Blood lead levels clinic-type studies

In summary, the use of shed dentition as a biological indicator of cumulative exposure to lead in children would appear to be appropriate under certain conditions. These conditions include rigorous steps to minimize variance in the measure multiple tooth sampling restricted to the same type (and location if possible), or use of concordance criteria for acceptance or rejection of lead levels in replicate sampling. By its nature, measurement of lead in teeth is a retrospective index of exposure to lead, and this measure is not as inherently useful for regulatory policy or clinical intervention/management of lead exposure and intoxication as is PbB. The various prospective studies currently under way in different countries for lead exposure/effects in children include some that utilize serial measurement of PbB in the paediatric subjects as they develop. Comparison of these multiple measurements with lead in shed dentition in the future would be valuable in establishing blood lead-tooth lead relationships. 

In a Phase I study of an NIH-SBIR program addressing osteomyelitis, available results indicate that 1) selected gel-formers are capable of controlling the in vitro release of gentamicin and vancomycin for at least 2 weeks 2) two types of gel-formers can be formulated, with clinically relevant doses of vancomycin, into injectable forms 3) injection of the vancomycin formulation about the periosteum of the goat tibia for localized drug delivery and 4) controlled release of the vancomycin formulation is feasible without leading to toxic blood levels. 

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