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Biomedical subjects

A X Apostolopoulos

Publications and source records attributed to A X Apostolopoulos.

13 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1989

[Evaluation of dental behaviour in adults with an advanced level of education in Athens].

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the dental health behaviour in adults of advanced education. Ninety adults, aged 31-60, men and women were randomly selected from a population of advanced education. All the subjects had a thorough oral examination in order to record their dental health indices. Before the examination each participant was interviewed personally for determining, among others, their knowledge about oral health in general and more specifically about prevention of oral diseases. Their responses were correlated with the dental health indices that were determined by the dental examination. The results of the study indicate that this segment of the population demonstrates better oral health status than other population groups of the same age in Greece; the values of the restorative treatment indices were especially very high. From their responses it was found that although their theoretical knowledge on general dental health was satisfactory their information on prevention of oral disease was very limited. It is therefore concluded that although the level of education of adult population correlates well with the level of dental care received, an effective control of oral disease could be realised only if prevention procedures and dental health education is initiated early in life.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

[Glucosyltransferase (GTF) and immunization against dental caries in humans].

Glucosyltransferase (GTF) is an extracellular or cell-associated enzyme synthesized by the "mutans" group of streptococci as well as the S. sanguis and is responsible for the biosynthesis of extracellular polysaccharides. Glucan formation in dental plaque mediates binding of S. mutans and S. sanguis to one another as well as to other bacteria. Although the production of organic acids is an indispensable property of the cariogenic strains of bacteria, their ability to stick and accumulate on tooth surfaces is an almost equally significant parameter of virulence. Furthermore, GTF has been proven to be an effective antigen in eliciting caries-protective secretory IgA antibodies in rodent models. That led to the identification of GTF as a potential antigen for use in a human caries vaccine. The results of recent studies suggest that oral immunization with GTF, has the potential to elicit a secretory IgA antibody response and to interfere with accumulation and permanent colonization of S. mutans on smooth tooth surfaces. However, it cannot be inferred from the available data whether such a vaccine is effective in caries prevention in human beings. Although many modifications seem to be necessary with regard to the composition, dose, frequency and route of administration of the antigen, the preparation of a safe and effective vaccine against human caries is considered to be feasible in the near future.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Dental caries and strontium concentration in drinking water and surface enamel.

We investigated the possible cariostatic effect of strontium in the absence of effective amounts of fluoride by relating the DMFT index of the population to the strontium and fluoride concentrations in drinking water and enamel surfaces. The epidemiological survey was conducted in two neighboring districts in the northwest part of Greece, involving 582 children ranging in age from 11 to 14. The average DMFT values were 5.26 in the high-strontium (2.9-7 ppm Sr) area and 6.95 in the low-strontium (0.2-1.3 ppm Sr) area, while fluoride was low (less than 0.06 ppm) in both districts. Further, the average strontium concentration in surface enamel was higher in the high-strontium area.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1975

Analysis of developing enamel of the rat. I. Fractionation; protein and calcium content.

The developing or immature enamel of rat incisors contained 7.1% protein, 31.4% Ca2+, and about 1% carbohydrate. Sequential extractions with distilled water removed as much as 8.0% of the immature enamel which contained 58.5% of the whole enamel protein. The mean protein content of the water-extractable fractions was 51.9%; mean calcium content was 0.05%. About 22% of the water-extractable fraction was dialyzable; the dialysate contained 12.0% protein and the non-dialyzable fraction 41.0% protein. The residue that remained after the sequential extractions with water contained 3.6% protein and 32.7% Ca2+. Ninety-four percent of the residue was lost when demineralized by dialysis against 0.1 M EDTA at pH 7.0; included with the loss was 13.7% of the whole enamel protein. The nondialyzable, EDTA-water-soluble fraction contained 25.3% protein; the nondialyzable water-insoluble fraction contained 50.4% protein. The latter fraction accounted for about 25% of the whole immature enamel protein.

Amelogenesis↗
PubMed1975

Analysis of developing enamel of the rat. II. Electrophoretic and amino acid studies.

Amino-acid analyses showed that proline, glutamic acid and leucine were the most common amino acids in immature or developing enamel and in each of its fractions (i.e., in the 1st and 14th water-extractable fractions of a sequential series of extractions, EDTA-water soluble and water-insoluble fractions. The immature enamel and its 1st and 14th water-extractable fractions were similar in their proportions of the basic amino acids (lysine, histidine and arginine), the beta-hydroxylated aliphatic amino acids (valine, leucine, and isoleucine). On the other hand, the immature enamel differed from the water-extractable fractions chiefly in its relative content of aspartic acid, glutamic acid, alanine, proline, glycine, tyrosine and methionine. Also the 1st water-extractable fraction differed from the 14th in its amino-acid profile. tthe EDTA-water-soluble fraction most closely resembled the 14th water-extractable fraction except for its proportion of arginine and alanine residues. Although with polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis the EDTA-water-soluble and the water-extractable fractions exhibited companion bands (at least 7 peaks were evident at pH 9.3) they differed decidely as to which band was the most prominent. The water-insoluble fractions compared with any of the soluble fractions or with immature enamel showed a higher percent of serine, threonine, glycine, aspartic acid, alanine, valine, lysine, and arginine but relatively less glutamic acid, proline, methionine and histidine. Neither hydroxyproline nor hydroxylsine were detected in any of the samples.

Amelogenesis↗
PubMed1975

Analysis of developing enamel of the rat III. Carbohydrate, DEAE-sephadex, and immunological studies.

Carbohydrate analyses showed L-fucose, D-xylose, D-mannose, D-arabinose, N-acetyl glucosamine, N-acetyl galactosamine, N-acetyl mannosamine, glucuronic acid and several unknown species to be present in the immature enamel or in one of its fractions. The concentration of carbohydrates was greatest in the water-extractable fraction and next greatest in the water-insoluble fraction. The water-extractable, EDTA-water-soluble, and water-insoluble fractions each differed in their spectrum of carbohydrates. With DEAE-Sephadex fractionation at pH 5.5, the water-extractable fraction was separated partially into 7 peaks. Four fractions were recovered from the 7 peaks, each of which differed from the others in amino acid and carbohydrate content and in polyacrylamide gel characteristics. Immunoelectrophoretic procedures showed that antibodies will develop against the EDTA-water-soluble fraction.

Amelogenesis↗