A Selective Screening Strategy Performed in Pre-School Children and Siblings to Detect Familial Hypercholesterolemia.

(1) Background: Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), a most common genetic disorder, is underdiagnosed and untreated, especially in children. Individuals with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia mostly present without clinical symptoms and are not informed about their high risk for myocardial infarction. Early diagnosis and treatment can prevent premature atherosclerosis and cardiovascular events in patients with FH.

Selective screening for familial hypercholesterolemia in Austrian children - first year results.

Background: Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), the most frequent monogenetic hereditary disorder, is underdiagnosed and undertreated. Early identification of FH is essential because of the increased risk for premature cardiovascular diseases and childhood might be the optimal period for cholesterol screening. Aim of this selective screening was to detect familial hypercholesterolemia, the most frequent monogenetic hereditary disorder in children to guarantee early detection and treatment.

Monocyte toll-like receptor 4 expression and LPS-induced cytokine production increase during gestational aging.

Premature newborns are highly susceptible to severe bacterial infections. This is partially due to their immature innate immune system, characterized by decreased neutrophil and monocyte activity as well as by reduced concentrations of complement factors. However, additional mechanisms might be important for innate immunity and are still the subject of considerable debate.

Monocyte switch in neonates: high phagocytic capacity and low HLA-DR expression in VLBWI are inverted during gestational aging.

Pre-term neonates are at high risk to develop early-onset sepsis which possibly is caused by an immature immune system. Monocytes play a pivotal role as professional phagocytic and antigen-presenting cells in the innate immunity. In the present study, we investigated in monocytes from cord blood the expression of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DR as a marker for antigen-presenting capability, the expression of the high-affinity receptor for IgG (FcgammaRI/CD64), and the capacity to phagocytize non-opsonized Escherichia coli.

Cervicofacial lymphadenitis due to atypical mycobacteria: a surgical disease.

Despite the increasing prevalence of cervicofacial lymphadenitis due to atypical mycobacteria (AMB) in children, the true nature of AMB infection in clinical practice is poorly understood. The purpose of our study was to define the most common signs and symptoms, and to establish a workable scheme of diagnosis and treatment. Patients fulfilling the criteria of AMB infection (i.

Decreased phagocytic capacity of cord blood monocytes in second- and third-born multiplets.

Objective: To assess the risk to second- and third-borns of developing perinatal infections based on a diminished first-line immune response in comparison to the first-born.

Study Design: 11 sets of twins and 2 sets of triplets (27-39 weeks of gestation, 740-3,560 g birth weight) admitted consecutively to our neonatal care unit were investigated. All were delivered by cesarean section.

Monocyte phagocytosis as a reliable parameter for predicting early-onset sepsis in very low birthweight infants.

Background: Septic complications lead to a high mortality rate in very low birthweight infants (VLBWI). Therefore, prognostic markers for the development of sepsis attach importance to start an efficient therapy as early as possible.

Aims: Functional and phenotypical variables of blood monocytes in the cord and peripheral blood were investigated to evaluate the parameters for predicting early-onset and late-onset sepsis (nosocomial infections).