Objective To evaluate the diagnostic value of baseline serum luteinizing hormone (LH) level for central precocious puberty (CPP) in girls. Methods A total of 279 girls with precocious puberty were subjected to assessment of growth and development, bone age determination, baseline LH test, and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) test, gonadotropin-releasing hormone stimulation test, and other related examinations. Of the 279 patients, 175 were diagnosed with CPP and 104 with premature thelarche (PT). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic value of baseline LH and FSH levels and their peak levels for CPP, and the correlation between the baseline LH level and the peak LH level was analyzed. Results The CPP group had signifcantly higher bone age, baseline LH and FSH levels, peak LH and FSH levels, and ratio of peak LH level to peak FSH level than the PT group (P < 0.01). The ROC curve proved that baseline LH level and peak LH level had good diagnostic values for CPP. Among the three bone age subgroups in the CPP group (7.0-9.0 years, 9.0-11.0 years, and > 11.0 years), baseline LH level showed the best diagnostic value in the > 11.0 years subgroup, with the largest area under the ROC curve. At a baseline LH level of 0.45 IU/L, the Youden index reached the peak value, and the sensitivity and specifcity were 66.7% and 80% respectively, for the diagnosis of CPP. At a peak LH level of 9.935 IU/L, the Youden index reached the peak value, and the sensitivity and specifcity were 74.8% and 100% respectively, for the diagnosis of CPP. The baseline LH level was positively correlated with the peak LH level (r=0.440, P < 0.01). Conclusions Baseline LH level can be used as an primary screening index for the diagnosis of CPP. It has a certain diagnostic value for CPP at different bone ages, and may be used as a monitoring index during the treatment and follow-up.
Objective To observe the effects of Huaiqihuang granules on the immune function in children with severe Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia. Methods Pediatric inpatients with severe Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia were randomly divided into Huaiqihuang granule treatment group (n=51) and conventional treatment group (n=47). The Huaiqihuang granule treatment group was orally administered Huaiqihuang granules in addition to the conventional treatment, while the conventional treatment group received conventional treatment only. Levels of serum IgA, IgG, and IgM, percentages of CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocyte subsets, and CD4+/CD8+ ratio were examined in the two groups. The incidence rate of respiratory tract re-infection within three months following treatment was compared between the two groups. Results The levels of serum IgA, IgG, and IgM, the percentage of CD4+ T lymphocytes, and the CD4+/CD8+ ratio were significantly higher in the Huaiqihuang granule treatment group than in the conventional treatment group three months after treatment (P < 0.05). In contrast, the percentage of CD8+ T lymphocytes was signifcantly lower in the Huaiqihuang granule treatment group than in the conventional treatment group (P < 0.05). In addition, the incidence rate of respiratory tract re-infection within three months following treatment was signifcantly lower in the Huaiqihuang granule treatment group than in the conventional treatment group (P < 0.05). Conclusions Huaiqihuang granules can regulate immune functions and reduce the incidence of short-term respiratory tract re-infection in children with severe Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia.
Objective To investigate the relationship of KI polyomavirus (KIPyV) and WU polyomavirus (WUPyV) with acute respiratory infection in children in Tianjin, China. Methods A total of 3 730 nasopharyngeal secretions were collected from hospitalized children with acute respiratory infection in Tianjin Children's Hospital from January 2011 to December 2013. Viral nucleic acid was extracted, and virus infection (KIPyV and WUPyV) was determined by PCR. Some KIPyV-positive and WUPyV-positive PCR products were subjected to sequencing. Sequencing results were aligned with the known gene sequences of KIPyV and WUPyV to construct a phylogenetic tree. Amplifed VP1 fragments of KIPyV were inserted into the cloning vector (PUCm-T) transformed into E. coli competent cells. Positive clones were identifed by PCR and sequencing. The nucleotide sequences were submitted to GenBank. In addition, another seven common respiratory viruses in all samples were detected by direct immunofluorescence assay. Results In the 3 730 specimens, the KIPyV-positive rate was 12.14% (453/3 730) and the WUPyV-positive rate was 1.69% (63/3730). The mean infection rate of KIPyV was signifcantly higher in June and July, while the mean infection rate of WUPyV peaked in February and March. Most of the KIPyV-positive or WUPyV-positive children were < 3 years. The co-infections with KIPyV, WUPyV, and other respiratory viruses were observed in the children. The coinfection rate was 2.31% (86/3 730) and there were nine cases of co-infections with WUPyV and KIPyV. Thirty-fve KIPyV-positive and twelve WUPyV-positive PCR products were sequenced and the alignment analysis showed that they had high homology with the known sequences (94%-100% vs 95%-100%). The VP1 gene sequences obtained from two KIPyV strains in this study were recorded in GenBank with the accession numbers of KY465925 and KY465926. Conclusions For some children with acute respiratory infection in Tianjin, China, the acute respiratory infection may be associated with KIPyV and WUPyV infections. KIPyV infection is common in summer, and WUPyV infection in spring. The epidemic strains in Tianjin have a high homology with those in other regions.
Objective To investigate the value of serum miR-17-92 cluster in the diagnosis of retinoblastoma (RB). Methods Serum samples were collected from 20 children with RB and 20 healthy controls. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to measure the expression of miR-17-92 cluster. The expression of miR-17-92 cluster was compared between children with different stages of RB and the changes in the expression of miR-17-92 cluster after multimodality therapy were analyzed. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to investigate the value of serum miR-17-92 cluster in the diagnosis of RB. Results Compared with the healthy controls, the children with RB had signifcantly higher relative expression of miR-17-3P, miR-17-5P, miR-18a, and miR-20a in serum (P < 0.05), and miR-18a showed the greatest increase. There were no signifcant differences in the relative expression of miR-19a, miR-19b-1, and miR-92a-1 between children with RB and healthy controls (P > 0.05). There were no signifcant differences in the expression of miR-17-5P, miR-17-3P, miR-18a, and miR-20a between the children with early-to-moderate stage of RB and those with advanced stage of RB (P > 0.05), but there were signifcant reductions after multimodality therapy (P < 0.05). In the diagnosis of RB, the areas under the ROC curve (AUCs) for serum miR-17-3P, miR-17-5P, miR-18a, and miR-20a were 0.770, 0.755, 0.828, and 0.665 respectively, and miR-18a had the largest AUC, with a sensitivity of 90% and a specifcity of 65%. Conclusions miR-17-3P, miR-17-5P, miR-18a, and miR-20a are highly expressed in the serum of children with RB, and miR-18a may be used as a new marker for the diagnosis of RB.
Objective To investigate the difference in the efficacy between clonidine transdermal patch and haloperidol tablets in the treatment of moderate to severe tic disorders in children. Methods A total of 134 children with moderate to severe tic disorders were randomly divided into clonidine group (n=70) and haloperidol group (n=64). The clonidine and haloperidol groups were treated with clonidine transdermal patch and haloperidol tablets respectively, and the treatment lasted for 8 weeks in both groups. The Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS) was used to evaluate the conditions of the children before and after treatment, and the adverse events during the treatment were recorded. Results The haloperidol group had a signifcantly better treatment outcome than the clonidine group after one week of treatment (P < 0.05); the treatment outcome showed no signifcant difference between the two groups after 3, 5, and 8 weeks of treatment (P > 0.05). The clonidine group had signifcantly less reductions in the motor tics, vocal tics, and function impairment scores and total score of YGTSS than the haloperidol group after one week of treatment (P < 0.05); there were no signifcant differences in YGTSS score reductions between the two groups after 3, 5, and 8 weeks of treatment (P > 0.05). The clonidine group had a signifcantly lower overall incidence of adverse events than the haloperidol group (8% vs 37%; P < 0.01). Conclusions Clonidine transdermal patch and haloperidol are both effective in the treatment of moderate to severe tic disorders in children. The clonidine transdermal patch, despite slow action, has comparable effcacy and fewer adverse effects compared with haloperidol.
Objective To investigate the association of serum vitamin D[25-(OH)D3] level with the severity and treatment in children with Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP). Methods A total of 50 children with newly-diagnosed HSP between January and December, 2015 were enrolled as HSP group, and 49 healthy children were enrolled as control group. Fasting serum samples were collected, and ELISA was used to measure serum 25-(OH)D3 level. According to the serum 25-(OH)D3 level, the HSP group were further divided into normal group (> 20 ng/mL) (n=9), insuffciency group (15-20 ng/mL) (n=15), defciency group (≤ 15 ng/mL) (n=25), and severe defciency group (≤ 5 ng/mL) (n=1). The general data, clinical manifestations, hormone therapy, course of disease before admission, and length of hospital stay were compared between groups. Results The HSP group had a signifcantly lower serum 25-(OH)D3 level than the control group (16±6 ng/mL vs 29±5 ng/mL; P < 0.01). Compared with the normal and insuffciency groups, the defciency and severe deficiency groups had significant increases in the incidence rate of renal involvement, rate of hormone application, and median length of hospital stay (P < 0.05), while there was no signifcant difference in course of disease before admission (P > 0.05). Conclusions Children with HSP have a low serum 25-(OH)D3 level, and such children may have a high risk of renal involvement, a high rate of hormone application, and a prolonged length of hospital stay. However, further studies are needed to investigate whether vitamin D supplementation is helpful to the treatment of HSP and can shorten the course of disease in children with HSP.
Objective To investigate vitamin D level at birth and possible influencing factors in preterm infants. Methods A total of 600 preterm infants were enrolled, and venous blood samples were collected within 24 hours after birth to measure the serum level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D[25(OH)D]. The effect of sex, birth weight, birth season, gestational age, mother's age, body mass index (BMI) in early pregnancy, delivery mode, and complications during pregnancy on serum 25(OH)D level was analyzed. Results The rates of vitamin D defciency, insuffciency, and suffciency were 42.0%, 38.7%, and 19.3% respectively. The preterm infants born in summer and autumn had a signifcantly higher serum 25(OH)D level than those born in winter (P < 0.05) and a signifcantly lower incidence rate of vitamin D defciency than those born in spring and winter (P < 0.003). Compared with those whose mothers were aged < 30 years, the infants whose mothers were aged ≥ 30 years had a signifcantly higher serum 25(OH)D level (P < 0.05) and a signifcantly lower incidence rate of vitamin D defciency (P < 0.017). Compared with those whose mothers were overweight or had normal body weight, the infants whose mothers were obese had a signifcantly lower serum 25(OH)D level (P < 0.05) and a signifcantly higher incidence rate of vitamin D defciency (P < 0.006). Compared with those whose mothers had no preeclampsia, the infants whose mothers had preeclampsia during pregnancy had a signifcantly lower serum 25(OH)D level (P < 0.05) and a signifcantly higher incidence rate of vitamin D defciency (P < 0.017). The multivariate analysis showed that birth in winter and spring, mother's age < 30 years, and early-pregnancy BMI ≥ 28 kg/m2 were risk factors for vitamin D defciency (P < 0.05). Conclusions There is a high prevalence of vitamin D defciency in preterm infants. Vitamin D supplementation should be given to the preterm infants with high-risk factors for vitamin D defciency.
Objective To investigate the effect of annexin A2 (AnxA2) on epithelial growth factor receptor (EGFR)/nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signal transduction and mucin expression in human airway epithelial H292 cells treated with Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP). Methods H292 cells were divided into control group, MP group, NC-siRNA+MP group, and AnxA2 siRNA+MP group. The cells in the MP group were incubated with 5 μg/mL MP antigen for 2 hours. The cells in the NC-siRNA+MP and AnxA2 siRNA+MP groups were transfected with NC-siRNA and AnxA2 siRNA for 24 hours, followed by MP antigen stimulation for 2 hours. The MTT method was used to measure cell viability; quantitative real-time PCR was used to measure the mRNA expression of AnxA2; Western blot was used to measure the protein expression of AnxA2, phosphorylated EGFR (p-EGFR), and phosphorylated p65 NF-κB (p-p65 NF-κB); ELISA was used to measure the secretion of mucin 5AC (MUC5AC) and mucin 5B (MUC5B). Results The MP and NC-siRNA+MP groups had lower cell viability than the control group (P < 0.05). The AnxA2 siRNA+MP group had higher cell viability than the MP and NC-siRNA+MP groups and lower cell viability than the control group (P < 0.05). The MP and NC-siRNA+MP groups had signifcantly higher mRNA and protein expression of AnxA2 than the AnxA2 siRNA+MP group (P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the MP and NC-siRNA+MP groups had significant increases in the protein expression of p-EGFR, p-p65 NF-κB, MUC5AC, and MUC5B (P < 0.05); the AnxA2 siRNA+MP group had lower protein expression than the MP and NC-siRNA+MP groups, but higher protein expression than the control group (P < 0.05). Conclusions AnxA2 is involved in the airway lesion induced by MP antigen via mediating EGFR/NF-κB signaling activation and mucin expression in human airway epithelial cells.
Objective To investigate the effect of high-fat diet on the expression of transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) in the respiratory system and the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) of mice, as well as its effect on the excitability of sensory neurons. Methods A total of 20 C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into normal-diet (ND) group and high-fat diet (HFD) group, with 10 mice in each group. The mice were given corresponding diets and body weights were monitored. After 7 weeks of feeding, lung tissue, bronchial tissue, and DRG at thoracic segments 3-4 were collected and immunohistochemical staining was performed. A patch clamp was used to measure the number of action potentials and TRPV1 current intensity in the DRG. Results After 7 weeks of feeding, the HFD group had signifcantly greater mean weight gain than the ND group (6.4±2.6 g vs 2.3±0.5 g; P < 0.001). The HFD group had signifcantly higher expression of TRPV1 in the bronchus, pulmonary alveoli, and DRG than the ND group (P < 0.05). Compared with the ND group, the HFD group had signifcant increases in the TRPV1 current intensity and number of action potentials in the DRG (P < 0.05). Conclusions High-fat diet induces a signifcant increase in body weight and leads to high expression of TRPV1 and high excitability in the respiratory system and the peripheral sensory neurons. This suggests that TRPV1 may be an important factor in the physiopathological mechanisms of bronchial hyperresponsiveness.
