Correlation Between Fractional Exhaled Nitric Oxide Levels and Efficacy of Inhaled Corticosteroids in Children With Bronchial Asthma.

To investigate correlation between fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) levels and efficacy of inhaled corticosteroids in children with bronchial asthma. Between October 2013 and December 2014, 133 cases of children with bronchial asthma were randomly divided into the glucocorticoid group (n = 67; inhaled with Seretide/Pulmicort) and the nonglucocorticoid group (n = 66; inhaled with short-acting ß2 receptor agonist if needed); and alternatively 72 cases of healthy children were regarded as the control group. FeNO, forced expiratory volume in 1 second to predicted value, forced expiratory volume in 1 second/forced vital capacity, induced sputum eosinophils (EOS)%, and total serum immunoglobulin (Ig) E and serum EOS% were detected and childhood asthma control test (C-ACT) scale was investigated pretreatment and 3 and 6 months posttreatment, respectively. FeNO levels, induced sputum EOS%, total serum IgE, and serum EOS% were significantly lower, whereas forced expiratory volume in 1 second to predicted value, forced expiratory volume in 1 second/forced vital capacity, and C-ACT scores were obviously improved in the glucocorticoid group 6 months posttreatment compared with those of pretreatment (all P < 0.05). FeNO levels, induced sputum EOS%, and total serum IgE were significantly lower, whereas C-ACT scores were significantly higher in the glucocorticoid group compared with those of the nonglucocorticoid group (all P < 0.05). In the glucocorticoid group, induced sputum EOS% and total serum IgE showed significantly positive correlations with FeNO levels (r = 0.73, P < 0.01; r = 0.56, P < 0.01), whereas C-ACT scores were negatively correlated with FeNO levels (r = -0.67, P < 0.01). FeNO levels might be correlated with efficacy of inhaled corticosteroids in children with bronchial asthma.

High CpG island methylation of p16 gene and loss of p16 protein expression associate with the development and progression of tetralogy of Fallot.

We examined CpG island methylation in p16 gene and its effect on p16 protein expression in tetralogy of Fallot (ToF) patients to explore its potential implications in the development and progression of ToF. The study subjects consisted of 75 healthy controls and 63 ToF patients recruited at Linyi People's Hospital between January 2012 and June 2014. The 4 mL of peripheral venous blood of each subject was obtained and saved in ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) tubes. Methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (MSP) was employed to detect CpG island methylation in p16 promoter region andWestern blotting was used to detect p16 expression of all subjects. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (FQ-PCR) was performed to test p16 mRNA expression. The results showed that p16-methylation rates in ToF group were significantly higher than the control group (ToF group, 58.73%; control group, 13.33%; P < 0.001). Remarkably, Western blotting and FQ-PCR results derived from RVOT revealed that p16 protein expression was significantly lower in ToF group compared tothe control group (0.76 ± 0.21 versus 2.31 ± 0.35; P < 0.001), and p16 gene expression was also markedly decreased in ToF group (1.212 ± 0.152 versus 1.346 ± 0.191, P < 0.001). Additionally, our analysis suggested that CpG island methylation in p16 promoters in ToF patients was negatively correlated with p16 protein and gene expression (both P < 0.05). Our study reports that high CpG island methylation of p16 gene and loss of p16 protein expression associate with the development and progression of ToF, which may have significant therapeutic applications for ToF.

Thioredoxin: a novel, independent diagnosis marker in children with autism.

BACKGROUND: Oxidative stress increases serum thioredoxin (TRX), a redox-regulating protein with antioxidant activity recognized as an oxidative-stress marker. The aim of this study was to assess the clinical significance of serum TRX levels in Autism spectrum disorders (ASD). METHODS: Eighty patients diagnosed with ASD and 100 sex and age matched typically developing children were assessed for serum TRX content at admission. TRX were assayed with solid-phase sandwich ELISA, and severity of ASD was evaluated with the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) Score. RESULTS: The results indicated that the median serum TRX levels were significantly (P<0.0001) higher in children with ASD as compared to typically developing children [17.9(IQR: 10.7-25.8)ng/ml and 5.5(3.6-9.2)ng/ml, respectively]. Levels of TRX increased with increasing severity of ASD as defined by the CARS score. After adjusting for all other possible covariates, TRX still was an independent diagnosis marker of ASD with an adjusted OR of 1.454 (95% CI, 1.232-1.892; P<0.0001). Based on the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, the optimal cut-off value of serum TRX levels as an indicator for auxiliary diagnosis of autism was projected to be 10.6ng/ml. Further, we found that an increased diagnosis of ASD was associated with TRX levels ≥10.6ng/ml (adjusted OR 15.31, 95% CI: 7.36-31.85) after adjusting for possible confounders. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrated that serum TRX levels were associated with ASD, and elevated levels could be considered as a novel, independent diagnosis indicator of ASD.

Differential diagnosis of CT images in children with neuroblastomas and ganglioneuroblastomas.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the differential features of CT images in children with neuroblastomas (N) and ganglioneuroblastomas (G). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Clinical data of 12 children in group G and 15 in group N undergoing CT examination and definitely diagnosed by pathology were retrospectively analyzed. The focal conditions were observed and compared in the two groups, including location, size, boundaries, morphology, enhanced degree and mode, abdominal vascular involvement, presence or absence of spanning the midline, infiltration of peripheral organs, angiography manifestations in tumors or surroundings, presence or absence of calcification and vascular tumor emboli as well as metastases of distal organs and lymph nodes. RESULTS: In group N, the incidence of tumors in the adrenal area was conspicuously higher than in group G (P<0.05), while that of tumors with regular morphology and clear boundaries was significantly lower than in group G (P<0.01); Angiography manifestation rate and incidences of vascular embedding, lymph node metastasis, infiltration and organic metastasis in group N were all markedly higher than in group G (P<0.05). There was no statistical significance between the two groups in terms of focal size, presence or absence of calcification and spanning the midline, and enhanced degree and mode, as well as vascular tumor emboli (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Mostly located in adrenal areas and with vascular embedding as a primary manifestation, the neuroblastoma extremely readily metastases to lymph nodes and other organs as well as infiltrating local tissues, with dilation on angiography frequent in or around the tumors. With vascular displacement as a primary manifestation, ganglioneuroblastoma has a regular morphology and clear boundaries.