Functional gastrointestinal disorders in Greek Children based on ROME III criteria: identifying the child at risk

Background: Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) are a common, diverse group of disorders of unknown etiology, resulting in significant socieconomic burden. In this study, we aimed to assess the prevalence of FGIDs in children aged 6–18 years and examine their association with various demographic and socioeconomic parameters. Methods: This was a school-based, cross-sectional study approved by the relevant government authorities. Informed consent was obtained by the legal representatives of all children who participated. Diagnoses of FGIDs were based on the Greek official translation of the ROME-III questionnaire. Demographic and socioeconomic information were also collected. Key Results: A total of 1588 children (51.8% females, mean age: 12.9±2.8 years) were included. The overall prevalence of any-FGID was 23.1% (95% CI: 21.1–25.2). The most common FGIDs were functional constipation, n=231 (13.9%), abdominal migraine, n=84 (5.6%), aerophagia, n=58 (3.5%), and irritable bowel syndrome, n=48 (3.0%). Multiple logistic regression analysis on the probability of any-FGID identified physical exercise, TV-exposure, victimization, gender, parental educational level, number of children at home and number of adults at home as significant covariates for any-FGID in the final model. Conclusions and Inferences: FGIDs affect approximately 1 in 4 school-aged children in Greece. The following characteristics are associated with a higher probability of any-FGID: female gender, living in a non-nuclear household, victimization, lower parental education level, infrequent physical activity, and high television exposure. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Lt

Developmental defects of enamel in first permanent molars associated with use of asthma drugs in preschool aged children: A retrospective case-control study

Aim: To investigate the association between the occurrences of developmental defects of enamel (DDE), in first permanent molars, and bronchodilators and/or corticosteroid intake for asthma-like episodic treatment at preschool age, in 6–12 year old children. Methods: Children of the case group (n = 70) were followed in the Paediatric Pulmonary Unit and the Unit of Allergology, Asthma and Inflammation at ‘Aghia Sofia’ Children’s Hospital, Athens, Greece and had used asthma drugs during their first 4 years of life. The control group (n = 70) consisted of healthy children who visited the Postgraduate Paediatric Dental Clinic, University of Athens. Information regarding demographic data, medical history, pregnancy, birth weight, duration of breastfeeding, mother’s smoking habits and antibiotic use at preschool age was obtained through a structured questionnaire. Details concerning asthma drugs used were extracted from medical records. The children in both groups underwent an oral examination under standard clinical conditions and all surfaces of first permanent molars were assessed for enamel defects using the modified DDE Index. Chi square statistics, Mann–Whitney U test, Spearman correlation coefficient and logistic regression analysis were used for statistical analysis of the data (p ≤ 0.05). Results: DDE were present in 24 children (34.3%) in the case group and only in 6 (8.6%) in the control, with the difference between the two groups being statistically significant (p < 0.001), while the estimated odds ratio was 5.56. Among the children with DDE in the case group, 41.6% had at least one hypoplastic molar with loss of enamel. The type of asthma drug, age at treatment onset and duration of drug use were not significantly associated with the severity or extent of DDE. Among the possible influential factors, gender was the only statistical significant factor. Conclusions: Children treated with asthma drugs for asthma-like episodes at a preschool age showed an overall increased risk for developing enamel defects in their first permanent molars. Severe hypoplastic lesions with loss of enamel was a frequent finding among affected molars. © 2017, European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry

Enhanced gefitinib cytotoxicity in the presence of cyclodextrins: In-vitro and biophysical studies towards potential therapeutic interventions for cancer

Gefitinib (Iressa®) is an inhibitor of EGFR tyrosine kinase, used in the treatment of lung and other cancers. Its efficient use is severely hampered by very low solubility in water which can be improved by inclusion complexation with cyclodextrins. We have assayed the cytotoxic activity of gefitinib in two pediatric neuroblastoma tumor cell lines expressing EGFR at different levels and found that in the presence of two methylated β-cyclodextrin derivatives (DMβCD, TMβCD) and 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPβCD) the efficacy of the drug increased significantly. The effects were more pronounced in the presence of HPβCD and, as expected, in the cell line with higher EGFR expression. Biophysical studies were carried out using X-ray crystallography, NMR spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulations to identify the structure of gefitinib in complex with the above cyclodextrin derivatives. The crystal structure confirms highly dynamic inclusion of gefitinib and the NMR experiments and molecular dynamics simulations show that in solution there is a preference for occupation of the cyclodextrin cavity by the chlorofluorophenol group of gefitinib. © 2017 American Scientific Publishers