Severe hemolytic disease of the newborn caused by JKb antibody: Two case reports and literature review.

BACKGROUND: JKb antibody rarely causes severe hemolytic disease in the newborn except in 1 case, required blood exchange transfusion but later died of intractable seizure and renal failure. Here we describe 2 cases of JKb-induced severe neonatal jaundice requiring blood exchange transfusion with good neurological outcome. CASE PRESENTATION: Two female Chinese, ethnic Han, term infants with severe jaundice were transferred to us at the age of 5- and 4-day with a total bilirubin of 30.9 and 25.9 mg/dL while reticulocyte counts were 3.2% and 2.2%, respectively. Both infants were not the firstborn to their corresponding mothers. Direct and indirect Coombs' tests were positive, and JKb antibody titers were 1:64 (+) for both mothers. Phototherapy was immediately administered, and a blood exchange transfusion was performed within 5 hours of admission. Magnet resonance image showed no evidence of bilirubin-induced brain damage, and no abnormal neurological finding was detected at 6 months of life. CONCLUSION: JKb antibody-induced hemolytic disease of the newborn usually leads to a benign course, but severe jaundice requiring blood exchange transfusion may occur. Our cases suggest good outcomes can be achieved in this minor blood group-induced hemolytic disease of the newborn if identified and managed early enough.

[Value of IL-6 and IL-8 in the diagnosis of neonatal sepsis].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the significance of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-8 in the diagnosis of neonatal sepsis. METHODS: This was a prospective study conducted between August 2014 and February 2015. A total of 140 neonates who were suspected infectious were enrolled and classified into a sepsis group (n=49) and a local infection group (n=91). Sixty-one neonates who were non-infectious served as the control group. Serum levels of IL-6 and IL-8 were measured before treatment and 3 days after treatment. The value of serum IL-6 and IL-8 for the diagnosis of neonatal sepsis was assessed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. RESULTS: Before treatment, serum levels of IL-6 and IL-8 in the sepsis group were higher than those in the local infection and control groups (P<0.05), and the local infection group had higher serum levels of IL-6 and IL-8 than the control group (P<0.05). After three days of treatment, the serum IL-6 level in the sepsis group remained higher than that in the local infection and control groups (P<0.05), and the local infection group had higher serum level of IL-6 than the control group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the serum IL-8 level among the three groups. According to the ROC curve, when the cut-off value of serum IL-6 was 32 pg/mL, the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of serum IL-6 for the diagnosis of neonatal sepsis were 87.8%, 79.6% and 81.6% respectively; when the cut-off value of serum IL-8 was 54 pg/mL, the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of serum IL-6 for the diagnosis of neonatal sepsis were 77.6%, 63.8% and 67.2% respectively. With the combination of serum IL-6 and IL-8 levels, the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy for the diagnosis of neonatal sepsis were 71.4%, 86.2% and 82.6% respectively. CONCLUSIONS: IL-6 and IL-8 participate in the inflammatory response and the serum levels of both vary with the severity of infection. The diagnostic value of IL-6 for neonatal sepsis is higher than IL-8. The combined detection of serum levels IL-6 and IL-8 may increase the accuracy of diagnosis of neonatal sepsis.

[Litter decomposition and nutrient dynamics at different succession stages of typical mixed broadleaved-Korean pine forest in Xiaoxing' an Mountains, China].

Taking the mixed leaf litters in broadleaved-Korean pine forests at different succession stages (secondary birch forest, selective cutting forest, and original mixed forest) and the leaf litters of the dominant tree species (Betula costata, Tilia amurensis, and Pinus koraiensis) in these forests in Xiaoxing' an Mountains, China as test objects, this paper studied their remaining rates and nutrient dynamics in October 2006-November 2008 by using decomposition bag method. For all test leaf litters, their remaining rate had an exponential relationship with time. The annual decomposition constant (k) ranged from 0.137 to 0.328, and the time for decomposing 50% (t50%) and 95% (t95%) was 2.340-4.989 years and 9.360-21.796 years, respectively. No significant differences were observed in the decomposition rates of the leaf litters among the forests, but the k value of the mixed leaf litters was decreased in the order of original mixed forest > selective cutting forest > secondary birch forest, while that of the dominant tree species leaf litters had no obvious pattern. During decomposition, the elements C, P, and K in leaf litters released continuously, and the release pattern of C followed linear function, while that of P and K followed a function of higher degree. Element N presented different levels of accumulation, but had no clear pattern.

[Characteristics of urea 15N absorption, allocation, and utilization by sweet-cherry (Prunus avium L.)].

With five-year old 'Zaodaguo' sweet-cherry (Prunus avium L.) as test material, this paper studied the characteristics of its urea 15N absorption, allocation, and utilization when applied before bud-break. The results showed that the Ndff of different organs increased gradually with time, and was higher in fine roots and storage organs at full-blooming stage. At fruit core-hardening stage, the Ndff of long shoots and leaves increased quickly, reaching to 0.72% and 0.59% , respectively. From fruit core-hardening to harvesting stage, the Ndff of fruit had a rapid increase, with the peak (1.78%) at harvesting stage. After harvest, the Ndff of neonatal organs increased slowly while that of storage organs increased quickly. At full-blooming stage, the absorbed 15N in roots was firstly allocated to storage organs, with the highest allocation rate (54.91%) in large roots. At fruit core-hardening stage, the allocation rate in fine roots and storage organs decreased from 85.43% to 55.11%, while that in neonatal branches and leaves increased to 44.89%. At harvesting stage, the allocation rate in different organs had no significant change, but after harvest, the absorbed 15N had a rapid translocation to storage organs, and the allocation rate in fine roots and storage organs reached the highest (72.26%) at flower bud differentiation stage. The 15N allocation rate in neonatal branches and leaves at flower bud differentiation stage was decreased by 19.31%, compared with that at harvesting stage. From full-blooming to flower bud differentiation stage, the utilization rate of urea 15N was increasing, and reached the peak (16.86%) at flower bud differentiation stage.