Exposure to animals and risk of oligoarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis: a multicenter case-control study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>An inverse association between early contact with microbial compounds and respiratory allergies is well established. The protective effect of infant contact with animals was also shown for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We aimed to test the association between animal contact in infancy and oligoarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (OA JIA).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Parents of children with OA JIA registered at the Hospital for Pediatric Rheumatology in Garmisch-Partenkirchen were asked to complete a questionnaire. Children who underwent strabismus surgery at six referral centers for ophthalmology served as controls. Children age 6 to 18 years born in Germany without malformations were included (238 cases; response 89% and 832 controls; response 86%). Data were analyzed using logistic regression models after adjusting for potential confounders.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Neither place of living (urban vs. rural area), living on a farm, nor regular farm animal (adjusted odds ratio 0.79; 95% confidence interval 0.42-1.47) or pet contact (0.79; 0.55-1.14) during infancy were clearly related to case status. Allergic rhinitis was inversely related to OA JIA (0.57; 0.34-0.95).</p> <p>Neither place of living (urban vs. rural area), living on a farm, nor regular farm animal (adjusted odds ratio 0.79; 95% confidence interval 0.42-1.47) or pet contact (0.79; 0.55-1.14) during infancy were related to case status. Allergic rhinitis was inversely related to OA JIA (0.57; 0.34-0.95).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Contact with farm environments in infancy might not be associated with OA JIA. This finding is consistent with previous findings for diabetes mellitus type 1 but contradicts results for IBD and SLE.</p

Dorsal Visual Pathway Changes in Patients with Comitant Extropia

BACKGROUND: Strabismus is a disorder in which the eyes are misaligned. Persistent strabismus can lead to stereopsis impairment. The effect of strabismus on human brain is not unclear. The present study is to investigate whether the brain white structures of comitant exotropia patients are impaired using combined T1-weighted imaging and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Thirteen patients with comitant strabismus and twelve controls underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with acquisition of T1-weighted and diffusion tensor images. T1-weighted images were used to analyze the change in volume of white matter using optimized voxel-based morphology (VBM) and diffusion tensor images were used to detect the change in white matter fibers using voxel-based analysis of DTI in comitant extropia patients. VBM analysis showed that in adult strabismus, white matter volumes were smaller in the right middle occipital gyrus, right occipital lobe/cuneus, right supramarginal gyrus, right cingulate gyrus, right frontal lobe/sub-gyral, right inferior temporal gyrus, left parahippocampa gyrus, left cingulate gyrus, left occipital lobe/cuneus, left middle frontal gyrus, left inferior parietal lobule, and left postcentral gyrus, while no brain region with greater white matter volume was found. Voxel-based analysis of DTI showed lower fractional anisotropy (FA) values in the right middle occipital gyrus and right supramarginal gyrus in strabismus patients, while brain region with increased FA value was found in the right inferior frontal gyrus. CONCLUSION: By combining VBM and voxel-based analysis of DTI results, the study suggests that the dorsal visual pathway was abnormal or impaired in patients with comitant exotropia

Stereoacuity and ocular associations at age 12 years: Findings from a population-based study

PURPOSE To report the distribution of stereoacuity thresholds and ocular characteristics associated with reduced stereoacuity in a representative sample of 12-year-old Australian children. METHODS Stereoacuity thresholds were determined using the three quantitative plates of the TNO test in 2343 children, either unaided or with spectacles, if worn. Logarithm of minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) visual acuity was measured. Cycloplegic autorefraction (using cyclopentolate), cover testing, and dilated fundus examination were performed. Reduced stereoacuity was defined as > 120 arcsec. Myopia was defined as spherical equivalent refraction (SER) = + 2.0 D, anisometropia as spherical equivalent refraction difference between eyes >= 1.00 D, and astigmatism as cylinder >= 1.0 D. RESULTS Stereoacuity was based on unaided visual acuity in 1975 children (84.3%) and on spectacle-correctcd visual acuity in 3 68 children (15.7 %); 8 7 children (3.7 %) had reduced stereoacuity. Amblyopia was the most common identifiable cause, accounting for 32%, followed by strabismus (15%) and anisometropia (14%). Presence of anisometropia was significantly associated with reduced stereoacuity; 78.6% of anisometropic children achieved normal stereoacuity versus 98.9% without anisometropia (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS Reduced stereoacuity was relatively uncommon in a population of 12-year-old Australian children. Its functional and psychosocial impact on individuals and on the whole population remains uncertain

Response to letter regarding article, "evidence of arteriolar narrowing in low-birth-weight children"

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Evidence of arteriolar narrowing in low-birth-weight children

10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.107.747329Circulation1185518-524CIRC

Prevalence and associations of anisometropia and aniso‐astigmatism in a population based sample of 6 year old children

AIM: To study the distribution of anisometropia and aniso‐astigmatism in young Australian children, together with clinical and ocular biometry relations. METHOD: The Sydney Myopia Study examined 1765 predominantly 6 year old children from 34 randomly selected Sydney schools during 2003–4. Keratometry, cycloplegic autorefraction, and questionnaire data were collected. RESULTS: Spherical equivalent (SE) anisometropia (⩾1 dioptre) prevalence was 1.6% (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.1% to 2.4%). Aniso‐astigmatism (⩾1D) prevalence was 1.0% (CI: 0.6% to 1.6%). Both conditions were significantly more prevalent among moderately hyperopic (SE ⩾2.0D) than mildly hyperopic (SE 0.5–1.9D) children. Myopic children (SE ⩽−0.5D) had higher anisometropia prevalence. Neither condition varied by age, sex, or ethnicity. In multivariate analyses, anisometropia was significantly associated with amblyopia, odds ratio (OR) 29, (CI: 8.7 to 99), exotropia (OR 7.7, CI: 1.2 to 50), and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission (OR 3.6, CI: 1.1 to 12.6). Aniso‐astigmatism was significantly associated with amblyopia (OR 8.2, CI: 1.4 to 47), maternal age >35 years (OR 4.0, CI: 1.3 to 11.9), and NICU admission (OR 4.6, CI: 1.2 to 17.2). Anisometropia resulted from relatively large interocular differences in axial length (p<0.0001) and anterior chamber depth (p = 0.0009). Aniso‐astigmatism resulted from differences in corneal astigmatism (p<0.0001). CONCLUSION: In this predominantly 6 year old population, anisometropia and aniso‐astigmatism were uncommon, had important birth and biometry associations, and were strongly related to amblyopia and strabismus