Probiotic Weizmannia coagulans MTCC 5856 as adjunct therapy in children's acute diarrhea-a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

Objectives: Acute diarrhea in children is generally managed by replacing the lost fluid with oral rehydration solution (ORS). Probiotic supplementation has been reported to reduce the severity of diarrhea. In the present study, we investigated the effect of Weizmannia coagulans (Bacillus coagulans) MTCC 5856, along with ORS on acute diarrhea of all causes in non-hospitalized children. Methods: A total of 110 children of ages between 1 and 10 were enrolled in a double-blind placebo-controlled study and were randomly allocated to receive W. coagulans MTCC 5856 (4 × 108 spores, N = 54) + ORS and zinc (Zn) or a placebo (N = 56) + ORS and (Zn) for 5 days. The consistency of the stool, mean duration of diarrhea in hours, mean diarrhea frequency per day, and the dehydration status were collected as efficacy endpoints. Safety was evaluated by the occurrence of adverse events. Results: The mean age of the children was 5.55 ± 2.57 years (61 boys and 49 girls). The mean duration of diarrhea was 51.31 ± 20.99 h in the W. coagulans MTCC 5856 group and 62.74 ± 24.51 h in the placebo (p = 0.011) group. The frequency of diarrhea was lower in children supplemented with the probiotic, but the difference was not statistically significant. The perceived efficacy score and dehydration status improved significantly in the W. coagulans MTCC 5856 group compared with the placebo group. No adverse events were recorded. Conclusion: The results of the study suggest that W. coagulans MTCC 5856 could be supplemented along with ORS and zinc to reduce the duration of diarrhea in non-hospitalized children. Clinical Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier CTRI/2022/06/043239.

Neurocysticercosis in children presenting with afebrile seizure: clinical profile, imaging and serodiagnosis.

Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is one of the major causes of childhood seizures in developing countries including India and Latin America. In this study neurological pediatric cases presenting with afebrile seizures were screened for anti-Cysticercus antibodies (IgG) in their sera in order to estimate the possible burden of cysticercal etiology. The study included a total of 61 pediatric afebrile seizure subjects (aged one to 15 years old); there was a male predominance. All the sera were tested using a pre-evaluated commercially procured IgG-ELISA kit (UB-Magiwell Cysticercosis Kit ™). Anti-Cysticercus antibody in serum was positive in 23 of 61 (37.7%) cases. The majority of cases with a positive ELISA test presented with generalized seizure (52.17%), followed by complex partial seizure (26.08%), and simple partial seizure (21.73%). Headaches were the major complaint (73.91%). Other presentations were vomiting (47.82%), pallor (34.78%), altered sensorium (26.08%), and muscle weakness (13.04%). There was one hemiparesis case diagnosed to be NCC. In this study one child without any significant findings on imaging was also found to be positive by serology. There was a statistically significant association found between the cases with multiple lesions on the brain and the ELISA-positivity (p = 0.017). Overall positivity of the ELISA showed a potential cysticercal etiology. Hence, neurocysticercosis should be suspected in every child presenting with afebrile seizure especially with a radio-imaging supportive diagnosis in tropical developing countries or areas endemic for taeniasis/cysticercosis.

Neurocysticercoiis in children presenting with febrile seizure: clinical profiile, imaging and serodiagnosis / Neurocisticercose em crianças apresentando crises afebris: perfil clínico, imagem e sorodiagnóstico

Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is one of the major causes of childhood seizures in developing countries including India and Latin America. In this study neurological pediatric cases presenting with afebrile seizures were screened for anti-Cysticercus antibodies (IgG) in their sera in order to estimate the possible burden of cysticercal etiology. The study included a total of 61 pediatric afebrile seizure subjects (aged one to 15 years old); there was a male predominance. All the sera were tested using a pre-evaluated commercially procured IgG-ELISA kit (UB-Magiwell Cysticercosis Kit ™). Anti-Cysticercus antibody in serum was positive in 23 of 61 (37.7%) cases. The majority of cases with a positive ELISA test presented with generalized seizure (52.17%), followed by complex partial seizure (26.08%), and simple partial seizure (21.73%). Headaches were the major complaint (73.91%). Other presentations were vomiting (47.82%), pallor (34.78%), altered sensorium (26.08%), and muscle weakness (13.04%). There was one hemiparesis case diagnosed to be NCC. In this study one child without any significant findings on imaging was also found to be positive by serology. There was a statistically significant association found between the cases with multiple lesions on the brain and the ELISA-positivity (p = 0.017). Overall positivity of the ELISA showed a potential cysticercal etiology. Hence, neurocysticercosis should be suspected in every child presenting with afebrile seizure especially with a radio-imaging supportive diagnosis in tropical developing countries or areas endemic for taeniasis/cysticercosis.

Neurocisticercose é uma das causas mais comuns de crises em crianças em países em desenvolvimento incluindo Índia e América Latina. Neste estudo casos neurológicos pediátricos, apresentando crises afebris foram selecionados através de anticorpos anti-Cysticercus (IgG) no seu soro para avaliar possível etiologia de Cysticercus. O estudo incluiu total de 61 casos pediátricos de indivíduos com crises afebris (idade de um a 15 anos); houve predominância de pacientes do sexo masculino. Todos os soros foram testados usando um kit comercial IgG-ELISA (UB-Magiwell Cysticercosis kit™) avaliado previamente. O anticorpo anti-Cysticercus no soro foi positivo em 23 de 61 casos (37,7%). A maioria dos casos com teste de ELISA positivo apresentava crises generalizadas (52,17%), seguida por casos de crises parciais complexas (26,08%) e crises parciais simples (21,73%). Dores de cabeça foram a queixa principal (73,91%). Outras manifestações foram vômitos (47,82%), palidez (34,78%), sensório alterado (26,08%) e fraqueza muscular (13,04%). Houve um caso de hemiparesia diagnosticado como NCC. Neste estudo uma criança sem quaisquer achados significantes às imagens apresentou sorologia positiva. Houve associação estatística significante entre os casos com múltiplas lesões no cérebro e a positividade pelo ELISA (p = 0,017). No seu conjunto a positividade pelo ELISA demonstra etiologia potencial para a cisticercose. Portanto neurocisticercose deve ser suspeitada em qualquer criança apresentado crises afebris com imagem que sugira diagnóstico em países tropicais em desenvolvimento ou em áreas endêmicas para teníase/cisticercose.