Relationships of emerging biomarkers of cancer cachexia with quality of life, appetite, and cachexia.

Purpose: Quality of life (QoL), appetite, cachexia, and biomarkers [albumin, hemoglobin (Hb), neutrophils, lymphocytes, platelets, C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 8 (IL-8), C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 5 (CXCL5) and citrullinated histoneH3 (H3Cit)] were compared for 40 cases with advanced cancer and 40 healthy controls. Baseline differences and significant relationships were explored for biomarkers with QoL, appetite, and cachexia.

Methods: In a prospective case-control, age and sex matched study, the European Organisation for the Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life-C30 questionnaire (EORTC-QLQ-C30) for QoL, the Functional Assessment of Anorexia and Cachexia Therapy assessment (FAACT A/CS-12) for appetite, and a five-factor cachexia assessment tool for cachexia assessment were performed.

Emerging markers of cancer cachexia and their relationship to sarcopenia.

Purpose: Emerging biomarkers of cancer cachexia and their roles in sarcopenia and prognosis are poorly understood. Baseline assessments of anthropometrics, sarcopenia, cachexia status and biomarkers of cachexia were measured in patients with advanced cancer and healthy controls. Thereafter, relationships of the biomarkers with cachexia and sarcopenia were explored.

Chloral hydrate side effects in young children: causes and management.

Objective: To determine the factors related to undesired effects of chloral hydrate in young children undergoing echocardiogram. Undesired effects studied were reaction to chloral hydrate before to sedation (ataxia, excitement), delayed sedation, light sleep during sedation, and behavioral changes after sedation.

Design: Descriptive, correlational design.

Temperament in infants and toddlers with cardiac disease.

Parental report of temperament in a group of 97 infants and toddlers with cardiac disease revealed differences from healthy children on several temperament dimensions. Increasing disease severity did not correspond with increasingly extreme temperament scores.

The impact of maternal perceptions and medical severity on the adjustment of children with congenital heart disease.

Hypothesized that maternal perceptions would be more significant predictors of emotional adjustment than medical severity. Mothers of 99 children, between the ages 4-10 years, completed the Child Behavior Checklist, Parenting Stress Index, Parental Locus of Control Scale, and a measure of perception of medical severity. Assessed medical severity by number of hospitalizations, operations, catheterizations, hospital days, outpatient visits, and a cardiologist's rating of illness severity.