Pediatric asthma severity score is associated with critical care interventions

AIM To determine if a standardized asthma severity scoring system(PASS) was associated with the time spent on continuous albuterol and length of stay in the pediatric intensive care unit(PICU).METHODS This is a single center,retrospective chart review study at a major children's hospital in an urban location.To qualify for this study,participants must have been admitted to the PICU with a diagnosis of status asthmaticus.There were a total of 188 participants between the ages of two and nineteen,excluding patients receiving antibiotics for pneumonia.PASS was calculated upon PICU admission.Subjects were put into one of three categories based on PASS: ≤ 7(mild),8-11(moderate),and ≥ 12(severe).The groups were compared based on different variables,including length of continuous albuterol and PICU stay.RESULTS The age distribution across all groups was similar.The median length of continuous albuterol was longest in the severe group with a duration of 21.5 h(11.5-27.5),compared to 15(7.75-23.75) and 10(5-15) in the moderate and mild groups,respectively(P = 0.001).Thelength of stay was longest in the severe group,with a stay of 35.6 h(22-49) compared to 26.5(17-30) and 17.6(12-29) in the moderate and mild groups,respectively(P = 0.001).CONCLUSION A higher PASS is associated with a longer time on continuous albuterol,an increased likelihood to require noninvasive ventilation,and a longer stay in the ICU.This may help safely distribute asthmatics to lower and higher levels of care in the future.

Antenatal and postnatal management of congenital cystic adenomatoid lung malformation diagnosed by ultrasound and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

Purpose: Antenatal diagnosis of congenital cystic adenomatoid lung malformation (CCAM) is vital for disease surveillance and postnatal care. Ultrasonography (US) has been the imaging gold standard for antenatal CCAM assessment. However, one of the limitations of US is the “vanishing phenomenon” caused by isoechogenicity of CCAM tissue and adjacent normal lung parenchyma. Methods: Antenatal serial US were concurrently used with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to monitor macro- and microcystic lesions. Results: In both pregnant women, antenatal US and MRI confirmed the presence, in the fetus, of cystic lesions and predicted disease regression/progression as well as the need for postnatal surgical intervention. Several advantages were detected by using both—serial US and MRI (over serial US alone)—including improved signal intensity, exact volume size measurements, precise CCAM location in particular for patients with adverse ultrasound conditions. Both neonates underwent surgical resection and had an uneventful post-operative course. Conclusions: Antenatal use of MRI as well as serial US improved information regarding tissue resolution and delineation of CCAM. The information from two imaging modalities was complementary. Our literature review confirmed the emerging role of prenatal MRI for postnatal monitoring and management of CCAM.

Ultrasound screening of the kidneys and urinary tract in 11.887 newborn infants: A 10-year experience

Objective: To determine the usefulness of sonographic screening of the newborn kidneys and urinary tract over a 10-year time period. Methods: Ultrasound screening of the kidneys and the urinary tract was performed between the third and tenth day after birth on 11.887 newborn infants. The classification of renal pyelectasis (RPE) according to the Society for Fetal Urology (SFU) was used. We evaluated infant renal pathologies and correlated them with the gestational age and weight at birth. Results: Renal pyelectasis (grades 1-4) was detected in 179 cases (1.5%);it was significantly more common in male (vs female) infants (p 4.000 g were the most significant risk factors (p < 0.01). Conclusions: Renal pyelectasis grades 1-4 was detected in only 1.5% of 11.887 consecutive infants subjected to sonographic screening of the kidneys and the urinary tract within the first 10 days after birth. Sonographic screening of the kidneys and the urinary tract is a non-invasive and effective screening method after birth. It allows planning for appropriate diagnostic tests and therapeutic procedures in a timely fashion.

Cell based therapy aides in infection and inflammation resolution in the murine model of cystic fibrosis lung disease

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetically inherited disease which is characterized by excessive inflammation and inability to resolve infection with pathogens such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Treatment options have improved with correctors and potentiators, but a cure remains elusive. Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) have the potential to be both anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial, which makes them ideal candidates for exploration as an innovative new therapeutic for CF. Using a sublethal CF mouse model of chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection, we show that hMSCs and wild type bone marrow derived macrophages (BMM) have the capacity to attenuate inflammation while at the same time improving the ability to resolve infection. Animals infected with bacteria and treated with hMSCs and BMM had less weight lost, decreased pro-inflammatory cytokines, decreased severity of gross lung pathology as well as clinical score. Importantly, even though the inflammation was decreased in vivo, both BMM and hMSC treatment resulted in significant decrease in lung bacterial load. The improvement in the CF model was consistent with hMSC induced anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial activity which may involve the cathelicidin LL-37. These studies suggest that both healthy MSCs and BMM may provide important new direction toward cell based therapies in CF.

Expert consensus on the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of respiratory syncytial virus infections in children

Background Respiratory syncytial virus(RSV)is the leading global cause of respiratory infections and is responsible for about 3 million hospitalizations and more than 100,000 deaths annually in children younger than 5 years,representing a major global healthcare burden.There is a great unmet need for new agents and universal strategies to prevent RSV infections in early life.A multidisciplinary consensus development group comprising experts in epidemiology,infectious diseases,respiratory medicine,and methodology aims to develop the current consensus to address clinical issues of RSV infections in children.Data sources The evidence searches and reviews were conducted using electronic databases,including PubMed,Embase,Web of Science,and the Cochrane Library,using variations in terms for"respiratory syncytial virus","RSV","lower respiratory tract infection","bronchiolitis","acute","viral pneumonia","neonatal","infant""children",and"pediatric".Results Evidence-based recommendations regarding diagnosis,treatment,and prevention were proposed with a high degree of consensus.Although supportive care remains the cornerstone for the management of RSV infections,new monoclonal antibodies,vaccines,drug therapies,and viral surveillance techniques are being rolled out.Conclusions This consensus,based on international and national scientific evidence,reinforces the current recommendations and integrates the recent advances for optimal care and prevention of RSV infections.Further improvements in the management of RSV infections will require generating the highest quality of evidence through rigorously designed studies that possess little bias and sufficient capacity to identify clinically meaningful end points.

Graft dilatation and Barrett’s esophagus in adults after gastric pullup and jejunal interposition for long-gap esophageal atresia

BACKGROUND Esophageal replacement(ER)with gastric pull-up(GPU)or jejunal interposition(JI)used to be the standard treatment for long-gap esophageal atresia(LGEA).Changes of the ER grafts on a macro-and microscopic level however,are unknown.AIM To evaluate long-term clinical symptoms and anatomical and mucosal changes in adolescents and adults after ER for LGEA.METHODS A cohort study was conducted including all LGEA patients≥16 years who had undergone GPU or JI between 1985-2003 at two tertiary referral centers in the Netherlands.Patients underwent clinical assessment,contrast study and endoscopy with biopsy.Data was collected prospectively.Group differences between JI and GPU patients,and associations between different outcome measures were assessed using the Fisher’s exact test for bivariate variables and the Mann-Whitney U-test for continuous variables.Differences with a P-value<0.05 were considered statistically significant.RESULTS Nine GPU patients and eleven JI patients were included.Median age at follow-up was 21.5 years and 24.4 years,respectively.Reflux was reported in six GPU patients(67%)vs four JI patients(36%)(P=0.37).Dysphagia symptoms were reported in 64%of JI patients,compared to 22%of GPU patients(P=0.09).Contrast studies showed dilatation of the jejunal graft in six patients(55%)and graft lengthening in four of these six patients.Endoscopy revealed columnar-lined esophagus in three GPU patients(33%)and intestinal metaplasia was histologically confirmed in two patients(22%).No association was found between reflux symptoms and macroscopic anomalies or intestinal metaplasia.Three GPU patients(33%)experienced severe feeding problems vs none in the JI group.The median body mass index of JI patients was 20.9 kg/m^(2) vs 19.5 kg/m^(2) in GPU patients(P=0.08).CONCLUSION The majority of GPU patients had reflux and intestinal metaplasia in 22%.The majority of JI patients had dysphagia and a dilated graft.Follow-up after ER for LGEA is essential.

Pneumothorax in Children: Epidemiological Diagnostic and Evolutionary Aspects at the Albert Royer National Children’s Hospital in Dakar

Pneumothorax is defined by the presence of air between the parietal pleura and the visceral pleura. Most of the child’s pneumothorax is traumatic. The spontaneous pneumothorax (PS) of the child is rare, and often associated with a favoring factor. When it is large, it can affect the life expectancy. The objective of our study was to determine the epidemiological, diagnostic and evolutionary aspects of pneumothorax in children aged 0 to 15 years, hospitalized at the Albert Royer National Children’s Hospital in Dakar. This is a retrospective descriptive study of patient records followed at the Albert Royer National Children’s Hospital (CHNEAR) for the management of a pneumothorax during the period from 2020 to 2022. During our study, 15 patients were hospitalized for pneumothorax, with an average annual incidence of 7.5 cases per year. The sex ratio (H/F) was 2.03. The average age was 3.7 years. Chest pain was present in 27% of patients, dyspnea was found in 93%, and cough in 87% of patients. All patients underwent chest radiography and the location of the pneumothorax was predominant on the right in 60% of cases. Thoracic drainage was performed in 93.3% of patients associated with etiological treatment. The average length of hospitalization was 27.8 days with a cure rate of 86.7% and a recurrence rate of 13.3%.

Clinical-based phenotypes in children with pediatric post-COVID-19 condition

Background Pediatric post coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)condition(PPCC)is a heterogeneous syndrome,which can significantly affect the daily lives of children.This study aimed to identify clinically meaningful phenotypes in children with PPCC,to better characterize and treat this condition.Methods Participants were children with physician-diagnosed PPCC,referred to the academic hospital Amsterdam UMC in the Netherlands between November 2021 and March 2023.Demographic factors and information on post-COVID symptoms,comorbidities,and impact on daily life were collected.Clinical clusters were identified using an unsupervised and unbiased approach for mixed data types.Results Analysis of 111 patients(aged 3–18 years)revealed three distinct clusters within PPCC.Cluster 1(n=62,median age=15 years)predominantly consisted of girls(74.2%).These patients suffered relatively more from exercise intolerance,dyspnea,and smell disorders.Cluster 2(n=33,median age=13 years)contained patients with an even gender distribution(51.5%girls).They suffered from relatively more sleep problems,memory loss,gastrointestinal symptoms,and arthralgia.Cluster 3(n=16,median age=11 years)had a higher proportion of boys(75.0%),suffered relatively more from fever,had significantly fewer symptoms(median of 5 symptoms compared to 8 and 10 for clusters 1 and 2 respectively),and experienced a lower impact on daily life.Conclusions This study identified three distinct clinical PPCC phenotypes,with variations in sex,age,symptom patterns,and impact on daily life.These findings highlight the need for further research to understand the potentially diverse underlying mechanisms contributing to post-COVID symptoms in children.

Expert consensus on the diagnosis and treatment of macrolide-resistant Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia in children

Background Mycoplasma pneumoniae(M.pneumoniae)is a significant contributor to community-acquired pneumonia among children.Since 1968,when a strain of M.pneumoniae resistant to macrolide antibiotics was initially reported in Japan,macrolide-resistant M.pneumoniae(MRMP)has been documented in many countries worldwide,with varying incidence rates.MRMP infections lead to a poor response to macrolide antibiotics,frequently resulting in prolonged fever,extended antibiotic treatment,increased hospitalization,intensive care unit admissions,and a significantly higher proportion of patients receiving glucocorticoids or second-line antibiotics.Since 2000,the global incidence of MRMP has gradually increased,especially in East Asia,which has posed a serious challenge to the treatment of M.pneumoniae infections in children and attracted widespread attention from pediatricians.However,there is still no global consensus on the diagnosis and treatment of MRMP in children.Methods We organized 29 Chinese experts majoring in pediatric pulmonology and epidemiology to write the world’s first consensus on the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric MRMP pneumonia,based on evidence collection.The evidence searches and reviews were conducted using electronic databases,including PubMed,Embase,Web of Science,CNKI,Medline,and the Cochrane Library.We used variations in terms for“macrolide-resistant”,“Mycoplasma pneumoniae”,“MP”,“M.pneumoniae”,“pneumonia”,“MRMP”,“lower respiratory tract infection”,“Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection”,“children”,and“pediatric”.Results Epidemiology,pathogenesis,clinical manifestations,early identification,laboratory examination,principles of antibiotic use,application of glucocorticoids and intravenous immunoglobulin,and precautions for bronchoscopy are highlighted.Early and rapid identification of gene mutations associated with MRMP is now available by polymerase chain reaction and fluorescent probe techniques in respiratory specimens.Although the resistance rate to macrolide remains high,it is fortunate that M.pneumoniae still maintains good in vitro sensitivity to second-line antibiotics such as tetracyclines and quinolones,making them an effective treatment option for patients with initial treatment failure caused by macrolide antibiotics.Conclusions This consensus,based on international and national scientific evidence,provides scientific guidance for the diagnosis and treatment of MRMP in children.Further studies on tetracycline and quinolone drugs in children are urgently needed to evaluate their effects on the growth and development.Additionally,developing an antibiotic rotation treatment strategy is necessary to reduce the prevalence of MRMP strains.

Doppler measurements in fetal descending aorta and umbilical artery can predict borderline oxygenation in pre-eclampsia and HELLP syndrome

Objective: To determine diagnostic utility of Doppler measurements in fetal descending aorta and umbilical arteries in predicting intrauterine growth retarded (IUGR) fetuses at risk in pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia and/or HELLP syndrome. Methods: Doppler measurements were taken in fetal descending aorta and umbilical arteries of 53 patients with pre-eclampsia, 10 of whom had HELLP syndrome using fetometry (ACUSON 128XP/10, 3.5 MHz probe). These values were compared with those of 44 appropriate-for-gestational age singleton pregnancies (AGA). Doppler Indices (Resistance Index (RI), Systolic/Diastolic (S/D) ratio) and end-diastolic flows were related to fetal heart rate (FHR) during contraction stress test, to cord blood parameters (pH, Base Excess) and to Apgar Scores. Results: In contrast to AGA fetuses, IUGR fetuses had decreased end-diastolic flow and an increase of Doppler Indices significantly earlier in the descending aorta (p < 0.05), compared to umbilical artery. Increased RI’s, S/D ratios and a decrease of end-diastolic flow in fetal aorta were significantly correlated to frequency of FHR decelerations during contraction stress tests, pH, Base Excess (p < 0.01) and Apgar Scores in IUGR fetuses. Conclusion: A decrease in end-diastolic flow paralleled with an increase in Doppler indices in fetal descending aorta reflect oxygen deprivation in IUGR fetuses during pre-eclamptic pregnancies with or without HELLP syndrome. While ductus venosus and umbilical artery are more frequently used nowadays to determine fetal oxygen deprivation, Doppler measurements in fetal descending aorta provide additional information for early detection of fetuses at risk for IUGR in pregnancies complicated with pre-eclampsia and/or HELLP

A 7-year-old boy with recurrent cyanosis and tachypnea:A case report

BACKGROUND Brain tumors are the most common solid tumors in children and comprise 25%of all malignancies in children.Common presentations include headache,nausea and vomiting,gait abnormality,papilledema,and epileptic seizure;however,some symptoms can be very insidious,with atypical and misleading manifestations.CASE SUMMARY Here,we report a 7-year-old boy who presented with recurrent cyanosis and tachypnea after exercise for 2 years.His body mass index was 26.43 kg/m2.Hepatosplenomegaly,blood gas analysis,biochemical parameters,chest computed tomography scan,and echocardiograph suggested type II respiratory failure,pulmonary heart disease,and mild liver injury.Non-invasive breathing support,antibiotics,and anti-heart failure therapy were given.The patient’s pulse oxygen saturation increased to over 95%when he was awake but dropped to 50%-60%,accompanied by cyanosis,during sleep while receiving high-flow nasal cannula oxygen.Sleep-related breathing disorder was suspected.In the intensive care unit,however,polysomnography was unavailable.Brain magnetic resonance imaging revealed a space-occupying(cerebellum and brainstem)lesion,which was later confirmed to be pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma by surgery and histopathology by tissue biopsy.CONCLUSION When treating patients with cyanosis and tachypnea,a broad differential diagnosis should be considered,including brain tumor.

Primary intratracheal neurilemmoma in a 10-year-old girl:A case report

BACKGROUND Tracheal tumors are relatively rare in adults and uncommon in children.Tracheal neurilemmoma is a rare condition in adults that usually affects middle-aged people,but it can also occur in children.Because the clinical presentation is nonspecific and insidious,diagnosis is often delayed.The most common symptoms in these patients are stridor or wheezing(especially positional)and cough.A few patients are misdiagnosed and mistakenly treated for asthma.CASE SUMMARY A 10-year-old girl was admitted to our unit with a 2-mo history of recurrent cough,dyspnea,and tachypnea.Her condition was more severe after exercise.Her symptoms progressed despite treatment with inhaled fluticasone/salmeterol.Flexible electronic laryngoscopy showed a red,smooth,and round mushroomshaped mass in the trachea,about 1 cm below the vocal cords.The surface of the mass was covered with several small and discontinuous blood vessels.About 90%of the tracheal lumen was occupied by the mass.A multidisciplinary operation was performed.The surgically resected mass was diagnosed as benign neurilemmoma by immunohistochemical analysis.CONCLUSION Intratracheal neurilemmoma is fairly rare in children.The main symptoms include coughing,wheezing,and dyspnea.The tumor’s size,location,and degree of intratracheal and extratracheal invasion can be measured by chest computed tomography.The main treatment strategies used for tracheal neurilemmoma are surgical resection and endoscopic excision.Long-term follow-up is warranted for the evaluation of outcomes and complications.

Mechanical circulatory support in lung transplantation: Cardiopulmonary bypass, extracorporeal life support, and ex-vivo lung perfusion

Lung transplant is the standard of care for patients with end-stage lung disease refractory to medical management. There is currently a critical organ shortage for lung transplantation with only 17% of offered organs being transplanted. Of those patients receiving a lung transplant, up to 25% will develop primary graft dysfunction, which is associated with an 8-fold increase in 30-d mortality. There are numerous mechanical lung assistance modalities that may be employed to help combat these challenges. We will discuss the use of mechanical lung assistance during lung transplantation, as a bridge to transplant, as a treatment for primary graft dysfunction, and finally as a means to remodel and evaluate organs deemed unsuitable for transplant, thus increasing the donor pool, improving survival to transplant, and improving overall patient survival.

Perinatal morbidity and early neonatal mortality in twin pregnancies

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of maternal, fetal and obstetric parameters in twin pregnancies due to chorionicity, perinatal morbidity and early neonatal mortality. Methods: Early neonatal outcome parameters were retrospectively analysed in 240 twin pregnancies (51 monochorionic [MC], 189 dichorionic [DC] twins) over a 7.5 years period. Beside chorionicity, we focused on risk factors affecting perinatal morbidity and early neonatal outcome in the overall study cohort and subgroups 1) late preterm and 2) pregnancies conceived by artificial fertilization (IVF/ICSI). Mixed effects logistic regression models were used for multivariate risk analyses. Results: MC vs DC pregnancies showed significantly lower birth weights (p 25% and amniotic inflammation (amniotic infection syndrome [AIS]). A gestational age >36 completed weeks was accompanied by a decrease of early neonatal complications

Exosomal let-7a-5p derived from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells alleviates coxsackievirus B3-induced cardiomyocyte ferroptosis via the SMAD2/ZFP36 signal axis

Viral myocarditis(VMC)is one of the most common acquired heart diseases in children and teenagers.However,its pathogenesis is still unclear,and effective treatments are lacking.This study aimed to investigate the regulatory pathway by which exosomes alleviate ferroptosis in cardiomyocytes(CMCs)induced by coxsackievirus B3(CVB3).CVB3 was utilized for inducing the VMC mouse model and cellular model.Cardiac echocardiography,left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF),and left ventricular fractional shortening(LVFS)were implemented to assess the cardiac function.In CVB3-induced VMC mice,cardiac insufficiency was observed,as well as the altered levels of ferroptosis-related indicators(glutathione) peroxidase 4(GPX4),glutathione(GSH),and malondialdehyde(MDA).However,exosomes derived from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells(hucMSCs-exo)could restore the changes caused by CVB3 stimulation.Let-7a-5p was enriched in hucMSCs-exo,and the inhibitory ffect of hucMSCs-exoa-ie-pmimo on CVB3-induced ferroptosis was higher than that of hucMSCs-exommie N(NC:negative control).Mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 2(SMAD2)increased in the VMC group,while the expression of zinc-finger protein 36(ZFP36)decreased.Let-7a-5p was confirmed to interact with SMAD2 messenger RNA(mRNA),and the SMAD2 protein interacted directly with the ZFP36 protein.Silencing SMAD2 and overexpressing ZFP36 inhibited the expression of ferroptosis-related indicators.Meanwhile,the levels of GPX4,solute carrier family 7,member 11(SLC7A11),and GSH were lower in the SMAD2 overexpression plasmid(oe-SMAD2)+let-7a-5p mimic group than in the oe-NC+let-7a-5p mimic group,while those of MDA,reactive oxygen species(ROS),and Fe^(2+)increased.In conclusion,these data showed that ferroptosis could be regulated by mediating SMAD2 expression.Exo-let-7a-5p derived from hucMSCs could mediate SMAD2 to promote the expression of ZFP36,which further inhibited the ferroptosis of CMCs to alleviate CVB3-induced VMC.

Effects of methylprednisolone or immunoglobulin when added to standard treatment with intravenous azithromycin for refractory Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia in children

Background:The prevalence of Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia has increased considerably in recent years.To evaluate the efficacy of combined treatment of azithromycin with intravenous immunoglo-bulin (IVIG) or methylprednisolone in children with refractory Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (RMPP).Methods:Children with RMPP were randomly allocated to group A [intravenous azithromycin (IA)+ methylprednisolone],group B (IA+IVIG) or group C (IA alone).Following a 7-day treatment,group C patients were randomly separated into two sub-groups:group C1 (IA+methylprednisolone) and group C2 (IA+IVIG).Temperature,respiratory symptoms and signs were examined.The average febrile period after treatment (F2),average total febrile period (F3),infiltration absorption,atelectasis resolution,pleural effusion disappearance were determined.The levels of C-reactive protein (CRP),D-dimer,and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were measured.Results:Seven days after enrollment,the average F2 after treatment of group A was the shortest.Compared with the control group C,the combined treatment group A and B showed higher rates of infiltration absorption,atelectasis resolution and pleural effusion disappearance,while lower levels of serum CRP,D-dimer and LDH.Fourteen days after enrollment,all children with combined therapy clinically improved,and presented better laboratory results.Group C1 showed shorter F3 and lower levels of CRP and LDH than those of group C2.Overall,group A showed the shortest F3,also has the lowest CRP and LDH.Conclusions:Azithromycin with IVIG or methylprednisolone was better treatment for children with RMPP than azithromycin alone.IVIG treatment may be beneficial,especially when the efficacy of corticosteroids is insecure,thus could be considered as an alternative of primary therapeutic approaches.

Pediatric dysphagia overview:best practice recommendation study by multidisciplinary experts

Background Currently,there is no comprehensive and multidisciplinary recommendation study covering all aspects of pediatric dysphagia(PD).This study aimed to generate PD management recommendations with methods that can be used in clinical practice to fill this gap in our country and in the world,from the perspective of experienced multidisciplinary experts.Methods This recommendation paper was generated by a multidisciplinary team,using the seven-step process and a three-round modified Delphi survey via e-mail.First,ten open-ended questions were created,and then detailed recommendations including management,diagnosis,treatment,and follow-up were created with the answers from these questions.Each recommendation item was voted on by the experts as overall consensus(strong recommendation),approaching consensus(weak recommendation)and divergent consensus(not recommended).Results In the 1st Delphi round,a questionnaire of 414 items was prepared based on the experts’responses to ten open-ended questions.In the 2nd Delphi round,59.2%of these items were accepted as pre-recommendation.In the 3rd Delphi round,62.6%of 246 items were accepted for inclusion in the proposals.The final version recommendations consisted of 154 items.Conclusions This study includes comprehensive and detailed answers for every problem that could be posed in clinical practice for the management of PD,and recommendations are for all pediatric patients with both oropharyngeal and esophageal dysphagia.

Leptin gene polymorphism a昀ects leptin level in childhood asthma

Background Leptin may induce inflammation in asthma by activation of Th2 cells. It has also been demonstrated that leptin expression increases upon inflammation and that asthmatic patients show increased serum leptin levels. We hypothesized that the polymorphism in leptin (LEP) and leptin receptor (LEPR) genes is associated with childhood asthma and may affect their serum level. To our knowledge, there are no reports analyzing LEP and LEPR polymorphisms in association with their serum levels in childhood asthma. Methods We analyzed 35 subjects: 25 asthmatic pediatric patients and 10 healthy children aged from 6 to 18. The diagnosis of allergic asthma was based on clinical manifestation, lung function, positive skin prick tests and increased immunoglobulin E levels. The polymorphisms were genotyped with use of polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymor-phism method. Serum levels of leptin and leptin receptor were determined using BioVendor enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. Statistical analysis was done with Statistica v.12. Results We observed that leptin levels were increased in asthmatic subjects as compared to healthy controls and were sig-nificantly higher during exacerbation than in the asymptomatic period (P=0.025). We observed that LEP polymorphism (rs13228377) was associated with higher serum leptin levels in asthma and these two variables had high predictive value for asthma risk (P=0.007, odds ratio 17.5, predictive accuracy 83.9%). LEPR polymorphisms did not show association with its serum level and asthma risk. Conclusion LEP polymorphism may increase asthma risk via influence on its serum level.

A booster with SARS-CoV-2 vaccines:protection against Omicron infection

Recently,Wang et al.published a study in Nature that examined whether sera from individuals who received two or three doses of the inactivated vaccine could neutralize Omicron.1 Broad-spectrum and potent neutralizing antibodies were isolated from three-dose recipients,which could effectively neutralize strain pseudoviruses and authentic viruses of SARS-CoV-2 of concern(VOCs),including Omicron.In addition,the cryo-EM structures of the Omicron spike were elucidated,revealing a new critical immune evasion site and mechanism for the Omicron strain.