Enhanced calreticulin expression promotes calcium-dependent apoptosis in postnatal cardiomyocytes.

Calreticulin (CRT) is one of the major Ca2+ binding chaperone proteins of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and an unusual luminal ER protein. Postnatally elevated expression of CRT leads to impaired development of the cardiac conductive system and may be responsible for the pathology of complete heart block. In this study, the molecular mechanisms that affect Ca2+-dependent signal cascades were investigated using CRT-overexpressing cardiomyocytes.

Features of Kawasaki disease at the extremes of age.

Aim: The diagnosis of Kawasaki disease (KD) in those outside the typical age range (6 months-4 years) is often delayed, potentially worsening prognosis. The features of KD in childrenor=5 years were compared with those presenting within the more typical age distribution.

Methods: Korean children with complete diagnostic criteria for KD were grouped according to their age at presentation: Group A (or=5 years).

Role of prednisolone treatment in severe Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia in children.

Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MP) is responsible for 10-40% of cases of pediatric community-acquired pneumonia. Occasionally, progression to severe pneumonia occurs despite appropriate antibiotic therapy. We retrospectively evaluated the effect of prednisolone in 15 children with MP whose clinical and radiographic course worsened despite broad-spectrum antibiotics, including appropriate macrolides.

The changing epidemiology of pediatric aseptic meningitis in Daejeon, Korea from 1987 to 2003.

Background: Aseptic meningitis is a relatively frequent childhood disease and virologic data suggest that enteroviruses are the commonest etiologic agents. We evaluated the epidemiologic characteristics of aseptic meningitis in Daejeon, South Korea from 1987 to 2003.

Methods: 2201 medical records of children with aseptic meningitis admitted to The Catholic University of Korea, Daejeon St Mary's Hospital were retrospectively analyzed.

High-dose intravenous immunoglobulin downregulates the activated levels of inflammatory indices except erythrocyte sedimentation rate in acute stage of Kawasaki Disease.

We evaluated the effects of high-dose intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) administration on various protein parameters, including inflammatory profiles, in children with Kawasaki disease (KD). Sixty-three children with KD were treated with IVIG at 2 g/kg over 12 h. Serial examinations of laboratory indices were performed three times: before IVIG treatment, 24 h after IVIG treatment, and 7 days after IVIG treatment.

Inflammatory processes in Kawasaki disease reach their peak at the sixth day of fever onset: laboratory profiles according to duration of fever.

We evaluated the inflammatory indices according to the fever duration in children with Kawasaki disease (KD), and determined duration when the inflammatory processes in KD reach their peak. Children with KD (n=152) were classified into 7 groups according to fever duration: at the third day or earlier (n=20), fourth (n=33), fifth (n=46), sixth (n=15), seventh (n=15), eighth (n=9), and at the ninth day or later after fever onset (n= 14). The levels of various laboratory indices were determined 3 times: before, 24 hr and 7 days after intravenous immunoglobulin administration (2 g/kg).

Epidemiologic study of Kawasaki disease at a single hospital in Daejeon, Korea (1987 through 2000).

Purpose: We evaluated the epidemiology and a range of clinical characteristics in children with Kawasaki disease (KD) in one area of South Korea.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 506 medical records of children with KD, who were admitted at Daejeon St. Mary's Hospital from January 1987 through December 2000.

Roxithromycin treatment of scrub typhus (tsutsugamushi disease) in children.

Background: Although chloramphenicol and doxycycline have been used for the treatment of scrub typhus, a difficulty exists in determining which drug to use in treating children because of such potential complications as aplastic anemia or tooth discoloration. We evaluated the effect of roxithromycin, a macrolide antibiotic, on scrub typhus in children.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 39 children with scrub typhus who were treated with doxycycline (DC), chloramphenicol (CM) or roxithromycin (RM) between 1991 and 2000.