International periodic fever, aphthous stomatitis, pharyngitis, cervical adenitis syndrome cohort: description of distinct phenotypes in 301 patients.

OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to describe the clinical features of periodic fever, aphthous stomatitis, pharyngitis and cervical adenitis (PFAPA) and identify distinct phenotypes in a large cohort of patients from different countries. METHODS: We established a web-based multicentre cohort through an international collaboration within the periodic fevers working party of the Pediatric Rheumatology European Society (PReS). The inclusion criterion was a diagnosis of PFAPA given by an experienced paediatric rheumatologist participating in an international working group on periodic fever syndromes. RESULTS: Of the 301 patients included from the 15 centres, 271 had pharyngitis, 236 cervical adenitis, 171 oral aphthosis and 132 with all three clinical features. A total of 228 patients presented with additional symptoms (131 gastrointestinal symptoms, 86 arthralgias and/or myalgias, 36 skin rashes, 8 neurological symptoms). Thirty-one patients had disease onset after 5 years and they reported more additional symptoms. A positive family history for recurrent fever or recurrent tonsillitis was found in 81 patients (26.9%). Genetic testing for monogenic periodic fever syndromes was performed on 111 patients, who reported fewer occurrences of oral aphthosis or additional symptoms. Twenty-four patients reported symptoms (oral aphthosis and malaise) outside the flares. The CRP was >50 mg/l in the majority (131/190) of the patients tested during the fever. CONCLUSION: We describe the largest cohort of PFAPA patients presented so far. We confirm that PFAPA may present with varied clinical manifestations and we show the limitations of the commonly used diagnostic criteria. Based on detailed analysis of this cohort, a consensus definition of PFAPA with better-defined criteria should be proposed

Food allergy: Evaluation of the quality of life in Swiss children

Background: Food allergy in children, an increasingly prevalent disease, significantly affects the quality of life. Its impact can be analyzed by the recently validated French version of the Food Allergy Quality of Life Questionnaire (FAQLQ). Objectives: The aim of our study was to evaluate the quality of life in a small sample of Swiss children with IgE-mediated food allergy. Methods: Information were collected with the questionnaire among 0-12 years old children and their parents during a scheduled allergy visit, and analysed in term of emotional impact, food anxiety and social and food limitations. Patients were divided according to the questionnaire in three age groups: group 1 from 0 to 3 years, group 2 from 4 to 6 years and group 3 from 7 up to 12 years. Results: 30 food allergic patients were included, with a girl/boy ratio of 1:1.14. Median age was 6 years. 56% suffered from or had a history of eczema, 23% of rhino-conjunctivitis, 30% of asthma, and 13% reported a drug allergy. None had insect venom allergy. 57% were known to be allergic to one food, 20% to two foods, 20% to 3 foods and 3% had 3 or more food allergies. Tree nuts (51% of all allergies) as well as eggs (28 %) were the major allergies. Emotional impact had a total score of 1.54 but showed differences between age groups. In group 1 it was lower with 0.23, in group 2 the score was 2.03 and 1.77 in group 3. Food anxiety total score was 1.9; 0.76 in group 1, 2.31 in group 2 and 2.23 in group 3. Social and food limitations showed similar results with a total score of 1.73 and 1.23 in group 1, 2.05 in group 2 and 1.68 for group 3. Conclusion: Food allergy affects the quality of life of Swiss children. Our preliminary results on a small sample are comparable to previously published data. We show that the impact of food allergy on daily life increases when the child starts school and social activities

Validation of the French version of specific quality of life questionnaire for children with food allergy

Specific quality of life questionnaire in French for children with food allergy. (C) 2011 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved

Food allergy: Validation of the French version of the FAQLQ-PF Quality of Life Questionnaire

Background: It has been previously shown with English speaking children that food allergy clearly affects their quality of life. The first allergy quality of life questionnaire has been validated in English in 2008, however to date no questionnaire was available in French. Objectives: To validate the French version of the Food Allergy Quality of Life Questionnaire- Parent Form (FAQLQ-PF) already existing version developed and validated in English by DunnGalvin et al. Methods: The questionnaire was translated from English to French by two independent French-speaking translators and retranslated by an independent English-speaking translator. We then recruited 30 patients between 0 and 12 years with a food allergy. Parents of these children answered the questionnaire during a clinic visit. The results obtained were then analysed and compared with the results provided by DunnGalvin's study and the Food Allergy independent Measure (FAIM). Results: 27 questionnaires were fully completed and available for analysis. Median age was 6 years with a range from 18 months to 12 years. We had a girl/boy ratio of 1:1.14. A Cronbach's a correlation index of 0.748 was found. Validity was demonstrated by significant correlations between FAQLQ-PF and the FAIM. Conclusion: The French version of the FAQLQ was validated and will permit to assess degree of Quality of Life for French-speaking children with food allergy. It will be an important tool for clinical research and will allow research collaboration between French and English speaking research teams

Parent perceived quality of life is age-dependent in children with food allergy.

Food allergy in children significantly affects their quality of life. Its impact can be analyzed by quality of life questionnaires. The aim of our study was to validate the French version of disease-specific questionnaires and to evaluate the quality of life in children with IgE-mediated food allergy. Two validated food allergy-specific questionnaires for quality of life, the parent's and children's forms (FAQLQ-PF and FAQLQ-CF), were translated from English to French and submitted to children with food allergy and their parents. Questionnaires were analyzed in terms of emotional impact, food anxiety, and social and food limitations. NCT 01480427. Sixty-two parents of children aged 0-12 yrs answered the FAQLQ-PF, and 32 children aged 8-12 yrs the FAQLQ-CF. Construct validity of both questionnaires was assessed by correlation between the FAQLQs and FAIM (r = 0.85 and 0.84, respectively). Both FAQLQs had good internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.748 and 0.67, respectively). Young children (0-3 yrs old) showed better quality of life scores than older children (FAQLQ-PF global score: p = 0.02). Worse scores were also shown among children with previous severe systemic reactions (FAQLQ-PF global score: p = 0.039), the ones with an allergic mother (FAQLQ-PF global score: p = 0.002), or allergic siblings (FAQLQ-PF emotional impact score: p = 0.034), the ones with multiple food allergy (more than 1 food) (FAQLQ-PF anxiety score: p = 0.04) and among the girls (FAQLQ-CF global score: p = 0.031). Older children, the ones with severe systemic reactions, or with mothers or siblings also affected by allergies, as well as girls, and children with multiple food allergies show worse quality of life scores

Parent perceived quality of life is age-dependent in children with food allergy.

Food allergy in children significantly affects their quality of life. Its impact can be analyzed by quality of life questionnaires. The aim of our study was to validate the French version of disease-specific questionnaires and to evaluate the quality of life in children with IgE-mediated food allergy. Two validated food allergy-specific questionnaires for quality of life, the parent's and children's forms (FAQLQ-PF and FAQLQ-CF), were translated from English to French and submitted to children with food allergy and their parents. Questionnaires were analyzed in terms of emotional impact, food anxiety, and social and food limitations. NCT 01480427. Sixty-two parents of children aged 0-12 yrs answered the FAQLQ-PF, and 32 children aged 8-12 yrs the FAQLQ-CF. Construct validity of both questionnaires was assessed by correlation between the FAQLQs and FAIM (r = 0.85 and 0.84, respectively). Both FAQLQs had good internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.748 and 0.67, respectively). Young children (0-3 yrs old) showed better quality of life scores than older children (FAQLQ-PF global score: p = 0.02). Worse scores were also shown among children with previous severe systemic reactions (FAQLQ-PF global score: p = 0.039), the ones with an allergic mother (FAQLQ-PF global score: p = 0.002), or allergic siblings (FAQLQ-PF emotional impact score: p = 0.034), the ones with multiple food allergy (more than 1 food) (FAQLQ-PF anxiety score: p = 0.04) and among the girls (FAQLQ-CF global score: p = 0.031). Older children, the ones with severe systemic reactions, or with mothers or siblings also affected by allergies, as well as girls, and children with multiple food allergies show worse quality of life scores

Impact of poplar water status on leaf-beetle (Chrysomela populi) survival and feeding

The aim of this study is to assess the impact of drought on insect-tree relationships. Survival and feeding performances of leaf-beetles, Chrysomela populi put in cages with leaves of host-plants submitted to different levels of water stress were compared. Ninety 1-year-old poplar (Populus × euramericana) cuttings were grown in a greenhouse, and distributed into 3 groups submitted to different water treatments during six weeks. Adult C. populi were then encaged for four days with these cuttings, together with the five terminal leaves of a twig. Beetle survival and consumed leaf areas were then determined. Predawn leaf water potential values indicated that the drought treatments induced different levels of plant water stress. Plant height growth and total leaf numbers were reduced by plant stress. Beetle survival and leaf areas eaten were also reduced proportionally to plant water deficit. In conclusion, this experiment suggests that drought has a negative impact on C. populi survival and feeding. © INRA, EDP Sciences, 2010.SCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Desempenho germinativo da invasora Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit. e comparação com Caesalpinia ferrea Mart. ex Tul. e Caesalpinia pulcherrima (L.) Sw. (Fabaceae) Germination performance of the invader Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit. compared to Caesalpinia ferrea Mart. ex Tul. and C. pulcherrima (L.) Sw. (Fabaceae)

O sucesso das plantas na colonização de novas áreas está fortemente relacionado ao comportamento germinativo das sementes nas condições ambientais locais. O objetivo deste trabalho foi comparar o desempenho germinativo da exótica invasora Leucaena leucocephala ao das leguminosas (Caesalpinia ferrea, nativa e C. pulcherrima, exótica) não consideradas invasoras. Sementes não escarificadas foram expostas às temperaturas de 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 e 40 °C, sob um fotoperíodo de 12 horas, durante 100 dias. Tanto a porcentagem final quanto a velocidade de germinação apresentaram diferenças significativas entre as três espécies. C. ferrea teve baixo desempenho, com temperatura ótima para a germinação a 25°C, porcentagem de germinação de 59% e IVG de 0,68 sementes d-1. Já C. pulcherrima, apresentou altas porcentagens de germinação em todas as temperaturas testadas, com faixa ótima entre 20-40 °C. As sementes de L. leucocephala apresentaram as menores porcentagens de germinação e temperatura ótima de 35 °C. O desempenho germinativo desta exótica não se sobressai ao das demais espécies estudadas e fatores como a pressão de propágulos, escarificação natural e bom desempenho em outras fases da vida devem contribuir para seu perfil de invasora.<br>Success in establishing and colonizing new areas is directly related to germination behaviour of seeds under local environmental conditions. This work aimed to compare germination performance of the exotic invader Leucaena leucocephala to two legumes (Caesalpinia ferrea, native, and C. pulcherrima, exotic) which are not considered invasive. Non-scarified seeds were exposed to constant temperatures of 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40ºC, within a photoperiod of 12 hours, for 100 days. Both final germination percentage and germination speed showed significant differences among the three species. C. ferrea had low germination percentage, with optimal germination temperature at 25ºC, reaching germination percentage of 59% and germination speed of 0.68 seeds d-1. In contrast, C. pulcherrima had high germination percentages at all temperatures tested, with highest germinability from 20 to 40ºC. Seeds of L. leucocephala had the lowest germination percentage and optimal germination temperature was 35ºC. The germination performance of this exotic is not outstanding, and factors such as propagule pressure, natural scarification and good performance in other life stages must contribute to its invasiveness