Bradycardia associated with Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children with COVID-19: a case series.

Background: Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a rare life-threatening clinical condition that can develop in patients younger than 21 years of age with a history of infection/exposure to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The cardiovascular system is a main target of the inflammatory process that frequently causes myocardial dysfunction, myopericarditis, coronary artery dilation, hypotension, and shock. Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children-associated myocarditis is usually characterized by fever, tachycardia, non-specific electrocardiogram abnormalities, and left ventricular dysfunction, but serious tachyarrhythmias may also occur.

Left Ventricular Function, Epicardial Adipose Tissue, and Carotid Intima-Media Thickness in Children and Adolescents With Vertical HIV Infection.

Background: Life expectancy of HIV patients has increased considerably as a result of antiretroviral therapy (ART), and cardiovascular (CV) disease has emerged as an important late concern. People with HIV infection could have an impaired systolic function; however data on diastolic function and markers of CV risk, such as epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) and intima-media thickness (IMT), are lacking. Aim of this study is to evaluate left ventricular function, EAT, and IMT in children and adolescents with vertically acquired HIV infection.

Elevated dopamine concentration in light-adapted zebrafish retinas is correlated with increased dopamine synthesis and metabolism.

Probing zebrafish (Danio rerio) retinal cryostat sections, collected either 8 h into the light or dark cycle, with an antibody against tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) identified a single population of immunopositive cells in the inner retina. However, the observed labeling patterns were not identical in both sets of tissues - label intensity was brighter in light-adapted tissue. This difference was quantified by probing western blots of retinal homogenates with the same TH antibody, which showed that TH expression increased by 42% in light-adapted tissue.

Echocardiographic nomograms for chamber diameters and areas in Caucasian children.

Background: Although a quantitative evaluation of cardiac chamber dimensions in pediatric echocardiography is often important, nomograms for these structures are limited. The aim of this study was to establish reliable echocardiographic nomograms of cardiac chamber diameters and areas in a wide population of children.

Methods: A total of 1,091 Caucasian Italian healthy children (age range, 0 days to 17 years; 44.

Echocardiographic nomograms for ventricular, valvular and arterial dimensions in caucasian children with a special focus on neonates, infants and toddlers.

Background: A quantitative echocardiographic assessment is often essential for the management of congenital heart disease, especially in the first months of life. Despite this, pediatric echocardiographic nomograms are limited and heterogeneous, particularly for neonates and infants. The aim of this study was to establish reliable echocardiographic nomograms in a broad population of healthy Caucasian children.

Diagnostic accuracy and clinical relevance of brain natriuretic peptide assay in pediatric patients with congenital heart diseases.

Background: The clinical usefulness of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) assay in congenital heart diseases is still controversial. We evaluated the diagnostic accuracy and clinical relevance of this assay in different cardiovascular hemodynamic conditions in pediatric patients with congenital heart diseases.

Materials And Methods: BNP was measured in 173 healthy individuals and in 382 pediatric patients with congenital heart diseases.

Myocardial infarction and arterial thrombosis in identical newborn twins with homozygosity for the PAI-1 4 G/5 G polymorphism.

Myocardial infarction in the perinatal period, in the absence of congenital heart disease or coronary artery lesions, is rare. The most common etiology described are the thromboembolism and perinatal asphyxia. We report a case of monozygotic twins who developed, after birth, acute vascular events and both had PAI-1 4G/4G homozygosity.

Heat shock protein 70-1 gene expression in pediatric heart surgery using blood cardioplegia.

Background: In response to many stress stimuli, cardiomyocytes produce a common set of heat shock proteins (HSP). Up-regulation of HSP70-1 (the inducible isoform) is known to reduce the risk of myocardial cell damage during open-heart surgery and seems to be protective against ischemia. We assessed hsp70-1 gene expression during blood cardioplegic arrest in children undergoing surgical correction of congenital heart defects.