Changes in percentage of GATA3+ regulatory T cells and their pathogenic roles in allergic rhinitis / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the changes in percentage of GATA3+ regulatory T (Treg) cells in patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) and mouse models.@*METHODS@#The nasal mucosa specimens were obtained from 6 AR patients and 6 control patients for detection of nasal mucosal inflammation. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were collected from 12 AP patients and 12 control patients to determine the percentages of Treg cells and GATA3+ Treg cells. In a C57BL/6 mouse model of AR, the AR symptom score, peripheral blood OVA-sIgE level, and nasal mucosal inflammation were assessed, and the spleen of mice was collected for detecting the percentages of Treg cells and GATA3+ Treg cells and the expressions of Th2 cytokines.@*RESULTS@#Compared with the control patients, AR patients showed significantly increased eosinophil infiltration and goblet cell proliferation in the nasal mucosa (P < 0.01) and decreased percentages of Treg cells and GATA3+ Treg cells (P < 0.05). The mouse models of AR also had more obvious allergic symptoms, significantly increased OVA-sIgE level in peripheral blood, eosinophil infiltration and goblet cell hyperplasia (P < 0.01), markedly lowered percentages of Treg cells and GATA3+ Treg cells in the spleen (P < 0.01), and increased expressions of IL-4, IL-6 and IL-10 (P < 0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#The percentage of GATA3+ Treg cells is decreased in AR patients and mouse models. GATA3+ Treg cells possibly participate in Th2 cell immune response, both of which are involved in the occurrence and progression of AR, suggesting the potential of GATA3+ Treg cells as a new therapeutic target for AR.

Clinical features of very preterm small-for-gestational-age infants born due to severe preeclampsia / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To study the clinical features of very preterm small-for-gestational-age infants born by cesarean section due to severe preeclampsia.@*METHODS@#Forty-two small-for-gestational-age infants who were admitted from August 2017 to July 2018 and were born due to severe preeclampsia were enrolled as the observation group. Forty very preterm infants who were born to healthy mothers since uterine contractions could not be suppressed were enrolled as the control group. Perinatal features, clinical manifestations of infection, complications, and clinical outcomes were analyzed for the two groups.@*RESULTS@#Within 6 hours and 2-3 days after birth, the observation group had significantly lower white blood cell count (WBC), absolute neutrophil count (ANC), and platelet count (PLT) than the control group (@*CONCLUSIONS@#Very preterm small-for-gestational-age infants born due to severe preeclampsia have a high incidence rate of infection and severe conditions. Early manifestations include reductions in the infection indicators WBC, ANC, and PLT, and CRP does not increase significantly in the early stage and gradually increases at 2-3 days after birth. Most of these infants require invasive ventilation after birth, with bronchopulmonary dysplasia as the main complication. Clinical changes should be closely observed and inflammatory indicators should be monitored for early identification of infection, timely diagnosis, and timely adjustment of antibiotic treatment, so as to improve the outcome.

Effects of B7-2 gene RNAi lentiviral vector on dendritic cells and T lymphocytes proliferation induced by dendritic cells in vitro / 中国免疫学杂志

Objective: To generate mouse B7-2 gene RNAi lentivirus and study its interference effects on B7-2 expression and T lymphocytes proliferation induced by dendritic cells. Methods: Three sequences specific targeting B7-2 gene and one non-specific sequence were respectively synthesized, and inserted into lentiviral vector, then the recombinant vectors were sequencing. 293 T cells were co-transfected with lentiviral expression plasmid and packaging plasmids to produce recombinant lentivirus which titre was checked according to the expression level of green fluorescent protein ( GFP). Bone marrow cells from C57 BL/6 mice were isolated to differentiate into DCs at the present of GM-CSF, IL-4 and LPS for 48 h, then morphology and phenotypic was identified. DCs were infected by recombinant RNAi lentivirus and then the efficiency of infection and the expression of B7-2 on the surface of DCs were detected by flow cytometry. Effects on the proliferation of T cells were detected by co-culturing with DCs which were infected by B7-2 RNAi lentivirus and murine spleen T cells in vitro. Results: DNA sequencing confirmed that three B7-2 RNAi and one non-specific recombinant lentiviral transfer plasmids were successfully constructed, the titer of recombinant lentivirus was ( 2-4) × 108 TU/ml. The recombinant lentivirus could effectively infect DC and inhibit the expression of B7-2. After the B7-2 recombinant lentivirus infection, the ability of DCs to stimulate the proliferation of T cells decreased obviously ( P＜0. 05). Conclusion: The lentiviral B7-2 gene RNAi vector can effectively silence the expression of B7-2 on the surface of DCs and inhibit the proliferation effect of T cells induced by DCs.

Clinical effect of white noise combined with glucose in reducing the pain of retinopathy screening in preterm infants / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To study the clinical effect of white noise combined with glucose in reducing the procedural pain of retinopathy screening in preterm infants.@*METHODS@#A total of 396 preterm infants with a gestational age of 28-34 weeks and a birth weight of ≤2 000 g were randomly divided into 4 groups according to the intervention method for reducing pain in retinopathy screening: control group with 100 infants (no white noise or glucose intervention), white noise group with 96 infants, glucose group with 98 infants and white noise + glucose group with 102 infants. The Premature Infant Pain Profile (PIPP) was used to determine pain score during retinopathy screening, and the four groups were compared in terms of PIPP score before and after retinopathy screening.@*RESULTS@#There were no significant differences in PIPP score, heart rate and blood oxygen saturation between the four groups at 3 minutes before screening (P>0.05). At 1 and 5 minutes after screening, the white noise, glucose and white noise + glucose groups had significantly lower heart rate and PIPP score but significantly higher blood oxygen saturation than the control group (P<0.05).The white noise + glucose group had significantly lower heart rate and PIPP score but significantly higher blood oxygen saturation than the white noise and glucose groups (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#White noise combined with glucose can reduce the procedural pain of retionopathy screening and keep vital signs stable in preterm infants.

Mortality rate and cause of death in hospitalized neonates: an analysis of 480 cases / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the mortality rate and the cause of death of hospitalized neonates.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The clinical data of 480 neonates who died between January 2008 and December 2014 were collected. The mortality rates of neonates with different gestational ages, birth weights, sexes, and ages in days were analyzed. The abnormal perinatal factors, cause of death, and death grade were summarized.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Among the 41 910 hospitalized neonates, 480 (1.1%) died, and the mortality rates of preterm infants and full-term infants were 1.7% and 0.7%, respectively. The mortality rate of hospitalized neonates decreased from 1.4% in 2008 to 1.1% in 2014, and the decrease was more apparent in the preterm infants with a gestational age of <32 weeks and the neonates with a birth weight of <1 000 g. Among preterm infants and full-term infants, those with a lower gestational age tended to have a higher mortality rate, but post-term infants had an increased mortality rate. The infants with a lower birth weight tended to have a higher mortality rate. Male neonates had a significantly higher mortality rate than female neonates (1.31% vs 0.92%; P<0.05). Among the neonates who died, 61.3% had definite abnormal perinatal factors, including abnormal amniotic fluid (29.4%), premature rupture of membranes (16.9%), placental abnormality (16.9%), fetal intrauterine distress (14.0%), and abnormal umbilical cord (12.3%). Among the 480 neonates who died, 57 (11.9%) died within 24 hours after birth, 181 (37.7%) died within 2-7 days, and 242 (50.4%) died within 8-28 days. The three most common causes of death were infection, birth defect, and respiratory distress syndrome. The most common cause of death was respiratory distress syndrome in 2008-2011 and infection in 2012-2014. Respiratory distress syndrome was the most common cause of death in preterm infants with a gestational age of <32 weeks, neonates with a birth weight of <1 500 g, and neonates who died with 24 hours; infection was the most common cause of death in neonates with a gestational age of 32-42 weeks, neonates with a birth weight of 1 500-4 000 g, and neonates who died within 8-28 days. Neonatal asphyxia was the major cause of death in post-term infants. Inevitable deaths (grade 1) accounted for 54.4%, deaths that could be avoided under certain conditions (grade 2) accounted for 23.3%, and deaths caused by concerns about prognosis or economic reasons (grade 3) accounted for 22.3%.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>In recent years, the treatment of neonates has gradually improved, and the mortality rate of neonates is gradually decreasing, especially in neonates with low gestational age and birth weight. Important measures for reducing the mortality rate in neonates include enhancing perinatal management, reducing abnormal perinatal factors, preventing infection, and increasing parents' confidence in treatment.</p>

Impact of premature rupture of membranes on neonatal complications in preterm infants with gestational age <37 weeks / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effect of premature rupture of the membrane (PROM) on neonatal complications in premature infants.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The registration information of 7684 preterm infants with gestational age <37 weeks were collected from the cooperative units in the task group between January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2014. Specially trained personnel from each cooperative units filled in the unified form in a standardized format to record the gender, gestational age, birth weight, PROM, placental abruption, antenatal corticosteroid, Apgar score, amniotic fluid pollution, and complications of the infants. The data were analyzed comparatively between the cases with PROM and those without (control).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The preterm mortality rate was significantly lower but the incidences of ICH, NEC, ROP and BPD were significantly higher in PROM group than in the control group (P<0.05). The 95% confidence interval of the OR value was <1 for mortality, and was >1 for ICH, NEC, ROP and BPD. After adjustment for gestational age, birth weight, gender, mode of delivery, placental abruption, placenta previa, prenatal hormones, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), gestational period hypertension and 5-min Apgar score <7, the incidences of NEC, ROP and BPD were significantly different between the two groups (P<0.05) with 95% confidence interval of OR value >1, but the mortality rate and incidence of ICH were not significantly different between the two groups (P>0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>PROM is a risk factor for NEC, ROP and BPD in preterm infants, and adequate intervention of PROM can reduce the incidences of such complications as NEC, ROP and BPD in the infants.</p>

Construction of lentiviral vector specific for mouse B7-1 gene interference and study on silencing effects induced by lentivirus-mediated B7-1 RNAi / 中国免疫学杂志

Objective:To construct lentiviral vector specific for mouse B7-1 RNA interference and study lentivirus-mediated B7-1 gene silencing effects in L929 fibroblast cells.Methods:Three candidate sequences for B7-1 RNAi selected from coding sequence of mouse B7-1 transcription were used to design short hairpin RNA ( shRNA ) templates and then cloned into lentiviral expression plasmid followed with correctness identification of inserted sequence by DNA sequencing.Recombinant lentivirus were prepared by co-transfecting lentiviral expression vector and packaging plasmids into 293T cells.Then the resulting culture supernatant containing infectious lentiviral particles was pooled and centrifuged via ultra-centrifugation.Infectious titer of the preparations was determined by detecting the expression of GFP in 293T cells after transfected by lentivirus.Cultured L929 cells were transfected with lentivirus to deter-mine transduction efficiency and silencing efficacy of B7-1 expression by flow cytometry.Transducted L929 cells were then screened using puromycin to generate stable cell clones followed by flow cytometry analysis of GFP and B7-1 expression.A mixed reaction system consisting of stable B7-1 silencing L929 cells and mouse splenic T cells was used to analyze ability of the established cell line to trigger T cells proliferation.Results: Lentiviral expression vector for mouse B7-1 RNAi was correctly constructed with inserted sequences as designed.Recombinant RNAi lentivirus were prepared with titers ranging (3-5) ×108 TU/ml and efficacy to mediate GFP transgene expression and B7-1 silencing.B7-1 expression and the ability to trigger T cells proliferation of stable L929 cells were suppressed significantly ( P<0.05 ).Conclusion: We generated lentiviral vector specific for mouse B7-1 RNAi with high performance of transduction efficiency as well as B7-1 silencing efficacy and the recombinant RNAi lentivirus can mediated stable B7-1 gene silencing in L929 cells and inhibition of T cells proliferation induced by B7-1/CD28 co-stimulatory signal.

Clinical and imaging features of premature infants with different degrees of bronchopulmonary dysplasia / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the clinical and imaging features of premature infants with different degrees of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A prospective study was performed on the clinical data of 59 premature infants (gestational age <32 weeks) with BPD. Among the 59 premature infants, 37 cases had mild BPD and the other 22 cases had moderate to severe BPD. The clinical and imaging data were compared between these premature infants with different degrees of BPD.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The durations of mechanical ventilation, oxygen therapy, antibiotic therapy, parenteral nutrition, and hospitalization in the moderate to severe group were significantly longer than those in the mild group (P<0.05). The incidence of nosocomial infection and number of times of red blood cell transfusion in the moderate to severe group were significantly higher than that in the mild group. The rates of X-ray changes, including grade I respiratory distress syndrome (1 day after birth) and hypolucency of lungs (4-10 days and ≥ 28 days after birth) were significantly higher in the mild group than in the moderate to severe group. The rates of X-ray changes in classical BPD stage III (4-10 days after birth) and IV (≥ 28 days after birth) were significantly higher in the moderate to severe group than in the mild group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The durations of mechanical ventilation, oxygen therapy, and antibiotic therapy and the incidence of nosocomial infection are correlated with the severity of BPD. The premature infants with severer BPD need a longer duration of parenteral nutrition and more times of red blood cell transfusion and have more typical imaging changes of BPD. Imaging examination has a predictive value for the severity of BPD.</p>

Immune intervention effect of human-mouse chimeric antibody B7-1 against murine lupus nephritis model / 中国免疫学杂志

Objective:On the basis of the use of chemical methods to establish mouse model of lupus nephritis and its biological identification , we investigate the reverse effect of pathological lesions of B 7-1 human-mouse chimeric antibody blockade against B7/D28 signaling pathway in mice with lupus nephritis model.Methods:Pristane was injected intraperitoneally to 6-week-old female C57BL/6J mice at dose of 0.5 ml per mouse in one go,and urine protein,ANA and renal pathological changes were detected on a monthly basis.Mice whose urine protein content reached ++and ANA fluorescence intensity reached ++were randomly devided into three groups ,five each.Antibody intervention group was sequentially injected with B 7-1-mouse chimeric antibody by orbital venous , positive control group was injected with immunosuppressant CTX , negative control group was injected with isotype control IgG.Urine protein and ANA were also detected on a monthly basis.Mice were sacrificed three months after intervention was executed.Kidney was used for H&E dying , IC detection and electric microscope observation.Results: After four-month Pristane induction , urine protein content of 80%mice reached +-+++,meanwhile,serum ANA fluorescence intensity reached ++-+++.Glomerulonephritis infiltrating cells were observed Mice with urine protein and ANA , glomerular inflammatory cell infiltration , tubular epithelial cell degeneration visible edema ,vascular congestion significantly ,fibrosis.After antibody intervention ,urine protein content in antibody intervention group gradually reduced from ++-+++to ±-+++,ANA ++-+++to +-++,and were significantly different from that in the negative control group ( P<0.01 ).Analysis of kidney H&E dying showed that antibody glomerular infiltration of inflammatory cells in the intervention group and tubular congestion and other symptoms were improved significantly.Immunofluorescence staining indicated that fluorescence intensity of IC was significantly reduced in the antibody intervention group.Electron dense deposits reduction and glomerular basement membrane uniformity were observed in antibody intervention group by electric microscope when compared with the negative control group.Conclusion:B7-1 antibodies could downregulate immune response through inhibiting B 7-1/CD28 signaling pathway , reducing the production of autoantibodies and reversing pathological damage caused by autoimmune response .

Perinatal high-risk factors for necrotizing enterocolitis in preterm infants: a case-control study / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the timing of presentation and perinatal high-risk factors for necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in preterm infants with a gestational age of <33 weeks.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A case-control study was conducted in 49 preterm infants with NEC (gestational age <33 weeks) who were admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Beijing Bayi Children's Hospital between October 1, 2010 and December 30, 2012, as well as preterm infants without NEC during the same period. The timing of presentation of NEC was retrospectively analyzed, and the perinatal high-risk factors for NEC were determined by multivariate logistic regression analysis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The median age of onset was 17.5 days (range: 3-106 d) in preterm infants with NEC. Sex, being small for gestational age, delivery mode and antenatal corticosteroid therapy were not associated with the development of NEC; low gestational age, low birth weight and neonatal asphyxia increased the risk of NEC, and low gestational age was identified as an independent high-risk factor for the development of NEC.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Low gestational age is an important risk factor for the development NEC in preterm infants under 33 weeks' gestation, and the median age of onset is 17.5 days.</p>

role of lung ultrasound in diagnosis of respiratory distress syndrome in newborn infants

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the value of lung ultrasound in the diagnosis of respiratory distress syndrome [RDS] in newborn infants

Methods: From March 2012 to May 2013, 100 newborn infants were divided into two groups: RDS group [50 cases] and control group [50 cases]. According to the findings of chest x-ray, there were 10 cases of grade II RDS, 15 grade III cases, and 25 grade IV cases in RDS group. Lung ultrasound was performed at bedside by a single expert. The ultrasound indexes observed in this study included pleural line, A-line, B-line, lung consolidation, air bronchograms, bilateral white lung, interstitial syndrome, lung sliding, lung pulse etc

Findings: In all of the infants with RDS, lung ultrasound consistently showed generalized consolidation with air bronchograms, bilateral white lung or interstitial syndrome, pleural line abnormalities, A-line disappearance, pleural effusion, lung pulse, etc. The simultaneous demonstration of lung consolidation, pleural line abnormalities and bilateral white lung, or lung consolidation, pleural line abnormalities and A-line disappearance co-exists with a sensitivity and specificity of 100% for the diagnosis of neonatal RDS

Conclusion: This study indicates that using an ultrasound to diagnose neonatal RDS is accurate and reliable tool. A lung ultrasound has many advantages over other techniques. Ultrasound is nonionizing, low-cost, easy to operate, and can be performed at bedside, making this technique ideal for use in NICU

Therapeutic effect of Ommaya reservoir implantation on hydrocephalus in premature infants following intraventricular hemorrhage and factors associted with the therapeutic effect / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the therapeutic effect of Ommaya reservoir implantation on hydrocephalus in premature infants following intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) and to investigate factors influencing the therapeutic effect.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>An ambispective cohort study was conducted on the clinical and follow-up data of 20 premature infants (gestational age <32 weeks, birth weight <1500 g) who received Ommaya reservoir implantation because of hydrocephalus following IVH. The therapeutic effect of Ommaya reservoir implantation was observed. These patients were divided into cure and treatment failure groups according to their treatment outcomes. The factors influencing therapeutic effects were investigated by univariate analysis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Hydrocephalus was relieved significantly at 30 days after Ommaya reservoir implantation. However, some patients showed significantly decreased therapeutic effects since 3 months after operation: during 3-6 months after operation, 7 cases underwent ventriculoperitoneal shunt, 4 cases discontinued treatment because of economic reasons, and 1 case underwent endoscopic third ventriculostomy due to scalp hematoma with skin necrosis. The ventricles of the remaining 8 cases returned to normal size at 12-18 months after operation. As for postoperative complications, secondary IVH was seen in 8 cases, intracranial infection in 2 cases, and scalp hematoma with skin necrosis in 1 case. The univariate analysis revealed significant differences in gestational age, birth weight and duration of hydrocephalus before Ommaya reservoir implantation between the cure and the treatment failure groups (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Ommaya reservoir implantation has a remarkable short-term therapeutic effect on hydrocephalus in premature infants following IVH, but later the effect decreases in some patients. Low gestational age, low birth weight and long duration of hydrocephalus may be the main factors influencing therapeutic effects of Ommaya reservoir implantation.</p>

Effects of pulmonary surfactant in treatment of acute lung injury after cardiac surgery in infants / 中华儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>Acute lung injury is a severe complication after cardiac surgery performed with cardiopulmonary bypass in infant patients. Pulmonary surfactant has been successfully used in treating neonatal respiratory distress syndrome for many years. This study focused on exploring the clinical efficacy of exogenous pulmonary surfactant in treating infant patients with acute lung injury after cardiac surgery with the use of extracorporeal circulation.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Twenty-three infants with ventricular septal defect (VSD) were enrolled in the study. None of the patients needed oxygen treatment nor ventilation before heart surgery. VSD repair operation was done under cardiopulmonary bypass, and acute lung injury was found postoperatively. Ten infant patients in the treatment group were given pulmonary surfactant by tracheal instillation during mechanical ventilating postoperatively. Thirteen patients in control group were randomly selected in the same period in hospital, and acute lung injury was diagnosed without pulmonary surfactant treatment after cardiopulmonary bypass. Blood samples were obtained from all the patients, and blood gas analysis was performed every 6 hours. Demographics (body weigh, age, gender, VSD diameter) and clinical characteristics (CPB time, oxygenation index, mean airway pressure, pH and PCO2) of all the patients were collected, and statistical analysis was done to compare the data between treatment and control group.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>In the first 24 hours after heart surgery, compared with the control group, a more increased oxygenation index (from 89.36 ± 12.69 to 285 ± 16.51) was observed in treatment group, and it was from 93.71 ± 11.82 to 133 ± 19.62 in the control group. There was a significant difference in oxygenation index between the two groups (P < 0.05). At the same time, the MAP (from 17.5 ± 3.18 to 10.4 ± 3.37) of the patients in comparison with the control group (from 18.2 ± 2.63 to 13.8 ± 2.55), a more significantly decreased MAP was observed in the treatment group (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in pH and PCO2 between the two groups. The ventilation time in cardiac care unit was shorter in treatment group (17.43 ± 9.12) h compared with the control group [(30.97 ± 14.85) h, P < 0.05]. ICU stay time of treatment group (3.90 ± 1.34) d was shorter than that of control group [(6.18 ± 1.90) d, P < 0.05].Two infants of the control group died, but none in treatment group died.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>In this study, a satisfactory curative effect was observed for the treatment of acute lung injury with PS intratracheal instillation after heart surgery under cardiopulmonary bypass in infant patients. It can reduce the duration of mechanical ventilation and cardiac care unit stay and improve prognosis. In addition, this study was a pilot study and the limited sample size was probably the cause of insufficient statistical power. Further study of larger scale is needed.</p>

Comparative study on application of Duo positive airway pressure and continuous positive airway pressure in preterm neonates with respiratory distress syndrome / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To determine whether early application of Duo positive airway pressure (DuoPAP), in comparison with nasal continuous positive airway pressure (NCPAP), can reduce the need for endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation and decrease the incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in preterm neonates with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>In a single-center, randomized controlled trial, preterm neonates (gestational ages 30-35 weeks) with RDS were randomly assigned to receive DuoPAP (n=34) or NCPAP (n=33) within 6 hours of birth. If the two noninvasive ventilations were not effective, endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation were used, and pulmonary surfactant was administered as rescue therapy. The total invasive respiratory support rate and incidence of BPD within 24, 48 and 72 hours of birth were observed. The two groups were compared in terms of PaCO2, PaO2 and oxygenation index (OI) at 1, 12, 24, 48 and 72 hours after using the noninvasive respiratory support.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The total invasive respiratory support rates within 48 and 72 hours after birth were significantly lower in the DuoPAP group than in the NCPAP group (P<0.05). There was no difference in the incidence of BPD between the two groups (P>0.05). The OI in the DuoPAP group was significantly higher than in the NCPAP group at 1, 12, 24, 48 and 72 hours after noninlasive respiratory support (P<0.05). The DuoPAP group showed significantly lower PaCO2 than the NCPAP group at 1, 12, and 24 hours after noninvasive respiratory support (P<0.05). PaO2 was significantly higher in the DuoPAP group than in the NCPAP group at 1 and 12 hours after noninvasive respiratory support (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Compared with NCPAP, early application of DuoPAP can decrease the need for endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation in preterm neonates with RDS, showing promise for broad use.</p>

Clinical application of proportional assist ventilation in very low birth weight infants with ventilator dependence / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effect of proportional assist ventilation (PAV) on physiology and respiratory mechanics in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants with ventilator dependence by comparison with conventional assist/control (A/C) ventilation.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Forty-six infants with ventilator dependence were randomly divided into two groups according to the ventilation model: PAV (n=23) and A/C (n=23). The gain of resistive and elastic unloading was set based on the runway method in the PAV group. Ventilation parameters were set based on the conventional method in the A/C group. Infants were observed for 30 minutes three times per day for three consecutive days. Arterial gas analysis results, transcutaneous saturation of oxygen (SPO2), heart rate, blood pressure (BP), respiratory rate (RR), mean airway pressure (MAP), peak inspiratory pressure (PIP), tide volume (VT), minute volume (MV) and oxygenation index (OI), were compared between the two groups.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the A/C group, PaO2 and OI in the PAV group were significantly higher while PIP and MAP were significantly lower. There were no significant differences in FiO2, SPO2, pH, PaCO2, PEEP, VT, MV and RR between the two groups. Although mean arterial blood pressure and heart rate in the PAV group were not different from the A/C group, beat-to-beat variabilities in systolic and diastolic arterial blood pressure were significantly lower in the PAV group than in the A/C group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>PAV may safely maintain gas exchange at lower airway pressures compared with A/C ventilation in VLBW infants. It can also improve oxygenation and infant-ventilator synchronization.</p>

Promoter methylation of CHFR gene in gastric carcinoma tissues detected using two methods / 癌症

<p><b>BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE</b>Transcriptional silencing induced by CpG island methylation is believed to be one of the important mechanisms of carcinogenesis. Checkpoint with fork head-associated and ring finger (CHFR) governs the transition from prophase to prometaphase in response to mitotic stress. This study was to analyze the relationship between the methylation of CHFR gene and the clinicopathologic features of gastric cancer, and the difference of results between methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (MSP) and combined bisulfite restriction analysis (COBRA) in detecting aberrant methylation of CHFR gene in gastric cancer.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Both MSP and COBRA methods were used to detect the promoter methylation of CHFR gene in gastric cancer specimens from 64 patients. The relationship between methylation status of CHFR gene and the clinicopathologic features of gastric cancer were analyzed using SPSS16.0.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The methylation rates of CHFR gene promoter were significantly higher in gastric cancer samples than in the corresponding paracancer normal gastric mucosa by MSP (51.6% vs. 18.8%, P < 0.001). However, there was no significant correlation between methylation status of CHFR gene and the clinicopathologic parameters of gastric cancer, including age, gender, tumor size, clinical stage, Borrman type, tumor invasion depth, differentiation, and lymph node metastasis (P > 0.05). Aberrant methylation of the CHFR gene was detected in 27 (42.2%) of the 64 specimens of gastric cancer using COBRA, which did not significantly differ from that using MSP (P > 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Aberrant methylation of the CHFR gene is a frequent event in the carcinogenesis of gastric cancer. Detecting the methylation of CHFR gene in gastric mucosa may conduce to the diagnosis of gastric cancer. No difference was found between MSP and COBRA in detecting promoter methylation of CHFR gene in gastric cancer.</p>

Establishment of regional active neonatal transport network / 中华儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the clinical function and significance of establishing a regional active neonatal transport network (ANTN) in Beijing.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The authors retrospectively studied intensive care and the role of ANTN system in management of critically ill neonates and compared the outcome of newborn infants transported to our NICU before and after we established standardized NICU and ANTN system (phase 1: July 2004 to June 2006 vs phase 2: July 2006 to May 2008).</p><p><b>RESULT</b>The number of neonatal transport significantly increased from 587 during phase 1 to 2797 during phase 2. Success rate of transport and the total cure rate in phase 2 were 97.85% and 91.99% respectively, which were significantly higher than those in phase 1 (94.36% and 88.69%, respectively, P < 0.01). The neonatal mortality significantly decreased in phase 2 compared with that in phase 1 (2.29% vs 4.31%, P < 0.01). The capacity of our NICU was enlarged following the development of ANTN. There are 200 beds for level 3 infants in phase 2, but there were only 20 beds in phase 1. Significantly less patients in the phase 2 had hypothermia, acidosis and the blood glucose instability than those in phase 1 (P < 0.01, 0.05, 0.01 and 0.05, respectively). The proportion of preterm infants transported to our NICU were higher in phase 2 compared with that in phase 1, especially infants whose gestational age was below 32 weeks. The proportions of asphyxia and respiratory distress syndrome were lower in phase 2 than that in phase 1, but the total cure rates of these two diseases had no significant changes between the two phases. The most important finding was that the improvement of outcome of premature infants and those with asphyxia and aspiration syndrome was noted following the development of ANTN.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Establishing regional ANTN for a tertiary hospital is very important to elevate the total level in management of critically ill newborn infants. It plays a very important role in reducing mortality and improving total outcomes of newborn infants. There are still some problems remained to solve after four years practice in order to optimize the ANTN to meet needs of the development of neonatology.</p>

Screening and risk factors analysis of retinopathy of prematurity / 中华儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To analyze the risk factors of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and provide evidence for the rational establishment of screening standard.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The clinical data of 1675 preterm infants at gestational age < or = 36 weeks or birth weight < or = 2500 g who were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit and had been screened in our hospital from July 2006 to May 2008 were analyzed retrospectively by univariate analysis and Logistic regression analysis. Gender, birth count, gestational age, birth weight, oxygen therapy, and mother's conditions were recorded.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>ROP was detected in 195 (11.6%) of 1675 infants, of whom 35 infants (2.1%) had type 1 or threshold ROP. The lower the birth weight, the smaller the gestational age and the longer the time of oxygen therapy were, the higher the incidence of ROP was. For the infants whose birth weight was < or = 1200 g, 1201 - 1500 g, 1501 - 2000 g, 2001 - 2500 g, the incidence of ROP was 73.2%, 30.4%, 8.0%, and 1.1%; for those at gestational age < or = 30 weeks, 30(+1)-32 weeks, 32(+1)-34 weeks, 34(+1)-36 weeks, the incidence of ROP was 67.6%, 16.9%, 3.9%, and 1.0%; for the infants underwent oxygen therapy for 0 d, -3 d, -5 d, -8 d, > 8 d, the incidence of ROP was 1.5%, 3.3%, 9.6%, 23.2% and 38.8%;in the infants who inhaled oxygen at concentrations of 0.40, -0.60, -0.80 and > 0.80, the incidence of ROP was 11.8%, 18.1%, 26.8%, and 52.6%, respectively. Logistic regression analysis indicated that low birth weight, small gestational age, asphyxia, apnea, oxygen therapy were the high risk factors of ROP (the odds ratio was 0.957, 1.052, 1.186, 5.314, and 1.881).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Low birth weight, small gestational age, asphyxia, apnea, and oxygen therapy were the high risk factors of ROP. It is recommended that all preterm infants with high risk factors should be screened.</p>

A case of primary peritoneal origin malignant mixed mullerian tumor / 대한산부인과학회지

Malignant mixed mullerian tumor (MMMT) is rare and has pathologically carcinoma and sarcoma components. Among them, primary peritoneal MMMTs are extremely rare, and their proper treatment and prognosis are not well-known. We experienced a case of primary peritoneal origin MMMT, so we report it with a brief review of the literatures.

Temporal expression of thyroid transcription factor-1 in fetal and neonatal human lungs / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>Recent progress in developmental biology has shown that the thyroid transcription factor-1 (TTF-1) plays an important role in lung development. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression and distribution of TTF-1 and its function during the development of epithelial stem cells in fetal human lungs.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Human lung tissues were obtained with parental consent from 32 fetuses (10-27 weeks) and from seven newborn infants (28-36 weeks) who had not died from pulmonary diseases. The expression of TTF-1 was examined by immunohistochemistry.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>TTF-1 was expressed in the nuclei of columnar nonciliated epithelial cells of the fetal human lung as early as 10 weeks of gestation. With the development of bronchus TTF-1 positive cells were present in scattered nonciliated cells and were predominantly expressed in the nuclei of epithelial cells of the distal tubules and lung buds. By the late phase of fetal development or neonatal period, TTF-1 was expressed in only type II alveolar epithelium cells and their precursor cells but was absent in ciliated cells and type I alveolar epithelium cells.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>TTF-1 can stimulate the growth of both bronchial trees and alveolar cells and regulate the type II alveolar epithelium cells and their precursors to secret surfactants.</p>