The Biomarker Salivary SP-D May Indicate Small Airway Inflammation and Asthma Exacerbation.

BACKGROUND: Noninvasive and child-friendly biomarkers are important tools for understanding the various phenotypes of childhood asthma. Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the usefulness of salivary surfactant protein (SP) D in assessing the pathophysiology of childhood asthma. METHODS: We measured salivary concentrations of SP-D and forced oscillation technique (FOT) indexes in 19 healthy controls and 21 asthmatic children. Regression equations for the predictive values of FOT indexes were generated from healthy controls. We analyzed the correlations between salivary SP-D concentration and percentages of the predictive values of FOT indexes, as well as the severity of exacerbation. RESULTS: We found that salivary SP-D levels were higher in asthmatic children than in healthy controls. In the asthmatic children, salivary SP-D levels correlated with the percentages of predicted differences in resistance between 5 Hz and 20 Hz (%R5-R20), which represented the resistance of peripheral airways, and with the severity of asthma exacerbation. CONCLUSIONS: Salivary SP-D may reflect asthmatic inflammation in peripheral small airways and may be a useful marker for monitoring the degree of exacerbation in childhood asthma.

A multicenter retrospective study of the risk factors associated with medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw after tooth extraction in patients receiving oral bisphosphonate therapy: can primary wound closure and a drug holiday really prevent MRONJ?

Root amputation, extraction of a single tooth, bone loss or severe tooth mobility, and an unclosed wound were significantly associated with increased risk of developing medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ). We recommend a minimally traumatic extraction technique, removal of any bone edges, and mucosal wound closure as standard procedures in patients receiving bisphosphonates. INTRODUCTION: Osteonecrosis of the jaws can occur following tooth extraction in patients receiving bisphosphonate drugs. Various strategies for minimizing the risk of MRONJ have been advanced, but no studies have comprehensively analyzed the efficacy of factors such as primary wound closure, demographics, and drug holidays in reducing its incidence. The purpose of this study was to retrospectively investigate the relationships between these various risk factors after tooth extraction in patients receiving oral bisphosphonate therapy. METHODS: Risk factors for MRONJ after tooth extraction were evaluated using univariate and multivariate analysis. All patients were investigated with regard to demographics; type and duration of oral bisphosphonate use; whether they underwent a discontinuation of oral bisphosphonates before tooth extraction (drug holiday), and the duration of such discontinuation; and whether any additional surgical procedures (e.g., incision, removal of bone edges, root amputation) were performed. RESULTS: We found that root amputation (OR = 6.64), extraction of a single tooth (OR = 3.70), bone loss or severe tooth mobility (OR = 3.60), and an unclosed wound (OR = 2.51) were significantly associated with increased risk of developing MRONJ. CONCLUSIONS: We recommend a minimally traumatic extraction technique, removal of any bone edges, and mucosal wound closure as standard procedures in patients receiving bisphosphonates. We find no evidence supporting the efficacy of a pre-extraction short-term drug holiday from oral bisphosphonates in reducing the risk of MRONJ.

DNA barcoding reveals a largely unknown fauna of Gracillariidae leaf-mining moths in the Neotropics.

Higher taxa often show increasing species richness towards tropical low latitudes, a pattern known as the latitudinal biodiversity gradient (LBG). A rare reverse LBG (with greater richness towards temperate high latitudes) is exhibited by Gracillariidae leaf-mining moths, in which most described species occur in northern temperate areas. We carried out the first assessment of gracillariid species diversity in two Neotropical regions to test whether the relatively low tropical species diversity of this family is genuine or caused by insufficient sampling and a strong taxonomic impediment. Field surveys in six French Guianan and one Ecuadorian site produced 516 gracillariid specimens that were DNA barcoded to facilitate identification and to match larvae inside leaf mines with adults. Species delineation from sequence data was approximated using Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery and Refined Single Linkage Analysis through the Barcode Index Number system, and the proportion of described/undescribed species was estimated after comparison with types of 83% of described species. Locally, alpha-diversity far exceeds that of any known temperate fauna, with as many as 108 candidate species (59.3% as singletons) collected at one site, and with an estimated species richness lower bound of 240 species. Strikingly, at least 85% of the species collected as adults were found to be undescribed. Our sampling represents the most thorough survey of gracillariid species diversity in the Neotropics to date and the results from both our molecular and morphological analyses indicate that the current reverse LBG seen in this group is an artefact of insufficient sampling and a strong description deficit in the Neotropics.

Sticky plant captures prey for symbiotic bug: is this digestive mutualism?

Many plants capture and kill insects but, until relatively recently, only carnivorous plants with digestive enzymes were known to gain directly from the nutrients of those insects. Recent studies show that some carnivorous plants lack digestive enzymes and have evolved digestive mutualisms with symbiotic insects that digest their prey for them. Rhododendron macrosepalum, a plant with sticky leaves that captures insects, has an association with symbiotic Mirid bugs that consume the insects captured. Here, we determine what the nature of the relationship is between Mirid and plant. We find that R. macrosepalum has no digestive enzymes of its own but that it does not seem to have the ability to absorb hemipteran faeces through its leaf cuticle. Naturally occurring levels of (15) N and (14) N were used to determine that R. macrosepalum gains no nitrogen through its association with the Mirid bugs and that it obtains all of its nitrogen from the soil. The Mirids, on the other hand, seem to obtain nitrogen from insects captured by the plant, as well as from plant tissues. The relationship between plant and Mirid is not a digestive mutualism but more likely an antagonistic relationship. This study adds to our understanding of how digestive mutualisms evolve and shows that insect capture alone, or in combination with a symbiotic insect relationship does not necessarily make a plant 'carnivorous'.

Successful dilatation of left pulmonary artery stenosis by stent implantation through a modified Blalock-Taussig shunt in an infant with pulmonary atresia and ventricular septal defect.

We successfully implanted a coronary stent via a modified Blalock-Taussig shunt to relieve stenosis of the left pulmonary artery in an infant with pulmonary atresia and ventricular septal defect. The placement of a flexible coronary stent via a modified Blalock-Taussig shunt is a safe and feasible catheter intervention for the treatment of infants with hypoplastic pulmonary arteries.

Intraoperative balloon angioplasty for aortic coarctation after Norwood operation.

We report intraoperative balloon angioplasty for recurrent aortic coarctation in hypoplastic left heart syndrome. After bidirectional Glenn anastomosis, balloon angioplasty was performed via ascending aorta. Pressure gradient across the coarctation decreased from 45 to 8 mm Hg. Intravascular ultrasound revealed successful splits of thickened intima without any extensive dissection. Intraoperative balloon angioplasty is a safe and favorable procedure for hypoplastic left heart syndrome because balloon inflation before bidirectional Glenn anastomosis could induce serious ventricular collapse or arrhythmias.

[Sjögren's syndrome with MALT (mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue) lymphoma in a 13-year-old girl: a case report].

We report A case of Sjögren's syndrome complicated with MALT (mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma) in childhood. Additionally, Helicobacter pylori infection into the gastric mucosa was highly suspected in this case. A 13-year-old girl suffering from multiple joint pain had received treatment as Juvenile Rheumatic Arthritis with no clinical improvement until introduction to our hospital. On admission to our hospital, high levels of serum anti-SSA and anti-SSB (80.2 and 16.1 holds, respectively) were detected. Minor salivary gland biopsy showed a typical histological finding for Sjögren's syndrome as infiltrating lymphocytes around the excretory ducts. Computed tomography and 67Gallium scintigraphy showed a gastric tumor, and it was diagnosed as primary gastric B-cell MALT lymphoma by the histopathological findings. Additionally, Helicobacter pylori infection into the gastric mucosa was highly suspected. Recently it is emphasized that infection of Helicobacter pylori is related with gastric MALT lymphoma. There has been no reports of children who have Sjögren's syndrome associated with malignant lymphoma. Taken together, Helicobacter pylori infection superimposed with Sjögren's syndrome might accelerate clinical course in our particular case.

Long-term follow up in type A insulin resistant syndrome treated by insulin-like growth factor I.

Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) is a useful therapeutic agent in insulin resistant diabetes mellitus due to insulin receptor disease because of its hypoglycaemic effects through the IGF-I receptor. A girl with typical type A insulin resistant syndrome was treated with IGF-I for two years and the treatment was effective in ameliorating hyperglycaemia. Overproduction of testosterone in polycystic ovaries was aggravated with this treatment, however. Therefore, IGF-I treatment may be used for glycaemic control but with caution because of its possible side effect of aggravating hyperandrogenism in these patients.

[A case report of siblings with hemolytic uremic syndrome from whose stool E. coli O157:H7 was isolated].

We experienced siblings of hemolytic uremic syndrome which occurred following diarrhea and bloody stool. They were immediately treated with dipyridamole and aspirin, and recovered from hemolytic uremic syndrome in about two weeks. E. coli O157:H7 (verotoxin producing E. coli) which is recently thought to be related to the pathogenesis of hemolytic uremic syndrome was isolated in their stool cultures on admission. As far as we know, this is the first case in Japan from which stool E. coli O157:H7 was detected. Moreover, we reported clinical effectiveness of genomic investigation utilizing polymerase chain reaction method for verotoxin coding region in a rapid diagnosis of this bacterial infection.

[Total IgE, specific antibodies to cow's milk proteins, beta-lactoglobulin and eczema in one month infants].

Total IgE, specific IgE.IgA.IgG.IgM antibodies to whole cow's milk and beta-lactoglobulin were measured in 32 term and 23 premature infants. 1) The term infants who developed eczema till one month had significantly high specific IgG titers to whole cow's milk and beta-lactoglobulin in cord blood serum. It is concluded that specific IgG antibody to whole cow's milk and beta-lactoglobulin in cord blood serum have predictive value for the development of eczema till one month. 2) Some of mixed feeding premature infants produced specific IgE.IgA.IgG.IgM antibodies to whole cow's milk and beta-lactoglobulin till one month. These infants produced various kind of specific antibodies to whole cow's milk and beta-lactoglobulin. 3) The premature infants who developed eczema at one month had significantly high specific IgA.IgG titers to cow's milk and high specific IgA titers to beta-lactoglobulin in serum at one month. These infants had a tendency to show high total IgE value and high specific IgM titers to cow's milk and high specific IgG.IgM titers to beta-lactoglobulin. It is concluded that specific antibodies to whole cow's milk and beta-lactoglobulin are responsible for the development of eczema in one month infants.