Objectives and study: Arthritis associated with inflammatory bowel diseases is mainly part of systemic sterile inflammation. Authors studied occurrence of locomotive system's inflammation, by prospective and partly retrospective methods in 35 pediatric cases (17 boys and 18 girls) with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), carried out in Pediatric Health Centre, Borsod-Abauj-County University Hospital, Miskolc, Hungary. Methods: Data of patients history, physical (pediatric gastroenterologist, orthopedic surgeon), X-ray, and/ or ultrasound examinations were analized. Results: Diagnosis of IBD was performed at 4.5- 17 years of age. Signs of locomotive system's inflammation appeared before, in same time, or after diagnosing bowel's inflammation. 9/35 (25.7%) patients presented knee-joint gout, swelling, synovial fluid production. 18/35 (50.3%) of them had migrating peripherial arthitis, 4/35 (11.4%) axial form. Transient rheumatic factor positivity appeared in 2/35 patients (5.5%). 29/35 pediatric IBD patients have some joint-mouvement system's complaints. Drugs of IBD therapy (nonsteroid antiinflammatory drugs, corticosteroids, azathioprin, biologics) were effective in associated arthritis also. Conclusion: Antiinflammatory-immunesupressive drugs with systemic effect ease inflammation not only in bowel, but in joints also. It is important to consider joint inflammation when doctors propose therapy of patients with IBD.

MEETING ABSTRACTS: Abstracts from the Fifth Georg Rajka International Symposium of Atopic Dermatitis, Kyoto, Japan, May 11-13, 2008: Part 1: 1. Definition, Incidence, Prevalence, and Epidemiology of Atopic Dermatitis

In this study we investigated skin bacterial colonization, allergen-specific IgE and antiphospholipid/antinuclear antibodies in 72 children with atopic eczema/dermatitis syndrome (age 2-17 years). Bacteria were found on the skin in 41 cases and serological allergen-specific IgE positivity in 37. The different forms of antibodies appeared in the ratio 21/72 (33 antibodies in 21 children). The occurrence of antiphospholipid antibodies was significantly higher in the patients than in the controls. There were significantly more allergens in the group with bacterial colonization than in the group without colonization. The SCORAD index showed a significant positive association with the skin colonization. We conclude that there are significant relationships between the occurrence of Staphylococcus aureus colonization and the levels of inhalant allergen-specific IgE in children with atopic eczema/dermatitis syndrome, and between the occurrence of antiphospholipid IgM positivity and atopic eczema/dermatitis syndrome.

BACKGROUND:As the literature has only controversial data on the role of nonallergen-specific antibodies in atopic eczema dermatitis syndrome, the authors investigated the link between the occurrence of the antiphospholipid [anticardiolipin (ACL), anti-beta2-glycoprotein I] and allergen-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies in 72 children with atopic eczema/dermatitis syndrome (AEDS).METHODS:The measurement of antiphospholipid antibodies was carried out by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), serum total IgE by nephelometry, and allergen-specific IgE by immunoblotting assay. The statistical analysis was carried out by Fisher's exact test and odds ratio was calculated.RESULTS:Thirteen of 72 children with AEDS (mean age 8.3 years) had elevated serum levels of ACL, and eight anti-beta2-glycoprotein I antibodies. The presence of allergen-specific IgE against inhalant allergens and nutritive allergens was among eight of 13 and three of eight in the cases with elevated ACL. The ratio of patients with highly increased severity scoring of atopic dermatitis (SCORAD) index (>75) was significantly higher in the group with elevated (4/13) than in those with the normal ACL levels (2/59). There was a significant association between the appearance of mite (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, D. farinae)-specific IgE and ACL IgM antibodies (6/13).CONCLUSION:These findings show that there are significant linkage and association between the appearance of ACL IgM or the production of allergen-specific IgE against inhalant (mainly mite) allergens in children with atopic eczema/dermatitis syndrome.

Testicular tumors are very rare in boys, approximately 1.5% of these are Leydig cell tumors. The authors present a 4.5 year-old boy with Leydig cell tumor of left testis, which was associated with increased sex steroid production that caused precocious puberty. These tumors are benign processes in prepubertal children. Beyond the rarity of this case the authors would like to report about its diagnostic difficulties and testis-sparing remove of it. The plasma 17-hydroxyprogesterone levels provide the distinction between congenital adrenal hyperplasia and Leydig cell tumor in patient with precocious puberty.

The treatment with growth hormone of girls with Turner syndrome can only be improved further if the factors promoting growth are identified and the treatment is adjusted to the patient's special needs. From among these factors the authors have examined the correlation of age, bone age, target height and height SDS existing at the beginning of the treatment on the one hand, and the projected final height determined at the beginning of the treatment on the other. Relationship of data were determined with linear regression analysis. According to the recent scientific literature early initiation and correct dosage of growth hormone treatment is emphasized.

The authors gave an account of the results of the first two years treatment of Turner's syndrome with growth hormone. They used the international reference standards to evaluate the treatment aimed at promoting the growth of girls having Turner's syndrome. The applied the projected final height method to predict height. Their results proved that their treatment which improved growth had favourably accelerated height velocity and increased the projected final height, which they hoped to lead to adult final height. They dealt with the trend of costs/benefit rate of treatment which improved the growth in children with Turner syndrome and on its basis they emphasized the importance of individual treatment. The continuous control of growth hormone treatment not only purported to the improvement of the efficiency of the therapy but also makes possible to avoid raising exaggerated expectations in the parents.