Epidemiological features and viral shedding in children with SARS-CoV-2 infection.

A pandemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection broke out all over the world; however, epidemiological data and viral shedding in pediatric patients are limited. We conducted a retrospective, multicenter study, and followed-up with all children from the families with SARS-CoV-2 infected members in Zhejiang Province, China. All infections were confirmed by testing the SARS-CoV-2 RNA with real-time reverse transcription PCR method, and epidemiological data between children and adults in the same families were compared. Effect of antiviral therapy was evaluated observationally and fecal-viral excretion times among groups with different antiviral regiments were compared with Kaplan-Meier plot. By 29 February 2020, 1298 cases from 883 families were confirmed with SARS-CoV-2 infection and 314 of which were families with children. Incidence of infection in child close contacts was significantly lower than that in adult contacts (13.2% vs 21.2%). The mean age of 43 pediatric cases was 8.2 years and mean incubation period was 9.1 days. Forty (93.0%) were family clustering. Thirty-three children had coronavirus disease 2019 (20 pneumonia) with mild symptoms and 10 were asymptomatic. Fecal SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection was positive in 91.4% (32/35) cases and some children had viral excretion time over 70 days. Viral clearance time was not different among the groups treated with different antiviral regiments. No subsequent infection was observed in family contacts of fecal-viral-excreting children. Children have lower susceptibility of SARS-CoV-2 infection, longer incubation, and fecal-viral excretion time. Positive results of fecal SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection were not used as indication for hospitalization or quarantine.

Relationship between gene expressions of aquaporin 3 and 4 and various degrees of spleen-stomach dampness-heat syndrome in chronic superficial gastritis.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship between gene expressions of aquaporin (AQP) 3 and 4 and various degrees of spleen-stomach dampness-heat syndrome in chronic superficial gastritis (CSG). METHODS: Twenty-four CSG patients were divided into three groups according to the degrees of spleen-stomach dampness-heat syndrome: mild, moderate and severe groups. There were 8 patients in each group, and another 8 healthy persons were selected as normal control. Samples of mucosa of upper stomach in the included patients and normal persons were collected by gastroscopy, and then were stored in liquid nitrogen. The gene expressions of AQP3 and AQP4 in gastric tissue were examined by fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: The gene expressions of AQP3 and AQP4 in the moderate and severe groups were higher than that in the mild group and normal group (P<0.05, P<0.01). The gene expression of AQP3 in the severe group was higher than that in the moderate group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The gene expressions of AQP3 and AQP4 in gastric mucosa are different in patients with various degrees of spleen-stomach dampness-heat syndrome of CSG. There is a relationship between expressions of AQP3 and AQP4 genes and the degrees of spleen-stomach dampness-heat syndrome, and the gene expressions will increase with the aggravation of the dampness-heat syndrome.

[Antimicrobial resistance of 36 strains of Helicobacter pylori in adolescents].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the resistance of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) to antimicrobial agents in adolescents. METHODS: One hundred and eight adolescents (6-18 years old) underwent a gastroscopy examination. H. pylori strains were isolated from gastric mucosa. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed by means of Kirby-Baner. RESULTS: Thirty-six H. pylori strains were identified. The resistant rate of H. pylori strains to clarithromycin, fruranzolidone and amoxicillin was 8.3%, 16.7% and 33.3%, respectively. H. pylori strains showed a high resistance to metronidazole (94.4%), while no strain was resistant to gentamicin and levofloxacin. CONCLUSIONS: The H. pylori strains from the adolescents in Zhejiang showed a high resistance to metronidazole and amoxicillin but a low resistance to clarithromycin and fruranzolidone. All of H. pylori strains were susceptive to gentamicin and levofloxacin.