Vitamin D and its association with severity and control of childhood bronchial asthma.

Background: Bronchial asthma is a common disease in childhood. Vitamin D deficiency is a common unidentified nutritional deficiency. In spite of high prevalence, an association between the two has not been well understood.

Vitamin D levels and left ventricular function in beta-thalassemia major with iron overload.

Heart disease is the primary cause of death in patients with beta-thalassemia major. The study aimed to determine the association between vitamin D and left ventricular function in patients with beta-thalassemia major with iron overload. A cross-sectional hospital-based study was conducted, where the vitamin D and ferritin levels of children living with beta-thalassemia major were measured, and left ventricular function was assessed utilizing ejection fraction (EF) and fractional shortening (FS) using 2D echocardiography.

Auditory Brainstem Response in Children with Thalassemia Major under Chelating Therapy.

The present study compared the Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) of children with thalassemia major and typically developing children. A total of 16 children participated in this study. Group I included 8 children with thalassemia major regularly undergoing blood transfusions and chelating therapy.

Perceptions of teachers towards COVID appropriate behaviors for school children in coastal South India.

COVID appropriate behavioral measures need to be followed once school reopens. School teachers being in the forefront could substantiate the feasibility of suggested safety measures. This study aimed to assess teachers' perceptions towards COVID appropriate behaviors for children with school reopening and compare their mean scores between public versus private schools and across school boards.

Clinical and Genetic Spectrum of Inborn Errors of Immunity in a Tertiary Care Center in Southern India.

Objectives: To study the incidence, clinical manifestations, and genetic spectrum of primary immunodeficiency diseases (PID)/inborn errors of immunity (IEI) in a tertiary care hospital in Southern India.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of all patients with a clinical suspicion of PID/IEI seen at a tertiary care hospital was performed. All patients had at least one or more warning signs of PID.

Hypovitaminosis D and Parathyroid Hormone Response in Critically Ill Children with Sepsis: A Case-control Study.

Critically ill Indian children have a higher prevalence of vitamin D deficiency. However, there is not much data available on the subgroup with sepsis. It has been reported that there is an impaired response of parathyroid hormone (PTH) to vitamin D deficiency in critically ill children and adults.

Resource limited centres can deliver treatment for children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia with risk-stratified minimal residual disease based UKALL 2003 protocol with no modification and a good outcome.

Objectives: Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) is the most common malignancy in children. With improved supportive care and a better understanding of the disease biology, it is now a curable cancer in the developed world. However, in low-income countries, the cure rate remains relatively poor.

A Delphi survey based construction and validation of test for oropharyngeal dysphagia in Indian neonates.

Background: SLPs have a crucial need to depend on comprehensive clinical swallowing assessments to determine the presence of dysphagia in neonates. A comprehensive clinical swallowing assessment that is ethnoculturally sensitive may help to identify the presence and severity of swallowing problems in neonates.

Objective: The study aimed to construct and validate the contents of a test for oropharyngeal dysphagia in Indian neonates (TOD-IN).

Modified Sick Neonatal Score (MSNS): A Novel Neonatal Disease Severity Scoring System for Resource-Limited Settings.

Neonatal disease severity scoring systems are needed to make standardized comparison between performances of different units and to give prognostic information to parents of individual babies admitted. Existing scoring systems are unsuitable for resource-limited settings which lack investigations like pH, pO/FiO ratio, and base excess. This study was planned to evaluate Modified Sick Neonatal Score (MSNS), a novel neonatal disease severity score designed for resource-constrained settings.

Diagnostic and Prognostic Validity of Proadrenomedullin among Neonates with Sepsis in Tertiary Care Hospitals of Southern India.

Introduction: To evaluate Proadrenomedullin (Pro-ADM) as the diagnostic and prognostic marker in neonatal sepsis.

Materials And Methods: In this cross-sectional study, Pro-ADM levels were estimated in 54 neonates with clinical sepsis and positive sepsis screen (cases) and 54 controls without clinical sepsis. Repeat Pro-ADM levels were estimated after 72 hours in cases.

Study of Insulin Resistance in Patients With β Thalassemia Major and Validity of Triglyceride Glucose (TYG) Index.

Complications like impaired glucose tolerance and diabetes mellitus due to iron overload need early identification in thalassemia. We studied the proportion of insulin resistance in thalassemia major patients on chronic transfusion, identified insulin resistance using homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and triglyceride glucose (TYG) index, compared them and validated TYG index. In total, 73 thalassemia patients on regular transfusion for 3 years with serum ferritin >1500 ng/mL were studied.

Impact of care at foster homes on the health-related quality of life of HIV-infected children and adolescents: a cross-sectional study from India.

Purpose: To assess the impact of care at foster homes on the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of children living with HIV (CLHIV), attending a referral ART Centre, and to compare their HRQOL with children living in their own homes.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 144 CLHIV between 5 and 18 years of age, attending a referral ART Centre in South India to assess their HRQOL using the standard PedsQL™ 4.0 questionnaire.

Effect of Conventional and LED Phototherapy on the Antioxidant-Oxidant Status in Preterm Neonates with Jaundice.

Objective: To compare oxidative stress due to conventional and LED phototherapy among jaundiced preterm neonates.

Methods: Cross-sectional study conducted in NICU on 82 neonates (equal numbers received conventional and LED phototherapy). Total antioxidant capacity (TAC), total oxidant status (TOS) and Oxidative stress index (OSI) were assessed.

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia and genetic variations in BHMT gene: Case-control study and computational characterization.

Background: Remethylation of homocysteine is catalyzed by B12 dependent methionine synthase (MTR) in all types of cells and by B12 non-dependent betaine homocysteine methyltransferase (BHMT) in liver and kidney cells. Of many etiologies of cancer, an unexplored area is the variations of genes implicated in methylation reaction.

Objective: The study evaluated the association of BHMT (rs3733890) with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), followed by in-silico characterization of variations in BHMT gene.

Problem-Based Learning as an Effective Learning Tool in Community Medicine: Initiative in a Private Medical College of a Developing Country.

Background: Knowledge of community medicine is essential for health care professionals to function as efficient primary health care physicians. Medical students learning Community Medicine as a subject are expected to be competent in critical thinking and generic skills so as to analyze community health problems better. However, current teaching by didactic lectures fails to develop these essential skills.

Nephropathic Cystinosis Presenting as Renal Fanconi Syndrome without Glycosuria.

Renal Fanconi syndrome is diagnosed by its cardinal features of glycosuria without diabetes, aminoaciduria, phosphaturia, and renal tubular acidosis. It is often associated with hypokalaemia, hypophosphatemia and rickets. We report a seven-year-old boy with nephropathic cystinosis who presented with all the cardinal features of renal Fanconi syndrome associated with rickets, pathological fractures, stage IV chronic kidney disease (CKD) and hypothyroidism.

Recurrent and novel GLB1 mutations in India.

GM1 gangliosidosis is a lysosomal storage disorder caused by mutations in the GLB1 gene, leading to the deficiency of the enzyme β-d-galactosidase. In this study, we report molecular findings in 50 Asian Indian families with GM1 gangliosidosis. We sequenced all the exons and flanking intronic sequences of GLB1 gene.

Effect of long-term transfusion therapy on the glycometabolic status and pancreatic Beta cell function in patients with Beta thalassemia major.

Background: Diabetes mellitus is a major complication of iron overload in patients with beta thalassemia major.

Design: This is a descriptive study conducted in a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital to analyze beta cell function and insulin resistance, and their relation to iron overload status in beta thalassemia major. Fasting glucose, two-hour post load glucose, fasting insulin, alanine amino transaminase (ALT), and ferritin were used as outcome measures.

Significance of 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene variants in acute lymphoblastic leukemia in Indian population: an experimental, computational and meta-analysis.

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) arises due to several genetic alterations in progenitor cells, and methotrexate is frequently used as part of the treatment regimen. Although there is evidence for an effect of 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene (MTHFR) C677T and A1298C variations on drug response in ALL, its risk association for ALL is still unresolved. In a case-control study of 203 patients with ALL and 246 controls and meta-analysis in the Indian population, we showed an insignificant association of MTHFR C677T and A1298C genotypes with childhood and adult ALL.

Successful treatment of vincristine induced ptosis and polyneuropathy with pyridoxine and pyridostigmine in a child with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Vincristine is used in the treatment of solid tumors, lymphoma and leukemia in children. The dose-limiting toxicity is its neurotoxicity. We describe a 2-year-old girl with acute lymphoblastic leukemia who developed vincristine-induced polyneuropathy with bilateral ptosis and recovered on treatment with pyridoxine and pyridostigmine.

Significance of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP) in children and young adults with febrile neutropenia during chemotherapy for cancer: a prospective study.

Objectives: We evaluated the usefulness of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP) at the onset of febrile neutropenia and 72 hours later, in identifying risk groups and assessing response to antibiotic therapy.

Methods: All episodes of febrile neutropenia were divided in 3 study groups-microbiologically documented infection (MDI), clinically documented infection (CDI), and fever of unknown origin (FUO). Three outcome groups were defined as those responding to first-line antibiotics (R1), those responding to second-line antibiotics (R2), and those requiring antifungal therapy (RAF).

Guillain-Barre syndrome with hyperreflexia: A variant.

Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) is a common cause of acute peripheral neuropathy and is characterized by hyporeflexia or areflexia. Hyperreflexia has been rarely reported with acute motor axonal neuropathy. A 10-year-old boy presented with asymmetrical weakness of upper and lower limbs and change of voice.

Transient myeloproliferative disorder and eosinophilic pericardial effusion in a down syndrome neonate.

Transient myeloproliferative disorder seen in neonates with Down syndrome is often thought to have a benign course. The authors describe the clinical and laboratory profile of a neonate with Down phenotype and transient myeloproliferative disorder with pericardial effusion as co-morbidity. Pericardial fluid analysis showed eosinophils.