Circulating angiopoietin-2 levels in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus: relation to carotid and aortic intima-media thickness.

Background: Angiopoietin-2 is a growth factor involved in the pathophysiology of vascular and inflammatory diseases such as arteriosclerosis. Carotid or aortic scans provide noninvasive screening tools for assessment of preclinical atherosclerosis in high-risk children.

Aim: We assessed serum angiopoietin-2 in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus as a potential marker for vascular complications in relation to glycemic control, inflammation and vascular structure.

Serum YKL-40 in young patients with β-thalassemia major: Relation to hepatitis C virus infection, liver stiffness by transient elastography and cardiovascular complications.

Background: YKL-40 is an inflammatory glycoprotein involved in endothelial dysfunction and elevated in sera of patients with liver diseases.

Aim: To determine serum YKL-40 among 50 children and adolescents with β-thalassemia major (β-TM) compared to 35 healthy controls and assess its relation to liver stiffness by transient elastography (TE), markers of hemolysis, iron overload and various hemolysis-associated complications.

Methods: β-TM patients asymptomatic for heart disease were studied stressing on chelation therapy, serum ferritin, liver iron concentration (LIC), cardiac T2* and YKL-40.

Assessment of the frequency of regulatory T cells (CD4+CD25+CD127-) in children with hemophilia A: relation to factor VIII inhibitors and disease severity.

A rapidly growing evidence showed that regulatory T cells (Tregs) play a crucial role in tolerance to coagulation factors and may be involved in the pathogenesis of inhibitor formation in patients with hemophilia. We determined the percentage of Tregs (CD4CD25CD127) in 45 children with hemophilia A compared with 45 healthy controls, and assessed their relation to the clinical characteristics of patients and factor VIII (FVIII) inhibitors. Patients were studied stressing on frequency of bleeding attacks, joint pain, history of viral hepatitis, and the received therapy (FVIII precipitate/cryotherapy).

Kallistatin as a marker of microvascular complications in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus: Relation to carotid intima media thickness.

In diabetes, angiogenesis is disturbed, contributing to proliferative retinopathy, nephropathy and neuropathy. Kallistatin, a serine proteinase inhibitor, has anti-angiogenic effects. We assessed serum kallistatin in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes as a potential marker for microvascular complications and its relation to carotid intima media thickness (CIMT).

Soluble CD40L in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes: relation to microvascular complications and glycemic control.

CD40-soluble CD40 ligand (sCD40L) interactions might constitute an important mediator for vascular inflammation that initiates diabetic microangiopathy. Little is known about the relation between sCD40L and glycemic control. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate sCD40L levels in patients with type 1 diabetes and its relation to microvascular complications and metabolic control.

D-dimer levels in type 1 and type 2 diabetic children and adolescents; Relation to microvascular complications and dyslipidemia "own data and review".

Background: Changes in the coagulation cascade have been implicated in the pathogenesis of the vascular diabetic complications.

Objective: to assess D-dimer level (as a marker of coagulation cascade/fibrinolysis activation) in type 1 and type 2 diabetics and its correlation with microvascular complications and serum total cholesterol (TC) level.

Methods: Ninety patients were included divided into two groups.