Plasma endothelial microparticles, TNF-α and IL-6 in Kawasaki disease

We studied the levels of endothelial microparticles (EMPs), IL-6, and TNF-α in patients with Kawasaki disease (KD). EMPs were enumerated by flow cytometry, while IL-6 and TNF-α were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. EMPs and IL-6 were elevated in KD, the level of TNF-α in KD was not different from disease controls, but higher than healthy controls. EMPs were positively correlated with TNF-α and negatively correlated with albumin. Elevated level of EMPs, a biomarker of endothelial cells damage, concomitant with increased levels of TNF-α and IL-6, is seen in patients with KD.     

The prognostic importance of TGF-β, TGF-β receptor,and fascin in childhood solid tumors

Fascin plays a role in tumor metastasis under the influence of TGF-β, each potentiating the effect of the other. We retrospectively investigated whether there was a prognostic relationship between TGF-β and fascin, and disease stage, local recurrence, metastasis tendency, and response to treatment. Twelve neuroblastomas, 17 osteosarcomas, 14 Ewing's sarcomas, 15 rhabdomyosarcoma cases, and 8 rare solid tumors were included. Serum TGF-β levels were high at the time of diagnosis in all groups (p = .015) and decreased significantly during remission (p = .008). Serum TGF-β values in the relapse period rarely reached high levels at the time of diagnosis and even stayed under the control group values (p = .017). When TGF-β receptor expression in tumor tissues was evaluated, the association of TGF-β receptor positivity with metastatic disease and advanced stage was striking. We found that 88% of rhabdomyosarcoma cases with alveolar histopathology expressed the TGF-β receptor, and the association between TGF-β receptor positivity and alveolar histopathology seemed to be a negative prognostic marker. When fascin levels were evaluated in childhood solid tumor tissue, the risk of relapse increased when the fascin total score at diagnosis was >4. This is one of the few studies including prognostic markers such as serum TGF-β, tissue TGF-β, TGF-β receptor, and fascin in pediatric solid tumors. Considering the poor prognosis of advanced stage pediatric solid tumors and the need for biomarkers to predict which patient might need more intensive therapy or warrant closer follow-up afterward, we think that TGF-β, TGF-β receptor, and fascin expression have an important prognostic role.     

Expression of Toll-like receptors 3 (TLR3) on peripheral blood mononuclear cells and serum IFN-γ,TNF-α levels in children with acute rotavirus diarrhea

Objective To explore the relationship between TLR3 mRNA expression on peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMCs)and acute rotavirus(RV)diarrhea.Methods Sixty-one children with acute RV diarrhea served as study subject,the expression of TLR3 mRNA on PBMCs was detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative RT-PCR.the concentrations of IFN-γand TNF-α in serum were measured by the method of Enzyrme-linked immunosorbent assay(EUSA).Results The expression of TLR3 on PBMCs and the serum levels of IFN-γ and TNF-α in the serious diarrhea group were 0. 820±0.051,(33.67±12.88)Pg/ml, (62.21±14.65)pg/ml,respectively,while it were 0.717±0.040,(24.01±10.06)pg/ml,(50.99± 12.18)pg/ml in the slight diarrhea group,and 0.525±0.029,(12.52±5.19)pg/ml,(28.65±7.44)pg/ml in the control group.Compared with the control group.the expression of TLR3 on PBMCs and the serum levels of IFN-γ,TNF-α in the serious and slight diarrhea group were significantly higher(P<0.01).There were significant differences between the serious and slight diarrhea group(P<0.01).There were positive relationship between the expression of TLR3 on PBMCs and tHe serum IFN-γ,TNF-α levels(r=0.431,P< 0.05,r=0.372,P<0.05).Conclusion The expression of TLR3 on PBMCs in children with acute rotavirus dialThea iS up-regulated,TLR3 and its mediated immune response are associated with the development of acute rotavirus diarrhea.     

Expression of Toll-like receptors 3 (TLR3) on peripheral blood mononuclear cells and serum IFN-γ,TNF-α levels in children with acute rotavirus diarrhea

Objective To explore the relationship between TLR3 mRNA expression on peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMCs)and acute rotavirus(RV)diarrhea.Methods Sixty-one children with acute RV diarrhea served as study subject,the expression of TLR3 mRNA on PBMCs was detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative RT-PCR.the concentrations of IFN-γand TNF-α in serum were measured by the method of Enzyrme-linked immunosorbent assay(EUSA).Results The expression of TLR3 on PBMCs and the serum levels of IFN-γ and TNF-α in the serious diarrhea group were 0. 820±0.051,(33.67±12.88)Pg/ml, (62.21±14.65)pg/ml,respectively,while it were 0.717±0.040,(24.01±10.06)pg/ml,(50.99± 12.18)pg/ml in the slight diarrhea group,and 0.525±0.029,(12.52±5.19)pg/ml,(28.65±7.44)pg/ml in the control group.Compared with the control group.the expression of TLR3 on PBMCs and the serum levels of IFN-γ,TNF-α in the serious and slight diarrhea group were significantly higher(P<0.01).There were significant differences between the serious and slight diarrhea group(P<0.01).There were positive relationship between the expression of TLR3 on PBMCs and tHe serum IFN-γ,TNF-α levels(r=0.431,P< 0.05,r=0.372,P<0.05).Conclusion The expression of TLR3 on PBMCs in children with acute rotavirus dialThea iS up-regulated,TLR3 and its mediated immune response are associated with the development of acute rotavirus diarrhea.     

Kawasaki disease differs from anaphylactoid purpura and measles with regard to tumour necrosis factor-α and interleukin 6 in serum

It has been reported that tumour necrosis factor- (TNF-) is capable of inducing vascular injury, and interleukin 6 (IL-6) of inducing production of acute phase proteins and the maturation of megakaryocytes. Kawasaki disease (KD) is a systemic vasculitis with severe inflammation. We investigated whether TNF- and IL-6 activities in serum from patients with KD differs from those in anaphylactoid purpura (AP) and measles. Serum TNF- levels were measured by a sandwich enzyme immunoassay and IL-6 activities in serum were assessed by a colourimetric assay. Both KD and AP patients but not patients with measles had increased serum TNF- levels during the acute stage. With respect to IL-6, patients with KD and measles, but not AP, had increased IL-6 activities in serum during the acute stage. IL-6 activities in serum of KD patients correlated with serum C-reactive protein levels and correlated to some extent with maximum platelet counts during the course of illness. These results suggest that KD differs from AP and measles regarding both cytokines. The combination of TNF-, which may be responsible for severe vascular injury, and IL-6, which may be responsible for severe inflammation, may play an important role in acute KD.     

Intracellular production of IL-2, IL-4, IFN-γ, and TNF-α by peripheral blood CD3+ and CD4+ T cells in children with atopic dermatitis

The role of the type-2 T helper (Th2) cell-mediated immune response in the immunopathogenesis of atopic dermatitis (AD) is well documented. Whether polarized immunoresponse is confined to antigen-specific T cells or is distributed among all T cell subsets is still controversial. We investigated frequencies of interleukin-2 (IL-2), IL-4, interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) producing CD3⁺ and CD4⁺ T cells in peripheral blood from children with atopic dermatitis and healthy subjects with and without in vitro stimulation. Children with severe AD had a significantly lower percentage of CD4⁺ T cells spontaneously expressing IL-4 compared with healthy controls (p <0.01). Polyclonal stimulation significantly increased cytokine production in both AD patients and healthy individuals. Frequencies of CD3⁺ and CD4⁺ producing IL-2, IL-4, IFN-γ, and TNF-α after in vitro stimulation with phorbol-12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) + ionomycin were comparable in the AD and control groups. In response to PMA/ionomycin, children with AD and asthma symptoms had a significantly lower percentage of CD3⁺ T cells producing TNF-α. We failed to demonstrate evidence of an imbalance with respect to type-2 cytokine productions in children with AD. Comparable induction of Th1 and Th2 cytokines in polyclonally stimulated peripheral CD3⁺ and CD4⁺T cells from AD patients and controls puts into question the polarized Th2 immune response as a general characteristic of T cells in children with atopic dermatitis.     

Role of cytokine gene (IFN-γ, TNF-α, TGF-β1, IL-6, and IL-10) polymorphisms in pathogenesis of acute rheumatic fever in Turkish children

Acute rheumatic fever (ARF) is a delayed immunologically mediated sequela of throat infection by group A β-hemolytic streptococci. Inflammatory cytokines may play a pathogenic role in ARF. The objective of this study was to investigate the potential associations between interferon (IFN)-γ, interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1, and IL-10 gene polymorphisms and childhood ARF. Thirty-eight ARF patients and 40 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were analyzed for eight polymorphisms in five different cytokine genes [IFN-γ (+874), IL-6 (-174), TNF-α (-308), TGF-β1 (+10, +25), and IL-10 (-1082, -819, -592)]. Cytokine genotyping was performed by polymerase chain reaction sequence-specific primer methods. Patients with ARF had significantly higher frequencies of IFN-γ (+874) polymorphism in both TT genotype (p=0.0002) and T allele (p=0.0004). No statistically significant differences were observed in genotypes, haplotypes, and allele frequencies of IL-6, TNF-α, TGF-β1, and IL-10 genes between ARF and control groups (p>0.05). GG genotype frequency of TNF-α gene (low expression) was higher in patients who had previous ARF history (p=0.006). High expression of TGF-β1 (TT/GG, TC/GG) was more frequent in patients with CRP positivity (p=0.034). IL-6 CC genotype (low expression) frequency was higher in patients with tricuspid valve insufficiency (p=0.002), while IFN-γ TT genotype (high expression) frequency was higher in patients with mitral valve prolapse (p=0.049). Conclusion: High expression of the IFN-γ gene may carry a higher risk for ARF in Turkish children, while IL-6, TNF-α, and TGF-β1 may have an impact in mediating some clinical and laboratory manifestations of the disease.     

The role of IL-6 572 C/G, 190 C/T,and 174 G/C gene polymorphisms in children’s obesity

The aim of this study was to establish the correlations between the polymorphisms of the genes interleukin (IL)-6 572, 190, and 174 in obese children. We assessed 222 hospitalized children divided into two groups: group I (control) included 110 patients with normal nutritional status, and group II consisted of 102 obesity patients. The two groups underwent IL-6 572 C/G, 190 C/T, and 174 G/C polymorphism testing, measurement of anthropometric parameters (mid-upper arm circumference and tricipital skinfold thickness), and paraclinical evaluation (protein, albumin, leptin, adiponectin, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)). We observed that phenotype CC was more frequent in obese children for IL-6 572 (p?=?0.0001), whereas CG heterozygotes were more frequent in the obese group for the IL-6 190 gene (62.7 %; p?=?0.0001). Leptin was dependent on IL-6 572 and IL-6 174 gene polymorphisms and albumin, whereas adiponectin was dependent on the IL-6 174 gene polymorphism. Body mass index (BMI), mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC), and tricipital skinfold thickness (TST) serum albumin levels correlated with C allele carriers of the IL-6 572 and IL-6 190 genes in children with obesity, whereas the CC genotype of IL-6 174 was a protective factor for obesity. Conclusion: Obesity is most frequently associated in children with IL-6 174 C allele carriers and with IL-6 190 C allele carriers.     

The role of twinning in sustainable care for children with cancer: A TIPPing point? SIOP PODC Working Group on Twinning,Collaboration, and Support

With the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer, there is renewed interest in sustainable interventions to improve childhood cancer care in low‐/middle‐income countries (LMICs). Practitioners in LMICs have traditionally practiced “twinning,” i.e., targeted international pediatric oncology partnerships (TIPPs) between one or more institutions in a high‐income country (HIC) and an LMIC, to improve care for children with cancer in the latter. The International Society of Paediatric Oncology Committee for Paediatric Oncology in Developing Countries Working Group on Twinning, Collaboration, and Support reviewed guidelines from https://cancerpointe.com and the current literature, gathered input from practitioners in LMICs, and in this article discuss the role of TIPPs in the WHO initiative.     

Quantitative sensory testing profiles in children,adolescents and young adults (6–20 years) with cerebral palsy: Hints for a neuropathic genesis of pain syndromes

Introduction

Many patients with cerebral palsy (CP) suffer chronic pain as one of the most limiting factors in their quality of life. In CP patients, pain mechanisms are not well understood, and pain therapy remains a challenge. Quantitative sensory testing (QST) might provide unique information about the functional status of the somatosensory system and therefore better guide pain treatment.