Serum procollagen III and serum laminin P1 in childhood acute rheumatic fever

The study included 35 cases of acute rheumatic fever [21 cases with carditis, 6 cases with arthritis and 8 cases with carditis and arthritis], aged 5-15 years and 15 healthy age matchable children as controls. Both cases and controls were subjected to thorough history, complete clinical examination, complete blood count, E.S.R. determination, estimation of antistreptolysin 0 titre, plain X-ray chest and heart, and determination of serum procollagen III and serum laminin P1. All the cases as well as the different subgroups studied of rheumatic fever had significantly lower serum procollagen III and significantly higher serum laminin P1 than controls. Serum laminin P1 was significantly higher in cases with cardiomegally than cases without cardiomegally. Cases with double mitral lesions showed significantly higher serum laminin P1 than cases with isolated mitral regurge. Serum laminin P1 was a sensitive indicator in carditis [95.2%], in carditis with arthritis [62.5%], and in arthritis [50%]

Serum and urinary IgA in persistent diarrhea

The study included 120 children aged 3-36 months randomly selected from Outpatient Clinic in El-Menia University Hospital. Fifty of them were suffering from persistent diarrhea [PD], 50 children with acute diarrhea [AD], and 20 healthy children as controls. They were subjected to thorough history and full clinical examination. Stool examination was done for pH, reducing substances, cultures for causative bacteria, and antigenantibody detection of Rota virus. Urine was examined for secretory IgA. Blood was examined for serum IgA. Measurement of IgA was done in 30 cases with PD, 20 cases with AD, and controls. Cases with AD had significantly higher serum and urinary IgA than controls. Cases with PD had significantly lower serum and urinary IgA than controls. Cases with viral PD had significantly lower serum and urinary IgA than cases with bacterial or parasitic PD. Rota virus may be the main microorganism responsible for carbohydrate intolerance in PD cases. Significant positive correlations between serum and urinary IgA were detected in the studied cases and in controls

Alpha-1-antitrypsin in recurrent wheezy chest in children

The study included 80 children with wheezy chest aged 2 months - 6 years, subdivided into 10 cases with bronchiolitis, 15 cases with pneumonia, and 55 cases with bronchial asthma. Twenty healthy age- matchable children were used as control group. All cases and controls were subjected to thorough history, complete clinical examination, tuberculin skin testing, complete blood count, radiological examination of the chest, and determination of serum alpha-1- antitrypsin. The pneumonia cases had a significantly high serum alpha-1-antitrypsin than controls. Mean serum levels of alpha-1- antitrypsin in cases of bronchiolitis and in cases of bronchial asthma did not differ significantly from that of controls. Cases of wheezy chest associated with infection had significantly high serum alpha-1- antitrypsin level than those cases of wheezy chest without infection. Alpha-1-antitrypsin is an acute phase reactant that may have a role in the differential diagnosis of wheezy chest