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Letter 2007; 28(Suppl 2): 20-21 PubMed PMID: 17558369 Citation  Keywords:  Aminoglycosides:therapeutic use, Anti-Bacterial Agents:therapeutic use, Carbapenems:therapeutic use, Child, Child, Preschool, Cross Infection:drug therapy, Drug Therapy, Combination, Humans, Infant, Infant, Newborn, Meningitis, Bacterial:drug therapy, Ret.   

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Comparative Study 2007; 28(Suppl 2): 17-18 PubMed PMID: 17558368 Citation  Keywords:  Aminoglycosides:administration & dosage, Anti-Bacterial Agents:administration & dosage, Carbapenems:administration & dosage, Child, Child, Preschool, Cross Infection:drug therapy, Drug Therapy, Combination, Glycopeptides:administration & dosage, Humans, I.   

: We have been unable to document a benefit of a combination of aminoglycosides with betalactam or carbapenem antibiotics in nosocomial meningitis. This was similar to the cases of sepsis, where survival of patients did not improve with combination therapy. Combination therapy did not increase the chance of appropriateness of the therapy. 30% of those on combination therapy were considered as inappropriately treated in comparison to 2.8% of those on monotherapy (p<0.01)....

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Journal Article 2007; 28(Suppl 2): 15-16 PubMed PMID: 17558367 Citation  Keywords:  Acinetobacter Infections:drug therapy, Acinetobacter baumannii:immunology, Anti-Bacterial Agents:therapeutic use, Central Nervous System:abnormalities, Child, Child, Preschool, Cross Infection:drug therapy, Humans, Infant, Newborn, Infant, Very Low Birth .   

: Twenty five (25) cases of nosocomial postsurgical meningitis due to Acinetobacter baumannii meningitis were compared to other 146 cases of meningitis after surgery caused by other pathogens. Prior neurosurgical ventriculo-peritoneal shunt insertion and CNS abnormality as well as very low birth weight were significant risk factors for acquisition of Acinetobacter baumannii meningitis. Mortality - 40% among children with nosocomial meningitis was unacceptably high and significantly higher than among meningitis caused by microorganisms other than Acinetobacter baumannii....

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Comparative Study 2007; 28(Suppl 2): 11-14 PubMed PMID: 17558366 Citation  Keywords:  Child, Child, Preschool, Cross Infection:epidemiology, Data Collection, Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections:epidemiology, Humans, Infant, Infant, Newborn, Meningitis, Bacterial:epidemiology, Risk Factors, Slovakia:epidemiology, Staphylococcal Infections:ep.   

: In 1993-1998 and in 1999-2004 we have performed two surveys of pediatric bacterial meningitis in all 8 neurosurgery/pediatrics and infectious diseases departments in Slovakia. We have detected 101 and another 54 cases with attributable mortality of 15% and sequellae in 18%....

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Case Reports 2007; 28(2): 141-144 PubMed PMID: 17435671 Citation  Keywords:  Child, Preschool, Congenital Hypothyroidism:complications, Down Syndrome:complications, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Humans, Infant, Male, Pericardial Effusion:diagnosis, Thyroid Function Tests, Thyroxine:therapeutic use,.   

: Pericardial effusion may be the first sign of congenital or acquired hypothyroidism and will completely resolve after thyroxin therapy. Hypothyroidism is more common in Down syndrome population than normal population. In this report we present four infants with Down syndrome who have pericardial effusion due to congenital hypothyroidism. All of these children with Down syndrome were admitted to our clinic with pericardial effusion. Pericardial effusion was completely resolved with thyroxin therapy without pericardiosentesis. Any child with Down syndrome who present with dyspnea and cardiomegaly should be suspected of having pericardial effusion due to hypothyroidism and echocardiography examination should be performed immediately. Pericardial effusion due to hypothyroidism will completely resolve with L-thyroxin therapy without pericardiosentesis. In conclusion, since a delayed diagnosis of hypothyroidism is likely and may favor the development of massive pericardial effusion and because of the difficult diagnosis of the hypothyroidism in Down syndrome, periodic follow-up of thyroid function tests are important....

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Comparative Study 2007; 28(2): 153-158 PubMed PMID: 17435670 Citation  Keywords:  Adolescent, Adult, Anorexia Nervosa:genetics, Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor:genetics, Case-Control Studies, Child, Disease Susceptibility, Female, Genotype, Humans, Personality:genetics, Phenotype, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Risk,.   

OBJECTIVES: Polymorphisms in BDNF gene has been proposed, as susceptibility loci for stress-related psychiatric disorders. Several lines of molecular and biochemical evidence point to the role of BDNF in anorexia nervosa (AN). Personality traits may constitute the intermediate phenotypes between genes and vulnerability to AN.

METHODS: BDNF Val66Met and -270C/T polymorphisms were genotyped in 149 patients with AN and 100 healthy control females. Temperamental traits in all subjects were measured with Temperament and Character Inventory. First in case-control analysis, we assessed, if analyzed genotypes confer risk for AN. Next, the association of BDNF gene variants with personality dimensions in patients and control subjects was analyzed.

RESULTS: No significant differences between patients with anorexia nervosa and controls in frequency of genotypes and alleles were observed. AN patients with Met allele showed higher Harm avoidance (Anova F=4.70; p=0.03) than Val/Val homozygotes. AN patients, who carried the T allele of BDNF -270C/T polymorphism showed higher Persistence (Anova F=4.04; p<0.05) and Harm avoidance (Anova F=7.93; p=0.006) than C/C homozygotes, however after correction for multiple testing only the latter association remained statistically significant. No significant relationship between Val/Met 66 genotype and -270C/T genotype with personality was observed in healthy females.

CONCLUSIONS: These results may suggest, that BDNF -270 C/T polymorphism may influence the personality trait associated with higher risk of AN....

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Comparative Study 2006; 27(6): 773-778 PubMed PMID: 17187019 Citation  Keywords:  Adolescent, Adult, Age Factors, Aged, Aging:blood, Atherosclerosis:blood, Case-Control Studies, Chemokine CCL2:blood, Child, Child, Preschool, Down Syndrome:blood, Female, Humans, Interleukin-6:blood, Male, Middle Aged, Nerve Growth Factor:blood, Statisti.   

OBJECTIVES: Down's syndrome (DS) is the most frequent chromosomal aberration in men and it is invariably associated with mental retardation.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Plasma levels of nerve growth factor (NGF), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) from non demented DS subjects of three different age-cohorts (2-14 years; 20-50 yrs; >60 yrs) and healthy controls were measured. No clinical and sub-clinical inflammation was apparent in DS patients.

RESULTS: Plasma levels of NGF were higher in children, adult and old DS subjects than in controls. However, a significant age-related decrease of NGF levels was present in DS subjects. Serum levels of IL-6 and MCP-1 were also increased in DS children and adults, but not in older DS patients.

CONCLUSIONS: High levels of circulating NGF might protect DS from clinical complications of atherosclerosis. However, the striking decrement of peripheral NGF levels with advancing age may predispose DS to clinical manifestation of dementia after adulthood....

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Clinical Trial 2006; 27(6): 833-838 PubMed PMID: 17187010 Citation  Keywords:  Adolescent, Androgen Antagonists:therapeutic use, Autistic Disorder:drug therapy, Chelating Agents:therapeutic use, Child, Child Behavior:drug effects, Cognition:drug effects, Female, Humans, Leuprolide:therapeutic use, Male, Metals, Heavy:urine, Severity.   

BACKGROUND: A medical hypothesis has suggested that some autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) may result from interactions between the methionine cycle-transsulfuration and androgen pathways following exposure to mercury.

METHODS: The IRB of the Institute for Chronic Illnesses approved the present study. A novel treatment was utilized combining LUPRON (leuprolide acetate, TAP Pharmaceuticals, Inc.) and CHEMET (meso-2, 3-dimercaptosuccinic acid--DMSA, McNeil Consumer Products Company) on 11 consecutive children with ASDs.

RESULTS: A significant (p<0.01) overall improvement from the 70-79th percentile of severity (median baseline score=87) at baseline to the 40-49th percentile of severity (median end of study period score=63) at the end of the study was observed for patients treated for a median of approximately 4 months. Significant improvements in sociability, cognitive awareness, behavior, and clinical symptoms/behaviors of hyperandrogenemia were also observed. Significant decreases in blood androgens and increases in urinary heavy metal concentrations were observed. Minimal drug adverse effects were found.

CONCLUSION: This study provides the first clinical evidence for the benefit that combined anti-androgen and anti-heavy metal therapy may have on some children with ASDs. Additional studies should examine androgen and heavy metal mechanisms of action in ASDs, and future ASD treatment protocols should consider androgens and heavy metals....

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