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Objective: This study was conducted to investigate the number and characteristics of adolescent alcohol intoxication cases in hospital Departments of Pediatrics. The study also analyzes drinking patterns and intoxication characteristics. Method: Data were collected using the Dutch Pediatric Surveillance System, in which about 92% of general pediatricians and 83% of academic pediatricians participate. In 2007, questionnaires were collected every month within 56 hospitals. A total of 297 adolescent alcohol intoxications were reported, of which 231 cases were analyzed. Results: Hospital-admitted adolescents in this study are 12-18 years old, with an average age of 15.3 years. Intoxicated adolescents appear to be a representative sample of the Dutch population on all background variables (gender, educational level, family structure). Conclusions: This study shows the serious nature of adolescent intoxication and may indicate that more strict governmental alcohol control policies are required., ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION IS A COMMON element in today s society. It is associated with positive effects, but it also results in many negative consequences. On the one hand, consuming alcohol [...]

Purpose: To investigate hypothermia and its potential association with core and outdoor temperatures in adolescents suffering from acute alcohol intoxication.Methods: Data were derived from the Dutch Pediatric Surveillance System, which monitors alcohol intoxication among all Dutch adolescents. Adolescents < 18 years of age with a positive blood alcohol concentration (BAC > 0 g/l) were included. This resulted in an analysis of data from the years 2011 to 2015 that were obtained through a total of 967 questionnaires.Results: This study revealed small but significantly lower core temperatures in winter time (35.59°C [96.06°F]) versus summer time (35.83°C [96.49°F]). These differences could not be attributed to the genders and ages of the patients. In winter time, 26.6% of the adolescents experienced mild hypothermia, with body temperatures of 32.00–34.99°C (89.60–94.98°F), compared to 18.0% during the summer. Although not significant, amounts of time spent in reduced consciousness, hospitalized and receiving intensive care were prolonged in adolescents with lower core temperatures.Conclusions: This article is the first to describe this trend of hypothermia among alcohol-intoxicated Dutch adolescents admitted during winter time. These findings are important for awareness of this issue and can be used for prevention strategies in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a family of North European extraction referred for a refractory non iron depleted microcytic anemia. The proband, a 36-year-old male, presented with chronic borderline anemia and microcytic hypochromic parameters. No abnormal hemoglobin (Hb) fractions were observed on high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) or on alkaline electrophoresis. Gap-polymerase chain reaction (gap-PCR) excluded the seven common a-thalassemia (thal) deletion defects. However, the ß/a-globin chain synthesis ratio measured in vitro was unbalanced, indicating a reduced expression of the a-globin genes. Direct sequencing of the a-globin genes revealed heterozygosity for a T?A transversion at the IVS-II-2 position of the a2 gene. This is the first IVS-II splice donor site mutation described on the a2-globin gene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Celiac disease (CD) is characterized by histologic alterations in small bowel biopsies. Circulating specific CD antibodies at the time of diagnosis and their disappearance after a gluten-free diet support the diagnosis of CD. We aimed to determine the behavior of the CD antibodies immunoglobulin A anti-tissue transglutaminase (anti-TG2) and immunoglobulin A endomysium (EMA) in children with CD after starting a gluten-free diet., Methods: This was a retrospective multicenter study in the Netherlands between 2001 and 2009. Inclusion criteria were all newly diagnosed patients with CD younger than 19 years who had at least 1 anti-TG2 and/or EMA measurement before and after starting a gluten-free diet. Eight different anti-TG2 kits were used with substrates of guinea pig TG2 in 1 (Sigma) and 7 human-recombinant TG2: Varelisa and EliA Celikey Phadia-GmbH; Orgentec Diagnostica-GmbH; Diarect AG; Roboscreen GmbH; Aeskulisa Diagnostics; Binding Site Ltd. EMA was analyzed with indirect immunofluorescence tests. Statistical analyses were performed by using mixed-model repeated measurements and survival analysis., Results: There were 129 children with CD included (mean age: 5.6 years; SD ± 4.2). The mean concentration of anti-TG2 decreased significantly within 3 months after starting a gluten-free diet (P < .0001). The cumulative percentage of children who became negative for EMA after ½, 1, 1½, and 2 years was 31%, 60%, 74%, and 87%, respectively. For anti-TG2, a comparable trend was shown: 35%, 55%, 64%, and 78%, respectively., Conclusions: Doctors taking care of children with CD should be aware that the mean concentration of anti-TG2 will show a 74% decrease (95% confidence interval: 69%-79%) after 3 months of gluten-free diet, and ∼80% of the children will be sero-negative for EMA and anti-TG2 after 2 years of the diet.

We present a family of North European extraction referred for a refractory non iron depleted microcytic anemia. The proband, a 36 year-old male, presented with chronic borderline anemia and microcytic hypochromic parameters. No abnormal hemoglobin (Hb) fractions were observed on high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) or on alkaline electrophoresis. Gap-polymerase chain reaction (gap-PCR) excluded the seven common alpha-thalassemia (thal) deletion defects. However, the beta/alpha-globin chain synthesis ratio measured in vitro was unbalanced, indicating a reduced expression of the alpha-globin genes. Direct sequencing of the alpha-globin genes revealed heterozygosity for a T --> A transversion at the IVS-II-2 position of the alpha2 gene. This is the first IVS-II splice donor site mutation described on the alpha2-globin gene.