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Background: An international, longitudinal medical follow up examination of male professional road cyclists revealed excessively elevated serum ferritin levels. Objective: To evaluate the importance of elevated ferritin values among professional cyclists, their relationship with age and nationality, and their evolution over 3 years. Methods: Over 1000 serum ferritin values were collected. Other parameters were included in order to exclude conditions which might have increased ferritin levels without changing body iron stores. Results: In 1999, over 45% of riders displayed ferritin values above 300 ng/ml and one fourth levels over 500 ng/ml. These percentages had decreased to 27% and 9%, respectively, 3 years later, while the overall average, which was above the normal limits in 1999, had decreased by 33% in 3 years. Older cyclists had higher ferritin values than younger cyclists. There was also a relationship between ferritin levels and the nationality of the cyclists. Analysis of 714 riders in 2000 and 2002 showed only a slight and insignificant decrease in the mean ferritin value although those with initially elevated iron stores had a much greater decrease. Conclusion: Professional road cyclists used excessive iron supplementation leading to high serum ferritin levels correlating with increased body iron stores. Although the situation progressively improved over 3 years, it remains worrying as increased body iron stores are related to health complications. Therefore, prevention in addition to the fight against doping should be a main goal of the UCI. Aggressive therapy for athletes with excessive ferritin values should be carried out at or before the end of their careers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reviews the literature concerning leptin responses to insulin administration in children born with short stature, with special regard to children with and without growth hormone (GH) deficiency. Study findings indicate that GH has no direct effect on short-term leptin regulation. Study results also suggest that insulin administration may increase and decrease plasma leptin levels in humans depending on the presence of hypoglycemia.

Aim: In 1989, a scoring system that aimed to identify infants at risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) by a structured questionnaire [SIDS risk questionnaire (SRQ)] consisting of 25 items was introduced in Styria (Austria). It was the aim of the study to compare SIDS rates in the population that had access to the SRQ with the population that had no access. Furthermore, for the population receiving the SRQ, the responding (compliant) and non-responding (non-compliant) groups were compared concerning the incidence of SIDS.Methods: Within the study period, 53 865 births and 57 SIDS cases were recorded (incidence 1.06/1000) and analysed retrospectively.Results: The incidence of SIDS was significantly higher in the non-responding population (2.36/ 1000) than in the responding group (0.81/1000, p < 0.001). However, the incidence of SIDS was not significantly different in the population that had access to the risk questionnaire (1.29/1000) and the group without access (0.86/1000, p = 0.145).Conclusion: The value of any questionnaire used for SIDS prevention may be limited by the existence of a non-compliant population which represents a risk group and should be targeted by other preventive measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To find out whether simulated bladder voiding was able to induce arousals in sleeping infants. Methods: Polygraphic recordings were performed in 34 infants and voiding was simulated by administering water into the diaper. Results: Heart rate, respiratory frequency and electroencephalogram frequency did not change significantly during this procedure. Furthermore, simulated voiding was unable to cause an awakening or to induce body movements in sleeping infants. Conclusion: Simulated voiding was unable to induce arousals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a boy who developed a vertebral stroke immediately after an appendectomy. Basilar impression was diagnosed eight years after this event when skull roentgenograms revealed basilar impression with high standing tip of the odontoid. We speculate that muscle relaxation and cervical hyperextension during intubation in the presence of basilar impression resulted in vertebral artery dissection and stroke. We suggest that patients with vertebral stroke and no obvious risk factors should be evaluated for the presence of malformations of the craniovertebral junction to be able to take precautions against excessive neck movement during intubation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ghrelin is a peptide hormone, which plays an important role in appetite regulation. The effects of exercise on ghrelin plasma concentrations are still not clear, especially in children and adolescents. The aim of this study was to investigate the response of acylated and total ghrelin concentrations to controlled exercise in school-aged children. Thirty-six healthy school-aged children (mean age 12.61 years, SD ± 0.39) underwent a controlled bicycle exercise test. Before and immediately after exercise, blood samples were taken in order to measure plasma ghrelin concentrations. The control group consisted of 24 healthy school-aged children. After controlled short-time exercise, total ghrelin concentrations showed no significant difference, whereas acylated ghrelin concentrations increased significantly ( P<0.001) in the study population compared with the control group. Moreover, we found a correlation between the proportional increase of acylated ghrelin and the duration of exercise ( P<0.01), and between the proportional increase of acylated ghrelin and maximal performance ( P<0.01). Increased levels of acylated ghrelin after exercise could be a physiological response to ensure a sufficient caloric intake after energy consumption in children and adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to analyse changes in peripheral oxygenation in healthy term neonates within the first week of life with near-infrared spectroscopy and venous occlusion. Oxygen delivery did not change with increasing age. Oxygen consumption and fractional oxygen extraction increased, whereas tissue oxygenation index decreased with increasing age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on a study which compared cerebral tissue oxgenation index (c-TOI) and peripheral tissue oxygenation index (p-TOI) in preterm infants. Spatially resolved spectroscopy and near-infrared spectroscopy were used to measure c-TOI and p-TOI. Information on the demographic and clinical characteristics of the infants is also provided. Results of the study showed that differences in the ratio of the vascular compartments in muscle and brain can influence the c-TOI and p-TOI values.