Survey of pediatric ward hospitalization due to respiratory syncytial virus infection after the introduction of palivizumab to high-risk infants in Japan.

Background: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection is a major cause of hospitalization during the winter among infants and young children. In 2002 palivizumab was introduced to high-risk infants for RSV hospitalization in Japan. It is important to characterize the hospitalized children due to RSV infection after the introduction of palivizumab.

Thrombocytopenia in patients with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome and its association with glycoprotein Ib-beta.

Purpose: To elucidate whether thrombocytopenia in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome patients is associated with the hemizygosity of glycoprotein Ib-beta and to clarify the correlation of phenotype and genotype of this gene in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome patients with thrombocytopenia.

Serum hepatocyte growth factor combined with vascular endothelial growth factor as a predictive indicator for the occurrence of coronary artery lesions in Kawasaki disease.

Unlabelled: We investigated the possible use of serum hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels as a predictive indicator for the occurrence of coronary artery lesions (CAL) in Kawasaki disease (KD). Serum HGF and VEGF levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 41 patients with KD and 25 afebrile controls. Serum HGF levels of patients in the acute phase of KD were significantly higher than those of afebrile controls (Pc < 0.