[Respiratory diseases in infants hospitalized during the 1st 2 years of life for viral lower respiratory tract infections: a one-year follow-up]. / Patologia respiratoria in bambini ospedalizzati nei primi due anni di vita per infezioni virali delle basse vie respiratorie: 1 anno di follow-up.

BACKGROUND: Epidemiologic data suggest strong links between hospitalisation with bronchiolitis in infancy and subsequent higher risk of developing lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) and/or hyperreactive airway diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate in an Italian population the natural history of respiratory diseases in children hospitalised for LRTI when they were <2 years. METHODS: An observational, perspective, longitudinal study was performed through telephone interviews. Nine pediatric tertiary care centres participated to the study evaluating a population of 187 children, hospitalised in the previous year (November 1999-April 2000) for bronchiolitis or pneumonia when they were <2 years of age and participated to a previous study on the prevalence of infant LRTI in Italy (RADAR). RESULTS: Twenty-three (12.3%) children had a gestational age <36 weeks. In the 12 months following the first hospitalisation, an elevated frequency of respiratory symptoms was found. Indeed, 152 (81.3%) children suffered from not-requiring-hospital-admission respiratory infections and 21 (11.2%) were hospitalized again for LRTI: 11.6% had bronchiolitis, 23.5% bronchitis and 35.2% pneumonia. In addition, 1.2% had gs;3 infectious episodes and 21.4% gs;6: 68 (36.4%) showed wheezy bronchitis and 17 (9.1%) were reported to have asthma; 132 children (71%) took antibiotics during the last year, 19.4% >3 times; 111 (59.4%) bronchodilators and 49 (26.2%) oral corticosteroids. One year after the first hospitalisation, 19 subjects (10.2%) were found to be positive to at least one class of allergens by prick test or RAST. CONCLUSIONS: Thus, the demonstration of a high morbidity rate for LRTI, wheezing and asthma in this study group during the first year follow-up after hospital admission further support the need for prophylactic interventions to reduce the morbidity and severity of sequelae of LRTI, in particularly in premature children and/or with additional risk factors.

[Congenital transient mechanobullous dermatosis (Bart's syndrome). A clinical case and review of the literature]. / Congenital transient mechanobullous dermatosis (sindrome di Bart). Un caso clinico e review della letteratura.

Bart's syndrome or congenital transient mechano-bullous dermatosis is one of the lesser known presentations of epidermolysis bullosa. It is characterized by congenital skin defects and by a tendency for blistering of the skin and sometimes of mucous membranes and sometimes associated with nail deformities, all of which remitted within in a few years. A neonate is described and compared with similar patterns from the literature.

Serum antibody pattern, antigenemia, and virus isolation in infants born to mothers seropositive for human immunodeficiency virus type 1.

Forty children born to mothers seropositive for the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) followed-up to 15 months after birth were studied by means of serum antibody patterns to individual viral polypeptides, by the presence of detectable levels of viral core antigen (p24) and virus in serum and peripheral blood lymphocytes, and by total lymphocyte counts and T4/T8 lymphocyte ratios. The results obtained indicate that a persistent antigenemia is significantly associated with positive virus isolation from peripheral blood lymphocytes and with changes in the intensity of antibody reaction to core (p24, p17) and pol (p31) antigens. Six children (15%) presented unequivocal signs of HIV-1 infection and five also had signs of immune system involvement.

[Evaluation of atopy risk factors during the first year of life. Multicentric study]. / Valutazione dei fattori di rischio di atopia nel 1 degree anno di vita. Ricerca policentrica.

The AA studied 406 newborn babies during the 1st year of life in order to verify the correlation between atopy risk factors and the appearance of early symptoms, particularly gastroenteric (GE). The results obtained did not demonstrate a significant difference concerning the blood cord IgE level and subsequent appearance of food allergy symptoms, whereas positive familiarity showed a better correlation. No significant difference was observed between breast--or formula--fed infants, or between those weaned before or after the 5th month of life. The comparison of dietary regimen adopted during the 1st quarter in the asymptomatic and atopic children respectively, demonstrated that the presence of predisposing factors influences the appearance of GE symptoms much more than the diet in itself. An allergologic study, randomly performed by Prick-test in 156 cases and by RAST in 200 cases, showed a prevalent, positive response with RAST technique in symptomatic children.

Radioactivity in breast milk and placentas during the year after Chernobyl.

After the April 1986 nuclear reactor accident at Chernobyl in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, samples of human placenta and breast milk were tested for 1 year to determine the levels of radioactivity. The radionuclide iodine 131 was never beyond the detection limit of our gamma detector for both matrices. As to cesium isotopes 134 and 137, the highest levels detected in breast milk (6 Bq.L-1) and placenta (15.8 Bq.kg-1) were recorded in March 1987. Study data for breast milk and placenta are in agreement with the values calculated by means of double-compartment food-milk and food-placenta models. With regard to placental content, the cesium contribution to the average dose during the year after the Chernobyl accident was calculated to be 40 to 60 microSv.