Protein Tyrosine and Serine/Threonine Phosphorylation in Oral Bacterial Dysbiosis and Bacteria-Host Interaction

The human oral cavity harbors approximately 1,000 microbial species, and dysbiosis of the microflora and imbalanced microbiota-host interactions drive many oral diseases, such as dental caries and periodontal disease. Oral microbiota homeostasis is critical for systemic health. Over the last two decades, bacterial protein phosphorylation systems have been extensively studied, providing mounting evidence of the pivotal role of tyrosine and serine/threonine phosphorylation in oral bacterial dysbiosis and bacteria-host interactions. Ongoing investigations aim to discover novel kinases and phosphatases and to understand the mechanism by which these phosphorylation events regulate the pathogenicity of oral bacteria. Here, we summarize the structures of bacterial tyrosine and serine/threonine kinases and phosphatases and discuss the roles of tyrosine and serine/threonine phosphorylation systems in Porphyromonas gingivalis and Streptococcus mutans, emphasizing their involvement in bacterial metabolism and virulence, community development, and bacteria-host interactions.

Estimation of periodontal pocket surface area in small to medium dogs: a proof-of-concept study

Background Periodontal disease is the most common dental disease in dogs. Although the systemic effects of periodontal disease have not been clarified in veterinary science, it is necessary to evaluate the effects of periodontal disease in clinical trials in the future. There have been a few clinical attempts made, however, to assess the severity of periodontal inflammation and its impact on the systemic health of dogs. Meanwhile, in the field of dentistry for humans, the periodontal inflamed surface area (PISA) and periodontal epithelial surface area (PESA) have been used to quantitatively assess the degree of periodontal disease affecting a single tooth as well as the overall extent of periodontitis. Recent studies have also suggested the use of these assessments to examine the relationship between periodontal inflammation and systemic health. Results The estimation formula for a dog’s periodontal pocket surface area (PPSA), an alternative to PISA and PESA in humans, was established using body weight and periodontal pocket depth. Actual values were measured using extracted teeth from various dog breeds and sizes (2.3–25.0 kg of body weight) to obtain universal regression equations for PPSA. Altogether, 625 teeth from 73 dogs of 16 breeds were extracted and subsequently analyzed for morphological information. PPSA was measured in 61 dogs of 10 breeds with periodontal disease using the established estimation formulas, and the correlation between PPSA and preoperative blood chemistry data was analyzed accordingly. A strong correlation was found between PPSA and serum globulin (r = 0.71) while moderate correlations were found for C-reactive protein (r = 0.54) and serum albumin (r = -0.51). Conclusions Estimation formulas using body weight and the 6-point probing depth were established for determining PPSA. Direct correlations between PPSA and several blood test results were observed in the study sample. Taken together, these results suggest that PPSA could be useful for evaluating the effects of periodontitis on systemic conditions in dogs.

Reciprocal Innovation: A New Approach to Equitable and Mutually Beneficial Global Health Research and Partnership

Background: Global health researchers and partnerships often discount the potential for mutual learning and benefit to address shared health challenges across high and low- and middle-income settings. Drawing from a 30-year partnership called AMPATH that started between Indiana University in the US and Moi University in Kenya, we describe an innovative approach and program for mutual learning and benefit coined “reciprocal innovation.” In this paper, we define reciprocal innovation and identify its core principles with illustrative examples and describe building a reciprocal innovation program established in 2018 at the Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (CTSI).Results: Reciprocal innovation harnesses a bidirectional, co-constituted, and iterative exchange of ideas, resources, and innovations to address shared health challenges across diverse global settings. The success of the AMPATH partnership in western Kenya, particularly in the areas of HIV/AIDS and community health, resulted in several innovations in Kenya being “brought back” to the US. To facilitate and promote the bidirectional flow of learning and innovations, the Indiana CTSI reciprocal innovation program hosts annual meetings (hosted in Indiana and Kenya) of multinational researchers and practitioners to identify shared health challenges across diverse global settings and facilitate partnership building and collaboration. The program supports pilot grants for projects that demonstrate reciprocal exchange and benefit. The program has produced a wealth of educational materials, including videos, webinars and an online dashboard, to train investigators on reciprocal innovation approaches in global health. Lessons learned in building a reciprocal innovation program include increasing awareness of reciprocal approaches among investigators and in supporting collaboration for global–local research. While many global health investigators have strong collaborators with international partners, a challenge has been partnering with “local” Indiana researchers to create reciprocal learning and benefit. Conclusions: The transformative power of global health to address systemic health inequities embraces equitable and reciprocal partnerships with mutual benefit across countries and communities of academics, practitioners, and policymakers, as demonstrated through a reciprocal innovation approach. Leveraging a long-standing partnership, the Indiana CTSI has built a reciprocal innovation program with promise to redefine global health for shared wellbeing at a truly global scale.

Role of annular pentameric molecule: C-Reactive protein in periodontal disease and its association with systemic health

Various acute phase reactants are produced in response to inflammatory stimuli, one of them is C-reactive protein which is. Serum levels of C-Reactive protein are useful to monitor and diagnose inflammatory process associated with disease as it being one of the valuable biomarkers in various clinical conditions, increase in level of C-Reactive protein is found in subjects with periodontal disease, which in turn can act as useful biomarker to diagnose cardiovascular disease, adverse pregnancy outcome as they being associated with periodontal disease. This manuscript is brief overview of C-Reactive protein and its relation with periodontal disease and systemic health.

Associations of Medical Visits with Dentist Visits: A Register-Linkage Study of a Working-Age Population in Finland

Studies have usually addressed the utilization of either medical or dental services, and less is known about how medical and dentist visits are associated. As oral health is linked to systemic health, knowledge on care coordination between dental and medical services is important to gain understanding of the overall functioning of health care. Register data on 25–64-year-old residents of the city of Oulu, Finland, were used for the years 2017–2018 (N = 91,060). Logit models were estimated to analyze the probability of dentist visits, according to the number of medical visits in total and by three separate health care sectors. The majority, 61%, had visited both a medical professional and a dentist. All sectors combined, as few as one to two visits increased the odds of dentist visits (OR: 1.43, CI: 1.33, 1.53). When separated by medical professionals’ health care sectors, for one to two visits, the strongest association was found with public (OR: 1.17, CI: 1.12, 1.22) and private sector (OR: 1.35, CI: 1.30, 1.41). For occupational health service visits, the odds increased only after six or more visits. The results support the idea of integrated medical and dental care. However, the result may also arise from individual health behavior where health-conscious persons seek both medical and dental care independently.

How Can We Reduce Dental Fear in Children? The Importance of the First Dental Visit

Dental fear is a common problem amongst children. It can affect children’s psychological well-being, quality of life, and oral and systemic health. The aim of this study was to identify whether the patients’ age at which visits to the paediatric dentist begin as well as the periodicity of these visits are factors that can prevent dental fear. This observational transversal study was conducted on 575 school children (average age 6.85 ± 0.78) and their mother/father/guardian. Parents completed a survey on the characteristics of dental visits and the child completed the index of dental anxiety and fear (IDAF-4C) to assess dental fear. The correlation between dental fear and age at first visit (r = −0.36 p < 0.01) and dental fear and frequency of visit (r = −0.65 p < 0.01) were statistically significant. The regression analysis performed showed that both variables predicted 44.4% of the dental fear in the child. In conclusion, the age of initiation to the paediatric dentist (before 2 years) and the periodic revisions (every 6 months or every year) could protect the child from dental fear.

Phytogenic Feed Additives in Poultry: Achievements, Prospective and Challenges

Phytogenic feed additives have been largely tested in poultry production with the aim to identify their effects on the gastrointestinal function and health, and their implications on the birds’ systemic health and welfare, the production efficiency of flocks, food safety, and environmental impact. These feed additives originating from plants, and consisting of herbs, spices, fruit, and other plant parts, include many different bioactive ingredients. Reviewing published documents about the supplementation of phytogenic feed additives reveals contradictory results regarding their effectiveness in poultry production. This indicates that more effort is still needed to determine the appropriate inclusion levels and fully elucidate their mode of actions. In this frame, this review aimed to sum up the current trends in the use of phytogenic feed additives in poultry with a special focus on their interaction with gut ecosystem, gut function, in vivo oxidative status and immune system as well as other feed additives, especially organic acids.