[Communication with adolescents during health care visits].

Adolescence is the age group comprised between 10 and 19 years. It marks a period of intense change, both physical and psychosocial. Even though adolescents have high reported use rates of health services, and generally report feeling to be "in good health", they also report specific needs that are not adequately covered by standard medical approach, especially in the areas of psychological health and preventive care.

Contribution of the polymerase chain reaction to the diagnosis of tuberculous infections in children.

Unlabelled: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the contribution of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to the diagnosis of tuberculous infection in children. Two different PCR techniques were compared to the standard bacteriological methods for the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in 157 specimens obtained from the respiratory system of 51 children. Patients were classified in three groups: 12 patients with active disease (57 specimens), 12 patients with silent tuberculous infection (23 specimens) and 27 patients without tuberculosis (77 specimens).

Determination of humoral immunoglobulins M and G directed against mycobacterial antigen 60 failed to diagnose primary tuberculosis and mycobacterial adenitis in children.

The serodiagnosis of primary tuberculosis (TB) and mycobacterial adenitis in children was tried using the Anda-Tb tests (Anda Biologicals, France) that measure immunoglobulins (Ig) M and G directed against mycobacterial antigen 60 (A60) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The 188 cases studied included 81 healthy or mycobacteria-unrelated diseased children with no reaction to tuberculin skin test (STN); 9 recent BCG vaccination (BCG); 35 asymptomatic (AsTB), 29 symptomatic (STB) primary TB and 11 adenitis caused by atypical mycobacteria from the group avium-intracellulare-scrofulaceum (MAIS) tested before treatment; and 23 past primary TB tested at different times after completion of specific treatment (past TB). The individual IgM and IgG levels largely overlapped whatever the clinical status of the children.

Interleukin-2 and soluble interleukin-2 receptor levels in children with active pulmonary tuberculosis and atypical mycobacterial adenitis.

Interleukin-2 (IL-2) level was measured in sera and in supernatants of Purified Protein Derivatives of Tuberculin (PPD) stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) cultures from children with active primary pulmonary tuberculosis (TB), or adenitis caused by mycobacteria of the group Mycobacterium avium, intracellulare, scrofulaceum (MAIS). The control groups included BCG vaccinated children (BCG) and children with negative skin test to PPD (NST). High mean IL-2 level was exclusively found in sera of mild TB patients (MTB), and not in sera of MAIS infected or BCG vaccinated children.