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Purpose: Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) is an active sphingolipid with chemotactic abilities and has been linked to inflammatory mediators and autoimmune disease. The aim of this study was to assess whether children with juvenile-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (JSLE) express increased systemic and/or urinary concentrations of S1P. Methods: A subgroup of patients participating in the UK JSLE Cohort Study, were invited to participate. Cross sectional serum and urine samples were prospectively collected along with demographic and standard clinical data. Results were compared to a cohort of disease controls (Henoch Schonlein Purpura; HSP) and healthy controls (HC). Results: The median age of JSLE patients ( n = 15) was 13.6 years (7.2-16.9 years). The serum concentrations of S1P in JSLE patients (7.4 uM, IQR 6.3-12.3 uM) were statistically significantly increased when compared to patients with HSP ( n = 10; 5.2 uM, IQR 4.0-7.9 uM; p = 0.016) and HCs ( n = 10; 3.8 uM, IQR 2.1-5.8 uM; p = 0.003). There was a trend towards increased serum S1P concentrations between patients with active lupus nephritis ( n = 8; 8.7 uM, IQR 6.2-15.3 uM) compared to lupus non-nephritis ( n = 7; 6.6 uM, IQR 6.3-10.6 uM; p = 0.355). No relationship was found between disease activity markers and S1P. Urine S1P concentrations were no different between JSLE patients (56.0 nM, IQR 40.3-96.6 nM) and HCs (58.7 nM, IQR 0-241.9 nM; p = 0.889). Conclusions: We have demonstrated, for the first time, an increased serum concentration of S1P in a cohort of JSLE patients. These findings highlight a role of S1P in the pathophysiology of JSLE that warrants further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Infection is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Infection is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Infection is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Infection is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Unlabelled: Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a chronic lung disease often occurring in ventilator-treated very low birth weight infants. The aetiology of BPD is multifactorial and pulmonary immaturity, high oxygen concentrations, peak inspiratory pressure levels and large tidal volumes during prolonged mechanical ventilation are important factors. We measured in tracheobronchial aspirate fluid (TAF) the concentrations of the pro-inflammatory cytokines tumour necrosis factor alpha, interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), IL-6, IL-8, and IL-1 receptor antagonist in infants requiring artificial ventilation for BPD (n = 17) or respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) (n = 15) or postoperatively after surgery (n = 15). The median levels of all studied cytokines in TAF were higher in infants with BPD without local or systemic corticosteroid treatment compared to the median TAF levels of BPD neonates treated with corticosteroids (P = 0.06-P < 0.01). The neonates with BPD not treated with corticosteroids also showed higher levels of the five studied cytokines in TAF compared to infants on short-time ventilator treatment (P < 0.01-P < 0.001) and compared to neonates with RDS (P = 0.07-P < 0.001). The corticosteroid treated neonates with BPD had TAF cytokine levels approaching those of the control neonates.Conclusion: Tumour necrosis factors alpha, IL-1 beta, IL6, IL8 and IL1ra were markedly elevated in tracheobronchial aspirate fluids from neonates with bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Corticoid treatment seemed to reduce these levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two hundred and thirty-two strains of Escherichia coli isolated from children with non-obstructive acute pyelonephritis (n=65), women with non-obstructive acute pyelonephritis (n=63) and the faecal flora of healthy children (n=33) and adults (n=71) were examined for cytotoxic necrotizing factor production, haemolysin synthesis, verocytotoxin production and expression of mannose-resistant haemagglutination of human erythrocytes. Forty-eight per cent of the pyelonephritogenic Escherichia coli strains produced cytotoxic necrotizing factor and 61 % produced haemolysin compared to 25 % and 27 % of faecal control strains (p<0.001 and p<0.001 respectively). Cytotoxic necrotizing factor production did not occur among the non-haemolytic Escherichia coli strains which confirms the close association between these two toxic factors. The bacterial phenotypes producing both haemolysin and cytotoxic necrotizing factor, and the phenotype expressing both these toxic factors and mannose-resistant haemagglutination occurred significantly more often in pyelonephritogenic strains than in faecal isolates (p<0.001). Haemolytic strains without the ability to produce cytotoxic necrotizing factor were more common in faecal isolates than in uropathogenic strains (p=0.05). Strains lacking the ability to synthesize both these toxins were also over-represented in faecal isolates (p<0.01). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The faecal colonization with Clostridium difficile was investigated among 343 infants during their first 18 months of life. Rectal swabs were taken at the ages of 6 days, 6 weeks, 6 months, 11 months and 18 months. About 25 % of the children were colonized with Clostridium difficile between 6 days and 6 months of age. The colonization rate decreased to 3 % at 18 months of age. The rate of strains producing cytotoxin was low in infants less than 6 months of age, but at that age about half of the strains isolated were toxin-producing. Breast-fed children were significantly less often colonized with Clostridium difficile than were bottle-fed infants, both at 6 weeks of age (21 % versus 47 %, p<0.05) and at 6 months of age (19 % versus 39 %, p<0.001). Colonization with Clostridium difficile at 6 months of age was associated with a greater frequency of diarrhoeal disease between 6 and 11 months of age (27 % versus 16 %, p<0.05). This association was even more pronounced when the bacteria persisted at 11 months of age (54 %, p<0.01). Antibiotic therapy could not be demonstrated to influence colonization with Clostridium difficile at any age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A total of 323 Escherichia coli strains from children with primary acute non-obstructive pyelonephritis (n=144) or cystitis (n=56) and from adults with acute non-obstructive pyelonephritis (n=66) or cystitis (n=57) were examined for presence of the aerobactin-mediated iron uptake system and expression of P-fimbriae. Overall, pyelonephritogenic Escherichia coli strains were significantly more often aerobactin-positive (72 %) than cystitis strains (42 %) (p<0.001). Seventy-three percent of the isolates from children with acute pyelonephritis were aerobactin-positive compared to 54 % of the cystitis strains (p<0.05). Pyelonephritogenic Escherichia coli strains from adults were also significantly more often aerobactin-positive (70 %) than cystitis strains (30 %) (p<0.001). The cystitis strains from children were more often aerobactin-positive than cystitis strains from adult patients (p<0.05). There was a significant correlation between presence of the aerobactin-mediated iron uptake system and expression of P-fimbriae in all strains (p<0.001). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study was to investigate the properties of fecal P-fimbriated Escherichia coli strains in neonates and to relate these characteristics to the later development of acute pyelonephritis. In a 2 1/2 year prospective study of the children admitted to a particular neonatal ward, 113 children were found to be fecally colonized with a P-fimbriated Escherichia coli strain. However, only one of these children developed pyelonephritis from this strain during the first year of life. The combined results of serotyping, biochemical phenotyping and determination of outer membrane protein pattern as clonal characterization suggested that only 26 of the P-fimbriated strains belonged to a pyelonephritogenic Escherichia coli clone. It is concluded that the risk of a child colonized with an Escherichia coli strain belonging to such a clone of developing pyelonephritis, as calculated in this study, is about 4 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 14 adolescents with diabetes, the postprandial blood glucose, after ingestion of two popular snacks, milk chocolate bar and potato chips, was compared to a prescribed mid-afternoon snack that was isocaloric with the comparison snacks. The prescribed diabetes snack consisted of wholemeal wheat bread, margarine, cheese and apple (1533 kJ/365 kcal): 14% protein, 32% fat and 54% carbohydrate. The milk chocolate bar and the potato chips contained 4% protein, 55% fat and 41% carbohydrate. The mean blood glucose peak was 4.7 (+/- 0.8) mmol/l after the regular diabetes snack, after the milk chocolate bar 2.9 (+/- 0.6) mmol/l, and 3.2 (+/- 0.6) mmol/l after the potato chips (P > 0.05). The mean incremental area under the blood glucose curve was 450.3 (+/- 105.5) mmol/l x 180 min for the regular diabetes snack, 269.5 (+/- 96.7) mmol/l x 180 min for the milk chocolate bar and 191.7 (+/- 95.0) mmol/l x 180 min for the potato chips (P > 0.05). We conclude that an occasional exchange of a regular diabetes afternoon snack for an isocaloric amount of milk chocolate bar or potato chips has no negative impact on the postprandial blood glucose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between urine interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-8 (IL-8)/creatinine quotients and 99mTc-dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) scintigraphy, performed within 10 days of acute first-time pyelonephritis and after 1 year, was studied in 41 children. The urine IL-6 and IL-8/creatinine quotients were also related to the urine N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) and albumin/creatinine quotients. Presence of DMSA uptake defects, reflecting local inflammation, in children in the acute phase of pyelonephritis, were associated with elevated urine IL-6/creatinine quotients (median 27 pg/mumol); in children without DMSA changes there was no increase in quotients (median non-detectable) (P < 0.05). Persistent DMSA changes at the 1-year follow-up, probably reflecting renal scarring, were only seen in children with increased urine IL-6/creatinine quotients in the acute phase (P < 0.01). No correlation was found between urine IL-8 and DMSA uptake defects. Vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) at 6-8 weeks did not correlate with the urine cytokine levels in the acute phase. The urine excretion of NAG and albumin, reflecting renal dysfunction, was associated with values of both urine IL-6 and IL-8/creatinine quotients, but not with DMSA defects or VUR. Thus, the initial urine IL-6/creatinine quotients might be used as an indicator of risk for persistent renal damage in acute pyelonephritis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Infection is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)