Background. After gastrointestinal infection with Shiga-like toxin (Stx) producing Escherichia coli, the toxin is transported from the intestine to the renal microvascular endothelium. This is the main target for Stx in humans. Previous studies indicated that polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMN) could serve as carriers for Stx in the systemic circulation. As at a later stage we could not confirm these data, we performed new studies.

Periodontitis is a complex condition. Left untreated, it leads to tooth loss and the need for prosthetic treatment. The incidence of periodontitis is steadily increasing, so new methods are being sought to aid in the diagnosis of the disease. Among the methods postulated is the determination of concentrations of bioactive compounds which include extracellular matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). These enzymes are present in various structural elements of the stomatognathic system. The most promising enzyme of this group appears to be metalloproteinase 8 (MMP-8). MMP-8 assays are performed in gingival fluid or saliva, and MMP-8 levels have been shown to be higher in patients with periodontitis compared to healthy subjects and correlated with some clinical parameters of the condition and the severity of the disease. In addition, the preliminary usefulness of this enzyme in evaluating the effectiveness of periodontal treatment and doxycycline therapy has been demonstrated. Determination of the active form of MMP-8 (aMMP-8) in oral rinse fluid using off-the-shelf assays shows the highest potential. Despite reports about aMMP-8 and promising data on the role of MMP-8 in periodontal diagnosis, a clear determination of the usefulness of this enzyme requires further research.

Aims: The aims of the study were to determine oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in chronic hemodialysis (HD) patients and to estimate which scale describing OHRQoL, Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) or Geriatric/General Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI), was more useful in this particular group. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted by means of a census survey. The Polish versions of OHIP-14 and GOHAI were used to assess OHRQoL. The oral examination included decayed, missing and filled teeth (DMF-T) Index; Oral Hygiene Index simplified; Plaque Index and Gingival Index. In the statistical analysis, the Kruskal–Wallis test, Mann–Whitney U test, Pearson’s χ2 test and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients were used as appropriate. Results: The final sample consisted of 72 patients (mean age 63.2±15.2 years). The mean duration of HD treatment was 43.8 months. The mean number of teeth was 10.9. The majority of participants (81.9%) were dentate; only 22.2% of the respondents had >20 teeth. Among the dentate subjects, 44.1% wore removable dental prostheses (60.7% women). The most prevalent items for GOHAI (mean 14.71; SD 7.21) were uncomfortable to swallow, discomfort when eating and unhappy with appearance. The most prevalent items for OHIP-14 (mean 8.87; SD 10.95) were uncomfortable to eat foods, and diet has been unsatisfactory. The internal reliability (Cronbach’s alpha) was 0.637 for GOHAI and 0.918 for OHIP-14. Chewing problems were significantly related to GOHAI (p=0.001) and OHIP-14 (p<0.001) scales. Higher OHIP-14 scores were significantly associated with dental treatment needs (p=0.029) and poor self-rated oral status (p=0.001). Conclusion: The HD patients had an unsatisfactory oral status, but using only OHRQoL scale was insufficient to capture all their oral health problems. The scales did not fully reflect poor oral health in HD patients. The oral problems were not a major concern for this group of patients, which could indicate the adaptation to impaired oral health or a change in health priorities. Regular dental examinations together with the assessment of OHRQoL in HD patients are required for a comprehensive patients’ state. In our study, more variables were significantly related to the OHIP-14 scale than to the GOHAI scale. Thus, the OHIP-14 scale may be more useful in assessing OHRQoL in HD patients.

Educating the general population about dental trauma is of public health interest. The aim of this scoping review was to map research on traumatic dental injuries (TDIs) education in the general population and to identify the most relevant methods of knowledge transfer. PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science All Databases, reference lists, and grey literature were searched. Articles in English published between 2000 and 2020 were included. A total of 32 articles fulfilled inclusion criteria. The most frequently tested modality was lecture/seminar/workshop. Studies focused mainly on teachers and medical staff as target groups. Post-intervention evaluation showed an increase in knowledge. In long-term follow-up, a decrease in knowledge was found. The effectiveness of different modalities varied. Studies comparing single-modal and multimodal approaches did not confirm the effect of combined methods. Printed materials are a practical mode for laypeople. Lectures should be reserved for professions with high probability of coming into contact with a TDI victim. The Internet can be a promising tool to educate people. Educators have to choose the method of communication most appropriate for the target population. The education should include topics related to dental trauma prevention. Further research is needed to investigate the effectiveness of multimodal TDI education.