The impact of probiotics and vitamin C on the prevention of upper respiratory tract symptoms in two preschool children cohorts.

Background/objectives: The efficacy of Lab4 probiotic and vitamin C combination on the prevention of upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) was investigated in two studies with children. Our objective was to pool dataset of 57 preschool children from the PROCHILD study (ISRCTN28722693) and the dataset of 50 preschool matched cohort from the PROCHILD-2 study (ISRCTN26587549) to evaluate the impact of probiotic/vitamin C combination on the prevention of upper respiratory tract symptoms and provide a more robust assessment of effect using detailed individual level data.

Subjects/methods: The children were supplemented daily for 6 months with either the multistrain probiotic (1.

Probiotics with vitamin C for the prevention of upper respiratory tract symptoms in children aged 3-10 years: randomised controlled trial.

In a double-blind, randomised, parallel-group, placebo-controlled study, healthy school children aged 3-10 years received a probiotic based supplement daily for 6 months to assess the impact on the incidence and duration of upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) symptoms. The intervention comprised Lab4 probiotic ( CUL21 and CUL60, CUL20 and subsp CUL34) at 12.5 billion cfu/day plus 50 mg vitamin C or a matching placebo.

Oxidative Stress Markers and Antioxidant Enzymes in Children and Adolescents with Depressive Disorder and Impact of Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Randomised Clinical Trial.

Oxidative stress (OS) is thought to play a role in mental disorders. However, it is not clear whether the OS is the cause or consequence of the disorder. We investigated markers of oxidative stress (8-isoprostane (8-IsoP-U), lipoperoxides (LP), advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP) and nitrotyrosine (NT)) and antioxidant protection (Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC), activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and catalase (CAT) in 60 paediatric and adolescent patients with depressive disorder (DD) compared to healthy controls.

The Effect of Omega-3 Fatty Acids on Thromboxane, Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor, Homocysteine, and Vitamin D in Depressive Children and Adolescents: Randomized Controlled Trial.

In the DEPOXIN project, we have found that a high ratio of omega-6/omega-3 fatty acids (FA) is associated with worsening of depressive symptoms in children and adolescents with depressive disorder (DD) and that the 12-week omega-3 FA supplementation modulates DD symptoms. Here we present our results of the secondary outcomes: the levels of thromboxane (TXB), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), homocysteine (HCy) and vitamin D. Fifty-eight patients were randomized into two arms.

Lipid Profile, Lipoprotein Subfractions, and Fluidity of Membranes in Children and Adolescents with Depressive Disorder: Effect of Omega-3 Fatty Acids in a Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Study.

Depressive disorder (DD) is a psychiatric disorder whose molecular basis is not fully understood. It is assumed that reduced consumption of fish and omega-3 fatty acids (FA) is associated with DD. Other lipids such as total cholesterol (TCH), LDL-, and HDL-cholesterols (LDL-CH, HDL-CH) also play a role in depression.

High density lipoprotein subfractions and paraoxonase 1 in children.

The Lipoprint system (Quantimetrix Corp., CA, USA), enables the determination of 10 high density lipoprotein (HDL) subfractions in contrast to the 5 HDL subfractions that can be determined by ultracentrifuge analysis. HDL subfractions, and their relationships to the arylesterase (PON1-A) and lactonase (PON1-L) activities of paraoxonase 1 (PON1), together with total-, very low density lipoprotein- and low density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol and LDL subfractions were investigated in the serum of 27 mildly hypercholesterolemic children and 21 healthy controls.

Paraoxonase 1 and HDL subfractions in hypercholesterolemic children and adolescents.

Background: Assessment of the cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in children can predict clinical manifestations of atherosclerosis in adulthood. The arylesterase (PON1-A) and lactonase (PON1-L) activities of paraoxonase 1 (PON1) and lipid parameters (Total cholesterol (TCH), VLDL-cholesterol (VLDL), triacylglycerols (TAG), HDL-cholesterol (HDL), LDL-cholesterol (LDL) and LDL- and HDL-subfractions and their mutual associations in 27 hypercholesterolemic children and adolescents were investigated.

Methods: Serum levels of TCH and TAG were determined using a Hitachi 911 analyser (Roche Diagnostics, Switzerland).

Probiotics and vitamin C for the prevention of respiratory tract infections in children attending preschool: a randomised controlled pilot study.

Background: This pilot study investigates the efficacy of a probiotic consortium (Lab4) in combination with vitamin C on the prevention of respiratory tract infections in children attending preschool facilities.

Subjects/methods: In a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled pilot study with children aged 3-6 years, 57 received 1.25 × 10(10) colony-forming units of Lactobacillus acidophilus CUL21 (NCIMB 30156), Lactobacillus acidophilus CUL60 (NCIMB 30157), Bifidobacterium bifidum CUL20 (NCIMB 30153) and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp.

Fungal neuroinfections and fungaemia: unexpected increase of mortality from invasive fungal infections in 2005-2011 in comparison to 1989-1998: analysis of 210 cases.

Objective: In this short communication we compared the data of fungaemia cases in Slovak hospitals from 1989-1998 published in 1999-2000 with data from 2005-2011.

Methods: Risk factors, etiology and outcome of fungaemia between two periods (1989-1998 vs. 2005-2011) were compared and risk factors for death assessed by univariate analysis (CDC 2006 Statistical Package).

Effect of a plant sterol, fish oil and B vitamin combination on cardiovascular risk factors in hypercholesterolemic children and adolescents: a pilot study.

Background: Assessment of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors can predict clinical manifestations of atherosclerosis in adulthood. In this pilot study with hypercholesterolemic children and adolescents, we investigated the effects of a combination of plant sterols, fish oil and B vitamins on the levels of four independent risk factors for CVD; LDL-cholesterol, triacylglycerols, C-reactive protein and homocysteine.

Methods: Twenty five participants (mean age 16 y, BMI 23 kg/m2) received daily for a period of 16 weeks an emulsified preparation comprising plant sterols esters (1300 mg), fish oil (providing 1000 mg eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) plus docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)) and vitamins B12 (50 μg), B6 (2.

Hypercholesterolemia, oxidative stress and gender dependence in children.

Hypercholesterolemia (HCH) is characterized by an increase of the total- and LDL-cholesterol in serum. In hypercholesterolemia, generally recognized as a risk factor of atherogenesis, oxidative stress and oxidatively modified LDL play a crucial role. In our study, children with elevated total cholesterol (above 4.

Activity of paraoxonase 1 and lipid profile in healthy children.

Paraoxonase 1 (PON1) seems to have a relevant role in detoxifying processes and in atherosclerosis. The aim of this study was to determine PON1 activity, the total antioxidant capacity, as well as entire lipid profile in children for screening of possible risk of atherosclerosis development. Serum PON1 arylesterase/paraoxonase activities were determined spectrophotometrically.