Stomach Cancer Detection in the Dental Office

Stomach Cancer Detection in the Dental Office

Written by Dentistry TodayWednesday, 21 August 2013 14:45

The UCLA School of Dentistry recently received 5 million dollars in funding from the National Institutes for Health to study biological markers in saliva to detect stomach cancer.

There are hopes that this study could advance salivary diagnostics, potentially leading to evidence that saliva can be used to detect other types of cancer, such as pancreatic cancer, breast cancer, and ovarian cancer, as well as diabetes.

The ultimate goal is this: Patients give a saliva sample at the dental office, have it analyzed within minutes, and then are able to find out if they are at risk for stomach cancer.

The research is slated to last five years, and Dr. David Wong is leading the study. As the dentistry school’s associate dean of research, he is considered a pioneer in the field of salivary diagnostics.

Dr. Wong’s team will conduct a prospective study to develop a salivary biomarker panel that would validate stomach cancer detection. The team hopes to capture RNA in saliva samples secreted by stomach cancer cells. This would confirm whether a patient is at risk for stomach cancer.

Certain Bacteria Aids in Periodontal Treatment

Certain Bacteria Aids in Periodontal Treatment

Written by Dentistry TodayThursday, 22 August 2013 10:01

Researchers may have discovered a new way to effectively treat periodontitis patients.

A double-blind, placebo-controlled study of chronic periodontitis patients indicated that Lactobacillus reuteri Prodentis can improve efficacy by 53 percent.

The information appears in the online publication Journal of Clinical Periodontology. The study included 30 patients.

The goal of the study was to analyze the impact of Lactobacillus reuteri Prodentis on scaling and root planing, some of the basic treatment for chronic periodontitis patients.

At the end of the study, about 53 percent of patients with deep dental pockets supplemented by Lactobacillus reuteri Prodentis needed surgery as compared to the placebo group. When the intervention period was over, about two-thirds of the patients in the placebo group were considered at high risk for disease progression. The patients provided with the antibiotic were only at 27 percent.

There was more pocket depth reduction and attachment gain for the group supplemented with Lactobacillus reuteri Prodentis.

The results from this study indicate that Lactobacillus reuteri Prodentis could save people money and prevent them from experiencing pain.

More Evidence of Poor Oral Health Leading to HPV

More Evidence of Poor Oral Health Leading to HPV

Written by Dentistry TodayFriday, 23 August 2013 12:57

If a person needed more incentive to maintain good oral health, now he or she has it.

The American Association for Cancer Research concluded that poor oral health leads to the human papilloma virus infection. HPV produces about 40 to 80 percent of oropharyngeal cancers.

The study appears in Cancer Prevention Research, the journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

The information indicated that the people who reported oral health issues were at a 56-percent higher risk of HPV infection. People with gum disease were at higher risk by 51 percent and those with basic dental issues were at 28 percent. There was also a correlation involving HPV infections and the number of teeth lost.

The two kinds of oral HPV infection include (1) low-risk types that do not result in cancer but cause benign tumors or warts in the oral cavity and (2) high-risk HPV that produces oropharyngeal cancers.

The information comes from the 2009 through 2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 5,000 people from around the United States took part in the study.

There were four measures of oral health in the study, including (1) self rating of oral health, (2) presence of gum disease, (3) utilization of mouthwash during the last week to treat dental problems and (4) the total number of teeth lost. Other demographic questions and lifestyles habits were taken into account.

The research demonstrated that the following people were at a higher risk for HPV infection: males, cigarette smokers, marijuana users and people who engage in oral sex.

More research is necessary to fully understand why poor oral health leads to HPV.

Colorectal cancer may be triggered by mouth bacteria

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Main Category: Colorectal Cancer
Also Included In: Cancer / Oncology;  GastroIntestinal / Gastroenterology;  Dentistry
Article Date: 15 Aug 2013 - 5:00 PDT

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Colorectal cancer may be triggered by mouth bacteria

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Two new studies published this week suggest that a type of gut bacteria found in the mouth may trigger colorectal cancer by influencing the immune response and switching on cancer genes.

The researchers believe their findings may lead to more timely and improved ways of diagnosing, preventing, and treating colorectal cancer.

Our gut contains trillions of bacteria, vastly outnumbering our own cells. These microbe communities maintain our health by training our immune system and helping us digest food. But they can also trigger disease.

There is evidence that an imbalance between the "good" and the "bad" gut bacteria may promote colon cancer.

The two new studies, published in the August 14th online issue of the journalCell Host & Microbe, focus on a genus of bacteria called Fusobacteria, and the species F. nucleatum in particular.

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of death from cancer among Americans. Researchers have found Fusobacteria from the mouth are also abundant in tissues from colorectal cancer patients.

Our mouths contain millions of bacteria

But until this latest research, it was not clear whether these gut microbes actually trigger tumors, and if so, how they do it.

In the first study, the researchers foundFusobacteria in benign tumors that can become cancerous over time. This might suggest that they contribute to the early stages of tumor formation.

Then, in mice bred to have a human-like form of colorectal cancer, the team found the bacteria sped up tumor formation by summoning a type of immune cell called myeloid cells, which penetrate tumors and trigger inflammations that can lead to cancer.

Senior author Wendy Garrett, of the Harvard School of Public Health and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in the US, told the press:

"Fusobacteria may provide not only a new way to group or describe colon cancers but also, more importantly, a new perspective on how to target pathways to halt tumor growth and spread."

In the second study, another team found that Fusobacteria use a molecule that lives on the surface of the bacterial cell to stick to and then invade human colorectal cancer cells.

The molecule, called Fusobacterium adhesin A (FadA), switches on genes that spur cancer growth, triggers inflammation in the human cancer cells, and spurs tumor formation.

The team also found that tissue from healthy individuals had much lower levels of FadA than tissue from patients with benign and cancerous colorectal tumors.

Plus, they identified a compound that can stop the effects of FadA on cancer cells.

Senior author Yiping Han, of Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine in the US, said:

"We showed that FadA is a marker that can be used for the early diagnosis of colorectal cancer and identified potential therapeutic targets to treat or prevent this common and debilitating disease."

In another study of mice published earlier this year, researchers identified the mechanisms that help the good gut bacteria and the immune system to coexist. A group of immune cells called innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) seem to instruct the immune T cells to trust - that is, ignore - friendly gut bacteria, thereby allowing the immune system to maintain a friendly truce with these foreign entities.

Written by Catharine Paddock PhD 
Copyright: Medical News Today 
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today 

Lactobacillus reuteri Prodentis improves periodontal treatment

Main Category: Dentistry
Article Date: 19 Aug 2013 - 3:00 PDT

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Lactobacillus reuteri Prodentis improves periodontal treatment

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A double-blind, placebo-controlled study of chronic periodontitis patients showed that treatment with Lactobacillus reuteri Prodentis as an adjunct to standard treatment significantly improved efficacy by 53 per cent.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of Lactobacillus reuteri Prodentis as an adjunct to scaling and root planing, which is the standard treatment, in chronic periodontitis patients.

By the end of the 12 week long study 53 per cent fewer sites (surfaces on a teeth) in patients with deep dental pockets and supplemented by Lactobacillus reuteri Prodentis was in need for surgery, compared to the placebo group (p < 0.019). A site was considered as in need for surgery if the pocket depth was ≥6 mm or ≥5 mm and bleeding.

After the intervention period it was also concluded that 67 per cent of the patients in the placebo group fell into the high-risk category for disease progression, while the corresponding figure for patients supplemented by Lactobacillus reuteri Prodentis was only 27 per cent (p < 0.027). In the published article the authors point out that these figures are comparable to what is reported in different studies using a combination of two different antibiotics as an adjunct to scaling and root planing.

Among the patients with more serious problems there was significantly more pocket depth reduction and attachment gain (p < 0.05) in the group supplemented by Lactobacillus reuteri Prodentis compared to corresponding patients in the placebo group. The study, which was published online 15 August 2013 in Journal of Clinical Periodontology, included 30 patients.

"This study is important because it shows that less patients will be in need for surgery and thus both suffering and money for these periodontitis patients could be saved with BioGaia ProDentis. The results will also help us further penetrate dental offices around the world and thereby contribute to the growth of our oral health business", says Peter Rothschild, President, BioGaia.

HPV infection linked to poor oral health, say cancer prevention researchers

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Main Category: Dentistry
Also Included In: Infectious Diseases / Bacteria / Viruses;  Cancer / Oncology
Article Date: 22 Aug 2013 - 0:00 PDT

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Infection with oral human papillomavirus (HPV) - a main cause of throat cancer - could be linked to poor oral health, including gum disease, according to a study published in the journal Cancer Prevention Research.

Researchers from the University of Texas Health Sciences Center in Houston analyzed data from the 2009-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), which was carried out by the National Center for Health Statistics of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Some 3,439 participants were included in the data, aged between 30 and 69 years. Participants were chosen based on their available oral health data and the presence or absence of 19 low-risk HPV types, as well as 18 high-risk HPV types in the oral cavity.

The oral health data included the following four measures:

• Self-rating of overall oral health
• Presence of gum disease
• Use of mouthwash to treat dental problems (within past 7 days of survey)
• The number of teeth lost.

Factors that may influence HPV infection were also analyzed, including age, gender, marital status, marijuana use, cigarette smoking and oral sex habits.

Oral health an 'independent risk factor'

The findings showed that the participants who reported bad oral health had a 56% higher risk of developing oral HPV infection compared with those who had good oral health.

Those with gum disease showed a 51% higher risk of oral HPV infection, while those with dental problems had a 28% higher risk. The researchers were also able to link oral HPV infections to the number of teeth lost.

Additionally, the findings showed that males who smoked cigarettes, used marijuana and participated in oral sex regularly had increased risks of oral HPV infection.

They note that self-rated overall oral health was an independent risk factor for the infection, as the link did not vary regardless of whether the participant smoked or had multiple oral sex partners.

Thanh Cong Bui, postdoctoral research fellow in the School of Public Health at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center, says:

"Poor oral health is a new independent risk factor for oral HPV infection and, to our knowledge, this is the first study to examine this association.
The good news is, this risk factor is modifiable. By maintaining good oral hygiene and good oral health, one can prevent HPV infection and subsequent HPV-relatedcancers."

Call for more research on the causes

HPV is a virus that affects areas including the throat, mouth, feet, fingers, nails, anus and cervix - areas of the skin and the mucus membranes that line the body.

The study authors say that similar to genital HPV infection, oral HPV infection can be divided into two types. The first are low-risk HPV types that are not a cause of cancer, but cause benign tumors and warts in the oral cavity. The second are high-risk HPV types that can cause throat cancers.

According to the researchers, oral HPV infection causes 40-80% of oropharyngeal cancers (throat cancers). Medical News Today recently reported a study that suggests a certain strain of HPV is linked to a third of throat cancers.

The present study authors say that because HPV needs a wound in the mouth to enter and infect oral cavities, bad oral health could create an "entry portal" for HPV - mouth ulcers, mucosal disruption or chronic inflammation in particular.

They note, however, that there is not enough evidence at present to support this and further research is needed.

Thanh Cong Bui adds:

"Although more research is needed to confirm the causal relationship between oral health and oral HPV infection, people may want to maintain good oral health for a variety of health benefits. Oral hygiene is fundamental for oral health, so good oral hygiene practices should become a personal habit."

Although the majority of us know how to look after our oral health, the Mayo Clinic lists a few reminders on dental care basics:

• Brush your teeth at least twice a day
• Use a fluoride toothpaste and a soft-bristled brush that fits your mouth comfortably, and consider using an electric toothbrush - this can reduce plaque and gum disease
• Practice good technique - remember to brush the outside, inside and chewing surfaces of your teeth, as well as your tongue
• Keep your toothbrush clean - always rinse it with water after brushing, store in an upright position and allow it to air dry before using it again
• Replace your toothbrush or toothbrush head every 3 to 4 months.

Written by Honor Whiteman

Copyright: Medical News Today 
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today