Can mean platelet volume be used as a biomarker for asthma?

Introduction : Platelets play important roles in airway inflammation and are activated in inflammatory lung diseases, including asthma. Aim :We evaluated the mean platelet volume (MPV), used as a marker of platelet activation, in asthmatic patients during asymptomatic periods and exacerbations compared to healthy controls to determine whether MPV can be used as an indicator of inflammation. Material and methods :Our patient group consisted of95 children with exacerbation of asthma who were admitted to our allergy clinic. The control group consisted of 100 healthy children matched for age, gender, and ethnicity. Mean platelet volume values of the patient group obtained during exacerbation of asthma were compared to those of the same group during the asymptomatic period and with the control group. We investigated factors that can affect the MPV values of asthma patients, including infection, atopy, immunotherapy treatment, and severity of asthma exacerbation. Results :The patient group consisted of 50 (52.6%) boys and 45 (47.4%) girls with a mean age of 125 ±38 months old. Mean MPV values in the exacerbation period, the healthy period, and in the control group were 8.1 ±0.8 fl, 8.1 ±1.06 fl, and 8.2 ±0.9 fl, respectively; there were no significant differences between groups (p > 0.05). The severity of asthma, severity of asthma exacerbation, immunotherapy, coinfection, eosinophil count, and IgE level also had no effect on MPV (p > 0.05). Conclusions : Although platelets play a rolein the pathophysiology of asthma, MPV measurement is insufficient to detect inflammation through platelet

Unusual Radiological Sign in Bronchial Atresia

WOS: 000382762400009PubMed ID: 29404129Bronchial atresia is usually diagnosed by incidentally detecting opacitiy at hilar ragion and hyperinflation around this opacity on chest X-ray. It may rarely be detected as air sac like atresic bronchus. The breath sounds in the right hemithorax were heard less when compared to the left hemithorax in the auscultation of a 16-year-old male patient with allergic rhinitis. The patient had no pulmonary complaints, and this finding was not recorded in his previous follow-up. In order to determine the etiology of hyperinflation seen on chest X-ray, computed tomography was performed. Hyperinflation was identified in the lower lobe superior segment of the right lung, which could be secondary to bronchial atresia. It was confirmed that in the evaluation of computed tomography with three-dimensional reconstruction, lower lobe superior segment bronchus of the right lung was atresic and contrary to expected mucus opacity in the distal of atresia, dilated bronchus was filled with air. This case was especially presented to lay emphasis on careful auscultation and share its unusual radiological presentation which had been reported twice before

Chilaiditi Syndrome in Two Cases Presented with Respiratory Distress Symptoms

WOS: 000370844800008PubMed ID: 29404084Chilaiditi syndrome is a rare syndrome known hepatodiaphramatic interposition of as colon or small intestine. As this pathology is usually asymptomatic, it is incidentally identified in adults and rarely reported in children. Herein, two children cases are presented with respiratory distress, who were diagnosed as Chilaiditi syndrome by chest radiography

Pulmonary complications of chemical pneumonia; a case report

WOS: 000390310600023PubMed ID: 27399025Hydrocarbon aspiration (HA) can cause significant lung disease by inducing an inflammatory response, hemorrhagic exudative alveolitis, and loss of surfactant function. The most serious side effect of HA is aspiration pneumonia. Pneumothorax, pneumatocele, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), pulmonary abscess, bronchopleural fistula, bilateral hemorrhagic pleural effusion and pyopneumothorax were previously reported. Hereby we report a patient hospitalized due to aspiration pneumonia who developed pleurisy and pneumothorax after drinking paint thinner. It is presented as it was seldom reported in children to cause distinct pulmonary complications. Patients with complaints associated with hydrocarbon poisoning must be fully evaluated. They must not be discharged from the hospital early and must be followed for at least 48 hours even if they don't have respiratory symptoms. It should be kept in mind that severe pulmonary complications can develop in patients with chemical pneumonia

Pulmonary vascular anomalies: a review of clinical and radiological findings of cases presenting with different complaints in childhood

WOS: 000398204700020PubMed ID: 28266205Congenital pulmonary vascular abnormalities arise from several etiologies. These anomalies are difficult to categorize and sorted into distinct classifications. Major pulmonary vascular abnormalities can be ranked as interruption of the main pulmonary artery or its absence, emergence of the left pulmonary artery in the right pulmonary artery, pulmonary venous drainage abnormalities, and pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (PAVMs). Some of the cases are asymptomatic and diagnosed by coincidence, whereas a few of them are diagnosed by typical findings in the newborn and infancy period, symptoms, and radiological appearances. Early diagnosis is important, since death may occur as a result of pulmonary and cardiac pathologies developed in patients with pulmonary vascular anomalies. In this case presentation, the clinical and radiological findings of patients that presented with different complaints and were diagnosed with pulmonary vascular anomalies were introduced

Local and systemic reactions to subcutaneous allergen immunotherapy

Background: Local and especially systemic reactions are important problems in subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT). Local and systemic reactions develop in 0.7% to 4% and 0.2% of all injections, respectively

Tuberculosis masked by immunodeficiency: a review of two cases diagnosed with chronic granulomatous disease

Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is a genetically heterogeneous primary immunodeficiency that is characterized by recurrent and life-threatening infections resulting from defects in phagocyte nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase system and granuloma formation due to increased inflammatory response. The most commonly involved organs are the lungs, skin, lymph nodes, and liver due to infection. It may present with recurrent pneumonia, hilar lymphadenopathy, empyema, abscess, reticulonodular patterns, and granulomas due to lung involvement. In recent years, mycobacterial disease susceptibility has been reported in CGD cases. This article presents two male cases, one of whom is aged 18 months and the other is aged 5 years, who were diagnosed with CGD and tuberculosis during examination due to extended pneumonia. This report is presented because CGD should be considered not only in the presence of skin abscesses and Aspergillus infections, but also in the differential diagnosis for cases with BCG-itis and/or tuberculosis. It should be kept in mind that mycobacterial infections can occur during the course of the disease

Can mean platelet volume be used as a biomarker for asthma?

Introduction : Platelets play important roles in airway inflammation and are activated in inflammatory lung diseases, including asthma. Aim :We evaluated the mean platelet volume (MPV), used as a marker of platelet activation, in asthmatic patients during asymptomatic periods and exacerbations compared to healthy controls to determine whether MPV can be used as an indicator of inflammation. Material and methods :Our patient group consisted of95 children with exacerbation of asthma who were admitted to our allergy clinic. The control group consisted of 100 healthy children matched for age, gender, and ethnicity. Mean platelet volume values of the patient group obtained during exacerbation of asthma were compared to those of the same group during the asymptomatic period and with the control group. We investigated factors that can affect the MPV values of asthma patients, including infection, atopy, immunotherapy treatment, and severity of asthma exacerbation. Results :The patient group consisted of 50 (52.6%) boys and 45 (47.4%) girls with a mean age of 125 ±38 months old. Mean MPV values in the exacerbation period, the healthy period, and in the control group were 8.1 ±0.8 fl, 8.1 ±1.06 fl, and 8.2 ±0.9 fl, respectively; there were no significant differences between groups (p > 0.05). The severity of asthma, severity of asthma exacerbation, immunotherapy, coinfection, eosinophil count, and IgE level also had no effect on MPV (p > 0.05). Conclusions : Although platelets play a rolein the pathophysiology of asthma, MPV measurement is insufficient to detect inflammation through platelet

Risk of systemic allergic reactions to allergen immunotherapy in a pediatric allergy clinic in Turkey

Objectives: Even though allergen immunotherapy is an effective treatment method that has been used on rhinitis, asthma and venom anaphylaxis for over 100 years, systemic reactions (SRs) limit the use of this treatment method. We classified SRs associated with subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) according to the World Allergy Organization Subcutaneous Immunotherapy Systemic Reaction Grading System. Risk factors for the SRs were assessed

Can neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio be a novel biomarker of inflammation in children with asthma?

Neutrophils are known to play a role in airway inflammation and are activated in inflammatory lung diseases such as asthma. In adult studies the neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) was found to be a possible biomarker for both airway and systemic inflammation. However, there is a limited understanding regarding NLR in the pediatric age group. To assess NLR as a biomarker for inflammation in pediatric asthma, 54 children admitted to hospital with exacerbation of asthma between March and October 2013 were enrolled into our study. Complete blood counts were obtained during both exacerbation and an asymptomatic period covering at least 3 months after exacerbation. NLRs of the study group during both exacerbation and the asymptomatic period were compared and these two datasets were then compared with the control group. The study group comprised 27 boys (50%) and 27 girls (50%) with a mean age of 120 ± 36 months. Of the total number of patients, 3.7% had mild, 94.4% had moderate, and 1.9% had severe exacerbation of asthma. The NLRs of the study group were found to be significantly higher during exacerbation compared with both the asymptomatic period and the control group ( P = 0.017, P = 0.003). Our study suggests that NLR may be effective and usable measurable biomarker for determining inflammation in cases of pediatric asthma during acute exacerbation period. However, a broad analysis of dependent and independent variables in further prospective studies, is still required. Trial registration: Not applicable