Performance Characteristics, Intra- and Inter-operator Agreement of Transient Elastography in Pediatric Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Transient elastography (TE) is a valuable tool in assessment of hepatic steatosis and fibrosis using liver stiffness measurement (LSM) and controlled attenuation parameter (CAP), respectively. Although widely used in adults, little is known about performance characteristics and reproducibility of TE (using Fibroscan device) in evaluation of pediatric nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). METHODS: We prospectively recruited children with NAFLD. Three consecutive Fibroscan examinations were performed during the same visit-twice by a single expert operator and once by a different novice operator. Intra and inter-operator agreement was calculated using concordance correlation coefficient (CCC). Failure was defined as inability to obtain 10 valid measurements and examination was considered unreliable if LSM interquartile range/median was greater 30%. RESULTS: Fifty-one children (34 boys; median age 15 years) were recruited. Failure rates for expert and novice operator were 10% (5/51) and 12% (6/51) while unreliable readings were obtained in 2% (1/46) and 4% (2/45) of patients, respectively. Patients with failed/unreliable measurements were significantly more obese (median BMI 46.2 vs 33.1 kg/m2, P = 0.002) compared with those with reliable measurements. The intra-operator agreement was almost perfect for LSM and substantial for CAP values (CCC = 0.85 and 0.73, respectively). Inter-operator agreement was substantial for LSM and moderate for CAP values (CCC = 0.76 and 0.58, respectively). The inter-operator agreement in LSM did not vary significantly over time but showed an inverse correlation with BMI and CAP. CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrated that use of TE in assessment of hepatic fibrosis and steatosis in children with NAFLD is highly reliable with low failure rate and highly reproducible with high intra- and inter-operator reproducibility.

Plasma Cytokeratin-18 Level As a Novel Biomarker for Liver Fibrosis in Children With Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

OBJECTIVES: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the hepatic manifestation of the obesity epidemic and affects approximately 10% of children in the US. The presence of hepatic fibrosis may be the most important factor in determining the prognosis of NAFLD. Noninvasive methods to identify the presence of fibrosis in children with NAFLD are greatly needed. Hepatocyte apoptosis activates hepatic stellate cells and plays a central role in fibrosis progression in NAFLD. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the use of plasma cytokeratin-18 (CK18) fragment levels, a marker of hepatocyte apoptosis, as a noninvasive biomarker in detecting liver fibrosis in pediatric NAFLD. METHODS: Consecutive children with biopsy-proven NAFLD were included and blood samples and anthropometric measurements were collected at the time of the biopsy. NAFLD activity score was calculated (0-8) and fibrosis stage was scored (0-4). We measured plasma CK18 levels using the M30-Apoptosense enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. RESULTS: A total of 201 subjects were enrolled in the study. The mean age was 10.7 ±â€Š2.5 years, and 37 % were boys. Sixty-eight percent of the patients had any fibrosis, with 56% having F1, 6% having F2, and 6 % having F3. CK18 levels were found to be significantly higher in subjects with any fibrosis compared with those without fibrosis (304.6 ±â€Š124.8 vs 210.4 ±â€Š70.9, P < 0.001). CK18 level revealed good accuracy for prediction of any fibrosis (F1-F3) with AUROC of 0.75. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to assess whether CK18 in combination with another clinical factor could improve accuracy of prediction of fibrosis. Together, CK18 with waist circumference percentile generated an area under the receiver operating characteristics curve of 0.842 for prediction of any fibrosis. CONCLUSIONS: CK18 is a promising noninvasive biomarker for fibrosis in NAFLD in children. A fibrosis prediction model that includes CK18 and waist circumference percentile should be validated in other populations.

Pediatric Inflammatory Myofibroblastic Tumor of the Liver: A Rare Cause of Portal Hypertension.

Hepatic inflammatory pseudotumors or myofibroblastic tumors are benign neoplasms rarely seen in children. We report a case of a previously healthy 10-year-old girl with prolonged fever and abdominal pain who was found to have hepatosplenomegaly and pancytopenia. Imaging revealed a periportal mass along with thrombosis of portal vein and splenomegaly. Liver biopsy showed normal hepatic architecture with no evidence of cirrhosis. She underwent endoscopic banding of esophageal varices. Biopsy of the mass was suggestive of inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor without malignant changes. She has been successfully managed with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug and pulse steroids with resolution of symptoms and decrease in size of the tumor with more than 2 years of follow-up.

The search for noninvasive methods to identify liver fibrosis in children with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the hepatic manifestation of the obesity epidemic. Recent studies have clearly shown that the stage of fibrosis in adults with NAFLD is the most important histological feature in long-term outcomes and the development of liver-related complications. Despite the paucity of data regarding the natural history of pediatric NAFLD, its progression to cirrhosis and end-stage liver disease requiring liver transplantation is well documented. Given the high prevalence of NAFLD in children and adults, there is an urgent need to find safe and cost-effective alternatives to biopsy to determine the stage of liver fibrosis. In this review, we provide a concise overview of different noninvasive methods for diagnosing and staging liver fibrosis in children with NAFLD.

De Novo Pediatric Ulcerative Colitis Triggered by SARS-CoV-2 Infection: a Tale of 2 Sisters.

We present a report of 2 sisters who developed acute onset hematochezia concurrently with SARS-CoV-2 infection. One patient recovered completely, whereas the sibling developed chronic symptoms leading to a diagnosis of ulcerative colitis requiring biologic therapy.

A 9-Day-Old With Weight Loss and Diarrhea.

A 9-day-old infant girl presented with diarrhea and weight loss of 19% since birth. She was born via spontaneous vaginal delivery at 39 weeks' gestation to a mother positive for group B Streptococcus who received adequate intrapartum prophylaxis. The infant was formula-fed every 2 to 3 hours with no reported issues with feeding or swallowing. The infant had nonmucoid watery stools ∼5 to 15 times per day. Her family history was significant for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in several of her family members. Her initial vital signs and physical examination were normal. Laboratory data on hospital admission showed a normal complete blood cell count, but her chemistry analysis revealed significant hypernatremia, hyperkalemia, metabolic acidosis, and acute kidney injury. Her hypernatremia was resistant to fluid management. In this article, we discuss the infant's hospital course, our clinical thought process, and how we arrived at our final diagnosis.

Otorhinolaryngological Manifestations among HIV Positive Children in Coastal Karnataka.

INTRODUCTION: With changed clinical profile of HIV related diseases, our study attempted to analyse otorhinolaryngological manifestations in HIV positive children coming to ART centre of a tertiary referral in South India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Records of 137 children registered at ART Centre, Government Wenlock Hospital, Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore from 2004 till 2010 were studied and data for this retrospective study was collected. RESULTS: Twenty three (16.8%) children developed otorhinolaryngological manifestations, which were upper respiratory tract infection (13.1%), oral candidiasis (1.4%), otitis media (1.4%) and parotitis (1%). With increasing WHO stage, the ENT manifestations increased (p<0.05) while CD4 count decreased (p>0.05), 35% and 44% cases with ENT manifestations had CD4 counts above 500 cells/mm3 and below 200 cells/mm3 respectively (p>0.05). 24% children on HAART and 10.7% not on HAART developed ENT illnesses (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: With the current ART protocols, ENT manifestations are seen in 17% HIV positive children, most of which are aspecific.

Effects of Occupational Tobacco Exposure on Foetal Growth, among Beedi Rollers in Coastal Karnataka.

INTRODUCTION: Though there is ample evidence on adverse effects of tobacco exposure caused by smoking during pregnancy on foetal outcomes, there is lack of studies done on the effects of exposure caused by transdermal absorption, as is seen among beedi rolling women. Therefore, this study was planned, to assess the effect of maternal exposure to tobacco, in the form of beedi-rolling, on the birth weight and other neonatal anthropometric measurements. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross sectional study with controls was conducted, with 102 beedi rollers forming the study group and an equal number of matched controls (control group) (total 204). Data was collected by using a pre-tested questionnaire and anthropometric examinations of the neonates were carried out within 48 hours of their births. RESULTS: Mean birth weight of the newborns was 2.66 (SD=0.32) among those who were born to beedi rolling women and it was 2.63 (SD=0.38) kg among the control group. Crown heel length was 48.09 centimeters (SD=1.93) in the study group and it was 48.12 cm (SD=1.92) in the control group. Beedi rolling beyond the 7(th) month of gestation and for more than six hours per day was associated with a small but insignificant decline in birth weight and crown heel length. CONCLUSION: Beedi-rolling was found to be relatively safe during pregnancy but it could produce adverse effects if it was continued into the third trimester and for longer durations. This study can make the beedi rollers as well as their employers aware of harmful over-exposure to beedi rolling and help them in preventing it.

Ringxiety and the Mobile Phone Usage Pattern among the Students of a Medical College in South India.

AIMS: Technologies like mobile phones may not always work positively but they may have unforeseen adverse effects. This study was conducted to find the proportion of students who experienced ringxiety (phantom ringing) and other perceived effects, as well as the pattern of the mobile phone usage among college students. METHOD: A cross-sectional study was carried out at Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, south India, among 336 medical students by using a pre-tested, semi-structured questionnaire. RESULTS: Among the total number of students, 335 students possessed mobile phones. Mostly, the persons whom they talked to on their phones were parents for 220 (51%) of the students. 48% (150) talked for less than half hour in a day and 41% (137) were high volume message users. "Ringxiety" was experienced by 34.5% (116) of the students and they were more likely to use their phones at restricted places like classrooms (99%) and libraries (60.3%). A significantly larger proportion of ringxiety sufferers also complained of hampered studies. CONCLUSION: The pattern of mobile phone use among the medical students appeared to be problematic, as a fairly large proportion suffered from ringxiety, they reported getting very upset and they used their phones at restricted times and places. This problem needs to be recognized, all stakeholders must be made aware of the symptoms and measures must be taken to reduce it.