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EN
The spinal muscular atrophy is a rare autosomal recessive genetic disease characterized by the progressive loss of muscular strength. In its natural course the disease leads to death. Diabetes mellitus type 1 is an autoimmune metabolic disorder characterized by the disturbed insulin synthesis. This is a case report of an 8-year-old girl suffering from Werdnig Hoffman disease in whom DM1 was diagnosed. The unspecific clinical manifestation and diagnostic difficulties are presented in this paper. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first publication concerning the co-existence of these two medical conditions.
EN
Neopterin (NPT) (6-D-erythro-trihydroxypropyl pteridin) is one of the indicators of the immune system activity. Elevated neopterin concentration occurs in diseases mostly involving stimulation of cellular immunity. The determination of neopterin concentration, usually in blood serum and urine but also in many other bodily fluids, has already been applied in many areas of medicine, such as transfusiology, transplantology, oncology, infectious diseases and autoimmunological diseases. Objective. The aim of this work is to evaluate clinical usefulness of serum neopterin determination in children with urinary tract infections of confirmed bacterial etiology. Material. The study involved 56 children with bacterial urinary tract infections - patients of the Clinic of Paediatrics, Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Paediatric Nutrition of Medical University of Gdańsk in the years 2012-2013. The control group included 105 healthy children. Results. The values of NPT concentration in blood serum obtained in the group of children with urinary tract infections did not significantly differ from the values obtained in the control group. Conclusions. The determination of neopterin concentration in children with bacterial urinary tract infections is not a clinically useful parameter.
EN
Among possible causes of chronic hepatitis in adolescents most common are infections, autoimmune disorders and metabolic diseases. Thus, diagnostic procedures should be multidirectional. This study reports diagnosis and treatment difficulties in an 18-year-old male patient with hereditary hemochromatosis (HH), ulcerative colitis (UC), chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and Gilbert syndrome. The presented case illustrates problems in diagnostics related to the presence of numerous disease conditions in one patient. It should be taken into consideration that these diseases coexisting in one patient can mutually affect their symptoms creating specific diagnostic difficulties.
EN
The aim of this study was to analyze the usefulness of fecal lactoferrin in the diagnosis and monitoring of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in children. The study included 52 children with IBD (24 with Crohn's disease and 28 with ulcerative colitis) aged between 0.92 and 18 years, and 41 IBD-free controls of similar age. Fecal concentration of lactoferrin was determined with a quantitative immunoenzymatic test. Fecal concentration of lactoferrin in children with IBD was significantly higher than in the controls. The cut-off value of fecal lactoferrin concentration optimally distinguishing between the children with IBD and the controls was identified as 13 μg/g. The sensitivity and specificity of this cut-off value equaled 80.7% and 92.7%, respectively, and its positive and negative prognostic values were 96.8% and 63.3%, respectively. Patients diagnosed with moderate Crohn's disease had significantly higher fecal concentrations of lactoferrin than children with the mild or inactive disease. Similarly, children with moderate ulcerative colitis showed significantly higher fecal concentrations of lactoferrin than individuals with the mild condition. No significant relationship was found between the fecal concentration of lactoferrin and the severity of endoscopic lesions. Patients with IBD and a positive result of fecal occult blood test were characterized by significantly higher concentrations of lactoferrin than the individuals with IBD and a negative result of this test. In conclusion, fecal concentration of lactoferrin seems to be a useful parameter for diagnosis and monitoring of IBD in children.
EN
Objective: To determine transforming growth factor (TGF) β1, interleukin (IL) 4, and IL-10 concentrations in human milk and to assess the relationship between allergic disorders in mothers and the content of the interleukins in their milk. Material and methods: Thirty allergic and 46 healthy mothers were included in the study. Colostrum was collected 2-3 days after delivery. Cytokine concentrations were determined with commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent systems. Results: TGF-β1was found in milk from 23 women in the control group (53.49%) and 11 in the allergy group (37.93%). When TGF-β1 was present, the median concentration was higher in the allergy group than in the control (61.5 and 30.4 pg/mL, respectively; P < 0.004). IL-10 was present in the colostrum of all the women and the median IL-10 concentration did not differ between the allergy (50.5 pg/mL) and control (51.5 pg/mL) groups. The probability of occurrence of a positive IL-4 value in the allergy group was greater than in the control group (chi-squared [df=1] = 2.60, P < 0.053). Median IL-4 level did not differ significantly between the two groups (0.5 and 0.5 pg/mL respectively). Conclusions: TGF-β1 was detected less often in the colostrum of allergic mothers than in that of mothers without allergy (but the difference was not statistically significant). IL-4 was found more often in the colostrum of allergic mothers than nonallergic ones. The allergy status did not correlate with IL-10 concentration.
EN
Autoimmune diseases due to probable common pathogenesis tend to coexist in some patients. Complex clinical presentation with diverse timing of particular symptoms and sophisticated treatment with numerous side effects, may cause diagnostic difficulties, especially in children. The paper presents diagnostic difficulties and pitfalls in a child with Graves' disease, celiac disease and liver function abnormalities.
EN
The pathomechanism of Helicobacter pylori action upon gastric mucosa and its role in the pathogenesis of gastritis have not been fully elucidated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the most prevalent lymphocyte subpopulations of the gastric mucosa in gastritis in children, as well as to evaluate the expression of Fas and Fas ligand receptors (FasL), periapoptotic markers of gastric mucosa lymphocytes before and after H. pylori eradication. Forty nine patients aged 6 to 17 years, investigated due to chronic abdominal pain, were studied. The obtained tissue samples were analysed by immunohistochemistry. Different lymphocyte subsets were quantified on the basis of surface antigen expression (CD3, CD4, CD8, CD20), secreted cytokines (IL-4, IL-6, IFNγ) and Fas and FasL proteins in the gastric mucosa. B and T helper lymphocytes were found to play a major role in the inflammatory infiltration in the gastric mucosa in children during H. pylori infection. Their expression was found to decrease after eradication. The enhanced expression of Fas receptor on lymphocytes before treatment and a decrease of this expression after eradication of H. pylori were shown. It was demonstrated that there is a correlation between CD4 and Fas receptor expression that may induce apoptosis of the helper lymphocytes in infected children.
EN
Background: Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is a chronic, heterogenous inflammatory disease of unclear pathogenesis. JIA is hypothesized to be linked to a defective immune regulation. Anti-inflammatory cytokines belong to the best known regulatory factors. T-regulatory cells are a crucial cellular component of immune tolerance. One of their functions is synthesis of interleukin 10 (IL-10) and transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-β1). The aim of this study was to determine the proportion of T-regulatory cells (CD4+CD25highFOXP3+) in peripheral blood, and serum levels of TGF-β1 and IL-10 in patients with JIA. Methods: The study included 25 patients with newly diagnosed JIA: oligoarthritis (n=17) and polyarthritis (n=8). The control group was comprised of 17 healthy children. CD4+CD25highFOXP3+ T cells in peripheral blood were quantified by means of three-color flow cytometry. Serum concentrations of TGF-β1 and IL-10 were estimated with ELISA. Results: The proportion of peripheral CD4+CD25highFOXP3+ cells in patients with JIA was significantly higher than in the controls (p=0.04). The two groups did not differ significantly in terms of their TGF-β1 and IL-10 concentrations. Conclusions: At the time of diagnosis, children with JIA presented with an elevated proportion of T-regulatory cells (CD4+CD25highFOXP3+) in peripheral blood. Anti-inflammatory cytokines, IL-10 and TGF-β1, are not upregulated in the serum of patients with JIA, and therefore should not be considered as biomarkers of this condition.
EN
Transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) is a cytokine affecting cell proliferation and development, which also has an immunomodulatory activity. Correlations between polymorphisms of the TGF-β1 gene and clinical parameters of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) were reported previously in adults. Here, we tested whether such correlations occur in pediatric patients suffering from IBD. One hundred and four pediatric IBD patients were involved in this study. Among them, 36 were diagnosed with Crohn's Disease (CD) and 68 were diagnosed with ulcerative colitis (UC). The control group consisted of 103 children, in which IBD was excluded. TGF-β1 levels were determined in plasma and intestinal mucosa samples. The presence of the TGF β1 protein and the amount of TGF β1 mRNA were estimated in intestinal mucosa by immunohistochemistry and reverse transcription Real-Time PCR, respectively. Four common polymorphisms of the TGF-β1 gene were investigated: -800G/A, -509C/T, 869T/C and 915G/C. No significant correlation between TGF-β1 genotypes and (i) TGF-β1 levels in plasma and tissue samples, (ii) TGF-β1 gene expression efficiency in intestinal mucosa, (iii) IBD clinical parameters and (iv) inflammatory activity could be detected in children suffering from IBD. We conclude that, contrary to previous suggestions, the four common polymorphisms of the TGF-β1 gene do not influence the susceptibility to or clinical parameters of IBD in the tested population of children.
EN
Previously published studies on levels of the transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) protein and mRNA of the corresponding gene in patients suffering from inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) gave varying results, leading to contradictory conclusions. To solve the contradictions, we aimed to assess longitudinally TGF-β1 protein and mRNA levels at different stages of the disease in children suffering from IBD. The study group consisted of 19 pediatric patients with IBD at the age between 3.5 and 18.4 years. The control group consisted of 42 children aged between 2.0 and 18.0 years. The plasma TGF-β1 concentration was measured with ELISA. mRNA levels of the TGF-β1 gene isolated from samples of the intestinal tissue were assessed by reverse transcription and real-time PCR. Levels of TGF-β1 protein in plasma and corresponding mRNA in intestinal tissue were significantly higher in IBD patients than in controls. TGF-β1 and corresponding transcripts were also more abundant in plasma and intestinal tissue, respectively, in patients at the active stage of the disease than during remission. In every single IBD patient, plasma TGF-β1 level and mRNA level in intestinal tissue was higher at the active stage of the disease than during remission. Levels of TGF-β1 and corresponding mRNA are elevated during the active stage of IBD but not during the remission. Longitudinal assessment of this cytokine in a single patient may help to monitor the clinical course of IBD.
EN
Mast cells play an important role in both, the innate and adaptive immunity, however, clonal proliferation of abnormal mast cells in various organs leads to mastocytosis. A skin variant of the disease, cutaneous mastocytosis (CM) is the most frequent form of mastocytosis in children. HtrA proteases are modulators of important cellular processes, including cell signaling and apoptosis, and are related to development of several pathologies. The above and the observation that mast cells constitutively release the HtrA1 protein, prompted us to investigate a possible involvement of the HtrA proteins in pediatric CM. Levels of the serum autoantibodies (IgG) against the recombinant HtrA proteins (HtrA1-4) in children with CM (n=36) and in healthy controls (n=62) were assayed. Anti-HtrA IgGs were detected using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western-blotting. In the CM sera, levels of the anti-HtrA1 and anti-HtrA3 autoantibodies were significantly increased when compared to the control group, while the HtrA protein levels were comparable. No significant differences in the anti-HtrA2 IgG level were found; for the anti-HtrA4 IgGs lower levels in CM group were revealed. In healthy children, the IgG levels against the HtrA1, -3 and -4 increased significantly with the age of children; no significant changes were observed for the anti-HtrA2 IgG. Our results suggest involvement of the HtrA1 and HtrA3 proteins in pediatric CM; involvement of the HtrA4 protein is possible but needs to be investigated further. In healthy children, the autoantibody levels against HtrA1, -3 and -4, but not against HtrA2, increase with age.
EN
Objective: To assess the prevalence of UGT1A1*28 and UGT1A1*60 polymorphisms of UGT1A1 gene and their association with hyperbilirubinemia. Study design: The study was performed at a single centre - at the Department of Obstetrics of the Medical University of Gdansk in Poland. DNA was isolated from Guthrie cards of 171 infants. Only full term newborns (gestational age 38-42 weeks) were included in the study. Fluorescent molecular probes were used for UGT1A1 promoter variation analysis. The presence of UGT1A1*28 polymorphism was detected with a dual-probe system, and UGT1A1*60 with a SimpleProbe™. Result: Homozygous UGT1A1*28 and UGT1A1*60 genotypes were detected in 14.6% and 20.5% of the newborns, respectively. Homozygous (G/G) genotypes of UGT1A1*60 polymorphism were found in all of the UGT1A1*28 (i.e. (TA)7/(TA)7) homozygotes. More than 80% (55/66) of the children with "wild" type UGT1A1*28 genotype (where no polymorphism was detected) (i.e. (TA)6/(TA)6) carried the "wild" (T/T) genotype of UGT1A1*60 as well. The UGT1A1*28 polymorphism was detected more often among neonates with elevated bilirubin. Hyperbilirubinemia was diagnosed more frequently in boys. Conclusion: Polymorphisms of the UGT1A1 gene frequently co-exist in neonates. The presence of UGT1A1*28 polymorphism and male gender seem to predispose to neonatal hyperbilirubinemia.
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