Effects of topical corticosteroids on adrenal function in childeren with atopic dermatitis

The aim of this study was to investigate the response to low-dose [500 ng/1.73 m2] adrenocorticoid hormone [ACTH] test in atopic dermatitis [AD] patients in comparison with the normal controls. Twenty-five prepubertal children were compared with 8 healthy control subjects [mean age 7.56 +/- 2.5 years, respectively; male to female ratio 1.1:1 and 1:1, respectively]. All patients were subjected to thorough medical history and clinical examination as well as random blood glucose, total and differential blood count and plasma cortisol [mug/dl] was measured by radioimmunoassay. The basal [0], peak [30], 60-minute and increment [peak minus basal] in plasma cortisol concentrations in children with mild AD used mild potent corticosteroid were not significantly different from the controls indicating a normal adrenal sensitivity to low-dose adrenocorticoid hormone [ACTH]. In moderate AD patients, used moderately potent corticosteroid, the peak and increment in the plasma cortisol levels were lower than the controls but within the normal values. Severe AD patients, used potent corticosteroid, showed lower peak and subnormal increment; while the basal and 60-minute plasma cortisol levels were within the normal level. There was a significant positive correlation between the peak, the basal, increment and 60-minute corticosteroid levels; whereas, they were inversely correlated with the eosinophilic count in all patients. The increment did not correlate with the basal and stimulated levels of plasma cortisol in the group of severe AD

Bone density in survivors of childhood acute leukemia and malignant lymphomas

This study aimed to assess bone mineral density in survivors of childhood acute leukemia and malignant lymphomas to determine the prevalence of osteoporosis and identify the possible predisposing factors and patients at the greatest risk of reduced bone mineral density. The study included 41 survivors [27 patients had acute lymphoblastic leukemia and 14 patients had malignant lymphomas]. In conclusion, 60.9% of the survivors of childhood leukemias and lymphomas had decreased BMD, osteoporosis being especially severe in 17.1% of these patients. In view of the risk of fractures among patients with osteoporosis, the survivors of childhood malignancy were at an increasing risk of bone fractures later in life irrespective of the underlying cause of osteoporosis, thus the intervention should be considered for prevention and proper management

Soluble interleukin-2 receptor [sIL-2R] as a tumor marker in hematologic malignancies

This work aimed to evaluate serum levels of sIL-2R in some of the hematologic malignancies and to find out if it could be a predictive marker of tumor burden and response to therapy. The mean value of sIL-2R in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia [ALL] was significantly higher than the controls. It was also significantly high in the patients with activity as compared with those at remission. Patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia [CLL] had significantly elevated sIL-2R compared with the controls. The mean value of sIL-2R in the newly diagnosed cases of CLL was significantly higher than that of the group under treatment. There was no significant difference in the mean value of sIL-2R on comparing patients with stage I CLL to those with stage II. There was a significant difference between patients with stage I CLL and those with stage IV and between patients with stage II and stage IV. Newly diagnosed cases had a significantly high mean serum value of sIL-2R compared with those under treatment. Also, patients under treatment showed a significantly high mean serum value of sIL-2R compared with those at remission. Thus, it is clear that measurements of serum sIL-2R in patients with ALL, CLL, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma [NHL] and Hodgkin's lymphoma [HL] could offer a useful marker for tumor burden, prognosis and monitoring of treatment