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Zinc deficiency, which is common in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF), can lead to several complications that may increase the number of hospital admissions in this group of patients. As supplementary zinc can prevent such complications, this study was performed to evaluate the effect of supplementary zinc on body mass index (BMI), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and number of hospitalizations in CF patients. In this study, 30 children with CF, who were referred to the Digestive Diseases Clinic of the Children's Medical Center in Tehran, were enrolled. Supplementary zinc of 2 mg/kg per day was administered to all patients. Serum level of zinc, alkaline phosphatase, and albumin as well as BMI, FEV1, and number of hospitalizations were compared before and after zinc administration. Height (p0.001), weight (p0.001) and BMI (p=0.001) were significantly increased after zinc, while the number of hospitalizations was significantly decreased (p=0.023). In contrast to patients with normal pulmonary function tests who received supplement therapy, BMI was not increased in those with abnormal pulmonary function after supplementary zinc. Supplementary zinc can increase BMI in CF patients, mostly in those with normal pulmonary function. While supplementary zinc may decrease the number of hospitalizations, other factors can also influence the hospitalization number.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a common autosomal recessive disorder with different clinical manifestations, mainly in the gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts. This study was performed to access the effect of probiotics in the status of intestinal inflammation in a group of children with CF by measuring the calprotectin level in the fecal samples. Forty-seven patients with CF were enrolled in this study. The fecal calprotectin levels were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. In a randomized systematic method, the children were divided into two groups - one group received probiotic powder and another received placebo for four weeks. After this period, fecal calprotectin was re-measured. Thirty-one of 47 enrolled patients (65.9%) had abnormal fecal calprotectin levels (50 g/g). After the intervention, the fecal calprotectin levels decreased in 29 patients (21 patients in the drug group, and only 8 patients in the placebo group; p0.001). This study showed that about two-thirds of patients with CF had intestinal inflammation based on fecal calprotectin levels. Probiotic administration was shown to decrease calprotectin concentrations and subsequently intestinal inflammation in CF patients.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a form of inflammatory bowel disease, which occasionally can be associated with autoimmune disorders. Herein, a two-year-old male infant with UC under sulfasalazine therapy is presented, who consequently developed type I diabetes mellitus, autoimmune hepatitis and autoimmune hypothyroidism. Although presence of concurrent autoimmune diseases with UC is a rare condition, it could highlight the role of immune-related mechanisms as a pathogenesis of disease.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a hereditary disease, characterized by chronic pulmonary disease, pancreatic insufficiency and abnormal electrolytes in the sweat. In order to evaluate the clinical manifestations and laboratory findings of Iranian children with CF during a 10-year period, 243 CF patients, with a median age of 5 months, were investigated in this study. The most common manifestations were gastrointestinal disorders and respiratory manifestations. Cough was the most common symptom, followed by malnutrition, diarrhea, respiratory distress, and vomiting. The frequency of these findings after treatment was significantly decreased in comparison with the period before diagnosis. During the mean follow-up of 40.9 months, seven cases died due to severe infections. Cystic fibrosis as a common genetic disorder should be considered in any child with recurrent gastrointestinal and respiratory manifestations, since delayed diagnosis could lead to severe complications and even death in this group of patients.