Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) is a type of thrombotic microangiopathy, in the course of which some patients may develop chronic kidney disease (CKD). It is clinically important to investigate the markers of a poor prognosis. The levels of angiotensinogen (AGT) and interleukin-18 (IL-18) in serum and urine were evaluated. Study was conducted in 29 children with a history of HUS. Serum and urine AGT concentration was significantly higher in children after HUS as compared to the control group. No differences depending on the type of HUS and gender were noted. The serum concentration of IL-18 in children after HUS was significantly lower, whereas in urine did not differ significantly between the sick and healthy children. A negative correlation between the concentration of AGT in serum and albuminuria in patients after HUS was detected. The results indicate that the concentration of AGT in serum and urine in children after HUS increases, which may indicate the activation of the intrarenal renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. The statement, that AGT may be a good biomarker of CKD after acute kidney injury due to HUS requires prospective studies with follow-up from the acute phase of the disease on a larger group of patients. Reduced IL-18 serum concentration in children after HUS with no difference in its urine concentration may indicate a loss of the protective effects of this cytokine on renal function due to previously occurred HUS., K. Lipiec, P. Adamczyk, E. Świętochowska, K. Ziora, M. Szczepańska., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Předkládaná studie se věnuje specifikům dětské výpovědi. Mapuje možné zdroje její nespolehlivosti (nízká schopnost zapamatovat si a vybavit si události, vysoká sugestibilita, snadnost vzniku falešných vzpomínek, neporozumění pro procesy a interakce v okolí, možnost záměrného lhaní). Jsou uvedeny některé postupy, které mohou pomoci zkvalitnit, nebo naopak znehodnotit informace, podané dítětem. Schopnost dítěte porozumět své vlastní motivaci, prožívání a chování, stejně tak jako chování a prožívání jiných lidí je často zpochybňována. Ukazuje se však, že dětský úhel pohledu na události, které zažívá, a na sociální interakce, kterým je vystaveno, je obohacující. Přináší smysluplné informace, je jedinečný a přispívá jak k pochopení prožívání a chování dítěte a jeho aktuálních potíží, tak ke hlubšímu porozumění rodinným vztahům a jiným skutečnostem., The present study maps the possible sources of unreliability of child,s testimony (lower ability to remember and recall events, high suggestibility, easier formation of false memories, misunderstanding of the processes and interactions in surroundings, probability of deliberate lying) as well as its potential benefits in research and counselling practices. There are some procedures that can help improve or conversely depreciate information given by child. Child,s ability to understand their own motivation, experience and behaviour as well as behaviour and feelings of others are often questioned. But despite all mentioned risks, child,s testimony is very useful not only in judicial proceedings in which the child may be the only witness to the events but also in psychological research and counselling. It turns out that a child is more sensitive to some aspects of family life (conflicts) than an adult and gives even more accurate information than its parents. Child,s view of family life is important for understanding its behaviour and experience., Xenie Uholyeva., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
Obesity in children is accompanied by increased circulating leptin concentrations. Girls have higher leptin concentrations than boys. The aim of our study was to compare serum leptin levels before and after a five-week weight reduction program and to study the relationship of leptin levels, serum total cholesterol, and androgens (testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate) in 33 obese boys (age: 12.71.97 years, BMI: 30.46±4.54) and 66 obese girls (age: 12.7±2.51 years, BMI: 29.31±4.62). We found that serum leptin concentrations in obese children were significantly decreased after a weight reduction program (before 20.79±9.61 ng/ml, after 13.50±8.65 ng/ml in girls; before 12.25±10.09 ng/ml and after 5.18±3.56 ng/ml in boys, p<0.0001 in both genders). Leptin levels correlated positively with the body mass index before and after weight reduction. There was a positive association in obese boys and a negative one in obese girls between leptin levels and the WHR (waist to hip circumference ratio). Serum leptin also shows a strong relationship to fat distribution (p = 0.02 in boys, p<0.0001 in girls). No significant correlation was found between leptin concentrations and total cholesterol or androgens. We confirmed that leptin is a sensitive parameter of body composition and weight reduction in obese children., R. Pilcová, J. Šulcová, M. Hill, P. Bláha, L. Lisá., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The most common etiology of non- syndromic monogenic obesity are mutations in gene for the Melanocortin -4 receptor ( MC485 ) with variable prevalence in different countries (1.2 -6.3 % of obese children). The aim of our study was 1 ) to search for MC4R mutations in obese children in Slovakia and compare their prevalence with other European countries, and 2 ) to describe the phenotype of the mutation carriers. DNA analysis by direct Sanger sequencing of the coding exons and intron/exon boundaries of the MC4R gene was performed in 268 unrelated Slovak children and adolescents with body mass index above the 97 th percentile for age and sex and obesity onset up to 11 years (mean 4.3±2.8 years). Two different previously described heterozygous loss of function MC4R variants (i.e. p.Ser19Alafs*34, p.Ser127Leu) were identified in two obese probands, and one obese (p.Ser19Alafs*34), and one lean (p.Ser127Leu) adult family relatives. No loss of function variants were found in lean controls. The prevalence of loss -of-function MC4R variants in obese Slovak children was 0.7 %, what is one of the lowest frequencies in Europe., D. Stanikova, M. Surova, L. Ticha, M. Petrasova, D. Virgova, M. Huckova, M. Skopkova, D. Lobotkova, L. Valentinova, M. Mokan, J. Stanik, I. Klimes, D. Gasperikova., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Cíle: Cílem studie bylo sledovat a analyzovat vztah mezi kvalitou života, vnímanými sociálními vztahy a sociální exkluzí u českých dětí. Soubor a metoda: Sledovaný soubor činil 4 782 dětí ve věku 11, 13 a 15 let z 86 náhodně vybraných škol České republiky. Data byla získána v rámci studie Světové zdravotnické organizace (WHO) „The Health Behaviour in School-aged Children: A WHO Cross National Study“ (HBSC) v květnu roku 2006 prostřednictvím standardizovaného dotazníku. Hypotéza: Sociální vztahy významně ovlivňují subjektivně prožívanou kvalitu života u dětí. Statistická analýza: Analýza dat byla provedena v programu NCSS 2007, použity byly metody deskriptivní statistiky, χ² test nezávislosti v kontingenční tabulce, Fisherův přesný test, dvouvýběrový T-test, neparametrický Kolmogorovův-Smirnovův test, analýza rozptylu s následným mnohonásobným porovnáváním a korelační analýza (Pearson). Výsledky: Průměrná hodnota vyjadřující vnímané vztahy v rodině byla u celého souboru 7,6 (škála 0 - 10). Hodnocení vztahů statisticky významně záviselo na pohlaví a věku (chlapci a mladší děti hodnotily vztahy lépe). Děti, které uvedly, že se cítí často osamělé, současně je pro ně obtížné nebo velmi obtížné hovořit s matkou o věcech, které je trápí, těžko si nacházejí přátele a nejsou mezi vrstevníky oblíbené, uváděly statisticky významně častěji nižší hodnoty na sledovaných vybraných škálách kvality života. Vnímání štěstí u dětí, které udávaly problémy ve vztazích, statisticky významně souviselo s množstvím společně stráveného času v rodině, se spokojeností se svým životem, vírou v sebe sama a v budoucnost a s vnímaným smyslem života. Omezení studie: Kvalita života, sociální vztahy a sociální exkluze byly analyzovány pouze na základě vybraných kategorií otázek a na základě subjektivního vnímání dětí. and Social relationships as an important factor in children‘s quality of life
Objectives: The goal of the study was to assess the relation between quality of life and perceived social relationships and social exclusion in Czech children.
Subjects and setting: A total number of 4 782 children aged 11, 13 and 15 years out of 86 randomly selected schools in theCzech Republic formed the study population. The data was acquired in the framework of the WHO study „The Health Behaviour in School-aged Children: A WHO Cross National Study“ (HBSC) in May 2006 by means of standardized questionnaires.
Hypotheses: Social relationships have an important effect on subjectively perceived quality of life in children.
Statistical analyses: Statistical analyses included descriptive analysis, the χ² test of independence in contingency tables, Fisher’s test, two samples T-test, the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, analyses of variance with post-hoc test, and correlational analyses (Pearson) using the NCSS 2007 program.
Results: The average value of perceived family relationships was 7,6 (scale 0-10) amongst all of the sample cases. Assessment of relationships was significantly associated with age and gender. Children who perceived themselves as lonely and stated that it is difficult for them to communicate with their mothers about things that trouble them, and that it is also difficult for them to find friends and who felt that they are not popular among their peers gave significantly lower values on the chosen quality of life scales. The feeling of happiness in children with problematic relationships was significantly associated with the amount of time spent with their family, satisfaction with one’s life, self-confidence, trust in the future and perception of life.
Study limitation: Quality of life, social relationships, and social exclusion were analysed on the basis of selected question categories and subjective perception of children.
Objectives. The main goal of the study was to analyse in detail specific family indicators and their relation to selected indicator of life satisfaction in a representative sample of Czech children. Sample and setting. A total number of 4 351 children aged 11, 13 and 15 years out of 88 randomly selected schools in Czech Republic formed the study population. The data was acquired in the framework of the WHO study “The Health Behaviour in School-aged Children: A WHO Cross National Study” (HBSC) in June 2010 by means of standardized questionnaires. Research questions. Is formal structure of family or the quality of communication more important for children's life satisfaction? Statistical analysis. Statistical analysis included descriptive analyses, the x2 test of independence in contingency tables, Fisher’s exact test, two samples T-test, one and two way analysis of variance using the NCSS 2007 program. Logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the influence of family on life satisfaction of children and prevalence odds ratios with 95% confidence interval were calculated as measure of association. Results. Life satisfaction was high for majority of children, it reached two thirds of possible maximum at both of the followed scales (Cantril index, Huebner scale) for the whole sample. Life satisfaction was significantly associated (p<0,001) with age, gender, formal structure of family and quality of communication in family. Children from complete families with easy or very easy communication with both parents had the highest values at both of the followed life satisfaction scales. Study limitations. Limitations of the study result from the cross-sectional design and data based on self-reports. Both life satisfaction and family were analysed on the basis of selected question categories., L. Hodačová, E. Čermáková, J. Šmejkalová, E. Hlaváčková, M. Kalman., and Obsahuje seznam literatury