Mucosal transcriptomics highlight lncRNAs implicated in ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, and celiac disease.

Ulcerative colitis (UC), Crohn's disease (CD), and celiac disease are prevalent intestinal inflammatory disorders with nonsatisfactory therapeutic interventions. Analyzing patient data-driven cohorts can highlight disease pathways and new targets for interventions. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are attractive candidates, since they are readily targetable by RNA therapeutics, show relative cell-specific expression, and play key cellular functions.

Left and Right Ventricular Morphology, Function and Myocardial Deformation in Children with Left Ventricular Non-Compaction Cardiomyopathy: A Case-Control Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Study.

: Left ventricular non-compaction (LVNC) is a rare cardiomyopathy typically involving the left ventricle (LV); however, the right ventricle (RV) can also be affected. This case-control study aimed to assess the morphology and function of LV and RV in children with LVNC. : Sixteen children (13 ± 3 years, six girls) with LVNC were compared with 16 sex- and age-matched controls.

Isolated systolic hypertension is associated with increased left ventricular mass index and aortic stiffness in adolescents: a cardiac magnetic resonance study.

Objectives: Despite the high prevalence of isolated systolic hypertension (ISH) among hypertensive adolescents, its clinical significance is not determined. In addition, it is hypothesized that ISH with normal central blood pressure (BP) in young patients is a benign phenomenon and was hence labeled spurious hypertension (sHTN).

Methods: Using cardiac magnetic resonance we evaluated a group of 73 patients with suspected primary hypertension, aged 13-17 years (median: 16.

Stratification of risk of progression to colectomy in ulcerative colitis via measured and predicted gene expression.

An important goal of clinical genomics is to be able to estimate the risk of adverse disease outcomes. Between 5% and 10% of individuals with ulcerative colitis (UC) require colectomy within 5 years of diagnosis, but polygenic risk scores (PRSs) utilizing findings from genome-wide association studies (GWASs) are unable to provide meaningful prediction of this adverse status. By contrast, in Crohn disease, gene expression profiling of GWAS-significant genes does provide some stratification of risk of progression to complicated disease in the form of a transcriptional risk score (TRS).

Early Change in Fecal Calprotectin Predicts One-Year Outcome in Children Newly Diagnosed With Ulcerative Colitis.

Introduction: While fecal calprotectin (FC) is used to assess disease activity in ulcerative colitis (UC) there are little data concerning the role of serial FC levels at diagnosis in predicting clinical course. We sought to determine whether FC at diagnosis or early change following therapy predicts clinical outcomes in pediatric UC.Methods: Children with newly diagnosed UC were treated with standardized regimens of mesalamine or corticosteroids (CS).

Ulcerative colitis mucosal transcriptomes reveal mitochondriopathy and personalized mechanisms underlying disease severity and treatment response.

Molecular mechanisms driving disease course and response to therapy in ulcerative colitis (UC) are not well understood. Here, we use RNAseq to define pre-treatment rectal gene expression, and fecal microbiota profiles, in 206 pediatric UC patients receiving standardised therapy. We validate our key findings in adult and paediatric UC cohorts of 408 participants.

Prospective Evaluation of Predictors of Testis Atrophy After Surgery for Testis Torsion in Children.

Objective: To prospectively correlate pain duration, red scrotal skin, ultrasound appearance of testis, and intraoperative testis color to future testis atrophy after acute testicular torsion.

Methods: Patients 2 months-18 years old with unilateral acute scrotum were consecutively enrolled in a National Institutes of Health transcutaneous near-infrared spectroscopy study, with a subgroup analysis of the true torsion group. Presence or absence of red scrotal skin, pain duration, testicular heterogeneity on preoperative ultrasound, and intraoperative testis color based on a novel visual chart 5 minutes after detorsion were recorded.

Free and Bioavailable 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Concentrations are Associated With Disease Activity in Pediatric Patients With Newly Diagnosed Treatment Naïve Ulcerative Colitis.

Background: Vitamin D regulates intestinal epithelial and immune functions, and vitamin D receptor deficiency increases the severity of murine colitis. Bioavailable 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) is available to target tissues and may be a driver of immune function. The aim is to evaluate the relationship of bioavailable 25(OH)D to the clinical expression of treatment naive pediatric ulcerative colitis (UC).

Factors associated with early outcomes following standardised therapy in children with ulcerative colitis (PROTECT): a multicentre inception cohort study.

Background: Previous retrospective studies of paediatric ulcerative colitis have had limited ability to describe disease progression and identify predictors of treatment response. In this study, we aimed to identify characteristics associated with outcomes following standardised therapy after initial diagnosis.

Methods: The PROTECT multicentre inception cohort study was based at 29 centres in the USA and Canada and included paediatric patients aged 4-17 years who were newly diagnosed with ulcerative colitis.

Transscrotal Near Infrared Spectroscopy as a Diagnostic Test for Testis Torsion in Pediatric Acute Scrotum: A Prospective Comparison to Gold Standard Diagnostic Test Study.

Purpose: A rapid test for testicular torsion in children may obviate the delay for testicular ultrasound. In this study we assessed testicular tissue percent oxygen saturation (%StO2) measured by transscrotal near infrared spectroscopy as a diagnostic test for pediatric testicular torsion.

Materials And Methods: This was a prospective comparison to a gold standard diagnostic test study that evaluated near infrared spectroscopy %StO2 readings to diagnose testicular torsion.

Neonatal metabolic acidosis at birth: In search of a reliable marker.

Objective: A newborn may present acidemia on the umbilical artery blood which can result from respiratory acidosis or metabolic acidosis or be of mixed origin. Currently, in the absence of a satisfactory definition, the challenge is to determine the most accurate marker for metabolic acidosis, which can be deleterious for the neonate.

Methods: We reviewed the methodological and physiological aspects of the perinatal literature to search for the best marker of NMA.

Diagnosing Testicular Torsion before Urological Consultation and Imaging: Validation of the TWIST Score.

Purpose: The TWIST (Testicular Workup for Ischemia and Suspected Torsion) score uses urological history and physical examination to assess risk of testis torsion. Parameters include testis swelling (2 points), hard testis (2), absent cremasteric reflex (1), nausea/vomiting (1) and high riding testis (1). While TWIST has been validated when scored by urologists, its diagnostic accuracy among nonurological providers is unknown.