Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction in children: Delphi study and consensus document about definition and epidemiology, diagnostic work-up, treatment, and follow-up.

Background: Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) is common in children with asthma but can be present also in children without asthma, especially athletes. Differential diagnosis includes several conditions such as exercise-induced laryngeal obstruction (EILO), cardiac disease, or physical deconditioning. Detailed medical history, clinical examination and specific tests are mandatory to exclude alternative diagnoses.

Coronary Arteries Lesions in Kawasaki Disease: Risk Factors in an Italian Cohort.

: Kawasaki disease (KD) is a systemic vasculitis of medium arteries, particularly involving coronary arteries. Coronary artery lesions (CALs) is the most serious complication in the acute stage, potentially leading to ischemic cardiomyopathy, myocardial infarction and sudden death. Environmental factors and genetic background contribute to individual susceptibility to develop CALs.

Preliminary Evidence of the Differential Expression of Human Endogenous Retroviruses in Kawasaki Disease and SARS-CoV-2-Associated Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children.

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a postinfectious sequela of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), with some clinical features overlapping with Kawasaki disease (KD). Our research group and others have highlighted that the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 can trigger the activation of human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs), which in turn induces inflammatory and immune reactions, suggesting HERVs as contributing factors in COVID-19 immunopathology. With the aim to identify new factors involved in the processes underlying KD and MIS-C, we analysed the transcriptional levels of HERVs, HERV-related genes, and immune mediators in children during the acute and subacute phases compared with COVID-19 paediatric patients and healthy controls.

Maintenance Therapy for Children and Adolescents with Asthma: Guidelines and Recommendations from the Emilia-Romagna Asthma (ERA) Study Group.

Asthma is the most frequent chronic disease of childhood, affecting up to 20% of children worldwide. The main guidelines on asthma maintenance therapy in pediatrics suggest different approaches and describe different stages of asthma to determine the most appropriate treatment. This project aims to summarize the most recent evidence regarding maintenance therapy for asthma in children and adolescents.