IADR Abstract Archives
Oral Health Status and Tongue Biofilm in Neurological Patients: a Case-Control Study.
Objectives: A bidirectional relationship was identified between the state of chronic oral inflammation and dementia in Alzheimer’s Disease patients. The present study aimed to identify an association between oral health and neurological diseases.
Methods: Oral health status was recorded in 53 hospitalized neurological patients ( not only with dementia) and in 31 healthy controls, using Plaque Index (PI), Gingival Index (GI), number of teeth (nbT), Healthcare Oral Hygiene Index (H-OHI), presence of Oral Infection (pOI), Lingual Patina Index, presence of fissured tongue, fixed/removable prosthesis. The abundance of Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg) was determined in tongue biofilm by q-PCR. A Multivariate ANOVA was carried out, setting PI, GI, and nbT as dependent variable, and group as factor. A Generalized model was carried out, setting group as the dependent variable, and oral indexes as factors; AIC, R2, and p values were taken into account to rank the predictive role of the categorical indexes in distinguishing patients from control.
Results: A partial correlation with Spearman method, correcting for age, was used to test the association of Pg and oral indexes with systemic inflammatory indexes. Fold Change analysis revealed the increase for Pg (1.58), for GI (1.11), for PI (0.83), and −0.58 for nbT in neurological patients. MANOVA reported a significant difference between the two groups (p<.001, f2=0.27, 1−β=0.86); the dichotomous pOI (OR: 10.286, 95%CI: 2.294 - 73.501, higher in patients) and the multinomial H-OHI (higher in controls) were the best variables. Pg was positively correlated with C-Reactive Protein (rho=0.55, p=.129) of patients, although not significantly.
Conclusions: The prevalence of oral infection, gingival inflammation, poor oral hygiene, tooth loss, higher Pg exposure was related to neurological disease. Compromised oral health status could increase the amount of tongue Pg, promoting an increase in systemic inflammation. Therefore, hospitalized neurological patients need major oral health care.
Methods: Oral health status was recorded in 53 hospitalized neurological patients ( not only with dementia) and in 31 healthy controls, using Plaque Index (PI), Gingival Index (GI), number of teeth (nbT), Healthcare Oral Hygiene Index (H-OHI), presence of Oral Infection (pOI), Lingual Patina Index, presence of fissured tongue, fixed/removable prosthesis. The abundance of Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg) was determined in tongue biofilm by q-PCR. A Multivariate ANOVA was carried out, setting PI, GI, and nbT as dependent variable, and group as factor. A Generalized model was carried out, setting group as the dependent variable, and oral indexes as factors; AIC, R2, and p values were taken into account to rank the predictive role of the categorical indexes in distinguishing patients from control.
Results: A partial correlation with Spearman method, correcting for age, was used to test the association of Pg and oral indexes with systemic inflammatory indexes. Fold Change analysis revealed the increase for Pg (1.58), for GI (1.11), for PI (0.83), and −0.58 for nbT in neurological patients. MANOVA reported a significant difference between the two groups (p<.001, f2=0.27, 1−β=0.86); the dichotomous pOI (OR: 10.286, 95%CI: 2.294 - 73.501, higher in patients) and the multinomial H-OHI (higher in controls) were the best variables. Pg was positively correlated with C-Reactive Protein (rho=0.55, p=.129) of patients, although not significantly.
Conclusions: The prevalence of oral infection, gingival inflammation, poor oral hygiene, tooth loss, higher Pg exposure was related to neurological disease. Compromised oral health status could increase the amount of tongue Pg, promoting an increase in systemic inflammation. Therefore, hospitalized neurological patients need major oral health care.