Wegener's granulomatosis presenting with life-threatening lung hemorrhage in a 7-year-old child.

Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) is an idiopathic systemic disease that usually onsets in adolescence and is rare in young children. Its diagnosis is usually based on the presence of fever with arthralgia and weight loss, associated with symptoms of upper and/or lower respiratory tract involvement and renal disorders. We describe the appearance of a life-threatening lung hemorrhage in the absence of hemoptysis in a 7-year-old girl with a completely negative previous clinical history, who was subsequently diagnosed as having WG. The teaching message is that immediate bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage seems to be advisable in the presence of severe respiratory distress and bilateral lung as well as renal involvement. When a diffuse alveolar hemorrhage syndrome is demonstrated, WG should be considered among the main etiologies even in a relatively young child without a clinically suggestive history.

Immunogenicity and effect of a virosomal influenza vaccine on viral replication and T-cell activation in HIV-infected children receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy.

In order to evaluate the immunogenicity and the effect of a virosomal influenza vaccine on viral replication and T-cell activation in HIV-infected children receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), 29 children infected with HIV-1 vertically (19 primed with a previous influenza vaccination and 10 who were not been immunized against influenza) were immunized with an intramuscular virosome-adjuvanted influenza vaccine. According to the European Agency for Evaluation of Medical Products (EMEA) criteria, the immunogenicity of the vaccine was adequate against all three influenza strains (A H1N1, A H3N2, and B) in the primed children, and against A H1N1 and A H3N2 in the unprimed children. After in vitro stimulation with vaccine antigens, the IFN-gamma levels in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells cultures increased significantly from a baseline level of 103.0 +/- 229.8 pg/ml to a 30-day level of 390.7 +/- 606.3 pg/ml (P < 0.05), with concentrations significantly higher (P < 0.05) in the primed children than in the unprimed children. No increase in plasma HIV-1 RNA or HIV-1 proviral DNA was observed in either subgroup, and the immunophenotype analyses demonstrated that the CD4+ cell counts and percentages, the CD4/CD8 ratio and activated lymphocytes remained stable in either group from baseline to 1 month after each vaccine dose. This study showed that the virosomal influenza vaccine does seem to be immunogenic in the majority of HIV-infected children receiving HAART and does not induce viral replication or T-cell activation. Given the possible influenza-related complications in children infected with HIV, these results support the use of this influenza vaccine in such patients.

Discontinuation of secondary prophylaxis for Pneumocystis pneumonia in human immunodeficiency virus-infected children treated with highly active antiretroviral therapy.

This study shows the long term safety of discontinuing secondary prophylaxis for Pneumocystis pneumonia in 5 human immunodeficiency virus-infected children who had recovered from a confirmed episode of Pneumocystis pneumonia, had <15% of CD4 cells at the time of starting highly active antiretroviral therapy and whose CD4 cell counts increased to >15% for >or=3 months during highly active antiretroviral therapy.

Effect of highly active antiretroviral therapy on cardiovascular involvement in children with human immunodeficiency virus infection.

The impact of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) on cardiovascular involvement was evaluated in 38 vertically human immunodeficiency virus-infected children followed up for 5 years. This study demonstrates for the first time in a cohort of children the resolution of previous dilated cardiomyopathy after the start of HAART and the absence of cardiovascular events related to metabolic abnormalities during the period of its administration.