0000000000294973
AUTHOR
Giuseppe Presta
Intra-articular corticosteroids versus intra-articular corticosteroids plus methotrexate in oligoarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis: a multicentre, prospective, randomised, open-label trial
Summary Background Little evidence-based information is available to guide the treatment of oligoarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis. We aimed to investigate whether oral methotrexate increases the efficacy of intra-articular corticosteroid therapy. Methods We did this prospective, open-label, randomised trial at ten hospitals in Italy. Using a concealed computer-generated list, children younger than 18 years with oligoarticular-onset disease were randomly assigned (1:1) to intra-articular corticosteroids alone or in combination with oral methotrexate (15 mg/m 2 ; maximum 20 mg). Corticosteroids used were triamcinolone hexacetonide (shoulder, elbow, wrist, knee, and tibiotalar joints) o…
Association of maternal hypertension and chorioamnionitis with preterm outcomes
OBJECTIVES: We compared the relative effect of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and chorioamnionitis on adverse neonatal outcomes in very preterm neonates, and studied whether gestational age (GA) modulates these effects. METHODS: A cohort of neonates 23 to 30 weeks' GA, born in 2008 to 2011 in 82 hospitals adhering to the Italian Neonatal Network, was analyzed. Infants born from mothers who had hypertensive disorders (N = 2096) were compared with those born after chorioamnionitis (N = 1510). Statistical analysis employed logistic models, adjusting for GA, hospital, and potential confounders. RESULTS: Overall mortality was higher after hypertension than after chorioamnionitis (odds rati…
Postnatal weight change is influenced by mother-newborn pair leptin levels
We investigated serum leptin levels in 103 mother-newborn-pairs; Cord leptin was significantly higher than mother's leptin (5.7 ± 5.5 vs. 22.1 ± 19.9 ng/ml; p <0.001). Cord leptin was significantly higher in females than males (6.9 ± 6.3 vs. 3.9 ± 3.6 ng/ml respectively; p <0.001), and correlated with maternal leptin (r = 0.24; p = 0.001), gestational age (r = 0.54; p <0.001), and birth weight (r = 0.56; p <0.001). Neonatal leptin at the 4(th) day significantly correlated with percent weight loss in the first four days of life. These observations shed light on the origin of cord leptin and on the role of leptin in postnatal weight loss. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Inc.