MANUALE CLESS CODDINGTON LIFE EVENTS SCALES

Involvement of many organs and apparatus such as heart, central and peripheral nervous systems have been reported in celiac disease. Autonomic neuropathy has frequently been reported both in untreated and in gluten free diet (GFD) adult patients and, to our knowledge, has never been investigated in celiac children. The aim of the study was to evaluate autonomic function in children with celiac disease. METHODS: Fifteen children with untreated celiac disease were enrolled. Fifteen healthy children served as controls. None of the patients was diabetic. Central or peripheral neurological diseases, were absent. In all participants, at recruitment and after 24 months of GFD, serum anti-tTG and AEA levels, inflammatory markers, IgG, IgM and IgA anti-ganglioside antibodies, were performed. Heart rate variability indexes were employed to evaluate autonomic system balance. RESULTS: Our results indicate that also children with celiac disease may exhibit an imbalance of the neurovegetative system with a prevailing sympathetic tone, persisting on a GFD. All presented symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhea or constipation, vomiting, meteorism, regurgitation in whom autonomic dysfunction could be involved, but these symptoms disappeared on gluten free diet. This tend to exclude the prevailing sympathetic tone as a main factor underlying symptoms of celiac disease. CONCLUSION: Children affected by celiac disease exhibit an enhanced sympathetic tone, persisting after 24 months of GFD whereas gastrointestinal and systemic symptoms disappear. The pathogenesis of this phenomenon still remains unclear

Fertility Preservation

Of the estimated 1.5 million men and women who were diagnosed as having cancer in 2010, approximately 10% are younger than 45 years. For these individuals, cancer treatment can be lifesaving but can permanently affect reproductive capacity. The American Society of Clinical Oncology has recommended that oncologists discuss the possibility of infertility with reproductive-age cancer patients and offer referral for fertility preservation consultation and therapy. Fertility preservation is an emerging field that offers treatment aimed at protecting future reproductive ability for individuals with cancer or other serious illnesses. Although fertility preservation strategies vary by patient age and sex, many allow patients to store gametes or reproductive tissues for potential future use to create offspring. As an emerging discipline, many questions remain about the role of fertility preservation. We performed a MEDLINE search from 1950 to June 2010 using the following MeSH terms: amenorrhea; antineoplastic agents; ovarian failure; premature; infertility, female; fertility preservation; infertility, male; adolescent and cancer; child and cancer; cryopreservation; and reproductive technologies, assisted. Studies considered for inclusion included those written in English and published before June 2010