ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Human metapneumovirus(hMPV) is a respiratory viral pathogen that causes a wide spectrum of illnesses, ranging from asymptomatic infection to severe bronchiolitis. The virus has been identified world widely, but so far it has not been published in Korea. METHODS: We obtained clinical samples by nasopharyngeal aspiration from 218 children hospitalized due to acute lower respiratory tract infections at Soonchunhyang University Hospital in Cheonan from October, 2004 to April, 2005. We designed specific primers from conserved region of fusion glycoprotein of hMPV. Total RNA was extracted and RT-PCR was performed, and single specific 423 bp product was obtained. The PCR product was confirmed to be fusion glycoprotein RNA by sequencing. RESULTS: We detected hMPV in 15(6.9 percent) of the 218 hospitalized children. The infected children comprised nine boys and six girls; their mean age was 2.8 years(5 mo-12 yrs) and they were diagnosed with pneumonia(60 percent), bronchiolitis(33.3 percent), croup(6.6 percent). The number of cases of detected hMPV in Korea increased dramatically during the period from March to May 2005. CONCLUSION: hMPV is circulating in Korean children and is associated with respiratory tract infection. Additional studies are required to define the epidemiology and the extent of diseases in the general population caused by hMPV.
Subject(s)
Child , Female , Humans , Asymptomatic Infections , Bronchiolitis , Child, Hospitalized , Epidemiology , Glycoproteins , Korea , Metapneumovirus , Polymerase Chain Reaction , Respiratory Tract Infections , RNAABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The aim of the present study was to ascertain whether the increase of carotid intima- media thickeness (cIMT) as one of premature pathologic changes of atherosclerosis, was present in obese children compared to normal weight children. METHODS: The obese group consisted of 21 obese/overweight (body mass index (BMI) above 85 percentile of age, sex standards) children and the control group of 11 normal weight children. None of the children had any chronic illnesses or previous medication history. We investigated the age, sex, height, weight, and systolic/diastolic blood pressure. We measured cIMT by ultrasonogram. In 19 of the obese group, we tested the serum glucose level, liver transaminase level, and cholesterol level etc. RESULTS: The increase of cIMT in obese group did not achieved statistical significance (obese group vs. control group; 0.42 vs. 0.40 mm, P=0.0592). In addition, cIMT showed no significant correlation with any physical/laboratory variables including BMI (P=0.0585). CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the first study to measure the cIMT in Korean children. Though the results approached statistical significance, we could not prove an increase of cIMT in obese children or an association between cIMT and BMI, due to the study's small sample size. In the future, larger and more extensive trials are needed.
Subject(s)
Child , Humans , Atherosclerosis , Blood Glucose , Blood Pressure , Carotid Intima-Media Thickness , Cholesterol , Chronic Disease , Liver , Obesity , Sample Size , UltrasonographyABSTRACT
We have experienced a case of incomplete congenital duodenal diaphragm with a foreign body (a button), which was found by endoscopy in a 13 month-old girl. She had symptoms of hematemesis, vomiting and bloody stool for a day probably due to foreign body impaction.