Cord blood levels of IL-6 in Neonates with Perinatal Complication

PURPOSE: IL-6 is one of the cytokines which is important mediators of host response to stress and infection. But, little is known about the activities of IL-6 in neonates with complicated course. So, We measured Il-6 levels in cord blood serum and which were compared neonates with perinatal complication with healthy neonats. METHOD: In a prospective study, level of IL-6 were measured in cord blood serum from 29 neonates (38.8+/-2.66wks, 3075.52+/-669.37gm) by specific immunoassay (Quantikine Human IL-6 immunoassay, RandD systems Inc., D6050), who delivered in Wonkwang University Hospital from May 1995 to July 1995. Statistical significance was analyzed with Mann-Whitney U test. RESULT: 1) IL-6 serum level in cord blood did not differ in neonates born by varying type of delivery. 2) IL-6 serum levels in cord blood were not related to perinatal complications. 3) IL-6 serum levels in cord blood were significantly higher in the neonates with infectious complication(128.0+/-29.74pg/ml) than non-infecatious complication(54.63+/-11.63pg/ml, p<0.05) and in healthy neonates (49.46+/-20.89pg/ml, p<0.02) CONCLUSION: Levels of IL-6 in cord blood serum were elevated in neonates with infectious complication. So, prospective measurement of IL-6 in cord blood may be useful in infection of perinatal period.

Postoperative Weight-Gain in Early Infants with Symptomatic Large Ventricular Septal Defect

PURPOSE: To investigate the postoperative patterns of weight-gain in early infants with ventricular septal defects (VSDs), we analyze 48 patients who received primary surgical closure of the symptomatic VSDs during 6 months of age in the period of 1993 through 1995. METHODS: Forty-sixt infants met criteria for inclusion in the study. The mean follow up period was 14 months (3 to 36 months). Weight percentile was extrapolarated from data of the Korean boys and girls measured in 1985. The data was compared by one-group paired student t-test. RESULTS: The overall mortality rate of this study was 4% (2/48). No surviving patients required a second ventricular septal defect operation, and the majority no longer received anticongestive therapies. The mean percentile of the preoperative weight was 3.53. In postoperative follow up period, they grew steadily. But, the mean weight percentile was only 5.46 in age under 6 months. Mean 12 percentile was achieved in age of 6 to 8 months, hence 25.4 percentile in 9 to 12 months, 33.5 percentile over 12 months, 64.8 percentile over 24 months of age. The weighing pattern of the patients with smaller defect was similar in 24 patients (52%) with large VSD, which size were same or larger than diameter of the aortic root. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicated that the patients under 6 months who have undergone primary surgical closure of the symptomatic large ventricular septal defects could gain the weight normally in postoperative period. Although the weight-gain was not sufficient when the age was under 12 months, It became normal pattern of weighing in age over 12 months.

Postoperative Weight-Gain in Early Infants with Symptomatic Large Ventricular Septal Defect

PURPOSE: To investigate the postoperative patterns of weight-gain in early infants with ventricular septal defects (VSDs), we analyze 48 patients who received primary surgical closure of the symptomatic VSDs during 6 months of age in the period of 1993 through 1995. METHODS: Forty-sixt infants met criteria for inclusion in the study. The mean follow up period was 14 months (3 to 36 months). Weight percentile was extrapolarated from data of the Korean boys and girls measured in 1985. The data was compared by one-group paired student t-test. RESULTS: The overall mortality rate of this study was 4% (2/48). No surviving patients required a second ventricular septal defect operation, and the majority no longer received anticongestive therapies. The mean percentile of the preoperative weight was 3.53. In postoperative follow up period, they grew steadily. But, the mean weight percentile was only 5.46 in age under 6 months. Mean 12 percentile was achieved in age of 6 to 8 months, hence 25.4 percentile in 9 to 12 months, 33.5 percentile over 12 months, 64.8 percentile over 24 months of age. The weighing pattern of the patients with smaller defect was similar in 24 patients (52%) with large VSD, which size were same or larger than diameter of the aortic root. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicated that the patients under 6 months who have undergone primary surgical closure of the symptomatic large ventricular septal defects could gain the weight normally in postoperative period. Although the weight-gain was not sufficient when the age was under 12 months, It became normal pattern of weighing in age over 12 months.

The Study of Serum Aminotransferase and AST/ALT Ratio in Pediatric Patients with Acute Hepatitis

PURPOSE: Serum level of the aminotransferase is the most common test in use to assess hepatocellular injury and are sensitive test of hepatocyte necrosis, but both AST and ALT level in serum rise in a variety of hepatic disorders. Some clinical study reports that AST/ALT ratio was possible to predict prognostic outcome of infants with liver disease. We have tried to assess whether AST/ALT ratio is valuable or not for predict prognosis of hepatitis and differentiate cause of it. METHODS: Serum AST, ALT, and AST/ALT ratio were evaluated in the infants with acute hepatitis. They were grouped into 12 patients with Hepatitis B surface antigen positive only(group I), 23 patients with Hepatitis B surface antibody positive only(group II), and 12 patients with not-known cause of hepatitis(group III). The 24 patients were able to follow-up of AST and ALT for 2 months. They are grouped into 12 patients with normalized AST and ALT within 2 months(group A) and 12 patients not normalized within 2 months(group B). RESULTS: 1)There were no statistical difference of mean serum level of AST and ALT that were tested on admission day, one week and 2 week of admission respectively among the group I, II, and III. 2)The value of AST/ALT ratio were increased from 0.6 on admission day to 0.9 after 2 week of admission in group I(p<0.05), decreased from 1.1 to 0.8 in group II. It were not changed in group III. 3)The mean values of AST/ALT ratio were not statistically different in group A and B. 4)The mean values of serum alkaline phosphatase, total bilirubin, and prothrombin time were not statistically different among these groups, if we exclude two cases of cholestatic jaudice, one case of acute fulminant hepatitis, and one case of hepatitis C from these groups. CONCLUSIONS: On the basis of this study, we concluded that progression of hepatitis and damage of hepatic cell was different according to the cause of hepatitis. AST/ALT ratio of the acute phase hepatitis were not able to reflect the time duration of normalization of AST and ALT and it was not related to etiology of hepatitis. For predict prognosis of infant with acute hepatitis, long term follow up is needed in many more cases of infants with acute hepatitis.