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A letter to the editor is presented regarding the acute interstitial nephritis induced by azithromycin.

Background: Cystic fibrosis per se can sometimes lead to hyponatremia, hypokalemia, hypochloremia or hyperbicarbonatemia. This tendency was first documented 60 years ago and has subsequently been confirmed in single case reports or small case series, most of which were retrospective. However, this issue has not been addressed analytically. We have therefore systematically reviewed and analyzed the available literature on this subject., Methods: This was a systematic review of the literature., Results: The reports included in this review cover 172 subacute and 90 chronic cases of electrolyte imbalances in patients with cystic fibrosis. The male:female ratio was 1.57. Electrolyte abnormalities were mostly associated with clinically inapparent fluid volume depletion, mainly affected patients aged ≤2.5 years, frequently tended to recur and often were found before the diagnosis of cystic fibrosis was established. Subacute presentation often included an history of heat exposure, vomiting, excessive sweating and pulmonary infection. History of chronic presentation, in contrast, was often inconspicuous. The tendency to hypochloremia, hypokalemia and metabolic alkalosis was similar between subacute and chronic patients, with hyponatremia being more pronounced (P < 0.02) in subacute compared to chronic presentations. Subacute cases were treated parenterally; chronic ones were usually managed with oral salt supplementation. Retention of urea and creatinine was documented in 38 % of subacute cases., Conclusions: The findings of our review suggest that physicians should be aware that electrolyte abnormalities can occur both as a presenting and a recurring feature of cystic fibrosis.

More and more data indicate the importance of palatability when selecting drugs for children. Since hypertension is uncommon in children, no child-friendly palatable formulations of these agents are currently available. As a consequence, in everyday practice available tablets are crushed and administered mixed with food or a sweet drink. We started investigating the issue of palatability of drugs among children in 2004 using smile-face scales. In the first trial we compared taste and smell acceptability of pulverized angiotensin receptor antagonists among nephropathic children and found that the score assigned to candesartan was significantly higher than that assigned to irbesartan, losartan, telmisartan and valsartan. In the second trial we compared the taste of pulverized amlodipine and lercanidipine among children and found that the score assigned to lercanidipine was significantly higher. Our third trial was performed using pulverized β-adrenoceptor blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, calcium-channel antagonists and diuretics among medical officers and pediatricians. The palatability scores assigned to chlorthalidone, hydrochlorothiazide and lisinopril were significantly higher to those assigned to atenolol, bisoprolol, enalapril and ramipril. In conclusion pulverized amlodipine, atenolol, bisoprolol, enalapril, irbesartan, losartan, ramipril, telmisartan and valsartan are poor tasting. From the child's perspective, lercanidipine, candesartan, chlorthalidone, hydrochlorothiazide and lisinopril are preferable., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Toll-like receptors (TLRs) form an essential part of the innate immune system, which plays a fundamental role in rapidly and effectively controlling infections and initiating adaptive immunity. There are no published data concerning the importance of polymorphisms of TLRs in conditioning susceptibility to influenza or the severity of the disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether selected polymorphisms of TLR2, TLR3 and TLR4 influence the incidence and clinical picture of pandemic A/H1N1/2009 influenza., Results: The study involved 272 healthy children attending our Emergency Room for influenza-like illness (ILI), including 51 (18.8%) with pandemic A/H1N1/2009 influenza as revealed by real-time polymerase chain reaction, and 164 healthy controls examined after minor surgery. Genomic DNA was extracted from whole blood samples and five single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were studied: TLR2 rs5743708, TLR3 rs5743313, TLR3 rs5743315, TLR4 rs4986790 and TLR4 rs4986791. The TLR3 rs5743313/CT polymorphism was found in all of the children with pneumonia and influenza infection, but in a significantly smaller number of those with A/H1N1/2009 influenza without pneumonia (<0.0001). TLR2, TLR3 rs5743315/AC and TLR4 polymorphisms were equally distributed in all of the groups regardless of the presence of the pandemic A/H1N1/2009 virus and clinical diagnosis. Viral load was comparable in all of the study groups., Conclusions: There is a close relationship between the presence of TLR3 rs5743313/CT and an increased risk of pneumonia in children infected by the pandemic A/H1N1/2009 influenza virus.

A resistance of A/H1N1 influenza viruses to oseltamivir has recently emerged in a number of countries. However, the clinical and socioeconomic importance of this resistance has not been precisely defined. As children have the highest incidence of influenza infection and are at high risk of severe disease, the aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical importance and the impact on the households of oseltamivir-resistant seasonal A/H1N1 influenza virus in an otherwise healthy pediatric population. A total of 4,726 healthy children younger than 15 years with influenza-like illness were tested for influenza viruses by real-time polymerase chain reaction in the winters of 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 in Italy. The influenza A virus-positive samples underwent neuraminidase gene analysis using pyrosequencing to identify mutations H275Y and N294 S in A/H1N1, and E119V, R292K, and N294 S in A/H3N2. Among the A/H1N1 subtypes, the H275Y mutation was found in 2/126 samples taken in 2007-2008 (1.6%) and in all 17 samples (100%; p < 0.0001) taken in 2008-2009. No other mutation was identified in any of the A/H1N1 or A/H3N2 influenza viruses. No significant differences were found in terms of clinical importance or impact on the households between the children with oseltamivir-resistant seasonal A/H1N1 influenza virus and those with the wild-type. The spread of H275Y-mutated A/H1N1 seasonal influenza virus is a common phenomenon and the clinical importance and impact on the households of the mutated virus is similar to that of the wild-type in an otherwise healthy pediatric population.

Objectives: To establish a novel nutritional score based on a series of objective parameters capable of detecting protein-calorie malnutrition in children being treated with chronic peritoneal dialysis (CPD), to test the score in a healthy pediatric population, and to apply it to children on CPD to evaluate their nutritional status., Study Population: 264 healthy school children (mean age 8.69 +/- 3.26 years, range 3.05-14.98 years) and 29 patients treated with CPD for 1.75 +/- 1.02 years (mean age 10.54 +/- 6.28 years, range 2.8-15.24 years)., Methods: Nutritional status was evaluated by means of three sets of measurements: anthropometric (A1 and A2) and bioimpedance analysis (BIA) measurements. Anthropometry included two sets of measures: set A1 consisted of height (H), weight (W), and body mass index (BMI); set A2 consisted of midarm muscle circumference (MAMC), arm muscle area (AMA), and arm fat area (AFA). The BIA measurements included reactance, phase angle, and distance. All parameters are expressed as standard deviation scores (SDS).Tanner's, Rolland-Cachera's, and Frisancho's data were used as references for H, W, BMI, MAMC, AMA, and AFA; personal data obtained from 551 healthy boys and girls were used for the BIA indices. The nine anthropometry and BIA parameters were given scores of 1 to 5: 5 = > 0 SDS, 4 = < or = 0 and > -1 SDS, 3 = < or = -1 and > -2 SDS, 2 = <-2 and > -3 SDS, and 1 = < or = -3 SDS. Average scores were established for each of A1, A2, and BIA, and then summed to obtain the anthropometry-BIA nutrition (ABN) score. To establish the cutoff value between normal nutritional status and malnutrition, the method was first applied to the 264 healthy children; distribution percentiles were calculated for each area score and the ABN score. The ABN score corresponding to the 3rd percentile was considered the limit of normality and then applied three times to the 29 children on CPD, for a total of 87 nutritional assessments., Results: The score corresponding to the 3rd percentile in the population of healthy children was 10.33. Among the CPD-treated children, 41.4% of the ABN scores were higher than 10.33 (indicating a state of normal nutrition) and 58.6% were lower (indicating various degrees of malnutrition). Severe malnutrition was found in only 1.1% of the cases. The values of all nine A1, A2, and BIA parameters, as well as serum albumin levels, were significantly higher in patients with an ABN score > 10.33 than in those with a score < 10.33., Conclusion: The ABN score is a simple and objective method of assessing, in clinical practice, the nutritional status of children on CPD.