No abstract

TE and 2D-SWE are well-documented in studies performed on adults, but those on pediatric patients are limited. The aim of this study was to establish pediatric reference values for liver stiffness using two elastography methods: 2D-SWE and TE. We performed an observational study on 206 healthy children. All children underwent anamnesis, clinical exam, laboratory tests, US exam, TE and 2D-SWE for liver stiffness assessment. The mean liver stiffness value by 2D-SWE for all children was 3.72 ± 0.48 kPa. The mean values ranged between 3.603 ± 0.2678 kPa (3–5 years of age) and 3.774 ± 0.4038 kPa (9–11 years). The reference values varied between 4.1386 kPa (3–5 years of age) and 4.88 kPa (12–15 years). The mean liver stiffness value by TE was 3.797 ± 0.4859 kPa. The values ranged between 3.638 ± 0.4088 kPa (6–8 years of age) and 3.961 ± 0.5695 kPa (15–18 years). The cutoff values varied from 4.4064 kPa (3–5 years of age) to 5.1 kPa (15–18 years). We found a significant positive correlation between E Median values by TE and age [95% CI: 0.1160 to 0.3798, r = 0.2526, p = 0.0002]. Our findings revealed that the mean values of liver stiffness for all children on 2D-SWE and TE were almost identical, 3.72 ± 0.48 kPa versus 3.797 ± 0.4859 kPa.

The aim of this study was to assess the liver stiffness values in children with obesity versus healthy children on 2D-SWE and TE taking into account different laboratory parameters. We performed a case-control study on 287 children aged between 3 to 18 years, admitted in a Romanian Pediatric Tertiary Hospital, which we divided according to the body mass index (BMI) into two groups: the study group-77 children with obesity, and control group-210 children with normal weight. All children underwent anamnesis, clinical exam, laboratory parameters, ultrasound exam, and elastography. Children with obesity presented higher values of platelets, AST, ALT, and AAR as compared to control group (p = 0.0005/p = 0.0065/p < 0.0001/p < 0.0001). We found no significant differences for APRI between the two groups (p = 0.9827), although the values were higher in children with obesity. Significantly higher values of liver stiffness in children with obesity on both 2D-SWE and TE (p = 0.0314/p < 0.0001) were obtained. Similarly, the velocity values measured by 2D-SWE were also significantly higher in the study group (p < 0.0001). Our findings revealed significantly higher levels of platelets, transaminases, AAR, and liver stiffness values on both TE and 2D-SWE in children with obesity. 2D-SWE and TE might represent useful non-invasive methods for predicting liver impairment associated to pediatric obesity.

Non-invasive biomarkers, such as neutrophil-to-lymphocyte and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratios, may predict inflammation in various disorders, including gastritis, according to recent data. Nevertheless, various studies reported an association between Helicobacter pylori ( H pylori ) and immune thrombocytopenia in both adults and pediatric patients. The objective of our study was to evaluate the impact of pediatric gastritis, caused or not by H pylori infection on erythrocytes, their parameters, thrombocytes, mean platelet volume, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR). We performed a prospective, case–control study on 151 patients aged between 1 and 17 years who presented with chronic dyspeptic symptoms. An upper digestive endoscopy with gastric biopsies and a complete blood count was performed in each case. Control group consisted of 67 patients with normal histological findings, while the two study groups were divided into group 1— H pylori -induced gastritis (31 patients) and group 2—non- H pylori- induced gastritis (53 patients). Children from the rural area were more likely to develop both types of gastritis ( P < .01). No significant difference was found between either of the study groups and control group in terms of platelets, mean platelet volume, NLR and PLR ( P > .05). However, significantly higher values of lymphocytes were associated with non- H pylori -induced gastritis ( P < .01). Comparison of the two study groups did not reflect any significant differences in terms of hematological parameters. When assessing these constants in relation to gastritis severity, severe gastritis led to a compelling decrease in hemoglobin (Hb) and hematocrit (Htc) levels. The comparison of parameters between severe, moderate, and mild gastritis did not reveal any significant results. Childhood and adolescent gastritis does not produce a significant effect upon platelet counts, their mean volume, PLR or NLR, according to our study. An important increase in lymphocyte count might predict non- H pylori pediatric gastritis. Moreover, severe gastritis might result in an important decrease in Hb and Htc levels.

Vitamin D has emerged as a key factor in innate immunity. Its involvement in the pathogenesis of urinary tract infections (UTIs) has gained a lot of attention recently. The objective of this study is to investigate the association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels and first-time or recurrent UTIs in children. A prospective, case-control study was conducted on 101 pediatric patients, who were divided into two groups: 59 patients with UTIs and 42 age-matched healthy controls. Serum 25(OH)D was determined in each child and expressed in ng/mL. Vitamin D presented significantly lower values in study group subjects than in healthy controls (p < 0.01). Moreover, a significantly higher prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency was found in children with UTIs (p < 0.01). Patients with recurrent UTIs presented significantly lower levels of vitamin D than those with first-time UTIs (p = 0.04). Urinary tract abnormalities did not seem to exercise an additional effect upon vitamin D levels within the study group. In conclusion, first-time and recurrent UTIs are associated with lower vitamin D levels. Further studies are necessary to validate our findings, as well as future longitudinal research regarding efficacy of vitamin D supplementation in children with UTIs.