Steroid Administration and Growth Impairment in Children with Crohn's Disease.

Background: Growth impairment remains a major concern in children with Crohn's disease, but evidence remains unclear, in particular, whether steroid use is implicated. We aimed to (1) determine the frequency of temporary (TGI) and permanent (PGI) growth impairment in children administered steroids and (2) examine whether cumulative steroid administration was associated with TGI and/or PGI.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed in patients with Crohn's disease (<18 yr) administered steroids at the gastroenterology clinics of Sainte-Justine Hospital, Montreal.

Incidence of malignant mesothelioma of the pleura in Québec and Canada from 1984 to 2007, and projections from 2008 to 2032.

Background: Continuous increase in male incidence of malignant mesothelioma of the pleura (MMP) despite the drop of asbestos production since 1980 in Québec motivated this study aiming to assess when the rates of MMP will decline.

Methods: Age-standardized rates and trends were estimated over the 1984-2007 period by sex for Québec versus "Canada-excluding-Québec" (Can-Qc). An age-cohort regression was used to make projections for 2008-2032.

Timing, frequency and type of physician-diagnosed infections in childhood and risk for Crohn's disease in children and young adults.

Background: Recent experimental data show that exposure to microbes during early childhood can confer immunological tolerance and protect against Crohn's disease (CD). Epidemiological evidence for this link, however, remains controversial. Using prospective data, we examined the link between this hypothesis and risk for CD in children and young adults.

Genome-wide association study signal at the 12q12 locus for Crohn's disease may represent associations with the MUC19 gene.

Background: Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in Crohn's disease (CD) have identified associations with single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs11175593 at chromosome 12q12. The MUC19 and LRRK2 genes reside close to the GWAS signal, but it is as yet unclear which of the 2 genes represent the CD susceptibility genes.

Methods: We studied associations between nonsynonymous coding variants in the MUC19 (5) and LRRK2 (3) genes in a case-control sample comprising CD cases aged <18 years at diagnosis.