Smoking as an environmental hazard to the periodontal and peri-implant tissues: A brief review

While dental plaque is considered the etiological factor for the development of periodontal and peri-implant diseases, many studies from recent years point to smoking as the most significant environmental factor contributing to disease severity. This effect is evident at the epidemiological level as well as on our understanding of the biological mechanisms involved. The present review presents abundant scientific evidence showing that smoking negatively affects the local blood supply, interferes with the reaction of the immune system to bacterial insult, is toxic to gingival and periodontal ligament cells, impedes the response of the periodontal attachment apparatus to treatment, and is linked to dental implant failure. Over the past 30 years, more than 200 million people have died as a result of smoking tobacco use. There are more than 1 billion current smokers worldwide and these numbers are likely to increase over the coming years. And yet, the effect of smoking on periodontal and peri-implant health has been a controversial issue. It was argued, that it is difficult to prove such an effect due to poor adherence of smokers to oral hygiene, which creates a confounding factor inseparable from the effect of the smoking itself. Unfortunately, even some of the more recent publications cast doubt as for the importance of smoking cessation on peri-implant health, as a prerequisite for a successful treatment. The aim of the present review was to question the validity of these reports by presenting multiple evidence to support the quiet widely accepted common knowledge that is the numerous hazards to the oral biology which are the result of a heavy and prolonged smoking habit.

Tuberculosis Prevalence Correlation to COVID-19 Mortality in Malaria Free Countries

Background: Both malaria and latent tuberculosis ( LTB) are possible factors related to decreased COVID-19 mortality. The malaria endemicity variable is a possible confounder when conducting a study on the correlation of LTB prevalence to COVID-19 mortality. Studies regarding LTB prevalence" according to different studies" did not adjust malaria endemicity as a possible confounder. Many malaria-endemic countries are high TB prevalent. Malaria-free countries could be: high, moderate, or low in TB prevalence. The main aim of this study is to look for the influence of TB prevalence on COVID-19 mortality. TB prevalence reflects LTB prevalence in the absence of malaria endemicity as a possible confounding factor in TB studies. Material and methods: The total chosen countries were 69 non-malaria endemic countries. Countries were classified according to TB prevalence groups into low, moderate, and high prevalent groups. Covid-19 deaths/Million(M) inhabitants were taken as reported on September 2, 2020. "Kendall's-τ Correlation Coefficient", "Kruskal-Wallis test, and Mann-Whitney test were used in statistical analyses.Results: We found inverse relationships between TB prevalence and COVID-19 deaths/ (M) inhabitants and a highly positive significant correlation coefficient was reported (0.008) in Kendall's-τ correlation coefficient test. Kruskal-Wallis test showed a significant relationship within studied groups. Furthermore, the low TB prevalent group had significant reverse associations with both high and moderate TB prevalent groups in the Mann-Whitney test.Conclusion: In the absence of possible malaria confounding, TB prevalence in malaria-free countries is inversely related to COVID-19 mortality in a highly significant association.

Frequency and Characteristic of Concomitant Fibromyalgia in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a confounding factor for diagnosing and assessing rheumatic disease activity. This study sought to assess the extent of this syndrome in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients at our rheumatology department. The RA patients were divided into 2 groups (RA with FM and RA without FM) according to the score of the FiRST questionnaire and modified 2016 criteria for FM. We compared the clinical data and disease activities of RA patients with and without FM. As a result, RA patients with FM showed higher levels of CRP, ESR, DAS28-ESR compared with RA patients without FM in both FiRST questionnaires and questionnaires developed to diagnose FM(2016 criteria).Furthermore, RA patients with FM showed higher levels of IgA compared to without FM. For the blood cells count, RA patients with FM showed higher levels of white blood cells, platelets and lower levels of hemoglobin compared with RA patients without FM. Only by FiRST Questionnaires, RA patients with FM showed higher levels of RF compared to without FM. However, all groups showed a similar pattern in anti-CCP and IgG, IgM. RA patients with FM showed lower levels of vitamin D (VD) and higher levels of interleukin (IL)-6 compared with RA patients without FM.In conclusion,FM is a common feature in RA, more associated with high values of disease activity such as ESR, CRP and DAS28-ESR.

Google Trends as a predictive tool for COVID-19 vaccinations in Italy: a retrospective infodemiological analysis.

Background: Google Trends is an infoveillance tool widely used by the scientific community to investigate different user behaviors related to COVID-19. However, several limitations regarding its adoption are reported in the literature. Objective: This brief paper aims to provide an effective and efficient approach to investigating vaccine adherence against COVID-19 via Google Trends. Methods: Through the cross-correlational analysis of well-targeted hypotheses, we investigate the predictive capacity of web searches related to COVID-19 towards vaccinations in Italy from November 2020 to November 2021. The keyword "vaccine reservation" (VRQ) was chosen as it reflects a real intention of being vaccinated (V). Furthermore, the impact of the second-largest Italian national newspaper on vaccines-related web searches was investigated to evaluate the role of the mass media as a confounding factor. Results: Simple and generic keywords are more likely to identify the actual web interest in COVID-19 vaccines than specific and elaborated keywords. Cross-correlations between VRQ and V were very strong and significant (min r^2 = .460, P<.001, lag = 0 weeks; max r^2 = .903, P < .001, lag = 6 weeks). Cross-correlations between VRQ and news about COVID-19 vaccines have been markedly lower and characterized by greater lags (min r^2 = .190, P=.001, lag = 0 weeks; max r^2 = .493, P < .001, lag = -10 weeks). No correlation between news and vaccinations was sought since the lag would have been too high. Conclusions: This research provides strong evidence in favor of using Google Trends as a surveillance and prediction tool for vaccine adherence against COVID-19 in Italy. These findings prove that the search for suitable keywords is a fundamental step to reduce confounding factors. Additionally, targeting hypotheses helps diminish the likelihood of spurious correlations. It is recommended that Google Trends be leveraged as a complementary infoveillance tool by government agencies to monitor and predict vaccine adherence in this and future crises by following the methods proposed in this manuscript.

Google Trends as a Predictive Tool for COVID-19 Vaccinations in Italy: a Retrospective Infodemiological Analysis (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Google Trends is an infoveillance tool widely used by the scientific community to investigate different user behaviors related to COVID-19. However, several limitations regarding its adoption are reported in the literature. OBJECTIVE This brief paper aims to provide an effective and efficient approach to investigating vaccine adherence against COVID-19 via Google Trends. METHODS Through the cross-correlational analysis of well-targeted hypotheses, we investigate the predictive capacity of web searches related to COVID-19 towards vaccinations in Italy from November 2020 to November 2021. The keyword "vaccine reservation" (VRQ) was chosen as it reflects a real intention of being vaccinated (V). Furthermore, the impact of the second most read Italian newspaper on vaccines-related web searches was investigated to evaluate the role of the mass media as a confounding factor. RESULTS Simple and generic keywords are more likely to identify the actual web interest in COVID-19 vaccines than specific and elaborated keywords. Cross-correlations between VRQ and V were very strong and significant (min r² = .460, P<.001, lag = 0 weeks; max r² = .903, P < .001, lag = 6 weeks). Cross-correlations between VRQ and news about COVID-19 vaccines have been markedly lower and characterized by greater lags (min r² = .190, P=.001, lag = 0 weeks; max r² = .493, P < .001, lag = -10 weeks). No correlation between news and vaccinations was sought since the lag would have been too high. CONCLUSIONS This research provides strong evidence in favor of using Google Trends as a surveillance and prediction tool for vaccine adherence against COVID-19 in Italy. These findings prove that the search for suitable keywords is a fundamental step to reduce confounding factors. Additionally, targeting hypotheses helps diminish the likelihood of spurious correlations. It is recommended that Google Trends be leveraged as a complementary infoveillance tool by government agencies to monitor and predict vaccine adherence in this and future crises by following the methods proposed in this manuscript.

A Histopathology Model of Astrocytoma

Neoplastic transformation occurs in all glial cell types of the human nervous system, producing a wide variety of clinic-pathological entities and morphological variants. As the molecular events responsible for astrocytoma formation and progression are being clarified, it is becoming possible to correlate these alterations with the specific histopathological and biological features of astrocytoma, anaplastic astrocytoma and glioblastoma multiforme. Diagnosis, treatment, and prognostication in brain stem astrocytoma’s have been hindered by the occurrence in the same site of two distinct pathological entities-fibrillary and pilocytic astrocytoma. The small size of the specimens from this region adds an additional confounding factor in tumor classification. Nevertheless, histological assignment to either of these two prognostically different categories is often possible, especially if the importance of this distinction is recognized. In the face of a nonspecific histological diagnosis, e.g. "low-grade astrocytoma', certain radiographic and clinical features may, in combination with the pathological findings, be useful in tumor subclassification.

The Contribution of Human Herpes Viruses to γδ T Cell Mobilisation in Co-Infections

γδ T cells are activated in viral, bacterial and parasitic infections. Among viruses that promote γδ T cell mobilisation in humans, herpes viruses (HHVs) occupy a particular place since they infect the majority of the human population and persist indefinitely in the organism in a latent state. Thus, other infections should, in most instances, be considered co-infections, and the reactivation of HHV is a serious confounding factor in attributing γδ T cell alterations to a particular pathogen in human diseases. We review here the literature data on γδ T cell mobilisation in HHV infections and co-infections, and discuss the possible contribution of HHVs to γδ alterations observed in various infectious settings. As multiple infections seemingly mobilise overlapping γδ subsets, we also address the concept of possible cross-protection.

A Zebrafish Model of Neurotoxicity by Binge-Like Methamphetamine Exposure

Hyperthermia is a common confounding factor for assessing the neurotoxic effects of methamphetamine (METH) in mammalian models. The development of new models of methamphetamine neurotoxicity using vertebrate poikilothermic animals should allow to overcome this problem. The aim of the present study was to develop a zebrafish model of neurotoxicity by binge-like methamphetamine exposure. After an initial testing at 20 and 40 mg/L for 48 h, the later METH concentration was selected for developing the model and the effects on the brain monoaminergic profile, locomotor, anxiety-like and social behaviors as well as on the expression of key genes of the catecholaminergic system were determined. A concentration- and time-dependent decrease in the brain levels of dopamine (DA), norepinephrine (NE) and serotonin (5-HT) was found in METH-exposed fish. A significant hyperactivity was found during the first hour of exposure, followed 3 h after by a positive geotaxis and negative scototaxis in the novel tank and in the light/dark paradigm, respectively. Moreover, the behavioral phenotype in the treated fish was consistent with social isolation. At transcriptional level, th1 and slc18a2 (vmat2) exhibited a significant increase after 3 h of exposure, whereas the expression of gfap, a marker of astroglial response to neuronal injury, was strongly increased after 48 h exposure. However, no evidences of oxidative stress were found in the brain of the treated fish. Altogether, this study demonstrates the suitability of the adult zebrafish as a model of METH-induced neurotoxicity and provides more information about the biochemical and behavioral consequences of METH abuse.