УДК: 616.988:578.834]-07:616.15-097-07]-036-053.2(477.83)

Abstract

Aim. The research aims at analyzing the kinetics of IgA, IgM, and IgG to SARS-CoV-2 in children based on the severity of COVID-19 and age.

Materials and Methods. The conducted prospective study involved 88 children (mean age 9.4 years) with COVID-19, admitted to the "Lviv Regional Pediatric Clinical Hospital "OKHMATDYT" from 2020 to 2021. The participants included 36 males (40.90%), and 52 females (59.10%) in the observation group. Diagnosis verification relied on clinical manifestations of the disease, with the detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA from nasal mucus using the PCR method. The values of IgA, IgM, and IgG to S and N proteins of SARS-CoV-2, determined by the ELISA method at different times of the infectious process in 380 blood serum samples, were analyzed.

Results and Discussion.The research findings of IgM to SARS-CoV-2 in the first week of illness revealed a median value of 0.24 [0.14; 1.39], increasing to 0.49 [0.30; 2.87] in the second week. The highest median value of IgA to SARS-CoV-2 is 0.33 [0.24; 1.00] was found from 15 to 30 days, after 30 days it was 0.24 [0.20; 0.28].

The increase in the median value of IgG-N to SARS-CoV-2 was observed from the second week of the illness, reaching 1.13 [0.52; 3.17], with its maximum value at 5.68 [2.39; 8.86] within the period up to three months. Severe COVID-19 was diagnosed in 27 children (30.68%), comprising 15 females (55.56%) and 12 males (44.44%). In the majority of hospitalized children, IgM values at different degrees of disease severity were positive from the first to the seventh day of illness. In children with a severe course of SARS-CoV-2, the median value of IgM in blood serum during this period was 1.39 [1.36; 4.07]. There was a statistically significant difference between the IgG levels for moderate and severe forms on days 15-30 of the illness: 0.54 [0.21; 1.89] compared to 5.55 [4.99; 5.80], respectively (p<0.05). In patients with both moderate and severe forms of the disease, median values of IgG to N SARS-CoV-2 were positive throughout the study period. A significant increase in the median value of IgG to N SARS-CoV-2 was observed in females from day 31 to day 90. In severe cases of the disease, the median value of IgG to SARS-CoV-2 from three to six months was 9.40 [7.80; 10.60], which was higher than in patients with a moderate form of the disease - 8.72 [8.64; 8.97] (p<0.05).

Conclusions. Serological studies enable the investigation of the immune response to SARS-CoV-2, determination of seroconversion, and characterization of the course of COVID-19, being crucial for epidemiological research. The levels of IgM, IgA, and IgG to SARS-CoV-2 depend on the disease's severity and the patient's age.

Keywords: COVID-19, IgM, IgA, IgG, SARS-CoV-2, children.

Aim: To determine the prevalence and to estimate factors associated with food hypersensitivity in young children of the Lviv region in Ukraine.
Methods: A prospective cross-sectional survey study was conducted between 2016 and 2017 in the Lviv region of Ukraine. A specially designed questionnaire about food hypersensitivity of young children developed and validated by M. J. Flokstra-de Blok was used after translation into the Ukrainian language. The questionnaire included 34 questions, grouped into general and detailed information. Parents of children aged 0–3 years were asked to complete the questionnaire at pre-schools and medical institutions.
Results: Among 4,500 distributed questionnaires, 3,214 (71%) were completed and processed. Parents reported that 25% of their young children had food hypersensitivity. According to the survey the most common agents involved in food hypersensitivity in young children were cow’s milk (34%), egg (28%), and wheat (24%). Hypersensitivity to milk occurred in 50% of children in the age group of 1–2 years. Regional differences associated with food hypersensitivity were also found. Namely, in the Carpathians, there was more hypersensitivity to fish (27%) and honey (22%) than in other regions, while
hypersensitivity to soy was detected mostly in Lviv City residents (8.5%). Unknown causes of food hypersensitivity were highly reported (34%) in the Carpathians.
Conclusion: Prevalence and some distinctiveness of food hypersensitivity revealed in four geographic and climate zones as well as in Lviv City have a considerable practical use for formulation of recommendations for children with food hypersensitivity.

Pediatric tuberculosis is a health problem of special significance because it is a marker for current transmission of tuberculosis in society.

The research aimed at analyzing the peculiarities of detection and course of pediatric extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) taking into account the profile of drug resistance. A retrospective study of medical charts of children with EPTB (n = 47; 1st group) and pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) (n = 49; 2nd group) aged 0-15 for 2013-2020 has been conducted. 2 subgroups with EPTB were identified separately: resistant (EPRTB) (n = 23) and sensitive (EPSTB) (n = 24).

Results and discussion. The frequency of EPTB was 9.8%. Tuberculosis of peripheral LN (40.5%), CNS (27.7%), bones and joints (23.4%) was significantly more often diagnosed, than other lesions. Almost half of children with EPTB had a miliary distribution. In 44.7% of children with EPTB contact with a patient with tuberculosis was not established. EPRTB was significantly more common among children under 1 and up to 3 years of age than EPSTB. The resistance to combination of HR (73.6%) was found more often than to HRES (10.5%), HRS, H and Z (5.3% each; p<0.01). In 73.9% of children with EPRTB was detected when seeking medical care, in 13.0% the time to diagnosing lasted 6 months. Among children with EPRTB, gradual course was more frequent and in 47.8% intoxication syndrome was dominating. 78.3% of children with EPRTB were not vaccinated.

Conclusion. The above indicates the need to intensify preventive measures against tuberculosis among children, especially at risk groups, make monitoring of contacts and their treatment.

UDC 616-002.5-053.2(477.83)

Pediatric tuberculosis (TB) is a serious infectious disease that affects many children worldwide and is more likely to be extrapulmonary than adult TB.
The purpose — to analyze the profile of drug resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and clinical features of extrapulmonary resistant (EPR) TB among children from Lviv region, Ukraine.
Materials and methods. We analyzed all cases of EPR TB (n=23) and extrapulmonary sensitive (EPS) TB (n=24) among 478 medical charts of children, who were hospitalized in the Lviv Anti-TB hospital during 2013–2020.
Results. It was found out that EPR TB was diagnosed significantly more often at the age of 1 year and up to 3 years old than EPS TB and significantly less often — among children aged 4–7 years. The children with EPR TB were significantly more likely to live in rural areas and they were significantly more likely to be from families with less than 2 children, compared to EPS TB. The children with EPR TB were more often diagnosed with meningeal and central nervous system (CNS) TB, less often — with TB of the bones and joints, only they had TB of the intestine, compared to EPS TB. Miliary pulmonary TB and the predominance of bilateral process were more common at EPR TB. Among children with EPR TB, rifampicin-resistant TB was significantly more common found than the risk of multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) and monoresistant TB. The resistance profile of MDR-TB showed that 17.4% are resistant to the combination of HR (H-isoniazid, R-rifampicin), 8.6% - to HRES (E-ethambutol, S-streptomycin), 4.3% – to НRS. Among 43.5% of children with EPR TB the contact with a TB patient was not established. At the same time, only a third of children who had came into contact with bacterial exсretors were under dispensary observation and only about 9% received chemoprophylaxis.
Conclusions. In order to prevent the development of EPR TB, it is necessary to improve TB prevention measures among the most vulnerable segments of the population.

Термін «вроджена гіперплазія наднирникових залоз» (ВГНЗ) – це група аутосомно-рецесивних захворювань, що включає дефіцит ферментів, які беруть участь у синтезі кортизолу, альдостерону чи обох гормонів. У деяких випадках ці прояви відображаються при збільшенні попередників адренокортикальних гормонів. Фенотип залежить від ступеня або типу генної делеції чи мутації та є результатом дефіциту ферменту, що бере участь у стероїдогенезі