ABSTRACT
Clinical picture of Borrelia burgdorferi infection has been presented in 89 children from Lodz region. The analysis showed significant domination of cases with non specific symptoms (41.6%) as: fever or headache and cases with affected central and peripheral nervous system (30.3%). Peripheral cranial nerves paralysis and symptoms of cerebrospinal meningitis dominated among children with neuroborreliosis. Unlike descriptions concerning adults, majority of the observed symptoms were changes characteristic for I stage of the disease. Dermatosis was found only in (19%) child and symptoms of arthritis in (9%) of them. Contact with tick was stated in 56.8% of the analysed children. Incidence of the disease occurred throughout the whole year, more frequently in summer and autumn months.
Subject(s)
Borrelia burgdorferi Group/isolation & purification , Lyme Disease/diagnosis , Lyme Disease/microbiology , Adolescent , Child , Child, Preschool , Diagnosis, Differential , Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay , Female , Fever/epidemiology , Fever/microbiology , Headache/epidemiology , Headache/microbiology , Humans , Incidence , Lyme Disease/epidemiology , Male , Meningitis, Bacterial/epidemiology , Meningitis, Bacterial/microbiology , Peripheral Nervous System Diseases/epidemiology , Peripheral Nervous System Diseases/microbiology , Poland/epidemiology , Risk Factors , SeasonsABSTRACT
A growing number of data suggest the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the pathogenesis of chronic type c hepatitis. Activated neutrophils, macrophages and Kupffer cells are basic sources of ROS in the course of the inflammatory process in the liver. The aim of the study was to assess the metabolism of neutrophil oxygen in children with chronic hepatitis C. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study comprised 14 children with chronic hepatitis C (group 1), 4 children with positive serum anti-HCV antibodies and negative HCV RNA as well as normal ALT activity (group II) and 6 healthy children 9 (group III). Production of reactive oxygen species by neutrophils using the method of chemiluminescence (CL) with luminol (MLX Microtitier Plate Luminometr, Dynex, USA) was assessed. We estimated chemiluminescence response (CL max and CL total) of neutrophiles both unstimulated and stimulated by formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenyloalanine (fMLP), opsonized zymosan (OZ), phorbol-myristate-acetate (PMA) without and after priming with tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-?) was estimated. RESULTS: CL max f MLP stimulated without preactivation was significantly lower in group I and II than in group III (p<0.04, p<0.06, respectively). CL max OZ stimulated was significantly higher in group I in comparison to group II (p<0.04) and it tended to be higher in group I than in group III. CL max PMA stimulated was lower in group I compared to group III (p<0.08). CL total fMLP stimulated was lower in group II (p<0.07) compared to group I and it tended to be lower in group I and II compared to group III. CL total OZ stimulated was significantly higher in group I than in group II (p<0.05) and group III (p<0.03). CL max and CL total OZ stimulated and preactivated with TNFalpha was significantly lower in group I compared to group III (p<0.02 and p<0.04, respectively). SUMMING UP: In the course of chronic hepatitis C in children, both neutrophil preactivation and inhibition of neutrophil release of reactive oxygen species, which occur as a result of different mechanisms, are observed.
Subject(s)
Hepatitis C, Chronic/blood , Hepatitis C, Chronic/physiopathology , Neutrophils/metabolism , Oxidative Stress/physiology , Adolescent , Antibodies, Viral/immunology , Child , Female , Hepatitis C, Chronic/immunology , Humans , Luminescent Measurements , Male , Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolismABSTRACT
Lyme borreliosis has become a serious diagnostic and therapeutic problem of modern medicine. The occurrence of the disease in Europe, and also in Poland, has recently increased. Diagnostic problems with Borrelia burgdorferi infection result from non-characteristic course of the disease in children, without the 1 st stage of the disease (erythema migrans), negative history forwards tick bite, lack of seasonal changes in occurrence and difficulties with interpretation of serological tests results. Direct laboratory investigations are also of little relevance.
Subject(s)
Borrelia burgdorferi/isolation & purification , Lyme Disease/diagnosis , Diagnosis, Differential , Humans , Lyme Disease/epidemiology , Lyme Disease/microbiology , Poland/epidemiologyABSTRACT
Clinical picture of Borrelia burgdorferi infection has been presented in 45 children, aged 2-16 years from Lódz region. The analysis showed significant domination of cases with affected central and peripheral nervous system (44.4%) and rather unspecific symptoms such as: fever (20%) or headache (13.3%). Peripheral cranial nerves paralysis and symptoms of cerebrospinal meningitis dominated among children with neuroborreliosis. Unlike descriptions concerning adults, majority of the observed symptoms were changes characteristic for I and II stage of the disease. Dermatosis was found only in 1 child and symptoms of arthritis in 2 of them. Contact with tick was stated in 52% of the analysed children. Incidence of the disease occurred throughout the whole year, more frequently in summer and autumn months.