Clinical characteristics of acute lower respiratory tract infections due to 13 respiratory viruses detected by multiplex PCR in children / 소아과

PURPOSE: This study was performed to investigate the epidemiologic and clinical features of 13 respiratory viruses in children with acute lower respiratory tract infections (ALRIs). METHODS: Nasopharyngeal aspirates were prospectively obtained from 325 children aged 15 years or less from May 2008 to April 2009 and were tested for the presence of 13 respiratory viruses by multiplex real-time-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). RESULTS: Viruses were identified in 270 children (83.1%). Co-infections with > or =2 viruses were observed in 71 patients (26.3%). Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) was the most common virus detected (33.2%), followed by human rhinovirus (hRV) (19.1%), influenza virus (Flu A) (16.9%), human metapneumovirus (hMPV) (15.4%), parainfluenza viruses (PIVs) (8.3%), human bocavirus (hBoV) (8.0%), adenovirus (ADV) (5.8%), and human coronavirus (hCoV) (2.2%). Clinical diagnoses of viral ALRIs were bronchiolitis (37.5%), pneumonia (34.5%), asthma exacerbation (20.9%), and croup (7.1%). Clinical diagnoses of viral bronchiolitis and pneumonia were frequently demonstrated in patients who tested positive for RSV, hRV, hMPV, or Flu A. Flu A and hRV were most commonly identified in children older than 3 years and were the 2 leading causes of asthma exacerbation. hRV C was detected in 14 (4.3%) children, who were significantly older than those infected with hRV A (mean+/-SD, 4.1+/-3.5 years vs. 1.7+/-2.3 years; P=0.009). hBoV was usually detected in young children (2.3+/-3.4 years) with bronchiolitis and pneumonia. CONCLUSION: This study described the features of ALRI associated with 13 respiratory viruses in Korean children. Additional investigations are required to define the roles of newly identified viruses in children with ALRIs.

A Case of Neurofibromatosis Type I with Moyamoya Syndrome and Ganglioneuroma in Lung / 대한소아신경학회지

Neurofibromatosis type I is one of the most common neurocutaneous syndrome which is inherited by autosomal dominant manner, characterized by cafe au-lait spots, axillary freckling, Lisch nodules in iris, multiple neurofibromas and bone involvement with pseudoarthrosis, bowing of the long bone. And Moyamoya disease is a specific disease characterized by progressive idiopathic stenosis and eventual occlusion of the large cerebral arteries at the circle of Willis. In response to the stenosis, an abnormal network of small collateral vessels develops, creating the "puff of smoke". Intracranial lesions associated with Neurofibromatosis type I include optic glioma, sphenoid wing dysplasia, "unidentified bright objects" and cerebrovascular lesions such as Moyamoya syndrome and aneurysm. Moyamoya syndrome is an uncommon association of neurofibromatosis type 1 and lung mass has not frequently been found with neurofibromatosis and moyamoya syndrome. We report a case with Neurofibromatosis type I with Moyamoya syndrome and ganglioneuroma in lung with reviewing literatures.

Effect of GnRH analogue on the bone mineral density of precocious or early pubertal girls / 소아과

PURPOSE: Treatment of precocity with gonadotropin releasing hormone analogue (GnRHa) might theoretically exert a detrimental effect on the bone mass during pubertal development. We investigated the short-term changes in bone mineral density (BMD) during GnRHa treatment and the enhancement in the changes with the co-administration of GnRHa and human growth hormone (hGH). METHODS: Forty girls with precocious or early puberty who were using GnRHa for more than 1 year were enrolled. Of them, 14 concurrently received hGH. Lumbar bone mineral density was measured before and after the treatment, and bone mineral density-standard deviation scores (BMD-SDSs) were compared according to chronologic age (CA) and bone age (BA), as well as according to the administration of GnRHa alone (Group I) or the co-administration of hGH and GnRHa (Group II). RESULTS: BMDs before and after treatment were in the normal range according to CA but were significantly lower according to BA (P<0.05). During treatment, BMD-SDSs did not change according to CA but significantly increased according to BA (P<0.05). BMD-SDSs in group I did not change during treatment according to CA or BA, while those in group II increased significantly according to BA (P<0.05), but not according to CA. CONCLUSION: Lumbar BMD was adequate according to CA at initial manifestation of precocity but was lower if compared to BA, that is, BMD did not increase with BA. Because co-treatment with hGH significantly increased BMD-SDSs according to BA, hGH co-treatment could be considered during GnRHa therapy.

Relationship of Indoor Aeroallergen Specific IgE with Total IgE and Airway Hyperresponsiveness in Children with Atopic Asthma / 소아알레르기및호흡기학회지

PURPOSE:We assessed the relationship of indoor aeroallergen specific IgE levels with total IgE level, airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) and lung function in children with atopic asthma. METHODS:Two hundred twenty-eight children with atopic asthma in Cheongju area were studied. Sera were assayed for total IgE and specific IgE antibodies to important indoor allergens including Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Der p), Dermatophagoides farinae (Der f), Alternaria, cats, dogs, and cockroaches. One hundred eighty children sensitized to house dust mites (HDMs) were evaluated for %FEV1 and methacholine PC20. RESULTS:Serum specific IgE to HDMs presented the highest prevalence (90.0% for Der p and 92.7% for Der f), followed by specific IgE to Alternaria (21.6%). A contribution of > 10% of the total was only common for IgE antibody to Der p or Der f. The level of specific IgE to Der p (r=0.677, P<00.001) or Der f (r=0.657, P<00.001) was significantly correlated with total IgE level. Higher level of Der f-specific IgE was associated with higher incidence of AHR and FEV1 decline. CONCLUSION:Concentration of specific IgE antibody produced to HDMs provides an explanation for the higher total IgE levels found in a major portion of children with atopic asthma and has a close relationship with AHR and lung function.

Profile of Gene Expression Changes During Doxorubicin Induced Apoptosis of Saos-2 / 영남의대학술지

BACKGROUND: Doxorubicin has proved to be a useful chemotherapeutic agent especially for osteogenic sarcoma. It induces cancer cell death via apoptosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To explore and analyze the changes of gene expression during doxorubicin induced apoptosis on human osteogenic sarcoma, Saos-2 cell, cDNA microarray was performed. After treatment with doxorubicin, total RNA was purified and expressed genes were investigated with a 17k human cDNA microarray. RESULTS: For analysis of the cDNA microarray, the genes were filtered using the sum of the median value of Cy3 and Cy5 signal intensity of greater than 800. Expression of 264 genes was changed by more than 2 fold, and the expression of 35 genes was changed more than 3 fold after treatment with doxorubicin. The genes were primarily related to cell death, cell growth and maintenance, signal transduction, cellular component, transport, and metabolism. CONCLUSION: Treatment with doxorubicin induced expressional change of many genes. Some of the genes might be related with apoptosis directly or indirectly. Further study is now needed to characterize these genes.

Effects of Naloxone on Morphine Analgesia and Spinal c-fos Expression in Rat Formalin Test / 대한통증학회지

BACKGROUND: This study was performed to evaluate the dose-related effects of naloxone on morphine analgesia in the rat formalin test, and observe the correlation of pain behavior and spinal c-fos expression induced by a formalin injection. METHODS: Fifty rats were divided into five groups; control, morphine (morphine pre-treated, intra-peritoneal injection of 0.1 mg of morphine 5 min prior to formalin injection), and three naloxone groups, which were divided according to the administered dose-ratio of naloxone to morphine; 20: 1 (5microgram), 10: 1 (10microgram), and 1: 1 (100microgram) representing the low-, medium-, and high-dose naloxone groups, respectively, were injected intra-peritoneally 16 min after a formalin. A fifty ul of 5% formalin was injected into the right hind paw. All rats were observed for their pain behavior according to the number of flinches during phases 1 (2-3, 5-6 min) and 2 (1 min per every 5 min from 10 to 61 min). The spinal c-fos expression was quantitatively analyzed at 1 and 2 hours after the formalin injection using a real-time PCR. RESULTS: The morphine pre-treated (morphine and three naloxone) groups during phase 1, and the morphine, low- and medium-dose naloxone groups during phase 2, showed significantly less flinches compared to those of the control (P < 0.05). In the three naloxone groups, the numbers of flinches were transiently reduced following the naloxone injection in the low- and medium-dose groups compared to those of the morphine group (P < 0.05). The duration of the reduced flinches was longer in the medium-dose group (P < 0.05). The high-dose group revealed immediate increases in flinches immediately after the naloxone injection compared to those of the morphine, low- and medium-dose groups (P < 0.05 for each). The spinal c-fos expression showed no significant patterns between the experimental groups. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that relatively low-dose naloxone (1/20 to 1/10 dose-ratio of morphine) transiently potentiates morphine analgesia; whereas, high-dose (equal dose-ratio of morphine) reverses the analgesia, and the spinal c-fos expression does not always correlate with pain behavior in the rat formalin test.