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Biomedical subjects

U Skaleric

Publications and source records attributed to U Skaleric.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Alpha 2-macroglobulin in the sera of patients with periodontal disease.

The concentration of alpha 2-macroglobulin (alpha 2-M) in the sera of 86 blood donors was measured by laser nephelometry. Plaque index (PII), gingival index (GI) and probing depth were recorded around all existing teeth. All measured clinical parameters correlated positively with the concentration of alpha 2-M in the sera of the examined persons, but statistically significant positive correlation was found only in with the following: average gingival index and alpha 2-M concentration in the sera of females and average probing depth and alpha 2-M concentration in the sera of all examined females and males. This study supports the hypothesis that in long-standing chronic periodontal disease, the increased levels of proteinases might trigger the synthesis of alpha 2-macroglobulin in the host. The role of alpha 2-M as a proteinase scavenger and immunosuppressive agent is discussed briefly.

Adult↗

Alpha 2-macroglobulin in gingival fluid: correlation with alveolar bone loss in periodontal disease.

The concentration of total, free and bound (complexed forms) of alpha 2-macroglobulin was measured by crossimmunoelectrophoresis in patients with different degrees of periodontal disease as indicated by the gingival index (GI) and the proportion of alveolar bone loss (ABL). The concentration of total alpha 2-M (bound and free forms) is lower in gingival fluid taken from sites with more inflamed gingivae. Its concentration decreases with an increase in the pocket depth and the alveolar bone loss at the sites of fluid collection. The concentration of alpha 2-M bound form, i.e., the presence of alpha 2-M: protease complexes, in gingival fluid is low or absent at the sites with more pronounced bone loss (above 15%). Our results support the hypothesis that unbalanced protease activity damages the periodontal tissue. Not only the proteolytic but also inhibitory activities are altered and correspond to the severity of the disease.

Adult↗

The caries resistance of human teeth is determined by the spatial arrangement of hydroxyapatite microcrystals in the enamel.

Teeth from different people differ in their susceptibility to caries. The beginning and the development of tooth decay depend on the presence of bacterial plaque and on the structure of the tooth enamel. But it has not been established whether the organic or the inorganic component of the enamel (which is comprised principally of hydroxyapatite microcrystals organized in a firm matrix), is responsible for most of the resistance of teeth to caries. We report here that the electron spin resonance (ESR) lines of the (CO3)3 defect of samples of enamel prepared from caries-resistant teeth differ significantly from the corresponding spectra of the caries-sensitive samples. We have traced these differences to the hydroxyapatite microcrystalline alignment in the tooth enamel, and found that this alignment is specific to individuals and is therefore probably nutritionally or genetically determined.

Crystallography↗