Clinical features and treatment of macrolide-resistant Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia in children / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the clinical features of macrolide-resistant Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia and its treatment regimens in children.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The samples of throat swab or bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were collected from 136 children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to detect 2063/2064 A:G mutation in 23S rRNA, and according to such results, the children were divided into drug-resistance group with 81 children and sensitive group with 55 children. The two groups were compared in terms of age composition, respiratory symptoms, extrapulmonary complications, laboratory markers, imaging changes, treatment regimens, and length of hospital stay.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the sensitive group, the drug-resistance group had significantly longer duration of pyrexia and severe fever, a significantly higher percentage of children with reduced blood oxygen saturation, and significantly higher levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (P<0.05). The conventional azithromycin treatment had a good clinical effect in the sensitive group, while corticosteroid therapy was usually needed in the drug-resistance group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Macrolide-resistant Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection cannot be identified based on a single clinical feature, but prolonged duration of pyrexia and severe fever, reduced blood oxygen saturation, and increased ALT and LDH can suggest the presence of this disease. Azithromycin combined with glucocorticoids may be a good treatment regimen for children with macrolide-resistant Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia.</p>

Single wall carbon nanotube induced inflammation in cruor-fibrinolysis system / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) and its role in inducing inflammatory cytokines in the cruor-fibrinolysis system of rat.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Twenty one Wistar rats were divided into four groups: 1) control; 2) low-dose SWCNT (0.15 mg/kg BW); 3) medium-dose SWCNT (0.75 mg/kg BW); 4) high-dose SWCNT (1.5 mg/kg BW). Intratracheal instillation of SWCNT suspensions was administered to rats once per day for 21 days. In order to assess the exposure effect of SWCNT to the rats, activity of Inflammatory cytokine was measured and markers of cruor-fibrinolysis system were studied via ELSIA. Also, change in clotting time was recorded and histopathology was studied.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>IL-6 and IL-8 concentrations of rats exposed to SWCNT were significantly higher than those in controls (P<0.05). The activity of inflammatory cytokines and histopathological change indicated that oxidative damage occurred. Change in clotting time in rats exposed to SWCNT decreased compared with controls. Meanwhile, t-PA (tissue-tupe plassminogen activator) and AT-III (antithrombin-III) levels in rats exposed to particulates increased or decreased significantly compared with controls (P<0.05). A similar trend was observed for D-dimer (D2D) levels, indicating that SWCNT can impact the cruor-fibrinolysis system of rat.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The results from our study suggest that an increased procoagulant activity and reduced fibrinolytic activity in rats exposed to SWCNT can cause pulmonary oxidative stress and inflammation, due to the release of pro-thrombotic and inflammatory cytokines into the blood circulation of rat.</p>

Impact of traffic emissions on local air quality and the potential toxicity of traffic-related particulates in Beijing, China / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>Air-borne particulates from different sources could have different physicochemical properties and inflammatory potentials. This study aims to characterize the chemical compositions and the toxicity of ambient particulate matter (PM) associated with traffic emissions.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The concentrations of trace elements, organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in PM2.5 and PM10 were measured in samples collected at sites in Beijing, China. Their toxic effects on the pulmonary system of rats were investigated. Biochemical parameters (LDH, T-AOC, TP) and inflammatory cytokine(IL-6, IL-1, TNF-a) levels were measured in the lungs of rats exposed to traffic-related PM. Oxidative damage was observed. PM samples were taken from a near road site and an off road site in summer time in 2006.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The concentrations of the USEPA priority pollutant PAHs in both PM10 and PM2.5 were higher (299.658 and 348.412) at the near road site than those (237.728 and 268.472) at the off road site. The similar trend was observed for the concentrations of trace elements in PM. Compared to coarse particles (PM10), fine particles (PM2.5) have a greater adsorption capacity to enrich toxic elements than inhalable particles. Decrease in antioxidant capacity and an increase in the amount of lipid peroxidation products in rat lung tissues was observed.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The findings of the present study suggest that the differing inflammatory responses of PM collected from the two road sites might have been mediated by the differing physicochemical characteristics.</p>

Oxidative damage to lung tissue and peripheral blood in endotracheal PM2.5-treated rats / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the oxidative damage to lung tissue and peripherial blood in PM2.5-treated rats.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>PM2.5 samples were collected using an auto-sampling instrument in summer and winter. Treated samples were endotracheally instilled into rats. Activity of reduced glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA) were used as oxidative damage biomarkers of lung tissue and peripheral blood detected with the biochemical method. DNA migration length (microm) and rate of tail were used as DNA damage biomarkers of lung tissue and peripheral blood detected with the biochemical method.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The activity of GSH-Px and the concentration of MDA in lung tissue significantly decreased after exposure to PM2.5 for 7-14 days. In peripheral blood, the concentration of MDA decreased, but the activity of GSH-Px increased 7 and 14 days after experiments. The two indicators had a dose-effect relation and similar changing tendency in lung tissue and peripheral blood. The DNA migration length (microm) and rate of tail in lung tissue and peripheral blood significantly increased 7 and 14 days after exposure to PM2.5. The two indicators had a dose-effect relation and similar changing tendency in lung tissue and peripheral blood.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>PM2.5 has a definite oxidative effect on lung tissue and peripheral blood. The activity of GSH-Px and the concentration of MDA are valuable biomarkers of oxidative lung tissue damage induced by PM2.5. The DNA migration length (microm) and rate of tail are simple and valuable biomarkers of PM2.5-induced DNA damage in lung tissues and peripheral blood. The degree of DNA damage in peripheral blood can predict the degree of DNA damage in lung tissue.</p>

Effect of interferon-alpha treatment in children with hepatitis B e antigen-positive chronic hepatitis B virus infection: a meta-analysis of follow-up for six months to two years / 中华儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To assess the efficacy and safety of interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) in children with Hepatitis B e antigen-positive chronic hepatitis B virus infection.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>PubMed and Chinese Biomedical Database were searched from the beginning of operation of the databases to April 2006, and the references of eligible studies were manually screened. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published in the English and Chinese literature comparing interferon-alpha with non-antiviral interventions (placebo or no treatment) in children with hepatitis B e antigen-positive chronic hepatitis B virus infection were eligible for inclusion. Studies were included if patients were treated for at least 3 months and followed-up for at least 6 months after cessation of therapy. Two investigators independently assessed the quality and extracted the data. The methodological quality of trails was assessed by the Jadad-scale plus allocation concealment. Heterogeneity was examined by Chi-square test. Fixed effects model or random effects model were used to pool the data. Sensitivity analyses were used for the treatment course.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Ten randomized controlled studies with a total of 542 children chronic HBV carriers who were positive for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) were identified. It was found by the meta-analysis that, compared with the control, at the end of the follow-up period, IFN-alpha could still significantly clear HBeAg [31.1% vs. 12.4%, odds ratio (OR): 3.17, 95% CI (2.00, 5.02), P < 0.000 01], clear HBV-DNA [33.9% vs. 16.2%, OR: 2.59, 95% CI (1.70, 3.96), P < 0.0001], clear HBsAg [5.5% vs. 1.2%, OR: 3.44, 95% CI (1.20, 9.89), P = 0.02], normalize ALT [43.0% vs. 27.7%, OR: 1.99, 95% CI (1.16, 3.42), P = 0.01], and achieve HBeAg seroconversion [30.4% vs. 12.8%, OR: 2.90, 95% CI (1.56, 5.39), P = 0.0008], but was not effective in HBsAg seroconversion [1.9% vs. 0, 95% CI (0.42, 18.13), P = 0.29].</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Interferon-alpha might be efficacious in clearance of HBeAg, HBV-DNA and HBsAg, normalization of ALT, and achievement of HBeAg seroconversion in children with chronic hepatitis B. Little evidence is available on HBsAg seroconversion. Further RCTs of high-quality and sufficient number of cases are needed for confirmation of the clinical efficacy of IFN-alpha in chronic hepatitis B in children.</p>