IL-17A-Producing Innate Lymphoid Cells Promote Skin Inflammation by Inducing IL-33-Driven Type 2 Immune Responses.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic, pruritic, inflammatory skin disease characterized by type 2 cytokines secreted by T helper type 2 cells and group 2 innate lymphoid cells. Despite a high degree of heterogeneity, AD is still explained by type 2 immunity, and the role of IL-17A, which is increased in acute, pediatric, or Asian patients with AD, remains poorly understood. Here, we aimed to investigate the role of IL-17A-producing group 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3s), which are unexplored immune cells, in the pathogenesis of AD.

Extracardiac Fontan with T-shape conduit in non-confluent pulmonary arteries.

A 34 months-old male patient with double inlet right ventricle with nonconfluent pulmonary arteries who underwent successful extracardiac fenestarated Fontan procedure using pre-designed T-shaped PTFE vascular graft after multi-step rehabilitation of the diminutive hilar pulmonary arteries. At first we performed 6 mm confluent pulmonary artery vascular graft implantation with 4 mm BT shunt at patient's 4 weeks old. At 9 months of patient, we upsized the confluent pulmonary arterial graft to 8 mm with bidirectional cavopulmonary connection, and, at 34 months, we performed extracardiac conduit Fontan procedure with pre-designed T-shape conduit including the confluent pulmonary arterial portion at last.

Comparison of lateral tunnel and extracardiac conduit Fontan procedure.

The purpose of this study was to compare the outcomes of lateral tunnel (LT) and extracardiac conduit (ECC) Fontan procedures at a single institution. From April 1995 to December 2006, 165 Fontan procedures were performed (67 LT, 98 ECC). Pre-, intra- and postoperative variable values were compared between two different techniques.

Characteristic ocular findings in Asian children with Down syndrome.

Aims/purpose: To identify the characteristic ocular findings in Asian children with Down syndrome.

Methods: A total of 123 Korean children with Down's syndrome between 6 months and 14 years of age were examined for ocular findings from March 1999 to April 2000. Ocular examinations including visual acuity assessment, slit-lamp biomicroscopy, ocular motility, cycloplegic refraction, and ophthalmoscopy were performed.

Modified extracardiac Fontan in a patient with separate hepatic venous drainage.

We describe an alternative technique to the extracardiac Fontan procedure in a patient with a univentricular heart, in which the inferior caval vein and the hepatic vein drained separately into the common atrium and the intraatrial orifice of the hepatic vein was adjacent to the opening of the left lower pulmonary vein.