Allergen-specific immunotherapy (AIT) induces immune tolerance, showing the highest success rate (>95%) for insect venom while a much lower chance for pollen allergy. However, the molecular switches leading to successful durable tolerance restoration remain elusive. The primary outcome of this observational study is the comprehensive immunological cellular characterization during the AIT initiation phase, whereas the secondary outcomes are the serological and Th2-cell-type-specific transcriptomic analyses.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDefects in motile cilia, termed motile ciliopathies, result in clinical manifestations affecting the respiratory and reproductive system, as well as laterality defects and hydrocephalus. We previously defined biallelic variants causing and male infertility, mirroring the findings in mice. Here, we present clinical and genomic findings in five newly identified individuals from four unrelated families affected by -related disorder.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Interprofessional collaboration among healthcare professionals is fostered through interprofessional education (IPE). Work-based IPE has demonstrated effectiveness within interprofessional training wards. We developed the Interprofessional Training Ward in Pediatrics (IPAPED) and employ a combination of established assessment tools and a newly created IPAPED questionnaire, directed at to assess both students' learning experiences and program structure.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFront Immunol
July 2023
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a monogenetic disease caused by an impairment of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR). CF affects multiple organs and is associated with acute and chronic inflammation. In 2020, Elexacaftor-Tezacaftor-Ivacaftor (ETI) was approved to enhance and restore the remaining CFTR functionality.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Durability of immune protection against reinfection with SARS-CoV-2 remains enigmatic, especially in the pediatric population and in the context of immune-evading variants of concern. Obviously, this knowledge is required for measures to contain the spread of infection and in selecting rational preventive measures.
Methods: Here, we investigated the serum neutralization capacity of 36 seropositive adults and 34 children approximately one year after infection with the ancestral Wuhan strain of SARS-CoV-2 by using a pseudovirus neutralization assay.
Purpose: Sinunasal symptoms and chronic rhinusinutitis are common in patients with cystic fibrosis. Cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator (CFTR) modulators have led to dramatic improvements of respiratory symptoms and quality of life in patients with cystic fibrosis. This study aims to evaluate subjective and objective sinunasal symptoms after start of CFTR-modulator triple therapy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Interprofessional (IP) education is essential for healthcare professionals to prepare them for future IP collaboration. IP training wards (ITWs) have been established for work-based IP education. Short-term effects of ITW placements have been published but long-term results are scarce.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Long COVID in children and adolescents remains poorly understood due to a lack of well-controlled studies with long-term follow-up. In particular, the impact of the family context on persistent symptoms following SARS-CoV-2 infection remains unknown. We examined long COVID symptoms in a cohort of infected children, adolescents, and adults and their exposed but non-infected household members approximately 1 year after infection and investigated clustering of persistent symptoms within households.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground And Aims: In cystic fibrosis (CF) airways, impaired airway mucociliary clearance and mucus accumulation due to cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator defects contribute to inflammation, progressive structural lung damage, and decline of lung function. Physiotherapy is essential to promote mucus mobilization and removal in CF and is a key element of rehabilitation measures, but conventional techniques may be suboptimal to mobilize viscous mucus. This study aimed to test the specific effects of a novel bronchial drainage device (BDD) (Simeox®; PhysioAssist) in subjects with CF and evaluate lung function, diaphragm mobility, and sputum properties.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Pulmonary involvement is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Long-term impairment has been reported in adults with severe infection. However, most infections cause only mild symptoms or are even asymptomatic, especially in children.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAn association between certain ABO/Rh blood groups and susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection has been proposed for adults, although this remains controversial. In children and adolescents, the relationship is unclear due to a lack of robust data. Here, we investigated the association of ABO/Rh blood groups and SARS-CoV-2 in a multi-center study comprising 163 households with 281 children and 355 adults and at least one SARS-CoV-2 seropositive individual as determined by three independent assays as a proxy for previous infection.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe quality and persistence of children's humoral immune response following SARS-CoV-2 infection remains largely unknown but will be crucial to guide pediatric SARS-CoV-2 vaccination programs. Here, we examine 548 children and 717 adults within 328 households with at least one member with a previous laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. We assess serological response at 3-4 months and 11-12 months after infection using a bead-based multiplex immunoassay for 23 human coronavirus antigens including SARS-CoV-2 and its Variants of Concern (VOC) and endemic human coronaviruses (HCoVs), and additionally by three commercial SARS-CoV-2 antibody assays.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Interprofessional education has emerged as a key concept in education of health professionals over the last 20 years. Positive effects of interprofessional education have been shown, but it has proved to be more time-consuming than traditional teaching methods. We therefore developed a 30-minute interprofessional learning activity, using peer-teaching methods.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGranulomatous inflammation of the lung can be a manifestation of different conditions and can be caused by endogenous inflammation or external triggers. A multitude of different genetic mutations can either predispose patients to infections with granuloma-forming pathogens or cause autoinflammatory disorders, both leading to the phenotype of pulmonary granulomatosis. Based on a detailed patient history, physical examination and a diagnostic approach including laboratory workup, pulmonary function tests (PFTs), computed tomography (CT) scans, bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), lung biopsies and specialised microbiological and immunological diagnostics, a correct diagnosis of an underlying cause of pulmonary granulomatosis of genetic origin can be made and appropriate therapy can be initiated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Childhood hypoglycemia in combination with hepatomegaly is suspicious for inborn errors of metabolism. Cystic fibrosis typically presents with failure to thrive, pulmonary and gastrointestinal symptoms. Hepatic involvement and hypoglycemia can occur in a significant number of patients, although hepatomegaly is uncommon.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Interprofessional education (IPE) is deemed essential for interprofessional collaboration (IPC) in healthcare systems. IPC has positive effects for both patients and healthcare professionals. Especially in pediatrics, IPC is paramount for adequate care of patients and their families though there is a lack of data on the attitudes towards IPE and IPC and acquisition of respective competences in pediatric nursing and medical staff.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Interprofessional training wards (ITWs) have been established in different fields of adult medicine to promote interprofessional learning and interprofessional collaboration of health care profession students. High patient satisfaction rates have been reported for ITWs. No data of parents' and especially patients' evaluation of care on a paediatric ITW have been reported so far.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Non cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis (NCBE) is an increasingly recognized chronic, progressive respiratory disorder with significant morbidity also in children and adolescents.
Methods: We longitudinally assessed a cohort of 35 pediatric patients with NCBE and investigated underlying diagnosis, symptoms, clinical course, treatment, and quality of life.
Results: NCBE were diagnosed at a mean age of 9.
Background: Lectures are still an important part of today's medical education at many medical schools. The pediatric lecture series at the Center for Pediatrics, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Germany had been evaluated poorly in recent terms.
Methods: To improve lecture quality and possibly evaluation results a combination of measures consisting of peer lecturer coaching, use of an audience response system, in depth analysis of the end of term evaluation results and changes to the exam itself were implemented.