[Relationship of blood aryl hydrocarbon receptor mRNA and cytochrome P450 1A1 mRNA expression with corrected QT interval among residents exposed to arsenic via drinking water].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between blood aryl hydrocarbon receptor(AhR)mRNA and cytochrome P450(CYP)1A1 mRNA expression and corrected QT interval among residents exposed to arsenic via drinking water. METHODS: Arsenic exposure area in Bayannao'er city of Nei Monggol Autonomous Region was selected as the survey point, and the residents living more than 10 years in this area were investigated from December 2012 to January 2015.A total of 233 residents were divided into four groups according to drinking water arsenic concentration (ranged from 0.8 to 824.7 µg/L): control group (drinking water arsenic concentration <10.0 µg/L, n=55), low exposure group (drinking water arsenic concentration 10.0-99.9 µg/L, n=47), middle exposure group (drinking water arsenic concentration 100.0-199.9 µg/L, n=45), high exposure group (drinking water arsenic concentration ≥200.0 µg/L, n=86). Epidemiological investigation was performed.Real-time PCR technology was used to detect the expression levels of blood AhR mRNA and CYP1A1 mRNA, and the relationship between expression levels of blood AhR mRNA and CYP1A1 mRNA and corrected QT interval was analyzed. RESULTS: (1) Blood AhR mRNA and CYP1A1 mRNA expression levels were similar among control group, low exposure group and middle exposure group (all P>0.05) while blood AhR mRNA (3.18×10(-3)(2.42×10(-3), 4.45×10(-3)) vs.2.30×10(-3)(1.53×10(-3), 3.20×10(-3)), P<0.05) and CYP1A1 mRNA (1.58×10(-3)(0.80×10(-3), 2.73×10(-3))vs.1.00×10(-3)(0.59×10(-3), 2.09×10(-3)), P<0.05) expression levels were significantly higher in high dose group than in control group.(2) AhR mRNA expression level was similar between residents with longer corrected QT interval and residents with normal corrected QT interval (2.89×10(-3)(1.90×10(-3), 3.71×10(-3)) vs.2.58×10(-3)(1.85×10(-3), 3.57×10(-3)), P>0.05). CYP1A1 mRNA expression level was significantly higher in residents with longer corrected QT interval than in residents with normal corrected QT interval (1.50×10(-3)(0.78×10(-3), 2.63×10(-3)) vs.1.16×10(-3)(0.64×10(-3), 2.36×10(-3)), P<0.05). (3) AhR mRNA expression level was similar between residents with sinus tachycardia or bradycardia or normal heart rate(2.89×10(-3)(1.71×10(-3), 4.45×10(-3)) vs.2.64×10(-3)(1.86×10(-3), 3.52×10(-3)), P>0.05). CYP1A1 mRNA expression level was significantly higher in residents with sinus tachycardia or bradycardia than in residents with normal heart rate (1.47×10(-3)(0.87×10(-3), 2.77×10(-3)) vs.1.24×10(-3)(0.64×10(-3), 2.31×10(-3)), P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Long-term exposure to arsenic is associated with upregulated blood AhRmRNA and CYP1A1 mRNA expression.Blood CYP1A1 mRNA expression, but not AhRmRNA expression, is associated with prolonged corrected QT interval.

A comparative study of loratadine syrup and cyproheptadine HCL solution for treating perennial allergic rhinitis in Taiwanese children aged 2-12 years.

We assessed the efficacy of loratadine syrup compared with cyproheptadine HCl solution for treating children aged from 2 to 12 years with perennial allergic rhinitis (PAR) in Taiwan. Sixty children with mite-induced PAR were enrolled and randomly placed into two treatment groups: loratadine syrup or cyproheptadine HCl solution. Treatment efficacy and symptom changes from baseline to post-treatment were evaluated by total symptom scores and visual analogue scales (VAS) during a 2-week period. There were no differences in age, gender, height, or weight between the two groups. After 2 weeks of treatment, there was a significantly greater reduction in symptom scores in the loratadine group than in the cyproheptadine group (p<0.001). Clinical and subjective VAS showed significant differences in percentage changes from baseline between the loratadine and cyproheptadine groups at all time points (all p<0.001, in favor of loratadine). Clinical VAS change at week 1: 95.1 vs 11.3; subjective VAS change at week 1: 88.6 vs 13.6; clinical VAS change at week 2: 125.5 vs 18.3; subjective VAS change at week 2: 101.4 vs 7.1. Thus, loratadine was superior to cyproheptadine for alleviating both nasal and non-nasal symptoms of perennial allergic rhinitis in Taiwanese children aged 2-12 years.

Lactobacillus salivarius plus fructo-oligosaccharide is superior to fructo-oligosaccharide alone for treating children with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis: a double-blind, randomized, clinical trial of efficacy and safety.

BACKGROUND: Some probiotics can ameliorate childhood atopic dermatitis (AD). Prebiotics have also shown some efficacy, although when combined with probiotics as synbiotics, their efficacy may improve. OBJECTIVE: We compared the effects of Lactobacillus salivarius and fructo-oligosaccharide (synbiotic) with fructo-oligosaccharide alone (prebiotic) on children with moderate to severe AD. METHODS: We randomly assigned 60 children aged 2-14years with moderate to severe AD [SCORing AD (SCORAD)>25] to a treatment (synbiotic) or a control (prebiotic) group (30 per group). They received one capsule twice daily for 8weeks containing either L. salivarius plus fructo-oligosaccharide (treatment) or fructo-oligosaccharide only (control). SCORAD indices were monitored at weeks 0, 4, 8 and 10 (post-treatment). Laboratory results and AD medication use were also monitored. RESULTS: Baseline demographic and clinical characteristics and SCORAD scores were similar between the two groups. At 8weeks, the treatment group SCORAD scores (27·4±12·7) were significantly lower than for the controls (36·3±14·9) (P=0·022); this difference remained at 10weeks. At 8weeks, treatment group AD intensity was significantly lower (P=0·013); more children had mild AD in the treatment group (52%; 14/27) than the control group (30%; 8/27) (P=0·024). Medication use frequency and eosinophil cationic protein levels were significantly reduced in the treatment group at 8weeks compared with 4 weeks. CONCLUSION: A synbiotic combination of L. salivarius plus fructo-oligosaccharide is superior to the prebiotic alone for treating moderate to severe childhood AD. However, continued follow-up will be necessary to ascertain long-term benefits.

A pilot study evaluating the clinical and immunomodulatory effects of an orally administered extract of Dendrobium huoshanense in children with moderate to severe recalcitrant atopic dermatitis.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common inflammatory skin disorder for which few safe and effective systemic treatments are available. To test the clinical and immunomodulatory effects of a crude polysaccharide fraction isolated from Dendrobium huoshanense for the treatment of AD, we conducted a pilot, uncontrolled case series study. Twenty-seven patients aged 4-18 years (mean∓SD, 10.82±4.4) with AD that had not responded to topical therapy were treated with polysaccharide derived from D. huoshanense for 4 weeks and followed-up for another 4 weeks. Progression of AD was determined with the Lund-Browder chart for children, the Investigator's Global Atopic Dermatitis Assessment (IGADA), and the Scoring Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) at weeks 0, 2, 4, and 8. Serum levels of cytokines were evaluated. Safety was determined with laboratory and clinical tests. The lesion area, IGADA score, total SCORAD result, and score for sleeplessness decreased significantly from weeks 0 to 4, but did not change significantly between weeks 4 and 8. The scores for subjective symptoms and pruritus decreased significantly from week 0 to week 4 and increased significantly from week 4 to week 8. Serum levels of IL-5, IL-13, IFN-gamma, and TGF-beta1 decreased significantly between weeks 0 and 4 and between weeks 0 and 8. No significant difference in the levels of IL-10 was found. The polysaccharide from D. huoshanense reduced the levels of some cytokines associated with AD and had beneficial effects on symptoms. No serious adverse effects occurred when it was administered orally for 4 weeks.

Correlations of serum Interleukin-16, total IgE, eosinophil cationic protein and total eosinophil counts with disease activity in children with atopic dermatitis.

Several laboratory parameters have been investigated for assessing disease activity in children with atopic dermatitis (AD). Analyses of the correlation between these parameters and clinical severity can help to choose a convincing tool. This study compared the significance of serum interleukin-16 (IL-16), serum total immunoglobulin E (IgE), serum eosinophil cationic protein (ECP), and total eosinophil count (TEC) in reflecting AD severity to order to identify the most relevant objective tool for assessing AD activity and to assess the correlation between these laboratory parameters. The Severity Scoring of Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD index) was used for the assessment of disease activity in 48 pediatric patients in the acute exacerbation phase and in the maintenance phase after improvement of clinical findings with conventional treatment for 8 weeks. Serum levels of total IgE, ECP, and IL-16 as well as TEC were measured on the same time points and compared with healthy non-atopic controls. The correlation between SCORAD and each laboratory parameter was tested for significance and compared. Serum levels of ECP and IL-16 of AD patients were significantly higher than those of controls. These serum parameters, except TEC, declined significantly after conventional treatment with clinical improvement. There was positive correlation with SCORAD for serum IgE (r=0.317, p=0.028), TEC(r=0.434, p=0.002), IL-16 (r = 0.321, p=0.026) in the acute exacerbation phase and with SCORAD for serum IgE (r=0.510, p<0.001), TEC(r=0.489, p<0.001), serum ECP (r=0.468, p=0.001) in the maintenance phase. Serum levels of total IgE, IL-16, ECP, and TEC correlated with the SCORAD index in pediatric patients with atopic dermatitis. Thus, they can serve as serum markers for monitoring disease activity in childhood atopic dermatitis.

Prevalence and relationship between allergic diseases and infectious diseases.

In order to determine the prevalence of childhood allergic diseases, infectious diseases, and the relationship between them, 8723 children from three junior high schools in Tou-Cheng City, Taipei County, were studied using questionnaires developed according to the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) criteria combined with supplementary questions about infectious diseases. Students and their parents completed the questionnaires at home. The age of the children ranged from 10 to 18 years old (14.12 +/- 0.89 years), the majority (96.03%) was aged from 13 to 15 years old. The 12-month prevalences of self-reported allergic disease symptoms were: asthma symptom 8.2%, allergic rhinitis symptom 39.6%, and atopic dermatitis symptom 5.9%. The prevalences of diagnosis of the allergic diseases were: asthma 8.7%, allergic rhinitis 24.1%, and atopic dermatitis 3.9%. The 12-month prevalences of diagnosis of infectious diseases were: pneumonia 0.6%, bronchitis 7.2%, sinusitis 7.2%, purulent conjunctivitis 2.5%, otitis media 4.3%, encephalitis or meningitis 0.4%, gastroenteritis 14.5%, acne 23.9%, purulent dermatitis 1.3%, and other infectious diseases 1.2%. Lifetime admission rates of children due to infectious diseases were: pneumonia 1%, bronchitis 1.8%, sinusitis 0.3%, purulent conjunctivitis 0.2%, otitis media 0.3%, encephalitis or meningitis 0.3%, gastroenteritis 2.1%, and other infectious diseases 0.6%. The prevalence of infectious diseases was significantly higher in children with allergic disease symptoms (defined as asthma, allergic rhinitis, or atopic dermatitis). These results demonstrated the presence of a link between allergic diseases and infectious diseases, which may have some important clinical implications.

Genetic characterization of the hemagglutinin of two strains of influenza B virus co-circulated in Taiwan.

Two isolates of influenza B virus were obtained in the spring of 1997. One strain, B/Taiwan/21706/97, was isolated from a patient who had acute tonsillitis. The other, B/Taiwan/3143/97, was isolated from a patient who was diagnosed with meningoencephalitis. This implies that the influenza B viruses not only cause respiratory symptoms but may also cause inflammation of the nervous system. Sequence analysis of the hemagglutinin (HA) gene, HA1 domain, indicated that there were remarkable amino acid changes in the strain B/Taiwan/3143/97 compared to B/Victoria/2/87, B/Yamagata/16/88, and B/Taiwan/7/88. The changes in the positions 116, 200, 238, 242, and 271 were correlated with receptor binding. Furthermore, a potential glycosylation site at position 233 was lost. In total, 30 amino acid changes were noted at positions ranging from 116 to 295. These changes may affect the antigenicity of the virus. Phylogenetic analyses also showed that the B/Taiwan/3143/97 was located in an independent lineage, when compared to the reference strains belonging to B/Victoria/2/87 and B/Yamagata/16/88 lineages. This supports the hypothesis that influenza B viruses with distinct genetic characteristic were co-circulated in Taiwan.

Effects of fluvastatin on structure and function of resistant vessels in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

AIM: To evaluate the effects of fluvastatin, a hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitor, on the alterations of structure and function of resistant vessels in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). METHODS: Eight-week-old male SHR were given fluvastatin 20 mg.kg-1.d-1 by gavage. Rats were decapitated at 16 wk. Wall-to-lumen area ratios (W/L) of thoracic aorta and mesenteric arteries (3rd grade branch) were assessed by morphometric assay. The effects of fluvastatin on vascular reactivity to sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and norepinephrine (NE), were studied with rings of thoracic aorta and mesenteric arteries isolated from rats. RESULTS: After 8 wk of treatment, histological examination showed that the wall-to-lumen area ratio was lower in SHRflu than that in SHR (0.44 +/- 0.09 vs 0.79 +/- 0.09, P < 0.05). EC50 of vasodilation response was much lower in SHRflu than that in SHR [(4.9 vs 190) pmol.L-1, P < 0.05], while EC50 of mesenteric artery rings from SHRflu was somewhat lower than that of SHR [(0.02 vs 0.04) nmol.L-1, P > 0.05]. In both aortic and mesenteric artery rings, EC50 of vasoconstriction in response to NE from SHRflu was higher than that of SHR [thoracic aorta: (0.20 vs 0.02) nmol.L-1, P < 0.05; mesentric arteries: (1.46 vs 0.72) nmol.L-1, P < 0.05]. CONCLUSION: Short-term treatment with fluvastatin ameliorated the vasomotoricity of resistant vessels, enhanced the sensitivity to vasodilator and depressed the sensitivity to vasoconstrictor; fluvastatin also attenuated the resistant vascular hypertrophy during the development of hypertension in SHR.

Effects of perindopril, propranolol, and dihydrochlorothiazide on cardiovascular remodelling in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

AIM: To investigate the effects of perindopril, propranolol, and dihydrochlorothiazide on artery wall thickening, left ventricular hypertrophy, and cardiac fibrosis in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). METHODS: After measurement of systolic blood pressure (SBP), 16-wk-old Male SHR were randomly divided into 3 groups (each n = 10), given perindopril (Per, 5 mg.kg-1.d-1), propranolol (Pro, 40 mg.kg-1.d-1), dihydrochlorothiazide (DCT, 100 mg.kg-1.d-1) respectively by gavage for 12 wk. Sex-, age-, and number-matched untreated SHR and normotensive Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY) served as controls. When the treatment finished, body weights (BW) and SBP were measured before decapitation of the rats. The heart was excised rapidly, the left ventricle was weighed and then subjected to collagen content analysis. Vascular wall and lumen ratio from aorta, renal arteries and branch III vessels of mesenteric arteries were determined morphometrically. RESULTS: Treated rats in 3 groups showed a lower SBP and the ratio of left ventricle weight to body weight (LVW/BW) compared with WKY. Artery wall thickening was similarly inhibited in the treated groups. Per and Pro inhibited cardiac fibrosis, but collagen concentration increased in DCT treated SHR [collagen volume fraction (CVF): 19 +/- 4 vs SHR 14 +/- 4, P < 0.05; perivascular collagen fraction(PVCF): 84 +/- 7 vs SHR 79 +/- 5, P < 0.05]. CONCLUSION: Per and Pro inhibited, but DCT promoted, cardiac fibrosis.

Coxsackievirus B1 infection in infants less than 2 months of age.

Most of the neonatal enteroviral infections reported in the literature are associated with Coxsackievirus B2-B5 and echovirus 9 and 11. We report a retrospective Coxsackievirus B1 (CB1) infection in infants less than 2 months of age. Seventeen patients had aseptic meningitis and 8 had systemic sepsis (multi-organ involvement including meningitis, impaired liver function, and abnormality in coagulation). The symptoms and signs were nonspecific and could not be distinguished with bacterial infection on clinical grounds. Virus isolation was mandatory for diagnosis. Impaired liver function and coagulation profiles were noted in patients with systemic sepsis, but not in patients with meningitis only. CSF examination showed some uncommon features of viral meningitis: predominance of polymorphonuclear cells (PMN) was noted in 62.5% of patients and hypoglycorrhachia in 64% of patients. The patients with only meningitis recovered completely without any sequela. One of the eight patients with systemic sepsis died with case fatality rate 12.5%. Physicians should be aware of the possibility of CB1 virus infection in young infants during prevalent seasons. Specimens should be sent for viral culture in patients with meningitis and sepsis to make a definite diagnosis.

Proliferation of aortic smooth muscle cells and renin-angiotensin system in SHR rats.

AIM: To study the relationship between the enhanced proliferation and renin-angiotensin system (RAS) of aortic smooth muscle cells (ASMC) from SHR rats. METHODS: To measure the effects of angiotensin II (Ang), captopril (Cap), saralasin (Sar) on proliferation, Ang and angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) levels in cultured ASMC from WKY and SHR rats. RESULTS: Ang was a bifunctional growth factor, which induced SHR ASMC hyperplasia in 2% FCS-RPMI 1640 medium, but not in serum free (SF)-medium. SHR ASMC had stronger proliferative ability compared with WKY while SHR ASMC RAS was activated. Enhanced proliferation of SHR ASMC and ACE activity were obviously inhibited by long-term treatment (4-wk) of both Cap and Sar, while Ang content decreased in Cap treatment group and increased in Sar treatment group. The antiproliferative effect of Cap and Sar on SHR ASMC was stronger than that on WKY. SHR, WKY ASMC RAS were not influenced by short-term (24 h) treatment of Cap. CONCLUSION: Long-term treatment of Cap and Sar suppressed SHR ASMC growth through inhibition of Ang generation or blockade of Ang binding to its receptor.

Inhibitory effects of captopril on c-myc expression during left ventricular hypertrophy.

AIM: To study the molecular mechanism of captopril (Cap) on the inhibition of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), disclose the expression and distribution of c-myc in different cell types in left ventricle (LV) in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). METHODS: Cap 100 mg.kg-1.d-1 was given p.o. to SHR. Systolic blood pressure (SBP), left ventricular weight (LVW), and body weight (BW) were measured at 16-wk old. The level of angiotensin II (Ang II), c-myc mRNA, and oncoprotein were determined by immunohistochemical method, Northern blot, and Western blot, respectively. RESULTS: Cap reduced SBP, LVW/BW in SHR, with a decrease of Ang II and c-myc expression in LV. Local cardial Ang II mainly distributed in cardiomyocytes. Cap inhibited cardial Ang II production and c-myc expression (histochemical staining intensity index, 0.49 +/- 0.04 vs 0.83 +/- 0.24, P < 0.01). The c-myc oncoprotein was prevailingly located in cardiac fibroblasts. The c-myc oncoprotein in Cap treated SHR was lower than that of WKY. CONCLUSION: High expression of c-myc in fibroblasts played an important role in the development of LVH in SHR. Inhibitory effects of Cap on LVH was associated with a decreased myocardial Ang II and interstitial fibroblasts c-myc expression. The c-myc oncoprotein post-transcriptional translation was also interrupted by Cap.

Determination of the food specific IgE antibodies: comparison of MAST-CLA and CAP systems.

BACKGROUND: This study was carried out to compare two techniques used to determine the food specific IgE antibody. METHODS: Thirty-four allergic patients were evaluated for most common food IgE antibodies by multiple allergosorbent chemiluminescent assay (MAST-CLA). IgE antibodies to eight of these food allergens were also measured by Pharmacia CAP (CAP) test. RESULTS: The food specific IgE showed good agreement between MAST-CLA and CAP (kappa = 0.3-0.77). The sensitivity of MAST-CLA assay for food specific IgE antibody was variable comparing with that of CAP system. The accuracy ranged from 0.76 to 0.97. The agreement between the results of MAST-CLA and skin test was variable (kappa = 0.03-0.58). The agreement was poor in wheat, peanut and soybean (kappa = 0.03-0.12). Similar result between CAP and skin test was also obtained (kappa = 0.06-0.82). The agreement was poor in wheat (kappa = 0.06) and milk (kappa = 0.15). CONCLUSIONS: Different results might be related to quality of the extract, how they are performed in vitro test and difference of correspondent allergens employed in the tests.

The clinical evaluation of an outbreak of aseptic meningitis in children.

BACKGROUND: Aseptic meningitis is a common disease in children; The present report describes the clinical and laboratory studies of 62 children involved in an outbreak of aseptic meningitis. METHODS: Sixty-two children with aseptic meningitis having been hospitalized from February to June 1993 were evaluated. The clinical data were obtained by review of the medical records. Initial cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) laboratory values were recorded, and CSF specimens were submitted to determine the viral etiology. RESULTS: Thirty-three percent of the cases were aged 2-5 years. Echovirus 30 was isolated from CSF specimens in 17 children, this is the only virus isolated from CSF during this period. The illness was characterized by transient fever, headache and vomiting. There was wide variation in the number of leukocyte from 14 to 2333 cell/mm3 in the spinal fluid. CSF protein ranged from 19 mg/dL to 114 mg/dL, and CSF sugar was normal in all specimens. Virus isolation was related to the cell count in CSF. There was no significant relationship between CSF cell count and protein content (r = 0.162, p = 0.2237). Hospital stay ranged from 1 to 14 days with an average of 3.9 days. CONCLUSIONS. The disease was mild and self-limiting without death or complication. Enterovirus isolation from CSF can substantially establish the diagnosis and the subsequent management, therefore, early discharge is expectable.

Fungal infection of ventriculoperitoneal shunts in children.

Infection is still the most common complication of shunt procedures in children. However, fungal infection is still considered to be rare. We found that fungi accounted for 17% of shunt infections (8 of 48) in a retrospective study. All of the patients were premature babies and had received a ventriculoperitoneal shunt because of hydrocephalus. The clinical manifestations were subtle and insidious. The time of onset of infection ranged from 1 month to 1 year after the insertion of the shunt. Examination of the cerebrospinal fluid of infected patients showed mild pleocytosis with an elevated protein concentration. Candida species (including Candida albicans, Candida parapsilosis, and Candida tropicalis) or Torulopsis glabrata were isolated. In all but one case, shunts were removed and systemic therapy with amphotericin B was administered. Amphotericin B was given intrathecally to two patients, who did not respond to systemic therapy. Treatment with fluconazole failed for one patient. We suggest performing fungal cultures in cases of shunt infection, especially those involving premature infants. Extraventricular drainage, systemic therapy with amphotericin B, and insertion of a new shunt remain the principal components of the treatment regimen for fungal shunt infections in children.

Comparison between skin testing and in vitro testing for diagnosis of allergen in asthmatic children.

BACKGROUND: This study was designed to compare the skin testing and in vitro testing for the diagnosis of most common inhalant allergens in asthmatic children. METHODS: Sixty-two asthmatic children positive to most common allergens in the area of skin tests and multiple allergosorbent chemiluminescent assay (MAST-CLA) were subjected to another Pharmacia CAP test (CAP). RESULTS: The agreement between the results of MAST-CLA and CAP was variable. The correlation coefficient for CAP with MAST-CLA was significant for five allergens except candida, dog dander and Willow pollen when the diagnostic levels of MAST-CLA and CAP were compared with skin test reactions. For all the allergens tested, MAST-CLA showed a sensitivity of 51%, a specificity of 84% and an efficiency of 73%, compared with 57%, 80% and 74%, respectively, in the CAP analysis. CONCLUSIONS: MAST-CLA and CAP can be used as a screening test to measure allergen IgE level. Both MAST-CLA and CAP were comparable in their ability to diagnose of allergy to tested allergens.

Decreased superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide production by neutrophils and monocytes in human immunodeficiency virus-infected children and adults.

The higher susceptibility to serious bacterial infections of patients, particularly children, infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) may be due in part to defective function of their phagocytic cells. We examined the ability of polymorphonuclear cells and monocytes of HIV-infected children and adults to generate superoxide anion (SO) and hydrogen peroxide (HP) and compared it with that of cells from normal children and adults. SO was measured by reduction of cytochrome c and HP by horseradish peroxidase-dependent oxidation of phenol red. The cells were incubated in 96-well plates at 37 degrees C for 2 h before the assay and the nonadherent cells then removed. Readings for SO were taken at 10, 30, 60, and 120 min after stimulation with phorbol myristate acetate; HP production was assayed after 90 min. The SO and HP production by polymorphonuclear cells and monocytes from both HIV-infected children and adults was consistently found to be markedly lower than that of cells from age-matched controls. The magnitude of the difference in response between patients and control cells also increased with increasing incubation time. Thus, phagocytic cells from HIV-infected children and adults are defective in their ability to generate reactive oxygen intermediates, and this defect may make them more vulnerable to bacterial and fungal infections.

[Comparison of food specific IgE antibody test (RAST) and skin tests in children with atopic dermatitis].

Thirty children with atopic dermatitis were enrolled in our study to evaluate the food specific IgE antibody assay (RAST) and skin tests as a screening test for food hypersensitivity. Our results showed that eight food antigens (fish, shrimp, crab, soybean, milk, egg-white, peanut, wheat) frequently elicited positive hypersensitivity reactions. Twenty-four patients had at least a positive skin reaction to one of the foods tested. Of the 240 skin tests, 30% (72/240) yield positive reactions. Eighteen patients had at least a positive RAST reaction to one of the foods tested, 20.9% (50/240) yield positive reaction. The agreement between skin test and RAST was 79.6%. Crab and shrimp accounted for most frequent positive reaction in both tests. The skin tests produced more positive results in skin testing than RAST, but gave a higher frequency of false positive results. The diagnosis of food allergy may be suspected from the medical history or by food specific IgE antibodies together with skin test as a screening test. Furthermore, the double blind placebo controlled food challenge should be considered as standard for clinical investigations.

[Magnetic resonance imaging in diagnosing hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: an analysis of 10 cases].

Ten patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) were examined with ECG-gated magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), one of whom was a child. MRI shows deformities of left ventricular cavity in all 10 patients, shapes of majority being long and narrow. Interventricular septums (IVS) were identically thickened in 5 patients, middle areas of IVS were thickened in 3 patients, local area of IVS was thickened in ball-shape in 1 patient, the apex was thickened in 1 patient. The ratio of thickened of IVS between in systole and diastole was less 1.08 in 5 patients and equal to 1.0 in 4 patients. The ratio of thickness of thickened left ventricular posterior wall between in systole and diastole was less than 1.25 in 7 patients. Ratios were respectively 1.25 and 1.53 in a child, obviously higher than those of adults. Left ventricular outflow tract was narrow in 1 patient. Left atria were enlarged in 7 patients. left ventricular diastolic function was damaged in 8 patients and systolic function was damaged in 1 patient. Signal intensity in IVS was not identical in 6 patients, of whom 3 patients suggests degenerate degree of myocardium in comparison with histology of myocardium. Proximal ends of coronary arteries were clear in 4 patients and didn't show narrow. All 10 patients were examined with UCG, 9 patients with ECT, 3 patients with ventricular angiography. All results coincide with features of HCM.