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Two recent indigenous cases of tinea capitis in children due to pale isolates of Trichophyton violaceum are reported herein for the first time from South-East Europe (Greece). Pale isolates of Trichophyton violaceum, reported in the past as Trichophyton glabrum, are thus far sporadically reported only from African or Asian countries. The cases reported herein raise the awareness of its existence in the community, assigning special importance to its accurate identification in the clinical laboratory.

The in vivo effect of sodium valproate (SV) on the activity of uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferase (UDP-GT) and hepatotoxicity in the mouse liver was studied. Mice were injected intraperitoneally (IP) with SV at doses varying from 50 to 800 mg/kg per day, for six consecutive days (dose-response group) or at a standard dose of 300 mg/g per day for 2-10 days (time-response group), whereas the controls were injected with normal saline. Valproic acid levels had a positive correlation to the dose (P < 0.001) and duration of drug administration (P = 0.006). A gradual increase in UDP-GT activity was observed in doses of up to approximately 400 mg/kg per day, whereas in higher doses the enzyme activity gradually decreased. The time course of UDP-GT activity at the standard dose of 300 mg/kg per day increased progressively, with a maximum up to the sixth day and then had a gradual reduction. Hepatic necrosis (which was unrelated to the dose or the duration of drug administration) was found in 13% of the SV-treated animals and in none of the controls. We conclude that at an optimal dose (300-400 mg/kg per day) and at a time course of 6 days, SV causes liver UDP-GT induction, whereas in higher doses and longer duration of administration, UDP-GT activity is gradually reduced. SV also causes hepatotoxicity unrelated to dose and time course.

A total of 140 non-replicate Streptococcus pneumoniae community isolates from Greek children collected during the period 1995-1997 were studied. Combined intermediate and high penicillin resistance rates were 23% in 1995, 29% in 1996, and 27% in 1997. The proportion of highly resistant isolates steadily increased from 2% in 1995 to 12% in 1997. There was no significant difference in penicillin resistance rates among colonizing and infecting isolates (23 and 27%, respectively). Over the study period, a clear shift towards higher penicillin MIC was observed among both the susceptible and resistant groups. Thus, penicillin resistance rates were equally high among colonizing and infecting isolates and resistance levels appeared to be gradually increasing throughout the entire S. pneumoniae population.

We prospectively examined the epidemiology of invasive Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) infections among children under 5 y of age in the Greater Athens area before the introduction of immunization. The annual incidence of systemic Hib infections was 12/100000. Meningitis was the most common clinical entity and accounted for 69% of the cases. In the prevaccine era, the incidence of systemic Hib disease, particularly that of meningitis, was much lower in Greece compared to rates reported from Northern and Central Europe.

Gastric emptying rate was measured in term infants without jaundice, with mild jaundice, and with moderate jaundice before and after phototherapy. Gastric emptying was significantly delayed in the moderately jaundiced infants (serum unconjugated bilirubin 233-332 mumol/l) but returned to normal following phototherapy. Mild jaundice (serum unconjugated bilirubin 170-204 mumol/l) had no effect on gastric emptying. Jaundice appears to inhibit gastric emptying, and phototherapy influences emptying indirectly by lowering serum bilirubin concentration. This effect is likely to be of clinical significance in a small minority of jaundiced infants.