Serum SP-D levels as a biomarker of lung injury in children suffering of bronchopneumonia.

The efficacy of SP-D concentration as a useful biomarker of the severity of lung injury in children with bronchopneumonia with or without chronic airway disease was studied. A total of 48 patients (2 to 4 years old) diagnosed bronchopneumonia were admitted to Department of Pediatrics, Al-Dar hospital, Al-Madinah, Saudi Arabia over the year 2009. They were divided into two groups: G1 included patients without any underlying disease and G2 included asthmatic patients.

Influence of serum cortisol levels on glycemic control in children with type 1 diabetes.

The association between plasma glucose (PG), HbA1c and serum cortisol levels in children with type 1 diabetes was investigated to determine the influence of serum cortisol on their glycemic control. A total of 45 children, aged 10-15 years, with type 1 diabetes for at least 3 years of diabetes were studied. Most of them did not have pancreatic beta-cell function.

Placental alkaline phosphatase activity and its relation to foetal growth and nutrition in appropriate and small for gestational age newborns at term.

The placental alkaline phosphatase (PAP) activity progressively rises as pregnancy advances, possibly, because of its increasing synthesis by placental tissue. The present study examined the relationship between placental alkaline phosphatase activity and the biochemical indices of foetal nutrition (cord blood glucose, albumin) and growth (neonatal birth weight). Placental and umbilical cord blood samples were collected from 56 term deliveries 30 of them were appropriate for gestational age (AGA) and 26 were small for gestational age(SGA) and prepared for placental alkaline phosphatase assay, glucose and albumin estimations using standard procedures.