ABSTRACT
A 12-year-old boy was transferred to our pediatric department from a rural hospital for fever, cough, and vomiting associated with thrombocytopenia, non-immune hemolytic anemia, and acute kidney injury, leading to the diagnosis of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). A nasopharyngeal swab and a lower respiratory sample detected Influenza A by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The patient was treated with oseltamivir and intravenous fluids in addition to fresh frozen plasma (FFP). Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) was detected in a stool sample by PCR. Serum antibodies for Mycoplasma pneumoniae (IgM and IgG) and Helicobacter pylori (IgA and IgG) were increased. Further work-up revealed elevated serum C5b-9 suggesting a simultaneous viral and bacterial infection-mediated complement overactivation leading to the diagnosis of atypical HUS (aHUS). An association between aHUS and influenza A is reported in the literature, but the correlation of EPEC, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, and Helicobacter pylori with aHUS is not well-established. Fresh frozen plasma was administered for a total of 3 days, followed by clinical and laboratory improvement. The patient has remained asymptomatic until the latest follow-up, 5 months after discharge. This case demonstrates the potential triggering role of different pathogens in aHUS pathogenesis to raise awareness in the pediatric community.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND & AIMS: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common liver disease in children and one of the leading indications for liver transplantation in adults. However, current screening methods are inadequate and are accompanied by several disadvantages. This meta-analysis aims to identify the anthropometrical and biochemical characteristics most commonly appearing in pediatric NAFLD that could contribute to the diagnosis of the disease in the every-day clinical setting. METHODS: A systematic search was conducted in major electronic databases (MEDLINE, Scopus and Embase) up to 15th of August 2021. Primary outcome was the comparison of the anthropometric characteristics, whereas secondary outcomes were the comparisons of biochemical profile, lipid profile, and metabolic parameters in children with NAFLD compared with age-matched healthy controls. Quality assessment was performed with Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) and results were expressed as mean differences with 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: Sixty-four studies were included. Two different comparisons were designed regarding the body mass status. Statistically significant differences were demonstrated by comparing children with NAFLD vs lean/normal weighted controls in body weight (23.0 kg, 95% CI: 14.0-31.8, P < 0.00001), height (3.07 cm, 95% CI: 0.21-5.94, P = 0.04), ΒΜΙ (10 kg/m2, 95% CI: 8.36-11.7, P < 0.00001) and waist circumference 25.8 cm (95% CI: 20.6-30.9, P < 0.00001) and by comparing children with NAFLD vs overweight/obese controls in weight (6.81 kg, 95% CI: 3.81-9.81), height (3.18 cm, 95% CI: 1.24 to 5.13, P = 0.001), BMI (2.19 kg/m2, 95% CI: 1.76-2.62, P < 0.00001) and WC (7.35 cm, 95% CI: 6.20-8.49, P < 0.00001). CONCLUSIONS: Anthropometrical and biochemical characteristics of children and adolescents with NAFLD are statistically significantly different compared to age-matched controls; these characteristics could be used to identify individuals at risk of developing NAFLD and related comorbidities.
