bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Central and peripheral temperature change in normal infants
Authors: Tappin D. M. , Ford R. P. K. , Price B. , Macey P. M. , Larkin J. 
Published: March 2003

AbstractThe purpose was to explore the relationship between the fall in rectal temperature seen in normal infants after being put down to sleep and the concomitant rise in peripheral shin temperature. In this observational study 21 normal infants had continuous overnight peripheral shin and central rectal temperature recorded, for three nights at 2 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months and 5 months of age. Parents documented the start and end of feed/nappy changing episodes during the night. All recordings were made in the infants’ own home. A strong inverse linear correlation (median r2 = 0.95, lower quartile 0.92, upper quartile 0.97) was seen between rectal temperature and shin temperature on falling to sleep when put down on 106 (65%) of 161 nights. On many other nights a significant non‐linear association was present. It was not possible to exclude the process of being put down to sleep as a confounding variable in this strong association. However, a similar inverse relationship between shin and rectal temperature was seen overnight during 111 of 121 (92%) feed/nappy changing episodes. If causal, the development in early infancy of an inverse relationship between shin and rectal temperature may be important for cardiovascular homeostasis. Further sleep laboratory work including video recording is required to separate the peripheral and central temperature changes that take place on falling to sleep from those associated with removal of clothing during a nappy change.
A dose–response relationship between short sleeping hours and childhood obesity: results of the Toyama Birth Cohort Study
Authors: Sekine Michikazu , Yamagami Takashi , Handa Kyoko , Saito Tomohiro , Nanri Seiichiro , Kawaminami Katsuhiko , Tokui Noritaka , Yoshida Katsumi , Kagamimori Sadanobu 
Published: March 2003

AbstractBackground Short sleeping hours could cause obesity through increased sympathetic activity, elevated cortisol secretion and decreased glucose tolerance. The aim of this study was to clarify parental and lifestyle factors, particularly sleeping habits, associated with obesity in Japanese children.Methods Between June and July 1996, 8274 children (4194 males and 4080 females) aged 6–7 years living in Toyama prefecture, Japan, were investigated by questionnaire survey and the collection of anthropometric data. Subjects with a body mass index (BMI; weight in kg divided by square of height in m) greater than the age‐ and sex‐specific cut‐off points linked to adulthood overweight (BMI of 25 kg/m2 or more) were defined as obese subjects. Parental obesity was defined as a BMI of 25 kg/m2 or more. Logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the strength of the relationships between parental obesity or lifestyle factors and childhood obesity, adjusted for possible confounding factors.Results Parental obesity, long hours of TV watching and physical inactivity were significantly associated with childhood obesity. Although wake‐up time was not related to obesity, there was a significant dose–response relationship between late bedtime or short sleeping hours and childhood obesity. Compared with children with 10 or more hours of sleep, the adjusted odds ratio was 1.49 (95% confidence interval 1.08–2.14) for those with 9–10 h sleep, 1.89 (1.34–2.73) for those with 8–9 h sleep and 2.87 (1.61–5.05) for those with <8 h sleep, after adjustment for age, sex, parental obesity and other lifestyle factors.Conclusion A strong inverse association was observed in the relationship between sleeping hours and childhood obesity. Longitudinal research will be required to confirm this causality.
Psychological adjustment in children with end stage renal disease: the impact of maternal stress and coping
Authors: Madden S. J. , Hastings R. P. , Hoff W. V’ant 
Published: March 2003

AbstractObjective To explore maternal and child perspectives on children’s adjustment in the context of paediatric renal disease, and maternal psychological variables that may account for variance in child and maternal ratings.Methods Forty‐three children with end stage renal disease and their maternal caregivers completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Mothers also reported on their own mental health, and the strategies they used to cope with their child’s illness. The severity of the child’s condition was rated independently by a renal clinician.Results Compared with normative data for the SDQ, mothers reported their children to be at increased risk of psychological problems. However, the children themselves reported no more problems than a normative sample. Mothers’ coping and mental health explained some of the variance in their ratings of the child’s adjustment but were not predictive of the children’s self‐ratings.Conclusions The results suggest that maternal factors may not explain the variability in children’s adjustment to chronic illness, perhaps especially within the age range studied here. Practical implications of the data are also discussed. In particular, a systemic approach to paediatric liaison by psychologists is emphasized.
Waiting time for rehabilitation services for children with physical disabilities
Authors: Feldman D. Ehrmann , Champagne F. , Korner‐Bitensky N. , Meshefedjian G. 
Published: March 2003

AbstractBackgroundEarly rehabilitation may minimize disability and complications. However, children often wait a long time to gain admission to rehabilitation centres.ObjectivesTo describe waiting times for paediatric physical and occupational therapy and to determine factors associated with these waiting times.Research DesignThe study was a prospective cohort design. Patients were followed from 1 January 1999 to 1 March 2000.SubjectsAll children with physical disabilities, aged 0–18 years, referred in 1999 from the Montreal Children's Hospital to paediatric rehabilitation centres.MeasuresData on date of referral, date of first appointment at the rehabilitation centre, age, gender, diagnosis, region and language were obtained from the rehabilitation transfer database. Primary family caregivers of children who were transferred to a rehabilitation facility participated in a telephone interview regarding their perceptions of the transfer process.ResultsThere were 172 children referred to rehabilitation facilities. The mean age of the children was 2.5 years. Average waiting time was 157.4 days (SD 57.1) for occupational therapy and 129.4 days (SD 51.6) for physical therapy. Decreased waiting time was associated with living in the city as opposed to the suburbs (hazard ratio = 1.77; 95% confidence interval = 0.92–3.41) and inversely associated with age (hazard ratio = 0.46; 95% confidence interval = 0.34–0.62). Among the 41 primary family caregivers who participated in the survey, higher empowerment scores were associated with shorter waits for rehabilitation.ConclusionWaiting time for rehabilitation services needs to be reduced. Empowered parents appear to manoeuvre within the system to reduce waiting times for their children.
A multimethod approach to the evaluation of community preschool speech and language therapy provision
Authors: Glogowska Margaret , Campbell Rona , Peters Tim J , Roulstone Sue , Enderby Pam 
Published: March 2003

Abstract Objectives The paper presents a research study investigating the effectiveness and acceptability of community speech and language therapy provision for preschool children with early speech/language delays. As a ‘worked example’, it demonstrates the value of a multimethod approach to evaluation. Methods The paper examines how the research findings of a pragmatic randomized controlled trial (RCT), a survey questionnaire and qualitative in‐depth interviews, which were the methods used in the evaluation, overlap and complement each other. Results  There was little evidence to establish the effectiveness of the speech and language therapy provided in the trial. This lack of difference was reflected in responses of parents to items on the questionnaire. The findings of the RCT, questionnaire and interviews all cast considerable doubt on the prospect of spontaneous resolution of the children's difficulties. Although the RCT showed few differences between the children allocated to immediate therapy or ‘watchful waiting’, the questionnaire and interviews revealed the circumstances in which the parents felt that these intervention strategies had been acceptable and unacceptable. Conclusions  Although the trial provided information about the progress of the children, the questionnaire and interview components highlighted the advantages and limitations of the intervention from the viewpoint of parents, thereby helping to explain the RCT findings. Thus, the study demonstrates how a multimethod approach to evaluation can yield useful information to explain the findings of RCTs.
IgG subclass responses to pigeon intestinal mucin are related to development of pigeon fanciers' lung
Authors: Baldwin  , Todd  , Bourke  , Allen  , Calvert  
Published: March 2003

BackgroundPigeon fanciers' lung (PFL) is a form of extrinsic allergic alveolitis. Affected individuals produce antibodies to various pigeon antigens, and the resulting immune complexes are thought to initiate the disease. However, high antibody titres also occur in some asymptomatic individuals. Previously attention has focused on protein antigens, but we have recently identified pigeon intestinal mucin as a novel antigen in PFL.ObjectiveTo determine the relationship between IgG subclass antibodies to pigeon intestinal mucin and the development of pigeon fanciers' lung.MethodsSera were collected from 250 pigeon fanciers, who also completed a clinical questionnaire. Sera were screened for precipitating antibodies to pigeon serum and droppings. Individuals with symptoms and precipitating antibodies were considered to have classical PFL. Serum IgG and IgG subclass antibodies to pigeon intestinal mucin and pigeon serum proteins were investigated by quantitative enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).ResultsVery high titres of IgG antibodies against pigeon mucin were found in all precipitin‐positive individuals. A strong positive correlation was seen between titres of antibodies to mucin and to serum proteins, but this was not due to crossreactivity. No significant differences in IgG titres to either mucin or pigeon serum proteins were found between individuals with PFL and asymptomatic precipitin positive fanciers. IgG1 and IgG2 were the major subclasses of anti‐mucin, with lower titres of IgG3. Patients with PFL had significantly higher titres of IgG1 to mucin than asymptomatic, precipitin‐positive individuals. In contrast, no significant differences were seen between PFL and asymptomatic precipitin‐positive sera with respect to the subclass titres against pigeon serum proteins.ConclusionThe high titres of anti‐mucin IgG in sera of all individuals with PFL, together with the finding that high IgG1 titres to mucin are associated with the development of disease confirm pigeon intestinal mucin as an important antigen in PFL.
Association of asthma and the interleukin‐4 promoter gene in Japanese
Authors: Noguchi  , Shibasaki  , Arinami  , Takeda  , Yokouchi  , Kawashima  , Yanagi  , Matsui  , Hamaguchi  
Published: March 2003

BackgroundSusceptibility to the development of asthma and other atopic diseases is known to be associated with genetic components. Several investigator have linked the interleukin‐4 (IL‐4) gene and nearby markers located on chromosome 5 to atopy and asthma. Recent study has demonstrated that the T allele of a polymorphism in the IL‐4 gene promoter region (C‐590T) is associated with elevated levels of total serum IgE.ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to evaluate the possible role of this IL‐4 polymorphism (C‐590T) in modulating the allergic response and asthma in Japanese children.Method and ResultsThe study was conducted in two different populations: families ascertained through asthmatic children (asthmatic group, 306 members) in whom linkage of asthma and atopy to chromosome 5q31–33 is suggested and a random general population (control group, 215 members). The IL‐4 C‐590T polymorphism was genotyped by PCR‐restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. Frequency of the T allele was 0.73 in the asthmatic group and 0.70 in the control group. No significant difference in the levels of total serum IgE and specific IgE to house dust mite was observed between subjects with homozygote for the C allele, a heterozygote and a homozygote for the T allele by intrafamilial and interfamilial comparisons. Using the transmission disequilibrium test, however, we found a significantly frequent transmission of the T allele to asthmatic children (χ2 = 5.72, P = 0.023).ConclusionOur data suggest that the IL‐4 promoter C‐590T polymorphism may be associated with the development of asthma in Japanese children, but not through modulating total serum IgE levels.
Various immunological phenotypes are associated with increased airway responsiveness
Authors: Herz  , Braun  , RÜckert  , Renz  
Published: March 2003

BackgroundBronchial asthma is characterized by a TH2 type immune response, chronic inflammation of the airways and increased airway responsiveness. The relationship between IgE‐ and inflammatory‐dependent mechanisms that contribute to bronchial asthma are not well defined.ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to compare and analyse the immune pathways that resulted in development of allergen‐induced and/or inflammatory dependent increased airways responsiveness.ResultsBALB/c and C57BL/6 mice responded to OVA‐sensitization with elevated allergen‐specific IgE/IgG1 serum antibody‐titres and the development of cutaneous immediate‐type hypersensitivity reactions. Increased airway responsiveness was observed following airway allergen challenges. However, the inflammatory component of the lung differed between the strains. In OVA‐sensitized BALB/c mice a marked increase in lymphocytes, eosinophils and neutrophils in BAL fluids was parallelled with elevated production of IL‐4, IL‐5 and TNFα in the lung. In contrast in OVA‐sensitized C57BL/6 mice, the inflammatory immune response in the lung was much weaker. We postulate that two pathways can regulate the induction of increased airway responsiveness. One depends on the presence of allergen‐specific IgE/IgG1 and allergen, and a second is mediated by allergen‐independent inflammation of the lung. To test this hypothesis, BALB/c mice were treated nasally with low doses of bacterial superantigen (SEB) as a prototypical inducer of airway inflammation, following which influx of lymphocytes, eosinophils and neutrophils into the airways was parallelled by development of increased airway‐responsiveness in the absence of allergen‐specific IgE/IgG1 antibodies and allergen.ConclusionsThese results indicate that increased airway responsiveness is associated with different immunological phenotypes in BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice.
GM‐CSF, IL‐5 and RANTES immunoreactivity and mRNA expression in chronic hyperplastic sinusitis with nasal polyposis (NP)
Authors: Hamilos  , Leung  , Huston  , Kamil  , Wood  , Hamid  
Published: March 2003

BackgroundEosinophils are a prominent feature of chronic hyperplastic sinusitis with nasal polyposis (CHS/NP). Our previous studies showed that their presence was associated with the expression of GM‐CSF and RANTES mRNA. In allergic NP, increased expression of IL‐5 was also found.ObjectiveWe wished to examine cytokine immunoreactivity for IL‐5, GM‐CSF and RANTES mRNA in allergic and non‐allergic NP and compare immunoreactivity with expression of cytokine mRNA by in situ hybridization.MethodsNP were obtained from five allergic and eight non‐allergic subjects with CHS/NP. Middle turbinate tissue from eight normal subjects were used as controls. Cell‐associated cytokine mRNA was detected by in situ hybridization (ISH). Cytokine immunoreactive cells were enumerated by immunostaining. Colocalization immunostaining was also performed to identify specific cell types producing IL‐5.ResultsImmunostaining for GM‐CSF, IL‐5 and RANTES protein was increased in both allergic and non‐allergic NP compared with control middle turbinates. Allergic polyps contained greater numbers of IL‐5 immunoreactive cells (P = 0.01), whereas non‐allergic polyps contained greater numbers of GM‐CSF immunoreactive cells (P = 0.04). Immunostaining was primarily associated with inflammatory cells, but immunostaining for RANTES and, to a lesser extent GM‐CSF, was also seen in the epithelium. The density of immunoreactive cells was variably correlated with cytokine mRNA+ cells (GM‐CSF: R = 0.56, P = 0.05; IL‐5: R = 0.76, P = 0.003; and RANTES: R = 0.89, P = 0.0005). Colocalization immunostaining revealed that the majority of IL‐5 immunoreactive cells in both allergic and non‐allergic NP were T lymphocytes. However, allergic NP contained greater numbers of IL‐5+/CD3+ T lymphocytes and IL‐5+ mast cells, whereas non‐allergic NP contained greater numbers of IL‐5+ eosinophils.ConclusionWe conclude that GM‐CSF, IL‐5 and RANTES are produced in increased amounts in both allergic and non‐allergic NP. Distinguishing features of non‐allergic NP include fewer numbers of CD3 T lymphocytes, fewer IL‐5+/CD3+ T lymphocytes and greater numbers of IL‐5+ eosinophils. These differences may suggest different mechanisms of eosinophil accumulation and activation in allergic vs non‐allergic NP.
Expression of B7 co‐stimulatory molecules and CD1a antigen by alveolar macrophages in allergic bronchial asthma
Authors: Agea  , Forenza  , Piattoni  , Russano  , Monaco  , Flenghi  , Bistoni  , Gillies  , Azuma  , Bertotto  , Spinozzi  
Published: March 2003

BackgroundLung allergen recognition that takes place in the airways of asthmatic subjects is still a controversial matter.ObjectiveWe hypothesized that a rapid allergen recognition process requires the presence, at the mucosal surface, of professional APC, such as B7+ alveolar macrophages (AM) and/or CD1+ dendritic cells, which usually have a lower expression in the normal human lung.MethodsStudies were performed on bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid collected from 10 untreated allergic subjects and 10 adult normal volunteers. Further controls consisted of five untreated pulmonary sarcoidosis (PS) and four extrinsic allergic alveolitis (EAA) individuals. To ascertain whether T helper 2‐type cytokines or allergen influence B7 and CD1 antigen expression, in vitro studies were carried out using unprimed (naive) cord blood plastic‐adherent monocytes.ResultsCytofluorymetric analysis revealed that AM from asthmatics, unlike those from normal subjects or patients with PS or EAA, overexpressed B7‐2, CD1a and, to a lesser extent, B7‐1 surface molecules. Immunohistochemical studies confirmed the presence of CD1+ dendritic cells in the BAL fluid from asthmatic subjects. On in vitro cultured naive cord blood monocytes both purified Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus allergen and T‐cell cytokines, i.e. IL‐4 and granulocyte macrophage colony‐stimulating factor, induced surface expression of B7‐2 and CD1a receptors, whereas they had no appreciable effect on that of B7‐1 membrane molecule.ConclusionsTaken together, these findings support the proposal that airways of atopic individuals are equipped with professional APC that synergize with allergen‐specific T cells for the recognition of intact allergens. When the recognition process takes place, asthmatic symptoms could develop in genetically susceptible individuals.
Isolation and characterization of major banana allergens: identification as fruit class I chitinases
Authors: SANCHEZ‐MONGE  , BLANCO  , DÍAZ‐PERALES  , COLLADA  , CARRILLO  , ARAGONCILLO  , SALCEDO  
Published: March 2003

BackgroundBanana allergy has been associated with the latex–fruit syndrome. Several IgE‐binding components, the relevant ones being proteins of 30–37‐kDa, have been detected in banana fruit, but none of them have been isolated and characterized yet. Objective To purify and characterize the 30–37  kDa banana allergens.MethodsFifteen patients allergic to banana were selected on the grounds of a latex‐allergic population. Prick by prick tests to this fruit were performed. Total and specific IgE to banana were determined. Banana allergens were isolated by affinity chromatography, followed by cation‐exchange chromatography. Their characterization includes N‐terminal sequencing, enzymatic activity assays, immunodetection with sera from allergic patients and with antichitinase antibodies, and CAP and immunoblot inhibition tests. Skin prick tests with banana extracts and with the purified allergens were also carried out.ResultsTwo major IgE‐binding proteins of 34 and 32 kDa, also recognized by polyclonal antibodies against chestnut chitinases, were immunodetected in crude banana extracts. Purification and characterization of both proteins have allowed their identification as class I chitinases with an hevein‐like domain. Each isolated allergen reached inhibition values higher than 90% in CAP inhibition assays, and fully inhibited the IgE‐binding by the crude banana extract when tested by an immunoblot inhibition method. The two purified allergens provoked positive skin prick test responses in more than 50% of the banana‐allergic patients.ConclusionsClass I chitinases with an hevein‐like domain are major allergens in banana fruit. Their presence in other fruits and nuts, such as avocado and chestnut, could explain the cross‐sensitization among these foods.