Research advances in association between vitamin D and Kawasaki disease and related mechanisms of action / 中国当代儿科杂志

Vitamin D is an important steroid hormone, which has a wide biological effect and is the protective factor against cardiovascular disease and other diseases. At present, the etiology and pathogenesis of Kawasaki disease (KD) remain unknown, but recent studies have shown that vitamin D insufficiency or deficiency is associated with KD. Vitamin D insufficiency or deficiency may affect KD via its influence on inflammatory response, adipokine, endothelial function, platelet function, and DNA methylation and increase the risk of coronary artery lesions. This article reviews the research advances in the association between vitamin D and KD and possible mechanisms of action.

Erythrocyte oxidative stress in children with left to right shunt congenital heart disease / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study erythrocyte oxidative stress status and its association with left to right shunt congenital heart disease (CHD) in children.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 31 children with left to right shunt CHD were enrolled, including 7 cases of atrial septal defect (ASD), 12 ventricular septal defect (VSD), 4 patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), 6 patent foramen ovale (PFO), and 2 complete endocardial cushion defect. Twenty healthy age-matched (1 month to 3 years old) children severed as the control group. The contents of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malonaldehyde (MDA) in erythrocytes were determined using ELISA. ESR was measured by Westergen. PaO(2) and PaCO(2) were measured by Blood Gas Analyzer (GEM Premier 3000).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The MDA content in erythrocytes in the CHD group was significantly higher, in contrast, SOD content was significantly lower than that in the control group (P<0.05). The CHD children with heart failure had more decreased SOD and more increased MDA contents compared with the control group (P<0.01). The SOD level was the highest in the PFO group and was the lowest in the complete endocardial cushion defect group. The SOD level in the PFO group was significantly higher than that in the ASD, VSD and complete endocardial cushion defect groups (P<0.05). The MDA level was the highest in the VSD group and was the lowest in the complete endocardial cushion defect group. There were significant differences in the MDA level among CHD subgroups (P<0.05). The ESR was negatively correlated to the SOD level (r=-0.191, P<0.05), while positively correlated to PaO(2) level in CHD children (r=0.216, P<0.05). There was a negative correlation between SOD and MDA levels (r=-0.312, P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Oxidative stress exists in children with left to right shunt CHD. The SOD and MDA contents in erythrocytes can be used as markers for the assessment of severity of the disease.</p>

Diagnostic value of plasma brain natriuretic peptide and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide in myocardial injury of neonatal septicemia / 中华儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>Neonatal sepsis can cause multiple organ dysfunction syndrome, especially including myocardial injury and heart failure. In this study, the authors observed the changes and the levels of plasma brain natriuretic peptide and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide in myocardial injury of neonatal sepsis at the different stages to search for the early diagnostic index of myocardial injury and heart failure in patients with neonatal septicemia.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The levels of plasma brain natriuretic peptide and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide were determined in 96 newborns with neonatal septicemia according to the diagnosis and treatment program of neonatal septicemia in 2003. The 96 cases were divided into myocardial injury group and non-myocardial injury group. Every newborn was tested for the levels of plasma brain natriuretic peptide and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) on the second day, fifth day and tenth day of septicemia and in the different gestational age infants. Meanwhile, the results were compared to creatine kinase isoenzyme and troponin I.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>The levels of plasma brain natriuretic peptide and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide were significantly different between myocardial injury group and non-myocardial injury group at the fifth day (P<0.05), especially the levels of plasma N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide were significantly elevated at the early stage (on the second day) between the two groups (P<0.05). On the fifth day, the values of plasma N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide were (315.5 +/- 69.7) pmol/L in myocardial injury group, but the value of non-myocardial injury group was (179.3 +/- 27.5) pmol/L. On the fifth day, the results of plasma brain natriuretic peptide, N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide and troponin I were significantly different and had statistical significance between the myocardial injury group and non-myocardial injury group (P<0.05), while the results of creatine kinase isoenzyme had no statistically significant difference (P>0.05). The values of plasma brain natriuretic peptide were respectively (215.5 +/- 69.6) pmol/L and (119.3 +/- 37.4) pmol/L, While N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide were (315.5 +/- 69.7) pmol/L and (179.3 +/- 27.5) pmol/L in the two groups. The value of troponin I was (1.57 +/- 0.39) microg/L in the myocardial injury group and that in the non-myocardial injury group was (0.55 +/- 0.2) microg/L. The values of creatine kinase isoenzyme were (33.3 +/- 10.1) u/L in the myocardial injury group, but that of non-myocardial injury group was (17.4 +/- 8.5) u/L. In the different gestational age infants, the values of plasma brain natriuretic peptide and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide of premature infants were the highest in the three groups. The values of plasma brain natriuretic peptide and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide were (159.5 +/- 39.6) pmol/L and (238.5 +/- 49.7) pmol/L in premature infants.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The levels of plasma brain natriuretic peptide and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide evidently increased in myocardial injury of neonatal sepsis, especially in premature infants. The increase of plasma brain natriuretic peptide and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide may be helpful in early diagnosis of the myocardial injury of neonatal sepsis associated with cTnI. N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide may become a useful index to diagnose the myocardial injury and should be widely used in the neonatal intensive care unit.</p>

Changes of Plasma Brain Natriuretic Peptide and N-Terminal Pro-B-Type Natriuretic Peptide of Sepsis Combined with Myocardial Injury in Newborns / 实用儿科临床杂志

Objective To explore the changes of plasma brain natriuretic peptide(BNP) and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP)of sepsis combined with myocardial injury in newborns.Methods According to neonatal sepsis treatment program,45 cases of sepsis newborns in NICU of the Second Hospital in Lanzhou University from Jul.2007 to Jun.2008 were collected.According to the myocardial injury diagnostic criteria,45 cases neonatal sepsis were divided into myocardial injury group(n=22) and non-myocardial injury group(n=23).Myocardial injury group was also divided into congenital heart disease group and non-congenital heart disease group accor-ding to echocardiography.At the same time,30 healthy newborns were collected as healthy control group.Every newborns were tested the level of plasma BNP,NT-proBNP,creatine kinase-MB(CK-MB) and cardiac-troponin I (cTnI).Results There were significant difference between myocardial injury group,non-myocardial injury group and healthy control group in the levels of plasma BNP,NT-proBNP,CK-MB and cTnI,those in congenital heart disease group were higher than those in non-myocardial injury group and the healthy control group(Pa0.05).Conclusions BNP and NT-proBNP can be early used to diagnose myocardial injury and heart failure of neonatal sepsis associated with CK-MB and cTnI.In NICU,infants with sepsis should normally test BNP and NT-proBNP in order to early diagnose myocardial injury of neonatal sepsis.

Effect of Astragalus Injection on Levels of Blood Selenium and Immunity Function in Children with Viral Myocarditis / 实用儿科临床杂志

Objective To observe effect of astragalus injection on levels of blood selenium,T cell immunity function and cytokines with viral myocarditis in children. Methods Fourty two patients with viral myocarditis in children, receiving the therapy of Astragalus injection Observing the levels of blood selenium and cytokine, including interleukin-1 (IL-1), IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-?),and including estimation of T lymphocyte subsets and cardiac function too. Results The result showed that in post-treatment, the levels of blood selenium were significantly higher (P