Pancreatoblastoma with marked elevation of serum alpha-fetoprotein

Summary The autopsy findings in a pancreatoblastoma in a 7-year-old Japanese girl is reported. The tumour was in the head and body of the pancreas, and was associated with diffuse carcinomatous peritonitis and hepatic and pulmonary metastases. There was marked elevation (more than 10000 ng/ml) of serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). Histopathologically the tumour was composed of solid epithelial elements with fibrous stroma, showing acinar arrangement, squamoid clusters and tubular structures. The epithelial elements contained numerous fine PAS positive granules in the cytoplasm. Immunocytochemical results suggested epithelial differentiation with positivity to alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT), keratin, CA19-9, and AFP. No endocrine elements were recognized. Characteristic feature of this tumour are discussed and compared with prevoius reports.     

轻型孤独症患儿行为特征的探讨

儿童孤独症是以社交障碍、语言障碍和重复刻板行为为特征的广泛性发育障碍 ,近年来发病率呈上升的趋势 ,其中轻型患儿占有相当的比例[1] 。因病因尚不清楚 ,因此尚无特异性的诊断手段 ,主要依靠临床症状和表现。而轻型孤独症患儿由于症状较轻或不典型 ,因此增加了临床诊断的困难 ,易被漏诊或误诊而使患儿失去获得早期干预的机会。目前国内有关孤独症的研究主要限于典型孤独症患儿 ,而有关轻型患儿的研究尚未见报道。我们对轻型孤独症患儿的临床表现及行为特征进行了探讨 ,旨在为轻型孤独症患儿的正确诊断提供依据。1　对象和方法1.1　研究对…     

Anatomic study of the tricuspid valve in children

We performed an anatomic study of the right atrioventricular valve in children under one year of age using a conservative method of dissection of the heart valve. The main aspects studied were the number of cusps and their morphometric characteristics, such as the width of the base and the depth of the cusps. Other parameters studied were the number of papillary muscles, number of tendinous cords, and diameter of the fibrous ring and the last one were divided in three regions, anterior, posterior and septal for localization of cusps. Our results showed that the number of cusps varied from two to four. Three cusps was the commonest finding and the fourth cusp, if present, was classified as anterolateral in location. The anterior and septal cusps had bases bigger than those of the posterior and anterolateral cusps; the septal cusp was deeper than the others; and the number of tendinous cords was greater for the anterior and septal cusps than for the posterior and anterolateral cusps. In addition, the posterior region showed great variability: in 35.7% it was occupied by undeveloped valve tissue and the posterior valve in these cases was located anteriorly.     

Continuity and Change in Preschool ADHD Symptoms: Longitudinal Genetic Analysis with Contrast Effects

The genetic and environmental mediation of continuity and change in parent-reported ADHD symptoms were investigated in a cohort of over 6000 twin pairs at 2, 3 and 4 years of age. Genetic analyses of the cross-sectional data yielded heritability estimates of 0.78–0.81 at each age, with contrast effects. A common pathway model provided the best fit to the longitudinal data, indicating that genetic influences underlie 91% of the stable variance in ADHD symptomatology. In other words, what is stable for ADHD symptoms is largely genetic. Contrast effects acting in the same direction at different ages contributed to the observed continuity:longitudinal correlations were greater for dizygotic than monozygotic twins.The Twins Early Development Study is funded by the Medical Research Council.     

The effect of passive smoking on asthma symptoms,atopy,and airway hyperresponsiveness in schoolchildren

Passive smoking is a major cause of respiratory morbidity, and is associated with increased bronchial responsiveness in children. To evaluate the effect of smoking by a parent on asthma symptoms, atopy, and airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR), we conducted a cross-sectional survey of 503 schoolchildren that involved questionnaires, spirometry, allergy testing, and a bronchial challenge test. If the PC20 methacholine was less than 16 mg/mL, the subject was considered to have AHR. The prevalence of a parent who smoked was 68.7%. The prevalence of AHR was 45.0%. The sensitization rate to common inhalant allergens was 32.6%. Nasal symptoms such as rhinorrhea, sneezing, nasal itching, and nasal obstruction were present in 42.7%. Asthma symptoms such as cough and wheezing were present in 55.4%. The asthma symptoms were significantly more prevalent in children who had a parent who smoked than in those whose parents did not. The nasal symptoms, atopy, and AHR did not differ according to whether a parent smoked. In a multiple logistic regression model, the asthma symptoms and atopy were independently associated with AHR, when adjusted for confounding variables. Passive smoking contributed to asthma symptoms in schoolchildren and was not an independent risk factor of airway hyperresponsiveness in an epidemiological survey.     

小儿慢性乙型肝炎外周血T细胞亚群和临床病理关系的研究

目的　探讨小儿慢性乙型肝炎细胞免疫功能与临床、病理的关系 ,了解其间的相关性。方法　研究对象为确诊的 94例 12岁以内慢性乙型肝炎住院患儿。常规检测血T细胞亚群等、血丙氨酸转氨酶 (ALT)水平、病毒学指标 ,并进行腹部B超、肝脏病理学检查。结果　有活动性肝脏病理炎症者CD4 CD8 升高 (P <0 0 5 ) ;女性比男性CD4 降低差异有非常显著意义 (P <0 0 1)、CD8 升高差异有显著意义 (P <0 0 5 )、CD4 CD8 降低差异有非常显著意义 (P <0 0 1) ;T淋巴细胞的异常改变与HBVDNA、PTA以及脾脏大小关系不明显。而各项观察的临床、病理指标与CD3 T淋巴细胞、B淋巴细胞均无明显相关性。结论　小儿慢性乙型肝炎患者机体存在细胞免疫功能失衡 ,其相关性表现在肝脏炎症损伤严重程度与T淋巴细胞功能的损伤有明显的相关性 ,女性对HBV的T淋巴细胞反应比男性更有利于清除HBV ,其预后及对抗病毒和免疫调节治疗反应较好。     

Longitudinal Study of Infant Sleep: Results of 14 Subjects Studied at Monthly Intervals

The sleep of 14 normal infants was studied every month throughout the first year. A computer program incorporated an analysis of multiple variables from polygraphic data as recommended by a recently standardized new born scoring manual. Under our recording conditions, quiet sleep increased during the first 3 months but indeterminate sleep did not decline over the year as expected. This finding is incompatible with the notion that indeterminate sleep reflects immaturity or “undifferentiation” in sleep organization.     

Impact of an American board of pediatrics maintenance of certification (MOC) on weight-related counseling at well-child check-ups

Objective

The Healthy Weight Counseling Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program integrates pediatrician training and clinic changes to promote use of evidence-based, diet and physical activity (PA) health messages and counseling strategies. This interrupted time series study assessed the impact of this MOC program on provision of weight-related counseling.

Differential cytokine profile in children with cystic fibrosis

The previously observed occurrence of antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibodies (ANCA) in patients who have cystic fibrosis (CF), together with the reported decrease in IgG2, a Th1-controlled isotype, suggests a potential for Th1/Th2 imbalance in CF patients with a possible Th2 predominance. 48 CF patients and 16 controls had levels of IFNgamma, IL-4, and IL-10 measured in supernatants of whole blood cell cultures stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and phytohemaglutinine (PHA). The patients were divided into 2 groups: "low responders", having negligible secretion of cytokines (IFNgamma: 10.0-200.0 pg/ml, IL-4: 0.0-0.3 pg/ml) and "high responders", producing high levels of both IFNgamma (500.0-2000.0 pg/ml) and IL-4 (1.0-200.0 pg/ml). There was a statistically significant (P < 0.01) deterioration of lung function measured by an FEV(1) decline by 11.2% over 3 years in the "low responder" group. 10 of 16 "low responders" had chronic lung infections with P. aeruginosa while such infection was less prevalent in the "high responder" group where only 13 of 32 CF patients had positive cultures. A shift towards Th2 response was observed in the "high responder" group as children chronically infected with P. aeruginosa had greater IL-4 production than non-infected CF patients within the same cohort. ANCA autoantibodies were found only in the "high responder" group. Th2 immune response predominance in a subset of CF patients is associated with chronic P. aeruginosa infection.     

Fine particulate matter exposure during pregnancy and infancy and incident asthma

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