Effects of coffee intake on airway hypersensitivity and immunomodulation: an in vivo murine study.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Coffee is a complex chemical mixture, with caffeine being the most well-known bioactive substance. The immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties of coffee and caffeine impact health in various aspects, including the respiratory system. The objective is to investigate the effects of coffee and caffeine on airway hyperresponsiveness and allergic reactions, as well as to analyze and compare associated cytokine profiles. MATERIALS/METHODS: BALB/c mice were intraperitoneally sensitized with ovalbumin (OVA) and given OVA inhalation to induce airway hypersensitivity. Two weeks after sensitization, they were intragastrically gavaged with coffee or caffeine, both containing 0.3125 mg caffeine, daily for 4 weeks. Control mice were fed with double-distilled water. Serum OVA-specific antibody levels were measured beforehand and 5 weeks after the first gavage. Airway hyperresponsiveness was detected by whole body plethysmography after gavage. Cytokine levels of bronchoalveolar lavage and cultured splenocytes were analyzed. RESULTS: Coffee effectively suppressed T helper 2-mediated specific antibody response. Airway responsiveness was reduced in mice treated with either coffee or caffeine. Compared to the control, coffee significantly reduced OVA-specific immunoglobulin (Ig) G, IgG1 and IgE antibody responses (P < 0.05). Caffeine also attenuated specific IgG and IgG1 levels, though IgE level was unaffected. Coffee significantly reduced interleukin (IL)-4 and increased IL-10 concentration in spleen cells and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Coffee effectively attenuated airway hyperresponsiveness and systemic allergic responses induced by OVA food allergen in mice. As a complex composition of bioactive substances, coffee displayed enhanced immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects than caffeine.

Extensive pyomyositis secondary to paronychia-related MRSA infection: A case report.

RATIONALE: Pyomyositis is characterized by an insidious and multifactorial inflammatory process, which is often caused by hematogenous pathogen. Predisposing risk factors include immunodeficiency, diabetes, malignancy, or trauma. The spectrum of clinical presentation depends on disease severity, typically presented by fever and hip pain. We hereby present a case with extensive pyomyositis secondary to chronic paronychia infection. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 14-year-old immunocompetent male presented with fever and hip pain. The patient was initially surveyed for common infectious etiologies prior to the presentation of acute limping, which led to image confirmation of extensive pyomyositis. DIAGNOSIS: The patient presented with acute pain in the right hip accompanied by headache, myalgia of the right leg, and intermittent fever for a week. Physical examination disclosed limping gait, limited range of motion marked by restricted right hip flexion and right knee extension, and chronic paronychia with a nail correction brace of the left hallux. Diagnosis of pyomyositis was confirmed by magnetic resonance image. Methicillin-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from the patient's blood and urine cultures within 2 days of collection. The same strain was also isolated from the pus culture collected via sonography-guided aspiration. INTERVENTIONS: Antibiotics treatment with oxacillin, teicoplanin, daptomycin, and fosfomycin were administered. Sonography-guided aspiration and computed tomography-guided pigtail drainage were arranged, along with nail extraction of his left hallux paronychia prior to discharge. Oral antibiotics fusidic acid was prescribed. Total antibiotics course of treatment was 4 weeks. OUTCOMES: The patient gradually defervesced and was afebrile after drainage. Followed limb doppler sonography showed regression of the abscess at his right lower limb. Gait and range of motion gradually recovered without sequelae. LESSONS: Ambulation and quality of life are greatly affected by the inflammatory process of pyomyositis. Detailed evaluation of predisposing factors should be done, even in immunocompetent individuals. Timely diagnosis is vital to successful treatment.

Pediatric non-alcoholic fatty liver disease predicted by anthropometric values through transient elastography.

BACKGROUND: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the leading cause of pediatric chronic liver disease, which is strongly associated with obesity. Transient elastography, together with anthropometric values including waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) and body mass index (BMI) z-scores are a more precise diagnostic method of NAFLD than ultrasonography. Through transient elastography, we investigate the principal anthropometric values associated with pediatric NAFLD. METHODS: Healthy children between the ages of 6-18 years whose BMIs were ≥85% of normal were recruited as the overweight-and-obese group, and children whose BMIs ranged between 5%-85% were recruited as the control group. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease was evaluated via transient elastography. BMI z-score and WHtR were measured. RESULTS: A total of 107 (58 overweight-and-obese, 49 control) children were recruited. As evaluated by transient elastography, children in the overweight-and-obese group had significantly higher controlled attenuation parameter and liver stiffness measurement values than the control group. To detect fatty liver, WHtR with a cut-off point of 0.481 and BMI z-score with cut-off point of 1.075 had the best sensitivity and specificity. To identify liver stiffness or inflammation, WHtR with cut-off point of 0.514 and BMI z-score with cut-off point of 1.62 had the best sensitivity and specificity. Controlled attenuation parameter demonstrated a fair correlation with WHtR and BMI z-scores, even in the normal range of these parameters. CONCLUSIONS: Transient elastography together with anthropometric measurements demonstrate that pediatric NAFLD may develop earlier than expected. We present principal anthropometric values associated with pediatric NAFLD.

Viral etiologies of acute respiratory tract infections among hospitalized children - A comparison between single and multiple viral infections.

BACKGROUND: Acute respiratory tract infections are commonly caused by viruses in children. The differences in clinical data and outcome between single and multiple viral infections in hospitalized children were analyzed. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of hospitalized children who had fever and a xTAG Respiratory Virus Panel (RVP) test over a 2-year period. The clinical data were analyzed and compared between single and multiple viral infections. Viral etiologies in upper and lower respiratory infections were analyzed and compared. RESULTS: A total of 442 patients were enrolled. Patients with positive viral detection (N = 311) had a significantly lower rate of leukocytosis (p = 0.03), less evidence of bacterial infection (p = 0.004), and shorter duration of hospitalization (p = 0.019) than those with negative viral detection. The age of patients with multiple viral infections was younger than those with single viral infection; however, there were no significant differences in duration of fever, antibiotics treatment and hospitalization between these two groups. The most commonly identified virus was human rhinovirus. About 27% (n = 83) of patients had multiple viral infections. Overall, the highest percentage of human bocavirus infection was detected in multiple viral infections (79%). Lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) was independently associated with multiple viral infections (p = 0.022), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection (p = 0.001) and longer hospitalization duration (p = 0.011). CONCLUSION: Multiple viral infections were associated with younger age and a higher risk of developing LRTI. However, multiple viral infections did not predict a worse disease outcome. More studies are needed to unveil the interplay between the hosts and different viruses in multiple viral infections.

Role of intravenous immunoglobulin therapy in the survival rate of pediatric patients with acute myocarditis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

The treatment of pediatric myocarditis is controversial, and the benefits of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) are inconclusive due to limited data. We searched studies from PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases since establishment until October 1st, 2018. Thirteen studies met the inclusion criteria. We included a total of 812 patients with IVIG treatment and 592 patients without IVIG treatment. The meta-analysis showed that the survival rate in the IVIG group was higher than that in the non-IVIG group (odds ratio = 2.133, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.32-3.43, p = 0.002). There was moderate statistical heterogeneity among the included studies (I2 = 35%, p = 0.102). However, after adjustment using Duval and Tweedie's trim and fill method, the point estimate of the overall effect size was 1.40 (95% CI 0.83, 2.35), which became insignificant. Moreover, the meta-regression revealed that age (coefficient = -0.191, 95% CI (-0.398, 0.015), p = 0.069) and gender (coefficient = 0.347, 95% CI (-7.586, 8.279), p = 0.93) were not significantly related to the survival rate. This meta-analysis showed that IVIG treatment was not associated with better survival. The use of IVIG therapy in acute myocarditis in children cannot be routinely recommended based on current evidence. Further prospective and randomized controlled studies are needed to elucidate the effects of IVIG treatment.

Increased Risk of Herpes Zoster Following Dermatomyositis and Polymyositis: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study.

This study explored the possible association between dermatomyositis or polymyositis (DM or PM) and the subsequent risk of herpes zoster (HZ). We used data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance (NHI) system to address the research topic. The exposure cohort comprised 2023 patients with new diagnoses of DM or PM. Each patient was frequency matched according to age, sex, index year, and comorbidities including diabetes, renal disease, obesity, malignancy, rheumatoid arthritis, immunodeficiency virus infection, autoimmune disease not elsewhere classified, mixed connective tissue disease, or vasculitis with 4 participants from the general population who did not have a history of HZ (control cohort). Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was conducted to estimate the relationship between DM or PM and the risk of subsequent HZ. The incidence of HZ in the exposure and control cohorts was 35.8 and 7.01 per 1000 person-years, respectively. The exposure cohort had a significantly higher overall risk of subsequent HZ than did the control cohort (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] = 3.90, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 3.18-4.77). The risk of HZ in patients with DM or PM in whichever stratification (including sex, age, and comorbidity) was also higher than that of the control cohort. The findings from this population-based retrospective cohort study suggest that DM or PM is associated with an increased risk of subsequent HZ. A synergistic effect was observed between DM or PM and one of the comorbidities.