Increased extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition in the airway wall contributes to the airway remodeling in asthmatics. Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are polysaccharides attached to a protein core in order to form proteoglycans, a component of the ECM. In this study, we investigated the possible influence of long-term treatment with inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) on urinary GAGs levels of asthmatic children. Seventy asthmatic children (41 boys), aged 6.8-12.5 yr, participated in the study. About 44 were treated with inhaled budesonide via turbuhaler for 2-35 months (median 12 months) and 26 were on relief medications. About 30 healthy controls were also studied. GAGs were precipitated from early morning urine samples, collected, isolated and quantified using uronic acid-carbazole reaction and expressed as uronic acid (UA) in microg/g/Cr(u)/m2. Urinary GAGs values did not differ significantly between controls and asthmatics but significant differences were found between children on ICS and asthmatics on relief medications (p < 0.001). There was a positive correlation between the daily dose of inhaled budesonide and the urinary GAGs values (r = 0.32, p = 0.037) whereas a threshold distinguishing 'low' vs. 'high' doses of ICS was found to be at 300 microg/m2 per day with a significant difference in urinary GAGs secretion (p = 0.006). Our data show that urinary GAGs secretion is reduced in asthmatic children that used only relief medication but it is increased in those on long-term treatment with ICS. A dose dependent effect of ICS was also detected.
Ischemic stroke in children is a relatively rare entity, relative to the adult population. The most common potential risk factors include cardiac embolism, prothrombotic states and vasculopathies. The diagnosis is concerning for the need to identify the underlying cause. Treatment of the proximate source of ischemia can often protect against future events.We present the case of a 7-year-old patient who initially presented with an ischemic brain insult which was repeated, despite the initiation of anticoagulation therapy. The investigation revealed patent foramen ovale and patent ductus arteriosus and because of the recurrent ischemic ictuses, transcatheter closure of both defects was decided. A brief description of the literature is also presented.
Arterial ischemic stroke (AIS), with an estimated incidence of 1.1–4.3 per 100,000, is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in children and the risk of recurrence is high. We present the case of an 11-year-old child who presented with a symptomatology of acute ischemic stroke of unknown etiology. The radiological investigation did not reveal any underlying brain abnormality that could cause the event. The diagnostic work up included an echocardiogram, which revealed a thrombus in the right atrium, in conjunction with a patent foramen ovale. The patient was initiated immediately on anticoagulation therapy with low molecular weight heparin and warfarin, but two days later she suffered pulmonary emboli, diagnosed with spiral thorax computed tomography (CT) scan. An ultrasound study of the vessels of the lower extremitiesgcsp201817-main-client.xml revealed deep venous thrombosis (DVT), which was considered to be the underlying causative mechanism.
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