Incorporation of nanostructured hydroxyapatite and poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) in demineralized bone matrix enhances osteoblast and human mesenchymal stem cell activity.

Demineralized bone matrix (DBM) is currently used in many clinical applications for bone augmentation and repair. DBM is normally characterized by the presence of bone morphogenetic proteins. In this study, the authors have optimized methods to obtain DBM under good manufacturing practice, resulting in enhanced bioactivity.

Toll-free telephone medical information on nocturnal enuresis: the first Italian experience over a two-year period.

Purpose: The aim of the study is to promote, through this toll-free number (TFN) service, a health communication program providing information on nocturnal enuresis (NE) and related problems by a subspecialty-trained physician and to collect the callers' characteristics too. All phone calls were scheduled to data collections.

Methods: The telephone service operated as follows: the TFN was available from March 1 to May 31, 2000, and from April 1 to June 30, 2001.

Health care of children living with their mother in prison compared with the general population.

Background: Italian law allows female prisoners in specific "nest areas" to keep their babies with them until the child reaches the age of 3 years. We describe health care of children living in the nest areas and we compare this condition with the general population.

Methods: Our study was conducted in the female detention centre of Rome Rebibbia, Italy.

Polythelia: still a marker of urinary tract anomalies in children?

Objective: Supernumerary nipples (SNN), or polythelia, are the most common form of the accessory mammary tissue malformation. The frequency of this condition ranges from 0.2% to 5.

Should a renal biopsy be performed at the first relapse of 'clinical nephrotic syndrome'?

Immunoglobulin A (IgA) nephropathy is considered to be the commonest primary glomerulonephritis worldwide. The commonest clinical presentation of the disease is macroscopic hematuria, and nephrotic syndrome (NS) at the time of onset of symptoms is a predictor of poor outcome in both adults and children. In this report we describe a case of IgA nephropathy in a 15-year-old girl with a diagnosis of NS who was admitted to our hospital following 15 days of remarkable weight gain, and eyelid and pretibial oedema.

Penile involvement in Henoch-Schönlein purpura with good prognosis.

Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP), the commonest vasculitis in children, occurs most frequently between the ages of 4 and 6 years. We report the case of a 3-year-old boy with an otomastoiditis who was treated with cephalosporin and corticosteroids following a typical purpuric skin rash diagnosed as HSP. The patient also developed an acute occurrence of impairment of the glans, prepuce and penis 4 days after recovery that completely disappeared after a further 2 days, with the cutaneous rash subsiding on discharge from hospital.

Increased excretion of glycosaminoglycans in children with urinary incontinence compared to those with monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis.

Objective: To analyse the urinary excretion of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) in patients with either urinary incontinence or nocturnal enuresis.

Material And Methods: The study population comprised 65 patients with either nocturnal enuresis (n=34) or urinary incontinence (n=31) and 67 controls. Excretion of urinary GAGs was assessed using the sodium tetraborate-carbazole method.

Homotoxicological remedies versus desmopressin versus placebo in the treatment of enuresis: a randomised, double-blind, controlled trial.

The aim of this trial was to compare the safety and efficacy of homotoxicological remedies versus placebo and versus desmopressin (dDAVP) in the treatment of monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis (MNE). We conducted a randomised, double-blind, double-dummy, controlled trial in which 151 children with MNE were randomly assigned to receive oral homotoxicological remedies (n = 50), dDAVP (n = 50) or placebo (n = 51). The primary outcomes were: the reduction of wet nights per week after 3 months of therapy; the evaluation of the numbers and percentages of non-responders and responders; the number of children relapsing after initial response and the number of children attaining 14 consecutive dry nights during the treatment.