Development and initial validation of parent and child versions of the Juvenile Arthritis Disease Activity Score.

Objective: To develop parent- and child-centered versions of the Juvenile Arthritis Disease Activity Score (JADAS) and to provide preliminary evidence of their validity.

Methods: Validation analyses were conducted on two large multinational datasets of patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and included assessment of construct validity, internal consistency and structure, discriminative validity, responsiveness to change, and predictive validity.

Results: The parJADAS and patJADAS include four parent/patient-reported outcomes, each measured on a 0-10 scale: assessment of overall disease activity; rating of pain intensity; assessment of activity of joint disease; duration of morning stiffness.

Prenatal ultrasound screening and congenital anomalies at birth by region: Pattern and distribution in Latvia.

Objective: The objective was to compare the ultrasound scan frequency and rate of congenital malformations between urban and rural areas.

Study Design: We conducted a population-based retrospective study using linked data from administrative data sources and register data. All singleton live births in 2018 that could be linked (n = 18,759) were included in the data analysis.

Breath Volatile Organic Compounds in Surveillance of Gastric Cancer Patients following Radical Surgical Management.

As of today, there is a lack of a perfect non-invasive test for the surveillance of patients for potential relapse following curative treatment. Breath volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have been demonstrated to be an accurate diagnostic tool for gastric cancer (GC) detection; here, we aimed to prove the yield of the markers in surveillance, i.e.

Low Prevalence of Celiac Disease among Patients with Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders in Latvia.

Background And Aims: Studies suggest that the prevalence of celiac disease (CD) is increased in individuals with functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs), in particular, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS); however, the evidence is conflicting. We aimed to analyze the prevalence of CD in patients with FGIDs in Latvia.

Methods: This retrospective study included patients with FGIDs, referred for a gastroenterologist consultation in a secondary gastroenterology practice unit.

Maternal Risk Factors for Stillbirth: A Registry-Based Study.

The number of stillbirths has reduced more slowly than has maternal mortality or mortality in children younger than 5 years, which were explicitly targeted in the Millennium Development Goals. Placental pathologies and infection associated with preterm birth are linked to a substantial proportion of stillbirths. Appropriate preconception care and quality antenatal care that is accessible to all women has the potential to reduce stillbirth rates.

Etanercept treatment for extended oligoarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis, enthesitis-related arthritis, or psoriatic arthritis: 6-year efficacy and safety data from an open-label trial.

Background: To describe the 6-year safety and efficacy of etanercept (ETN) in children with extended oligoarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (eoJIA), enthesitis-related arthritis (ERA), and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) METHODS: Patients who completed the 2-year, open-label, phase III CLinical Study In Pediatric Patients of Etanercept for Treatment of ERA, PsA, and Extended Oligoarthritis (CLIPPER) were allowed to enroll in its 8-year long-term extension (CLIPPER2). Children received ETN at a once-weekly dose of 0.8 mg/kg, up to a maximum dose of 50 mg/week.

Phenotypic variability and disparities in treatment and outcomes of childhood arthritis throughout the world: an observational cohort study.

Background: To our knowledge, the characteristics and burden of childhood arthritis have never been studied on a worldwide basis. We aimed to investigate, with a cross-sectional study, the prevalence of disease categories, treatment methods, and disease status in patients from across different geographical areas and from countries with diverse wealth status.

Methods: In this multinational, cross-sectional, observational cohort study, we asked international paediatric rheumatologists from specialised centres to enrol children with a diagnosis of juvenile idiopathic arthritis, according to International League of Associations for Rheumatology criteria, who were seen consecutively for a period of 6 months.

The European network for care of children with paediatric rheumatic diseases: care across borders.

Objectives: To provide an overview of the paediatric rheumatology (PR) services in Europe, describe current delivery of care and training, set standards for care, identify unmet needs and inform future specialist service provision.

Methods: An online survey was developed and presented to national coordinating centres of the Paediatric Rheumatology International Trials Organisation (PRINTO) (country survey) and to individual PR centres (centre and disease surveys) as a part of the European Union (EU) Single Hub and Access point for paediatric Rheumatology in Europe project. The survey contained components covering the organization of PR care, composition of teams, education, health care and research facilities and assessment of needs.

Maternal and Neonatal Characteristics for Late Foetal Death in Latvia between 2001 and 2014: Population-Based Study.

Introduction: Stillbirth is one of the most common adverse pregnancy outcomes worldwide. Late foetal death (LFD) rates are mostly used for international comparisons because of the large variations in stillbirth rates between countries.

Objective: To examine trends in LFD (including antepartum and intrapartum) by multiple births, birth weight, and maternal age in two time periods.

The Latvian version of the Juvenile Arthritis Multidimensional Assessment Report (JAMAR).

The Juvenile Arthritis Multidimensional Assessment Report (JAMAR) is a new parent/patient reported outcome measure that enables a thorough assessment of the disease status in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). We report the results of the cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the parent and patient versions of the JAMAR in the Latvian language. The reading comprehension of the questionnaire was tested in 10 JIA parents and patients.

Infection and Risk Factors in Relation to Allergy in Children.

Purpose: To analyze presence of infection and environmental risk factors among children with and without allergy.

Methods: Parents of children at primary health care centres/kindergartens and allergologist consultation were asked to answer a questionnaire and to bring a faecal sample. infection was detected by monoclonal stool antigen test.

Prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection among preschool children in Latvia: no significant decrease in prevalence during a ten year period.

Aims: Published data show a trend of decreasing prevalence of Helicobacter pylori in Eastern European countries due to socioeconomic changes. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of H. pylori infection among children in Latvia and to compare these results with previous studies in the same population.

Territorial differences in infant mortality in Latvia in the first decade of the third millennium.

Objective: Infant and child mortality are some of the most substantial indicators of country welfare. Infant mortality (IM) in Latvia is constantly the highest among 25 Member States of the European Union. Since the regaining of independence in 1991, IM has decreased by almost 50%, however, it is still high enough to cause concern that the country will not be able to meet the UN Millennium Development Goals to decrease IM in Latvia by 2015.

Dissecting the heterogeneity of macrophage activation syndrome complicating systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

Objective: To seek insights into the heterogeneity of macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) complicating systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (sJIA) through the analysis of a large patient sample collected in a multinational survey.

Methods: International pediatric rheumatologists and hemato-oncologists entered their patient data, collected retrospectively, in a Web-based database. The demographic, clinical, laboratory, histopathologic, therapeutic, and outcome data were analyzed in relation to (1) geographic location of caring hospital, (2) subspecialty of attending physician, (3) demonstration of hemophagocytosis, and (4) severity of clinical course.

Pepsinogen testing for evaluation of the success of Helicobacter pylori eradication at 4 weeks after completion of therapy.

Background And Objective: Pepsinogen levels in plasma are increased by inflammation in the gastric mucosa, including inflammation resulting from Helicobacter pylori infection. A decrease in pepsinogen II level has been suggested as a reliable marker to confirm the successful eradication of infection. The aim of our study was to evaluate the potential role of pepsinogens I and II, gastrin-17 and H.

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis subtype- and sex-specific associations with genetic variants in the PSMA6/PSMC6/PSMA3 gene cluster.

Background: The ubiquitin proteasome system plays an exceptional biological role in the antigen processing and immune response and it could potentially be involved in pathogenesis of many immunity-related diseases, including juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA).

Methods: The PSMB5 (rs11543947), PSMA6 (rs2277460, rs1048990), PSMC6 (rs2295826, rs2295827), and PSMA3 (rs2348071) proteasomal genes were genotyped on JIA subtype- and sex-specific association; plasma proteasome levels was measured in patients having risk and protective four-locus genotypes and eventual functional significance of allele substitutions was evaluated in silico.

Results: Loci rs11543947 and rs1048990 were identified as disease neutral and other loci as disease susceptible (p < 0.

Efficacy and safety of open-label etanercept on extended oligoarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis, enthesitis-related arthritis and psoriatic arthritis: part 1 (week 12) of the CLIPPER study.

Objective: To investigate the efficacy and safety of etanercept (ETN) in paediatric subjects with extended oligoarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (eoJIA), enthesitis-related arthritis (ERA), or psoriatic arthritis (PsA).

Methods: CLIPPER is an ongoing, Phase 3b, open-label, multicentre study; the 12-week (Part 1) data are reported here. Subjects with eoJIA (2-17 years), ERA (12-17 years), or PsA (12-17 years) received ETN 0.

Infant mortality gap in the Baltic region - Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania - in relation to macroeconomic factors in 1996-2010.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE. A constant gap has appeared in infant mortality among the 3 Baltic States - Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania - since the restoration of independence in 1991. The aim of the study was to compare infant mortality rates in all the 3 Baltic countries and examine some of the macro- and socioeconomic factors associated with infant mortality.

Prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection and atrophic gastritis in Latvia.

Objectives: Helicobacter pylori infection and atrophic gastritis are related to an increased risk for gastric cancer. There is a decrease in global H. pylori prevalence.

Mortality of children under five and prevalence of newborn congenital anomalies in relation to macroeconomic and socioeconomic factors in Latvia.

Background: Mortality of infants and children younger than 5 years is a globally recognized and broad national welfare indicator. Scientific literature has data on the correlation of mortality indicators with macroeconomic indicators. It is important to study the associations between prevalence and mortality indicators and socioeconomic factors, since deaths from congenital anomalies account for approximately 25%-30% of all deaths in infancy.

Identification of a novel candidate locus for juvenile idiopathic arthritis at 14q13.2 in the Latvian population by association analysis with microsatellite markers.

To identify novel juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) susceptibility loci, a 270 kb genomic region encompassing FAM177A1, KIAA0391, and PSMA6 genes was genotyped in 97 oligoarthritis (JIoA) and 50 polyarthritis (JIpA) patients and 230 individuals without autoimmune disorders by five microsatellites (MS) previously described as HSMS markers of the 14q13.2 region. Direct sequencing revealed two variable components of the (CAA)(n)(A)(m) motif in HSMS602 marker (FAM177A1 gene).