Epidemiological and Immunological Features of Influenza Viruses in Hospitalized Children with Influenza Illness in Hangzhou.

We evaluated the epidemiological features and various inflammatory markers in hospitalized children with influenza virus infection in China. The real-time RT-PCR assay was performed for detection and genotyping of influenza A and B virus. Th1/Th2 cytokines, WBC, and CRP were determined in influenza virus positive children.

Mycoplasma pneumoniae induces allergy by producing P1-specific immunoglobulin E.

Background: Our previous study found that most Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) pneumonia (MPP)patients had elevated serum total immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels.

Objective: To determine components of MP that can cause an IgE increase in children, and to clarify its specific mechanism.

Methods: The components of MP cells were isolated by serum IgE from patients with MP pneumonia.

Sialic Acid and Iron Content in Breastmilk of Chinese Lactating Women.

Objective: To study sialic acid and iron content in breastmilk in Chinese women during different lactation stages.

Methods: Sialic acid and iron content of colostrum, transitional milk, mature milk, and involutional milk were determined using a neuraminidase assay kit and the ferrozine method, respectively in 88 lactating women (58 Term, 30 Preterm).

Results: The mean (SD) sialic acid levels of colostrum, transitional milk, mature milk, and involutional milk were 2201.

Epidemiological Features and Antibiotic Resistance Patterns of Haemophilus influenzae Originating from Respiratory Tract and Vaginal Specimens in Pediatric Patients.

Study Objective: Haemophilus influenzae (H. influenzae) is a common pathogen of respiratory tract infections in children, however, as a possible cause of vulvovaginitis in prepubertal girls, its epidemiological features, antibiotic-resistance patterns, and treatment are seldom noted. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, INTERVENTIONS, AND MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Specimens obtained from patients were inoculated on Haemophilus selective medium; and drug-sensitivities tests were determined using the disk diffusion method.

Evaluation of a real-time method of simultaneous amplification and testing in diagnosis of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection in children with pneumonia.

Mycoplasma pneumoniae (M. pneumoniae) infection can cause community acquired pneumonia in children. A real-time method of simultaneous amplification and testing of M.

Utility of cytokines to predict neonatal sepsis.

Background: Sepsis is an important cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality worldwide. Diagnosis and treatment of neonatal sepsis relies on clinical judgment and interpretation of nonspecific laboratory tests. In a prospective cohort, we measured inflammatory cytokines as a potential biomarker for neonatal sepsis.

Large outbreak of herpangina in children caused by enterovirus in summer of 2015 in Hangzhou, China.

Herpangina, usually caused by coxsackie virus A, is prevalent in children spreading through the fecal-oral transmission and the respiratory droplets dissemination. Also, it is mostly asymptomatic and self-limiting. In our study, we found that large outbreak of herpangina in children occurred in the summer of 2015 in Hangzhou, China.

Molecular epidemiological study of enteroviruses associated with encephalitis in children from Hangzhou, China.

Enterovirus (EV) has over 100 serotypes of species A-D, which can cause various symptoms in infants. Enterovirus encephalitis (EVE) is serve disease with high morbidity and mortality in children. To well define the epidemiology of EVE, we wanted to know more about EV and EV molecular typing by conducting this study in Hangzhou.

Intravenous immunoglobulin treatment responsiveness depends on the degree of CD8+ T cell activation in Kawasaki disease.

Kawasaki disease (KD) has become the most common cause of acquired heart disease in children and is also a risk factor for ischemic heart disease in adults. However, Kawasaki disease lacks specific laboratory diagnostic indices. Thus, this study analyzed the T cell activation profiles of Kawasaki disease and assessed their value in the diagnosis of Kawasaki disease and the prediction of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) sensitivity.

Haze is a risk factor contributing to the rapid spread of respiratory syncytial virus in children.

This study investigated whether respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection in children was associated with ambient temperature and air pollutants in Hangzhou, China. A distributed lag non-linear model (DLNM) was used to estimate the effects of daily meteorological data and air pollutants on the incidence of RSV infection among children. A total of 3650 childhood RSV infection cases were included in the study.

Haze is an important medium for the spread of rotavirus.

This study investigated whether the rotavirus infection rate in children is associated with temperature and air pollutants in Hangzhou, China. This study applied a distributed lag non-linear model (DLNM) to assess the effects of daily meteorological data and air pollutants on the rotavirus positive rate among outpatient children. There was a negative correlation between temperature and the rotavirus infection rate.

Clinical Value of Assessing Cytokine Levels for the Differential Diagnosis of Bacterial Meningitis in a Pediatric Population.

We performed a prospective observational study to evaluate the utility of measuring inflammatory cytokine levels to discriminate bacterial meningitis from similar common pediatric diseases. Inflammatory cytokine levels and other cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) physicochemical indicators were evaluated in 140 patients who were diagnosed with bacterial meningitis via microbiological culture or PCR assay. The CSF concentrations of interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-10, CSF/blood IL-6 and IL-10 ratios, CSF white blood cell count, and CSF micro total protein were significantly elevated in bacterial meningitis patients compared with healthy children or patients with viral encephalitis, epilepsy, or febrile convulsions (P < 0.

Inhibition of phosphoinositide 3-kinase delta attenuates experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in mice.

The phosphoinositide 3-kinase delta (PI3Kδ) has been implicated in multiple signaling pathways involved in autoimmune diseases. We here aimed to test the hypothesis that selective inhibition of PI3Kδ may promote anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting Th1 and Th17 cells. We investigated the therapeutic efficacy of a selective PI3Kδ inhibitor IC87114 in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a murine model of multiple sclerosis (MS).

Th1/Th2 Cytokine Profile and Its Diagnostic Value in Mycoplasma pneumoniae Pneumonia.

Background: The levels of Th1/Th2 cytokine can alter in pathogenic infection in children with pneumonia.

Objectives: To evaluate Th1/Th2 cytokine profile and its diagnostic value in M. pneumoniae pneumonia in children.

Serum Concentrations of Antibodies against Outer Membrane Protein P6, Protein D, and T- and B-Cell Combined Antigenic Epitopes of Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae in Children and Adults of Different Ages.

Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) is one of the most common etiologies of acute otitis media, rhinosinusitis, and pneumonia. Outer membrane proteins (OMPs) are the main focus in new vaccine development against NTHi, as the H. influenzae type b (Hib) vaccine does not cover noncapsulated NTHi.

24h Urinary Protein Levels and Urine Protein/Creatinine Ratios Could Probably Forecast the Pathological Classification of HSPN.

This study aimed to assess the relevance of laboratory tests in Henoch-Schönlein purpura nephritis (HSPN) classification, and determine accurate classification factors. This prospective study included 694 HSPN patients who underwent ultrasound-guided percutaneous renal biopsy (PRB). Renal specimens were scored according to International Study of Kidney Disease in Children (ISKDC) classification.

A Comprehensive Assessment of the Value of Laboratory Indices in Diagnosing Kawasaki Disease.

Objective: Kawasaki disease (KD) is the primary cause of heart disease among children, but because its clinical symptoms are nonspecific, it is difficult to diagnose. The purpose of this study was to evaluate laboratory indices for possible use in the early diagnosis of KD and to determine which indices are predictive of a response to intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) and can be used to monitor the effects of treatment.

Methods: Three hundred thirty KD patients, 330 age-matched children with KD-like febrile disease, and 330 age-matched healthy children (controls) were enrolled in this prospective study.

Associations of IL-2 and IL-4 Expression and Polymorphisms With the Risks of Mycoplasma pneumoniae Infection and Asthma in Children.

Introduction: Asthma is an inflammatory disorder of the airways and the symptoms of asthma could be exacerbated by Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection. Interleukin-2 and interleukin-4 have been implicated in immune and inflammatory reactions. We examined the associations of IL2 and IL4 polymorphisms and expression with the risks of asthma and M.

A new vaccine escape mutant of hepatitis B virus causes occult infection.

There is growing public concern regarding assay sensitivity to HBsAg mutants in clinical diagnosis and vaccine escape. The aim of this study is to introduce a new HBsAg mutant strain. The serum samples were those of patient X at the age of 3 months and 3 years respectively, and of her mother immediately before parturition, which were used to amplify the HBsAg-coding DNA fragments by PCR.

Dual Inhibition of Cdc7 and Cdk9 by PHA-767491 Suppresses Hepatocarcinoma Synergistically with 5-Fluorouracil.

Activation of checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1) is essential in chemoresistance of hepatocarcinoma (HCC) to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and other antimetabolite family of drugs. In this study, we demonstrated that PHA-767491, a dual inhibitor of two cell cycle checkpoint kinases, cell division cycle kinase 7 (Cdc7) and cyclin-dependent kinase 9 (Cdk9), has synergistic antitumor effect with 5-FU to suppress human HCC cells both in vitro and in vivo. Compared with the sole use of each agent, PHA-767491 in combination with 5-FU exhibited much stronger cytotoxicity and induced significant apoptosis manifested by remarkably increased caspase 3 activation and poly(ADP-Ribose) polymerase fragmentation in HCC cells.

Isolation of autophagosome subpopulations after induction of autophagy by calcium.

Autophagy is a dynamic process accomplished by the generation and maturation of autophagosomes. Isolation of autophagosomes and subsequent compositional analysis can provide information about their biogenesis mechanism. In this article, HEK293 cells expressing GFP-LC3 were treated by calcium phosphate precipitates (CPP) to induce autophagy.

Rapid and Sensitive Identification of Bacterial Infection and Bacteria Gram Types in Pleural Fluid of Children.

Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) techniques have been increasingly used to detect microbial DNA in clinic for the diagnosis of bacterial infection. This study aims to developing an RT-PCR method to detect bacteria in pleural fluid (PF). We performed a method to simultaneously detect and classify the clinically relevant bacterial pathogens in hydrothorax with Gram probe RT-PCR (GRT-PCR), which targets the conserved region of the 16S rRNA gene.

Relationship between immune parameters and organ involvement in children with Henoch-Schonlein purpura.

Henoch-Schonlein purpura (HSP) is the most common type of connective tissue diseases which increasingly occurs in children in recent years and its pathogenesis remains unclear. In order to explore the immune parameters and underlying pathogenesis mechanism of children with HSP, the study involved 1232 patients with HSP having different clinical symptoms and their laboratory indicators were evaluated. Th1/Th2 imbalance and overactivity of Th2 cells can cause increase in the synthesis and release of immunoglobulins in children with HSP.