Effect of Early Breast Milk Nutrition on Serum Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 in Preterm Infants.

Background: Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) is one of the essential intrauterine hormonal mediators of growth, and its serum values are often low after preterm delivery.

Aim: To evaluate the influence of immediate breast milk feeding on serum IGF-1 in preterm newborns.

Subjects And Methods: This prospective, observational cohort study included 60 premature infants born < 32 weeks of gestation, divided into group A and B regarding breastfeeding or formula feeding.

Relationship of Oxidant and Antioxidant Markers to Asthma Severity in Egyptian Asthmatic Children.

Background: Asthma is a chronic airway disease which is characterized by oxidant antioxidant imbalance with the generation of oxidative stress related mediators.

Aim: The study aimed to evaluate the role of asymmetric dimethylarginine, and malondialdehyde as oxidant markers and serum paraoxonase activity as an antioxidant marker in asthma, and to determine their relationship to the asthma severity and lung function among asthmatic children in Egypt.

Patients And Methods: This case control study was conducted on sixty patients with asthma compared with sixty apparently healthy children of matched age and sex.

Blood lead levels in a group of children: the potential risk factors and health problems.

Objective: To investigate blood lead levels in schoolchildren in two areas of Egypt to understand the current lead pollution exposure and its risk factors, aiming to improve prevention politicies.

Subjects And Method: This was a cross-sectional study in children (n=400) aged 6-12 years recruited from two areas in Egypt (industrial and urban). Blood lead levels were measured using an atomic absorption method.

Comparison of Serum IgG Antibody Test with Gastric Biopsy for the Detection of Helicobacter Pylori Infection among Egyptian Children.

Background: In developing countries, Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is mainly acquired during childhood and may be a predisposing factor for peptic ulcer or gastric cancer later in life. Noninvasive diagnostic tools are particularly useful in children for screening tests and epidemiological studies.

Association of neopterin as a marker of immune system activation and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis activity.

Objective: To evaluate neopterin plasma concentrations in patients with active juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and correlate them with disease activity.

Methods: Sixty patients diagnosed as active JIA, as well as another 60 apparently healthy age- and gender-matched children as controls, were recruited from the Pediatrics Allergy and Immunology Clinic, Ain Shams University. Disease activity was assessed by the Juvenile Arthritis Disease Activity Score 27 (JADAS-27).

Oxidative stress in Egyptian hemodialysis children.

Introduction: Nitric oxide (NO) is one of the endothelium-dependent relaxing factors released by the vascular endothelium. It is decreased in chronic kidney disease. It was found that higher levels of circulating proinflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), IL-6, and IL-13 are associated with mortality.