration were investigated. The PRGF formulations were obtained from venous blood of three goats and applied either as a 3D fibrin scaffold (scaffold-like PRGF) in the regeneration of artificial defects or as liquid PRGF via humidifying the implants before their insertion. Initially, 12 defects were filled with scaffold-like PRGF and another 12 were used as controls. The histological analysis at 8 weeks revealed mature bone trabeculae when PRGF was used, whereas the control samples showed mainly connective tissue with incipient signs of bone formation. For the second set of experiments, 26 implants (13 humidified with liquid PRGF) were placed in the tibiae of goats. Histological and histomorphometric results demonstrated that application of liquid PRGF increased the percentage of bone-implant contact in 84.7%. The whole surface of the PRGF-treated implants was covered by newly formed bone, whereas only the upper half was surrounded in control implants. In summary, PRGF can accelerate bone regeneration in artificial defects and improve the osseointegration of titanium dental implants.

The tested sonic powered toothbrush was as effective and safe as the manual toothbrush. The use of powered or manual toothbrushes, together with fluoride toothpaste, may improve plaque and gingivitis levels, in patients with mild to limit ID.

Immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgM antibodies against the SL-IV antigen of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in the sera of patients with tuberculosis with negative serology for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection (TB group; n = 97), patients with tuberculosis with positive serology for HIV infection (TB-HIV group; n = 59), and healthy controls (n = 289) were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. All sera were obtained at the onset of tuberculosis, i.e., when clinical symptoms appeared. Clinical specimens were collected and cultured for the isolation of M. tuberculosis, and treatment with antituberculous drugs was started. Sera were also obtained from patients in the TB group at fixed intervals during treatment; sera were available from 13 patients in the TB-HIV group before the onset of tuberculosis. The best specificity and positive predictive value were obtained with the IgG assays. In the IgG assays at specificities above 96.0%o, the sensitivities of the tests were 45.3 and 72.8% for the TB and TB-HIV groups, respectively, and the sensitivity was 51.9% when data from both groups were combined for analysis. For the TB group, results of this study indicated that the levels of IgG antibodies remain high during treatment. Thus, repetitive serological assays may not be useful for treatment follow-up. In the TB-HIV group, 12 of 13 patients had IgG-specific antibodies against the SL-IV antigen between 1 and 30 months before the onset of tuberculosis, so we suggest that the IgG antibody assay against SL-IV may be helpful for identifying tuberculosis in patients infected with HIV.

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Aim To investigate the immunohistochemical characteristics of a highly porous synthetic bone substitute and a cross‐linked collagen membrane for guided bone regeneration. Methods Three experimental groups were randomly allocated at chronic peri‐implant dehiscence defect in 8 beagle dogs: (i) biphasic calcium phosphate covered by a cross‐linked collagen membrane (test group), (ii) deproteinized bovine bone mineral covered by a natural collagen membrane (positive control) and (iii) no treatment (negative control). After 8 and 16 weeks of submerged healing, dissected tissue blocks were processed for immunohistochemical analysis. Seven antibodies were used to detect the remaining osteogenic and angiogenic potential, and quantitative immunohistochemical analysis was done by software. Results The antigen reactivity of alkaline phosphatase was significantly higher in the test group compared to the positive and negative controls, and it maintained till 16 weeks. The intensity of osteocalcin was significantly higher in the positive control at 8 weeks than the other groups, but significantly decreased at 16 weeks and no difference was found between the groups. A significant large number of TRAP‐positive cells were observed in the test group mainly around the remaining particles at 16 weeks. The angiogenic potential was comparable between the groups showing no difference in the expression of transglutaminase II and vascular endothelial growth factor. Conclusion Guided bone regeneration combining a highly porous biphasic calcium phosphate synthetic biomaterial with a crosslinked collagen membrane, resulted in extended osteogenic potential when compared to the combination of deproteinized bovine bone mineral and a native collagen membrane.

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