Primary bile acid shapes peripheral immunity in inflammatory bowel disease-associated primary sclerosing cholangitis.

Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a chronic cholestatic liver disease often associated with underlying inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This study investigates how PSC predisposes individuals to altered inflammatory immune responses compared with IBD alone. A case-control study was conducted with a cohort of 75 patients, including 16 with PSC (14 with concomitant IBD), 39 with IBD alone, and 20 controls.

Prediction of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in a Portuguese Population after Hepatitis C Cure: Comparative Accuracy of Noninvasive Tests (Transient Elastography, FIB-4, and aMAP).

Introduction: Chronic infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) causes 25% of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cases worldwide, a major cause of morbimortality even after sustained virologic response (SVR). Universal screening to all patients with advanced liver fibrosis is currently recommended. A risk-based strategy could improve the detection rate of early HCC and diminish the surveillance burden.

Pyomyositis in Children: A 15-year Retrospective Study From a Tertiary Care Pediatric Hospital in Portugal.

Background: Pyomyositis is a primary infection of the skeletal muscle, commonly occurring in tropical countries in children. Treatment is still controversial, with antibiotics plus drainage being the main option.

Methods: Retrospective, unicentric study of pyomyositis in a tertiary care Pediatric Hospital, from January 2008 to December 2022.

Myositis and Deep Suppurative Soft Tissue Infections Caused by Group a Streptococcus.

An upsurge of invasive group A streptococcal infection has been reported in Europe in late 2022 and 2023, mostly presenting as pneumonia. We report 3 cases of invasive group A streptococcal myositis with persistent suppuration of the subcutaneous tissue, requiring prolonged antibiotics and alert for the potential emergence of these protracted complications.

Optimizing Surgical Correction of Symblepharon Secondary to Lower Eyelid Burn Scar.

The healing of lower eyelid injuries can lead to anatomical distortion and compromise the function of multiple periocular structures. To restore eyelid function and aesthetics, it is crucial to establish an accurate diagnosis and provide appropriate treatment to the affected structures. The presented case describes the diagnosis and surgical treatment of a lower eyelid symblepharon, which can be easily misdiagnosed as other scarring sequelae.

The pathogenicity of Plasmopara viticola: a review of evolutionary dynamics, infection strategies and effector molecules.

Oomycetes are filamentous organisms that resemble fungi in terms of morphology and life cycle, primarily due to convergent evolution. The success of pathogenic oomycetes lies in their ability to adapt and overcome host resistance, occasionally transitioning to new hosts. During plant infection, these organisms secrete effector proteins and other compounds during plant infection, as a molecular arsenal that contributes to their pathogenic success.

Cold Agglutinin Syndrome and Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis: An Unusual Combination Caused by Epstein-Barr Virus Infection.

Autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) are rare complications of infectious mononucleosis. The authors describe a 12-year-old male with acute infectious mononucleosis, hepatitis, cholestasis, and an autoimmune hemolytic disorder caused by cold agglutinins IgM (anti-i specificity). Clinical deterioration with persistent fever, anemia, and hepatosplenomegaly was consistent with cold AIHA plus concomitant HLH.

Uncovering the burden of Influenza in children in Portugal, 2008-2018.

Background: Despite their higher risk of developing severe disease, little is known about the burden of influenza in Portugal in children aged < 5 years old. This study aims to cover this gap by estimating the clinical and economic burden of severe influenza in children, in Portugal, during ten consecutive influenza seasons (2008/09-2017/18).

Methods: We reviewed hospitalizations in children aged < 5 years old using anonymized administrative data covering all public hospitals discharges in mainland Portugal.

Elbow septic arthritis in an infant: an unusual presentation of invasive pneumococcal disease.

Acute septic arthritis is a rare, potentially severe infection that requires immediate treatment to avoid long-term morbidity. Most common aetiological agents are commonly used for empirical treatment, but the choice of antibiotics may be influenced by other factors, such as the patient's age and the epidemiological context.We report an infant with elbow arthritis, whose treatment was changed after serotype 9N was isolated in the blood and synovial fluid.

Sustained increase of paediatric invasive infections dominated by M1 and diverse 12 isolates, Portugal, September 2022 to May 2023.

Since autumn 2022, observed numbers of paediatric invasive group A infections in Portugal (n = 89) were higher than in pre-COVID-19 seasons. Between September 2022 and May 2023, the dominant diagnoses were pneumonia (25/79), mostly with empyema (20/25), and sepsis (22/79). A number of cases required admission to intensive care (27/79) and surgery (35/79), and the case fatality rate was 5.

Osteoarticular Infections: Younger Children With Septic Arthritis and Low Inflammatory Patterns Have a Better Prognosis in a European Cohort.

Background: Osteoarticular infections (OAI) are associated with complications and sequelae in children, whose prediction are of great importance in improving outcomes. We aimed to design risk prediction models to identify early complications and sequelae in children with OAI.

Methods: This observational study included children (>3 months-17 years old) with acute OAI admitted to a tertiary-care pediatric hospital between 2008 and 2018.

A New Perspective for Vineyard Terroir Identity: Looking for Microbial Indicator Species by Long Read Nanopore Sequencing.

Grapevine is one of the most important fruit crops worldwide, being Portugal one of the top wine producers. It is well established that wine sensory characteristics from a particular region are defined by the physiological responses of the grapevine to its environment and thus, the concept of terroir in viticulture was established. Among all the factors that contribute to terroir definition, soil microorganisms play a major role from nutrient recycling to a drastic influence on plant fitness (growth and protection) and of course wine production.

Grapevine-Associated Lipid Signalling Is Specifically Activated in an Background in Response to an Aggressive Pathovar.

L. is highly susceptible to the biotrophic pathogen . To control the downy mildew disease, several phytochemicals are applied every season.

Bone and joint tuberculosis in paediatrics: a 13-year retrospective study.

Bone and joint tuberculosis (BJTB) is rare in developed countries, particularly in the paediatric population. The clinical features and sequelae of paediatric BJTB in Europe are not well characterized and should be assessed to achieve a better approach. To assess the management and outcomes of paediatric BJTB.

Body composition and Crohn's disease behavior: Is adiposity the main game changer?

Objective: We investigated the association between body composition upon diagnosis and complicated phenotypes and time until surgery in patients with Crohn's disease (CD).

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study including patients with CD who had a computed tomography enterography or a magnetic resonance enterography performed ≤6 mo of diagnosis. Skeletal muscle and visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue cross-sectional areas were determined with computed tomography or magnetic resonance images at the third lumbar vertebral level, processed with the sliceOmatic (TomoVison, Magog, QC, Canada) and ABACS plugin.

EBV and MSI Status in Gastric Cancer: Does It Matter?

We investigated the impactof microsatellite instability (MSI) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) status in gastric cancer (GC), regarding response to perioperative chemotherapy (POPChT), overall survival (OS), and progression-free survival (PFS). We included 137 cases of operated GC, 51 of which were submitted to POPChT. MSI status was determined by multiplex PCR and EBV status by EBV-encoded RNA in situ hybridization.

Prospective study of loss of health-related quality adjusted life years in children and their families due to uncomplicated and hospitalised varicella.

Introduction And Aims: Although usually benign, varicella can lead to serious complications and sometimes long-term sequelae. Vaccines are safe and effective but not yet included in immunisation programmes in many countries. We aimed to quantify the impact on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in terms of quality-adjusted life years (QALY) in children with varicella and their families, key to assessing cost-utility in countries with low mortality due to this infection.

Recurrent pyogenic infections caused by a novel Gln1420* mutation in the C3 gene.

C3 is a crucial protein of the complement system. Congenital C3 deficiency is extremely rare and manifests through recurrent, severe infections and should always be considered as a differential diagnosis of recurrent pyogenic infections. We report a case of a patient with a novel C3 gene mutation, responsible for complete C3 deficiency with impaired complement system activation and recurrent infections.

COVID-19 in a tertiary paediatric centre in Portugal: a single-centre retrospective study.

Objective: To describe the demographic, clinical, laboratory and imaging features of the first 300 SARS-CoV-2-infected children presenting to a tertiary paediatric centre in Portugal.

Design: Single-centre, retrospective, descriptive study of paediatric patients who had a confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection from 7 March to 20 September 2020.

Setting: Tertiary paediatric referral centre (Hospital Dona Estefânia, Lisbon, Portugal).