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- Effectiveness of two intracanal dressings in adult portuguese patients: a qPCR and anaerobic culture assessmentPublication . Teles, Ana Moura; Manso, M. Conceição; Loureiro, S.; Silva, R.; Madeira, I. G. C.; Pina, C.; Cabeda, José ManuelAim: To quantify bacterial equivalents before and after chemomechanical preparation using 3% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) and intracanal dressing with calcium hydroxide paste (Ca(OH)2 ) or 2% Chlorhexidine digluconate gel (CHX) in necrotic pulps associated or not with apical periodontitis and to further compare this quantification with counts of anaerobic microorganisms. Methodology: Prospective clinical trial in 69 single-rooted adult teeth (strict inclusion criteria); CHX group: 34; Ca(OH)2 group: 35. Bacteria samples were taken at baseline (S1), after chemomechanical preparation (S2) and after 14 days of intracanal dressing (S3). Bacterial equivalents were assessed by broad-range real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), and live viable bacteria measured with conventional anaerobic culture (CFU/mL). Descriptive/inferential analysis was performed with spss vs. 20.0 (α = 0.05) using the Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney and chi-squared tests and Spearman's correlation coefficients. Results: Both groups showed a significant decrease between S1 and S2 (Mann-Whitney U-test; P < 0.001) both in qPCR and in culture. In the Ca(OH)2 -group, no variation was observed between S2 and S3 by qPCR and culture. In contrast, the CHX group showed a significant increase from S2 to S3 by both techniques. The two groups were only significantly different in S3 (Mann-Whitney U-test; P ≤ 0.001), with a worse performance in the CHX group. Again, these results were congruent by both approaches. Data from both approaches correlate reasonably (rS < 0.5). Conclusions: Infected root canals contained a high bacterial load, and the chemomechanical root canal preparation reduced bacterial equivalents by 99.1% and anaerobic counts by 98.5%. Intracanal dressings were not efficient at reducing bacterial load, but the 14-day intracanal dressing with Ca(OH)2 performed significantly better than CHX, particularly in cases with apical periodontitis.
- Microorganisms: the reason to perform endodonticsPublication . Teles, Ana Moura; Manso, M. Conceição; Loureiro, Sara; Pina, Cristina Maria San Román Gomes de; Cabeda, José ManuelThat we perform Endodontics because there are microorganisms is now beyond doubt. Nevertheless, not only the microorganisms, but also the host response have a profound effect on the progression of the disease. Many papers confirmed the polymicrobial nature of pulpal and periapical diseases of endodontic origin and the efficiency of the chemo-mechanical procedures based on physical and chemical elimination of their etiologic factors, whose principles were first presented as far as 1928 by Hall. Since not only bacterial load may be related to the clinical outcome, but also the bacterial composition of the microbiological canal ecosystem, we aimed at the enumeration of the microorganisms present in the different types of endodontic infections. Although the emerging picture is clearly a complex one, not allowing clear-cut association of bacteria and clinical situation, only the further pursuit of elucidation of the many factors involved (including geographical variability) will ultimately lead to rational treatment solutions.
- Cancer nanopharmaceuticals: physicochemical characterization and in vitro/in vivo applicationsPublication . Zielińska, Aleksandra; Szalata, Marlena; Gorczyński, Adam; Karczewski, Jacek; Eder, Piotr; Severino, Patrícia; Cabeda, JM; Souto, Eliana B.; Słomski, RyszardPhysicochemical, pharmacokinetic, and biopharmaceutical characterization tools play a key role in the assessment of nanopharmaceuticals’ potential imaging analysis and for site-specific delivery of anti-cancers to neoplastic cells/tissues. If diagnostic tools and therapeutic approaches are combined in one single nanoparticle, a new platform called nanotheragnostics is generated. Several analytical technologies allow us to characterize nanopharmaceuticals and nanoparticles and their properties so that they can be properly used in cancer therapy. This paper describes the role of multifunctional nanoparticles in cancer diagnosis and treatment, describing how nanotheragnostics can be useful in modern chemotherapy, and finally, the challenges associated with the commercialization of nanoparticles for cancer therapy.
- Atmospheric and genetic parameters influence Rhinovirus transmissionPublication . Rodrigues, Ana Filipa; Santos, Ana Mafalda; Ferreira, Ana Maria; Marino, Roberta; Barreira, Maria Esmeralda; Cabeda, José Manuel
- Measuring health vulnerability: an interdisciplinary indicator applied to Mainland PortugalPublication . Oliveira, Gisela; Vidal, Diogo Guedes; Ferraz, Maria Pia; Cabeda, José Manuel; Pontes, Manuela; Maia, Rui Leandro; Calheiros, Jose M; Barreira, Maria EsmeraldaHealth promotion and inequality reduction are specific goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda, which are interconnected with several dimensions of life. This work proposes a composite index SEHVI—socioeconomic health vulnerability index—to address Portuguese population socioeconomic determinants that affect health outcomes. Variables composing SEHVI are aligned with the sustainable development goals considering data and times series availability to enable progress monitoring, and variables adequacy to translate populations’ life conditions affecting health outcomes. Data for 35 variables and three periods were collected from official national databases. All variables are part of one of the groups: Health determinants (social, economic, cultural, and environmental factors) and health outcomes (mortality indicators). Variables were standardized and normalized by “Distance to a reference” method and then aggregated into the SEHVI formula. Several statistical procedures for validation of SEHVI revealed the internal consistency of the index. For all municipalities, SEHVI was calculated and cartographically represented. Results were analyzed by statistical tests and compared for three years and territory typologies. SEHVI differences were found as a function of population density, suggesting inequalities of communities’ life conditions and in vulnerability to health.
- Assessment of Health and Well-being of Portuguese Population by Environmental and Socioeconomic DeterminantsPublication . Vidal, Diogo Guedes; Barreira, Maria Esmeralda; Oliveira, Gisela; Pontes, Manuela; Maia, Rui Leandro; Ferraz, Maria Pia; Cabeda, José Manuel; Calheiros, José ManuelSustainable development aims for the universal well-being and for integral human development. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development defines the goal SDG3 as “ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages”. The promotion of health equity faces challenges of political, social, economic and environmental nature, which are interrelated and influenced by environmental and socioeconomic determinants. Health determinants are intrinsically linked with all SDGs, thus, this work proposes a tailored made index SEHVI - SocioEconomic Health Vulnerability Index aiming to analyse the Portuguese population health and well-being in a quantitative manner.
- Year-long rhinovirus infection is influenced by atmospheric conditions, outdoor air virus presence, and immune system-related genetic polymorphismsPublication . Rodrigues, Ana Filipa; Santos, Ana Mafalda; Ferreira, Ana Maria; Marino, Roberta; Barreira, Maria Esmeralda; Cabeda, José ManuelRhinovirus is a common picornavirus with over 150 serotypes and three species, which is responsible for half of the human common cold cases. In people with chronic respiratory conditions and elders, it may also cause life-threatening diseases. Transmission routes are not definitively established but may involve direct human-to-human and indirect transmission (surfaces and aerosols based). In the present study, year-long presence of virus was tested by qPCR in the nostrils of young healthy volunteers and indoor and outdoor air samples. Results were correlated to atmospheric conditions (meteorological and air quality parameters) and voluntaries immune system-related genetic polymorphisms (TOLLIP rs5743899, IL6 rs1800795, IL1B rs16944, TNFA rs1800629) typed by PCR-RFLP. Nasal samples showed increased frequency and viral titers of Rhinovirus in spring and autumn. No indoor air samples tested positive for Rhinovirus, whereas outdoor air samples tested positive in late autumn. Sun radiation, atmospheric SO2, and benzene levels correlated with nostrils Rhinovirus detection. Both IL6 and TOLLIP polymorphisms but not TNFA or IL1B influenced Rhinovirus detection in the nostrils of voluntaries. Taken together, the results indicate that Rhinovirus circulation is determined by environmental conditions (weather, air-borne virus, and air pollution) and genetically encoded individual variation in immunity.
- Sequenciação de ácidos nucleicos em biomedicinaPublication . Cabeda, José Manuel; Moreno, Ana Cláudia AlmeidaA genética é uma das áreas cientificas que nos últimos anos tem sofrido um mais rápido e mais intenso desenvolvimento. Tal desenvolvimento, torna por vezes muito difícil aos profissionais da Saúde acompanhar as últimas novidades e avanços tecnológicos, mesmo quando estes têm grande impacto no diagnóstico clínico. O livro "Sequenciação de ácidos nucleicos em biomedicina" procura apresentar de modo simples mas rigoroso, a evolução das técnicas de sequenciação de ácidos nucleicos, bem como as aplicações na área do diagnóstico e na investigação científica em Ciências da vida em geral e em ciências biomédicas em particular.
- A review of microbiologic root canal sampling: updating an emerging picturePublication . Teles, Ana Moura; Manso, M. Conceição; Pina, Cristina Maria San Román Gomes de; Cabeda, José ManuelObjectives: The significance of microorganisms in root canals with regard to the aetiology of periapical infection and the need for crucial bacteria control during treatment are undeniable. In this study, we report and discuss a review of the literature on Microbiological Root Canal Sampling (MRS). The procedure is analyzed in detail, discussing its powers, limitations and the influence of sample collection procedures on the incidence of true and false positive results. Data sources: MEDLINE/PUBMED, B-On and library files of Oporto University were accessed. Selection: Papers were selected using the keywords: “root canal sampling”; “apical periodontitis”; “endodontic pathogens”; “root canal infection”; “Culture”; “molecular biology”. The references were selected under inclusion criteria such as English language, accessibility, relevance to the theme and scientific rigor. Conclusions: This review illustrated the absolute need to adhere to strict methodology procedures if valid samples are to be obtained. A combination of Culture and molecular identification approaches have confirmed the polymicrobial nature of endodontic infections with a predominance of anaerobic bacteria. Nucleic acid-based techniques provide significant additional information particularly regarding the not-yet-cultivable species of the microbial community, but greatly increase the budget of the procedure. Thus, assessment of the endodontic microflora, in the context of a polymicrobial biofilm ecosystem, and its relevance to endodontic treatments must rely in the complementariness of Culture and Metagenomics approaches as they are neither mutually exclusive nor competitive, but strongly complementary.
- Sintomatologia e diagnóstico laboratorial da rinite alérgica em estudantes e trabalhadores da indústria químicaPublication . Almeida, Márcia; Cabeda, José ManuelTem-se verificado um aumento de alergias em todo o mundo estimando-se que 10-20% dos portugueses sofra de rinite alérgica (RA). no presente estudo procuramos caracterizar a sintomatologia e percepção de RA em estudantes e trabalhadores da indústria química. Dos resultados destacamos que o número de inquiridos que afirmam sofrer de RA (19,9%) é semelhante ao descrito na literatura, mas um número maior de inquiridos apresenta sintomatologia sugestiva de RA. Assim, a RA encontra-se provavelmente sub-diagnosticada, sendo possivelmente confundida com gripe ou constipação. An increase of allergies has been detected all over the world, estimating that 10 to 20% of portuguese suffer from Allergic rhinitis (AR). At the present study we aimed to characterize the symptomology and perception of AR in students and workers of the chemical industry. From the results, we point out that the number of inquired who claim to suffer from AR (19,9%) is similar to what is described in the literature. However, the majority of inquired present a suggestive symptomology of AR. thus, Ar is probably under-diagnosed, being possibly confused with flu or a cold.