A novel silica-based material (SBM), synthesized from chemically-, thermally-, and mechanically-treated blast furnace slag (TBFS), was examined for its batch-mode lead adsorption capacity based on various parameters. Physicochemical examinations revealed that the formulation of the new SBM consisted mainly of silica, which represented 81.79% of its total composition.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Lung ultrasound (LUS) has emerged as a reliable, noninvasive tool for bedside assessment of acute bronchiolitis (AB) in infants. Its role in guiding therapeutic decisions is increasingly recognized.
Aims: This study aimed to determine the predictive value of LUS in identifying infants with AB at risk of HFNC therapy failure.
Lung imaging techniques are crucial for managing ventilated patients in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs). Bedside chest x-ray has limitations such as low sensitivity and radiation exposure risks. Recently, lung ultrasound has emerged as a promising technology offering advantages such as real-time monitoring and radiation-free imaging.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) system is a highly polymorphic genetic system associated with the prognosis of several infectious diseases. The aim of this study is to investigate the association of HLA polymorphism with the outcome of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Tunisian critically ill patients.
Methods: this retrospective cross-sectional study included 42 consecutive patients hospitalized in intensive care unit (ICU) for COVID-19 in March 2021.
The etiology of acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) has yet to be determined. Viral link has been suggested, but severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-associated AFM has not been reported in children. We describe a three-year-old boy, with AFM associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWorld J Pediatr Congenit Heart Surg
July 2023
Hemophilia A is the most common severe innate bleeding disorder. It is an X-linked recessive inherited bleeding disorder characterized by a qualitative and/or quantitative deficiency of factor VIII. The clinical manifestation of this disease is hemorrhaging that can affect every organ, in particular joints (hemarthrosis) and muscles (hematoma).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Pediatr Endocrinol Metab
June 2023
Objectives: Early diagnosis in Turner syndrome is desirable to optimize growth and puberty and yet, it is often made late. Here, we aim to identify age at diagnosis, clinical features at presentation and potential strategies to improve the care of TS girls.
Methods: Retrospective study, including patients from 14 care centers across Tunisia including neonatal and pediatric care units, adult endocrinology and genetics departments.
COVID-19 infection may trigger the presentation or exacerbation of autoimmune diseases. c-Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (c-ANCA)-associated vasculitis after COVID-19 mainly involves the kidneys and lungs, and is rarely reported. We describe the case of a 13-year-old girl with a history of chronic immunologic thrombocytopenic purpura who presented with transverse myelitis and central nervous system demyelination, and was subsequently diagnosed with c-ANCA-associated vasculitis following COVID-19.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFColorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer and the fourth leading cause of cancer death. 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is an essential component of systemic chemotherapy for CRC. Our objective was to determine the genotypic frequency of polymorphisms affecting dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase () and thymidylate synthetase () genes and to correlate the genetic profile with the toxicity due to 5-FU, also considering nongenetic factors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: thrombotic events are the most severe complications of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). It is known that anti-phospholipid antibodies (APL) could be involved in thrombosis mechanism. Thus, APL profiles were studied particularly in patients with severe and critical COVID-19, and their clinical impact.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: L'allergie aux protéines du lait de vache (APLV) est l'allergie alimentaire la plus fréquente au cours des premières années de vie. Elle est souvent associée à l'introduction des préparations à base de lait de vache et constitue une maladie rare chez les nourrissons allaités.
Objectif: Rapporter le cas d'une APLV chez un nourrisson sous allaitement maternel exclusif.
High-fidelity simulation (HFS) and video-based learning (VBL) promote competence in acute care in a realistic and safe environment. These two modalities have not been compared in pediatric emergency situations. Interns rotating in the pediatric department were randomized for the two educational methods.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Our purpose was to document the swept source optical coherence tomography (SSOCT) findings in a patient with Shaken baby syndrome (SBS).
Case Presentation: SSOCT was obtained without sedation in a six-month-old girl with bilateral multilayered retinal hemorrhages due to SBS. It documented vitreoretinal interface abnormalities, including internal limiting membrane (ILM) detachment with retinal traction, in association with other specific changes in the inner and outer retinal layers.
In Tunisia, we observed that rotavirus P[8]-3 and P[4] strains in young children with gastroenteritis associate with secretor histo-blood group phenotype. In contrast, the emerging P[8]-4 strain, representing 10% of cases, was exclusively found in nonsecretor patients. Unlike VP8* from P[8]-3 and P[4] strains, the P[8]-4 VP8* protein attached to glycans from saliva samples regardless of the donor's secretor status.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: For the 11th version of the International Classification of Diseases, the WHO recommended to rename transgender transidentity as "gender incongruence", to remove it from the chapter of mental and behavioral disorders, and to put it in a new category titled "Conditions related to sexual health". This should contribute to reduce stigmatisation while maintaining access to medical care. One argument in favor of depsychiatrisation is to demonstrate that essential features of gender identity disorders, namely psychological distress and functional impairment, are not necessarily reported by every transgender person, and may result from social rejection and violence rather than dysphoria itself.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Elevated osteoprotegerin (OPG) levels have been reported in patients with diabetes complications. We investigated whether plasma OPG levels can be used as a marker of cardiovascular risk in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D).
Methods: Plasma blood samples were obtained from 243 subjects (143 children and adolescents with T1D and 100 healthy controls).
Introduction: Paraoxonase 1 (PON1) polymorphisms have been largely involved in diabetes complications. The aim of the study is to evaluate the effects of PON1 polymorphisms (L55M and Q192R) on diabetic nephropathy (DN).
Material And Methods: The study involved 116 children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and 91 healthy subjects.
Background: Only a few studies have focused on the possible modulatory role of paraoxonase 1 (PON1) polymorphisms in lipid profiles, especially in children and in adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D).
Objective: We propose to study the association between PON1 polymorphisms (PON1-55 and PON1-192) and a lipid profile in a young Tunisian population with T1D.
Methods: The study compared 122 children and adolescents with T1D with 97 controls.
Background: Primary distal renal tubular acidosis (dRTA) caused by mutations in the genes that codify for the H + -ATPase pump subunits is a heterogeneous disease with a poor phenotype-genotype correlation. Up to now, large cohorts of dRTA Tunisian patients have not been analyzed, and molecular defects may differ from those described in other ethnicities. We aim to identify molecular defects present in the ATP6V1B1, ATP6V0A4 and SLC4A1 genes in a Tunisian cohort, according to the following algorithm: first, ATP6V1B1 gene analysis in dRTA patients with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) or unknown hearing status.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCongenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is an autosomal recessive disease of steroid biosynthesis in humans. More than 90% of all CAH cases are caused by mutations of the 21-hydroxylase gene (CYP21A2), and approximately 75% of the defective CYP21A2 genes are generated through an intergenic recombination with the neighboring CYP21A1P pseudogene. In this study, the CYP21A2 gene was genotyped in 50 patients in Tunisia with the clinical diagnosis of 21-hydroxylase deficiency.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRotaviruses are the most common cause of severe viral gastroenteritis in early childhood worldwide. Thus, the objectives of our study were to determine the molecular epidemiology and the clinical features of rotavirus gastroenteritis in Tunisia. Between January 2003 and April 2007, a prospective study was conducted on 788 stool samples collected from children under 12 years of age who were suffering from acute gastroenteritis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study investigated the prevalence of sapovirus infections in children with acute gastroenteritis in Monastir region, Tunisia, from January 2003 to April 2007. Sapovirus was characterized by sequence and phylogenetic analyses of the partial polymerase gene. From 788 fecal specimens tested, 6 (0.
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