Changes in serum levels of resistin and visfatin in pediatric patients with acute Kawasaki disease following intravenous immune globulin treatment / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To determine serum levels of resistin and visfatin in the patients with acute Kawasaki disease before and after intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) treatment.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 50 children with acute Kawasaki disease were treated with IVIG for 48 hours between January 2011 and January 2013. As controls, 30 healthy children and 30 children with acute infectious diseases were included. Serum levels of resistin and visfatin were measured by ELISA both before and after the treatment.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The baseline serum levels of resistin and visfatin were significantly higher in patients with acute Kawasaki disease than in the two control groups of subjects (i.e., healthy children and patients with acute infectious diseases; P<0.05). In the 50 patients with Kawasaki disease, 38 were not responding and 12 were responding. Serum resistin levels before treatment were significantly higher in non-responders than those in responders (P<0.05). A significant decrease in serum levels of resistin after treatment was observed in IVIG responders (P<0.05). Serum visfatin levels were not significantly different between IVIG responders and non-responders (P>0.05). Additionally, serum resistin and visfatin levels were not significantly different between acute Kawasaki disease patients with and without coronary artery lesions.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Resistin and visfatin may play important roles in the development of Kawasaki disease and serum resistin may be used as a novel outcome indicator of the IVIG treatment.</p>

Epidemiological analysis of childhood asthma in Yichang City, China / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the prevalence, epidemiological characteristics, and risk factors for childhood asthma in Yichang City, China and to collect evidence for the early diagnosis and preventive treatment of asthma.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Preliminary screening questionnaires were distributed to more than 90% of children in 5 kindergartens, 10 primary and secondary schools, and 5 communities in Yichang City to detect children with suspected asthma. These surveyed children were selected by cluster random sampling. A further questionnaire survey was conducted for suspected cases. Meanwhile, a similar number of sex- and age-matched non-asthmatic children were selected for the case-control study. Information from returned questionnaires was entered into a database for statistical analysis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A total of 11 000 questionnaires were distributed, and 10 456 (95.1%) questionnaires were returned. The prevalence rate of asthma among children in Yichang was 3.47%, significantly higher in boys than in girls (P<0.05). A total of 107 out of 363 children with asthma had a history of drug allergy, and 152 cases had a family history of allergy. The majority of asthmatic children had irregular onset-prone seasons and hours. Respiratory tract infections were the most common trigger of asthma attacks, accounting for 93.1% of all onsets; family history of allergy, history of early use of antibiotics, history of housing renovation, and history of passive smoking were the major risk factors for asthma.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Prevention of respiratory tract infections may reduce the frequency of asthma attacks; reducing the use of antibiotics during early childhood, decreasing the frequency of housing renovation, and advocating for smoking cessation among parents have preventive effects on asthma.</p>

Clinical significance of pulmonary function test in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps / 中华耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the incidence and severity of pulmonary function impairment in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>In this prospective study, fifty-six patients with bilateral CRSwNP who were scheduled for functional endoscopic sinus surgery during a period from March to June 2010 in the Department of Otolaryngology of Qilu Hospital, were recruited in this study. Routine medical and rhinological examinations such as nasal endoscopy, sinus CT scan, and skin prick tests (SPT) for common inhalant and food allergens, and cytological examination of the paraffin-embedded NP tissues were performed together with a full assessment of the pulmonary functions.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Based on the pulmonary function tests, the rate of patients showing bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR), asthma, and abnormal pulmonery functions were 37.5%, 44.6%, and 53.6%. In patients who did not have a history of lower airway symptoms, the rate of abnormal pulmonary functions was 50.0%, the rate of BHR was 43.2%. There was an increased rate of BHR, asthma and abnormal pulmonary functions in patients with a higher polyp grading score or Lund Mackay CT scan score (polyp grading score: χ(2) were 8.077, 3.989 and 7.445, P < 0.01 or < 0.05. CT scan score: χ(2) were 3.863, 5.380 and 4.309; 4.293, 4.293 and 4.572; 10.572, 13.504 and 13.295, P < 0.01 or < 0.05). The rate of BHR and asthma in patients with positive SPT were higher (P < 0.05). In patients with eosinophils hyperplasia in nasal polyps, the rate of BHR, asthma and abnormal pulmonary functions were higher (χ(2) were 4.065, 5.217 and 3.376, P < 0.05 or P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>There is a high risk of developing lower airway diseases in patients with CRSwNP.</p>

Analysis of intelligence quotient of school children surveyed in Dalian city of Liaoning province during 2006 to 2009 / 中国地方病学杂志

Objective To obtain scientific data for control of iodine deficiency disorders(IDD) by reviewing the surveillance information of school children intelligence quotient(IQ) after the implementation of universal salt iodization. Methods One thousand five hundred and eighty children were selected from 11 primary school in Dalian city of Liaoning province during 2006 to 2009. IQ was measured by Combined Raven Test-C2(CRT-C2) in China. Groups of IQ were classified as outstanding(≥ 130), excellent (120- 129), above average (110- 119), average (90 - 109), below average(80 - 89), margin(70 - 79), low(≤69). Urinary samples of children were collected randomly. Urinary iodine were determined by As-Ce catalytic spectrophotometry. The growth characteristics of IQ were analyzed according to surveillance year and born year. Results The average IQ of children aged 8-10 were 110.4 ± 14.0,112.5 ± 12.4,117.2 ± 11.4,116.2 ± 12.6, respectively, increased year by year from 2006 to 2009. Its average annual increase from 2007 to 2009 were 2.1,3.4,1,9 compared with the IQ in 2006 respectively. The medians of urinary iodine were 224.7,266.7,222.1 μg/L from the year 2007 to 2009, respectively, which were all between 200 - 300 μg/L and can be classified as more than adequate level. The average IQ of children born during the year of 1994 to 2000 were 106.7 ± 13.0,108.1 ± 13.9,108.5 ± 13.4,111.3 ± 14.3,113.6 ± 12.5,115.3 ± 12.3,119.8 ± 11.2, respectively. Its average annual increase from 1995 - 2000 were 1.4,0.9,1.5,1.7,1.7,2.2 compared with the IQ born in 1994 respectively. The ratio of IQ in margin group and low group were all below 2% ; the ratio was increasing in excellent group and outstanding group and decreasing in average group and below average group significantly year after year(x2 = 52.471,34.329,66.483,11.148, all P<0.01). Conclusions Universal salt iodization improves IQ scores. IQ index should be brought into the surveillance project and put in use in IDD control.