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Hypoferritinemia and iron deficiency in youth with pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome

Chan, A., Karpel, H., Spartz, E. et al. Hypoferritinemia and iron deficiency in youth with pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome. Pediatr Res 89, 1477–1484 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41390-020-1103-3

Conclusion: Hypoferritinemia and iron deficiency appear to be more common in PANS patients. More research is needed to confirm and understand this association.

  • 79 subjects (mean age of PANS onset of 8.7 years)
  • Hypoferritinemia was observed in 27% and three quarters occurred during a PANS flare
  • PANS patients with hypoferritinemia had worse global impairment, more comorbid inflammatory diseases, and exhibited a chronic course of PANS illness than those without
  • The estimated prevalence of iron deficiency was 3–8% in the PANS cohort, 1.4–2.0-fold higher than in the age- and sex-matched U.S. population.
  • Hypoferritinemia was commonly observed during a disease flare but not associated with dietary or demographic factors.
  • In patients with PANS and iron deficiency, clinicians should consider possibility of inflammation as the cause especially if iron deficiency cannot be explained by diet and blood loss.
Two-Tier Lyme Disease Serology Test Results Can Vary According to the Specific First-Tier Test Used

Alexandra B Maulden, Aris C Garro, Fran Balamuth, Michael N Levas, Jonathan E Bennett, Desiree N Neville, John A Branda, Lise E Nigrovic, for Pedi Lyme Net, Two-Tier Lyme Disease Serology Test Results Can Vary According to the Specific First-Tier Test Used, Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society, Volume 9, Issue 2, June 2020, Pages 128–133, https://doi.org/10.1093/jpids/piy133

Significant variations in two-tier Lyme disease test results were observed in many children, depending on the specific first-tier test utilized. When dealing with children with a strong clinical suspicion of Lyme disease and an initially negative test result, clinicians should contemplate retesting for Lyme disease.

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Do you remember the day your child officially got a diagnosis of PANS/PANDAS? Was it your first doctor? Was it your fifth? Were you devastated? Were you relieved to have an answer and the start of a...

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