Clinical and biological characteristics of immunopathological disease-related erythema nodosum in children.

We report a series of 22 children with idiopathic, drug unrelated erythema nodosum (EN) admitted to our Department. In 5 of them an history of streptococcal pharyngitis was referred; the remaining patients came to us with a diagnosis of "EN of unknown origin". Acute phase reactants, immunoglobulins, stool alpha1 antitrypsin, ANA, anti dsDNA antibodies and ANCA assay, chest roentgenogram, tuberculin test, and ophthalmologic assessment were performed in all patients.

Serum interleukin 12 concentration in juvenile chronic arthritis.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate serum interleukin (IL) 12 concentration in patients with juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA), according to disease subtype, activity, and duration. IL12 has been demonstrated to prime the selective expansion of T helper (Th) cells with a Th1-type pattern of cytokine production.

Methods: Sixty eight serum samples from 50 JCA patients (12 systemic, 12 polyarticular, 26 pauciarticular), 20 serum samples from age matched healthy controls were tested with two different immunoassays specific for total IL12 (p40 and p70 heterodimer) and for IL12 (p70) heterodimer, respectively.

99mTc-white cell scanning to detect gut inflammation in children with inflammatory bowel diseases or spondyloarthropathies.

Objective: Gut inflammation is a common feature shared by inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) and the spondyloarthropathies (SpA). The aim of the present study was to compare the reliability of a number of non-invasive investigations for the detection of an inflammatory process of the intestine.

Methods: Forty-two children were studied: (i) patients with a previous diagnosis of IBD (group A); (ii) patients with suspected IBD (group B); and (iii) patients with predominantly rheumatological manifestations associated with gastrointestinal symptoms (group C).

Differences in tumor necrosis factor-alpha soluble receptor serum concentrations between patients with Henoch-Schönlein purpura and pediatric systemic lupus erythematosus: pathogenetic implications.

Objective: Animal models of immune complex mediated tissue injury have shown different patterns of proinflammatory cytokine production according to the subtype of immunoglobulin involved. The IgA immune complex model differs from the IgG model by the lack of involvement of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) in the pathogenesis of tissue damage. We investigated in age matched patients the possible difference in TNF involvement in a predominantly IgA mediated disease, Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP), in comparison with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), in which vascular injury is mostly associated with local deposition of IgG immune complexes.

Serum p55 and p75 tumour necrosis factor receptors as markers of disease activity in juvenile chronic arthritis.

Objective: To determine the expression of tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) and its soluble receptors (p55 and p75) in the sera and synovial fluid of patients with juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA), and their correlation with disease activity parameters.

Methods: Ninety eight sera from 45 patients with JCA (14 systemic, 12 polyarticular, 19 pauciarticular), 20 sera from age matched healthy controls, and five synovial fluids from five antinuclear antibody (ANA) positive pauciarticular JCA patients were tested for the presence of TNF alpha, soluble TNF receptors p55 and p75 (sTNFRp55, sTNFRp75), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) by an enzyme amplified sensitivity immunoassay. Physician global estimate of disease activity, weekly fever score and joint score, C reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and haemoglobin concentration were evaluated as parameters of disease activity.

Incidence of type I diabetes in the Liguria Region, Italy. Results of a prospective study in a 0- to 14-year age-group.

Objective: To assess updated incidence of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) in 0- to 14-year-old children in Liguria, a northwest region of Italy.

Research Design And Methods: Incident cases were recorded prospectively from 1987 to 1991. Incidence rates (IRs) were directly standardized on the basis of the 1990 world population.

Gram-positive bacteraemia in granulocytopenic cancer patients.

In the four EORTC International Antimicrobial Therapy Cooperative Group trials, the frequency of gram-positive isolates has increased significantly from 29% of single-organism bacteraemias in trial I (1973-1976) to 41% in trial IV (1983-1985). In trial IV febrile and neutropenic (less than 1000 polymorphonuclear lymphocytes per microliter) cancer patients were randomized prospectively to receive either azlocillin plus a long course (at least 9 days) of amikacin, or ceftazidime plus a short course (3 days) of amikacin, or ceftazidime plus a long course of amikacin. Without modification of the allocated antibiotics, the overall response rates for gram-positive bacteraemias were similar for all three regimens (19/37 [51%], 8/23 [35%] and 14/30 [47%]), respectively.