Association between History of Prolonged Exclusive Breast-Feeding and the Lung Function Indices in Childhood.

Although the propitious effects of breastfeeding on children's health are indisputable, the impact of exclusive breastfeeding on the lung function later in life remains controversial. Our objective was to explore the possible associations between breastfeeding and the lung function of children who were exclusively breastfed for an extensive period of time. This was a cross-sectional study of children who were exclusively breastfed for more than 12 months.

Association of breastfeeding with tidal breathing analysis in infants with bronchiolitis.

Background: Tidal breathing flow-volume (TBFV) analysis provides important information about lung mechanics in infants.

Aim: To assess the effects of breastfeeding on the TBFV measurements of infants who recover from acute bronchiolitis.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, TBFV analysis was performed in infants with bronchiolitis prior to hospital discharge.

The Effect of pT-TMS on Beta Rhythm in Children with Autism Disorder. A MEG Study.

We investigated the beta rhythm in 10 children with autism disorders (six boys and four girls) aged 5-12 (mean± SD: 8.3± 2.1) before and after the application of pico Tesla transcranial magnetic stimulation (pT-TMS) using magnetoencephalography (MEG).

Elevated Levels of Alveolar Nitric Oxide May Indicate Presence of Small Airway Inflammation in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Introduction: Pulmonary manifestations of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), albeit not rare, are largely overlooked in clinical practice. The role of exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) as an established biological marker of airway inflammation compels us to use it as a tool to investigate the exact nature of these manifestations.

Methods: Fractional eNO (FeNO) was measured in multiple flows, and with the use of a mathematical model, alveolar concentration of NO (CNO) and bronchial flux of NO (JNO) were assessed in 27 patients with IBD [17 with Crohn's disease (CD) and 10 with ulcerative colitis (UC)] and in 39 healthy controls.

Association of Asthma and Allergic Rhinitis With Sleep-Disordered Breathing in Childhood.

Asthma and allergic rhinitis (AR) are the most common chronic conditions in childhood and have previously been linked to sleep-related breathing disorder (SRBD). Aim of the study was to examine the association between SRBD risk and asthma control in children with asthma and with or without AR. The assessment of FeNO and pulmonary function tests were performed in 140 children (65 with asthma, 57 with both asthma, and AR, 18 with only AR).

A short period of breastfeeding in infancy, excessive house cleaning, absence of older sibling, and passive smoking are related to more severe atopic dermatitis in children.

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is one of the most common, chronic or chronically relapsing inflammatory skin diseases that affect children. Multiple genetic and environmental factors appear to regulate the pathogenesis of AD.

Objectives: Our aim was to investigate the possible association between family, social, dieting, atopic and environmental factors and the severity of AD evaluated by SCORAD scores in children.

The effect of bronchodilation and spirometry on fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO50), bronchial NO flux (JawNO) and alveolar NO concentration (CNO) in children and young adults.

Objective: Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), bronchial nitric oxide (JawNO) and alveoar nitric oxide (CNO) are biomarkers of eosinophilic inflammation, usually measured simultaneously with spirometry and bronchodilation. Our aim was to investigate the effect of bronchodilation and spirometry on FeNO, CNO and JawNO in children and young adults with well-controlled asthma and in healthy volunteers.

Methods: FeNO was measured in 95 subjects (62 controls, 33 asthmatics).

A combined study of MEG and pico-Tesla TMS on children with autism disorder.

Magnetoencephalographic (MEG) recordings from the brain of 10 children with autism (6 boys and 4 girls, with ages range from 5-12 years, mean[Formula: see text][Formula: see text][Formula: see text]SD: 8.3[Formula: see text][Formula: see text][Formula: see text]2.1) were obtained using a whole-head 122-channel MEG system in a magnetically shielded room of low magnetic noise.

Endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene polymorphisms are associated with sensitization to seasonal aeroallergens in asthmatic children.

Background: Childhood asthma phenotype is the consequence of interaction between environment and genetic factors. Nitric oxide (NO) formation is affected by polymorphisms in nitric oxide synthase (NOS) enzymes, which play a significant role as inflammatory factors in the airways. This study was undertaken to estimate the correlation of -786C>T and 894G>T polymorphisms of the eNOS gene with the sensitization of asthmatic children to common aeroallergens.

The Role of Flow-Independent Exhaled Nitric Oxide Parameters in the Assessment of Airway Diseases.

Nitric oxide (NO), the first gas known to act as a biological messenger, is one of the most widely studied free radical/gas in medicine, both for its biological function and therapeutic applications. The measurement of endogenous NO in exhaled air is widely used in the evaluation of lung disorders. Partitioning of exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) is of increasing interest because of the additional information about lung pathology and distal lung inflammation that can be obtained.

Vitamin D receptor ApaI a allele is associated with better childhood asthma control and improvement in ability for daily activities.

Vitamin D levels have been suggested as a marker of disease severity in asthmatic children. Our aim was to investigate possible associations between the vitamin D receptor (VDR) FokI, BsmI, ApaI, and TaqI polymorphisms and asthma susceptibility and control in children. 127 Greek children with asthma and 91 healthy controls were genotyped for VDR FokI, BsmI ApaI, and TaqI polymorphisms using Sequenom MassARRAY iPLEX platform.

Can Procalcitonin in Cerebrospinal Fluid be a Diagnostic Tool for Meningitis?

Background: To study the levels of procalcitonin (PCT) in patients with meningitis and control group and compare them with established markers of infection--such as C-reactive protein (CRP), high-sensitivity CRP, and WBC--in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and assess the possible discriminative role of PCT in the differential diagnosis of meningitis from other noninfectious diseases.

Methods: We studied CSF samples of patients from Intensive Care Unit, Internal Medicine, Neurology, Hematology, and Pediatric departments. The total number of patients included in the study was 58.

Plasma leptin and adiponectin concentrations correlate with cardiometabolic risk and systemic inflammation in healthy, non-obese children.

Background: Plasma adipocytokines are associated with metabolic profile and cardiovascular risk in obese children.

Objective: To investigate the association of plasma leptin and adiponectin concentrations with cardiometabolic risk profile and systemic inflammation in non-obese children.

Subjects: We studied 170 healthy, non-obese children (86 males, mean age 10±2 years).

Lipopolysaccharide-binding protein: a potential marker of febrile urinary tract infection in childhood.

Background: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are encountered frequently in children, and their early diagnosis and treatment are important. This study evaluates the diagnostic value of serum concentrations of lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP), an acute-phase protein, in children with febrile UTI and compares it to those of the total white blood cell count (WBC), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), and interleukin-6 (IL-6).

Methods: The study population comprised 77 consecutive patients with a first-episode febrile UTI (33 boys) with a median age of 11 months [interquartile range (IQR), 5.

G894T polymorphism of eNOS gene is a predictor of response to combination of inhaled corticosteroids with long-lasting β2-agonists in asthmatic children.

Aim: Nitric oxide synthase enzymes have an important role in airway inflammation in asthmatic children. In the present study, the association between eNOS gene polymorphisms and response to inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) and long-lasting β(2)-agonists (LABAs) was investigated.

Patients & Methods: A total of 81 asthmatic children treated with ICS plus LABAs and 96 healthy controls were genotyped for eNOS G894T and -786T/C polymorphisms and their haplotypes using the PCR-RFLP method.

Current evidence for the management of paediatric parapneumonic effusions.

Background: Parapneumonic effusions (PPE) and empyema, secondary to bacterial pneumonia, are relatively uncommon but their prevalence is increasing lately. Even if their prognosis is generally good, they may still cause significant morbidity. The traditional treatment of PPE has been intravenous antibiotics and, when necessary, chest tube drainage.

Plasma leptin and adiponectin concentrations in healthy, non-obese children.

Background: Alterations in plasma leptin and adiponectin concentrations are associated with an adverse metabolic profile in obese children.

Objective: To simultaneously assess multiple factors with possible effects on plasma leptin and adiponectin concentrations in healthy, non-obese children.

Subjects: We studied 170 healthy non-obese children (86 males, age 10+1.

Serum procalcitonin for prediction of renal parenchymal involvement in children with urinary tract infections: a meta-analysis of prospective clinical studies.

Objective: To determine by meta-analysis whether serum procalcitonin (PCT) is a useful marker of acute renal parenchymal involvement (RPI) in children with culture-proven urinary tract infection (UTI), as diagnosed by acute-phase DMSA (Tc-99m dimercaptosuccinic acid) renal scintigraphy.

Study Design: We searched PubMed and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials for prospective studies involving children with culture-proven UTIs. Additional eligibility criteria were measurement of serum PCT at presentation and performance of DMSA scintigraphy within 14 days.

Magnetoencephalography evaluation of febrile seizures in young children.

The aim of this study is to assess any cerebral dysfunction in young children, who experienced febrile seizures, by means of magnetoencephalography. Our study population included 15 children (9 boys, 6 girls) within the age range of 2 to 7 years. The magnetoencephalography data were recorded with a 122-channel biomagnetometer.

Epilepsy impact on aspects of school life of children from different cultural populations in Thrace, Greece.

Epilepsy influences the school life of children. The aims of this study were to (1) assess absenteeism and participation in sports activities, (2) investigate whether parents inform school and children inform their classmates, and (3) determine which factors influence these school aspects. Children from both Christian and Muslim families were enrolled and different cultural variables were prospectively documented.

The effect of obesity on pulmonary lung function of school aged children in Greece.

Obesity impacts on many issues of pulmonary medicine, where it is debated if obesity is linked to asthma, atopy or altered lung function tests. Our study aimed to investigate primarily the effect of obesity on the lung function tests and secondary the possible link of obesity with atopy and asthma in a large cohort of children in Greece. Body mass index (BMI) and data from a questionnaire for lung health, atopy, nutritional habits and family history were obtained from 2,715 children aged 6-11 years.

Warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia following recurrent mycoplasma pneumonia infections in a child with Down syndrome.

Mycoplasma pneumonia (MP) is mainly associated with cold agglutinin syndrome, whereas both cold IgM and warm IgG autoantibodies have been identified in only two cases in the literature. The authors present an 8-year-old boy with Down syndrome, who suffered from recurrent episodes of MP infection, followed by episodes of hemolytic anemia with normal titer of cold agglutinins. The first 6 episodes were sequenced by nonimmune hemolytic anemia, whereas the latter 7 episodes were followed by episodes of warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia.

Acute abdomen in children due to extra-abdominal causes.

Background: Acute abdominal pain in children is a common cause for referral to the emergency room and for subsequent hospitalization to pediatric medical or surgical departments. There are rare occasions when the abdominal pain is derived from extra-abdominal organs or systems. The aim of the present study was to establish the most common extra-abdominal causes of acute abdominal pain.

Primary hepatic Burkitt lymphoma.

Primary hepatic lymphomas are exceedingly rare in children, with less than a dozen cases described to date. The authors present an 8.5-year-old boy with Burkitt lymphoma of the liver who had isolated multifocal liver lesions that exhibited a multilayered progressive enhancing pattern on MRI.