Survival of Mexican patients with paediatric-onset systemic lupus erythematosus and abnormal electroencephalogram

Background: Over the past three decades, there has been a remarkable improvement in the outcome of children diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). In general, paediatric-onset SLE has been associated with higher mortality rates and more disease damage than adults with SLE. The objective was to determinate the impact of clinical, laboratory, and electroencephalographic findings on survival amongst patients with paediatric-onset SLE. Methods: Charts of Mexican patients with paediatric-onset SLE diagnosed between 1970 and 2001 were analysed retrospectively; univariate and multivariate analyses were used for analysing associations between clinical and laboratory features and death; Kaplan–Meier tests were used to estimate survival curves. Results: 159 patients were included, 105 were female, with a median age of 12.7 years at diagnosis and a median duration of symptoms prior to diagnosis of 8.4 months. Univariate analysis showed that haematuria, leukocyturia, proteinuria, presence of urine cast, <60% glomerular filtration rate, haemolytic anaemia, and abnormal electroencephalogram, were all poor prognostic factors (p<0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that the presence of proteinuria and abnormal electroencephalograms (p<0.05) were independent factors associated with death. The overall survival rate was 82.9% at five years and 77.4% at ten years upon follow-up. Infection and high disease activity were the most common causes of death. Conclusions: Survival of paediatric-onset SLE patients was lower compared to that reported for patients in wealthier countries. Amongst the patients who died, the presence of proteinuria and abnormal electroencephalograms were found to be determinant for survival. Infection and activity were the most common causes of death(AU)

Survival of Mexican patients with paediatric-onset systemic lupus erythematosus and abnormal electroencephalogram.

BACKGROUND: Over the past three decades, there has been a remarkable improvement in the outcome of children diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). In general, paediatric-onset SLE has been associated with higher mortality rates and more disease damage than adults with SLE. The objective was to determinate the impact of clinical, laboratory, and electroencephalographic findings on survival amongst patients with paediatric-onset SLE. METHODS: Charts of Mexican patients with paediatric-onset SLE diagnosed between 1970 and 2001 were analysed retrospectively; univariate and multivariate analyses were used for analysing associations between clinical and laboratory features and death; Kaplan-Meier tests were used to estimate survival curves. RESULTS: 159 patients were included, 105 were female, with a median age of 12.7 years at diagnosis and a median duration of symptoms prior to diagnosis of 8.4 months. Univariate analysis showed that haematuria, leukocyturia, proteinuria, presence of urine cast, <60% glomerular filtration rate, haemolytic anaemia, and abnormal electroencephalogram, were all poor prognostic factors (p<0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that the presence of proteinuria and abnormal electroencephalograms (p<0.05) were independent factors associated with death. The overall survival rate was 82.9% at five years and 77.4% at ten years upon follow-up. Infection and high disease activity were the most common causes of death. CONCLUSIONS: Survival of paediatric-onset SLE patients was lower compared to that reported for patients in wealthier countries. Amongst the patients who died, the presence of proteinuria and abnormal electroencephalograms were found to be determinant for survival. Infection and activity were the most common causes of death.

Cutaneous markers of primary immunodeficiency diseases in children.

Primary immunodeficiency diseases (PIDs) are rare but important conditions found predominantly in children. We studied PIDs in a large pediatric hospital, their association with cutaneous alterations, and the importance of cutaneous alterations as diagnostic markers. Among 382,383 pediatric patients, 130 (0.0003%) had a PID: humoral in 27, cellular and combined in 18, phagocytic in 37, and associated with major defects in 45. An average of two cutaneous alterations were present in 90 (69%) patients: infections in 80, eczema-dermatitis in 38, and miscellaneous in 57. In 71 (79%) patients the cutaneous alterations preceded and were the basis for the clinical immunologic diagnosis. Only two PIDs were not associated with cutaneous lesions.

Primary immunodeficiency diseases in Latin America: first report from eight countries participating in the LAGID. Latin American Group for Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases.

The Latin American Group for Primary Immunodeficiencies, formed in 1993, presently includes 12 countries. One goal was to study the frequency of primary immunodeficiencies in various regions of the American continent and to enhance knowledge about these diseases among primary-care physicians, as well as allergist-immunologists. Important for this purpose was the development of a registry of primary immunodeficiencies using a uniform questionnaire and computerized database. To date, eight countries have collected information on a total of 1428 patients. Predominantly antibody deficiencies were reported in 58% of patients, followed by cellular and antibody immunodeficiencies associated with other abnormalities in 18%, immunodeficiency syndromes associated with granulocyte dysfunction in 8%, phagocytic disorders in 9%, combined cellular and antibody immunodeficiencies in 5%, and complement deficiencies in 2% of patients. The information gathered from this initial analysis of data will serve to expand the patient database to more areas within participating countries and to new countries and to increase collaboration toward better diagnosis and treatment of these diseases.

Treacher-Collins syndrome and co-existing dermatomyositis.

BACKGROUND: Treacher-Collins syndrome, an autosomal dominantly inherited malformation of structures derived from the first and second branchial arch, has an incidence of 1:10,000 newborns. The prevalence of dermatomyositis at less than 24 years of age has been estimated at 1 per 100,000. The occurrence of both Treacher-Collins syndrome and dermatomyositis combined in the same patient should occur once in every 1,000,000,000 subjects. METHODS: We report a patient with Treacher-Collins syndrome who developed dermatomyositis at the age of 5 years. RESULTS: No other patient with both Treacher-Collins syndrome and an autoimmune disease has been reported. The thymus originates from the third branchial pouch and is unaffected by the syndrome. In Treacher-Collins syndrome the affected gene has been mapped to the fifth chromosome, while dermatomyositis is related to HLA B8 and DR3, coded on the sixth chromosome. No immunologic alteration has been described in patients with Treacher-Collins syndrome. CONCLUSION: This is the first report of a patient with Treacher-Collins syndrome and dermatomyositis. There is no genetic or physiopathologic explanation for the concurrence of both conditions.

[Asthma and cyclic neutropenia]. / Asma y neutropenia cíclica.

We report a male with history of recurrent infections (recurrent oral aphtous disease [ROAD], middle ear infections and pharyngo amigdalitis) every 3 weeks since he was 7 months old. At the age of 3 years cyclic neutropenia was diagnosed with cyclic fall in the total neutrophil count in blood smear every 21 days and prophylactic antimicrobial therapy was indicated. Episodic events every 3 weeks of acute asthma and allergic rhinitis were detected at the age of 6 years old and specific immunotherapy to Bermuda grass was given during 3 years with markedly improvement in his allergic condition but not in the ROAD. He came back until the age of 16 with episodic acute asthma and ROAD. The total neutrophil count failed to 0 every 21 days and surprisingly the total eosinophil count increased up to 2,000 at the same time, with elevation of serum IgE (412 Ul/mL). Specific immunotherapy to D.pt. and Aller.a. and therapy with timomodulin was indicated. After 3 months we observed clinical improvement in the asthmatic condition and the ROAD disappeared, but the total neutrophil count did not improve. We present this case as a rare association between 2 diseases with probably no etiological relationship but may be physiopatological that could help to understand more the pathogenesis of asthma.

[Transversal myelitis as initial manifestation of secondary antiphospholipid syndrome. Report of a case]. / Mielitis transversa como manifestación inicial del síndrome antifosfolípido secundario. Informe de un caso.

We report the clinical case of an 8 years female with systemic lupus erythematosous who developed transverse myelitis secondary to antiphospholipid syndrome. She had an excellent response to the treatment with Prednisone and Cyclophosphamide. As long as we know this is the first report of transverse myelitis as clinical manifestation of antiphospholipid syndrome in childhood.

[Type III polyglandular autoimmune syndrome. Report of a case]. / Síndrome poliglandular autoinmune tipo III. Reporte de un caso.

Type III polyglandular syndrome is defines as the association of insulin dependent Diabetes mellitus, thyroid gland affection (hyper or hypothyroidism) and a non endocrinological disease, rheumatological or not. Less common manifestations include pernicious anemia, vitiligo and alopecia. Circulating organ-specific auto antibodies are detected in blood smear and a lymphocyte infiltrate in the affected glands. We report a patient with insulin dependent Diabetes mellitus since the age of 3, who developed hypothyroidism at the age of 14 and severe rheumatoid arthritis at 16. Moderate anemia with positive auto antibodies against parital gastric cells was detected. Treatment with methotrexate and indomethacin was indicated with excellent results regarding her arthritis and after 2 weeks of treatment she began to walk normally again.

Valores de anticuerpos anticardiolipina como referencia para una población pediátrica / Reference values for anti-cardiolipin antibodies (aAC) in a pediatric population

Se determinaron anticuerpos anticardiolipina (aAC) por el método de ELISA en 112 sueros de pacientes en edad pediátrica (un mes a diez y siete años), de ambos sexos, que acudieron a su toma de muestras de los servicios de ortopedia, oftalmología y cirugía del Instituto Nacional de Pediatría, para someterse a una cirugía menor, en quienes se descartó algún problema autoinmune o infeccioso. También se incluyeron 13 sueros de pacientes positivos para aAC que padecían el síndrome antifosfolípido, sueros controles positivos y negativos valorados en el Instituto Nacional de la Nutrición y un pool de sueros preparados con 50 muestras de los 112 sujetos antes mencionados. El valor de corte o negatividad para los sueros normales se obtuvo conforme la indica Loizou y col. aumentando cinco desviaciones estándares (1 DS = 0.1890, 5 DS = 0.9450) al valor promedio de las absorbencias (X = 0.4049) obtenidas de los 112 sujetos sanos, quedando un valor de 1.3499 (0.4049 + 0.9450)

[Severe mixed immunodeficiency. Report of a case]. / Inmunodeficiencia mixta grave. Presentacióm de un caso

The case of a 3 month old child with severe combined sex linked immunodeficiency is presented. The diagnosis was well doccumented, during his life. The child presented as a case of mucocutaneous moniliasis resistant to treatment. There was a history of similar cases in the family; diagnosis was made at post-mortem in one cousin and death occurred at early age in all kins so affected. Blood marrow transplant was not feasible in our case because histocompatibility was lacking in the kins studied. Three units of transfer factor were given as well as hyperimmune plasma but the child died in respiratory failure. Autopsy demonstrated pulmonary infection by Pneumocystic carinii and generalized citomegalic inclussion virus infection; almost complete absence of immune tissue was also demonstrated.