Psychosocial adjustment in preschool children with atopic eczema

Atopic eczema is a chronic skin disorder that is most common in early childhood, an important stage in the child's social and emotional development. The psychiatric adjustment and mother-child attachment in 30 preschool children with severe atopic eczema was compared with 20 matched controls. Patients with eczema had a significant increase in behaviour symptoms, 7/30 (23%) v 1/20 (5%); with significant excess of dependency/clinginess, 15/30 (50%) v 2/20 (10%); fearfulness, 12/30 (40%) v 2/20 (10%); and sleep difficulty, 19/30 (63%) v 9/20 (45%), but there was no significant difference between the two groups in the security of attachments, 25/29 (86%) v 14/20 (70%). Significantly fewer mothers of children with atopic eczema were in outside employment, 8/29 (27%) v 13/20 (65%), or felt supported socially, 10/29 (34%) v 13/20 (65%). Significantly more of them, 9/30 (30%) v 1/20 (5%), felt particularly stressed in relation to their parenting and less efficient in their disciplining of the affected child. In spite of this and at variance with earlier reports in the literature, they did not display negative attitudes towards their child. On the contrary mothers had a positive empathic attitude towards the child, 7/14 (50%) v 2/16 (12%). Child behaviour problems, 7/14 (50%) v 2/16 (12%), and maternal distress, 12/14 (85%) v 5/16 (31%), were significantly more common in the more severely affected children. Minor behaviour problems and parenting distress are important features of severe atopic eczema in early childhood but atopic eczema does not lead to insecurity of the mother-child attachment.     

Intracerebral venous angioma.

Intracerebral venous angioma is a rare congenital vascular malformation of the brain. Three cases are reported, all of which had strikingly similar angiographic findings in the venous phase, viz., a local network of small medullary veins which converge centrally into a single large venous channel which courses transcerebrally to reach the superficial venous system. No gross abnormalities are seen in the arterial phase with the usual techniques. However, magnification delineated enlarged arterial branches supplying the periphery of the malformation in 2 of the 3 cases. A poorly marginated homogeneous blush and early filling of the draining veins were also seen in these 2 patients. The findings in the venous phase agree with those described in previous isolated case reports and appear to be highly suggestive of this rare malformation.     

Pediatric oncofertility care in limited versus optimum resource settings: results from 39 surveyed centers in Repro-Can-OPEN Study Part I & II

Purpose As a secondary report to elucidate the diverse spectrum of oncofertility practices for childhood cancer around the globe, we present and discuss the comparisons of oncofertility practices for childhood cancer in limited versus optimum resource settings based on data collected in the Repro-Can-OPEN Study Part I & II.MethodsWe surveyed 39 oncofertility centers including 14 in limited resource settings from Africa, Asia, and Latin America (Repro-Can-OPEN Study Part I), and 25 in optimum resource settings from the USA, Europe, Australia, and Japan (Repro-Can-OPEN Study Part II). Survey questions covered the availability of fertility preservation and restoration options offered in case of childhood cancer as well as their degree of utilization.ResultsIn the Repro-Can-OPEN Study Part I & II, responses for childhood cancer and calculated oncofertility scores showed the following characteristics: (1) higher oncofertility scores in optimum resource settings than in limited resource settings for ovarian and testicular tissue cryopreservation; (2) frequent utilization of gonadal shielding, fractionation of anticancer therapy, oophoropexy, and GnRH analogs; (3) promising utilization of oocyte in vitro maturation (IVM); and (4) rare utilization of neoadjuvant cytoprotective pharmacotherapy, artificial ovary, in vitro spermatogenesis, and stem cells reproductive technology as they are still in preclinical or early clinical research settings.ConclusionsBased on Repro-Can-OPEN Study Part I & II, we presented a plausible oncofertility best practice model to help optimize care for children with cancer in various resource settings. Special ethical concerns should be considered when offering advanced and innovative oncofertility options to children.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10815-022-02679-7.     

Platelets express a membrane protein complex immunologically related to the fibroblast fibronectin receptor and distinct from GPIIb/IIIa

We have previously identified and characterized a membrane glycoprotein complex (GP150/135) that functions as fibronectin receptor (FN-R) in fibroblast adhesion. Here we report that an immunologically related protein complex is expressed at the surface of human platelets. Antibodies monospecific for the smaller subunit (GP135) of the fibroblast FN-R in fact specifically stained the platelet surface, as determined by FACS analysis, and reacted with a component of molecular weight (mol wt) 138,000 as shown in western blots of platelet membranes. Moreover, the same antibodies precipitated the 138,000 component together with a 160,000 protein, suggesting that the two molecules are associated in a supramolecular complex. A comparative analysis indicated that this protein complex is distinct from the GPIIb/IIIa complex, known to function as a receptor of wide specificity for fibrinogen, fibronectin, and von Willebrand factor. Differential extraction experiments revealed that the platelet 138,000 component is an integral membrane protein.