Characteristics of human parainfluenza virus type 4 infection in hospitalized children in Korea.

BACKGROUND: The characteristics of human parainfluenza virus type 4 (hPIV4) infection are not thoroughly understood. We therefore clarified the characteristics of hPIV4 in Korea. METHOD: From January 2013 to December 2017, children admitted with respiratory tract infection at the Department of Pediatrics in Chung-Ang University Hospital were enrolled in the study. Nasopharyngeal aspirate specimens were obtained from patients and tested for hPIV types by multiplex reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. We retrospectively reviewed subject medical records, focusing on epidemiological and clinical characteristics. RESULTS: Of the 12 423 NPA specimens, 8,406 were positive by multiplex reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction for nine respiratory viruses, and 1,018 were positive for one of the four types of hPIV: 1,018 specimens led to the detection of 1,029 hPIVs; 3ss (31.3%) were positive for hPIV1, 120 (11.7%) were positive for hPIV2, 356 (34.6%) were positive for hPIV3, and 231 (22.4%) were positive for hPIV4. Of the hPIV-positive patients, the mean age was 2.3 years (range, 0.1-12.7 years), 225 (97.4%) had no underlying disease, and 178 (77.1%) had a fever with a duration of 4.1 ± 2.3 days and a peak temperature of 39.0 ± 0.7 ℃. The most common diagnosis in hPIV4 infection was pneumonia (44.2%), followed by bronchiolitis (26.0%) and upper respiratory tract infection (24.3%). Only 2.2% of patients were diagnosed with croup. Although the most prevalent overall type of hPIV was hPIV3, hPIV4 generally caused acute respiratory tract infection in summer and early fall in an irregular annual pattern. CONCLUSIONS: Human parainfluenza virus type 4 is an important common pathogen of respiratory tract infections in pediatric patients in Korea.

Chemerin levels are positively correlated with abdominal visceral fat accumulation.

OBJECTIVE: Chemerin, a recently discovered adipocytokine, may be linked to obesity and obesity-associated metabolic complications. However, the relationship between visceral fat accumulation and chemerin is still unknown. Therefore, we investigated the relationship between serum chemerin levels and body composition as measured by computed tomography (CT). PATIENTS: We recruited 173 men and women without histories of diabetes or cardiovascular disease. MEASUREMENTS: Biomarkers of metabolic risk factors and body composition by computed tomography were assessed. Serum chemerin levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: Chemerin levels correlated with body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, abdominal visceral fat area, blood pressure, fasting insulin, homoeostasis model of assessment-insulin resistance, total cholesterol, triglyceride, creatinine, aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase. By stepwise multiple regression analysis, abdominal visceral fat area, blood pressure and total cholesterol levels independently affected chemerin levels. CONCLUSIONS: Abdominal visceral fat accumulation, blood pressure and lipid profile were significantly associated with serum chemerin levels. Our findings suggest that chemerin may be a mediator that links visceral obesity to cardiovascular risk factors.

Blocking binding of Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1Aa to Bombyx mori cadherin receptor results in only a minor reduction of toxicity.

BACKGROUND: Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1Aa insecticidal protein is the most active known B. thuringiensis toxin against the forest insect pest Lymantria dispar (gypsy moth), unfortunately it is also highly toxic against the non-target insect Bombyx mori (silk worm). RESULTS: Surface exposed hydrophobic residues over domains II and III were targeted for site-directed mutagenesis. Substitution of a phenylalanine residue (F328) by alanine reduced binding to the Bombyx mori cadherin by 23-fold, reduced biological activity against B. mori by 4-fold, while retaining activity against Lymantria dispar. CONCLUSION: The results identify a novel receptor-binding epitope and demonstrate that virtual elimination of binding to cadherin BR-175 does not completely remove toxicity in the case of B. mori.

The influence of red wine or white wine intake on platelet function and viscoelastic property of blood in volunteers.

Since the consumption of wine in the United States has increased in recent years, a number of patients may be admitted to the hospital on the morning of their elective surgery after having consumed wine with dinner the evening before. Research indicates that by reducing platelet aggregation, moderate alcohol consumption can protect against the development of coronary artery disease. Therefore, an alcohol consumption in the night before surgery may influence on a patient's hemostasis. This study was designed to investigate the effects of wine intake the night before surgery on platelet aggregation and thromboelastogram in healthy volunteers. Twenty-four healthy subjects participated in this randomized crossover study. Each subject drank either a half bottle (300-350 ml, approximately two glasses) of red or white wine during dinner on two separate occasions. Blood samples were taken on the morning of the scheduled wine consumption and at the same time on the morning after the wine consumption. Platelet counts, and thromboelastogram (TEG) were performed and platelet function was assessed by adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and collagen induced platelet aggregation tests. There were no significant changes in platelet number, platelet function and TEG values the morning after wine consumption, and there were no significant differences in platelet number, platelet function and TEG values between red and white wine. This study indicates that an intake of red or white wine during dinner does not affect platelet number, platelet function, or viscoelastic properties of blood the next morning. A half bottle of red or white wine intake prior to a next day's elective surgery has no significant risk of suppression of coagulation function.