Long-term outcome of meningococcal sepsis-associated acute renal failure.

Setting: Twenty-one of 209 children admitted to the intensive care unit with meningococcal septicemia developed oliguric acute renal failure necessitating renal replacement therapy.

Patients: Twelve survivors underwent renal assessment at a median of 4.2 yrs postpresentation.

Natural history of GATA1 mutations in Down syndrome.

Acquired mutations in megakaryocyte transcription factor GATA1 have recently been reported in Down syndrome (DS), transient myeloproliferative disorder (TMD), and acute megakaryoblastic leukemia (AMKL). To provide novel insight into GATA1 mutations in DS, genomic DNA was assayed from 12 AMKL and 4 TMD cases (including neonatal, prediagnosis samples in 4 of 16), neonatal blood spots from 21 DS children without clinically evident TMD or AMKL, and 62 non-DS cord blood samples, using techniques not previously employed with such samples. GATA1 mutations were present in all TMD and AMKL cases and at birth in 3 of 4 children without known clinical TMD, who later developed AMKL.

Assessment of adrenal function in the initial phase of meningococcal disease.

Objective: To determine the status of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in children who had meningococcal disease and were admitted to 2 regional pediatric intensive care units.

Methods: Sixty-five children (34 boys; median age: 2.5 years; range: 0.