Specific approach on dose-response curves to inhaled carbachol assessed by the interruption technique in children.

To determine significant thresholds obtained by bronchial challenge tests in children for assessment of bronchial reactivity, changes of respiratory resistance (Rint) induced by inhaled carbachol were evaluated in 20 asthmatic children (10 boys and 10 girls, mean age 9.1 +/- 2.8 y, range 5 to 15 y) and 20 healthy control children (10 boys and 10 girls, mean age 12.

Relationship between bone mineral density and dietary intakes in the elderly.

Dietary protein and/or calorie insufficiencies represent an important problem in elderly patients. The biological and clinical implications, and particularly the influence on bone mass of undernutrition in the elderly, have not been completely defined, although several studies have demonstrated a high prevalence of dietary insufficiencies in patients with a recent fracture of the proximal femur. In the present study the relationship between dietary intakes, physical performance and bone mineral density (BMD) was examined in hospitalized elderly patients.

Plasma volume changes in response to resistive exercise.

The present study was designed to determine the cumulative effects of a series of four resistive exercises on intravascular plasma volume throughout one exercise session. Seven healthy males, mean (+/- SE) age 26.7 +/- 1.

Practical interest in the detection of functional abnormalities in infants and children with lung disease.

There are new techniques which have been developed in order to assess objective functional data concerning the severity and type of abnormalities in infants and children with lung disease. In the present review some applications of the various techniques are given in connection with deductions, which can be based on such functional findings. Insight into the mechanisms leading to lung disease and the institution of appropriate therapeutic guidelines largely depend on whether the degree of pulmonary hyperinflation or restriction, of bronchial obstruction, of bronchial hyperreactivity, of ventilation inequalities and the function of gas exchange can be objectively evaluated.

Induction of basic fibroblast growth factor mRNA and protein synthesis in smooth muscle cells by cholesteryl ester enrichment and 25-hydroxycholesterol.

Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) is a potent smooth muscle cell mitogen. Smooth muscle cell and macrophage-derived foam cells, resulting from cholesteryl ester accretion, are hallmark characteristics of atherosclerosis. We wanted to determine if bFGF synthesis is altered during cholesteryl ester accumulation in smooth muscle cells.

Running-induced alterations in growth hormone, prolactin, triiodothyronine, and thyroxine concentrations in trained and untrained men and women.

This study examined whether gender and/or training were related to the exercise-induced changes in plasma concentrations of growth hormone (GH), prolactin (PRL), triiodothyronine (T3), and thyroxine (T4). Twenty subjects (male and female 10-km runners; untrained males and females) ran on a treadmill for 30 min at 80% of previously determined maximum heart rate. Blood samples were taken through an indwelling catheter from an antecubital vein at -30, 0, +15, +30 min of the test and 30 min of recovery.

The lung clearance index (LCI) as an estimate of ventilation inequalities in patients with cystic fibrosis.

Assessment of respiratory function is indispensable for provision and control of respiratory care in infants and children with lung disease. Based on plethysmographic measurements and the multibreath nitrogen washout (MBNW) distinction of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) into different functional groups revealed that the mixed type (TGV > 130 % pred. and Raw > 130 % pred.

The interrupter technique--a renaissance of a non-invasive approach for lung function testing in infants and children.

The analysis of the postocclusional rapid oscillatory mouth pressure transients pao(t) after expiratory flow interruption during 100 ms features additional information to the conventional interrupter technique. The analysis focuses on the sudden oscillatory rise in pressure after flow interruption and the following damped oscillation. By calculating the first derivative of pao(t) ( = change in pressure), the frequency omega 0 and damping characteristic d of the pressure swings reflecting the inertive and elastic properties of the thoracopulmonary system can be computed.

A new method for assessing flow-volume measurements by means of a simple isoflow electronic pocket device (IfloPen).

The IfloPen is a new device for measuring isoflows featuring specific information about the effort-independent part of the flow-volume curve. Whereas the recording of the latter normally requires expensive equipment, the IfloPen is a handy, portable and simple device. In addition, the isoflow technique requires minimal cooperation.

Assessment of functional abnormalities in infants and children with lung disease.

Lung function testing in infants and children has to cover a wide palette of various investigational procedures and the fact that babies can predominantly only be tested asleep and young children may not cooperate accurately must be taken into account. There is still a life-span between 2 and 5 years in which lung function testing is impossible. Different techniques for infants lung function testing (spirometry, squeeze-jacket method, forced oscillation technique, occlusion technique, whole-body infant-plethysmography, multibreath nitrogen washout (MBNW), interruption technique), which helps already in early childhood to evaluate objectively clinical findings in infants after infant respiratory distress syndrome (iRDS) with/or without hyaline membrane disease (HMD), developing or not developing broncho-pulmonary dysplasia (BPD), wheezy bronchitis or cystic fibrosis (CF) are available.

Psychosomatic symptoms in asthmatic children and adolescents.

In order to identify different patterns of association between physical and psychical symptoms in childhood asthma 102 children have been investigated. Somatic investigations included clinical examination, whole-body plethysmography, total IgE and RAST of specific allergens such as pollens, mites and animals. Psychosocial assessment comprised a semi-structured interview and questionnaires (Achenbach, CBCL and Olson, FACES II).

Comparison of different inhalation schedules to control childhood asthma.

In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study control of asthma was assessed by diary symptom cards, peak-flow measurements and lung function within 3 treatment groups over a 6 months period. 36 children (25 boys, 11 girls 5.5 to 13.

Whole-body plethysmography in the clinical assessment of infants with bronchopulmonary diseases.

Infant whole-body plethysmography offers a unique possibility of measuring end-expiratory resting level (thoracic gas volume; TGV), and hence lung volume in its close interrelationship to airway function (airway resistance; R(aw), its reciprocal value, airway conductance, Gaw). Therefore, this technique is a valuable aid for objective evaluation of lung diseases in infants. This article gives an overview of the physiological background of this particular measuring technique and its usefulness in the clinical routine.

The "wheezy infant" diagnosis, epidemiology and management.

Already in the earliest childhood, the onset of an allergic/immunologic inflammatory process may be caused on the basis of an inherited predisposition by an exaggerated mediator-release in the mucosa. Repeated action of trigger factors maintain this inflammation and provoke exacerbations of asthmatic symptoms. The protective task of the bronchial mucosa can not be fulfilled anymore.

Growth hormone, IGF-I, and testosterone responses to resistive exercise.

It has been suggested that growth hormone (GH), testosterone (T), and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) play large roles in muscle tissue growth; however, in only two investigations IGF-I responses to resistive exercise have been examined. Eight young males who had not weight trained for a minimum of 5 months participated in the study. Three sets of bench press (BP), lat-pull (LP), leg extension (LE), and leg curl (LC) exercises were performed at a 10-RM load for 10 repetitions or until failure.

[Therapeutic aspects in the treatment of juvenile bronchial asthma].

The most important goal of the treatment for bronchial asthma in infants and children is to avoid structural damage to bronchi and lung by the underlying allergic and immunologic inflammatory process. This inflammation is caused by an inherited predisposition to exaggerated mediator-release in the mucosa. Repeated actions of trigger factors maintain this inflammation and provoke exacerbations of asthmatic symptoms.

Genotype/phenotype association in cystic fibrosis: analyses of the delta F508, R553X, and 3905insT mutations.

A striking clinical phenomenon of cystic fibrosis is the heterogeneous disease expression. It must therefore be assumed that the nature of the mutations associated with cystic fibrosis might partly determine the phenotypic manifestations. The relation between the cystic fibrosis mutations delta F508, R553X, and 3905insT and clinical parameters such as sweat test electrolytes, age at chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa colonization, Chrispin-Norman x-ray scores, and relative underweight have been investigated in 45 patients homozygous for delta F508 (delta F2), in 12 compound heterozygotes for delta F508/R553X (delta F1/RX1), in three R553X homozygotes (RX2), and in 13 patients compound heterozygous for delta F508/3905insT (delta F16).

A new baby-spacer device for aerosolized bronchodilator administration in infants with bronchopulmonary disease.

The response of salbutamol (Ventolin, Glaxo), topically administered from a metered dose inhaler (MDI) through a new baby-spacer-device (Babyhaler, Glaxo) was studied in 14 infants (8 wheezy infants, 3 infants with cystic fibrosis and 3 infants after respiratory distress syndrome), age 2.9-18.8 months.

IgE hidden in immune complexes with anti-IgE autoantibodies in children with asthma.

Serum levels of IgE, anti-IgE autoantibodies (Abs), and IgE/IgG anti-IgE immune complexes (ICs) were measured in 110 children with asthma and 90 healthy control children. Significantly enhanced levels of IgE/anti-IgE IC were detected in children with asthma. However, only a weak correlation was found between anti-IgE auto-Ab serum levels and the degree of lung function abnormalities in children with asthma.

Short-term effect of albuterol, delivered via a new auxiliary device, in wheezy infants.

In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, the response of lung function to albuterol, topically administered by a metered-dose inhaler (MD) through a baby-adapted auxiliary device, was evaluated in 36 wheezy infants (1.6 to 25.2 months of age; median 8.

Comparison of maximal oxygen uptakes from the tethered, the 183- and 457-meter unimpeded supramaximal freestyle swims.

Nineteen high school swimmers (13 male and 6 female) were subjects in an investigation that compared three methods for determining maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max). Oxygen uptakes were measured during a maximal tethered swim (T), and immediately following 200-yd (183 m) and 500-yd (457 m) unimpeded supramaximal swims from a single 20-s expired gas sample. Oxygen uptakes from the 183-m and 457-m swims correlated highly with those of the T swim (r = 0.

Activated human polymorphonuclear leucocytes reduce rabbit papillary muscle function: role of the CD18 glycoprotein adhesion complex.

Study Objective: The aim was to determine if human polymorphonuclear leucocytes activated by human recombinant C5a (hrC5a) reduce the contractile function of the isolated papillary muscle and if this response depends upon the functional integrity of the CD18 glycoprotein adhesion complex.

Design: Human neutrophils with or without pretreatment with monoclonal antibodies to the CD18 adhesion complex were added to organ baths containing isolated papillary muscles of the rabbit and activated with hrC5a. Changes in papillary muscle function were measured.

[Cystic fibrosis in changing times. Clinical aspects, basic defect and molecular biology aspects].

Life quality of patients suffering from cystic fibrosis (CF) has been significantly improved by early diagnosis and advanced therapy during the past three decades. Today, an increasing number of severely affected patients reach adult life no longer requiring the care of a pediatrician but of a specialist for internal diseases. The CF gene has recently been cloned and the most common defect defined, thus providing prenatal diagnosis and carrier detection in CF families.

Mood alteration from treadmill running and its relationship to beta-endorphin, corticotropin, and growth hormone.

We examined the effects of running on mood alteration in males and females and its relationship to changes in beta-endorphin (B-EN), corticotropin (ACTH), and growth hormone (GH). Thirteen males and ten females ran on a treadmill for 30 min at 80% of previously determined maximum heart rate. Five plasma samples were obtained through an indwelling catheter before exercise (-30 and 0 min), during exercise (15 min), at exercise completion (+30 min), and after 30 min of recovery (R30); the Profile of Mood States (POMS) inventory was administered at -30 and +30.