The clinical aspects of Helicobacter heilmannii infection in children with dyspeptic symptoms.

UNLABELLED: Helicobacter heilmannii (H. heilmannii) infection is a relatively rare causative agent of gastroduodenal diseases in children. However, H. heilmannii frequently colonizes gastric mucosa of animals, mainly cats and dogs, from where it can be transmitted to humans. The aim of the study was to evaluate the incidence of H. heilmannii infection in children with dyspeptic symptoms treated in our clinic. A number of 13,124 esophagogastroduodenoscopies in children aged 4 to 18 years were conducted from 1992 to 2010. The indications for examination were: chronic abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, heartburn, anaemia, disturbances of intestinal absorption and other. In 11,023 cases microbiologic studies and cultures toward Helicobacter infection were carried out and in 22 children H. heilmannii infection was confirmed. H. heilmannii infection was diagnosed based on morphologic examination in direct microscopy of biopsy specimens from gastric mucosa. In children with H. heilmannii infection clinical symptoms, contact with animals, endoscopic findings of the upper gastrointestinal tract and results of diagnostic tests for Helicobacter pylori infection were assessed. In our studies H. heilmannii infection was diagnosed in 22 children. The rate of H. heilmannii infection was 0.2% in examination of gastric mucosa specimens. No sex-dependent difference in the rates was observed. Most of the children lived in cities and 54.5% had contact with dogs and/or cats. Children complained of chronic epigastric pain, nausea, vomiting and heartburn. Endoscopic studies most often revealed nodular gastritis and gastric or duodenal ulcer in two children. In three children result of the endoscopic study was normal. CONCLUSIONS: H. heilmannii infection in children is rare. However, it may be one of the causes of gastroduodenal diseases in children.

Heart rate and blood pressure in the context of nutritional and psychological analysis: a case study.

BACKGROUND: The disturbance of circadian variability helps predict, among others, the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases. Circadian Hyper Amplitude Tension (CHAT) is a psychosomatic disorder related to an inappropriate lifestyle (including unbalanced diet, stress-inducing environment/development) and genetic factors. Blood pressure and heart rate are phenotypes characterized by rhythmic fluctuations over time under influence of environmental/developmental (incl. psychosocial) and genetic conditions. These cardio-/cerebro-vascular fluctuations result from otherwise largely distributed internal biological rhythms regulated via complex and intertwined neuro-hormonal systems. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to identify a potential time-structure relationship between blood pressure/heart rate rhythmic fluctuations and nutritional/psychosocial conditions in a 43-year old woman exposed to new nutritional (omega-3 fatty acids supplementation) and psychosocial (divorce) factors. METHOD: The study involved the use of a non-invasive device (ambulatory blood pressure monitor or ABPM, A&D Ltd, Tokyo, Japan) for continuous (24/7) monitoring of heart functions and rhythms between October 2009 and March 2010, at 30-min intervals. As a result, 16 time-structure profiles (Sphygmochron) were obtained from Halberg Chronobiological Center (Minneapolis, MN, USA), each of them containing detailed analysis and interpretation of stacked data spanning 7-14 days. The study also involved a diary of daily nutritional (omega-3 fatty acids) / psychosocial (PANAS) events and their emotional and cognitive components. RESULTS: Both systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) steadily decreased during the time of the study. Three periods of elevated variability in SBP (diagnosed as CHAT) and one period of abnormally low DBP were recorded during the 6-month study at the time of negative affects (NA). CONCLUSION: A comparative analysis of diary records (omega-3 fatty acids & PANAS) and cardiovascular responses (Sphygmochron) showed that a person who is professionally and socially active in middle age can actively reduce her SBP/DBP with omega-3 fatty acids intervention. However, the person also displays disturbances in blood pressure variability predicted by the stress-strain hypothesis, whereby states of strain and relaxation are generated by the persons predetermined standards and objectives.

Quality of life and activity of children suffering from bronchial asthma.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this article was to analyze the quality of life of children suffering from bronchial asthma and to analyze their everyday activity. METHODS: The research was conducted in 137 children. The following questionnaires were used in the study: Pediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (PAQLQ) and a questionnaire designed by the authors specifically for the purpose of the study. RESULTS: The findings of the study show that illness duration (r = -0.2; P = 0.22) and gender (P = 0.37) do not influence the quality of life. It appears that among children ill with asthma a higher level of quality of life is typical for the children who live in the country side in comparison with those from cities (P <0.05). The comparison was also made in terms of everyday activity of children ill with asthma and non-asthmatic children. The children ill with asthma displayed less social contacts with peers/friends (P <0.05) and they performed less physical activities (P <0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The study points to the possible beneficial effects of activating children's social interactions, creating conditions for appropriate development of their social competences, and of stress reduction connected with social interactions. Asthmatic children should also be encouraged to intensify appropriate physical activity.

Asthma, allergy, mood disorders, and nutrition.

BACKGROUND: Growing evidence supports comorbidity of asthma and allergies with mood disorders and various connections between these diseases. It still remains unclear whether this comorbidity is caused by the same pathophysiological factors or whether there are other links between asthma and depression. There is no definite answer to the question of an optimal treatment to deal with both asthma and depression, when they occur simultaneously. Epidemiological and clinical trials on the influence of nutrition on certain diseases suggest the effects of omega3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in aiding treatment of mood disorders and inflammatory conditions. OBJECTIVE: This is an overview showing the connections between asthma, allergic disease, and mood disorders, and the influence of nutrition on these conditions. Evidence indicates positive correlations between consumption of PUFAs and mood correction. Several analyses show the connection between diet and asthma. They may form a basis for potential recommending omega3 PUFAs as an adjuvant in prevention and treatment of mental disorders, asthma, and allergy.

Dispositional optimism and coping with pain.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this article is to analyze the relation between dispositional optimism and coping with chronic pain. The study seeks to define the relation between life orientation (optimism vs. pessimism) and coping with pain (believes about pain control and the choice of coping strategy). MATERIAL AND METHODS: The following questionnaires were used: LOT-R - Life Orientation Test, BPCQ - The Beliefs about Pain Control Questionnaire and CSQ - The Pain Coping Strategies Questionnaire. RESULTS: The results show that dispositional optimism correlates positively with: internal locus of pain control r=0.6, P<0.01; declared coping with pain r=0.38, P<0.05; diverting attention r = 0.93, P<0.01; and behavioral activity r = 0.82, P<0.01. Dispositional optimism correlates negatively with catastrophizing r = -0.28, P<0.05. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that dispositional optimism plays a key role in forming the mechanisms of coping with chronic pain and thereby in improving the psychophysical comfort of patients.

Ethics in studies on children and environmental health.

Children, because of age-related reasons, are a vulnerable population, and protecting their health is a social, scientific and emotional priority. The increased susceptibility of children and fetuses to environmental (including genotoxic) agents has been widely discussed by the scientific community. Children may experience different levels of chemical exposure than adults, and their sensitivity to chemical toxicities may be increased or decreased in comparison with adults. Such considerations also apply to unborn (fetal exposure) and newborn (neonatal exposure) children. Therefore, research on children is necessary in both clinical and environmental fields, to provide age-specific relevant data regarding the efficacy and safety of medical treatments, and regarding the assessment of risk from unintended environmental exposure. In this context, the stakeholders are many, including children and their parents, physicians and public health researchers, and the society as a whole, with its ethical, regulatory, administrative and political components. The important ethical issues are information of participants and consent to participate. Follow-up and protection of data (samples and information derived from samples) should be discussed in the context of biobanks, where children obtain individual rights when they become adults. It is important to realise that there are highly variable practices within European countries, which may have, in the past, led to differences in practical aspects of research in children. A number of recommendations are provided for research with children and environmental health. Environmental research with children should be scientifically justified, with sound research questions and valid study protocols of sufficient statistical power, ensuring the autonomy of the child and his/her family at the time of the study and later in life, if data and samples are used for follow-up studies. When children are enrolled, we recommend a consent dyad, including (1) parental (or legal guardian) informed consent and (2) the child's assent and/or informed consent from older minors. For evaluation of the studies including children, a paediatrician should always be involved in the research ethics committee.

Quality of life of patients after laryngectomy.

The article is devoted to the quality of life of patients after laryngectomy. Cancer diseases disturb feelings of safety, one's own value, self-acceptance, and independence. The investigation has been made by using the following research tools: The HAD Scale, which assesses the frequency of occurrence and intensity of fear and depression and The EORTC Scale QLQ-C30 that enables the appraisal of physical state, social functioning and coping with emotions. On the basis of the obtained results we may conclude that patients' emotional state may influence and modify the experienced physical symptoms and social functioning. The increased level of fear results in fatigue and difficulties in social functioning. Clinical depression symptoms may result in breathing disturbances and loss of appetite. Learning about side-effects of therapy and problems resulting from it may help improve patients' psychophysical comfort through education, advice, and social support.

The influence of social support on the occurrence of the withdrawal syndrome in alcohol abused patients.

The current investigation concerns the connection between social support given to alcohol abused patients and the occurrence of the withdrawal syndrome experienced by them, resulting from emotional and physical uneasiness. The independent variable, which was social support, has been formulated in a qualitative way, by referring to such subjective measures as: feeling of support, its perceived availability, and adequacy. The survey pattern was prepared on the basis of the claim of existence of the so-called main effect, i.e., direct relationship between social support and individual's psychophysical comfort. The investigated variables were measured using the following research tools: The Scale of Social Support and Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol-revised (CIWA-Ar). The results clearly show the dependence between the level of social support and the intensity of the withdrawal syndrome in alcohol abused patients. Apart from a cognitive value of the fact, it is worth paying attention to a possibility of its practical application.

Psychological influence on the psychical state of hemodialysis patients.

The great progress that has been made in application of dialyses lets the patients with chronic kidney disorders live in satisfactory somatic state for many years. The patients' quality of life becomes a more often raised issue. The psychological problems accompanying this form of treatment have many aspects that are worth paying attention to, e.g., mood reduction or resignation attitude. The symptoms that usually occur in depression gain special significance in the case of patients treated with dialyses. Loss of appetite in these patients may lead to a prompt occurrence of metabolic disorders. Mood reduction may result in willingness to give up treatment. Depression symptoms are a significant early indication of bad prognosis as to survival of patients treated with dialyses.

[A level of social support and intensity of anxiety in patients with AIDS]. / Wsparcie spoleczne a poziom leku u osób chorych na AIDS.

The article is devoted to psychological aspects of functioning of patients with AIDS. The issue may be analysed from different perspectives. The article focuses on two of them. The first--a point of view of the person directly affected by the new illness and the second--a perspective of social phenomena accompanying AIDS. The empirical research have been carried out on the basis of a synthesis of the above mentioned areas and they have made it possible to describe relations between them. The inquiries have concerned mainly the connection between the social support given to the ills and the anxiety experienced by them, resulting from emotional uneasiness. The independent variable, which was social support, has been formulated in a qualitive way, by referring to such subjective measures like: feeling of support, its perceived availability, adequacy. The survey pattern has been prepared on the basis of the claim of existence of the so called main effect i.e. direct relationship between social support and individual's psychophysical comfort. The investigated variables have been measured using the following research tools: The Inventory for Measuring Anxiety as a State and as a Feature, elaborated by C.D. Spielberger and The Scale of Social Support Deficit by K. Kmiecik-Baran. The achieved results have clearly shown the dependence between a level of social support and intensity of the anxiety experienced by the ills with AIDS. Apart from a cognitive value of the fact it is worth to pay attention to a possibility of its practical application.

[Level of GM-CSF and IL-4 in serum of children with bronchial asthma]. / Stezenie GM-CSF oraz IL-4 w surowicy dzieci z astma oskrzelowa.

Serum IgE, GM-CSF and IL-4 concentrations were measured in 35 children (3 to 18 years of age) with bronchial asthma in I and II clinical stage. Control group consisted of 10 healthy children (6 to 9 years of age) without any symptoms of inflammatory process. All measurements were performed by ELISA tests. The concentration of serum IL-4 was statistically significantly higher in children with bronchial asthma (0.06 ng/ml) than in the control group (0.01 ng/ml). Serum concentration of GM-CSF was lower in children with bronchial asthma than in control group (4.4 and 8.44 pg/ml respectively).

Ascorbate polyphosphate is a bioavailable vitamin C source in juvenile rainbow trout: tissue saturation and compartmentalization model.

We studied the bioavailability of ascorbic acid ester, ascorbate polyphosphate, to juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Fish were fed molar equivalents of 0, 20, 40, 80, 160, 320 and 1280 mg ascorbic acid/kg diet in the form of ascorbate polyphosphate. During the 18 wk of the experiment, when body weight increase averaged 3.5-fold, we did not observe any deficiency symptoms in any group. Liver and kidney ascorbate concentrations differed significantly among groups after wk 9. The ascorbic acid concentrations in liver were significantly different in fish fed for 9 wk an equivalent of 0, 40 and 160 mg ascorbic acid/kg as ascorbate polyphosphate, values were 22.7 +/- 3.4, 93.7 +/- 17.0 and 368.0 +/- 60.8 nmol ascorbic acid/g. The ascorbic acid concentrations in kidney were significantly different in fish fed for 18 wk an equivalent of 0,20 and 40 mg ascorbic acid/kg as ascorbic polyphosphate (23.9 +/- 4.0, 72.1 +/- 13.6 and 254.4 +/- 22.7 nmol ascorbic acid/g, respectively). After wk 18, fish from groups fed 0, 20, 320 and 1280 mg ascorbic polyphosphate/kg were intraperitoneally injected with 25 mg/ascorbic acid/kg body wt. We observed differences in the profiles of tissue ascorbate concentration during the 96 h following the injection between groups with high and low tissue ascorbate concentration, i.e., fish fed 320 and 0 ascorbic acid/kg, respectively. We conclude that ascorbic acid metabolism in rainbow trout after intraperitoneal injection followed the three-compartmental model, with the intraperitoneal cavity as the first compartment, blood as the second, and tissues as the third.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Extensive arterial anomaly in the spinal canal (Th5-S5) in a 3-year-old boy]. / Rozlegla anomalia tetnicza w obrebie kanalu kregowego (Th5-S5) u trzyletniego chlopca.

A case of an extensive arterial anomaly in the vertebral canal (Th5-S5) in a boy aged 3 years is described. Sudden onset of the disease with massive subarachnoid haemorrhage, loss of consciousness and signs of raised intracranial pressure suggested rather a lesion in the cranial cavity. The final diagnosis was made after myelography and spinal arteriography. In view of the extent of the lesion its radical removal was not possible. Embolization was done twice of the greatest vessels feeding the anomaly followed by decompression laminectomy. The patient is without neurological defects and pains. The case is reported in view of its rarity and atypical character of the lesion as well as its extent.

In vitro granulocyte migration from bone marrow, tissues and blood vessels in atopic patients.

An examination of the migration ability of pool tissue and vascular granulocytes was performed in 60 patients and in 9 patients, the migration ability of bone marrow granulocytes. The test for granulocyte migration by Clausen, Bendixen and Søborg was performed with each granulocyte pool separately. It was proved that in patients with atopic asthma there is a significant statistical reduction in bone marrow and peripheral blood granulocyte migration during the asymptomatic period. During dyspnea, a decrease in migration of granulocytes from tissue and peripheral blood is seen.

The ability of granulocytes from the bone marrow, vascular and tissue pools of healthy subjects to engulf latex particles and reduce nitroblue tetrazolium.

Investigations were carried out on the ability of the granulocytes in the tissue pool and vascular pool of 50 healthy subjects to engulf latex particles and to reduce NBT in the test of Park as modified by the authors. In six subjects the investigation was carried out using bone marrow granulocytes. It was demonstrated that 0.2% of bone marrow granulocytes, 11% of vascular granulocytes and 93% of those in the tissue pool had the ability of NBT reduction. The ability to engulf neutral latex particles was exhibited by 6% of bone marrow granulocytes, 93% of those from the vascular pool, and 100% of those in the tissue pool.

In vivo and in vitro granulocyte migration in patients with extrinsic and intrinsic bronchial asthma.

Sixty-five patients with atopic asthma, 54 with infectious asthma, and 30 healthy controls were evaluated by in vitro granulocyte migration and by the in vivo skin window method of Southam. Quantitative IgM, IgG, IgA, IgE serum concentrations were measured. In vivo migration of granulocytes was decreased in patients with atopic asthma and elevated levels of IgE as well as in patients with infectious asthma and elevated levels of IgG. In vivo migration of granulocytes showed significant decreases in both asthmatic groups only during asthmatic attacks.

Granulocyte migration in vivo and in vitro in healthy children of parents with atopic asthma.

Healthy children of atopically asthmatic parents received in vivo and in vitro granulocyte migration tests. Eleven children whose parents were both asthmatic showed statistically significant inhibition of granulocyte migration compared with controls.

The ability of granulocytes from patients with atopy to engulf neutral latex particles and Staphylococcus aureus.

The granulocytes obtained from patients with atopic diseases were investigated for their ability to engulf neutral latex particles and bacteria (S. aureus) in the presence of antigenically compatible sera of healthy subjects. Similar tests were done using the granulocytes of healthy subjects and sera of the patients with atopic diseases, and the granulocytes of these patients in autologous sera. Granulocytes of healthy subjects suspended in autologous sera served as a control. In all patients IgE globulins were determined in the serum. It was observed that only granulocytes from the patients with atopy showed a defect in engulfing latex particles and S. aureus. This defect was independent of the serum in which these granulocytes were suspended, and of the IgE level in the patient's serum.