Results in the ESPN/ERA-EDTA Registry suggest disparities in access to kidney transplantation but little variation in graft survival of children across Europe.

One of the main objectives of the European health policy framework is to ensure equitable access to high-quality health services across Europe. Here we examined country-specific kidney transplantation and graft failure rates in children and explore their country- and patient-level determinants. Patients under 20 years of age initiating kidney replacement therapy from January 2007 through December 2015 in 37 European countries participating in the ESPN/ERA-EDTA Registry were included in the analyses.

Insights from the Greek experience of the use of Blinatumomab in pediatric relapsed and refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients.

Pediatric refractory or relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) poses unique therapeutic challenges, with novel immunotherapy approaches offering potential cure opportunities. In this frame, the use of Blinatumomab may induce durable remissions, serving as a successful bridge to allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). Herein, we retrospectively summarize the Greek experience on pediatric relapsed/refractory B-cell precursor ALL patients that were treated with Blinatumomab in a compassionate, off-label setting as an effort to achieve disease clearance and proceed to allo-HSCT.

Performance of immune-based and microbiological tests in children with tuberculosis meningitis in Europe: a multicentre Paediatric Tuberculosis Network European Trials Group (ptbnet) study.

Introduction: Tuberculous meningitis (TBM) is often diagnostically challenging. Only limited data exist on the performance of interferon-γ release assays (IGRA) and molecular assays in children with TBM in routine clinical practice, particularly in the European setting.

Methods: Multicentre, retrospective study involving 27 healthcare institutions providing care for children with tuberculosis (TB) in nine European countries.

Gambling involvement and problem gambling correlates among European adolescents: results from the European Network for Addictive Behavior study.

Purpose: Worldwide, concern has grown over the expansion of gambling among adolescents, who have an increased likelihood of developing risk-taking behaviors. This study aimed to increase knowledge of problem gambling among adolescents in seven European countries and to assess the effect of demographic and lifestyle factors recorded in the European Network for Addictive Behavior survey (https://www.eunetadb.

Similar femoral growth and deformity with one screw versus two smooth pins for slipped capital femoral epiphysis.

Purpose: To compare longitudinal growth and cam deformity of the proximal femur after treatment for slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) with one screw versus two smooth pins.

Methods: We studied 43 patients (29 males, 14 females; mean age, 12.1 years; range, 9.

A Variety of Alu-Mediated Copy Number Variations Can Underlie IL-12Rβ1 Deficiency.

Purpose: Inborn errors of IFN-γ immunity underlie Mendelian susceptibility to mycobacterial disease (MSMD). Autosomal recessive complete IL-12Rβ1 deficiency is the most frequent genetic etiology of MSMD. Only two of the 84 known mutations are copy number variations (CNVs), identified in two of the 213 IL-12Rβ1-deficient patients and two of the 164 kindreds reported.

Cross-national aspects of cyberbullying victimization among 14-17-year-old adolescents across seven European countries.

Background: The increasing use of the Internet and social network sites (SNS) has created a new domain of socio-emotional development for adolescents. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to explore cybervictimization across seven European countries, in relation to socio-demographic, Internet use and psychosocial variables.

Methods: A cross-sectional school-based study was conducted in the participating countries: Germany, Greece, Iceland the Netherlands, Poland, Romania and Spain.

Immune response to influenza vaccination in children with cancer.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of influenza immunization to evoke a protective immune response among children with cancer. We evaluated 75 children with cancer who received influenza vaccination. Hemagglutination Inhibition Antibody titers were determined before and after vaccination.

An insight into familial hypercholesterolemia in Greece: rationale and design of the Hellenic Familial Hypercholesterolemia Registry (HELLAS-FH).

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is the most common metabolic genetic disorder. It is estimated that around 13 million people worldwide have FH. At the same time, only 25% of FH patients have been diagnosed.

Bcl-2 and caspase-9 serum levels in children and adolescents with idiopathic epilepsy and active seizures.

Background: In the present study we investigated the levels of proapoptotic caspase-9 and antiapoptotic Bcl-2 proteins in the sera of children and adolescents with idiopathic epilepsy and tried to relate the findings to the patients' clinical parameters.

Methods: This retrospective study consisted of 118 children and adolescents with idiopathic epilepsy, categorized according to type and number of seizures, duration of the disease and the control of seizures and 30 age- and sex-matched controls. The relapse of seizures was taken into consideration.

Delayed treatment of the first febrile urinary tract infection in early childhood increased the risk of renal scarring.

Aim: This study evaluated the controversial relationship between the duration of fever before treatment initiation (FBT) for a febrile urinary tract infection (UTI), with renal scarring based on dimercaptosuccinic acid scintigraphy (DMSA) findings.

Methods: The inpatient records of 148 children under two years of age with a first episode of febrile UTI were analysed. Acute and repeat DMSA findings, and clinical and laboratory parameters were evaluated.

Development of a screening tool for children's growing pains: validation, reliability control and clinical evaluation.

Growing pains (GP) is the most common musculoskeletal complaint in childhood. The present study describes the development, validation and clinical evaluation of a questionnaire for the detection of GP in the general children's population aged 4 -7 years of age. Based on the existing publications, a 27-point closed type questionnaire was developed and was administered to a parental population of school-age children for standardization.

Association between problematic internet use, socio-demographic variables and obesity among European adolescents.

Background: Overweight of children and adolescents continues to be an important and alarming global public health problem. As the adolescent's time spent online has increased, problematic internet use (PIU) potentially leads to negative health consequences. This study aimed to examine the relation between PIU and overweight/obesity among adolescents in seven European countries and assess the effect of demographic and lifestyle factors recorded in the European Network for Adolescent Addictive Behaviour (EU NET ADB) survey (www.

Long-term outcome of pediatric kidney transplantation: A single-center experience from Greece.

Pediatric kidney Tx has critically altered the outcome in ESRD pediatric patients. The aims of this study were to determine long-term graft and patient survival in a homogeneous ethnic population. We reviewed the medical charts of pediatric kidney Tx performed between 1990 and 2012 in Greece.

Nonsurgical management of condylar fractures in children: A 15-year clinical retrospective study.

Purpose: To present the 15 years of experience after closed treatment of condylar fractures in children, by evaluating the short- and long-term results and propose treatment modalities.

Material And Methods: Data were retrieved for all young patients with condylar fractures who were treated from 2000 to 2014. Gender, age of patient, date of injury, type of fracture, treatment provided, and follow-up were registered.

The development and implementation of the SWEET Peer Review Programme for pediatric diabetes centres.

This paper describes the background to the development, implementation, and subsequent management of a programme of peer review of Pediatric Diabetes Centres belonging to the SWEET Group The paper summarizes the overall purpose of the programme, lists the principles upon which the programme is founded, and sets out the intended outcomes of the programme Details are given of the way in which the programme is delivered and summarizes the key findings from the 16 centres reviewed to date Finally the paper highlights the feedback that has been received from those who have been reviewed and those who have acted as reviewers and discusses ways in which the programme can be further developed in the future.

Salmonella Osteomyelitis in Previously Healthy Children: Report of 4 Cases and Review of the Literature.

Salmonella osteomyelitis in children is an uncommon condition, typically associated with hemoglobinopathies or other underlying disorders. Only few cases have been reported in children without predisposing factors. We describe 4 cases of Salmonella osteomyelitis in otherwise healthy children.

Immunoassay-based serum hepcidin reference range measurements in healthy children: differences among age groups.

Background: Hepcidin is a peptide hormone that plays a key role in regulating iron absorption from the small intestine and body iron distribution. Alterations in hepcidin concentrations have been associated with chronic inflammatory conditions or inherited diseases of iron metabolism. The aim of our study was to evaluate healthy children in order to define normal reference range of serum hepcidin concentrations.

Safety and immunogenicity of booster immunization with 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in children with idiopathic nephrotic syndrome.

Safety and immunogenicity of a booster dose of 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) were evaluated in 29 patients with idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (INS), who had been primed 12 months earlier with one dose of PCV7. PCV7 was not associated with increased risk of INS relapse (RR=0.77, p=0.

Parapneumonic pleural effusions caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 3 in children immunized with 13-valent conjugated pneumococcal vaccine.

During 2012, Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 3 was identified by polymerase chain reaction in 15 out of 20 (75%) pleural fluid specimens from children with pneumococcal pneumonia complicated by parapneumonic pleural effusion in Greece. One-third of these children had been immunized with the 13-valent conjugated pneumococcal vaccine after the age of 12 months, according to the national immunization schedule.

Microbiology of acute mastoiditis and complicated or refractory acute otitis media among hospitalized children in the postvaccination era.

In the post-heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine era, Streptococcus pneumoniae remains the leading cause of acute mastoiditis and other complicated or refractory acute otitis media among hospitalized children in our settings. Serotype 19A is predominant, invasive and multidrug resistant causing more than half of all mastoiditis cases, two-thirds of cases with subperiosteal abscess and all those requiring mastoidectomy. Continuous surveillance is required.

Diagnosis of Upper and Lower Respiratory Tract Bacterial Infections with the Use of Multiplex PCR Assays.

The investigation of respiratory infections by molecular techniques provides important information about the epidemiology of respiratory disease, especially during the post-vaccination era. The objective of the present study was the detection of bacterial pathogens directly in clinical samples from patients with upper and lower respiratory tract infections using multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays developed in our laboratory. Clinical samples taken over a three-year period (2007-2009) and obtained from 349 patients (adults (n = 66); children (n = 283)) with signs and symptoms of certain upper or lower respiratory tract infections, consisted of: bronchoalveolar lavages (BAL, n = 83), pleural fluids (n = 29), and middle-ear aspirates (n = 237).

Cefditoren: Comparative efficacy with other antimicrobials and risk factors for resistance in clinical isolates causing UTIs in outpatients.

Background: To investigate a possible role of Cefditoren, a recently marketed in Greece third-generation oral cephalosporin in urinary infections of outpatients.

Methods: During a multicenter survey of Enterobacteriaceae causing UTIs in outpatients during 2005-2007, Cefditoren MICs were determined by agar dilution method in a randomly selected sample of uropathogens. Susceptibility against 18 other oral/parenteral antimicrobials was determined according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute methodology.

The effect of age on whole blood interferon-gamma release assay response among children investigated for latent tuberculosis infection.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of age upon QuantiFERON-TB Gold-In-Tube (QFT-IT) assay outcome among children examined for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI).

Study Design: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 761 children (mean age ± SD: 7.84 ± 4.