Association between being overweight and oral health in Serbian schoolchildren.

Background: Childhood obesity, dental caries, and periodontal disease are major public health problems due to their adverse impact on the growth and development of children.

Aim: To examine the association between nutritional status, oral health, and lifestyle habits among schoolchildren in Serbia.

Design: This cross-sectional study assessed 422 children and adolescents aged 6-18 years with the following dental indexes analyzed: DMF/dmf (decayed, missed, and filled teeth), plaque index (PI), and gingival index (GI).

Activating germline mutations in STAT3 cause early-onset multi-organ autoimmune disease.

Monogenic causes of autoimmunity provide key insights into the complex regulation of the immune system. We report a new monogenic cause of autoimmunity resulting from de novo germline activating STAT3 mutations in five individuals with a spectrum of early-onset autoimmune disease, including type 1 diabetes. These findings emphasize the critical role of STAT3 in autoimmune disease and contrast with the germline inactivating STAT3 mutations that result in hyper IgE syndrome.

Characteristics of brain stem auditory evoked potentials in children with hearing impairment due to infectious diseases.

Among objective audiologic tests, the most important were tests of brain stem auditory evoked potentials. The objective of the study was to test the configuration, degree of hearing loss, and response characteristics of auditory brain stem evoked potentials in children with hearing loss occurred due to infectious disease. A case control study design was used.

Sudden hearing loss in children.

Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL) is defined as a unilateral or bilateral sensorineural hearing loss with at least 30 dB decrease in threshold in 3 contiguous test frequencies occurring over 72 hours or less. It is very rare in children. Sudden hearing loss is a symptom that suggests that there is a problem in the inner ear, surrounding structures, or the whole organism.

Severe combined immunodeficiency in Serbia and Montenegro between years 1986 and 2010: a single-center experience.

Severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), including the 'variant' Omenn syndrome (OS), represent a heterogeneous group of monogenic disorders characterized by defect in differentiation of T- and/or B lymphocytes and susceptibility to infections since birth. In the period of 25 years, between January 1986 and December 2010, a total of 21 patients (15 SCID, 6 OS) were diagnosed in Mother & Child Health Institute of Serbia, a tertiary-care teaching University hospital and a national referral center for patients affected with primary immunodeficiency (PID). The diagnoses were based on anamnestic data, clinical findings, and immunological and genetic analysis.

[Sexual and reproductive behaviour of young female Internet users in Serbia].

Introduction: Investigation of sexual and reproductive behaviour of youth in Serbia has not been performed by Internet, although it is their popular information and communication channel.

Objective: Analysis of the Internet acceptability among adolescent females as a research method for sexual and reproductive behaviour, identification of the common girl from Serbia, which is informed via the Internet, as well as an overview of the most important problems in the field of sexual and reproductive health of our adolescents.

Methods: The possibility of using the Internet is perceived on the basis of the number of girls aged 19-20 years who responded to certain questions asked on the website of the Association of Reproductive Health of Serbia, and reliability of the findings by monitoring the consistency of the obtained responses.

Health-related quality of life and depression in Rett syndrome caregivers.

Background/aim: Rett syndrome (RTT) is a severe neurodevelopmental disorder primarily affecting females with an estimated incidence of 1:10,000-15,000 female births. Currently, there is no specific treatment that halts or reverses the progression of RTT. Therefore, management was mainly symptomatic, focussed on optimising patient's abilities.

[Sample representativeness and incidence of liver biopsy complications caused by needles of bigger diameter (1.6 mm) and smaller diameter (1.2 mm) in children with cholestatic syndrome].

Introduction: Percutaneous liver biopsy and histomorphological analysis of liver tissue is an important diagnostic procedure in the investigation of neonates and infants with cholestatic syndrome. This study has been aimed at determining whether there is a difference in the incidence of complications after liver biopsy performed by Menghini technique using a needle of 1.6 mm as compared to 1.

Complex small supernumerary marker chromosomes - an update.

Background: Complex small supernumerary marker chromosomes (sSMC) constitute one of the smallest subgroups of sSMC in general. Complex sSMC consist of chromosomal material derived from more than one chromosome; the best known representative of this group is the derivative chromosome 22 {der(22)t(11;22)} or Emanuel syndrome. In 2008 we speculated that complex sSMC could be part of an underestimated entity.

Ten years of experience in molecular prenatal diagnosis and carrier testing for spinal muscular atrophy among families from Serbia.

Objective: To describe 10 years of experience of prenatal analysis of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).

Methods: Data were retrospectively evaluated from prenatal analysis and carrier screening among parents and close relatives between January 2003 and December 2012. Screening was done before the parents were offered prenatal diagnosis.

Two seasons' experience with pandemic A H1N1 influenza infection in neonates.

There are only a few reports on influenza A H1N1 infection in neonates. In this paper, we present our additional experience on the clinical characteristics, epidemiology and treatment of influenza A H1N1 (2009) infection in 10 newborn infants (aged 9-24 days). Influenza A H1N1 infection was confirmed by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction of the nasopharyngeal swab specimens.

Bone marrow processing for transplantation using Cobe Spectra cell separator.

Concentration of bone marrow aspirates is an important prerequisite prior to infusion of ABO incompatible allogeneic marrow and prior to cryopreservation and storage of autologous marrow. In this paper we present our experience in processing 15 harvested bone marrow for ABO incompatible allogeneic and autologous bone marrow (BM) transplantation using Cobe Spectra® cell separator. BM processing resulted in the median recovery of 91.

Insulin-sensitive obese children display a favorable metabolic profile.

Unlabelled: Most of what is known about the metabolically healthy obese phenomenon is derived from studies in the adult population and no standardized criteria to identify these individuals exist to date. The aim of this study was to determine if the preserved insulin sensitivity evaluated by homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index is associated with favorable metabolic profile in the obese children. We studied a group of 248 children and adolescents (150 female, 98 male), aged 5.

Monitoring of pediatric patients with malignant hematological diseases after allogeneic HSCT: Serbian experience.

We describe the implementation of short tandem repeats-polymerase chain reaction (STR-PCR) chimerism analyses coupled with reverse transcription PCR detection of recurrent translocations characteristic for childhood leukemia in monitoring of patients after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in Serbia and the first clinical results thereof. Chimerism and minimal residual disease were regularly analyzed from blood and marrow samples of 26 pediatric patients taken after stem cell transplantation with a median follow-up of 17.6 months.

Leukapheresis in management hyperleucocytosis induced complications in two pediatric patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia.

Complications caused by elevated white blood cell count in pediatric patients with CML could be a presenting feature of the disease. Here, we present two adolescents, aged 16 and 17years, who were admitted for investigation of extremely elevated leukocytes and complications of leucostasis. Initial manifestations were priapism and blurred vision, respectively.

Pulmonary involvement in siblings with Gaucher disease type III.

Introduction: Pulmonary involvement has been described in all types of Gaucher disease (GD) but it is considered as relatively rare manifestation. There are reports suggesting that homozygosity for L444P mutation in GBA gene is associated with a substantial risk for developing primary pulmonary disease in GD.

Case Report: We reported sisters with pulmonary involvement in GD type III.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus and impaired glucose regulation in overweight and obese children and adolescents living in Serbia.

An increase in the prevalence of pediatric type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has been reported by numerous studies in the United States during the past two decades. Available data from Europe are scarce, but also suggest the rising prevalence of this disease in overweight children. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of previously undiagnosed T2DM, impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) in a clinic cohort of otherwise healthy overweight and obese Caucasian children and adolescents living in Serbia.

Diagnosis of Fanconi's Anemia by Diepoxybutane Analysis in Children from Serbia.

The high sensitivity of Fanconi's anemia (FA) cells to drug induced DNA interstrand crosslinks (ICL) such as diepoxybutane (DEB) was used as a part of FA screening in the children with clinical suspicion of FA. The study considered a total of 66 children with the hematological and/or congenital phenotypic symptoms reminiscent of FA. Blood samples from patients with clinical suspicion of FA and controls were collected for chromosome fragility evaluation by the DEB test.

Mobilization and harvesting of peripheral blood stem cells in pediatric patients with solid tumors.

Survival of patients with high-risk pediatric solid tumors has improved with the introduction of a high-dose chemotherapy regimen and autologous stem cell rescue. Here, we present our data regarding the evaluation of the efficacy and safety of hematopoietic stem cell mobilization and harvesting in children with solid tumors. From November 2002 to March 2010, 85 children underwent autologous peripheral blood stem cell collection; 35 (41.

[Non-immune hydrops fetalis--clinical experience in newborn infants].

Introduction: Non-immune hydrops fetalis is a condition of excessive accumulation of extravascular fluid without identifiable circulating antibody to erythrocytes membrane antigens. In newborn infants it is characterized by skin oedema and pleural, pericardial or peritoneal effusion. In the era of routine Rh immunization for the prevention of foetal erythroblastosis, non-immune pathophysiologic mechanisms are presented in 76-87% of all hydropic newborns.

Preoperative considerations for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a risk factor for development of intraoperative and postoperative pulmonary complications. Regarding the type and the extent of surgical procedure, patients with COPD are at risk of aggravation of pulmonary function which leads to complicated perioperative course. In order to reduce perioperative complications, preoperative evaluation and preoperative patient preparation are of great importance.

Veno-occlusive disease in pediatric patients after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: relevance of activated coagulation and fibrinolysis markers and natural anticoagulants.

Prediction of veno-occlusive disease (VOD), its precise diagnosis, and treatment have been the subject of various studies, but still remain unclear. Our goal was to investigate the levels of activated coagulation and fibrinolysis markers and natural anticoagulants in pediatric patients with VOD after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). We investigated 47 pediatric patients: 20 with neuroblastoma, 17 with leukemias, and 10 with lymphomas and measured the values of antithrombin (AT), protein C (PC), fibrinogen (FI), thrombin AT complex, prothrombin fragments 1+2 (F1+2), and D-dimer from day -7 to day +30 post-HSCT.

Hemophilia in the newborn without family history--pattern of clinical presentation of three patients.

Introduction: Hemophilia is the most frequently diagnosed inborn clotting factor deficiency in the newborn. In about half of the cases diagnosis is made during neonatal period. However, due to different clinical presentation comparing to older children, hemophilia in the newborn could be misdiagnosed, especially in the setting of negative family history.

Neonatal cellulitis and sepsis caused by group A streptococcus.

We report a case of late onset neonatal invasive group A streptococcal disease characterized with rapidly progressing cellulitis and development of sepsis. The infection was acquired from benign and mild skin infection of the child's mother. The causative agent was group A streptococcus, belonging to the emm type 53.

Torsion of malignant ovarian tumors in childhood and adolescence.

Aim: To investigate the frequency of torsion of malignant ovarian tumors in children and adolescents.

Methods: We evaluated all patients treated for adnexal torsion in a tertiary care referral pediatric institution during the last 20 years. Presentation, tumor markers and pathology reports were evaluated.