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Biomedical subjects

C Scully

Publications and source records attributed to C Scully.

At least 487 records · Page 27Linked to original sources

Careers of dentists undertaking a medical qualification.

The careers of doubly-qualified dentists have been re-examined, 12 years after the report by Henderson, Liversedge and James (1977). Three groups of medically qualified dentists were analysed. (a) those qualifying before 1960; (b) those qualifying between 1960 and 1975; (c) those qualifying since 1975. An increased proportion of those embarking on a medical qualification fail to return to a dental career, despite a stated intention to do so. There appears to be a 'wastage' to dentistry of approximately 40% of those dentists who subsequently obtain a medical qualification. Of those who do return, most practice hospital specialties at consultant level.

Adult↗

The microbiology and management of acute dentoalveolar abscess: views of British oral and maxillofacial surgeons.

Improvements in microbiological technology have established a major role for anaerobes including Gram-positive anaerobes such as peptococci and peptostreptococci and Gram-negative anaerobes such as bacteroides and fusobacteria species in acute dentoalveolar abscesses. Organisms isolated increasingly may be, or may become, resistant to penicillin or erythromycin but metronidazole appears effective against many. These facts have implications for treatment when antimicrobials are indicated. This study presents the current views of British oral and maxillofacial surgeons responding to a questionnaire as to the causative microorganisms, selection of antimicrobial and route of administration and relates these to the current scientific basis for therapy.

Acute Disease↗

Improving prognosis of Hodgkin's disease in Scotland.

Time trends in mortality from Hodgkin's disease have been studied in Great Britain for the 70-year period, 1911-1980, and incidence in Scotland since 1959. In both Scotland and England and Wales, in each sex, mortality from Hodgkin's disease rose steadily from 1911 until 1970 and thereafter dropped substantially; the greatest fall was apparent in Scottish males. While mortality rates continue to decline in Scotland the incidence has remained fairly constant over the last 25 years suggesting a major change in prognosis for this disease. The introduction of effective chemotherapy and improved techniques of radiotherapy appear to have improved prognosis sufficiently, and to have been made adequately widely available, as to influence overall mortality rates at a national level as well as at the level of the clinical trial. No such improvement in prognosis, however, explains the declines observed in mortality rates among children of each sex in both areas which have taken place since the 1930s. In view of the current knowledge of the aetiology of Hodgkin's disease this fall may have been brought about by changes in socioeconomic factors.

Age Factors↗

Female victims of assault. A study of hospital attenders.

During the first six months of 1986, 294 consecutive victims of assault were examined to determine the patterns of injury. Forty-three victims were women aged 15-46 years (mean: 25 years). In comparison with the hospital catchment population, the unemployed were over-represented and the greater than 40 age range under-represented. Facial injury, especially bruising, was extremely common, affecting 88% of women and 84% of men. Some 56% of women had sustained a fracture compared to only 26% of men but facial lacerations were uncommon in female victims. Assailants were known to 75% of female victims, but only 25% of men, and females were four times more likely to be assaulted at home. 33% of women reported previous assault in comparison with 44% of men. Oral and maxillofacial staff should understand the likely social implications and be able to organise management of assault victims of which women form an important subgroup. Management may involve social workers and psychiatrists as well as other members of the family.

Adolescent↗

Transformation of oral keratinocytes in vitro by 4-nitroquinoline N-oxide.

Normal rat oral keratinocytes have been transformed with the carcinogen 4-nitroquinoline N-oxide (4NQO) in vitro. The morphology, growth characteristics, ability to grow without anchorage and tumorigenicity in athymic mice was examined in 12 selected cell lines. Each of the lines could be assigned to one of two general groups. The first group of cell lines although showing some morphological signs of transformation and the ability to be subcultured beyond passage 15 were not anchorage independent or able to form tumours in athymic mice. The second group of cell lines showed distinct signs of morphological transformation, could be serially subcultured without 3T3 feeder cells, were anchorage independent and tumorigenic in athymic mice. Anchorage independence was more common at higher passages and with increased 4NQO treatment and correlated well with a decreased reliance on 3T3 feeder cell support. The anchorage-independent phenotype was closely associated with the ability to form tumours in athymic mice. This same sequence of phenotypic changes has been demonstrated in rat oral keratinocytes after 4NQO treatment in vivo indicating that during carcinogenesis, cell populations progress through the same stages whether proliferation occurs in vitro or in vivo. There is some evidence to suggest, however, that the time interval between stages may be altered when carcinogenesis takes place in vitro.

4-Nitroquinoline-1-oxide↗

Oral disorders and treatment implications in people over 75 years.

The oral health of subjects over 75 yr and living independently in the southwest of Britain was assessed. The majority (80%) of the sample were edentulous, and a large proportion of both edentate and dentate subjects were using dentures. More than half of the denture wearers were using loose, very unhygienic, or structurally defective dentures. Mucosal pathoses were quite common, although most of the lesions were denture-induced stomatitis found in association with unhygienic dentures. The dentate subjects had, on average, 11 natural teeth, frequently with evidence of root caries and deep periodontal pockets or extreme bone loss. The oral health problems suggest that there is a significant need to develop effective methods of improving oral hygiene in this age group. The prosthetic treatment is related principally to denture repairs while there is a need to control root caries among the growing population of elderly dentate people.

Aged↗

Oral health concerns of an elderly population in England.

A group of 437 subjects from a random sample of 737 persons, over 75 yr of age and living independently in the southwest of England, were interviewed about their oral health concerns and desires for dental treatment. Most of the subjects could have received dental treatment without unusual risk, although a third of the sample said they could not move around or attend a dentist without assistance. A dentist had visited the homes of only 2% of the sample, while 22% expressed a desire for this service. Nearly half of those interviewed complained of a mouth problem and a third were experiencing oral pain, yet the majority had not been to a dentist for at least 10 yr, and had no wish to see a dentist. Many of the subjects, even among those with complaints, said they had not visited a dentist recently because they had nothing wrong, while only a small proportion (3%) of the sample identified fear, expense or transport as a barrier to dental treatment. The results indicate that elderly people do not have many oral health concerns or expectations.

Aged↗

Ia+ epithelial dendritic cells during oral carcinogenesis in the rat.

Epithelial dendritic cells (EDC) were examined during the induction and growth of oral squamous cell carcinomas in rats treated with the carcinogen 4-Nitroquinoline N-oxide (4NQO). Acetone-fixed frozen sections of the palate and tongue were stained using an indirect immunoperoxidase technique and a monoclonal antibody to rat Ia (MRC OX-6). After 6 months there was a significant increase in Ia+ EDC/mm2 in non-invasive palatal and lingual epithelium compared with untreated and solvent painted controls. Furthermore, after 9 months there were significantly more Ia+ EDC/mm2 in non-invasive lingual epithelium compared with invasive epithelium or the epithelium overlying/adjacent to squamous cell carcinomas of the tongue. Although there were no significant differences of Ia+ EDC/mm2 between infiltrating epithelium of lingual carcinomas and non-invasive epithelium overlying/adjacent to the tumour, these tissues did contain significantly more Ia+ EDC than lingual epithelium from either solvent-only or untreated controls. The results indicate that treatment with 4NQO stimulates an increase in Ia+ EDC numbers which, although remaining higher than in controls, is not maintained within, or adjacent to, sites of neoplastic change.

4-Nitroquinoline-1-oxide↗

The expression of MHC antigens on cultured oral keratinocytes and relationship to malignancy.

Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigen expression has been postulated to have an important role in host defences against tumour development. In this study the expression of MHC class I and class II antigens in vitro, both constitutive and in response to interferon gamma (IFN gamma), was examined in a series of cell lines established from a rat model of oral carcinogenesis. Constitutive expression of MHC class I and class II antigens was not related to the degree of malignancy of the cell lines, as reflected by their anchorage independence in agarose gels and their capacity to form tumours in athymic mice. MHC class I response to IFN gamma stimulation did not correlate with tumorigenicity, but the MHC class II response was significantly decreased in one of the four tumorigenic cell lines. The results show that the expression of MHC antigens in response to IFN gamma varied between different keratinocyte cell lines but did not consistently reflect the tumorigenic phenotype.

Animals↗