Perfusion index in newborns with CHD without clinical signs of hypoperfusion and heart failure: comparison with healthy newborns.

INTRODUCTION: Peripheral perfusion index has been proposed as a possible method for detecting circulatory impairment. We aimed to determine the normal range of peripheral perfusion index in healthy newborns and compare it with that of newborns with CHD. METHODS: Right-hand saturation and right-hand peripheral perfusion index levels were recorded, and physical examination and echocardiography were performed in newborns who were 0-28 days old and whom were evaluated in our paediatric cardiology outpatient clinic. The saturation and peripheral perfusion index levels of newborns with normal heart anatomy and function were compared with those of newborns with CHD. RESULTS: Out of 358 newborns (238 mature and 75 premature) enrolled in the study, 39 had CHD (20 mild CHD, 13 moderate CHD, and 6 severe CHD), of which 29 had CHD with left-to-right shunting, 5 had obstructive CHD, and 5 had cyanotic CHD. No newborn had clinical signs of hypoperfusion or heart failure, such as prolonged capillary refill, weakened pulses, or coldness of extremities. Peripheral perfusion index level was median (interquartile range) 1.7 (0.6) in healthy newborns, 1.8 (0.7) in newborns with mild CHD, and 1.8 (0.4) in newborns with moderate and severe CHD, and there was no significant difference between the groups regarding peripheral perfusion index level. CONCLUSION: Peripheral perfusion index remains unchanged in newborns with CHD without the clinical signs of hypoperfusion or heart failure. Larger studies with repeated peripheral perfusion index measurements can determine how valuable this method will be in the follow-up of newborns with CHD.

The immediate haemodynamic response and right and left cardiac remodelling after percutaneous transcatheter closure of secundum atrial septal defect in children: a longitudinal cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to assess the immediate haemodynamic response and the timing of cardiac remodelling in paediatric secundum atrial septal defect patients who underwent percutaneous transcatheter closure. METHODS: In this longitudinal cohort study with 41 paediatric secundum ASD patients who underwent PTC with Amplatzer Occluder device were assessed for immediate post-interventional haemodynamic response measured by catheterisation and was evaluated for right and left cardiac remodelling during a follow-up period of 12 months by transthoracic echocardiography. SPSS 20.0 was used for statistical analyses of pre- and post-interventional invasive haemodynamic parameters of the patients, and pre- and post-interventional TTE data compared with the values of the control group consisted of 39 healthy children. RESULTS: The mean diameter of ASD was 13.9 ± 4.7 mm. PTC intervention in all patients completed with 100% success and 0% complication rates. All invasive haemodynamic data, except the ratio of pulmonary resistance to systemic resistance, significantly reduced after PTC (p < 0.05). TTE and PW Doppler revealed that right and left cardiac remodelling started as soon as the post-interventional 24th hour and completed in the 12th month. CONCLUSIONS: This study with a very high interventional success rate can be counted as the first example of research on the haemodynamic response and timing of cardiac remodelling after PTC of secundum ASD in children. We suggest that future multicentric studies with larger cohorts and a comprehensive methodology like ours with longer follow-up periods would better serve to further assess the cardiac remodelling in children after PTC of secundum ASD.

Anti-inflammatory role of obestatin in autoimmune myocarditis.

Obestatin is a popular endogeneous peptide, known to have an autoimmune regulatory effect on energy metabolism and the gastrointestinal system. Studies regarding the anti-inflammatory effects of obestatin are scarce. The aim of this study was to show the anti-inflammatory effect of obestatin in an experimental model of autoimmune myocarditis in rats. Experimental autoimmune myocarditis was induced in Lewis rats by immunization with subcutaneous administration of porcine cardiac myosin, twice at 7-day intervals. Intraperitoneal pretreatment with obestatin (50 µg/kg) was started before the induction of myocarditis and continued for 3 weeks. The severity of myocarditis was evidenced by clinical, echocardiographic and histological findings. In addition, by-products of neutrophil activation, lipid peroxidation, inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines were measured in serum. Obestatin significantly ameliorated the clinical and histopathological severity of autoimmune myocarditis. Therapeutic effects of obestatin in myocarditis were associated with reduced lipid peroxidation, suppression of polymorphonuclear leukocyte infiltration and enhancement of glutathione synthesis, inhibition of serum inflammatory and activation of anti-inflammatory cytokines. Histopathologically, the left ventricle was significantly dilated, and its wall thickened, along with widespread lymphocytic and histocytic infiltration. The myocardium was severely infiltrated with relatively large mononuclear cells. These histopathological changes were observed in lesser degrees in obestatin-treated rats. This study demonstrated a novel anti-inflammatory effect of obestatin in an experimental model of autoimmune myocarditis. Consequently, obestatin administration may represent a promising therapeutic approach for myocarditis and dilated cardiomyopathy in the future.

Does N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide correlate with measured shunt fraction in children with septal defects?

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the potential role of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide in the assessment of shunt severity and invasive haemodynamic parameters in children with atrial septal defects and ventricular septal defects. METHODS: This is a prospective, controlled (n:62), observational study. Correlation analysis was performed between N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide levels and various invasive haemodynamic measurements in 127 children (ventricular septal defect: 64; atrial septal defect: 63). A ratio of pulmonary to systemic blood flow (Qp/Qs⩾1.5) was considered to indicate a significant shunt. RESULTS: Statistically significant relationship was found between the mean N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide values of the patients, with Qp/Qs⩾1.5 in both defect types and control group. For ventricular septal defect, N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide level⩾113.5 pg/ml was associated with high specificity and sensitivity for determining the significant shunt. In addition, the cut-off point for determining the significant shunt for atrial septal defect was 57.9 pg/ml. Significant positive correlation was found between all invasive haemodynamic parameters and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide levels in patients with ventricular septal defects. Whereas significant positive correlation was found only between mean pulmonary artery pressure, right ventricular end-diastolic pressure, and systemic pressure to pulmonary pressure ratio and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide levels in patients with atrial septal defects. CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrated that the N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide measurements could be used as a supporting parameter in determining significance of the shunt.

Is it safe to close ASD with the guidance of transthoraxic echocardiography in pediatric population "ten years' experience of a single center".

OBJECTIVE: Main purpose of this study is to emphasize the usage and safety of transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) in percutaneous atrial septal defect (ASD) closure in appropriate pediatric cases. BACKGROUND: Nowadays, percutaneous closure is preferred as treatment modality for ASD in pediatric age group. METHODS: Between the dates December 2003-August 2013; 340 patients whose ASD were closed included in this study. Physical examination, electrocardiogram, TTE were done before the procedure, at the 24th hour, 1st and 6th month after the procedure. After the 6th month, routine control was done annually. Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) was performed in 184 cases with large, multifenestrated ASD and when TTE views were poor in quality. We selected the 201 patients whose ASD diameter between 10-20 mm and formed 2 homogeneous groups according to the type of echocardiography used (TEE or TTE) in order to compare the role of echocardiography. RESULTS: The demographic features of patients of 2 groups were similar. There was not any statistically difference between ASD, balloon sizing diameters between the groups. No statistically significant difference in the success, complication, and residual shunt rates was found between the groups. Procedure, fluoroscopy time, and amount were significantly higher in TEE group. When hemodynamic variables except pulmonary blood flow to systemic blood flow (Qp/Qs; right-left atrium mean pressure, pulmonary vascular resistance, and peak-mean pulmonary arterial pressure) were compared, there was not statistically difference. CONCLUSION: TEE is an invasive procedure and requires general anesthesia, therefore, it should not be done routinely in ASD but only in selected cases. If the size and the anatomy of ASD is appropriate, TTE should be preferred primarily in percutaneous ASD closure.

ADO II in Percutaneous VSD Closure in Pediatric Patients.

OBJECTIVES: Main aim of our study to show that ADO II device can be used for the small ventricular septal defects successfully and safely with low complication rates in pediatric population. BACKGROUND: It is hard to find an ideal device to use for every VSD successfully. If inappropriate device was chosen; complication rate increases, procedure time gets longer that prolongs exposure to ionizing radiation. Therefore interventionalists are in the search for new ideal devices. MATERIAL: Between the dates April 2011-October 2014, 21 VSD closures with ADO-II device. were performed. Twenty patients were included, age ranged between 4 months 18 years. Weight of the patients was between 5-76 kg. RESULTS: VSD diameter ranges between 2-6 mm (3.75 ± 1.25). VSD types were muscular in 2 patients, rest of them were perimembranous type. Most of the perimembranous defects (19/21) were aneursymatic and tunnel shaped. All the cases were successfully closed, no major complications were reported. There was no incidence of left bundle branch block, P-R prolongation, or complete heart block. CONCLUSION: Considering perimembraneous ventricular septal defects as difficult and risky for percutaneous closure because of its proximity to aortic, atrioventricular valves and conduction tissue, we suggest that ADO II device can be safely and effectively used for such defects in particular if an aneurysm formation is present which is also compatible with the literature.

Plasma gelsolin as a biomarker of acute rheumatic carditis.

BACKGROUND: Acute rheumatic fever is an autoimmune, inflammatory, and multi-systemic disease secondary to pharyngitis and is caused by group A streptococcus. In developing countries, acute rheumatic fever is the most common cause of acquired heart disease. Gelsolin is a calcium-dependent, multi-functional actin-regulatory protein circulating in the plasma of healthy human beings. The correlation between blood gelsolin levels and inflammatory conditions suggests the potential benefit of gelsolin as a prognostic marker. The aim of the present study was to appraise the association of gelsolin and acute rheumatic carditis in childhood. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Plasma gelsolin levels were measured and echocardiographic examinations were performed in patients (n=37) with acute rheumatic carditis and compared with those of age- and gender-matched healthy controls (n=24). RESULTS: The plasma gelsolin levels in children with acute rheumatic carditis were significantly lower compared with controls (197±218 versus 322±255 mg/L, p=0.039). There was a significant correlation among gelsolin levels and the grade of mitral regurgitation (p=0.030), left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (p=0.017), and left ventricular end-systolic diameter (p=0.028) at diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Levels of the gelsolin plasma isoform were decreased in patients with acute rheumatic carditis compared with healthy controls. Gelsolin may be used as a biochemical marker for acute rheumatic carditis.

Importance of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide in monitoring acute rheumatic carditis.

PURPOSE: To detect the relationship of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide levels with clinical and laboratory findings by measuring them at diagnosis, during, and after treatment in children with acute rheumatic carditis. METHOD: A total of 40 children including 20 acute rheumatic carditis patients aged between 5 and 16 years 20 healthy children as controls were included in the study. Blood was drawn from patients at diagnosis and in the first week, first month and third month after treatment in order to detect pro-brain natriuretic peptide, C-reactive protein levels and erythrocyte sedimentation rates. All patients underwent echocardiography. RESULTS: The N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide levels of children with acute rheumatic carditis were significantly higher than those of the control group at diagnosis and during treatment (p<0.05). Echocardiographic evaluation of acute rheumatic carditis patients revealed that the left atrium diameter continued to decrease during the study and that the mean left atrium diameters measured at diagnosis and in the first week were statistically higher than the mean left atrium diameters measured in the third month. There was significant correlation between left atrium diameters at diagnosis and in the first month and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide levels during the same periods in the patient group. CONCLUSION: Previous studies have used N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide levels as a marker of enlargement of the left atrium, whereas in this study we want to emphasise its role as a marker of inflammation. This increase was significantly correlated with enlargement in the left atrium. N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide levels were found to be a valuable determinant in indicating cardiac inflammation and haemodynamics.

Incidence and clinical features of acute rheumatic fever in Kayseri, Central Anatolia, 1998-2011.

BACKGROUND: In developing countries, acute rheumatic fever is the most common cause of acquired heart disease in the paediatric and adolescent population. It is believed that vulnerability to developing acute rheumatic fever is associated with several factors such as socio-economic and living conditions. Aim Determine the incidence and clinical characteristics of acute rheumatic fever in the Central Anatolia region of Kayseri within the last 14 years, and to make a comparison of two 7-year periods. Material and methods We performed a retrospective analysis of 624 patients who were diagnosed with acute rheumatic fever at the Department of Pediatric Cardiology in the Medical Faculty of Erciyes University between January, 1998 and December, 2011. RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 10.9±2.7 years. The female/male ratio was 1.4. When patients were categorised according to age groups, the largest group represented 376 patients (60.3%) aged between 10 and 14 years. The estimated incidence rate of acute rheumatic fever was 7.4/100,000 in the Central Anatolia region of Kayseri. Among the major findings, the most common included carditis at 54%, arthritis at 35%, Sydenham's chorea at 25%, and subcutaneous nodules at 0.5%, respectively. No significant difference was found between the first 7-year period and second 7-year period in distributions of age, gender, and major findings. CONCLUSION: Although there has been socio-economic development in Turkey in the recent years, the incidence of acute rheumatic fever is still high in the Central Anatolia region of Kayseri.

Are endothelial microparticles early markers of pulmonary hypertension?

OBJECTIVE: To find out the relation between endothelial microparticles (EMPs), pulmonary arterial stiffness and thickness of pulmonary artery intima media to determine the prognosis of Eisenmenger syndrome and their correlation with echocardiographic and hemodynamic parameters. METHODS: Sixteen patients with Eisenmenger syndrome and 37 control patients were included. Electron microparticles levels, angiographic and echocardiographic findings were compared. RESULTS: Thickness of pulmonary arterial intima media and systolic and diastolic diameters of pulmonary artery were found significant in the patient group. CD144 and CD146 EMP values of patient group were statistically high. However, there was not any significant difference in pulmonary arterial strain, elasticity and stiffness. Positive significant relationship was found between pulmonary artery intima media thickness and CD144 in patient group. But there was not any significance between CD 146 and pulmonary artery intimamedia thickness. CONCLUSIONS: Invasive methods remain as the gold standard for pulmonary hypertension diagnosis, follow-up and treatment, but it is risky and can even be fatal. Our study showed that EMPs, thickness of pulmonary artery intima media and pulmonary stiffness could be novel noninvasive modalities for the follow-up pulmonary hypertensive patients.

Giant right atrial thrombus in premature newborn.

Pediatric guidelines for treatment options of right atrial thrombosis in newborn are quite limited. Herein we present a case with giant atrial thrombosis resulting from umbilical venous catheter and intend to discuss the therapy in the area of current literature on right atrial thrombus in newborn and children.

The role of N-terminal proBNP in the clinic scoring of heart failure due to dilated cardiomyopathy in children.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to show sensitivity and specificity of NT-ProBNP in demonstrating the degree of cardiac failure caused by dilated cardiomyopathy (DCMP). METHODS: From January 2006 to July 2012, thirty patients (2 - 168 months) who had DCMP with acute heart failure and 37 healthy children aged (1 - 168 months) were enrolled in this study. Clinical evaluation was done using a modified Ross scoring system. Ross scoring was done before and after treatment. Patients with a score of > 2 points were included in the study. Ross scoring, echocardiographic parameters, serum NT-ProBNP levels and cardiothoracic index (CTI) were measured before and on the 7th day of treatment. Patients were divided into 3 groups according to degree of heart failure. RESULTS: While the change in logNT-ProBNP in the patient group following one-week of treatment was significant (p < 0.05), there was no marked significance in the changes in EF, FS, LVEDD, LVMIz, and CTI. There was a statistically significant difference between logNT-ProBNP levels each Ross clinical group not only before treatment but also on assessment on the 7th day of treatment in the patient group (p < 0.001, Tukey's and Tamhane's T2 post-hoc tests). No significant difference was detected between EF, FS, LVEDDs, LVMIz, and CTI and the stages of acute cardiac failure. The NT-ProBNP levels of patients who became clinically asymptomatic after treatment but still had left ventricular systolic dysfunction were statistically significant when compared to the control group. The cut off value to distinguish healthy children from the patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction caused by cardiomyopathy was found as 174.3 pg/mL. CONCLUSIONS: NT-ProBNP levels are more effective than conventional echocardiographic parameters for clinical determination of the stage of cardiac failures in children with left ventricular systolic dysfunction due to DCMP. Therefore, it can be used for determining the treatment and management of such patients. Furthermore, the test is simple and beneficial, because of its availability in most clinical chemistry laboratories and its advantage of allowing frequent measurements and assessments.

Cheatham platinum stent implantation in children with coarctation of the aorta: single-centre short-term, intermediate-term, and long-term results from Turkey.

OBJECTIVES: Our aim was to evaluate patients who were treated by percutaneous stent implantation. METHODS: Patients with aortic coarctation (n = 35) who had been treated with 38 stents - 12 bare and 26 covered - were evaluated. The demographics and procedural and follow-up data were recorded from hospital registers and compared according to patient specifications, for example, weight and coarctation nature. RESULTS: The procedure was successful in all patients. There was a statistically significant difference between the patients with native coarctation (n = 17) and those with recurrent coarctation (n = 18) in terms of pre-procedural blood pressures, systolic gradients, coarctation diameters, and the ratio of the coarctation site diameter to the descending aorta diameter. Although all patients received antihypertensive drugs before the procedure, the drug was discontinued in 26 patients during follow-up (p < 0.001). Stent migration was observed in four patients with recurrent coarctation (11.4%), and peripheral arterial injury was seen in three patients (8.5%). The mean follow-up time was 34 ± 16 months. On average, 21 (6-42) months after the procedure, six patients underwent cardiac catheterisation. At least 2 years after the procedure, tomography was performed in 20 patients (57.2%). Patients who were evaluated by multi-slice computerised tomography revealed no pathologies. There was no statistically significant difference between the five patients weighing less than 20 kg and the other 30 patients in terms of demographic and procedural characteristics, procedure success and complication rates, and follow-up data. CONCLUSION: Stent implantation for aortic coarctation is a method yielding satisfactory results in reducing coarctation gradients, efficient enlargement of the lesion area, and resolution of hypertension for children, including those weighing less than 20 kg.

Transapical aortic balloon valvuloplasty in a 6-year-old child with unsuccessful retrograde approach.

Severely stenotic aortic valves can be treated by percutaneous techniques. However, in rare conditions it could not be possible because of vascular access and valvular passage problems due to small and eccentric orifice. Hybrid approach to balloon aortic valvuloplasty may be considered an alternative to surgery. Here, we present a case of a patient with severe aortic stenosis who has had two failed attempts of percutaneous intervention.

Late-term cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac involvement in multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children may have a spectrum ranging from mild disease to severe heart failure due to fulminant myocarditis. Cardiac involvement usually resolves after clinical recovery. However, the adverse effects of myocarditis on cardiac function after recovery are not fully known. This study aims to investigate cardiac involvement by performing cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) after the acute and recovery periods. METHODS: 21 patients with clinical and laboratory signs of myocarditis, including left ventricular systolic dysfunction, mitral regurgitation, elevated troponin T, elevated N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide and electrocardiographic changes, who had given consent for cardiac MRI, underwent cardiac MRI after completion of the acute and recovery phases. RESULTS: When compared to 16 patients with normal cardiac MRI, five patients with cardiac fibrosis on MRI were older, had greater body mass indexes, lower leucocyte counts, lower neutrophil counts, higher blood urea nitrogen levels and higher creatinine levels. Cardiac fibrosis on MRI was located in the posterior right ventricle insertion point and in mid ventricular septum. CONCLUSIONS: Adolescence and obesity appear as risk factors for the development of fibrosis as a late-term sequela of myocarditis. Furthermore, future studies reporting the follow-up data of patients with fibrosis are necessary to predict and manage adverse outcomes.

Aldosterone, Galectin-3, and NTproBNP Levels and their Values as Biomarkers in Infants with Ventricular Septal Defect.

OBJECTIVE: Galectin-3 is a biomarker used to detect cardiac remodelling and fibrosis. It could also potentially be a biomarker for developing new treatments. Aldosterone and galectin-3 levels and their relationship to N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and left ventricular dilatation have not yet been studied in infants with ventricular septal defect (VSD). In this study, we aimed to investigate the biomarker feature of galectin-3 in infants with VSD. METHODS: Aldosterone, galectin-3, and NT-ProBNP levels were quantified and left ventricular diameters were measured with M mode echocardiography in infants with isolated VSD who had received heart failure treatment. The results were compared with those of healthy children of similar age and gender. RESULTS: This study included 22 infants (13 girls, nine boys) with VSD who formed the patient group and 22 healthy infants (13 girls, nine boys) who formed the control group. There was a significant difference between the two groups regarding the median left ventricular end-dia stolic diameter and the median left ventricular end-systole diameter. The patient and control groups had no significant difference with respect to aldosterone levels (median values 43.5 pg/mL vs 41.3 pg/mL, respectively) (P = .851), although there was a significant difference with regard to galectin-3 levels (median values: 4 vs 2.5 ng/mL, respectively) (P = .015) and NT-proBNP levels (median values: 204.3 vs 94.2 pg/mL, respectively) (P = .003). CONCLUSION: Galectin-3 increases independent of left ventricular dilatation and may have a biomarker value with similar strength as NT-proBNP in infants with VSD.

Effects of azithromycin on ventricular repolarization in children with COVID-19.

Introduction: Azithromycin is used to treat pediatric COVID-19 patients. It can also prolong the QT interval in adults. This study assessed the effects of azithromycin on ventricular repolarization in children with COVID-19. Method: The study prospectively enrolled children with COVID-19 who received azithromycin between July and August 2020. An electrocardiogram was performed before, one, three, and five days post-treatment. Using ImageJ®, the following parameters were measured: QT max, QT min, Tp-e max, and Tp-e min. The parameters QTc max, QTc min, Tp-ec max, Tp-ec min, QTcd, Tp-ecd, and the QTc/Tp-ec ratio were calculated using Bazett's formula. Results: The study included 105 pediatric patients (mean age 9.8±5.3 years). The pretreatment heart rate was higher than after treatment (before 92 [79-108]/min vs. Day 1 82 [69-108)]/min vs. Day 3 80 [68-92.2]/min vs. Day 5 81 [70-92]/min; p=0.05). Conclusion: Azithromycin does not affect the ventricular repolarization parameters on ECG in pediatric COVID-19 cases.

Introdução: A azitromicina (AZ) é utilizada no tratamento da COVID-19 em pediatria. Como este fármaco pode prolongar o intervalo QT nos adultos, este estudo avaliou os efeitos da AZ na repolarização ventricular de crianças com COVID-19. Método: Este estudo prospetivo incluiu crianças com COVID-19 que foram tratadas com AZ em julho-agosto 2020. Foi efetuado um eletrocardiograma (ECG) antes e um, 3 e 5 dias após o tratamento. Utilizando ImageJ ®, foram medidos os parâmetros seguintes: QT max, QT min, Tp-e max, e Tp-e min. Os parâmetros QTc min, Tp-ec max, Tp-ec min, QTcd, Tp-ecd e QTc/Tp-ec ratio foram calculados utilizando a fórmula Bazett. Resultados: O estudo incluiu 105 doentes pediátricos (idade média 9,8±5,3 anos). A frequência cardíaca no pré-tratamento foi mais elevada do que após o tratamento (antes 92 [79­108]/min versus dia 1 82 [69­108)]/min versus dia 3 80 [68­92,2]/min versus dia 5 81 [70­92]/min; p=0,05). Conclusão: A AZ não afeta os parâmetros de repolarização ventricular no ECG nos casos pediátricos da COVID-19.

Lymphocyte Subsets in Mild COVID-19 Pediatric Patients.

OBJECTIVE: The reasons for a high prevalence of asymptomatic or mild coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and rare severe disease in children have been explained by non-immune and immune mechanisms. This study aimed to evaluate the immune system's response to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 by investigating lymphocyte subsets. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study included 33 coronavirus disease positive children, of whom 12 had mild disease and 21 had an asymptomatic infection as the patient group and 26 ageand gender-matched healthy children as the control group. The demographic information, symptoms, physical examination findings, complete blood count, C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin, and lymphocyte subsets were recorded in all subjects. RESULTS: Leukocyte, lymphocyte, monocyte count, and hemoglobin levels of our pediatric coronavirus disease patients were similar to the control group. Neutrophil was lower in the coronavirus disease cases compared to the control group. CRP and procalcitonin levels of asymptomatic cases were similar to the control group. B cell count, CD8+ T cell count, and CD4/CD8 ratio (dividing the CD4 cell count by the CD8 cell count) ratio were similar in the patient and control groups. Natural killer, T cell, and CD4+ T cell counts were significantly higher in the whole patient group compared to the control group. CONCLUSION: One reason for mild severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection in children may be an increase in some lymphocyte subsets such as natural killer cells, T cell, and CD4+ T cell. Understanding the answer to the question of why children develop more protective immunity to the virus could be an essential step for developing new treatments.

Effect of fluoxetine and psychotherapy on heart rate variability in children and adolescents diagnosed with panic disorder: 24-hour Holter monitoring study before and after treatment.

OBJECTIVE: Panic disorder (PD) is now recognized as a common and important problem in children, and particularly adolescents, and one that can negatively affect daily well-being and educational performance. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between heart rate variability (HRV) and the severity of symptoms before and after treatment with psychotherapy and fluoxetine. METHODS: The PD study group consisted of 23 children diagnosed with PD and the healthy control (HC) group comprised 27 healthy children. Panic-anxiety symptoms were measured using 2 assessments performed before and after treatment. HRV was evaluated with a 24-hour Holter examination. RESULTS: According to the analysis of the 24-hour, all-day Holter device recordings, the high frequency (HF) and parasympathetic (%) scores in the PD group were lower than those of the HC group (p<0.05). The low frequency (LF)/HF ratio and sympathetic (%) scores in the PD group were higher than those of the HC group (p<0.05). The analysis of daytime readings indicated that the HF values of the PD group were lower than those of the HC group (p<0.05), while the very LF/HF ratio and LF/HF ratio were higher than those of the HC group (p<0.05). Analysis of nighttime Holter results revealed that the rMSSD, pNN50, and HF readings of the PD group were lower than those of the HC group (p<0.05), while the LF/HF ratio in PD patients was higher than that seen in the HC group (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: In children and adolescents with PD, increased sympathetic activity can cause changes in some HRV parameters. Some of these changes may return to normal with treatment.

Syncope due to complete atrioventricular block and treatment with a transient pacemaker in acute rheumatic fever.

Various rhythm and connection disorders can be seen in the acute phase of acute rheumatic fever. First degree atrioventricular block, one of the minor signs of acute rheumatic fever, is the most common connection disturbance in this disease. Complete atrioventricular block, which seriously affects the conduction pathways, is rare in the literature. A 15-year-old boy was admitted because of syncope caused by complete atrioventricular block and a temporary pacemaker was employed because of symptomatic complete atrioventricular block. The transient pacemaker treatment was terminated due to recovery of complete atrioventricular block on the third day of antiinflammatory treatment. Acute rheumatic fever should be kept in mind as a possible cause of acquired complete atrioventricular block. Connection disturbances in acute rheumatic fever improve with antiinflammatory treatment. Transient pacemaker treatment is indicated for patients with symptomatic transient complete atrioventricular block.