Serum thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC) levels correlate with atopic dermatitis disease severity in patients < 6 months.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) may develop by 6 months of age, and its severity assessment is essential for appropriate treatments. Scoring Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) is suggested to evaluate the severity of AD but is cumbersome for routine clinical use. The serum thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC) is used as a marker of AD severity.

Possible presence of undiagnosed asthma in children in Japan.

Background: Asthma diagnosis in children is occasionally challenging, and the issue of undiagnosed asthma before adolescence has been poorly studied in Japan. The present study was conducted to investigate the possible presence of undiagnosed asthma in the general population of children living in a rural area of Japan.

Methods: The participants comprised 120 fourth graders aged 9-10 years (boys/girls: 63/57) attending five elementary schools in Yawatahama, Ehime, Japan.

The severity of reaction after food challenges depends on the indication: A prospective multicenter study.

Background: There are expanding indications for oral food challenges (OFCs). Although several studies have examined the risk of OFCs, little has been reported on allergic reactions during OFCs depending on the indication. This study assessed the prevalence, severity, and treatment of allergic reactions depending on the indication for OFCs.

Open-label clinical trial of bezafibrate treatment in patients with fatty acid oxidation disorders in Japan.

Introduction: Fatty acid oxidation disorders (FAODs) are rare diseases caused by defects in mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation (FAO) enzymes. While the efficacy of bezafibrate, a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor agonist, on the FAO capacity has been reported, the efficacy remains controversial. Therefore, we conducted a clinical trial of bezafibrate in Japanese patients with FAODs.

Histological characterisation of visceral changes in a patient with type 2 Gaucher disease treated with enzyme replacement therapy.

Gaucher disease is a lysosomal storage disease caused by deficiency of glucocerebrosidase and accumulation of glucocerebroside. Three major sub-types have been described, type 2 is an acute neurological form that exhibits serious general symptoms and poor prognosis, compared with the other types. This case was a girl diagnosed with type 2 Gaucher disease at 12months of age who presented with poor weight gain from infancy, stridor, hypertonia, hepatosplenomegaly, trismus and an eye movement disorder.

[EVALUATION OF DYSFUNCTION IN BLOOD COAGULATION IN CHILDREN WITH URTICARIA].

Introduction: Recently, an association between coagulation dysfunction and the pathology of urticaria has been reported, but research in children is scarce.

Patients And Methods: We measured levels of prothrombin fragments 1+2 (PTF1+2), fibrin degradation product (FDP), D-dimer, and mean platelet volume (MPV) in 32 children with urticaria. The study cohort comprised 18 cases of chronic and active urticaria, 7 cases of chronic and inactive urticaria, and 7 cases of acute urticaria.

Adenosine A1 receptor blockage mediates theophylline-associated seizures.

Theophylline-associated seizures (TAS) often progress to prolonged or treatment-resistant convulsions. Theophylline is a nonselective adenosine receptor antagonist. Adenosine is an endogenous anticonvulsant that can terminate seizures.

Before-birth climatologic data may play a role in the development of allergies in infants.

While an exacerbation in allergic symptoms corresponding to seasons has long been reported, few studies have investigated the association between the season of birth and allergic disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the climatologic data before and after birth affected the incidence of atopic dermatitis (AD) and the results of allergy-related blood tests in early infancy. From February 1995 to January 2000, 2136 infants were tested for AD and followed for 12 months.

Long-term infusion of Met5-enkephalin fails to protect murine hearts against ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Recently, we reported that exogenous administration of Met(5)-enkephalin (ME) for 24 h reduces infarct size after ischemia-reperfusion in rabbits. In the present study, we tested whether ME-induced cardioprotection is exhibited in murine hearts and whether chronic infusion of this peptide can render hearts tolerant to ischemia. Barbiturate-anesthetized open-chest mice (C57BL/6J) were subjected to regional myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (45 min of occlusion and 20 min of reperfusion).

Remifentanil limits infarct size but attenuates preconditioning-induced infarct limitation.

Objectives: We investigated the influence of the narcotic anesthetic remifentanil on irreversible myocardial ischemic injury.

Methods: New Zealand White rabbits were anesthetized with propofol (0.7-1.

Sustained exogenous administration of Met5-enkephalin protects against infarction in vivo.

The opioid antagonist naloxone abolishes infarct limitation by myocardial ischemic preconditioning, suggesting that one or more endogenous opioid peptides can mediate cardiac protection against ischemic damage. We tested the hypothesis that the naturally occurring opioid peptide Met5-enkephalin (ME) modulates myocardial infarct size in vivo. Experiments were conducted in barbiturate-anesthetized open-chest rabbits subjected to regional myocardial ischemia-reperfusion.