Multiple breath washout is feasible in the clinical setting and detects abnormal lung function in infants and young children with cystic fibrosis.

Background: Cystic fibrosis (CF) lung disease starts in the first months of life often before the onset of clinical symptoms. Multiple breath washout (MBW) detects abnormal lung function in infants and young children in the laboratory setting.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility of MBW in 0- to 4-year-old children with CF and non-CF controls in the clinical setting.

Lemierre syndrome associated with 12th cranial nerve palsy--a case report and review.

Since the widespread availability and use of antibiotics the prevalence of Lemierre syndrome (L.S.) has decreased.

Prolonged detection of human bocavirus DNA in nasopharyngeal aspirates of children with respiratory tract disease.

Increasing evidence suggests that the recently identified human bocavirus (hBoV) is a cause of acute respiratory illness. However, the duration of hBoV shedding from the respiratory tract as demonstrated by positive hBoV polymerase chain reaction is unclear. We describe the virologic and clinical characteristics of 6 immunocompetent children with hBoV persistence in the respiratory tract for up to 4.

Detection of WU polyomavirus DNA by real-time PCR in nasopharyngeal aspirates, serum, and stool samples.

Background: The human WU polyomavirus (WUPyV) has been recently described as a novel virus in respiratory tract samples.

Objective: To investigate the viral load of WUPyV in nasopharyngeal aspirates (NPAs), stool, and serum samples of pediatric patients with acute respiratory tract diseases.

Study Design: We established a real-time PCR for WUPyV DNA and tested NPA obtained between 2002 and 2007 from pediatric in-patients with acute respiratory tract diseases.

Real-time PCR for diagnosis of human bocavirus infections and phylogenetic analysis.

The human bocavirus (hBoV) was first described in 2005 in respiratory tract samples. The clinical relevance of hBoV is still unclear. The aim of our study was to establish a real-time PCR assay for the detection and quantification of hBoV DNA, to apply the real-time assay for the analysis of stool and serum samples for the presence of hBoV DNA, and to perform a phylogenetic analysis of the hBoV positive samples.

Frequent detection of bocavirus DNA in German children with respiratory tract infections.

Background: In a substantial proportion of respiratory tract diseases of suspected infectious origin, the etiology is unknown. Some of these cases may be caused by the recently described human bocavirus (hBoV). The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency and the potential clinical relevance of hBoV in pediatric patients.