Post-viral atopic airway disease: pathogenesis and potential avenues for intervention.

: In early childhood, wheezing due to lower respiratory tract illness is often associated with infection by commonly known respiratory viruses such as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and human rhinovirus (RV). How respiratory viral infections lead to wheeze and/or asthma is an area of active research. : This review provides an updated summary of the published information on the development of post-viral induced atopy and asthma and the mechanisms involved.

Growth Hormone Deficiency and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease with Insights from Humans and Animals: Pediatric Implications.

In addition to its growth promoting role, growth hormone (GH) has a significant effect on intermediary metabolism in the well state. Despite the latter fact, pediatric practitioners are usually focused on the growth promoting aspects of GH as opposed to those metabolic. In recent years various animal and human studies (in adults mainly) and clinical reports in children have repeatedly shown the association of GH deficiency (GHD) and fatty liver disease.

Variation in Platelet Delta Granules Over Time in Young Women Undergoing Evaluation for Heavy Menstrual Bleeding.

Delta-granule platelet storage pool deficiency (δ-PSPD) is a qualitative platelet function defect associated with variable bleeding phenotypes. Platelet electron microscopy (EM) is commonly utilized to evaluate for δ-PSPD, but intrapatient variability in platelet δ-granule numbers by EM is currently unknown. Fifteen young women aged 11 to 17 years presenting to a young women's hematology clinic for the evaluation of heavy menstrual bleeding underwent platelet EM testing at their initial hematology clinic visit and at 1 and 3 months later.

Profile of asfotase alfa in the treatment of hypophosphatasia: design, development, and place in therapy.

Hypophosphatasia (HPP) is a multi-systemic metabolic disorder caused by loss-of-function mutations in the gene that encodes the mineralization-associated enzyme, tissue-nonspecific alkaline phosphatase (TNSALP). HPP is characterized by defective bone and dental mineralization, leading to skeletal abnormalities with complications resulting in significant morbidity and mortality. Management of HPP has been limited to supportive care until the introduction of a recently approved enzyme replacement therapy employing bone-targeted recombinant human TNSALP, asfotase alfa (AA).

Early Antibiotic Exposure and Adverse Outcomes in Preterm, Very Low Birth Weight Infants.

Objectives: To determine whether antibiotic use in the first 14 postnatal days in preterm, very low birth weight (birth weight of ≤1500 g) infants is associated with risk after 14 days of age for late-onset sepsis, necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), or death after controlling for severity of illness using the Clinical Risk Index in Babies II score, and determine whether duration of antibiotic exposure was associated with risk of adverse outcomes.

Study Design: This retrospective cohort study included very low birth weight infants born at ≤32 weeks of gestation admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit from September 2010 to June 2014. Infants were excluded if they had major congenital anomalies or culture-proven sepsis, NEC, or death during the first 14 days of life.

Association of atopic dermatitis with allergic, autoimmune, and cardiovascular comorbidities in US adults.

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) has been associated with multiple comorbid extracutaneous and systemic disorders. The relation between AD severity and disease comorbidities is complex and not fully understood.

Objective: To determine the complex relation between AD severity and comorbidities.

Patient burden and quality of life in atopic dermatitis in US adults: A population-based cross-sectional study.

Background: The patient burden and quality of life (QOL) impact of atopic dermatitis (AD) in the United States population is not well established.

Objective: To elucidate the patient burden of AD in the US population.

Methods: A cross-sectional, population-based study of 602 adults was performed.

No central adrenal insufficiency found in patients with Prader-Willi syndrome with an overnight metyrapone test.

Background Individuals with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) have hypothalamic dysfunction and may have central adrenal insufficiency (CAI). The prevalence of CAI in PWS remains unknown. Methods Twenty-one subjects with PWS aged 4-53 years underwent a low dose adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) stimulation test (LDAST) (1 μg/m2, maximum 1 μg) followed by an overnight metyrapone test (OMT).

Heterogeneity and the origins of asthma.

Objective: To examine the roots of asthma across different ages, including atopy, the role of the microbiome and viral infections, and comorbidities and confounders, such as obesity, aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease, neutrophilic asthma, cigarette smoking, and the possibility of an asthma-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease overlap syndrome.

Data Sources: Data were taken from various scientific search engines, including PubMed and Science Direct databases.

Study Selections: Articles that reviewed information on the origins of asthma in persons of all ages, including different phenotypes and genotypes of asthma, were used.

Angiotensin II receptor I blockade prevents stenosis of tissue engineered vascular grafts.

We previously developed a tissue-engineered vascular graft (TEVG) made by seeding autologous cells onto a biodegradable tubular scaffold, in an attempt to create a living vascular graft with growth potential for use in children undergoing congenital heart surgery. Results of our clinical trial showed that the TEVG possesses growth capacity but that its widespread clinical use is not yet advisable due to the high incidence of TEVG stenosis. In animal models, TEVG stenosis is caused by increased monocytic cell recruitment and its classic ("M1") activation.

Exploring knowledge and perceptions of palliative care to inform integration of palliative care education into cystic fibrosis care.

Background: Individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF) face the challenges of managing a chronic, progressive disease. While palliative care is a standard of care in serious illnesses, there are no guidelines for its incorporation into CF care. Patients with CF, caregivers, and CF care providers may lack knowledge about palliative care and perceive barriers to integrated care.

Understanding developmental language disorder - the Helsinki longitudinal SLI study (HelSLI): a study protocol.

Background: Developmental language disorder (DLD, also called specific language impairment, SLI) is a common developmental disorder comprising the largest disability group in pre-school-aged children. Approximately 7% of the population is expected to have developmental language difficulties. However, the specific etiological factors leading to DLD are not yet known and even the typical linguistic features appear to vary by language.

Detection of cytomegalovirus in saliva from infants undergoing sepsis evaluation in the neonatal intensive care unit: the VIRIoN-C study.

Objective To determine the frequency of detection of cytomegalovirus (CMV) among infants evaluated for late-onset sepsis in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Methods This study was a prospective cohort study. Results During the 13-month study, 84 infants underwent 116 sepsis evaluations, and CMV DNA was detected in saliva in three (4%) infants (median: gestational age 28 weeks, birth weight 950 g), representing 5% (n=6) of all sepsis evaluations.

Patterns of von Willebrand Disease Screening in Girls and Adolescents With Heavy Menstrual Bleeding.

Objective: To estimate the frequency of von Willebrand disease screening and factors that affect screening frequency in a national sample of girls and adolescents with heavy menstrual bleeding.

Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, we used a national claims database for privately and publicly insured patients between 2011 and 2013 for girls aged 10-17 years. Diagnostic criteria of heavy menstrual bleeding were the presence of one inpatient or two outpatient International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision codes for heavy menstrual bleeding.

A review of the conundrum of mild hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy: Current challenges and moving forward.

A review of the conundrum called mild hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is provided. During the past decades, the definition of HIE has evolved to accommodate the short window of time required for the initiation of therapeutic hypothermia. Also, neurological evaluations have changed with the use of simpler staging systems that can be applied within the first 6 h of life.

In iodine-induced thyrotoxicosis, steroid therapy today could keep the surgical knife at bay.

Background: Amiodarone-induced thyrotoxicosis (AIT) type 2, characterized as a destructive thyroiditis, is well described in the medical literature; however, iodine-induced thyrotoxicosis (IIT) is not, though the latter has similar features and can be managed similarly.

Case Presentation: We present a 17-year-old female who presented with a history of an intermittent goiter with thyroid function tests (TFTs): thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)<0.015 (0.