Changes in Nutritional State and Cardiovascular Parameters in Alimentary Obese Children after a Month-Long Stay in Children's Treatment Center.

Childhood and adolescent obesity has become an important public health issue, as it leads to higher risk of cardio−metabolic, orthopedic, and psychological comorbidities. The aim of this study was to evaluate the changes in nutritional state and cardiovascular system parameters in obese children. Sixty respondents aged 9−17 years with alimentary obesity participated in this research.

Late effects of childhood cancer recorded at a single outpatient clinic over the course of one year: implications for the follow-up care.

The paper provides a descriptive analysis of medical data and selected patient-reported outcomes from a group of 133 survivors of childhood cancer recruited at St. Anne's University Hospital in Brno, Czech Republic, over the course of one year. The participants were 18-53 years old (mean age 27.

Non-invasive assessment of vascular system function and damage induced by anthracycline treatment in the pediatric cancer survivors.

Anthracyclines represent one of the important classes of anti-cancer drugs; however, their major disadvantage is their profound cardiovascular toxicity. This study aimed to evaluate influence of anthracyclines on cardiovascular stiffness parameters estimated from pulse wave (PW). PW was measured in 59 cancer survivors treated with anthracyclines in childhood and in 248 healthy age-matched controls.

Anthracycline therapy and 24-hour blood-pressure profile in long-term survivors of childhood cancer.

In our previous studies, a decreased blood pressure was reported in children treated by anthracycline (AC). The aim of this study was to assess the long-term effects of AC anticancer therapy in 45 subjects aged 13-22 years by repeated 24-hour Holter monitoring of blood pressure. Sixty four aged-matched subjects served as controls.

Wilson's disease: monocentric experiences over a period of 10 years [corrected].

Background: Wilson's disease (WD) is an autosomal recessive disorder of copper metabolism. The objective of this study is to present diagnostic pitfalls and long time follow-up data in Wilson disease.

Patients/methods: We studied 21 WD patients and 14 heterozygote carriers aged 2-43 years, retrospectively.

Haemolytic anaemia and acute liver failure--the initial manifestations of Wilson's disease.

We describe a case of a 16-year-old girl with Wilson disease, which was initially presented as Coombs-negative haemolytic anaemia and acute liver failure. The diagnosis was based on the findings of low ceruloplasmin serum level and high copper levels both in serum and 24-hour urinary excretion. The patient underwent orthotopic liver transplantation.

Prevalence of HHV-6 integrated chromosomally among children treated for acute lymphoblastic or myeloid leukemia in the Czech Republic.

Chromosomal integration of human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) is a novel situation found in a small percentage of individuals. While active HHV-6 infection is treatable using antivirals, the abnormally high level of HHV-6 DNA found in chromosomal integration of HHV-6 (CI-HHV-6) is not affected by such drugs. Stored DNA samples taken originally for detection of fusion genes and minimal residual disease from 339 pediatric patients treated for leukemia in the Czech Republic between the years 1995-2007 were tested retrospectively.

[Early feeding in infancy and atopic dermatitis - a prospective observational study].

Background: Recommendations for primary prevention of allergic diseases in high-risk children include hypoallergenic infant formulas (HA) if breastfeeding is insufficient. The primary objective of our study was to investigate the atopic dermatitis (AD) preventive effect of breastfeeding and HA-nutrition in the first 2 years of life and to follow the increase in weight.

Patients And Methods: Altogether 174 newborns with a hereditary risk for atopy were enrolled in the study, 121 children were investigated at the age of 2 months, 111 at the age of 4 and 106 at the age of 6 months.

Bactericidal permeability increasing protein gene variants in children with sepsis.

Objective: To evaluate the role of genetic polymorphisms of the bactericidal permeability increasing protein (BPI) in pediatric patients with sepsis.

Design: Prospective, single-center, case-control study at the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) of a university hospital.

Patients: 345 consecutive pediatric patients admitted to the PICU with fever, systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), sepsis, severe sepsis, septic shock, or multiple organ distress syndrome (MODS).

Interleukin-6 gene variants and the risk of sepsis development in children.

A proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) plays an important role in the development, pathogenesis and outcome of SIRS, sepsis and septic shock. We have evaluated the role of the IL-6 gene polymorphisms in pediatric patients. A total of 421 consecutive pediatric patients admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit with fever, systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), sepsis, severe sepsis, septic shock, or multiple organ distress syndrome (MODS) were studied together with 644 healthy controls.

Overweight and decreased baroreflex sensitivity as independent risk factors for hypertension in children, adolescents, and young adults.

We studied the relationship between blood pressure (BP), body mass index (BMI, kg/m(2)) and baroreflex sensitivity (BRS, ms/mmHg) in adolescents. We examined 34 subjects aged 16.2+/-2.

Can we detect the development of baroreflex sensitivity in humans between 11 and 20 years of age?

The aim of the study was to determine changes of baroreflex sensitivity in humans between 11 and 20 years of age. Continuous 5 min blood pressure recordings using a Finapres were taken in 415 healthy subjects while in a sitting, resting position (breathing at a frequency of 0.33 Hz).

Arterial blood pressure and baroreflex sensitivity 1-18 years after completing anthracycline therapy.

Unlabelled: The analysis of short-term blood pressure regulation in children, adolescents and young adults 1 to 18 years after the treatment with anthracyclines known to have cardiotoxic side effects for oncological diseases was the aim of the present study. Thirty-one subjects treated with anthracyclines (PA) and 11 subjects treated with different antitumour drugs (P0) were investigated twice (the interval between two investigations 1-9 years). Three hundred and thirty-nine healthy subjects served as controls (C).

Baroreflex sensitivity in children, adolescents, and young adults with essential and white-coat hypertension.

Unlabelled: Hypertension, which is a common cardiovascular disease in adults, could originate in childhood. The aim of the study was to show differences in baroreflex sensitivity and short-term blood-pressure variability between healthy and hypertensive children, adolescents and young adults, and those with white-coat effect with respect to obesity. We examined 54 subjects (11-21 years) who had repeatedly high causal blood pressure.

[Diagnostic possibilities of late cardiotoxic sequelae of chemotherapy with anthracyclines].

Anthracyclines areamong the most frequently used cytostatics in the treatment of haematological malignities and some solid tumours in childhood and adult age. They affect cellular proliferation in several ways. One of them is the formation of semiquinone radicals which form with oxygen toxic peroxides which damage the myocyte and lead to cardiotoxicity.

Long-term serial echocardiographic examination of late anthracycline cardiotoxicity and its prevention by dexrazoxane in paediatric patients.

Unlabelled: The authors conducted an 8-year prospective non-randomised study to determine whether dexrazoxane (ICRF-187) would reduce late anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity in patients treated in childhood for haematological malignancy. The authors examined prospectively 75 patients (40 male/35 female) aged 2-17 years (median 6.5 years) at the time of diagnosis.

Late anthracycline cardiotoxicity protection by dexrazoxane (ICRF-187) in pediatric patients: echocardiographic follow-up.

Background: The authors conducted a retrospective study to determine whether dexrazoxane (ICRF-187) would reduce late anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity in patients treated in childhood for hematological malignancy.

Patients And Methods: The authors examined 108 patients (63 male, 45 female) 5-29 years old, (median 15 years). All patients were in long-term remission of their malignancy.

[Consolidation of therapy of acute myeloid leukemia with the AML-BFM 93 protocol in children in the Czech Republic].

Background: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in children is rare. Although more resistant to chemotherapy than acute lymphoblastic leukemia, its responsiveness and survival rates have considerably improved during the last 15 years by virtue of intensification of chemotherapy and due to the better supportive care. Relapses still remain the main cause of treatment failure.

[Improved results in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia treated with the ALL-BFM 90 protocol in the Czech Republic].

Background: Prognosis of children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL)--the most common cancer in childhood, has improved remarkably over the last 40 years. The authors report the treatment outcome in children with ALL cured according to ALL-BFM 90 Study protocol in the Czech Republic during the first half of nineties.

Methods And Results: Children aged 0-18 years were included into the study in 10 centers between 1990 to 1996.

Dynamic stress echocardiography in asymptomatic patients who received chemotherapy in childhood because of a malignant disease.

Background: Introducing anthracycline antibiotics into the treatment of children's malignancies contributed enormously to the excellent outcome in children and adolescents. Nevertheless, the cardiotoxicity of such was discovered as early as in the 1970's. Only recently stress tests have been used to detect late cardiotoxic effects of anti-neoplastic drugs.

The evaluation of left ventricular function in childhood cancer survivors by pharmacological stress echocardiography.

Late cardiotoxicity after anthracycline chemotherapy for childhood cancer is well recognized sequelae. Many long-term survivors may have subclinical cardiac dysfunction undetectable at a baseline evaluation. Various tests have been utilized for the diagnosis of left ventricular impairment.

The late consequences of anthracycline treatment on left ventricular function after treatment for childhood cancer.

Unlabelled: The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of changes in left ventricular function in patients in long-term remission after treatment with anthracyclines for a childhood malignancy. The authors examined 155 patients in disease remission who underwent treatment protocols utilising anthracyclines in childhood. The group comprised 90 males and 65 females aged 15+/-4.

[Retinoblastoma in monozygotic twins].

Retinoblastoma is one of the most frequent ophthalmological tumours in children. It is an embryonic tumour originating in the retina. It is caused by abnormalities in the RB1 gene and deletions in the region 13q14.