Dynamic monitoring and a clinical correlation analysis of the serum vitamin A, D, and E levels in children with recurrent respiratory tract infections.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the correlation of the serum vitamin A, D, and E (VA, VD, and VE) levels with the occurrence and development of recurrent respiratory tract infections (RRTIs). METHODS: A total of 129 children with respiratory tract infections (RTIs) treated in our hospital from January 2018 to February 2020 (the RTIs group) and 50 healthy children undergoing physical examinations (the control group) in our hospital were recruited as the study cohort. The serum VA, VD, and VE levels were measured upon admission (the active phase) and at two weeks after discharge (the stable phase). The serum VA, VD, and VE levels in the children with RRTIs were compared with the levels in the control group, and the correlation between these three vitamins and the occurrence and development of RRTIs was analyzed. RESULTS: The RRTIs group and the RTIs group witnessed markedly lower serum VA, VD, VE, and humoral immunity index levels, including IgG, IgA, and IgM, compared to the control group, with an apparent lower outcome in the RRTIs group than in the RTIs group. The serum levels of the above indexes in the RRTIs children were reduced in the active phase compared with the stable phase. A Pearson correlation analysis showed a positive correlation between VA and IgA. A multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that a low BMI (Body mass index), prematurity, VA deficiency, VD deficiency, and VE deficiency were the risk factors for RRTIs in children, and outdoor activity was the protective factor. CONCLUSION: The VA, VD, and VE levels are closely related to RRTIs in children. It is important to determine and supplement the VA, VD, and VE levels to prevent RTIs in children.

Treatment of facial and non-facial lentigines with a 730 nm picosecond titanium: Sapphire laser is safe and effective.

OBJECTIVE: A 730 nm picosecond-domain laser was developed to improve the clearance of pigmented lesion and reduce adverse events. This study assessed the safety and efficacy of this system for the clearance of lentigines and explores how the short picosecond pulses interact with tissue via histology. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Twenty subjects with Fitzpatrick skin types II-IV were enrolled in this prospective, IRB-approved study. Four treatments were administered using a 730 nm picosecond-domain laser. Pre- and posttreatment photos were assessed by blinded reviewers at 4- and 12-week follow-up visits, using a 5-point clearance scale. Subject satisfaction was measured using a 5-point scale. Investigator Global Improvement Score (IGIS) was performed at the 4- and 12-week follow-up visits, using an 11-point clearance scale. Subject pain level was measured using an 11-point scale (no pain [0], extreme pain [10]). Histology of 730 and 532 nm picosecond pulses was compared with 755 and 532 nm nanosecond pulses. RESULTS: Sixteen subjects with a total of 118 discontinuous treatment areas, each comprised of 1-20 lesions, completed all study visits. Thirty body regions were studied, including arms (6), hands (16), scalp (1), forehead (2), face (3), and back (2). Spot sizes ranging from 2 to 5 mm diameters were used with fluences ranging from 0.8 to 4.0 J/cm2 . Mean pain score was 3.6 of 10 for all four treatments. Ninety-nine percent of randomly paired 4-week posttreatment images and 100% of 12-week posttreatment images were correctly identified from their respective baseline images by three blinded reviewers. Mean IGIS demonstrated scores of 6.7 and 7.0 at 4- and 12-week follow-up visits, respectively. At the 4- and 12-week follow-up visits, 76% and 73% of subjects, respectively, were satisfied to highly satisfied. The mean clearance score for all 118 treatment areas was 3 of 4 in follow-up visits. At 12-week follow-up, 36% of 118 treatment areas had a clearance score of 4, and 38% had a clearance score of 3. Post treatment, there was typical erythema, edema, dryness, crusting, and itching but negligible purpura, no pinpoint bleeding, blistering or scarring, and no significant hyperpigmentation or hypopigmentation. Histology showed diffuse, focal epidermal vacuolization ~5-10 µm in diameter and mild extravasation of erythrocytes with 730 nm picosecond pulses, while diffuse epidermal vacuolization was observed with coalescence of vacuoles (~20-100 µm), junctional clefting and mild extravasation of erythrocytes with 755 nm nanosecond pulses. Picosecond pulses of the wavelength of 532 nm produced diffuse, focal epidermal vacuolization and larger dermal vacuoles to depths of 500 µm, while 532 nm nanosecond pulses produced diffuse epidermal vacuolization with coalescence of vacuoles and marked dermal hemorrhage. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated the potential of a new 730 nm picosecond-domain laser for the clearance of lentigines. The results showed good clearance with no adverse events and good subject satisfaction in patients with skin type II-III. Additional studies need to be conducted on darker skin types. The histopathologic findings demonstrate that the picosecond 730 nm laser produces excellent selectivity for pigment with minimal disruption of the dermal-epidermal junction and may therefore reduce healing times and the risk of adverse events.

The correlation between the vitamin A, D, and E levels and recurrent respiratory tract infections in children of different ages.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the correlation between the vitamin A, D, and E levels and recurrent respiratory tract infections (RRTIs) in children of different ages. METHODS: A total of 150 RRTI patients were divided into three groups: the 0 to 2 year-old group, the 3-5 year-old group, and the 6-14 year-old group. Collectively, we refer to the three groups as the RRTI group. The serum vitamin A, D and E levels were measured in the three groups. Healthy children without RRTIs were recruited as a control group. The correlations between the changes in the vitamin A, D, and E levels and the RRTIs were analyzed. RESULTS: The vitamin A, D, and E levels decreased significantly in the children with RRTIs, but only the vitamin A and D levels were negatively correlated with the incidence of RRTIs, while the vitamin E levels were not significantly correlated with the incidence of RRTIs. The follow-up results showed that the serum vitamin A, D, and E levels in the RRTI group were significantly increased after the treatment, and the WBC and CRP levels were remarkably reduced. CONCLUSION: Monitoring the serum vitamin A and D levels helps determine the disease severity, and the supplementation of adequate vitamin A and D through diet or drugs is of great help in treating RRTIs.

Traditional Chinese medicine baoxin decoction improves cardiac fibrosis of rats with dilated cardiomyopathy.

We investigated the effect of baoxin decoction (BXD) on myocardial fibrosis and clarified the possible mechanism of action. Dilated myocardiopathy was induced by doxorubicin injected intraperitoneally for 6 weeks. Rats that demonstrated dilated myocardiopathy were randomly divided into five groups plus a control group. Three groups were treated with BXD (7.5/kg, 15 g/kg and 30 g/kg) daily for 4 weeks. One group was treated with 8.75 g/kg of captopril (positive control), and with physiologic saline (negative control). Cardiac function was evaluated using echocardiography. Hematoxylin and eosin, and Massons trichrome staining were performed, PICP and PIIINP were assessed by ELISA, the expression of galectin-3 and collagen types I and III was evaluated with reverse transcription-quantitative PCR, and interrelated proteins were detected by western blot analysis. BXD downregulated galectin-3, collagen I and III and was correlated with a high expression of fibrosis markers. It also significantly decreased myocardial collagen volume fraction (CVF), together with markedly preventing the upregulation of collagen I and III. In addition, BXD downregulated the expression of TGF-ß1 and Smad3 in the myocardial fibrosis rats. Therefore, BXD treatment significantly improved cardiac function and alleviated myocardial fibrosis in a rat model of doxorubicin-induced dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), which is the mechanism that may be associated with inhibiting the TGF-ß1 signaling pathway.

Vitamin D nutritional status and the risk for cardiovascular disease.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality. CVD has a significant impact on health care systems worldwide and over 23 million individuals are expected to succumb to the disease by 2030. Early onset of atherosclerosis in childhood along with other risk factors of CVD, including elevated circulating lipids, have been shown to persist in adulthood and lead to CVD. Vitamin D deficiency is considered a risk factor for the pathogenesis of CVD, with childhood nutritional status of vitamin D being an important determinant of the development of CVD. Low levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D can arise due to reduced intake as well as geographical location, and other diseases/conditions such as chronic kidney disease and obesity. Childhood vitamin D deficiency can progress and lead to atherosclerosis and other CVDs in adulthood. Early intervention with vitamin D supplementation is an ideal approach towards preventive therapy. However, there is no clear consensus regarding the role of vitamin D in childhood CVD. In the present study, we reviewed the available evidence in favor of and against such a role for this vitamin.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Primary and Secondary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease.

The prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is increasing dramatically especially in developing countries like India. CVD is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. There has been a growing awareness of the role of nutrients in the prevention of CVD. One specific recommendation in the battle against CVD is the increased intake of omega-3 fatty acids, which are polyunsaturated fatty acids. Studies have reported inverse associations of CVD with dietary intake of omega-3 fatty acids, suggesting that omega-3 fatty acids supplementation might exert protective effects on CVD. They exert their cardioprotective effect through multiple mechanisms. Omega-3 fatty acid therapy has shown promise as a useful tool in the primary and secondary prevention of CVD. This review briefly summarizes the effects of omega-3 fatty acids in primary and secondary prevention of CVD.

A selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidase (Se-GPx) and two glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) from Chinese shrimp (Fenneropenaeus chinensis).

Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) and glutathione peroxidases (GPxs) are essential components of cellular detoxification systems that defend cells against reactive oxygen species (ROSs). Two GSTgenes have recently been cloned from Fenneropenaeus chinensis and BLAST P analysis shows that one GST, designated FcMuGST, is similar to members of MuGST while the other has similarities to ThetaGST (FcThetaGST). A selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidase (Se-GPx) has also been cloned from F. chinensis. The alignment of the deduced GST and GPx amino acid sequences with those from other species showed that the residues essential for enzymatic function of these three proteins are highly conserved. Tissue distribution and response to pathogens for the three genes was investigated by RT-PCR analysis, which showed that the transcript of FcMuGST and FcGPx increased in response to Vibrio anguillarum infection, while FcThetaGST showed little change at the transcript level. GPx activity in gill tissues quickly increased at 6 h after V. anguillarum challenge and maintained at a relatively high level from 6 h to 24 h. Total GST activity in hepatopancreas and intestines of the bacterial challenged shrimp was increased at 6 h, and gradually recovered from 12 and 24 h to the normal level. These three genes were all predicted to play an important role in detoxification defense reactions. FcMuGST primarily scavenges excess ROS produced after bacterial infection, while clearance of endogenous hydrophobic electrophile molecules was mainly dependent on activities of FcThetaGST.