Enuresis Nocturna in children with asthma: prevalence and associated risk factors.

BACKGROUND: Enuresis Nocturna (EN) is a common disorders in childhood. Although many different underlying pathophysiological mechanisms have been proposed to explain EN, its etiology is multifactorial. Some reports demonstrate that there is an association between EN and allergic diseases. To study (1) the prevalence of EN in children with asthma, (2) to determine the possible risk factors for EN in asthmatic children. METHODS: Five hundreds and six children aged 6-14 years-old diagnosed with asthma and 380 age-matched non-asthmatic controls were enrolled into this cross-sectional case-control study. We studied an allergy panel that included skin prick tests with (8 inhalant allergens), total IgE, and blood eosinophil count for both groups. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the parents of children presenting EN. Factors associated with EN in children with asthma were analyzed using a logistic regression model. RESULTS: The prevalence of EN was significantly higher in children with asthma as compared to the controls: 132 (26 %), 43 (11.5 %) respectively (p = 0.001). Emergency visits frequency, and family history of enuresis were higher in the asthmatic children with EN than in asthmatic children without EN. According to the logistic regression analysis, positive pollen sensitization (p = 0.027, OR = 1.94), allergic rhinitis (p = 0.032, OR = 2.36), and high eosinophil count (p = 0.004, OR = 1.40) were independent risk factors for EN in children with asthma. CONCLUSION: This study showed that the prevalence of EN in children with asthma was higher than in same age controls. Sensitization to pollens, allergic rhinitis and high blood eosinophil count associate to the EN in children with asthma.

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation in Children With In-Hospital and Out-of-Hospital Cardiopulmonary Arrest: Multicenter Study From Turkey.

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to determine the causes, location of cardiopulmonary arrest (CPA) in children, and demographics of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in Turkish pediatric emergency departments and pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) and to determine survival rates and morbidities for both in-hospital and out-of-hospital CPA. METHODS: This multicenter descriptive study was conducted prospectively between January 15 and July 15, 2011, at 18 centers (15 PICUs, 3 pediatric emergency departments) in Turkey. RESULTS: During the study period, 239 children had received CPR. Patients' average age was 42.4 (SD, 58.1) months. The most common cause of CPA was respiratory failure (119 patients [49.8%]). The location of CPA was the PICU in 168 (68.6%), hospital wards in 43 (18%), out-of-hospital in 24 (10%), and pediatric emergency department in 8 patients (3.3%). The CPR duration was 30.7 (SD, 23.6) minutes (range, 1-175 minutes) and return of spontaneous circulation was achieved in 107 patients (44.8%) after the first CPR. Finally, 58 patients (24.2%) were discharged from hospital; survival rates were 26% and 8% for in-hospital and out-of-hospital CPA, respectively (P = 0.001). Surviving patients' average length of hospital stay was 27.4 (SD, 39.2) days. In surviving patients, 19 (32.1%) had neurologic disability. CONCLUSION: Pediatric CPA in both the in-hospital and out-of-hospital setting has a poor outcome.

Correlation of Brain Neuropeptide (Nesfatin-1 and Orexin-A) Concentrations with Anthropometric and Biochemical Parameters in Malnourished Children.

OBJECTIVE: Malnutrition continues to be a leading cause of stunted growth in many countries. This study aimed to investigate serum nesfatin-1 and orexin-A levels in underweight children and the potential correlations of these levels with anthropometric and nutritional parameters. METHODS: The study enrolled 44 prepubertal children (between 2 and 12 years of age) with thinness grades of 1-3 and 41 healthy age- and gender-matched children. The demographic, clinical and laboratory parameters including nesfatin-1 and orexin-A concentrations were compared between the two groups. The correlations of nesfatin-1 and orexin-A with biochemical and anthropometric parameters were investigated. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis were also performed for evaluating nesfatin-1 and orexin-A in distinguishing children with malnutrition from healthy controls. RESULTS: Thyroid-stimulating hormone, vitamin B12 and insulin levels were significantly lower in the study group than controls (p=0.001, p=0.049 and p=0.033, respectively). Mean nesfatin-1 levels in the malnourished group was also significantly lower compared to the healthy controls (3871.2 ± 1608.8 vs. 5515.0 ± 3816.4 pg/mL, p=0.012). No significant difference was observed in the orexin-A levels between the two groups (malnourished vs. control groups: 1135.7 ± 306.0 vs. 1025.7 ± 361.6 pg/mL, p=0.141). Correlation analyses revealed a positive correlation of nesfatin-1 and a negative correlation of orexin-A with body mass index (BMI) z-score. ROC analysis demonstrated that nesfatin-1 and orexin-A cannot be used to distinguish children with malnutrition from healthy controls (AUC: 0.620, p=0.061 for nesfatin-1 and AUC: 0.584, p=0.190 for orexin-A). CONCLUSION: The positive correlation of nesfatin-1 and the negative correlation of orexin-A with BMI suggest that these neuropeptides may be a part of a protective mechanism in the maintenance of nutritional status and that they may have a role in regulating food intake in undernourished children.

Melatonin attenuates phenytoin sodium-induced DNA damage.

Phenytoin sodium (PHT Na(+)) is a potent antiepileptic drug against epileptic seizures and is used as a prophylactic treatment in traumatic brain injury. PHT Na(+) leads to the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and DNA is a crucial molecular target of ROS-initiated toxicity. Melatonin and its metabolites possess free-radical-scavenging activity. We therefore designed this study to investigate the potential protective effect of melatonin against PHT Na(+)-induced DNA damage by using the comet assay in a rat model in vivo. Thirty-three 3-month-old male Wistar rats were divided into five groups of control treated with isotonic sodium chloride (a single injection of isotonic sodium chloride and 100 µL in drinking water for 10 days), ethanol treated (in drinking water for 10 days containing 100 µL of ethanol in each 300-mL drinking bottle), melatonin treated (4 mg/kg body weight [b.w.] intraperitoneally [i.p.] at the start, in drinking water for 10 days), PHT Na(+) treated (a single i.p. injection of 50 mg/kg) and PHT Na(+) (50 mg/kg b.w., single i.p.) and melatonin (4 mg/kg b.w. i.p. at the start and 4 mg/kg in drinking water for 10 days) cotreated. To determine the protective effects of melatonin, the comet assay was performed using lymphocytes isolated in different time intervals (0, 15, 30, 45 and 60 minutes) from each group of animals. On days 1, 3, 7 and 10, blood samples were taken and the comet assay technique was performed. Our present data suggest that melatonin reversed PHT Na(+)-induced DNA damage.

Skin temperature measurement using an infrared thermometer on patients who have been exposed to cold.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to determine if the skin temperature of febrile children is affected by the child's exposure to cold outdoor temperatures immediately prior to the taking of that temperature. METHODS: A total of 150 febrile and non-febrile children (aged 3-10 years) who had walked to the hospital's pediatric emergency department and were thus exposed to outside cold weather were enrolled in the study. Using infrared thermometry, forehead and chest skin temperatures were simultaneously measured every 2 min during the first 14 min after presentation. Temperatures were recorded and differences between the two measurements were calculated. RESULTS: By the fifth evaluation (10 min from the first reading), skin temperatures from forehead and chest had equalized. CONCLUSION: Determination of fever from the body parts that had been exposed to cold environmental conditions may cause contradictory results if taken while the child is still chilled from exposure to the cold. For accuracy, children should be acclimated to the indoor temperature before taking body temperature readings. Acclimation takes at least 10 min after coming in from cold weather outside.

Estado oxidante e antioxidante de crianças com bronquiolite aguda / Oxidative and antioxidative status of children with acute bronchiolitis

OBJETIVO: O estresse oxidativo demonstrou contribuir para a patogênese de doenças pulmonares inflamatórias agudas e crônicas. Nosso objetivo foi avaliar o estado oxidante/antioxidante de crianças com bronquiolite aguda por meio de mensuração da capacidade antioxidante total do plasma, estado oxidante total e índice de estresse oxidativo. MÉTODOS: As crianças com bronquiolite aguda encaminhadas para o Departamento de Emergência Pediátrica do hospital universitário entre janeiro e abril 2012 foram comparadas a controles saudáveis de mesma idade. Os pacientes com bronquiolite aguda tiveram essa doença classificada como leve e moderada. O estado oxidante e antioxidante foi avaliado pela mensuração da capacidade antioxidante total do plasma, estado oxidante total e índice de estresse oxidativo. RESULTADOS: Foram incluídas 31 crianças com bronquiolite aguda com idade de três meses a dois anos e 37 crianças saudáveis. O estado oxidante total (EOT) foi maior em pacientes com bronquiolite aguda do que no grupo de controle (5,16±1,99 µmol H2O2 em comparação a 3,78±1,78 µmol H2O2 [p = 0,004]). A capacidade antioxidante total (CAT) foi significativamente menor em crianças com bronquiolite que no grupo de controle (2,51±0,37 µmol Trolox equivalente/L em comparação a 2,75±0,39 µmol Trolox Eqv/L) (p = 0,013). Os pacientes com bronquiolite moderada apresentaram níveis de EOT mais elevados que os com bronquiolite leve e os do grupo de controle (p = 0,03, p < 0,001). Os pacientes com bronquiolite moderada apresentaram níveis de IEO mais elevados que os do grupo de controle (p = 0,015). O nível de saturação de oxigênio de pacientes com bronquiolite foi inversamente correlacionado ao nível de EOT (r = -0,476, p < 0,05). CONCLUSÃO: O equilíbrio entre os sistemas oxidante e antioxidante é interrompido em crianças com bronquiolite moderada, indicando que o fator de estresse poderá ter um papel na patogênese da doença.

OBJECTIVE: Oxidative stress has been shown to contribute to the pathogenesis of acute and chronic lung inflammatory diseases. This article aimed to evaluate the oxidant/antioxidant status of children with acute bronchiolitis through the measurement of plasma total antioxidant capacity, total oxidant status, and oxidative stress index. METHODS: Children with acute bronchiolitis admitted to the pediatric emergency department of a university hospital between January and April of 2012 were compared with agematched healthy controls. Patients with acute bronchiolitis were classified as mild and moderate bronchiolitis. Oxidative and antioxidative status were assessed by measurement of plasma total antioxidant capacity, total oxidant status, and oxidative stress index. RESULTS: Thirty-one children with acute bronchiolitis aged between 3 months and 2 years, and 39 healthy children were included. Total oxidative status (TOS) was higher in patients with acute bronchiolitis than the control group (5.16±1.99 µmol H2O2 versus 3.78±1.78 µmol H2O2 [p = 0.004]). Total antioxidant capacity (TAC) was lower in children with bronchiolitis than the control group (2.51±0.37 µmol Trolox eqv/L versus 2.75±0.39 µmol Trolox eqv/L [p = 0.013]). Patients with moderate bronchiolitis presented higher TOS levels than those with mild bronchiolitis and the control group (p = 0.03, p < 0.001, respectively). Patients with moderate bronchiolitis had higher oxidative stress index levels than the control group (p = 0.015). Oxygen saturation level of bronchiolitis patients was inversely correlated with TOS (r = -0.476, p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The balance between oxidant and antioxidant systems is disrupted in children with moderate bronchiolitis, which indicates that this stress factor may have a role in the pathogenesis of the disease.

Oxidative and antioxidative status of children with acute bronchiolitis.

OBJECTIVE: Oxidative stress has been shown to contribute to the pathogenesis of acute and chronic lung inflammatory diseases. This article aimed to evaluate the oxidant/antioxidant status of children with acute bronchiolitis through the measurement of plasma total antioxidant capacity, total oxidant status, and oxidative stress index. METHODS: Children with acute bronchiolitis admitted to the pediatric emergency department of a university hospital between January and April of 2012 were compared with age-matched healthy controls. Patients with acute bronchiolitis were classified as mild and moderate bronchiolitis. Oxidative and antioxidative status were assessed by measurement of plasma total antioxidant capacity, total oxidant status, and oxidative stress index. RESULTS: Thirty-one children with acute bronchiolitis aged between 3 months and 2 years, and 39 healthy children were included. Total oxidative status (TOS) was higher in patients with acute bronchiolitis than the control group (5.16±1.99 µmol H2O2 versus 3.78±1.78 µmol H2O2 [p=0.004]). Total antioxidant capacity (TAC) was lower in children with bronchiolitis than the control group (2.51±0.37 µmol Trolox eqv/L versus 2.75±0.39 µmol Trolox eqv/L [p=0.013]). Patients with moderate bronchiolitis presented higher TOS levels than those with mild bronchiolitis and the control group (p=0.03, p<0.001, respectively). Patients with moderate bronchiolitis had higher oxidative stress index levels than the control group (p=0.015). Oxygen saturation level of bronchiolitis patients was inversely correlated with TOS (r=-0.476, p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The balance between oxidant and antioxidant systems is disrupted in children with moderate bronchiolitis, which indicates that this stress factor may have a role in the pathogenesis of the disease.

Pupillometric assessment of autonomic nervous system in children with allergic rhinitis.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate autonomic nervous system dysfunction by measuring pupil sizes in pediatric patients with allergic rhinitis. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The study group consisted of 60 children (28 girls and 32 boys) who were age and gender matched with the control group, which also consisted of 60 children (26 girls and 34 boys). The diagnosis of allergic rhinitis was based on the history, physical examination and skin prick test performed by an allergologist. Pupil diameter measurements were performed using the pupillometer incorporated in the NIDEK OPD-Scan. RESULTS: In the allergic rhinitis group, mean photopic and mesopic pupil diameters were 3.52 ± 0.07 and 5.98 ± 0.21, respectively, while in the control group, corresponding measurements were 4.03 ± 0.18 and 6.55 ± 0.16. There was a significant difference for photopic and mesopic pupil diameter between the groups (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: This study showed that the pupil size in response to a light stimulus in children with allergic rhinitis was smaller than that of the control group and may indicate parasympathetic hyperactivity and sympathetic hypoactivity.

Oxidative stress in obese children and its relation with insulin resistance.

BACKGROUND: In obese populations, oxidative stress plays a major role in the pathogenesis of serious diseases such as diabetes, coronary heart disease, and atherosclerosis. In this study, we investigated the status of oxidative stress in obese children as to nitrite/nitrate and glutathione peroxidase levels, and their relation with insulin resistance (IR). METHODS: A total of 63 obese children were enrolled in the study. Each was relegated to one of three groups: 20 obese children without IR (11 adolescents, 9 prepubertal; mean age 10.27 +/- 2.36 years; 10 males, 10 females), 22 obese children with IR (13 adolescents, 9 prepubertal; mean age 11.26 +/- 2.52 years; 10 males, 12 females), and a control group of 21 children (14 adolescents, 7 prepubertal; mean age 11.41 +/- 2.00 years; 10 males, 11 females). RESULTS: Glutathione peroxidase levels were lower in the obese group with IR than in either the control group or the obese group without IR (0.032 +/- 0.01 vs. 0.048 +/- 0.01 and 0.042 +/- 0.01, respectively). Nitrite/nitrate levels were higher in the obese group with IR than in the control group or the obese group without IR (89.83 +/- 25.00 vs. 66.00 +/- 21.75, and 68.65 +/- 28.98, respectively) and compared by pubertal status, adolescents' results were similar. However, in prepubertal children, nitrite/nitrate and glutathione peroxidase levels were not significantly different between groups. Multiple regression analysis revealed that nitrite/nitrate levels were positively correlated with the homeostasis model assessment of IR (HOMA-IR) independent of body mass index, age, gender, serum lipids, and pubertal stages, and that glutathione peroxidase levels were negatively correlated with body mass index and HOMA-IR independent of age, gender, pubertal status, and serum lipids. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that oxidative stress exists even in populations of obese children, and that oxidative stress markers have a relation with the HOMA-IR, which was used as a surrogate marker of IR.

Cardiac autonomic functions in obese children.

OBJECTIVE: The autonomic nervous system is assumed to have a role in the pathophysiology of obesity. In this study, we evaluated the autonomic system by measuring heart rate variability (HRV) in obese children. METHODS: Thirty-two obese and 30 healthy children (mean ages: 11.6±2.0 years and 11.0±2.9 years, respectively) were enrolled in the study. Obesity was defined as a body mass index higher than 97th percentile for age- and gender-specific reference values. All participants were free of any disease and none of them was receiving any medication. Twenty-four-hour ambulatory electrocardiographic recordings were obtained and the time-domain and frequency-domain indices of HRV were analyzed. The study group was evaluated with respect to insulin resistance by HOMA-IR values. RESULTS: A significant decrease in calculated HRV variables was observed in obese children as compared to controls. The HRV alteration was found in both time-domain and frequency-domain parameters. The subgroup analysis of the study group revealed a significant decrease in all investigated HRV parameters in the insulin-resistant obese children compared to the non-insulin-resistant obese ones. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that HRV is decreased in obese children, which implies parasympathetic withdrawal and sympathetic predominance. A marked decrease in HRV was observed in insulin-resistant obese children compared to their non-insulin-resistant counterparts. We propose that autonomic imbalance pertaining especially to insulin resistance may be involved in the pathogenesis of obesity in pediatric patients.

P300 auditory event-related potentials in children with obesity: is childhood obesity related to impairment in cognitive functions?

OBJECTIVE: To investigate alterations in P300 auditory event-related potentials in children with obesity to detect changes in cognitive functions. METHOD: A total of 50 children with obesity and 23 age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects were included in the study. Laboratory tests were performed to detect dislipidemia and insulin resistance (IR). The latencies and amplitudes of P300 waves were measured in healthy and obese subjects with or without IR. The oddball paradigm was used in recordings of P300 auditory event-related potentials. RESULTS: A significant difference was observed between groups regarding latency and amplitude of P300 component obtained from central (Cz) electrode. The grand means of P300 latency were longer, and amplitude decreased significantly in obese group compared to that of healthy controls. When the obese group was divided into two different subgroups, those with IR and without IR, the grand means of P300 latency were longer and the amplitude decreased significantly in subjects with IR compared to those without IR. CONCLUSION: Both decreased amplitude and prolonged latency of P300 are associated with IR in children with obesity, which shows the impairment of neural activity associated with sensory and cognitive information processing in these children. Further studies are necessary to strengthen the current findings and to determine the exact mechanism of cognitive impairment in obese children.

Importance of plasma N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide, epicardial adipose tissue, and carotid intima-media thicknesses in asymptomatic obese children.

This study aimed to analyze the variations of N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide, epicardial adipose tissue thickness, and carotid intima-media thickness in childhood obesity. The study participants consisted of 50 obese children in the study group and 20 nonobese children referred for evaluation of murmurs who proved to have an innocent murmur and were used as control subjects. All the subjects underwent transthoracic echocardiographic examination for determination of left ventricular systolic function and mass index, myocardial tissue rates, and myocardial performance index. Epicardial adipose tissue thickness and carotid intima-media thickness also were measured during echocardiography. Serum N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide levels were measured at the time of evaluation. The left ventricle mass index was 40.21 + or - 10.42 g/m(2) in the obese group and 34.44 + or - 4.51 g/m(2) in the control group (p > 0.05). The serum N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide level was 109.25 + or - 48.53 pg/ml in the study group and 51.96 + or - 22.36 pg/ml and in the control group (p = 0.001). The epicardial adipose tissue thickness was 5.57 + or - 1.45 mm in the study group and 2.98 + or - 0.41 mm in the control group (p = 0.001), and the respective carotid intima-media thicknesses were 0.079 + or - 0.019 cm and 0.049 + or - 0.012 cm (p = 0.001). The left ventricular systolic and diastolic functions showed no statistically significant correlations with N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide levels, carotid intima-media thickness, or epicardial adipose tissue thickness values. The results show that measurement of serum N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide level, carotid intima-media thickness, and epicardial adipose tissue thickness in asymptomatic obese children is not needed.

Cardiac autonomic imbalance in children with allergic rhinitis.

The involvement of autonomic imbalance has been reported in the pathogenesis of hypersensitivity reactions. Allergic diseases are more frequent in children and some of predisposing factors may be changed according to the increasing age, but the involvement of autonomic imbalance has not been investigated in pediatric population. In this cross-sectional, case-control study, we evaluated the autonomic system by measuring heart rate variability (HRV) in pediatric patients with allergic rhinitis. Thirty-five pediatric patients with allergic rhinitis and 36 healthy children (mean age 11 +/- 2.7, and 12 +/- 3 years, respectively) were enrolled in the study. Age and gender were not different between the groups. The diagnosis of allergic rhinitis was based on the history, symptoms, and skin prick tests. Participants with acute infection, nasal polyposis, bronchial asthma, and any other medical problems, assessed by history, physical examination and routine laboratory tests, were excluded. Twenty-four hour ambulatory electrocardiographic recordings were obtained, and the time domain and frequency domain indices of HRV were analyzed. We found significant increase in calculated HRV variables in children with allergic rhinitis compared to controls, which reflect parasympathetic tones, such as number of R-R intervals exceeding 50 ms, root mean square of successive differences between normal sinus R-R intervals, the percentage of difference between adjacent normal R-R intervals, and high frequency. These results indicate that HRV is increased, which implies sympathetic withdrawal and parasympathetic predominance. We propose that autonomic imbalance may be involved in the pathophysiology of allergic rhinitis in pediatric patients.

Pupillometric assessment of autonomic nervous system in children with functional enuresis.

Functional enuresis is defined as repeated voiding of urine into bed or clothes in children after 5 years of age following the exclusion of major somatic diseases. Autonomic nervous system dysregulation has been proposed as a pathophysiologic mechanism in the etiopathogenesis. The objective of this study was to evaluate autonomic nervous system functions with pupil diameter measurement in enuretic children. The study group consisted of 17 children with functional enuresis (ten boys, seven girls), and the control group consisted of 34 healthy children (20 boys, 14 girls). Pupil diameter measurements were performed under photopic and mesopic lighting conditions by using a pupillometer. Mean photopic pupil diameter was found to be larger in the enuretic children than in the healthy controls (4.47 +/- 0.52 mm vs. 4.03 +/- 0.75 mm; P = 0.03). Autonomic nervous system imbalance of the ocular system is considered to be part of the autonomic nervous system dysregulation in functional enuretic children.

Serum aluminium levels in glue-sniffer adolescent and in glue containers.

Glue sniffing is a serious medical problem among teenagers. Various chemical substances such as toluene and benzene containing glues have been reported to be toxic. It has been demonstrated that some toxic metals such as lead are elevated in the blood of solvent-addicted patients. Whereas aluminium is an element that has toxic effects on neurological, hematopoetic system and bone metabolism. We want to determine the serum levels of aluminium in glue-sniffer adolescents in comparison with healthy subjects. In addition, we compared aluminium levels of different commercial glue preparations (i.e. metal and plastic containers), to determine which type of container is better for less aluminium toxicity. We measured serum levels of aluminium in 37 glue-sniffer and 37 healthy subjects using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The average duration of glue-sniffer was 3.8 +/- 0.8 years. We also measured aluminium levels of 10 commercial glue preparations that seven of them with metal and three with plastic containers. We found that serum levels of aluminium were 63.29 +/- 13.20 ng/ml and 36.7 +/- 8.60 ng/ml in glue-sniffer and in control subjects, respectively (P < 0.001). The average aluminium level in the glues was 8.6 +/- 3.24 ng/g in the preparations with metal containers, whereas 3.03 +/- 0.76 ng/g with plastic containers (P < 0.001). Therefore, to decrease the incidence of aluminium toxicity in glue-sniffers, it may be a good step to market of glue preparations in plastic instead of metal containers.

Heart rate variability in patients with allergic rhinitis.

Considering the role of autonomic imbalance in the pathogenesis of hypersensitivity reactions, we evaluated the autonomic system through time-domain analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) in patients with allergic rhinitis. Twenty-four patients with allergic rhinitis and 22 healthy subjects (mean age, 41 +/- 8 years and 37 +/- 9 years, respectively) were enrolled in the study. The diagnosis of allergic rhinitis was based on the history, symptoms, and skin prick tests results. Twenty-four-hour ambulatory electrocardiographic recordings were obtained, and the time-domain indices were analyzed. Analysis of HRV revealed that the SD of normal RR intervals, SD of successive differences in normal cycles, and HRV triangular index were not significantly different between the groups, but the root mean square successive difference, number of RR intervals exceeding 50 milliseconds, and percentage difference between adjacent normal RR intervals exceeding >50 milliseconds were significantly greater in the study group, compared with the control group. Our findings showed that HRV indices, which predict parasympathetic predominance, were increased in patients with allergic rhinitis. This finding shows that vagal activation is present not only in the nose but also in other systems, including the cardiovascular system.

Investigating the in vitro effect of taurine on the infant lymphocytes by sister chromatid exchange.

BACKGROUND: Taurine (2-aminoethane sulphonic acid) is normally present in most mammalian tissues and the most abundant free amino acid in lymphocytes. It participates in various important physiological activities including modulation of the functioning of the central nervous system, cell proliferation, viability and prevention of oxidant-induced injury in many tissues. Its levels in human milk are very high which may be the most important difference from cow's milk. In contrast, an inverse association between breast-feeding and carcinogenesis in childhood or later in life has been suggested by several studies. METHODS: The study group consisted of eight healthy infants. Peripheral blood was collected and lymphocytes were cultured with either Taurine or Mitomycin C (MMC). Sister chromatid exchange in lymphocytes of the infants were calculated. RESULTS: Statistical differences were found between untreated and MMC-treated lymphocytes, untreated and MMC plus taurine-treated lymphocytes, and between MMC and MMC plus taurine-treated lymphocytes (P = 0.012). CONCLUSION: The results indicated that taurine plays a protective role in MMC-induced sister chromatid exchange in human lymphocytes. The authors suggest that the high levels of taurine found in human milk may induce protecting effects from breast-feeding against DNA damage and malignancy.

Investigation of DNA damage in lymphocytes exposed to benzathine penicillin G.

BACKGROUND: Benzathine penicillin G (BPG) is a widely used antibiotic for treatment or prophylaxis of certain infectious diseases. Previous in vivo studies using sister chromatid exchange (SCE) frequency and comet assay, had showed that long-term administration of benzathine penicillin G may cause some degree of DNA damage in children with rheumatic fever. METHODS: Because DNA damage has also been reported in various connective tissue disorders, to rule out the possible effects of underlying disease on DNA integrity, 3-day-cultured lymphocytes obtained from nine healthy individuals were exposed to BPG at different concentrations (0.002, 0.02 and 0.1 micro g/mL), and sister chromatid exchange frequencies were studied. The mean SCE frequency per metaphase was calculated from 20 selected cells for each individual. RESULTS: The incidence of SCE frequency did not differ when all groups were compared. Comparing between each concentration group, exposure to BPG did not cause a dose-dependent increase in SCE frequency (Student's t-test, P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Insignificant changes (P > 0.05) in SCE, within the 3-day exposure to BPG, may suggest that DNA damage did not occur. Short-term exposure to BPG does not have toxic effects on DNA. In contrast, this preliminary study should be supported by other genotoxicity assays, expanding the exposure time to longer periods, in order to exclude rapid DNA repair mechanisms. and a possible role of underlying disease on DNA integrity should not be ignored.

Reverse iontophoresis: a non-invasive technique for measuring blood urea level.

Monitoring of the urea level of patients with insufficient kidney function requires repetitive blood sampling. The potentially painful nature of blood sampling and the difficulty of venous access, particularly in premature neonates, as well as possible complications of needle injuries, create many disadvantages. A non-invasive technique needs to be developed for monitoring the urea level for these patients. Reverse iontophoresis has recently gained importance and the possibility of extracting some compounds from body fluids using reverse iontophoresis has been reported in the literature. Moreover, a small, watch-type device has been developed for the determination of blood glucose levels using a similar approach. The aim of the current study was to investigate the possibility of extracting urea from blood through skin using reverse iontophoresis to monitor blood urea levels without taking a blood sample. In vitro iontophoresis studies have indicated that urea may be successfully transferred through the full thickness of human skin. The reverse iontophoresis technique was applied to 17 patients with kidney insufficiency and urea was successfully extracted through their skin into the collection solution. A high correlation ( r(2)=0.878) between urea concentrations in collection solutions and urea levels in the blood was observed. These results suggest that it is possible to make a watch-type device for monitoring blood urea levels.

Analysis of DNA damage using the comet assay in infants fed cow's milk.

It has been hypothesized that non-human milk feeding may increase the risk for cancer or for a specific cancer or group of cancers as well as the risk for diseases such as type-1 diabetes mellitus and Crohn's disease. Regarding DNA damage leading to cancer development in the absence of human milk protection, a comparison between infants fed human milk and cow's milk has been performed. Each group consisted of 35 infants, whose ages ranged from 9 to 12 months. The level of DNA damage in the peripheral blood lymphocytes of infants has been studied by the comet assay. A significant increase has been found in the number of limited DNA-damaged (p < 0.001) and extensive DNA-damaged (p < 0.001) cells of infants fed cow's milk. To our knowledge, this is the first study using the comet assay on infants not breast-fed. Supporting our previous SCE study, these results suggest that there is some level of DNA damage in the lymphocytes of infants not breast-fed and this may lead to malignancy in childhood or later in life.