A systematic review and meta-analysis on nutritional and dietary interventions for the treatment of acute respiratory infection in pediatric patients: An EAACI taskforce.

Acute respiratory infections are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in children worldwide. Dietary and nutritional interventions, including minerals and vitamin supplementation, have been explored as potential treatments for these infections. However, the evidence on their efficacy is limited and inconclusive. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to provide a comprehensive summary of the available evidence on the effectiveness of dietary and nutritional interventions for treating acute respiratory tract infections in children. A systematic review was conducted according to the PRISMA 2020 guidelines in April 2022 and updated in April 2023. Clinical trials focusing on dietary or nutritional interventions, including supplementations, in children with acute respiratory tract infections were included. The selection of interventions and outcomes was based on biological plausibility. Data were extracted using a standardized form, and the risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool. Meta-analysis was performed using random-effect models. A total of 50 studies were included in the review. Four trials were conducted in low, 32 in lower-middle, 12 in upper-middle, and only two in high-income countries. The studies evaluated various dietary interventions, including zinc, vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin D, and probiotics. The results of individual studies on the efficacy of these interventions were mixed, with some showing positive effects on clinical outcomes such as duration of symptoms, while others showed no significant impact. Meta-analysis was conducted for zinc supplementation in children with pneumonia, and the pooled results suggested a potential limited benefit in terms of reduced hospital length of stay but not time to recovery. Meta-analyses on vitamin D did not show any effect in children with pneumonia. This systematic review fills a critical gap in the literature by synthesizing the available evidence on the efficacy and safety of nutritional or dietary interventions for acute respiratory tract infections in children. The findings indicate no dietary or nutritional intervention can currently be recommended for the routine treatment of respiratory tract infections in children based on single supplement studies. The metanalysis suggests that zinc supplementation might have a beneficial effect on length of hospitalization in children with pneumonia. New studies are needed to establish more conclusive evidence for pediatric acute respiratory diseases especially for children living in a context of high-income countries.

Current options in the management of tree nut allergy: A systematic review and narrative synthesis.

Tree nut allergy is a lifelong and potentially life-threatening condition. The standard of care is strictly avoiding the culprit nut and treating accidental reactions symptomatically. To evaluate potential therapeutic options for desensitizing patients with IgE-mediated tree nut allergy, we systematically searched three bibliographic databases for studies published until January 2024. We looked for active treatments of IgE-mediated allergy to tree nuts (walnut, hazelnut, pistachio, cashew, almond, pecan, macadamia nut, and brazil nut). We focused on allergen-specific immunotherapy (AIT) using oral (OIT), sublingual (SLIT), epicutaneous (EPIT), or subcutaneous (SCIT) delivery, or other disease-modifying treatments. We found 19 studies that met our criteria: 3 studies investigated sublingual immunotherapy, 5 studied oral immunotherapy to a single tree nut, and 6 used multi-food oral immunotherapy with or without omalizumab. The remaining studies investigated the effectiveness of monoclonal antibodies or IgE-immunoadsorption in multi-food allergic patients, including patients with tree nut allergy. The heterogeneity of the studies prevented pooling and meta-analysis. Oral immunotherapy, single or multi-nut, with or without omalizumab, was the most studied approach and appears effective in conferring protection from accidental exposures. Omalizumab monotherapy is the only approved alternative management for reducing allergic reactions that may occur with accidental exposure.

Levels of IgE sensitization drive symptom thresholds in allergic rhinitis.

BACKGROUND: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a common respiratory disease encompassing a variety of phenotypes. Patients can be sensitized to 1 or more allergens. There are indications that polysensitization is associated with more severe disease. However, the extent to which the level of sensitization is associated with clinical disease variability, underlying the distinct nature of AR from AR+ conjunctivitis or AR+ asthma, is not known. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate phenotypical differences between monosensitized and polysensitized patients with AR and to quantify their symptomatic variability. METHODS: A total of 565 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of AR were included in this cross-sectional study. Of those, 155 were monosensitized and 410 were polysensitized. Interactions between sensitization levels and the reporting of different symptoms of AR and co-morbidities, disease duration, and impact were assessed. Furthermore, patients were stratified into monosensitized, oligosensitized, and polysensitized to assess whether the effect of sensitization on the phenotype was ranked. RESULTS: Polysensitized patients reported itchy eyes significantly more often (P = .001) and had a higher number of ocular (P = .005), itch-related (P = .036), and total symptoms (P = .007) than monosensitized patients. In addition, polysensitized adults and children more often reported wheeze (P = .015) and throat-clearing (P = .04), respectively. Polysensitization was associated with more burdensome AR based on a visual analog scale (P = .005). Increased sensitization level was reflected in more itchy eyes, a higher number of ocular, itch-related, and total number of symptoms, and disease burden. CONCLUSION: With an increasing number of sensitizations, patients with AR experience an increased diversity of symptoms. Multimorbidity-related symptoms increase with sensitization rank, suggesting organ-specific thresholds.

Respiratory virome profiles reflect antiviral immune responses.

BACKGROUND: From early life, respiratory viruses are implicated in the development, exacerbation and persistence of respiratory conditions such as asthma. Complex dynamics between microbial communities and host immune responses shape immune maturation and homeostasis, influencing health outcomes. We evaluated the hypothesis that the respiratory virome is linked to systemic immune responses, using peripheral blood and nasopharyngeal swab samples from preschool-age children in the PreDicta cohort. METHODS: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 51 children (32 asthmatics and 19 healthy controls) participating in the 2-year multinational PreDicta cohort were cultured with bacterial (Bacterial-DNA, LPS) or viral (R848, Poly:IC, RV) stimuli. Supernatants were analysed by Luminex for the presence of 22 relevant cytokines. Virome composition was obtained using untargeted high throughput sequencing of nasopharyngeal samples. The metagenomic data were used for the characterization of virome profiles and the presence of key viral families (Picornaviridae, Anelloviridae, Siphoviridae). These were correlated to cytokine secretion patterns, identified through hierarchical clustering and principal component analysis. RESULTS: High spontaneous cytokine release was associated with increased presence of Prokaryotic virome profiles and reduced presence of Eukaryotic and Anellovirus profiles. Antibacterial responses did not correlate with specific viral families or virome profile; however, low antiviral responders had more Prokaryotic and less Eukaryotic virome profiles. Anelloviruses and Anellovirus-dominated profiles were equally distributed among immune response clusters. The presence of Picornaviridae and Siphoviridae was associated with low interferon-λ responses. Asthma or allergy did not modify these correlations. CONCLUSION: Antiviral cytokine responses at a systemic level reflect the upper airway virome composition. Individuals with low innate interferon responses have higher abundance of Picornaviruses (mostly Rhinoviruses) and bacteriophages. Bacteriophages, particularly Siphoviridae, appear to be sensitive sensors of host antimicrobial capacity, while Anelloviruses are not correlated with TLR-induced immune responses.

The role of respiratory syncytial virus- and rhinovirus-induced bronchiolitis in recurrent wheeze and asthma-A systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most common cause of bronchiolitis. RSV-induced bronchiolitis has been associated with preschool wheeze and asthma in cohort studies where the comparison groups consist of healthy infants. However, recent studies identify rhinovirus (RV)-induced bronchiolitis as a potentially stronger risk factor for recurrent wheeze and asthma. AIM: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to compare the associations of RSV- and RV-induced bronchiolitis with the development of preschool wheeze and childhood asthma. METHODS: We performed a systematic search of the published literature in five databases by using a MeSH term-based algorithm. Cohort studies that enrolled infants with bronchiolitis were included. The primary outcomes were recurrent wheeze and asthma diagnosis. Wald risk ratios and odds ratios (ORs) were estimated, along with their 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Individual and summary ORs were visualized with forest plots. RESULTS: There were 38 studies included in the meta-analysis. Meta-analysis of eight studies that had data on the association between infant bronchiolitis and recurrent wheeze showed that the RV-bronchiolitis group were more likely to develop recurrent wheeze than the RSV-bronchiolitis group (OR 4.11; 95% CI 2.24-7.56). Similarly, meta-analysis of the nine studies that had data on asthma development showed that the RV-bronchiolitis group were more likely to develop asthma (OR 2.72; 95% CI 1.48-4.99). CONCLUSION: This is the first meta-analysis that directly compares between-virus differences in the magnitude of virus-recurrent wheeze and virus-childhood asthma outcomes. RV-induced bronchiolitis was more strongly associated with the risk of developing wheeze and childhood asthma.

Differential maturation trajectories of innate antiviral immunity in health and atopy.

BACKGROUND: The maturation of innate immune responses in health and atopy is still incompletely understood. METHODS: We aimed to evaluate age-related trajectories of the TLR3 and TLR7/8 pathways from birth to adulthood and whether these differ between healthy and atopic individuals. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated from 39 otherwise healthy, atopic and 39 non-atopic subjects, aged 0-45 years. Selected cytokines involved in antiviral responses were measured by Luminex in culture supernatants of poly(I:C)- and R848-stimulated PBMCs. The non-parametric correlation between age and cytokine expression and differences in developmental trajectories between healthy and atopic subjects were estimated. Patterns of cytokine development were identified with principal component analysis. RESULTS: Normal innate immune maturation entails significant and progressive age-related changes in the production of IL-1ß, TNF-α, MIP-1ß, MCP-3, IP-10, IL-10, IL-12p70, and IFN-γ upon TLR3 and/or TLR7/8 stimulation. Individual cytokines made small contributions to the observed variability; chemokines MCP-3 and IP-10 were key contributors. The development of these pathways deviated in atopic subjects with significant differences observed in the trajectories of IL-1ß, MIP-1ß, and IL-10 syntheses. CONCLUSION: TLR3 and TLR7/8 pathways mature during childhood, while atopy is associated with an abnormal maturation pattern. Suboptimal responses in Th1, inflammatory cytokine, and chemokine production may be implicated in poor antiviral immunity in atopics. Moreover, the deficient maturation of IL-10 synthesis may be implicated in the breaking of tolerance, characterizing the onset of atopic disease.

Detection of local allergic rhinitis in children with chronic, difficult-to-treat, non-allergic rhinitis using multiple nasal provocation tests.

BACKGROUND: There is little evidence on the incidence and characteristics of local allergic rhinitis (LAR) in children. Most studies have included subjects with perennial rhinitis only, and results are based on the investigation of no more than three allergens per study. Our aim was to determine the proportion of children with LAR amongst children with chronic, difficult-to-treat, perennial or seasonal, rhinitis but no evidence of sensitization to aeroallergens, or other alternative diagnosis. METHODS: We performed multiple nasal provocation tests (M-NPTs) with four locally relevant aeroallergens (Phleum pratense, Olea europea, Alternaria alternata, and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus) in children with absence of aeroallergen sensitization, seen during a calendar year in a specialized rhinitis clinic. We additionally performed single NPT to children with allergic rhinitis (AR; positive control group). The result of the NPT was based on symptoms and acoustic rhinometry. Identification of nasal hyper-reactivity (NHR) triggers was through a questionnaire. RESULTS: Local allergic rhinitis was confirmed in 29.2% (7/24) of the negative SPT/blood testing population. All but one of the children reacted to one allergen and one to two. All AR children had positive single NPT with results similar to the LAR. There were no differences in age at examination and rhinitis onset, gender distribution, family atopy, and past or current environment of residency, while the prevalence of reported NHR triggers was comparable amongst the three groups. CONCLUSION: This is the first pediatric study where the seasonal or perennial rhinitis population was thoroughly tested for LAR against four aeroallergens. LAR is present in a considerable proportion of children with chronic, difficult-to-treat rhinitis and no sensitization to aeroallergens, and therefore, the performance of NPT should be strongly considered in these cases. There were no distinct clinical characteristics between LAR, AR, and non-allergic rhinitis in children.

Long-Term Results of Combination Treatment with Single-Dose Ranibizumab plus Photodynamic Therapy for Retinal Angiomatous Proliferation.

PURPOSE: To present functional and anatomic outcomes of combination therapy with ranibizumab and photodynamic therapy (PDT) in a series of retinal angiomatous proliferation (RAP) cases. METHODS: A total of 17 eyes of 17 patients with RAP were included. Thirteen eyes were treatment naïve and 4 were already on ranibizumab monotherapy. Combined treatment with single-dose ranibizumab and PDT was performed on all treatment-naïve cases. Follow-up was performed every month for 6-38 months, using optical coherence tomography and indocyanine green angiography when necessary. RESULTS: Overall, 6 out of 7 treatment-naïve cases with stage I or II disease manifested complete angiographic resolution of the hot spot with a single injection of ranibizumab plus PDT. In stage III disease, 7 out of 10 eyes showed persistent leakage immediately after the combined treatment. The rate of hot spot occlusion was found to correlate with the stage of disease (p = 0.05). There was a significant improvement in posttreatment BCVA for all patients regardless of disease stage (p = 0.02), which was more evident in the earlier stages. Improvement was also greater for treatment-naïve patients (p = 0.03). The posttreatment improvement in BCVA was strongly correlated with hot spot occlusion (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Single-dose modified anti-VEGF treatment in combination with PDT may provide long-term regression at the initial stages of RAP.

Energy Efficient Monitoring of Metered Dose Inhaler Usage.

Life-long chronic inflammatory diseases of the airways, such as asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, are very common worldwide, affecting people of all ages, race and gender. One of the most important aspects for the effective management of asthma is medication adherence which is defined as the extent to which patients follow their prescribed action plan and use their inhaler correctly. Wireless telemonitoring of the medication adherence can facilitate early diagnosis and management of these diseases through the use of an accurate and energy efficient mHealth system. Therefore, low complexity audio compression schemes need to be integrated with high accuracy classification approaches for the assessment of adherence of patients that use of pressurized Metered Dose Inhalers (pMDIs). To this end, we propose a novel solution that enables the energy efficient monitoring of metered dose inhaler usage, by exploiting the specific characteristics of the reconstructed audio features at the receiver. Simulation studies, carried out with a large dataset of indoor & outdoor measurements have led to high levels of accuracy (98 %) utilizing only 2 % of the recorded audio samples at the receiver, demonstrating the potential of this method for the development of novel energy efficient inhalers and medical devices in the area of respiratory medicine.

Epigenetic modifications in cutaneous malignant melanoma: EZH2, H3K4me2, and H3K27me3 immunohistochemical expression is enhanced at the invasion front of the tumor.

Cancer stem cells and the misregulation of epigenetic modifications have been identified to possess a determinative role in carcinogenesis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the expression profile of EZH2 and H3K4me2 and H3K27me3, which constitute stem cell-like "bivalent" domains, in cutaneous malignant melanoma. A comparative analysis of their immunohistochemical expression between the invasion front (IF) and the inner tumor mass was also evaluated. Immunohistochemical methodology was performed on sections of 89 melanoma lesions from 79 patients. The 3 markers studied were identified in the cell nuclei of melanoma cells, nevus cells, and normal epidermal keratinocytes. A specific distribution pattern of H3K4me2 and H3K27me3 was found, as stronger levels were localized at the IF of the tumor (P = 0.034 and P < 0.01, respectively). In general, H3K4me2 and H3K27me3 levels were lower in metastatic with respect to primary melanoma cases (P = 0.0065 and P = 0.027, respectively). Advanced melanoma demonstrated significantly lower H3K4 immunohistochemical expression than did cases of lowest Clark level (I) (P = 0.038) or low Breslow depth (≤1 mm; P < 0.001). Furthermore, EZH2 expression in melanoma cells was higher compared with that in nevus cells (P = 0.02). A positive correlation between EZH2-H3K27me3 (P = 0.03) and H3K4me2-H3K27me3 (P < 0.01) in melanoma cells was also found. Our results suggest the possibility that combined immunohistochemical expression of EZH2, H3K4me2, and H3K27me3 might identify cancer cells with potential stem cell properties, particularly at the IF of this malignancy. This hypothesis should be further investigated, as many of the epigenetic changes are reversible via pharmacologic manipulations and new therapies, overpassing the resistance of advanced melanoma, may be developed.

Ηypoxia-inducible factor-1α, von Hippel-Lindau protein, and heat shock protein expression in ophthalmic pterygium and normal conjunctiva.

PURPOSE: Εnhanced expression of transcription factor hypoxia inducible factor HIF-1α is known to play a critical role in the modulation of cell metabolism and survival pathways as well as having stem-cell-like properties. Furthermore, accumulated data reveal the existence of cross-regulation between the oxygen-sensing and heat shock pathways contributing to the adaptation of cells under stressful conditions. Pterygium, a stem cell disorder with premalignant features, has been reported to demonstrate hypoxia. The purpose of this study was to investigate the co-expression patterns of transcription factor HIF-1α and von Hippel Lindau protein (pVHL)--which normally acts to keep levels of HIF-1α activity low under normoxic conditions--in pterygium and normal conjunctival human samples. Additionally, expression of HIF-1α compared to the activation of heat shock proteins (Hsp90, Hsp70, and Hsp27) was studied. Emphasis was placed on the detection of HIF-1α and Hsp90, which associates with and stabilizes HIF-1α to promote its transcriptional activity. METHODS: Semi-serial paraffin-embedded sections and tissue extracts from pterygium and normal conjunctival samples were studied by immunohistochemistry and western blot analysis, respectively, with the use of specific antibodies. Double labeling immunofluorescence studies on cryostat sections were also included. RESULTS: Statistically significant increased expression of HIF-1α and Hsps (Hsp90, Hsp70, and Hsp27) in pterygia compared to normal conjunctiva was demonstrated (p<0.05). In contrast, no significant difference was detected for pVHL expression (p>0.05). Immunohistochemical findings revealed nuclear HIF-1α immunoreactivity in all the epithelial layers of 23/32 (71.8%) pterygium tissues. Furthermore, all epithelial layers of the majority (75%) of pterygium samples showed strong cytoplasmic immunoreactivity for Hsp27 while Hsp27 expression was detected in all pterygia (100%) examined. Hsp27 expression was not observed in the superficial layer of goblet cells. In some samples, focal basal epithelial cells exhibited weak Hsp27 expression or were Hsp27 immunonegative. Ιmmunoreactivity of phopsho-Hsp27 showed the same distribution pattern as Hsp27 did. Epithelium of all pterygia (100%) displayed moderate to strong Hsp90 cytoplasmic immunoreactivity. Furthermore, the majority of pterygia, specifically, 30/32 (93.7%) and 27/32 (84.3%) demonstrated, respectively, Hsp70 and pVHL cytoplasmic immunoreactivity. Hsp90, Hsp70, and pVHL immunoreactivity was mainly detected in basal and suprabasal epithelial layers even though strong immunoreactivity in all epithelial layers was also observed in some pterygia. Stroma vessels were immunopositive for Hsps (Hsp90, Hsp70, and Hsp27) and pVHL. A statistically significant correlation between the expression of HIF-1α and the activation status of Hsps (Hsp90, Hsp70, and Hsp27; p<0.05) was observed whereas HIF-1α expression did not correlate with pVHL expression (p>0.05). Double labeling immunofluorescence studies showed nuclear HIF-1α co-localization with cytoplasmic Hsp90 expression in cells distributed in the entire epithelium of pterygia, in contrast to, normal conjunctiva, which exhibited only a few scattered epithelial cells with cytoplasmic HIF-1α expression and basal epithelial cells with Hsp90 expression. CONCLUSIONS: The upregulation of coordinated activation of HIF-1α and Hsps in pterygium may represent an adaptive process for the survival of cells under stressful conditions. The significance of the association of HIF-1α with Hsp90 with respect to the therapeutic approach of pterygium requires further evaluation.

Literature Review: Historical Review of Traumatic Brain Injury Caused by Fishing Speargun & a New Suicide Case.

BACKGROUND: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a severe neurosurgical emergency and a significant public health concern. Fishing spearguns TBIs are included in nonmissile injuries and have been implicated in only few cases of TBI in the past 68 years, mainly of accidental etiology. OBJECTIVE: To introduce a novel case report of a TBI in a 38-year-old man shot himself with a speargun in a suicide attempt and to present a thorough review of related case reports along with the management strategies, prognosis, and outcomes. METHODS: We conducted a literature review of case reports in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines, including incidents of TBI by speargun published in Pubmed, Scopus, and Web of Science until January 2024. RESULTS: A total of 22 publications, reporting 26 cases of speargun-related TBIs formulated the 27 investigated cases including the current patient which were used in this descriptive and inferential statistical analysis. Predominantly affecting males (88.89%) with a median age of 29 years, these injuries were primarily due to accidents (65.38%), with a noticeable shift towards suicide. Outcome variability ranged from intact recovery (48.15%) in majority of cases to a range of unfavorable outcomes. Significant factors impacting outcomes included initial GCS score <8, major initial CT head findings, and major complications. Survival analysis indicated early manifestation of unfavorable outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, the diverse presentation, management, outcomes and identified influencing factors highlight the complexity of managing speargun-related injuries, and the need for personalized approaches and further research to enhance care protocols.

The 100 Top-Cited Articles on Medial Patellofemoral Ligament: A Bibliometric Analysis and Review.

Background: The medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) has been investigated widely in the past 30 years, resulting in many research achievements in this field. Purpose: To perform a comprehensive bibliometric analysis to evaluate the 100 top-cited articles on the MPFL. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: We searched the Scopus database in December 2022 using the terms "medial patellofemoral ligament" OR "MPFL." The search was confined to English-language articles, including technical notes, systematic reviews on clinical outcomes and/or complications, clinical studies, studies regarding complications, and basic science articles (either cadaveric or biomechanical); we excluded letters, case reports, personal opinions, guidelines, editorials, and narrative or other types of reviews. Analysis of the 100 top-cited articles was performed according to total number of citations, average citations per year (ACY), study type, country of origin, journal of publication, affiliated institution, and most published authors. Results: The total number of citations was 16,358 (range of citations per article, 72-692). The majority of articles were published as clinical studies (54%), with cadaveric studies being the second most common (21%). Most studies originated in the United States (32%), with Japan (15%) and Germany (13%) following. The American Journal of Sports Medicine published the majority of the 100 top-cited articles (37/100; 6304 citations) as well as the 10 top-cited articles according to ACY (7/10; mean, 285.14 citations). The most prolific authors were Nomura (8 articles); Burks (6 articles); and Inoue, Sillanpää, and Dreyhaupt (5 articles each). Conclusion: By analyzing the characteristics of the 100 top-cited articles, this study demonstrated that the MPFL is a growing and popular area of research, with the focus varying through timeline trends. Questions regarding MPFL anatomy, isometry, and biomechanics might have been answered adequately, but research regarding optimal fixation technique under various circumstances is still ongoing.

Increased stability of short femoral stem through customized distribution of coefficient of friction in porous coating.

Stress shielding and aseptic loosening are complications of short stem total hip arthroplasty, which may lead to hardware failure. Stems with increased porosity toward the distal end were discovered to be effective in reducing stress shielding, however, there is a lack of research on optimized porous distribution in stem's coating. This study aimed to optimize the distribution of the coefficient of friction of a metaphyseal femoral stem, aiming for reducing stress shielding in the proximal area. A finite element analysis model of an implanted, titanium alloy short-tapered wedge stem featuring a porous coating made of titanium was designed to simulate a static structural analysis of the femoral stem's behavior under axial loading in Analysis System Mechanical Software. For computational feasibility, 500 combinations of coefficients of friction were randomly sampled. Increased strains in proximal femur were found in 8.4% of the models, which had decreased coefficients of friction in middle medial areas of porous coating and increased in lateral proximal and lateral and medial distal areas. This study reported the importance of the interface between bone and middle medial and distal lateral areas of the porous coating in influencing the biomechanical behavior of the proximal femur, and potentially reducing stress shielding.

Total IgE Trends in Children with Allergic Diseases.

Background/Objectives: The importance of non-invasive biomarkers for the diagnosis and monitoring of allergic diseases in childhood is currently unknown. From this perspective, data on the role of the total (t) immunoglobulin E (IgE) in relation to different allergic diseases across different age groups until adulthood remain unclear. The potential association of tIgE levels with types of allergic diseases diagnosed in an specialized tertiary allergy center, in relation to sex and the age group spanning from birth to 20 years, are evaluated in the present study. Methods: In this retrospective study, the tIgE values were obtained from children assessed for allergy-associated symptoms in our department from January 2015 to December 2020. The tIgE values were analyzed in relation to age and diagnosis. Results: Data from 2127 patients (1321 boys (62.1%)), with a median age of 6.31 (3.01-9.95) years, were available. The tIgE median values for the studied population were 132 (37.7-367.5) kU/lt. The tIgE values showed a significant increase from 0-2 years to 2-5 and 5-12 years, but not from 5-12 to 12-20 years. Boys exhibited significantly higher tIgE values compared to girls. Furthermore, the tIgE levels were significantly increased in children with asthma, allergic rhinitis, food allergy, and atopic dermatitis in comparison to children without these diagnoses. Conclusions: The total IgE values exhibit a significant and progressive longitudinal increase in children with allergic diseases, particularly notable in the 0-2 and 5-12 age groups, in boys, and in children diagnosed with atopic conditions.

Complementary Feeding Practices: Recommendations of Pediatricians for Infants with and without Allergy Risk.

AIM: To investigate the routine guidance provided by pediatricians concerning the timing of complementary feeding (CF) for both healthy infants and those at a heightened risk of allergies. METHODS: A total of 233 pediatricians participated in an anonymous online survey that included questions about demographics and recommendations for CF. Specifically, they provided guidance on the types of foods, preparation methods, supplements, time intervals for introducing new foods to infants at low and high allergy risk, and delayed food introductions for high-risk cases. RESULTS: The respondents advised introducing certain foods at specific ages: fruits, starchy non-gluten grains, vegetables, olive oil, and meat were appropriate at 6 months; gluten-rich grains at 7 months; yogurt, hard-boiled eggs, and legumes at 8 months; fish at 8.5 months; and nuts at 9 months. Pediatricians, especially those with less than 15 years of practice, often introduced egg, seafood, gluten-rich grains, legumes, and nuts earlier for high-risk infants. Parenthood and male gender were associated with the earlier introduction of eggs and grains. CONCLUSIONS: Greek pediatricians follow a structured food introduction schedule for CF in infants. Interestingly, they tend to delay the introduction of common food allergens and recommend longer intervals between introducing new foods, particularly for high-risk infants. Key Notes: Despite recent evidence-based indications on healthy complementary feeding strategies for infants, discrepancies persist among pediatricians regarding food choices and the order and timing of food introduction, both for healthy infants and those at risk of allergy. Guidance on complementary feeding by pediatricians is influenced by their individual characteristics. Pediatricians tend to delay the introduction of common food allergens and recommend longer intervals between introducing new foods, particularly for high-risk infants.

The Prevalence of Orthorexia Nervosa among Greek Professional Dancers.

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of orthorexia nervosa (ON) among professional dancers in Greece, as well as its relationship with nutrition, body mass index (BMI), body image flexibility, and parental bonding. The participants were 96 professional dancers, with a mean age of 23.41 ± 5.13 years, who completed a battery of questionnaires recording sociodemographic, clinical, and anthropometric characteristics; adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet); indications of ON, as determined by the ORTHO-15 questionnaire; body image flexibility, using the body image-acceptance and action questionnaire (BI-AAQ-5); and their recollection of their parents' attitudes towards them during the first 16 years of life, with the parental bonding instrument (PBI). The study population was classified into two groups, based on BMI: normal weight, and underweight. ON was shown to be significantly correlated with BMI (p = 0.006)-present in normal weight subjects- and body image inflexibility (p < 0.001). Parental body image inflexibility was significantly correlated with a low bonding relationship as perceived in childhood. In conclusion, disordered eating attitudes and body shape concerns are prevalent among professional dancers and appear to be associated with their parental relationship during childhood. Identification of potential ON and development of preventive mechanisms could help to eliminate such concerns and improve the nutrition of professional dancers.

Food Allergy Management Competence in Greek Schools.

BACKGROUND: Schoolchildren are likely to consume meals and snacks at school, with a possibility of allergic food reactions and anaphylaxis in the school environment. The school personnel should be informed of the presence of schoolchildren with food allergy (FA) and need to be trained in the management of allergic reactions, as to prepare them to intervene appropriately when necessary. Limited knowledge of FA and its management is documented globally among school staff and there is no uniform protocol in schools. METHODS: In this observational cross-sectional study, teachers at state schools throughout Greece completed an online anonymous questionnaire on their awareness of FA reactions and the plans for the management of medical emergencies in their schools of employment. RESULTS: Among the 289 teachers who responded the online invitation, 203 (70.24%) were female and 157 (54%) were aged under 40 years. Females expressed a higher level of concern about the presence of school personnel trained to manage FA symptoms (p = 0.001), written instructions, and the availability of adrenaline (epinephrine) at school (p < 0.001). A younger age was associated with a higher level of both interest and knowledge on FA management in schools. School directors were more certain about the availability of a special record of children with FA at school (p = 0.01), the availability of adrenaline (p = 0.006), and written guidelines on the management of serious health incidents at school (p = 0.04). Written guidelines instructing children to avoid sharing cutlery, glasses, home-prepared meals, and snacks bought from the school canteen were more common in schools in urban areas (p = 0.015). Only 20% of respondents could confirm with certainty that adrenaline autoinjectors (AAIs) were available at their schools, for the purpose of administering to children in the case of a severe FA reaction. Approximately 3/4 of the participating teachers stated that completion of this questionnaire raised their awareness of the risk of FA reactions in children at school. CONCLUSIONS: This study, the first in Greece to explore the knowledge of teachers about FA in schoolchildren, revealed the following absences in many schools: a process for identifying children with FA, a written emergency treatment plan, and immediate access to emergency AAI. School FA guidelines are necessary in Greece, and training, which includes the use of AAIs, is required to prepare teachers to manage FA reactions in children at school.

Maternal Bonding as a Protective Factor for Orthorexia Nervosa Risk in Dietetics Students.

This study aimed to determine the prevalence of the risk of orthorexia nervosa (ON) in dietetics students in Greece, and its relationship with diet, risk of eating disorder (ED), body mass index (BMI), body image flexibility, and parental attachment. The participants were 132 dietetics students, with a mean age of 22.94 ± 3.5 years, who completed a series of questionnaires that recorded sociodemographic, clinical, and anthropometric characteristics; adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet); ON indicators as determined by the ORTO-15 questionnaire; body image flexibility, with the Body Image-Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (BI-AAQ-5); the risk for ED as assessed using the EAT-26; anxiety level according to the STAIT 6 instrument; and recollection of their parents' attitudes towards them during the first 16 years of life, with the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI). ON risk appeared to be significantly associated with BMI (p = 0.002), exercise frequency (p = 0.023), anxiety level (p = 0.002), risk of ED (p < 0.001), body image inflexibility (p < 0.001), and inversely with the affectionate constraint of maternal bonding (p = 0.036). In conclusion, disordered eating behaviors and body shape concerns are prevalent among dietetics students, with parental attachment to the mother influencing their occurrence. Identification of potential ON and development of prevention mechanisms during childhood could help eliminate these concerns and improve the lives of dietetics students.

Impact of Presumed Tree Nut and Peanut Allergy on Quality of Life at Different Ages.

Tree nut and/or peanut allergy impairs patients' quality of life, but data on the impact of age and the type of nut or peanut on the quality of life are lacking. To evaluate the impact at different ages, age-appropriate survey questionnaires accompanied by FAQLQ and FAIM were distributed to patients with suspected tree nut and/or peanut allergy who presented at the allergy departments of three hospitals in Athens. Out of 200 questionnaires distributed, 106 met the inclusion criteria (46 children, 26 teenagers, 34 adults). The median score of each age group for FAQLQ was 4.6 (3.3-5.1), 4.7 (3.9-5.5), and 3.9 (3.2-5.1) and for FAIM was 3.7 (3.0-4.0), 3.4 (2.8-4.0), and 3.2 (2.7-4.1), respectively. FAQLQ and FAIM scores were correlated with the reported probability of using the rescue anaphylaxis set upon reaction (15.4%, p = 0.04 and 17.8%, p = 0.02, respectively) and pistachio allergy (FAQLQ: 4.8 vs. 4.0, p = 0.04; FAIM: 3.5 vs. 3.2, p = 0.03). Patients with additional food allergies reported worse FAQLQ scores (4.6 vs. 3.8, p = 0.05). Worse FAIM scores were associated with younger age (-18.2%, p = 0.01) and the number of life-threatening allergic reactions (25.3%, p < 0.001). The overall impact of tree nut and/or peanut allergy on patients' quality of life is moderate but differs with age, the type of nut, the use of adrenaline, and the number of previous reactions. The aspects of life affected and contributed factors also vary across age groups.