Effects of β-Adrenergic Antagonists on the QT Measurements from Exercise Stress Tests in Pediatric Patients with Long QT Syndrome

It has been proposed that -adrenergic antagonist protection against cardiac events in patients with long QT syndrome (LQTS) may be related to a decrease in baseline QTc dispersion. To determine the effects of -blocker therapy on QT measurements, we evaluated the exercise tests of 25 pediatric patients with LQTS. Measurements were made of the maximum QTc interval and QTc dispersion during the various segments of the exercise test. There was no statistically significant difference between the pre--blocker and post--blocker maximum QTc interval during the supine (0.473 ± 0.039 vs 0.470 ± 0.038 sec), exercise (0.488 ± 0.044 vs 0.500 ± 0.026 sec), or recovery (0.490 ± 0.031 vs 0.493 ± 0.029 sec) phases of the exercise stress test. There was also no statistically significant difference between the pre--blocker and post--blocker QTc dispersion during the supine (0.047 ± 0.021 vs 0.058 ± 0.033 sec), exercise (0.063 ± 0.036 vs 0.063 ± 0.028 sec), or recovery (0.045 ± 0.023 vs 0.052 ± 0.026 sec) phases of the exercise stress test. Therefore, the protection that -blockers offer appears not to be related to a reduction of the baseline QTc interval or a decrease of QTc dispersion. Paper presented at the Third Annual World Congress of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery, Toronto, Canada, May 2001     

Evaluation of the patient with flank pain and possible ureteral calculus

Flank pain due to urolithiasis is a common problem in patients presenting to emergency departments. Radiology plays a vital role in the work-up of these patients. Many modalities can be used, including ultrasonography, nuclear medicine, and the traditionally used techniques of intravenous urography and conventional radiography. The development of nonenhanced computed tomography (CT) (single- or multi-detector row helical) has provided a means to enable detection and characterization of urolithiasis with unprecedented sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy while yielding important information for treatment planning, including the size and location of calculi. This technique can also help detect causes for flank pain outside the genitourinary tract. However, close attention must be paid to all aspects of the CT study to prevent misdiagnoses.     

Primary fibroblast cell cultures from transbronchial biopsies of lung transplant recipients

BACKGROUND: Survival after lung transplantation is limited by the development of bronchiolitis obliterans (BO) that is a fibroproliferative process and regarded as the histological marker of chronic rejection. To study further the pathogenesis of BO we attempted to establish primary fibroblast cell cultures from transbronchial lung biopsies (TBBs)of lung transplant recipients. METHODS: One to two TBB samples from each patient were collected in sterile phosphate-buffered saline. Biopsies were cut into small pieces and placed onto 25-cm2 culture flasks for cell culture and kept under standard cell culture conditions (21% O2, 5% CO2, 37 degrees C). Culture medium consisted of RPMI 1640, 10% fetal calf serum, L-glutamine, HEPES, and antibiotics. After reaching confluence, fibroblasts were passaged into 75-cm2 flasks. RESULTS: The success rate of establishing fibroblast cultures from transbronchial lung biopsies was 54% (27/50). Cell growth was independent of patient age, transplant type, underlying lung disease, indication for transbronchial lung biopsies, grade, or type of re jection and infection. CONCLUSIONS: We have established a novel method of culturing fibroblasts from lung transplant recipients. We consider this method as an unique human in vitro model to study the pathogenetic mechanisms leading to BO.     

'If I had a friend in a wheelchair': children's thoughts on disabilities

The purpose of the present study was to examine what notions there are among ordinary preschool children and schoolchildren about physically handicapped children using wheelchairs. Forty-eight children-16 children of preschool age (half boys, half girls, aged around 6), 16 children in primary school class 2 (half boys, half girls, aged around 8) and 16 children in class 4 (half boys, half girls, aged around 8)-constituted the investigated group. The method used was a combination of drawings produced by the children themselves serving as a projective image, interview questions in connection with the drawings and a self-assessment scale, based on Osgood's semantic differential technique. The results showed that most children had favourable attitudes towards a child in a wheelchair. They were willing to include the disabled child in their games and recreational activities, and they considered that the disabled child would have many friends and a high self-esteem. However, they saw real obstacles for the disabled child both in play situations and in other environmental settings. No tangible differences between the sexes could be found; however, differences by age were present. The results were discussed with regard to earlier research and topics for further research are suggested.     

Interleukin 10 family gene polymorphisms are not associated with major depressive disorder and panic disorder phenotypes

Genetic regulation of immune system and inflammatory response may be related to the pathogenesis and manifestations of mood and anxiety disorders. In the present study we examined a range of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in chromosomal region 1q32, the locus of interleukin 10 (IL10) gene, in patients with major depressive disorder (n = 312) and panic disorder (n = 210), and matched healthy controls (n = 356). We found no significant associations of the SNPs in IL10 family genes with either diagnostic group. Haplotype analysis revealed seven haplotype blocks, but their frequencies did not differ between patients and controls. Significant associations were detected for SNP rs1539243 in IKBKE (inhibitor of kappa light polypeptide gene enhancer in B-cells, kinase epsilon) gene showing different allelic and genotypic distributions in the total as well as in separate diagnostic groups as compared to controls. IKBKE emerged as a candidate for further studies of genetic factors associated with panic disorder and major depressive disorder.