Publications by authors named "M Harjacek"
Article Synopsis
- There are various inflammatory myopathies, including juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM), which can cause muscle inflammation and weakness, with macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) being a severe complication, though it is not frequently reported.
- A case study of a six-year-old girl with proximal muscle weakness and skin manifestations, leading to a JDM diagnosis, showed elevated lab markers and confirmed muscle involvement through MRI.
- The girl initially improved with steroid therapy, but later tested positive for anti-MDA5 antibodies, indicating a worse prognosis and highlighting the importance of recognizing MAS as a possible complication in JDM patients with these antibodies.
Limping refers to an asymmetrical gait that deviates from the typical gait pattern expected for a child of a certain age. In most children, limping is caused by a mild, self-limiting event, such as a contusion, strain, or sprain. However, a child's limping is always a pathological finding that poses a particular diagnostic challenge and necessitates a thorough assessment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Febrile illnesses in young children can be a major diagnostic challenge, despite the routine use of various laboratory markers. Recent advancements in the understanding of inflammatory processes have highlighted the role of calprotectin, a heterodimer consisting of S100A8 and S100A9 proteins, with many studies suggesting its clinical value as a biomarker of inflammation. This research aimed to evaluate the usefulness of serum calprotectin (sCal) as a biomarker of urinary tract infection (UTI), which was due to its high pooled prevalence and feasibility of urine culture as a diagnostic reference standard selected for a model of bacterial infection in children.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- The study investigates the role of thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) in childhood asthma by comparing TSLP levels in asthmatic children to healthy controls and examining its association with various asthma phenotypes and disease activity.
- Results show that children with asthma have higher serum TSLP concentrations compared to healthy peers, but TSLP levels do not significantly differ among various asthma types (like allergic or non-allergic) and do not correlate with lung function indicators.
- The conclusion suggests that while TSLP is elevated in asthmatic children, it is not a useful biomarker for asthma exacerbations or distinguishing between different asthma phenotypes.