ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The authors' goal was to determine whether a trait marker of rheumatic fever susceptibility (labeled D8/17) could identify children with pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders (obsessive-compulsive disorder and tic disorders) associated with streptococcal infections (PANDAS). METHOD: Blood samples obtained from 27 children with PANDAS, nine children with Sydenham's chorea, and 24 healthy children were evaluated for D8/17 reactivity. Individuals were defined as D8/17 positive if they had 12% or more D8/17+ cells. RESULTS: The frequency of D8/17-positive individuals was significantly higher in both patient groups than it was among the healthy volunteers: 85% of the children with PANDAS and 89% of the children with Sydenham's chorea, compared with 17% of the healthy children, were D8/17 positive. Further, the mean number of D8/17+ cells was similar in the two patient groups and was significantly higher in these groups than in the group of healthy children. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that there may be a subgroup of D8/17-positive children who present with clinical symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder and Tourette's syndrome, rather than Sydenham's chorea, but who have similar poststreptococcal autoimmunity.
Subject(s)
Autoimmune Diseases/diagnosis , Biomarkers , Chorea/immunology , HLA-DR Antigens/immunology , Lymphocyte Subsets/immunology , Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder/diagnosis , Rheumatic Fever/immunology , Streptococcal Infections/immunology , Adolescent , Antibodies, Monoclonal/immunology , Autoimmune Diseases/immunology , Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Genetic Predisposition to Disease , Humans , Male , Rheumatic Fever/geneticsABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To provide practical guidelines for the assessment and treatment of children with selective mutism, in light of the recent hypothesis that selective mutism might be best conceptualized as a childhood anxiety disorder. METHOD: An extensive literature review was completed on the phenomenology, evaluation, and treatment of children with selective mutism. Additional recommendations were based on clinical experience from the authors' selective mutism clinic. RESULTS: No systematic studies of the phenomenology of children with selective mutism were found. Reports described diverse and primarily noncontrolled treatment approaches with minimal follow-up information. Assessment and treatment options for selective mutism are presented, based on new hypotheses that focus on the anxiety component of this disorder. Ongoing research suggests a role for behavior modification and pharmacotherapy similar to the approaches used for adults with social phobia. CONCLUSION: Selectively mute children deserve a comprehensive evaluation to identify primary and comorbid problems that might require treatment. A school-based multidisciplinary individualized treatment plan is recommended, involving the combined effort of teachers, clinicians, and parents with home- and clinic-based interventions (individual and family psychotherapy, pharmacotherapy) as required.