Procalcitonin and neopterin correlation with aetiology and severity of pneumonia.

Objective: Clinical outcome of pneumonia depends on a multifaceted treatment approach. Not only diagnostic methods but also early indicators of the degree of inflammatory response can aid in therapeutic decisions. The objective was to evaluate the usefulness of procalcitonin and neopterin in distinguishing among aetiologies as well as severity in patients with pneumonia.

Treatment of monomorphic B-cell lymphoma with rituximab after liver transplantation in a child.

Rituximab, a monoclonal antibody directed against the B-cell specific CD20 antigen has been used with success in post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) of B-cell phenotype. However, the use of such drug in children with liver transplantation and PTLD is very limited. We report a 2-yr-old liver transplant recipient with monomorphic non-Hodgkin lymphoma of B-cell origin.

Current management strategies for the prevention and treatment of cytomegalovirus infection in pediatric transplant recipients.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality following transplantation, especially in the pediatric population, who remain at high risk of primary infection. The availability of effective antiviral therapy has led to dramatic improvements in the outcome of CMV infection in patients undergoing transplantation. In recent years, three major strategies have been developed for the prevention of CMV disease in this population: reduction of risk of viral acquisition or reactivation by management of risk factors; prophylaxis of all 'at-risk' patients using prophylactic strategies for a defined period of time, initiated at or near the time of transplant; and pre-emptive treatment with ganciclovir of selected 'at-risk' patients, guided by either laboratory markers indicative of subclinical infection or the presence of specific risk factors.