Associations Between Phthalate, Eosinophil, and Aeroallergen Sensitization in Schoolchildren.

BACKGROUND: Phthalates and bisphenol A (BPA) are endocrine-disrupting chemicals and may cause immunological disorders in children. Therefore, according to the region, we investigated urinary phthalates and BPA levels and the relationship between urinary phthalate, aeroallergen sensitization, and eosinophil count during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. METHODS: In total, 203 schoolchildren (134 residential and 69 industrial) aged 7-10 years were enrolled between July 2021 and July 2022. The BPA, metabolites of four high-molecular-weight phthalates (Σ4HMWP) and three low-molecular-weight phthalates (Σ3LMWP), were measured in the urine samples. Total eosinophil count and transepidermal water loss (TEWL) were also measured along with the skin prick test. RESULTS: The two groups had no differences in terms of BPA. The industrial group had significantly more plastic container usage, and there was a difference in the Σ3LMWP (P < 0.001) between the two groups but no difference in the Σ4HMWP (P = 0.234). The quartiles of urinary Σ4HMWP and Σ3LMWP (P < were not associated with the total eosinophil count, vitamin D level, or TEWL. After adjusting for cofactors, the quartiles of urinary Σ4HMWP and Σ3LMWP were significantly associated with total eosinophil count (P < 0.001) but not with aeroallergen sensitization or vitamin D. CONCLUSION: Exposure to phthalates was significantly associated with eosinophil count but not with aeroallergen sensitization or vitamin D. Therefore, reducing the use of plastic containers may effectively prevent exposure to phthalates and reduce Th2 cell-mediated inflammation in children.

SARS-CoV-2 spike trimer vaccine expressed in Nicotiana benthamiana adjuvanted with Alum elicits protective immune responses in mice.

The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has spurred rapid development of vaccines as part of the public health response. However, the general strategy used to construct recombinant trimeric severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike (S) proteins in mammalian cells is not completely adaptive to molecular farming. Therefore, we generated several constructs of recombinant S proteins for high expression in Nicotiana benthamiana. Intramuscular injection of N. benthamiana-expressed Sct vaccine (NSct Vac) into Balb/c mice elicited both humoral and cellular immune responses, and booster doses increased neutralizing antibody titres. In human angiotensin-converting enzyme knock-in mice, two doses of NSct Vac induced anti-S and neutralizing antibodies, which cross-neutralized Alpha, Beta, Delta and Omicron variants. Survival rates after lethal challenge with SARS-CoV-2 were up to 80%, without significant body weight loss, and viral titres in lung tissue fell rapidly, with no infectious virus detectable at 7-day post-infection. Thus, plant-derived NSct Vac could be a candidate COVID-19 vaccine.

Precocious puberty in Korean girls with and without exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals in toy slime: a comparative analysis.

BACKGROUND: Toy slime is popular in Korea, and in parallel, pre-pubertal girls visit hospitals for early pubertal signs. Thus far, numerous studies have investigated the association of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) with precocious puberty (PP). However, there is a lack of studies on the clinical manifestations and sex hormones. We aimed to investigate early pubertal development in Korean girls with or without a history of toy slime exposure and determine changes in bone age, Tanner stage, and sex hormones. METHODS: In this study, 140 girls underwent stimulation tests at Kyungpook National University Children's Hospital Endocrinology Department, during January 2018 and December 2020. Patients were divided into two groups for gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) stimulation test and frequency of exposure to toy slime (EDCs). GnRH stimulation test was conducted after an intravenous injection of 100 µg of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone. Slime exposure was defined as Slime ≥ 3 times/week for ≥ 3 months. RESULTS: History of slime exposure was found in 14 of 58 and 65 of 82 patients in the central PP (CPP) and non-CPP groups, respectively. Slime-exposed patients had advanced bone age, although their Tanner stage was low. Patients with a history of toy slime exposure were 5.5 times more likely to be diagnosed with non-CPP than patients without slime exposure (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to toy slime in prepubertal girls may be associated with rapid clinical advancement of pubertal development and bone age, and the patients appear more likely to be diagnosed with non-CPP.

Development and comparison of two H5N8 influenza A vaccine candidate strains.

Avian influenza viruses circulating in birds have caused outbreaks of infection in poultry and humans, thereby threatening public health. Recently, a highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus (H5N8) of clade 2.3.4.4 emerged in Korea and other countries and caused multiple outbreaks in domestic and wild birds, with concerns for human infection. To combat HPAI viral infections, novel vaccines are likely to be the most effective approach. Therefore, in this study, we generated H5N8 vaccine candidate viruses based on a Korean isolate (A/broiler duck/Korea/Buan2/2014). The vaccine candidate viruses were 2:6 reassortants expressing the two surface glycoproteins of A/broiler duck/Korea/Buan2/2014 on an A/Puerto Rico/8/34 (PR8) backbone generated by using an eight-plasmid-based reverse genetics system with or without replacement of the multi-basic amino acid cleavage motif (MBCM, a crucial pathogenic factor in HPAI virus) with a bi-basic amino acid cleavage motif (BBCM) in their HA. An H5N8 vaccine candidate virus containing the BBCM showed attenuated pathogenesis in embryonated eggs and exhibited less virulence in the infected mice compared with the wild H5N8 virus containing an MBCM. Vaccination with an inactivated preparation of the vaccine candidate virus protected mice from lethal H5N8 viral challenge. This is the first report of the development and evaluation of H5N8 vaccine strains (with an MBCM or BBCM) of HA clade 2.3.4.4 as vaccine candidates. Our findings suggest that H5N8 strains with a BBCM instead of an MBCM might be considered for H5N8 vaccine seed virus development or as a reference vaccine against H5N8 viral strains.

Mycophenolic mofetil, an alternative antiviral and immunomodulator for the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 virus infection.

Infection with the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 virus results in a high incidence of mortality in humans. Severe complications from infection are often associated with hypercytokinemia. However, current neuraminidase inhibitors (NAIs) have several limitations including the appearance of oseltamivir-resistant H5N1 virus and the inability to completely ameliorate hyper-immune responses. To overcome these limitations, we evaluated the anti-viral activity of mycophenolic mofetil (MMF) against A/Vietnam/1194/2004 (H5N1) virus infection using MDCK cells and mice. The IC50 of MMF (0.94 µM) was comparable to that of zanamivir (0.87 µM) in H5N1 virus-infected MDCK cells based on ELISA. Time-course assays demonstrated that MMF completely inhibited H5N1 viral mRNA replication and protein expression for approximately 8 h after the initiation of treatment. In addition, MMF treatment protected 100% of mice, and lung viral titers were substantially reduced. The anti-viral mechanism of MMF against H5N1 virus infection was further confirmed to depend on the inhibition of cellular inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMPDH) by exogenous guanosine, which inhibits viral mRNA and protein expression. Moreover, IL-1ß, IFN-ß, IL-6, and IP-10 mRNA expression levels were significantly downregulated in MDCK cells with MMF treatment. These results indicated that MMF could represent a novel inhibitor of viral replication and a potent immunomodulator for the treatment of H5N1 virus infection.

The prevalence and prevention strategies of pediatric obesity: a narrative review.

Pediatric obesity has rapidly increased globally over the past few decades, including in Korea. We aimed to discuss trends in the prevalence of pediatric obesity and effective prevention strategies. Its prevalence has markedly increased in most high-income nations. According to recent reports, this increase has slowed in developed countries, but the levels remain alarmingly high. In Korea, the rate of pediatric obesity has surged notably since the 1990s; however, since the 2000s, this increase has become more gradual. According to recently published 2017 growth charts, the prevalence of pediatric obesity in Korea varies slightly depending on the data source. The National School Health Examination data showed that pediatric obesity gradually increase from 11.5% in 2014 to 15.1% in 2019, and after the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, it sharply increased to 19% in 2021. Based on data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, the prevalence of pediatric obesity gradually increased from 10.8% in 2017 to 13.6% in 2019. This trend, which accelerated sharply to 15.9% in 2020 and 19.3% in 2021, was especially severe in boys and older children. Pediatric obesity not only affects health during childhood but also increases the risk of developing obesity and associated health conditions in adulthood. Despite ongoing research on treatment options, obesity prevention and control remain challenging. Hence, prioritizing early intervention and prevention of pediatric obesity through healthy eating habits and lifestyles is crucial. This requires intervention at the individual, family, school, and community levels.

A Korean male with Kleefstra syndrome presented with micropenis.

Kleefstra syndrome is caused by chromosome 9q34.3 deletion or heterozygous mutations in the euchromatin histone methyl transferase 1 (EHMT1) gene. It can be accompanied by intellectual disability, distinctive facial features, microcephaly, psychiatric disorders, hypotonia in childhood, hearing loss, heart defects, renal defects, epilepsy, speech anomalies, and obesity. Furthermore, genital anomalies are present in 30%-40% of male patients with Kleefstra syndrome, but their mechanisms have not been elucidated. Herein, we report a patient with Kleefstra syndrome presenting with micropenis. The patient was transferred to Kyungpook National University Children's Hospital for management of imperforate anus on the day of birth. Physical examination revealed micropenis with stretched penile length of 0.9 cm and facial dysmorphisms, including hypertelorism and anteverted nares. Chromosomal microarray revealed 424-kb heterozygous deletion at chromosome 9q34.3 (arr[hg19] 9q34.3 (140,234,315-140,659,055)x1). Among the involved main OMIM genes, phenotypically relevant genes were EHMT1 and NSMF. Endocrinological investigation showed low basal gonadotropin and testosterone levels. Anterior pituitary hormones and steroid hormone levels were in the normal range. Testicular function was normal based on human chorionic gonadotropin stimulation test. The patient experienced improvement in penile length growth with intramuscular testosterone enanthate injection initiated at 4 months of age. The purpose of this study is to describe the etiology, endocrine laboratory tests, and treatment of micropenis in Kleefstra syndrome.

A novel compound variant in GNRHR causing congenital idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism in a young male Korean patient.

Idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (IHH) is a disease that shows symptoms of no or incomplete sexual maturation after 18 years old. The mutation of gonadotropin releasing hormone receptor gene (GNRHR) has been reported as the cause in 16% of total IHH patients. An 18-year-old adolescent was referred to endocrinology department for hypogonadism. He was born with cryptorchidism, had small testes at the age of 7 years, and showed low testosterone levels. Management of his hypogonadism was delayed due to his uncontrolled nephrotic syndrome. There were no abnormal findings on the brain MRI; atrophied testes discovered on his pelvis MRI; low levels of luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and testosterone were observed. In the HCG simulation test, testosterone levels showed no significant increase, rising from 1.11 to 1.15 ng/dL. The patient harbored a novel compound heterozygous variant of c.514G>A (p.Gly172Arg) and c.113G>A (p.Arg38Gln) in the GNRHR gene. Here, we report a case of new GNRHR compound variant c.514G>A (p.Gly172Arg) and c.113G>A (p.Arg38Gln) in a Korean adolescent for hypogonadotropic hypogonadism.

Increase in blood glucose level and incidence of diabetic ketoacidosis in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus in the Daegu-Gyeongbuk area during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic: a retrospective cross-sectional study.

BACKGRUOUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in the Daegu-Gyeongbuk area in 2020 has caused difficulties in the daily life and hospital care of children with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). We detected an increase in blood sugar levels in these children and the number of patients hospitalized with more severe diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) compared to those before COVID-19. METHODS: This single-center study was conducted at Kyungpook National University Children's Hospital. The following patient groups were included; 45 returning patients diagnosed with T1DM and undergoing insulin treatment for more than 2 years and 20 patients newly diagnosed with T1DM before and after COVID-19 were selected by age matching. Returning patients before and after the outbreak were selected, and changes in hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels were retrospectively reviewed. The HbA1c levels and severity of symptoms in newly diagnosed patients during hospitalization were examined. RESULTS: HbA1c levels in returning patients with T1DM were significantly increased after COVID-19 (before, 7.70%±1.38% vs. after, 8.30%±2.05%; p=0.012). There were 10 and 10 newly diagnosed patients before and after COVID-19, respectively. The proportion of patients with drowsiness and dyspnea at the time of admission was higher after COVID-19 than before (before, 2 of 10 vs. after, 4 of 10). The HbA1c levels were higher in newly diagnosed patients hospitalized after COVID-19 than before (before, 11.15% vs. after, 13.60%; p=0.036). CONCLUSION: Due to COVID-19 in the Daegu-Gyeongbuk area, there was an increase in blood glucose levels in children with T1DM and in the incidence of severe DKA in newly diagnosed diabetes mellitus patients.

Metanephrine Negative Pheochromocytoma: A rare case report of dopamine-secreting tumor in an adolescent patient with NF1.

Pheochromocytoma (PCC) occurs in 4% of pediatric neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) patients and is mostly characterized by epinephrine and norepinephrine secretion. Herein, we report the first case of a dopamine-secreting PCC in a 13-year-old patient with NF1, in whom a left adrenal mass was incidentally found on abdominal computed tomography (CT) during hypertension workup. Fractionated 24-h urine metanephrine excretion was normal but urine dopamine level was elevated. On 123I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) single photon emission tomography/CT (SPECT/CT), focal MIBG uptake was observed. Our multidisciplinary team determined that surgery would be difficult to perform because the tumor was small and the symptoms were vague, with only increased dopamine level. After six months, the tumor increased in size on abdominal CT, with focal significant uptake of the lesion on 6-[18F]fluoro-L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (18F-FDOPA) PET/CT. Laparoscopic resection was performed, and the mass was histologically confirmed as PCC. Currently, the vital signs of the patient are stable, urine dopamine levels are normal, and there is no abnormal uptake of 18F-FDOPA PET/CT. This study reports a case of a rare dopamine-secreting PCC. When metanephrine is negative in patients at high risk of PCC, focused examination and multidisciplinary approach are needed.

Central nervous system vasculitis from Epstein-Barr virus-associated T/natural killer-cell lymphoproliferative disorder in children: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Epstein-Barr virus-associated T/natural killer-cell lymphoproliferative disorders (EBV-T/NK-LPD) is a group of rare disorders resulting from EBV-infected T/NK-cells. It manifests as a broad spectrum of clinical symptoms according to immunologic status and viral load of an infected patient. Here, we report a boy who developed central nervous system (CNS) vasculitis and myelopathy as possible neurologic manifestations of EBV-T/NK-LPD. CASE REPORT: A 16-year-old boy came to our hospital with a necrotic skin lesion on his right shoulder. He suffered from local skin reactions with high fevers after mosquito bites since he was 10 years old. During the evaluation of his skin lesion, he suddenly developed left facial palsy. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) showed acute infarctions of the pons and middle cerebellar peduncle and irregularities of both anterior inferior cerebellar arteries. Serologic testing showed an elevation of total Ig E levels, anti-VCA IgG levels, and anti-EA IgG titers. EBV DNA copy numbers of the whole blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were elevated. Biopsy of the right shoulder skin showed extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma. According to clinical features and laboratory findings, he was diagnosed with EBV-T/NK-LPD. He was treated with chemotherapy and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation but developed recurrent infarctions during treatment. CONCLUSION: This case showed the diagnostic challenge of neurologic manifestations of EBV-T/NK-LPD. EBV-T/NK-LPD-associated CNS vasculitis needs to be considered as a differential diagnosis of CNS vasculitis, when it is accompanied by the typical clinical spectrum of EBV-T/NK-LPD such as severe mosquito bite allergy, extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma.

Immunological characterization of monoclonal antibodies used in rapid influenza diagnostic test for detection of the 2009 pandemic influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 infection.

Since the 2009 pandemic, monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) for rapid influenza diagnostic tests (RIDT) have been developed for specific diagnostics of pandemic viral infection. Most of the mAbs were poorly characterized because of urgency during the pandemic. Further characterization of the mAbs for RIDTs would be beneficial for understanding the immunological properties of the pandemic virus and utilizing the mAbs for other research purposes. In this study, it was confirmed that two mAbs (I38 and D383) in an RIDT for H1N1pdm09 diagnostics were able to detect H1N1pdm09 virus through enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunofluorescence assay (IFA). Also, the two mAbs exhibited reactivity to hemagglutinins (HAs) of both the H1N1pdm09 and 1918 H1N1 viruses; therefore, the RIDT using the mAbs could detect HAs of H1N1pdm09 and also HAs of 1918 H1N1-like strains. In an extension to our previous study, the epitopes (Sa antigenic site and the interface area of F' and vestigial esterase subdomains on the HA1 domain of HA of H1N1pdm09) recognized by the mAbs were corroborated in depth by IFA with escape-mutants from the mAbs and mapping of the epitopes on the crystal structure of human H1N1 viral HAs. Collectively, these results imply that the mAbs for the RIDT may be suitable for use in studying the immunological properties of H1N1pdm09 viruses and that the Sa antigenic site and the interface area between F' and vestigial esterase subdomains on influenza viral HA recognized by the mAbs are immunologically conserved regions between H1N1pdm09 and 1918 H1N1.

A case of intravenous immunoglobulin-resistant Kawasaki disease treated with methotrexate.

Kawasaki disease, an acute febrile vasculitis of unknown etiology, is usually treated with high doses of immunoglobulin (IVIG) and aspirin. However, 20% of children show persistent or recurrent fever despite IVIG, and coronary artery aneurysm progression. In such cases of resistance to IVIG treatment, repeated IVIG administration or the initiation of steroid therapy, and the use of cyclophosphamide have been reported. We aimed to show in this study that methotrexate (MTX) may be used as a treatment for Kawasaki disease resistant to IVIG treatment. We report the case of a 6-year old boy who was admitted at another hospital with an initial complaint of a fever for 5 days and skin rashes for 3 days. The patients fever persisted despite three courses of IVIG (2 gm/kg, 1 gm/kg, 1 gm/kg, respectively) over a 14-day period. On day 14 of his illness he showed a dilated right coronary artery, and on day 19 dexamethasone, at a daily dose of 0.3 mg/kg, was given but this resulted in defervescence. However, upon stopping the dexamethasone treatment, his fever recurred and he was transferred to our hospital. On days 31 and 38 of his illness, IVIG (400 mg/kg for 5 days, twice) was administered and from day 38 onwards the patient was given dexamethasone (0.6 mg/kg, daily) and MTX (10 mg/BSA, once weekly) whereupon his fever subsided and did not recur. On day 48 dexamethasone was replaced with prednisolone, which was subsequently tapered. The patient is now taking MTX and being observed on an outpatient basis. We report the case of a boy with IV-globulin resistant Kawasaki disease, who after repeated infusions of IVIG and steroid therapy showed fever recurrence, which that subsided after MTX treatment.

A library of TAL effector nucleases spanning the human genome.

Transcription activator-like (TAL) effector nucleases (TALENs) can be readily engineered to bind specific genomic loci, enabling the introduction of precise genetic modifications such as gene knockouts and additions. Here we present a genome-scale collection of TALENs for efficient and scalable gene targeting in human cells. We chose target sites that did not have highly similar sequences elsewhere in the genome to avoid off-target mutations and assembled TALEN plasmids for 18,740 protein-coding genes using a high-throughput Golden-Gate cloning system. A pilot test involving 124 genes showed that all TALENs were active and disrupted their target genes at high frequencies, although two of these TALENs became active only after their target sites were partially demethylated using an inhibitor of DNA methyltransferase. We used our TALEN library to generate single- and double-gene-knockout cells in which NF-κB signaling pathways were disrupted. Compared with cells treated with short interfering RNAs, these cells showed unambiguous suppression of signal transduction.