Growth hormone and IGF-I in diabetic children with and without microalbuminuria

In order to evaluate the relationship between urinary GH, urinary IGF-I and plasma IGF-I levels and presence of incipient diabetic nephropathy in paediatric age, we studied fifty (25 male and 25 female) prepubertal patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (T1DM). The patients were subdivided into two groups according to the presence of persistent microalbuminuria defined as albumin excretion rate (AER) >20 microg/min in at least 5 urine collections in the 6 months prior to the beginning of the study: Group A: 18 patients with microalbuminuria; Group B: 32 patients without microalbuminuria. A group of 20 healthy subjects, sex-, age- and pubertal stage-matched, served as control. No difference was observed between the urinary output of IGF-I and GH and plasma IGF-I values between normoalbuminuric and control subjects (normoalbuminuric vs controls: urinary GH: mean+/-SD 7.9+/-0.7 ng/day vs 8.1+/-0.6; urinary IGF-I: 178.3+/-19.7 ng/day vs 175.5+/-20.3; plasma IGF-I: 203.9+/-31.2 ng/ml vs 199.4+/-43.2), but a significant difference was observed between the urinary output of IGF-I and GH and plasma IGF-I levels between microalbuminuric patients and normoalbuminuric and controls (microalbuminuric subjects: urinary GH: 13.1+/-1.4 p<0.01; urinary IGF-I: 451.3+/-45.9 p<0.001; plasma IGF-I: 326.5+/-63.2 p<0.01). Moreover, plasma IGF-I, urinary GH and urinary IGF-I were not significantly associated with microalbuminuria, while plasma IGF-I levels were positively related to glomerular filtration rate (GFR) (p<0.05). In conclusion, our study demonstrates that microalbuminuric patients have higher levels of urinary IGF-I, urinary GH, plasma IGF-I than normoalbuminuric diabetic subjects. These data support the hypothesis that IGF-I can have a role in the changes of renal function observed in patients with persistent microalbuminuria.     

Diabetic nephropathy in children and adolescents: a critical review with particular reference to angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors

Clinical diabetic nephropathy is a well-recognized cause of increased morbidity and mortality in patients with type 1 diabetes. The finding that microalbuminuria predicts progression to overt nephropathy has allowed early diagnosis and preventive interventions. Several studies have demonstrated that treatment with angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors slows down the rate of decline of the glomerular filtration rate in type 1 diabetes patients with established proteinuria. The renoprotective properties of the ACE inhibitor captopril extend beyond its antihypertensive effects. ACE inhibitors represent the most appropriate class of antihypertensive drugs for treating type 1 diabetes patients because of their efficacy and safety. When microalbuminuria is detected and confirmed in a diabetic child or adolescent, and if it persists despite 6-12 months of improved metabolic control, treatment with ACE inhibitors should be started, even if the child is normotensive. Careful follow-up of renal function is essential.     

Early dynamic changes in pulse oximetry signals in preterm newborns with histologic chorioamnionitis.

OBJECTIVE: No reliable clinical markers of histologic chorioamnionitis (HCA), a major and often subclinical cause of prematurity leading to high neonatal morbidity and mortality, are available to date. Increasing evidence indicates myocardial dysfunctions in affected fetuses and newborns. We sought to assess the value of nonlinear dynamics from pulse oximetry signals in identifying affected newborns. DESIGN: Prospective case-control study. SETTING: Tertiary level neonatal intensive care unit, Brindisi Hospital. PATIENTS AND INTERVENTION: Pulse oximetry-derived signals (pulse rate, oxygen saturation, and perfusion index), recorded within the first 1.5 hrs of life, were analyzed for 110 very low-birth-weight infants, of whom 54 had histopathological evidence of HCA. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Four different time series parameters were determined for nonlinear dynamical (NLD) analysis. Significantly decreased Lempel-Ziv, Lyapunov largest exponent, and correlation dimension, with significantly increased Hurst values for heart rate and perfusion index (p < .00001), were observed in newborns with HCA. Heart rate Lempel-Ziv 相似文献   

Potential role of brivaracetam in pediatric epilepsy

Brivaracetam (BRV) is a new antiseizure medication (ASM) that is currently approved for adjunctive treatment in patients with focal onset seizures. Similarly to levetiracetam (LEV), BRV works by binding SV2A vesicles with a high affinity and a linear pharmacokinetic profile. Retrospective studies and randomized clinical trials have already proven the efficacy of BRV, even in patients who failed treatment with LEV. Most studies about the efficacy and tolerability conducted so far were performed in adult cohorts, whereas few studies have been performed in children; however, BRV was proven to be a useful ASM for pediatric focal epilepsies, with fewer studies and conflicting results among patients with generalized epilepsies and epileptic syndromes. Retention rates were high in the cohorts analyzed, and no serious treatment‐emergent adverse events were reported in the majority of patients, with somnolence, drowsiness, irritability, aggression, and decreased appetite being the most frequently reported side effects. Although there are few original papers published on the subject so far, the analysis of the literature data demonstrated the efficacy and safety of BRV in pediatric patients, with more evidence for children aged 4‐16 years with an onset of focal seizures. However, a positive response was also achieved in patients affected by encephalopathic epilepsies (eg, Jeavons' epilepsy, Dravet syndrome, Lennox‐Gastaut syndrome, and juvenile myoclonic epilepsy), and ongoing studies are now testing BRV in order to widen its application to other forms of epilepsy and to test its effectiveness when used in monotherapy. This review aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the literature surrounding the efficacy and tolerability of BRV for pediatric patients.     

What have we learned about ictal epileptic headache? A review of well-documented cases

PurposeThe case report published in this issue by Wang et al. offers us an opportunity to review previously published “ictal epileptic headache” cases and draw attention to the criteria that have recently been published for this condition, taking into consideration not only the clinical-EEG and physiopathogenetic investigations required to diagnose this condition, but also the therapeutic aspects of the issue.MethodsTo this aim we reviewed all well-documented cases that have been reported in the literature.ResultsThe relationship between headache and seizures is somewhat complicated. Although the nature of this association is not yet fully clear, several plausible explanations have been proposed. Further experimental and clinical investigations are, however, warranted to gain a better understanding of this relationship. Epilepsy and idiopathic headache/migraine share several pathophysiological mechanisms; a better understanding of these mechanisms will allow us to more accurately to assess the “real burden” and prevalence of the “ictal epileptic headache” phenomenon and its therapeutic implications.ConclusionsThe development of animal models and molecular studies and, above all, multicenter clinical studies conducted according to the proposed IEH criteria represent the starting point for a definitive international consensus on this intriguing topic. In addition, to improve the recognition of ictal epileptic headache, we should encourage the use of EEG recording in the emergency setting.