Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ agonist pioglitazone reduces the development of necrotizing enterocolitis in a neonatal preterm rat model.

Background: Factors affecting innate immunity and acting as inflammatory regulators, such as the nuclear peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR) could be crucial in the pathogenesis of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). We hypothesized that the PPARγ agonist pioglitazone (PIO) might be effective in preventing the development of NEC and/or reducing its severity.

Methods: We studied preterm rats in which NEC was induced using the hypoxia-hypothermia model.

Presepsin for the detection of late-onset sepsis in preterm newborns.

Background: Late-onset sepsis (LOS) is among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in preterm newborns, and currently available diagnostic tools are inadequate. The objective of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of presepsin (P-SEP) as novel biomarker of bacterial infection for the diagnosis of LOS in preterm newborns.

Methods: We prospectively studied newborns ≤32 weeks' gestational age with LOS (n = 19) and noninfected controls (n = 21) at 4 to 60 days' postnatal age.

Splanchnic Tissue Oxygenation for Predicting Feeding Tolerance in Preterm Infants.

Background: Feeding intolerance is very frequent in preterm infants, and the development of an early effective biomarker for its prediction could be useful for carrying out a proper feeding strategy. Our aim was to evaluate if the measurement of splanchnic regional oxygenation (rSO2S) and splanchnic fractional oxygen extraction ratio (FOES) using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is correlated with the time needed to achieve full enteral feeding and if it can predict the development of feeding intolerance.

Materials And Methods: We measured rSO2S and FOES in preterm infants 25 ± 0 to 31 ± 6 weeks of gestational age at 24-72 hours of life during continuous enteral feeding.

Circulating levels of the adipokines vaspin and omentin in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis, and relation to disease activity.

Objectives: Vaspin and omentin are two recently discovered adipokines that have been involved in chronic inflammatory processes. The aims of our study were to evaluate their serum levels in patients affected by juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), in comparison to healthy controls, and to correlate circulating levels to parameters of disease activity.

Methods: Serum levels of omentin and vaspin were assayed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 40 patients with JIA classified according to the ILAR criteria and 26 healthy controls.

Thyroid autoimmunity and type 1 diabetes in children and adolescents: screening data from Juvenile Diabetes Tuscany Regional Centre.

Background And Aims: The incidence of autoimmune thyroiditis in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is higher than in healthy population. The aim of this study is to investigate epidemiology and natural history of thyroid autoimmunity (AIT), thyroiditis diagnosis and need for therapy in paediatric patients with T1DM and to find the most suitable timing of AIT screening.

Methods: T1DM patients (493 pts.