Lung function at school age in infants with lower respiratory tract infections with and without wheezing: A birth cohort study.

Objective: To evaluate the relationship between lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI), in the first 2 years of life and lung function at school age in the Piccolipiù birth cohort (Italy).

Methods: Data on LRTI (doctor diagnosis of bronchitis, bronchiolitis, pneumonia) and wheezing (≥3 episodes or a diagnosis of asthmatic bronchitis) in the first 2 years of life were obtained from parental questionnaires. Lung function was assessed at 7 years by spirometry and forced volume vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), FEV1/FVC, forced expiratory flow between 25% and 75%, and at 75% of FVC (FEF and FEF ) were reported as Z-scores.

Assessment of coronary artery intimal thickening in patients with a previous diagnosis of Kawasaki disease by using high resolution transthoracic echocardiography: our experience.

Background: Kawasaki disease (KD) is a generalized systemic vasculitis of unknown etiology involving medium and small size blood vessels, particularly the coronary arteries. In these vessels a progressive stenosis may result from active remodeling with an intimal proliferation and neoangiogenesis. The aim of our study was to assess, by using high-resolution transthoracic 2D Echocardiography, if subjects with a previous diagnosis of Kawasaki disease after several years show a coronary intimal thickening, suggestive of a persistent cardiovascular risk.