Diagnostic Decision Point for IgE-Mediated Wheat Allergy in Children.

The diagnostic decision point can help diagnose food allergies while reducing the need for oral food challenge (OFC) tests. We performed a multicenter survey of children aged 0-7 years from January 1, 2018 to March 31, 2022. A total of 231 children were recruited from 18 institutions. Wheat allergy (WA) or non-wheat allergy (NWA) was determined on the basis of OFC results and symptoms. There were no differences in age, sex, family history of allergy or allergic comorbidities between the WA and NWA groups. According to receiver operating characteristic analysis for wheat-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE), the optimal cutoff value, positive decision point, and negative decision point were 10.2, 33.5, and 0.41 kU/L, respectively. For the ω-5 gliadin-specific IgE, their values were 0.69, 3.88, and 0.01 kU/L, respectively. This new diagnostic decision point may be used to diagnose WA in Korean children.

Efficacy of Bifidobacterium longum and Lactobacillus plantarum (NVP-1703) in Children With Allergic Rhinitis: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: There is increasing evidence that probiotics are effective in treating allergic rhinitis (AR), while some controversies remain. This study was performed to evaluate the therapeutic effect and safety of a mixture of Bifidobacterium longum and Lactobacillus plantarum (NVP-1703) in children with AR. METHODS: In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, children aged 6 to 19 years with perennial AR were treated with NVP-1703 at a dose of 1 × 1010 CFU/day or placebo once a day for 4 weeks. Total nasal symptom score (TNSS), nasal symptom duration score (NSDS), quality of life (QoL), allergic inflammatory markers, and safety parameters were evaluated. RESULTS: After 4 weeks of treatment, the TNSS in the NVP-1703 group significantly decreased compared to that in the placebo group (P = 0.011), both in the morning and the evening (P = 0.031 and P = 0.004, respectively). The NSDS also significantly decreased in the NVP-1703 group compared to that in the placebo group (P = 0.018). QoL scores, particularly those related to mouth breathing and itchy nose, showed a significant improvement in the NVP-1703 group compared to the placebo group. The ratios of interleukin (IL)-4/IL-22 and IL-5/IL-22 were significantly reduced in the NVP-1703 group after the treatment compared to the baseline values. No notable adverse events were reported in the NVP-1703 group. CONCLUSION: Oral administration of a mixture of B. longum and L. plantarum (NVP-1703) improved both AR symptoms and QoL in children with perennial AR, accompanied by decreases in the ratios of T helper 2 cytokines to IL-22. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical Research Information Service Identifier: KCT0002661.

US cat caregivers' attitudes on veterinary video telemedicine.

OBJECTIVES: Many cats do not see a veterinarian on an annual basis, and their caregivers face many barriers to accessing veterinary care. A potential solution to overcome some of these barriers is video telemedicine. Thus, the aim of this study was to understand companion cat caregivers' perceptions of using veterinary video telemedicine with their cats. METHODS: An online quantitative questionnaire was used to survey US cat caregivers on their experiences of and attitudes to using video telemedicine with their cats. Participants were required to reside in the USA, be the primary caregiver of at least one cat and be aged 18 years or older. RESULTS: The majority (97.3%) of the 1254 respondents indicated they had never used a video telemedicine appointment with their cat(s) before; however, most (85.7%) indicated they were very or somewhat interested in using video telemedicine with their cat. Overall, caregivers perceived video telemedicine visits as less stressful for themselves (P <0.0002) and their cats (P <0.0001), and as increasing their access to veterinary care (P <0.0001) compared with in-clinic visits. Participants also indicated they would prefer a video telemedicine appointment over an in-clinic appointment for most cat behavioral concerns but preferred in-clinic appointments for most health concerns. Most respondents (51.3%) indicated they would be willing to pay a little less for a telemedicine appointment than an in-clinic visit. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Cat caregivers represent an important population that could benefit from the implementation of video telemedicine into veterinary care. Our results suggest many US cat caregivers indicate an interest and willingness to pay for video telemedicine visits to increase their access to veterinary care and reduce stress associated with veterinary visits for both themselves and their cats. Caregivers showed more interest in using video telemedicine for behavioral concerns than health concerns.

Development and validation of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for anti-mouse pertussis immunoglobulin G using international reference anti-Bordetella pertussis mouse serum NIBSC 97/642.

Purpose: In this study, an in-house enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed and validated. The titer of ELISA was calculated using the reference line (RFL) method based on the standard curve drawn using the international reference anti-mouse serum NIBSC (National Institute for Biological Standards and Control) 97/642. Materials and Methods: In the development step, signal to noise was depicted to select the buffers that showed the most appropriate ratio. In the validation step, standard range, precision, dilution linearity, and specificity were confirmed, and RFL and parallel line (PLL) methods were compared in precision and dilution linearity. Results: Coating concentration for plate was achieved at 0.1 µg/mL for pertussis toxin (PT), 0.15 µg/mL for filamentous hemagglutinin antigen (FHA), and 0.25 µg/mL for pertactin (PRN). The signal to noise ratio was 22.02 for PT, 14.93 for FHA, and 8.02 for PRN with 0.25% goat serum in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) as a dilution buffer, and 2% skim milk in PBS as a blocking buffer. Based on the precision results, we assessed the lower limit of quantification by 1, 0.2, and 1.5 EU/mL concentration for PT, FHA, and PRN which met the ICH (International Council for Harmonization) M10 criteria of a 25% accuracy and total error of 40%. In specificity, homologous serum was spiked into heterologous serum and the accuracy met the criteria. There was no difference in the results between RFL and PLL calculations (p-value=0.3207 for PT, 0.7394 for FHA, 0.2109 for PRN). Conclusion: ELISA validated with RFL calculation method in this study is a relatively accurate assay for mouse humoral immunogenicity test.

Behavior and Parenting Stress Characteristics in Young Children With Severe Food Allergies According to the Severity Score System.

PURPOSE: Limited knowledge exists regarding the psychosocial characteristics of young Asian children affected by food allergies (FAs) and their caregivers. This study aims to assess the usefulness of the Food Allergy Severity Score (FASS) system in evaluating the risk of emotional impacts on young children and caregivers who are dealing with severe FA. METHODS: Children between 2 and 10 years of age who were diagnosed with FA and following an elimination diet were enrolled in the study. The FASS, Korean Parenting Stress Index, and Korean Behavior Assessment System for Children-2 were used for evaluating the above mentioned risk. RESULTS: Among the 75 participants, 64.0% had a history of anaphylaxis, and 56.0% reported multiple FAs. A total of 160 cases of FASS was documented across 21 types of food and classified as mild (n = 5, 1.07), moderate (n = 100, 2.01-4.01), or severe (n = 55, 4.24-6.84). The concordance of calculated- and stakeholder interpreted-FASS was moderate (kappa 0.587). Children with severe FASS (sFASS) showed increased risk for functional communication (relative risk [RR], 1.57; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.99-2.48) and increased parental reinforcement (RR, 1.40; 95% CI, 0.91-2.14). Their caregivers exhibited reduced levels of demandingness (RR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.37-0.94) and role restriction (RR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.39-0.98). Receiver operating characteristic curves suggested that functional communication (numeric FASS cutoff, 3.47; area under the curve [AUC], 0.695), withdrawal (cutoff, 3.40; AUC, 0.657), developmental social disorders (cutoff, 3.96; AUC, 0.648), and reinforces parent (cutoff, 3.15; AUC, 0.646) were possibly be affected. CONCLUSIONS: The FASS provides an objective tool to assess pediatric FA severity. Early psychosocial intervention for young children with severe FASS and their caregivers may improve prognosis by identifying possible adaptive skill deficiencies and excessive parenting stresses.

Macrophage Activation Syndrome in Children: Update on Diagnosis and Treatment.

Macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) is potentially fatal; so, early diagnosis and timely treatment are essential. However, detecting MAS is sometimes challenging because its principal features can be observed in other pediatric diseases that cause severe inflammation. Cytokine storm due to immune dysregulation represents the clinical and laboratory features of MAS that are included in the diagnostic criteria. Most cases of MAS occur as an underlying condition worsens and progresses. Therefore, a patient with autoimmune or autoinflammatory disease who shows unexplained clinical deterioration despite appropriate management should be considered at high risk for MAS (i.e., occult MAS). The basic principles of treatment are control of triggering factors, supportive care, and relief of hyperinflammation. Systemic steroids and cyclosporine A are frequently used as a first-line treatment. For the treatment of refractory MAS, cytokine-specific biologic agents such as anakinra have recently become preferred over traditional immunosuppressive agents such as etoposide. MAS might be underrecognized in pediatric patients with infectious and inflammatory diseases due to its diverse clinical presentations. Clinical suspicion of MAS is of the utmost importance for early recognition of the disease.

Characteristics and risk factors of axillary lymph node metastasis of microinvasive breast cancer.

PURPOSE: To select patients who would benefit most from sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) by investigating the characteristics and risk factors of axillary lymph node metastasis (ALNM) in microinvasive breast cancer (MIBC). METHODS: This retrospective study included 1688 patients with MIBC who underwent breast surgery with axillary staging at the Asan Medical Center from 1995 to 2020. RESULTS: Most patients underwent SLNB alone (83.5%). Seventy (4.1%) patients were node-positive, and the majority had positive lymph nodes < 10 mm, with micro-metastases occurring frequently (n = 37; 55%). Node-positive patients underwent total mastectomy and axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) more than breast-conserving surgery (BCS) and SLNB compared with node-negative patients (p < 0.001). In the multivariate analysis, independent predictors of ALNM included young age [odds ratio (OR) 0.959; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.927-0.993; p = 0.019], ALND (OR 11.486; 95% CI 5.767-22.877; p < 0.001), number of lymph nodes harvested (≥ 5) (OR 3.184; 95% CI 1.555-6.522; p < 0.001), lymphovascular invasion (OR 6.831; 95% CI 2.386-19.557; p < 0.001), presence of multiple microinvasion foci (OR 2.771; 95% CI 1.329-5.779; p = 0.007), prominent lymph nodes in preoperative imaging (OR 2.675; 95% CI 1.362-5.253; p = 0.004), and hormone receptor positivity (OR 2.491; 95% CI 1.230-5.046; p = 0.011). CONCLUSION: Low ALNM rate (4.1%) suggests that routine SLNB for patients with MIBC is unnecessary but can be valuable for patients with specific risk factors. Ongoing trials for omitting SLNB in early breast cancer, and further subanalyses focusing on rare populations with MIBC are necessary.

Disparities in pediatric anaphylaxis triggers and management across Asia.

BACKGROUND: The epidemiology and management of anaphylaxis are not well-reported in Asia. METHODS: A regional pediatric anaphylaxis registry was established by the Asia-Pacific Research Network for Anaphylaxis (APRA), using standardized protocols for prospective data collection, to evaluate the triggers and management of anaphylaxis in the Asia-Pacific region. Pediatric patients below 18 years presenting with anaphylaxis across four Asian countries/cities (Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong (HK), and Qingdao) were included. Allergen triggers, symptoms, anaphylaxis severity, and management were compared. RESULTS: Between 2019 and 2022, 721 anaphylaxis episodes in 689 patients from 16 centers were identified. The mean age at anaphylaxis presentation was 7.0 years (SD = 5.2) and 60% were male. Food was the most common trigger (62%), particularly eggs and cow's milk in children aged 3 years and below. In school-age children, nut anaphylaxis was most common in HK and Singapore, but was rare in the other countries, and wheat was the top allergen in Bangkok. Shellfish anaphylaxis was most common in children aged 7-17. Adrenaline was administered in 60% of cases, with 9% given adrenaline before hospital arrival. Adrenaline devices were prescribed in up to 82% of cases in Thailand but none in Qingdao. CONCLUSIONS: The APRA identified food as the main trigger of anaphylaxis in children, but causative allergens differed even across Asian countries. Fewer than two-thirds of cases received adrenaline treatment, pre-hospital adrenaline usage was low, and adrenaline device prescription remained suboptimal. The registry recognizes an unmet need to strengthen anaphylaxis care and research in Asia-Pacific.

Factors influencing the quality of life in children with atopic dermatitis in Korea: A multicenter cross-sectional study.

Background: There is a lack of studies about which factors affect the quality of life (QoL) in children with atopic dermatitis (AD), although it is well known that AD has considerably negative effects on their QoL. Objective: This study aimed to measure the QoL in children with AD and identify the factors that affect their QoL. Methods: A questionnaire derived from the Children's Dermatology Life Quality Index (CDLQI) was used to measure QoL. Family history, allergic comorbidities, exacerbation-related factors, time of exacerbation, and previous and current treatment were also evaluated. The total immunoglobulin E (IgE) level and specific IgE sensitization were determined by the multiple allergen simultaneous test, allergy test, or skin-prick test. AD severity was categorized into mild, moderate, and severe based on treatments. Results: In total, 254 children (46.4 months, 53% boys) from seven hospitals completed the survey. The mean CDLQI score was 7.2 ± 5.5 (total score range of 0-30). The respondents were divided into three groups according to their QoL score distribution, with 0 - 4 points (n = 84), 5 - 9 points (n = 90), and ≥10 points (n = 80) representing good, fair, and poor QoL, respectively. The more severe AD showed the higher CDLQI score significantly (p = 0.001). Compared with other groups, children with poor QoL were more sensitized to inhalant allergens (odds ratio [OR] 1.29 [95% confidence interval {CI}], 1.03 - 1.62) and had more exacerbating factors (OR 1.26 [95% CI, 1.04 - 1.54]), which included inhalation allergen-related exacerbating factors (OR 2.54 [95% CI, 1.23 - 5.23), even after adjusting for age, total IgE, body mass index, severity, and use of moisturizer. The concordance between animal sensitization and an exacerbating factor, including dog and cat, was fair, with 0.39 κ and 0.85 accuracy. Conclusion: This study showed that impaired QoL in children with AD is associated with inhalant allergen sensitization and inhalant allergen-related exacerbation factors. Especially, dog and cat sensitization was a significant exacerbating factor. The inhalation-related exacerbation factors, including animal allergens, might be addressed to improve AD management in children.

Predicting the Outcome of Pediatric Oral Food Challenges for Determining Tolerance Development.

PURPOSE: Despite the risk of anaphylaxis, oral food challenges (OFCs) are performed clinically for various indications, particularly to confirm tolerance development. This study aimed to assess OFCs by relevant indications and build an outcome prediction model to help determine when to perform OFCs in children who are likely to have developed immune tolerance. METHODS: In total, 432 pediatric OFCs were retrospectively analyzed according to indications. Clinical characteristics, serum total immunoglobulin (Ig) E, blood eosinophils, and specific IgE and IgG4 levels for food allergens were noted and compared. Machine learning was utilized to select the most important variables in determining the passage of the OFCs, and prediction models were constructed using the selected variables. RESULTS: OFCs were most commonly performed to confirm tolerance development (number, %; 267, 61.8%). The most common food allergens tested were egg (191, 44.2%) and milk (135, 31.3%). Children who passed the egg challenges for confirming tolerance acquisition had significantly lower egg white-specific IgE level (P = 0.008). Similarly, those who passed milk challenges had significantly lower cow's milk-specific IgE (P = 0.002) and casein-specific IgE levels (P = 0.005). We developed a nomogram to predict the outcome of OFCs to determine the tolerance acquisition with the selected variables; lower food-specific IgE, higher total IgE, and younger age indicated a higher probability of passage. The area under the curve (95% confidence interval) was 0.623 (0.503-0.743) for egg and 0.734 (0.628-0.840) for milk. CONCLUSIONS: Serum total IgE and food-specific IgE combined with age showed trends toward passing OFCs for confirming tolerance development. The constructed model may be used by clinicians as a practical guide for minimizing the risks of OFCs and a timely reintroduction for children with food allergies.

Rapid and long-lasting efficacy of high-dose ambroxol therapy for neuronopathic Gaucher disease: A case report and literature review.

Gaucher disease (GD) is a lysosomal storage disorder caused by a deficiency in the GBA1-encoded enzyme, ß-glucocerebrosidase. Enzyme replacement therapy is ineffective for neuronopathic Gaucher disease (nGD). High-dose ambroxol has been administered as an alternative treatment for a group of patients with nGD. However, little is known about the clinical indication and the long-term outcome of patients after ambroxol therapy. We herein report a case of a female patient who presented with a progressive disease of GD type 2 from 11 months of age and had the pathogenic variants of p.L483P (formerly defined as p.L444P) and p.R502H (p.R463H) in GBA1. A combined treatment of imiglucerase with ambroxol started improving the patient's motor activity in 1 week, while it kept the long-lasting effect of preventing the deteriorating phenotype for 30 months. A literature review identified 40 patients with nGD, who had received high-dose ambroxol therapy. More than 65% of these patients favorably responded to the molecular chaperone therapy, irrespective of p.L483P homozygous, heterozygous or the other genotypes. These results highlight the long-lasting effect of ambroxol-based chaperone therapy for patients with an expanding spectrum of mutations in GBA1.

Variation in the Allergenicity of Scrambled, Boiled, Short-Baked and Long-Baked Egg White Proteins.

BACKGROUND: Hen's egg white (HEW) is the most common cause of food allergy in children which induces mild to fatal reactions. The consultation for a proper restriction is important in HEW allergy. We aimed to identify the changes in HEW allergenicity using diverse cooking methods commonly used in Korean dishes. METHODS: Crude extract of raw and 4 types of cooked HEW extracts were produced and used for sodium dodecyl-sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and ELISA inhibition assays using 45 serum samples from HEW allergic and tolerant children. Extracts were prepared; scrambled without oil for 20-30 seconds in frying pan without oil, boiled at 100°C for 15 minutes, short-baked at 180°C for 20 minutes, and long-baked at 45°C for 12 hours with a gradual increase in temperature up to 110°C for additional 12 hours, respectively. RESULTS: In SDS-PAGE, the intensity of bands of 50-54 kDa decreased by boiling and baking. All bands almost disappeared in long-baked eggs. The intensity of the ovalbumin (OVA) immunoglobulin E (IgE) bands did not change after scrambling; however, an evident decrease was observed in boiled egg white (EW). In contrast, ovomucoid (OM) IgE bands were darker and wider after scrambling and boiling. The IgE binding reactivity to all EW allergens were weakened in short-baked EW and considerably diminished in long-baked EW. In individual ELISA analysis using OVA+OM+ serum samples, the median of specific IgE optical density values was 0.435 in raw EW, 0.476 in scrambled EW, and 0.487 in boiled EW. Conversely, it was significantly decreased in short-baked (0.406) and long-baked EW (0.012). Significant inhibition was observed by four inhibitors such as raw, scrambled, boiled and short-baked HEW, but there was no significant inhibition by long-baked HEW (IC50 > 100 mg/mL). CONCLUSION: We identified minimally reduced allergenicity in scrambled EW and extensively decreased allergenicity in long-baked EW comparing to boiled and short-baked EW as well as raw EW. By applying the results of this study, we would be able to provide safer dietary guidence with higher quality to egg allergic children.

Comparative Evaluation of Recombinant and Acellular Pertussis Vaccines in a Murine Model.

Since the 2000s, sporadic outbreaks of whooping cough have been reported in advanced countries, where the acellular pertussis vaccination rate is relatively high, and in developing countries. Small-scale whooping cough has also continued in many countries, due in part to the waning of immune protection after childhood vaccination, necessitating the development of an improved pertussis vaccine and vaccination program. Currently, two different production platforms are being actively pursued in Korea; one is based on the aP (acellular pertussis) vaccine purified from B. pertussis containing pertussis toxoid (PT), filamentous hemagglutin (FHA) and pertactin (PRN), and the other is based on the recombinant aP (raP), containing genetically detoxified pertussis toxin ADP-ribosyltransferase subunit 1 (PtxS1), FHA, and PRN domain, expressed and purified from recombinant E. coli. aP components were further combined with diphtheria and tetanus vaccine components as a prototype DTaP vaccine by GC Pharma (GC DTaP vaccine). We evaluated and compared the immunogenicity and the protective efficacy of aP and raP vaccines in an experimental murine challenge model: humoral immunity in serum, IgA secretion in nasal lavage, bacterial clearance after challenge, PTx (pertussis toxin) CHO cell neutralization titer, cytokine secretion in spleen single cell, and tissue resident memory CD4+ T cell (CD4+ TRM cell) in lung tissues. In humoral immunogenicity, GC DTaP vaccines showed high titers for PT and PRN and showed similar patterns in nasal lavage and IL-5 cytokine secretions. The GC DTaP vaccine and the control vaccine showed equivalent results in bacterial clearance after challenge, PTx CHO cell neutralization assay, and CD4+ TRM cell. In contrast, the recombinant raP vaccine exhibited strong antibody responses for FHA and PRN, albeit with low antibody level of PT and low titer in PTx CHO neutralization assay, as compared to control and GC DTaP vaccines. The raP vaccine provided a sterile lung bacterial clearance comparable to a commercial control vaccine after the experimental challenge in murine model. Moreover, raP exhibited a strong cytokine response and CD4+ TRM cell in lung tissue, comparable or superior to the experimental and commercial DTaP vaccinated groups. Contingent on improving the biophysical stability and humoral response to PT, the raP vaccine warrants further development as an effective alternative to aP vaccines for the control of a pertussis outbreak.

Clinical Manifestations and Genotype of Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia Diagnosed in Korea: Multicenter Study.

PURPOSE: Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a genetically heterogeneous disorder that leads to secondary ciliary dysfunction. PCD is a rare disease, and data on it are limited in Korea. This study systematically evaluated the clinical symptoms, diagnostic characteristics, and treatment modalities of pediatric PCD in Korea. METHODS: This Korean nationwide, multicenter study, conducted between January 2000 and August 2022, reviewed the medical records of pediatric patients diagnosed with PCD. Prospective studies have been added to determine whether additional genetic testing is warranted in some patients. RESULTS: Overall, 41 patients were diagnosed with PCD in 15 medical institutions. The mean age at diagnosis was 11.8 ± 5.4 years (range: 0.5 months-18.9 years). Most patients (40/41) were born full term, 15 (36.6%) had neonatal respiratory symptoms, and 12 (29.3%) had a history of admission to the neonatal intensive care unit. The most common complaint (58.5%) was chronic nasal symptoms. Thirty-three patients were diagnosed with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and 12 patients by genetic studies. TEM mostly identified outer dynein arm defects (alone or combined with inner dynein arm defects, n = 17). The genes with the highest mutation rates were DNAH5 (3 cases) and DNAAF1 (3 cases). Rare genotypes (RPGR, HYDIN, NME5) were found as well. Chest computed tomography revealed bronchiectasis in 33 out of 41 patients. Among them, 15 patients had a PrImary CiliAry DyskinesiA Rule score of over 5 points. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this is the first multicenter study to report the clinical characteristics, diagnostic methods, and genotypes of PCD in Korea. These results can be used as basic data for further PCD research.

Comparison of COVID-19-associated multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) and Kawasaki disease shock syndrome: case reports and literature review.

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a serious post-infectious complication of COVID-19 characterized by hyperinflammation and multi-organ dysfunction including shock. Shock is also seen in a severe form of Kawasaki disease (KD) called KD shock syndrome (KDSS). Here, we present one MIS-C and one KDSS case and compare similarities and differences between them. Both MIS-C (case 1) and KDSS (case 2) showed hyperinflammation, KD-related features, gastrointestinal problems, hypotension, and coagulopathy. The extent of systemic inflammation and organ dysfunction was more severe in KDSS than in MIS-C. Case 1 was diagnosed as MIS-C because SARS-CoV-2 was confirmed, and case 2 was diagnosed as KDSS because no pathogen was identified in microbiological studies. We believe that the most important difference between MIS-C and KDSS was whether SARS-CoV-2 was identified as an infectious trigger. Organ dysfunction is a hallmark of MIS-C and KDSS, but not KD, so MIS-C shares more clinical phenotypes with KDSS than with KD. Comparison of MIS-C and KDSS will be an interesting and important topic in the field of KD-like hyperinflammatory disease research.

Similarities and Differences between Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) and Kawasaki Disease Shock Syndrome.

This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of COVID-19-associated multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) and Kawasaki disease shock syndrome (KDSS) and to compare the similarities and differences between the two diseases. The incidence of KDSS and MIS-C was also estimated. Medical records of patients diagnosed with MIS-C or KDSS at four hospitals from January 2013 to December 2022 were retrospectively reviewed. Thirty-one patients were enrolled in the study in either an MIS-C group (n = 22) or a KDSS group (n = 9). The incidence of KDSS in KD was 0.8% (9/1095) and the incidence of MIS-C versus KD was 10.2% (22/216). Compared with the MIS-C group, the KDSS group had longer hospital stays and more severe systemic inflammation (e.g., anemia, elevated C-reactive protein, hypoalbuminemia, and pyuria) and organ dysfunction (e.g., number of involved organs, shock, vasoactive infusion, and intensive care unit admission). All patients in the MIS-C group, but none in the KDSS group, including two patients during the COVID-19 pandemic, had laboratory evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection. MIS-C and KDSS shared demographic, clinical, and laboratory characteristics; organ dysfunction; treatment; and outcomes. Overall severity was more severe in patients with KDSS than in those with MIS-C. The most important difference between MIS-C and KDSS was whether SARS-CoV-2 was identified as an infectious trigger.

A booster administration of the OKA/SK strain causes fatal disseminated varicella in an immunocompetent child.

Live varicella vaccines are known to provide robust immunity against varicella zoster virus (VZV) infections. However, problems with viral attenuation have led to pathogenic VZV vaccine strains causing varicella-like rash and herpes zoster in immunocompetent children after immunization. We report the first fatal case of VZV infection caused by OKA/SK strain contained in the vaccine administrated as a booster shot in an immunocompetent child, which has been independently developed from any currently available varicella vaccines that are OKA strain or MAV/06 strain based. The patient died due to sudden pulmonary alveolar hemorrhage as a secondary complication of VZV pneumonitis. Sequencing of the four SNPs unique to the OKA/SK strain (SNP loci 14 035T; 32 626C; 58 777G; 70 319G) enabled discrimination of the strain responsible for the disseminated infection. OKA/SK strain does not have any SNPs in ORF62 postulated to be responsible for the attenuation of varicella vaccines which have been safely and effectively used world-wide or locally, and exclusively enriches a virulent factor in ORF31 identified in parental OKA strain, thus possibly resulting in disseminated VZV infection leading to mortality. Therefore, actions need to be taken to prevent vaccine related morbidity and mortality in children.