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The effect of growth hormone (GH) treatment on craniofacial development was studied in five children exhibiting growth retardation following bone marrow transplantation. Linear and angular measurements were made on lateral radiographic cephalograms taken prior to the start of GH treatment and after an average treatment time of 1.2 yr. The results showed that the mean growth increments of mandibular length in the GH treated children, exceeded the corresponding values of the control group by 150% during the period of investigation. It is suggested that this dimensional increase in the patients was due to GH stimulation on the chondral growth process in the mandibular condyles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oral mucous membrane lesions were studied in 54 children below 12 yr of age treated with allogeneic bone marrow transplantation on mainly because of hematological malignancies. Sixty-two percent of the children exhibited a wide range of oral side effects during therapy. Lesions observed during the first 2 wk prior to engraftment of the donor marrow were related to the chemo- and radiotherapy given. Oral ulcerations were seen in 34% of the children. Children given methotrexate as graft-vesus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis exhibited oral ulcerations significantly (P≤0.05) more often than those given cyclosporin. Oral lesions related to acute GVHD were only observed in two patients. Reactivating herpes simplex virus infection was seen in 35% of the children who were seropositive prior to BMT. An extensive oral candidiasis was observed in 15% of the patients. All six children with a chronic GVHD exhibited changes in the oral mucosa 2-4 yr after transplantation such as erythma of the mucous membranes, tongue atrophy and also lichenoid changes in the buccal mucosa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The immunohistochemical occurrence of several different neuronal markers has been investigated in human gingiva with phenytoin-induced overgrowth. The material was compared to gingival material taken following surgical orthodontic treatment, Gingiva obtained from the phenytoin-treated groups seemed to have a reduced number of neurofilament (NF) immunoreactive nerve fibers in the propria compared to control material. In both phenytoin as well as control gingiva sparsely distributed, thin, calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and substance P (SP) immunoreactive fibers were found in the propria. No obvious differences between the two groups could be observed for CGRP and SP. Immunoreactive cells for somatostatin (SOM) with a dendritic cell shape were found in the propria in both groups, sometimes in densely packed clusters. A tendency for increase of SOM-immunoreactive cells in the phenytoin-treated gingiva was observed, A few γ-melanocyte stimulating hormone (γ-MSH)-immunoreactive cells with a round appearance were found in control as well as phenytoin -affected gingiva. In one instance, however, a heavy γ-MSH-immunoreactive cell infiltration was seen in the phenytoin sample. No immunoreactivity in either the phenytoin-treated group or in the control group was seen for proctolin or galanin. The results indicated that gingiva with phenytoin-induced overgrowth has a reduced innervation density revealed with NF immunohistochemistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The in vitro synthesis of sulfated glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) was studied in gingival fibroblasts from two patients exhibiting phenytoin(PHT)-induced gingival overgrowth, i.e. pseudopockets, which required surgical excision, front one patient on PHT medication not exhibiting pseudopockets and from two normal controls. The results showed that the newly synthesized GAGs were distributed to the culture medium, to a pericellular - and to the cell fraction. Gingival fibroblasts from the PHT-induced gingival overgrowth showed a significantly increased incorporation of 35SO42- into GAGs compared to the other strains, and this increase was mainly confined to the dermatan sulfite fraction. These results are in accordance with our previous biochemical studies where increased amounts of GAGs were found in gingival biopsies from the GAG-induced lesion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Out of 374 schoolchildren, aged 13-15 yr, 42 with high counts of salivary lactobacilli (≥ 105) were selected for this study. Lysozyme activity in saliva and L( +)-lactic acid (LA) production after addition of glucose were determined. The mean values of lysozyme activity and LA concentration were 19.4 μg/ml and 1.4 mmol/1 respectively. The levels of LA produced without addition of glucose were < 0.2 mmol/l. The results showed a statistically significant (P< 0.05) negative correlation between lysozyme activity and the levels of LA produced. The findings of this study suggest that lysozyme may be of imponance in limiting acid production in saliva. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oral health was studied in a group of asthmatic children (n = 61). The children were divided in two groups, 5-10 and 11-18 yr of age. The individuals with asthma were flanker subgroups with respect to the disease severity. Severe asthma was defined as more than 10 asthmatic attacks per year. This patient group had daily medication compared to children with moderate asthma (<10 asthmatic attacks/yr) who medicated temporarily. 55 age matched children from the same area made up the control group. All children were examined clinically and two bitewing radiographs were taken. The result showed no statistically significant differences concerning caries prevalence and gingival condition in asthmatic children compared to a healthy control group. The study shows that neither the asthma per se nor the disease severity affected the caries prevalence and gingival condition in asthmatic children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of phenytoin and its major metabolite p-HPPH on concanavalin A (ConA) induced DNA-synthesis of human lymphocytes was studied in vitro. In lymphocyte cultures depleted of phagocytizing cells by iron treatment PHT and p-HPPH, in pharmacologic concentrations, caused a depression of the mitogen response measured as uptake of ³H-thymidine. In contrast, the presence of phagocytizing mononuclear cells during ConA-stimulation in the presence of PHT and p-HPPH caused a potentiation of ConA induced DNA-synthesis. These effects of phenytoin on immunocompetent cells may be of significance in the pathogenesis of the PHT-induced gingival overgrowth, since earlier we have reported the presence of large infiltrates of lymphocytes, mainly T-lymphocytes in gingival biopsies from clinically non-inflamed PHT- induced gingival overgrowth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of mononuclear cells was studied in gingival biopsies from seven children exhibiting phenytoin(PHT)-induced gingival overgrowth, three children with gingivitis and a control group consisting of three children without clinical signs of inflammation. The mononuclear cells were detected using monoclonal antibodies defining functional T-lymphocyte subpopulations, B-lymphocytes and monocytes. Gingival biopsies from the individuals in the PHT-group showed a substantial number of mononuclear cells. The distribution of mononuclear cells in separate individuals were as follows: 69-95% OKT3 +/Leu4+ cells (T-lymphocytes), 50-64% OKT4+ /Leu3 + cells (T-helper phenotype) and 29-46% OKT8 + cells (T-suppressor/cytotoxic phenotype). None of the biopsies in the PHT-group contained more than a few scattered plasma cells. The vast majority of all mononuclear cells present in the biopsies reacted with OKIal, a monoclonal antibody defining the HLA-DR framework. In contrast, biopsies from the control group and the gingivitis group contained few mononuclear cells, the majority of which were cells. This suggests that immunologic reactions mediated by T-cells may play a role in the pathogenesis of the PHT-induced lesion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gingival overgrowth was assessed in renal transplant children, 19 boys and 13 girls, aged 2.5- 18 yr. who had been on a cyclosporin-A (CsA)-based immunosuppressive regimen for at least 12 months Data collected included number of posttransplant months, total CsA dose administered during the first 6 post- transplant months, oral dose and blood trough level of CsA on the day of examination, plaque accumulation (VPI%), gingival inflammation (GBI%), loss of attachment, and gingival overgrowth Thirteen percent of the children exhibited gingival overgrowth characterized by one or more units with increased sulcus probing depth (&ges;4 mm), i e pseudopockets The total amount of CsA administered during the first 6 posttransplant months was significantly higher in the children with gingival overgrowth than in those without. The study indicates that the development of CsA-induced gingival overgrowth is positively related to the total dose of the drug administered to the children during the first 6 posttransplant months. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human mononuclear cells purified by Lymphoprep flotation were incubated with phenytoin (PHT) (20 μg/ml) or its metabolite p-HPPH (2 μg/ml) in the presence of Concanavalin A (10 μg/ml) in vitro. The results indicate that phenytoin and its metabolite p-HPPH induce the release of a mononuclear cell factor(s) that activates quiescent human gingival fibroblast to synthesize DNA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]