[Paediatric prescribing of anti-asthmatics in primary care in Castilla-León. Geographical variability].

Introduction And Objectives: Asthma is one of the most prevalent chronic diseases with effective treatment in paediatrics. The aim of this study is to describe the paediatric prescribing of anti-asthmatics in Castilla-León, analyzing its geographic variability and temporal evolution.

Material And Methods: An analysis was made of prescriptions dispensed in pharmacies of R03 therapeutic subgroup (anti-asthmatic agents), and the active ingredients mepyramine and ketotifen, prescribed in children less than 14 years of age in the Castilla-León health service from 2005 to 2010 in Primary Care.

Anti-asthmatic prescription variability in children according to age.

Introduction: There is little research in the Spanish paediatric population about the consumption of anti-asthmatic agents. The aim of this study was to describe the current pattern of anti-asthmatic drug prescription in the paediatric population from a region of Spain, using the prescribed daily dose as a unit of measurement.

Methods: We analysed the requirements of R03 therapeutic subgroup (anti-asthmatic agents) in children less than 14 years of age in the Public Health System of Castilla y León from 2005 to 2010.

The impact of atmospheric pollutants on the prevalence of atopic eczema in 6-7-year-old schoolchildren in Spain; ISAAC Phase III.

Atopic Eczema (AE) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that affects children and adults, and alters quality of life with a high morbidity rate and severe economic burden. The objective of the present work was to analyse specific atmospheric pollutants (O3, NO, PM10 and SO2) affecting the prevalence of diagnosed AE and its symptoms among 6-7-year-old schoolchildren.The participants included 21311 schoolchildren aged 6-7 years from 8 Spanish regions, whose parents completed the ISAAC Phase III questionnaire to ascertain AE diagnosis and symptoms.

Is acetaminophen use associated with atopic eczema and other allergic diseases in adolescents?

Atopic Eczema (AE) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that affects children and adults, and alters quality of life. Previous studies have suggested several socio-demographic and environmental factors related to the prevalence of AE and other allergic diseases, including acetaminophen use. In the present study, we report the rates of isolated AE, AE associated with asthma and AE associated with rhinitis among 13- to 14-year-old Spanish adolescents and the level of association of these conditions with the use of acetaminophen.

Prevalence of asthma symptoms in schoolchildren, and climate in west European countries: an ecologic study.

The aim of the present study was to estimate the associations between the prevalence of asthma symptoms in schoolchildren and meteorological variables in west European countries that participated in the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Children (ISAAC), Phase III 1997-2003. An ecologic study was carried out. The prevalence of asthma was obtained from this study from 48 centers in 14 countries, and meteorological variables from those stations closest to ISAAC centers, together with other socioeconomic and health care variables.

Atopic dermatitis and indoor use of energy sources in cooking and heating appliances.

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) prevalence has considerably increased worldwide in recent years. Studying indoor environments is particularly relevant, especially in industrialised countries where many people spend 80% of their time at home, particularly children. This study is aimed to identify the potential association between AD and the energy source (biomass, gas and electricity) used for cooking and domestic heating in a Spanish schoolchildren population.

[Cerebral sinovenous thrombosis in a girl with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia carrying the prothrombin G20210A variant].

Although cerebral venous thrombosis is rare, it is more commonly associated with children suffering from acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. We report the case of a 7-year-old girl who developed massive cerebral sinovenous thrombosis on day 22 of induction therapy for high-risk acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Clinical symptoms were gradual onset of headache, decreasing consciousness, and ensuing left hemiplegia.

[Prescription of systemic cold and cough drugs to children 0-13 years old. An unresolved problem].

Introduction And Objectives: Upper respiratory tract infections are the most common cause of paediatric consultation, generating a high volume of prescriptions of drugs with unfavourable risk-benefit ratio. The aim of this study is to describe the prescription of systemic cough and cold medicines to children under 14 years of age in Castilla y León and analyse its variability.

Population And Methods: A count was made of the prescriptions for the R05 therapeutic subgroup (antitussives and mucolytics) and the R01B pharmacological therapeutic subgroup (nasal decongestants for systemic use), prescribed for children under the age of 14 in the Public Health System between 2005-2010.

Ascorbate-dependent decrease of the mucosal immune inflammatory response to gliadin in coeliac disease patients.

Background: The IL-15/NF-κB axis has an important role in coeliac disease (CD) and may represent a molecular target for immunomodulation. Ascorbate (vitamin C) is known to show inhibitory effects on NF-κB. Therefore, we studied if ascorbate supplementation to gliadin gliadin-stimulated biopsy culture could down-regulate the mucosal immune response to gliadin in CD.

Diet and prevalence of atopic eczema in 6 to 7-year-old schoolchildren in Spain: ISAAC phase III.

Background: The prevalence of atopic dermatitis (AD), a chronic skin disease, has increased substantially in recent decades, and different factors have been implicated in its etiology. Although dietary habits are being investigated, few conclusive findings have been reported. Nevertheless, increased consumption of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and a diet poor in antioxidants have been related to AD.

Sunny hours and variations in the prevalence of asthma in schoolchildren according to the International Study of Asthma and Allergies (ISAAC) Phase III in Spain.

The objective of this study was to estimate the relationship between the prevalence of asthma in schoolchildren aged 6-7 years and 13-14 years and the mean annual sunny hours (MASH) in Spain, and to explore predictive models for asthma prevalence. The prevalence of asthma was obtained from the International Study of Asthma and Allergies (ISAAC) Phase III 2002-2003, and climate and socio-economic variables from official sources. Nine centres were studied and a further four centres, two of which are in ISAAC, to test the predictive models.

Early exposure to paracetamol or to antibiotics and eczema at school age: modification by asthma and rhinoconjunctivitis.

The association between early exposure to paracetamol or to antibiotics and eczema is conflicting. This study aims to know whether the early exposure to those drugs is associated with eczema at school age, and whether the strength of the association is modified by the presence of asthma or rhinoconjunctivitis. Children aged 6-7 (n = 13908) from the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood in Spain provided data about current asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis and eczema.

From autoimmune enteropathy to the IPEX (immune dysfunction, polyendocrinopathy, enteropathy, X-linked) syndrome.

The term autoimmune enteropathy (AIE) was applied to a form of "intractable diarrhoea" with serum gut autoantibodies, characterized by male predominance, early onset, poor response to parenteral nutrition and several autoimmune diseases, mainly type 1 diabetes. In recent years the vague concept of AIE has became more precise thanks to the discovery of its genetic and molecular basis. The FOXP3 molecule is crucial for the generation and maturation of regulatory T cells (Treg) expressing CD4+ and CD25+ molecules.

High levels of proinflammatory cytokines, but not markers of tissue injury, in unaffected intestinal areas from patients with IBD.

Intestinal alterations in IBD are triggered and maintained by an overexpression of proinflammatory cytokines. Additionally, increased immune activation has been found in the adjacent intestinal areas without displaying any apparent histological alterations, however, the regulatory environment is not well established. Biopsy specimens from patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD), from both affected and unaffected areas, and also from a group of colonic biopsies from healthy controls, were included in our study.

[Air pollution and recent symptoms of asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic eczema in schoolchildren aged between 6 and 7 years].

Objective: The objective of the study was to analyze the relationship between air pollutants and the prevalence of recent symptoms of asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic eczema in schoolchildren aged between 6 and 7 years.

Patients And Methods: The prevalence of recent (previous 12 months) symptoms of allergic diseases was obtained by means of the questionnaire of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC), Spain, with the participation of 7 centers (Asturias, Barcelona, Bilbao, Cartagena, La Coruña, Madrid, and Valencia) and 20 455 schoolchildren aged between 6 and 7 years, from 2002 to 2003. The pollutant detection systems of the aforementioned centers provided the mean annual concentrations of sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), and total suspended particulate matter.

Nasopharyngeal aspirate cytokine levels 1 yr after severe respiratory syncytial virus infection.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection is an important cause of recurrent wheezing in infants. Nevertheless, the link between RSV infection and wheezing has yet to be elucidated at the molecular level. Here, we present a preliminary study on the evolution of the immune response in the respiratory tract at long-term after RSV infection.

[Interleukin 18 (IL-18) and other immunological parameters as markers of severity in acute pancreatitis].

Objective: Our aim was to prospectively compare the behavior of interleukin 18 (IL-18) levels and other immunological parameters during the first week of hospitalization between acute pancreatitis patients with and without severity criteria, as well as between patients with and without late pseudocyst development.

Patients And Methods: In 36 patients with acute pancreatis we compared sTNF-RI, IL-1Ra, IL-6, and IL-18 levels at days 1, 2, 3 and 7 after hospitalization between mild pancreatitis, severe pancreatitis, and a "control" group (13 patients) with uncomplicated biliary colic, as well as between patients with and without pseudocyst.

Results: On comparing mild to severe pancreatitis, IL-18 was significantly higher only the first day in severe pancreatitis, while the other parameters were steadily higher after the second day.

Parents' smoking habit and prevalence of atopic eczema in 6-7 and 13-14 year-old schoolchildren in Spain. ISAAC phase III.

Background And Aims: Atopic eczema (AE) is the most frequent inflammatory skin disease in childhood in the western world. Several studies have reported a significant increase of prevalence in recent decades and the environmental factors implicated in its aetiology, including environmental tobacco smoke. This study aims to investigate the possible association of AE prevalence in Spanish schoolchildren aged 6-7 and 13-14 years in relation to their parents' smoking habits.

Influence of two different geo-climatic zones on the prevalence and time trends of asthma symptoms among Spanish adolescents and schoolchildren.

Few studies have focused on the long-term influence of the climate on the prevalence of asthma. The aim of this study is to establish the influence of geo-climatic conditions on the prevalence of asthma symptoms both in adolescents and schoolchildren, and to discover if this influence is associated with their time trends. Eight centres in Spain performed both ISAAC phases I (1994) and III (2002) in children 13-14 years old.

Higher constitutive IL15R alpha expression and lower IL-15 response threshold in coeliac disease patients.

The IL-15 triggering effect of gliadin is not exclusive to coeliac disease (CD) patients, whereas the secondary response is CD specific. We have studied the expression of the IL-15 receptor, and the IL-15 response upon stimulation, in non-CD and CD patients, and the possible existence of a lower immunological threshold in the latter. Forty-two CD patients (20 on a gluten-containing diet, GCD, and 22 on gluten-free diet, GFD) and 24 non-CD healthy individuals were studied.

Similar cytokine profiles in response to infection with respiratory syncytial virus type a and type B in the upper respiratory tract in infants.

Human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading viral cause of severe respiratory illness in infants and young children worldwide. RSV isolates can be divided into 2 subgroups, type A and type B. Here, we compare for the first time the nasal profiles of 27 immune mediators in response to both viral subtypes in 14 children infected with RSV/A, 8 children infected with RSV/B, 11 children coinfected with RSV/A plus other respiratory viruses, and finally, 27 control children, all <2 years old.

How the presence of rhinoconjunctivitis and the severity of asthma modify the relationship between obesity and asthma in children 6-7 years old.

Background: The association between asthma and obesity in children, and the effect modification of allergy on this association have not been fully established. Aims The objective of the study was to know the effect modification of the severity of asthma and of the coexistence of rhinoconjunctivitis (RC) in the relationship between obesity and asthma.

Methods: A cross-sectional study of 17 145 schoolchildren 6-7 years old from eight Spanish cities who had completed information on height and weight of the ISAAC phase III questionnaire, which also included questions about asthma and RC symptoms and on various risk factors.