Tracheal Bronchus with Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn: A Case Report

Tracheal bronchus is an uncommon anomaly in which an ectopic bronchus originates directly from the supracarinal trachea. It is usually an asymptomatic anatomical variant incidentally found on computed tomography or bronchoscopy. However, it can present with symptoms, such as chronic cough, wheezing, atelectasis, and recurrent pneumonia. We report a case of tracheal bronchus diagnosed in the neonatal period, in which the term baby presented with respiratory distress and persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn after birth, but no other congenital anomaly was found on further evaluation.

Relationship between atopy and bronchial hyperresponsiveness to indirect stimuli in asthmatic children

PURPOSE: Both atopy and bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) are characteristic features of asthma. Several BHR studies comparing groups of atopic and nonatopic asthmatics have reported conflicting results. The aim of this study was to compare BHR to indirect stimuli, such as mannitol or exercise, between atopic and nonatopic asthmatics in children. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of data from 110 children with asthma, aged 6–18 years using skin prick tests, and serum total and specific IgE levels. Atopy degree was measured using the sum of graded wheal size or the sum of the allergen-specific IgE. Bronchial provocation tests (BPTs) using methacholine were performed on all subjects. BPTs using indirect simuli, including exercise and mannitol, were also performed. RESULTS: Asthma cases were classified as atopic asthma (n=83) or nonatopic asthma (n=27) from skin prick or allergen-specific IgE test results. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of BHR to mannitol or exercise between atopic and nonatopic asthmatics. Atopic asthma had a significantly lower postexercise maximum decrease in % forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) (geometric mean [95% confidence interval]: 31.9 [22.9–40.9] vs. 14.0 [9.4–18.6], P=0.015) and a methacholine PC20 (provocative concentration of methacholine inducing a 20% fall in FEV1) than nonatopic asthmatics (geometric mean [95% confidence interval]: 1.24 [0.60–1.87] ng/mL vs. 4.97 [3.47–6.47]) ng/mL, P=0.001), whereas mannitol PD15 (cumulative provocative dose causing a 15% fall in FEV1) was not significantly different between the 2 groups. CONCLUSION: There was no significant difference in the prevalence of BHR to mannitol or exercise between atopic and nonatopic asthmatics in children.

Influence of The -202 A/C insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3 promoter polymorphism on individual variation in height in Korean girls

PURPOSE: The most common single nucleotide polymorphism in the IGFBP3 promoter region occurs at position -202. This polymorphic variation occurs frequently and may influence growth hormone responsiveness and somatic growth. However, the effects of IGFBP3 promoter polymorphism on growth in children are unknown. METHODS: Restriction fragment length polymorphism-based genotyping of the -202 single nucleotide polymorphism was performed in 146 Korean girls aged between 15 and 16 years, who were selected randomly from the Seoul School Health Promotion Center. The participants were divided into 3 groups (tall, medium, and short) according to the height percentile established from normal reference values for Korean children. The serum levels of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and IGF-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) were then compared according to genotype. RESULTS: The genotype distribution in the participants was 79 AA (54.1%), 60 AC (41.1%), and 7 CC (4.8%). The C allele frequency at the -202 IGFBP3 position was 25.4% in this group. The mean serum IGFBP-3 concentration in girls with the AA genotype was higher than that in girls with the AC genotype in the medium (P=0.047) and short (P=0.035) groups, respectively. There was no difference in the IGF-I to IGFBP-3 molar ratio between the AA and AC genotype groups (P=0.161). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the -202 polymorphism in the IGFBP3 promoter region is assumed to affect the serum concentration of IGFBP-3 in children as well as in adults. However, it is unclear whether this affects physical development according to the concentration of IGFBP-3.