1.
Hypersensitivity to metals in orthodontics.
Menezes, LM, Campos, LC, Quintão, CC, Bolognese, AM
American journal of orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics : official publication of the American Association of Orthodontists, its constituent societies, and the American Board of Orthodontics. 2004;(1):58-64
Abstract
To study the incidence of hypersensitivity to orthodontic metals, patch tests were carried out before and 2 months after the placement of orthodontic appliances in 38 patients (17 male, 21 female). The tested substances were cobalt chloride, copper sulfate, potassium dichromate, iron sulfate, manganese chloride, molybdenum salt, nickel sulfate, and titanium oxide. Eight strips containing the test substances were positioned on the patients' backs. They were removed after 48 hours and assessed by a dermatologist at 48 and 72 hours after antigen application. The obtained data were analyzed by the chi-square test and McNemar's chi-square test. Statistically significant positive reactions were observed for nickel sulfate (21.1%), potassium dichromate (21.1%), and manganese chloride (7.9%); reactions to nickel sulfate had the greatest intensity. No differences were observed between the reactions before and after placement of the orthodontic appliances; this indicates that they did not sensitize the patients or affect their tolerance to these metals during the study period. No statistical difference was observed regarding sex for any evaluated substance, although a greater tendency to positivity to nickel sulfate was observed among female patients and to potassium dichromate in male patients.
2.
Chemoattractant factors in breast milk from allergic and nonallergic mothers.
Böttcher, MF, Jenmalm, MC, Björkstén, B, Garofalo, RP
Pediatric research. 2000;(5):592-7
Abstract
The allergy-preventing effect of breast-feeding remains controversial, possibly because of individual variations in the composition of the breast milk. Recently, we showed that allergic mothers had higher concentrations of IL-4 and lower concentrations of ovalbumin-specific IgA in their breast milk than nonallergic mothers. The aim of this study was to investigate the concentrations of chemokines and cytokines that are chemotactic to cells involved in allergic reactions in breast milk from allergic and nonallergic mothers. Cytokine and chemokine concentrations were determined with ELISA in colostrum and mature milk samples from 23 mothers with and 25 mothers without atopic symptoms. IL-8 was detected in all milk samples. RANTES (regulated on activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted), eotaxin, and IL-16 were detected in 50%, 76%, and 48%, respectively, in colostrum and less commonly in mature milk. Macrophage inflammatory protein-1alpha, however, could not be detected in any of the samples. The concentrations of IL-8 and RANTES were higher in breast milk from allergic, compared with nonallergic, mothers. In conclusion, the presence of chemoattractant factors in breast milk may be responsible for the traffic of leukocytes from the maternal circulation to the breast milk. The higher concentrations of RANTES and IL-8 in allergic mothers may partly explain the controversy regarding the protective effect of breast-feeding against the development of allergy by stronger chemotaxis and activation of cells involved in allergic diseases, and possibly by elevated IgE production.