Viral DNA Loads in Various Blood Components of Patients With Epstein-Barr Virus-Positive T-Cell/Natural Killer Cell Lymphoproliferative Diseases.

To evaluate diagnostic values for Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA loads in different blood components of patients with EBV-positive T-cell/natural killer cell lymphoproliferative diseases, EBV DNA loads were compared among disease categories in each blood component from 59 patients. Plasma viral loads were significantly higher in "active" disease in chronic active EBV infection. EBV DNA was not detected in the plasma from 7 patients in whom EBV DNA was detected in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and whole blood. Diagnostic cutoff values for whole blood EBV DNA loads of patients with chronic active EBV infection compared with those of infectious mononucleosis was 104.2 (15 800) IU/mL.

Primary psoas abscess caused by group A streptococcus in a child: Case report with microbiologic findings.

Primary abscess of the iliopsoas muscle in children is uncommon, especially due to Streptococcus pyogenes (group A streptococcus: GAS), which causes a variety of diseases ranging from pharyngitis to invasive life-threatening infection. We present primary iliopsoas abscess in a nine-year-old boy presenting with fever, mild disturbance of consciousness, limp, and pain in the right loin. Magnetic resonance imaging and isolation of GAS from both blood and abscess samples led us to the confirmative diagnosis. The patient recovered after treatment comprising drainage and intravenous antibiotics. The CovRS system is one of the best-characterized systems with two-component signal transduction in the GAS, and mutations in covRS induce overproduction of various virulence factors that play a crucial role in invasive GAS infection. RopB, also known as a GAS regulator, influences the expression of multiple regulatory networks to coregulate virulence factor expression in GAS. In the present case, sequence analysis revealed the isolated GAS as emm type 6 with alterations in covS, whereas the covR and ropB genes were intact. The covS alterations might have influenced the virulence of the strain causing this severe GAS infection.

Comprehensive detection of pathogens in immunocompromised children with bloodstream infections by next-generation sequencing.

Bloodstream infection (BSI) is a severe complication in immunocompromised patients. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) allows us to analyze comprehensively and quantitatively all microorganisms present in a clinical sample. Thirty-five pediatric patients (12 with BSI and 23 with suspected BSI/negative blood culture) were enrolled. Plasma/serum samples were used for sequencing and the results were compared with those from blood culture. Sequencing reads of bacteria isolated in blood culture were identified by NGS in all plasma/serum samples at disease onset. Bacteria isolated in blood culture were identical to the dominant bacteria by NGS in 8 of 12 patients. Bacterial reads per million reads of the sequence depth (BR) > 200 and relative importance values of the dominant bacteria (P1) > 0.5 were employed to determine causative pathogens. Causative pathogens were detected using these criteria in 7 of 12 patients with BSI. Additionally, causative bacteria were detected in the plasma/serum at 7 days before disease onset in two patients with catheter-related BSI. Causative pathogens, including virus, were identified in three patients with suspected BSI. Lastly, a total of 62 resistance genes were detected by NGS. In conclusion, NGS is a new method to identify causative microorganisms in BSI and may predict BSI in some patients.

Identification of Viruses in Cases of Pediatric Acute Encephalitis and Encephalopathy Using Next-Generation Sequencing.

Acute encephalitis/encephalopathy is a severe neurological syndrome that is occasionally associated with viral infection. Comprehensive virus detection assays are desirable because viral pathogens have not been identified in many cases. We evaluated the utility of next-generation sequencing (NGS) for detecting viruses in clinical samples of encephalitis/encephalopathy patients. We first determined the sensitivity and quantitative performance of NGS by comparing the NGS-determined number of sequences of human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) in clinical serum samples with the HHV-6 load measured using real-time PCR. HHV-6 was measured as it occasionally causes neurologic disorders in children. The sensitivity of NGS for detection of HHV-6 sequences was equivalent to that of real-time PCR, and the number of HHV-6 reads was significantly correlated with HHV-6 load. Next, we investigated the ability of NGS to detect viral sequences in 18 pediatric patients with acute encephalitis/encephalopathy of unknown etiology. A large number of Coxsackievirus A9 and mumps viral sequences were detected in the cerebrospinal fluid of 2 and 1 patients, respectively. In addition, Torque teno virus and Pepper mild mottle viral sequences were detected in the sera of one patient each. These data indicate that NGS is useful for detection of causative viruses in patients with pediatric encephalitis/encephalopathy.

Serum microRNAs as Potential Biomarkers of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression of targeted mRNAs, which are important in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. MiRNAs may have the potential to serve as biomarkers of disease. We evaluated serum levels of selected miRNAs and their associations with disease activity in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Sera and peripheral blood leukocytes were collected from patients with JIA (8 systemic onset, 16 polyarthritis) and healthy controls. Levels of miR-16, miR-132, miR-146a, miR-155, and miR-223 were quantified. Levels of miR-223 in sera were significantly higher in patients in the active phase of systemic onset JIA than in controls. MiRNAs of peripheral blood leukocytes did not exhibit any difference between patients with JIA and controls. In both systemic onset JIA and polyarthritis patients, levels of miR-223 and miR-16 correlated with erythrocyte sedimentation rate and matrix metalloproteinase-3, respectively. MiR-146a and miR-223 in polyarthritis showed correlations with matrix metalloproteinase-3. Expressions of miRNAs were altered in patients with JIA. Serum levels of miR-223 may be a potential disease biomarker. Investigation of miRNAs could be helpful in understanding the pathogenesis of JIA and could aid in the identification of additional disease biomarkers.

Viral load in children with congenital cytomegalovirus infection identified on newborn hearing screening.

BACKGROUND: Congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is the most common non-genetic cause of sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) in children. However, congenital SNHL without other clinical abnormalities is rarely diagnosed as CMV-related in early infancy. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to identify and treat patients with congenital CMV-related SNHL or CMV-related clinical abnormalities other than SNHL. The association between CMV load and SNHL was also evaluated. STUDY DESIGN: Newborns who had abnormal hearing screening results or other clinical abnormalities were screened for congenital CMV infection by PCR of saliva or urine specimens, and identified infected patients were treated with valganciclovir (VGCV) for 6 weeks. The CMV load of patients with or without SNHL was compared at regular intervals during as well as after VGCV treatment. RESULTS: Of 127 infants with abnormal hearing screening results, and 31 infants with other clinical abnormalities, CMV infection was identified in 6 and 3 infants, respectively. After VGCV treatment, 1 case had improved hearing but the other 5 SNHL cases had little or no improvement. Among these 9 patients with or without SNHL at 1 year of age, there was no significant difference in CMV blood or urine load at diagnosis, but both were significantly higher in patients with SNHL during VGCV treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Selective CMV screening of newborns having an abnormal hearing screening result would be a reasonable strategy for identification of symptomatic congenital CMV infection. Prolonged detection of CMV in blood could be a risk factor for SNHL.