Arthrofibrosis after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in children and adolescents.

Introduction: Arthrofibrosis is a known complication after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. ACL reconstruction is being performed with increased frequency in the pediatric population. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of arthrofibrosis in children and adolescents and to identify risk factors for arthrofibrosis.

Viral gastroenteritis in Charleston, West Virginia, in 2007: from birth to 99 years of age.

Objective: To describe factors associated with a rectal swab or stool sample positive for norovirus, rotavirus, or adenovirus.

Design: Retrospective study.

Setting: Charleston Area Medical Center, a regional academic medical center in Charleston, West Virginia.

Gastrointestinal norovirus in the Charleston, West Virginia area-2007: birth to 99 years of age.

Data were collected on all patients in the Charleston, WV area tested for norovirus gastroenteritis during 2007. Of the 2687 rectal swab/stool samples, 60% were from individuals <20 years of age. Stool samples were more likely to be positive compared with rectal swab samples and if obtained from January to July and from patients <5 years of age.

Effects of flexor-pronator muscle loading on valgus stability of the elbow with an intact, stretched, and resected medial ulnar collateral ligament.

Background: The medial ulnar collateral ligament (MUCL) is an important passive stabilizer to the valgus stresses that athletes experience during overhead throwing motion. However, the role of the flexor-pronator muscles as active stabilizers to valgus stress is not well defined in the literature. The objectives of this study were to quantify the relative contribution of the individual flexor-pronator muscles to valgus stability of the elbow and how this relationship was affected by ligament status.

Gastrointestinal norovirus infection associated with exacerbation of inflammatory bowel disease.

Objective: In this study we aimed to determine, in pediatric patients, whether norovirus infection could be associated with exacerbations of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and ascertain whether the clinical expression of norovirus gastroenteritis was similar in patients with IBD compared with non-IBD controls.

Materials And Methods: We performed a case-control retrospective chart review, over a 10-month interval, of patients with IBD with an exacerbation of their disease. The presence of norovirus in stool and/or rectal swab samples, as determined by an enzyme-linked immunoassay, was assessed.

Overweight children and adolescents: a clinical report of the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition.

Childhood overweight and obesity are major health problems with immediate and long-term consequences of staggering magnitude. Despite this, there are few preventive and therapeutic strategies of proven effectiveness available to public health and clinical practitioners. Accruing such evidence is currently and appropriately a health policy priority, but there is an urgent need to intervene even before comprehensive solutions are fully established.

Pharmacologic therapy for obesity.

Obesity is a chronic condition, and long-term treatment will most likely be needed. Approved prescription medications for weight loss appear to have similar efficacy in controlled studies. No predictors of responsiveness in an individual patient or class of patients have been established.

Comparison of VO2 Peak during Treadmill and Cycle Ergometry in Severely Overweight Youth.

The purpose of this study was to compare peak cardiorespiratory parameters during treadmill and cycle ergometry in severely overweight youth. Twenty-one participants from the Committed to Kids Pediatric Weight Management program at the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center volunteered. Participants completed peak treadmill and cycle ergometer tests on separate days.

Gene expression in mononuclear cells from patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

Objectives: Discovery of Nod2 as the inflammatory bowel disease 1 (IBD1) susceptibility gene has brought to light the significance of mononuclear cells in inflammatory bowel disease pathogenesis. The purpose of this study was to examine changes in gene expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells in patients with untreated Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) as compared to patients with other inflammatory gastrointestinal disorders and to healthy controls.

Methods: We used a 2400 gene cDNA glass slide array (MICROMAX) to examine gene expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from seven patients with Crohn's disease, five patients with ulcerative colitis, 10 patients with other inflammatory gastrointestinal disorders, and 22 age- and sex-matched controls.

Association of the T allele of an intronic single nucleotide polymorphism in the colony stimulating factor 1 receptor with Crohn's disease: a case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Polymorphisms in several genes (NOD2, MDR1, SLC22A4) have been associated with susceptibility to Crohn's disease. Identification of the remaining Crohn's susceptibility genes is essential for the development of disease-specific targets for immunotherapy. Using gene expression analysis, we identified a differentially expressed gene on 5q33, the colony stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1R) gene, and hypothesized that it is a Crohn's susceptibility gene.

Effect of obesity status on heart rate peak in female youth.

The purpose of this study was to compare heart rate peak in obese (n = 43) and normal weight (n = 45) female youth. Heart rate (HR) peak was significantly lower (p < or = 0.05) in the obese group as compared to the normal weight group (192.

Life-threatening histoplasmosis complicating immunotherapy with tumor necrosis factor alpha antagonists infliximab and etanercept.

Objective: Two tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) antagonists were recently licensed in the US. Infliximab was licensed in 1998 for the treatment of Crohn's disease (CD), and since 1999, it has been licensed in combination with methotrexate for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Etanercept was licensed in 1998 for treatment of RA and, more recently, for juvenile RA and psoriatic arthritis.

Coexisting Gilbert's syndrome and sickle cell disease.

We report the coexistence of Gilbert's syndrome and homozygous sickle cell disease in a child with persistent unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia.

Committed to kids: an integrated, 4-level team approach to weight management in adolescents.

The integrated, 4-level approach of Committed to Kids is successful because of several factors: The sessions are designed to entertain the adolescents and promote initial success; The program features parent-training methods in short, interactive, educational sessions; In severely obese adolescents, the diet intervention results in noticeable weight loss that motivates the patient to continue; also, the improved exercise tolerance resulting from the weight loss promotes increased physical activity; and The program team provides consistent feedback-patients and their families receive results and updates every 3 months. Most importantly, the program is conducted in groups of families. The adolescent group dynamics and peer modeling are primary components of the successful management of obesity in youth.