Analysis of Cell Immunity for Children Infected with SARS-CoV-2 and Those Vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 Using T-SPOT.COVID.

Cellular immunity is critical for the regulation of viral diseases, including coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and is generally considered immature in childhood. However, the details of cellular immunity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection among children are unclear. We assessed cellular immunity in eight children post-vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 and 11 children after SARS-CoV-2 infection using the T-SPOT.

Comparing Antimicrobial Susceptibilities among Isolates from Pediatric Patients in Japan between Two Recent Epidemic Periods.

We compared the antimicrobial susceptibility of isolates from pediatric patients in Japan in 2011-2012 and 2015-2016, when epidemics occurred. The antimicrobial activity of macrolides and tetracyclines against infection tended to be restored in 2015-2016. There was no change in the antimicrobial activity of quinolones against infection.

Macrolide-Resistant Mycoplasma pneumoniae Infection, Japan, 2008-2015.

We evaluated isolates obtained from children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection throughout Japan during 2008-2015. The highest prevalence of macrolide-resistant M. pneumoniae was 81.

Cellular and humoral immunity after vaccination or natural mumps infection.

Background: This study measured cell-mediated immunity (CMI) and serum antibody to clarify the basis of breakthrough after vaccination and reinfection after mumps.

Methods: From a pool of 54 college students, 17 seronegative subjects and 14 subjects with intermediate level of antibodies against mumps were vaccinated with a monovalent mumps vaccine, and CMI was assessed using interferon-γ release assay.

Results: CMI positivity according to pre-existing antibody level, defined as titer <2.

Rubella specific cell-mediated and humoral immunity following vaccination in college students with low antibody titers.

Objective: This study measured cell-mediated immunity (CMI) and antibodies to clarify the basis of rubella reinfection after vaccination.

Methods: In a pool of 65 college students, 39 who exhibited hemagglutination-inhibition (HI) antibody titers against rubella of ≤ 1:16 were vaccinated with a rubella vaccine. The CMI was assessed with interferon-gamma release assay.

Varicella-zoster virus-specific, cell-mediated immunity with interferon-gamma release assay after vaccination of college students with no or intermediate IgG antibody response.

This study measured Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) specific cell-mediated immunity (CMI) and antibodies to clarify immune response after vaccination in 68 college students with negative or intermediate IgG antibody status. The enrolled numbers of negative, intermediate, and positive VZV-IgG antibody were 27, 41, and 28 students, respectively. The positive rates of CMI were 3.

[Long effect of a booster on rubella antibodies from each original HI titer following vaccination].

This study was performed to clarify which titers of a pre-existing antibody could be efficiently boosted by vaccination and to assess the persistence of the antibodies. Two hundred healthy volunteer students with HI antibody titers of < or = 1:32 were enrolled. There were 6-16% of subjects with the negative HI antibody who had B-cell memory against rubella, because the EIA-IgM antibody remained negative and/or the avidity of the EIA-IgG antibody was high after vaccination.

Uniparental disomy of chromosome 8 leading to homozygosity of a CYP11B1 mutation in a patient with congenital adrenal hyperplasia: implication for a rare etiology of an autosomal recessive disorder.

Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is an autosomal recessive disorder that usually results from paternally and maternally transmitted mutations in genes for steroidogenic enzymes. Recent studies on steroid 21-hydroxylase deficiency, the most common form of CAH, have revealed that a small percentage of patients have a non-carrier parent; uniparental disomy (UPD) and de novo mutations were reported as disease-causing mechanisms in these patients. However, it remains unknown whether UPD and de novo mutations underlie other forms of CAH.

Management of refractory Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia: utility of measuring serum lactate dehydrogenase level.

It has been suggested that cytokines are associated with refractory Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia, and steroid administration is reported to be effective in this situation. In order to elucidate the characteristics of refractory M. pneumoniae pneumonia, we analyzed five pediatric patients with refractory M.

Nationwide surveillance of macrolide-resistant Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection in pediatric patients.

We conducted nationwide surveillance to investigate regional differences in macrolide-resistant (MR) Mycoplasma pneumoniae strains in Japan. The prevalence of MR M. pneumoniae in pediatric patients gradually increased between 2008 and 2012.

Therapeutic efficacy of macrolides, minocycline, and tosufloxacin against macrolide-resistant Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia in pediatric patients.

The importance of macrolide-resistant (MR) Mycoplasma pneumoniae has become much more apparent in the past decade. We investigated differences in the therapeutic efficacies of macrolides, minocycline, and tosufloxacin against MR M. pneumoniae.

In vitro activities of 11 antimicrobial agents against macrolide-resistant Mycoplasma pneumoniae isolates from pediatric patients: results from a multicenter surveillance study.

Macrolide-resistant Mycoplasma pneumoniae is emerging in several countries, and it is mainly observed in children. To our knowledge, we conducted the first multicenter prospective epidemiological study of macrolide-resistant M. pneumoniae in order to investigate regional differences in the susceptibility of macrolide-resistant M.

Clinical efficacy of macrolide antibiotics against genetically determined macrolide-resistant Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia in paediatric patients.

Background And Objective: Since 2000, the prevalence of macrolide-resistant (MR) Mycoplasma pneumoniae has increased among paediatric patients in Japan. To determine the efficacy of macrolides against MR M. pneumoniae pneumonia, microbiological and clinical efficacies were compared during the antibiotic treatment.

[What EIA assay levels correspond to rubella antibody HI assay titer?].

In 2004, a Japanese-government-supported research group recommended that women without rubella antibody or with low titers < or = 1:16 of HI antibody should be vaccinated to decrease the risk of congenital rubella syndrome. We compared HI antibody titer with EIA-IgG levels in 520 college students with < or = 1:64, HI antibody measuring rubella antibodies in the same specimen using HI and EIA assay kits from Denka Seiken Co. (Japan) and Dade Behring Co.

Characteristics of facial nerve palsy during childhood in Japan: frequency of varicella-zoster virus association.

Background: The aim of this study was to clarify the clinical characteristics of facial nerve palsy and the frequency of varicella-zoster virus association in Japanese children, retrospectively.

Methods: The subjects were 30 facial nerve palsy patients less than 15 years old, treated in the Department of Pediatrics, Kawasaki Medical School Hospital, Okayama, Japan, during the last 10 years.

Results: The male/female and right/left ratios were 16/14 and 16/13, respectively.

Elevated serum C-reactive protein in mumps orchitis.

A case of mumps orchitis with a high concentration of C-reactive protein (CRP) prompted us to evaluate the inflammatory response in mumps complications. We compared the CRP titers in mumps patients with orchitis and meningitis. The serum CRP titers were significantly higher in the patients with orchitis than in those with meningitis.

Bilateral facial nerve palsy associated with Epstein-Barr virus infection with a review of the literature.

A case of bilateral simultaneous facial nerve palsy associated with an Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection in a 14-month-old girl is described. Diagnosis of the EBV infection was based on the presence of 7% atypical lymphocytes, EBV-DNA and seroconversion in the VCA-IgG antibody, an EBV-specific antibody. Although bilateral facial nerve palsy is very rare, approximately 40% of the EBV-associated facial nerve palsy cases reported have been bilateral.

[Survey of the past history of measles and rubella and advocacy for vaccination and certificates of vaccination at entry to kindergarten, primary school and junior high school in Kurashiki City--to improve the vaccination rate].

Although there have been measles outbreaks involving more than 100,000 patients every few years in Japan, vaccination is not compulsory under Japanese law and the vaccination rate remains low. In addition, because MMR vaccines have been suspended due to complications, monovalent measles vaccine is still used and administered only once for life. Under these circumstances, a new system was started to develop motivation for vaccination in order to try to eliminate measles and rubella.

Responses of varicella zoster virus (VZV)-specific immunity in seropositive adults after inhalation of inactivated or live attenuated varicella vaccine.

To examine boostering of varicella zoster virus (VZV)-specific immunity in seropositive adults after nasal inhalation of heat-inactivated or live attenuated varicella vaccine, we determined specific cellular immunity, IgG antibody in sera and secretory IgA antibody in saliva before and after the inhalation. The mean titers in specific IgG antibody and skin test findings significantly increased following inhalation of both vaccines. However, the ratio of a two-fold or more increase in the levels of IgG antibody or skin test did not show significant difference after inhalation of the inactivated vaccine in comparison with those in the control.

Intrafamilial transmission of Salmonella oranienburg.

Background: There were diffuse outbreaks of Salmonella oranienburg in Japan since March 1999 which included 1505 patients. The outbreak was caused through ingestion of a dried squid snack contaminated with S. oranienburg.