Cough in Children and Antitussive Drugs in the Office and in Practice

Acute cough is a frequent complaint in pediatric practice. However, there is no acceptable treatment with current knowledge and parents’ common practice is to ask advice from not professional personnel and to use over the counter regimes. This is also a common practice in chronic cough, although the disease has more complex investigation. There are provided data according the etiology and treatment of acute and chronic cough as well as recent literature for anti-tussive medications

THE VALIDATION OF THE APHASIA SCREENING TEST IN GREEK SPEAKING POPULATION

The need for an aphasia screening tool validated in Greek speaking population is long overdue. Until now, clinicians are relied on informal assessment and observation. The aim of this paper is to present the process of adaptation and validation of the Aphasia Screening Test (Whurr, 1996) in Greek speaking population. This test was used mainly due to its use widely across different countries and languages

The role of the mitochondria and the endoplasmic reticulum contact sites in the development of the immune responses

Abstract Mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) contact sites (MERCs) are dynamic modules enriched in subset of lipids and specialized proteins that determine their structure and functions. The MERCs regulate lipid transfer, autophagosome formation, mitochondrial fission, Ca2+ homeostasis and apoptosis. Since these functions are essential for cell biology, it is therefore not surprising that MERCs also play a critical role in organ physiology among which the immune system stands by its critical host defense function. This defense system must discriminate and tolerate host cells and beneficial commensal microorganisms while eliminating pathogenic ones in order to preserve normal homeostasis. To meet this goal, the immune system has two lines of defense. First, the fast acting but unspecific innate immune system relies on anatomical physical barriers and subsets of hematopoietically derived cells expressing germline-encoded receptors called pattern recognition receptors (PRR) recognizing conserved motifs on the pathogens. Second, the slower but very specific adaptive immune response is added to complement innate immunity. Adaptive immunity relies on another set of specialized cells, the lymphocytes, harboring receptors requiring somatic recombination to be expressed. Both innate and adaptive immune cells must be activated to phagocytose and process pathogens, migrate, proliferate, release soluble factors and destroy infected cells. Some of these functions are strongly dependent on lipid transfer, autophagosome formation, mitochondrial fission, and Ca2+ flux; this indicates that MERCs could regulate immunity

Μυκηναϊκή Αρκαδία: αποτίμηση των γνώσεών μας

This paper has a double purpose: it outlines our knowledge about Mycenaean Arcadia and in parallel it attempts to draw perspectives for the research in this neglected area. The region which we examine - as defined by Pausanias' description - is landlocked and restricted to small high plains and basins, surrounded by great masses of mountains. Travelers of the 18th and 19th centuries passed through Arcadia, but they were interested mainly in identifying the classical sites. More information is obtained by excavated sites and field surveys. Unfortunately few excavations have been made, fewer have been published. R. Howell's survey remains, 3S years after its publication, the only extensive research, but it focuses on the eastern part of the province. This may possibly be the reason why eastern Arcadia seems to be densely populated in contrast to the southern and western part of the region. On the whole 42 sites are recorded. Most of the Mycenaean settlements were located on rather steep-sided hills that could be easily defended. The natural formation of the region favours the development of rural settlements. It may not be accidental that, with the exception of Analipsis, no administrative centre has been located until now. So Arcadia looks like a 'periphery', although it is surrounded by major Mycenaean centers. Perhaps the frontier regions were included in the sphere of influence of significant sites outside Arcadia. Nevertheless, the exact kind of these relations and the degree of influence are hard to establish by the data available. The altitude and cold winters presuppose that seasonal pastoralism had been developed. The only two sites where significant quantity of LH pottery of good quality has been found, are Analipsis and Palaiokastro. LH I and II material from Asea and Analipsis implies relations with Argolid and northeastern Peloponnese, but there are also elements which indicate Minoan influence. The majority of the material from Palaiokastro belongs to LH mc, middle and late phases. The pottery and the Naue type 11 swords confirm that the site belongs to a northwest Peloponnesian koine, part of a larger West Mainland koine. The material combines the shapes and motifs found in Elis and Achaea with a large amount of Minoan influence; to this combination local idiosyncrasies are added forming a unique local style. Much work still needs to be done. Obviously many more sites have yet to be recorded in northern, central, southern and especially western Arcadia, in the fertile valleys across the rivers Ladon and Alpheios. However, collecting surface sherds alone hardly ever gives the complete record of a site's history. Further investigation of the sites already mentioned and further study of finds from the excavations could yield more precise information

Mykenaike Arcadia: apotimese ton gnoseon mas

Papers from the third international seminar on Ancient Arcadia, held at the Norwegian Institute at Athens, 7-10 May 2002This paper has a double purpose: it outlines our knowledge about Mycenaean Arcadia and in parallel it attempts to draw perspectives for the research in this neglected area. The region which we examine - as defined by Pausanias' description - is landlocked and restricted to small high plains and basins, surrounded by great masses of mountains. Travelers of the 18th and 19th centuries passed through Arcadia, but they were interested mainly in identifying the classical sites. More information is obtained by excavated sites and field surveys. Unfortunately few excavations have been made, fewer have been published. R. Howell's survey remains, 3S years after its publication, the only extensive research, but it focuses on the eastern part of the province. This may possibly be the reason why eastern Arcadia seems to be densely populated in contrast to the southern and western part of the region. On the whole 42 sites are recorded. Most of the Mycenaean settlements were located on rather steep-sided hills that could be easily defended. The natural formation of the region favours the development of rural settlements. It may not be accidental that, with the exception of Analipsis, no administrative centre has been located until now. So Arcadia looks like a 'periphery', although it is surrounded by major Mycenaean centers. Perhaps the frontier regions were included in the sphere of influence of significant sites outside Arcadia. Nevertheless, the exact kind of these relations and the degree of influence are hard to establish by the data available. The altitude and cold winters presuppose that seasonal pastoralism had been developed. The only two sites where significant quantity of LH pottery of good quality has been found, are Analipsis and Palaiokastro. LH I and II material from Asea and Analipsis implies relations with Argolid and northeastern Peloponnese, but there are also elements which indicate Minoan influence. The majority of the material from Palaiokastro belongs to LH mc, middle and late phases. The pottery and the Naue type 11 swords confirm that the site belongs to a northwest Peloponnesian koine, part of a larger West Mainland koine. The material combines the shapes and motifs found in Elis and Achaea with a large amount of Minoan influence; to this combination local idiosyncrasies are added forming a unique local style. Much work still needs to be done. Obviously many more sites have yet to be recorded in northern, central, southern and especially western Arcadia, in the fertile valleys across the rivers Ladon and Alpheios. However, collecting surface sherds alone hardly ever gives the complete record of a site's history. Further investigation of the sites already mentioned and further study of finds from the excavations could yield more precise information

Phenotypically defined subpopulations of circulating follicular helper T cells in common variable immunodeficiency

BackgroundCommon variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is characterized by low immunoglobulin G and IgA/IgM, decreased switched memory B cells, impaired response to vaccine, and an increased susceptibility to infections and autoimmunity. TFH cells play an important role in germinal center reaction where it supports isotype switching, somatic hypermutation, generation of memory B cells, and differentiation of B cells to plasma cells. The objective was to study the distribution of three subsets of TFH cells and their relationship with autoimmune diseases associated with CVID.MethodsTFH cells have been divided into TFH 1 (interleukin 21 [IL-21] and interferon γ), TFH 2 (IL-21 and IL-4), and TFH 17 (IL-21 and IL-17) cells. Mononuclear cells from 25 patients with CVID and age and gender-matched controls were stained with various monoclonal antibodies (anti-CD4 APC, anti-CXCR5 FITC, anti-CCR6 PerCP, and anti-CXCR3 PE) and isotype controls and analyzed for TFH 1 (CD4+ CXCR5+ CXCR3+ CCR6- ), TFH 2 (CD4+ CXCR5+ CXCR3- CCR6- ), and TFH 17 (CD4+ CXCR5+ CXCR3- CCR6+ ) cells by multicolor flow cytometry. Twenty thousand cells were acquired and analyzed by FlowJo software. Statistical analysis of comparison of patients and healthy controls was performed by paired t test using PRISM 7 software.ResultsTFH 2 and TFH 17 cells subpopulations of TFH cells were significantly decreased (P < .003 and P < .006, respectively) in CVID as compared with controls. No significant difference was observed in any of TFH cell subpopulations between CVID with and those without autoimmunity group.ConclusionAlterations in TFH cell subpopulation may play a role in defects in B cell compartment in CVID

A Retrospective Study of 120 Patients with Eczema in Greece: Eczema in an Allergic Department in Greece

Object ives: Eczema is a common chronic and troublesome disease for the patients and the parents. The knowledge of the process of disease and management of treatment and comorbidities is important.Methods: This is a retrospective study of 120 patients.Results : A significant number of patients had sensitization of no clinical importance.Most of them responded well to hydration treatment and they did not need more sophisticated drugs.Conclusions: Eczema is a chronic disease with exacerbations and remissions. However,environmental factors rather than foods and aeroallergens contribute to exacerbations.Educating parents and patients properly about the hydration of epidermis and the use of anti-inflammatory drugs could help in long term remissions.