Search

Objective To investigate the respiratory pathogens and clinical features in children with acute exacerbation of bronchial asthma. Methods Nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from 225 children with acute exacerbation of bronchial asthma, aged <14 years, who attended the outpatient service or were hospitalized from August 2017 to August 2019. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to detect 12 pathogens, i.e., respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), human rhinovirus (HRV), influenza virus A (IFVA), influenza virus B (IFVB), parainfluenza virus types 1-3 (PIV1- 3), human metapneumovirus (HMPV), adenovirus (ADV), Bordetella pertussis (BP), Chlamydia pneumoniae (CP), and Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP). Results The overall detection rate of virus was 46.2% (104/225), and 7 kinds of viruses were detected, i.e., HRV (19.6%, 44/225), ADV (16.0%, 36/225), IFVB (5.8%, 13/225), RSV (4.9%, 11/225), IFVA (3.6%, 8/225), PIV3 (1.8%, 4/225), and HMPV (0.4%, 1/225). Of all pathogens, BP had the highest detection rate of 28.4% (64/225), and the detection rates of MP and CP were 16.4% (37/225) and 0.4% (1/225), respectively. The mild exacerbation group had a higher detection rate of BP than the severe exacerbation group (P<0.05), while the severe exacerbation group had significantly higher detection rates of RSV and MP than the mild exacerbation group (P<0.05). There were significant differences in the proportion of children with paroxysmal cough, spasmodic cough, fever, lung rales and abnormal lung imaging findings among the simple BP infection, simple virus infection and simple MP infection groups (P<0.05). Conclusions BP, HRV, and MP are common respiratory pathogens detected in children with acute exacerbation of bronchial asthma, and respiratory virus infection is an important pathogen of acute exacerbation of asthma in children. Acute exacerbation of asthma caused by different pathogens has different clinical features and severities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To study the expression of interferon-λ1 (IFN-λ1) in respiratory epithelial cells in children with human rhinovirus (HRV) infection. Methods Sputum samples and nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from the children who were hospitalized due to acute respiratory infection from February to October, 2017. Bacterial culture was performed, and nucleic acid test was performed for 11 respiratory pathogens. A total of 90 children with positive HRV alone were enrolled as the HRV infection group, and 95 children with positive respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) alone were enrolled as the RSV infection group. A total of 50 healthy children who underwent outpatient physical examination during the same period of time and had negative results for all pathogen tests were enrolled as the healthy control group. Nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from all groups, and quantitative real-time PCR was used to measure viral load and the mRNA expression of IFN-λ1. Results In the HRV infection group, there was no significant difference in the mRNA expression of IFN-λ1 between boys and girls and across all age groups (P>0.05). In the HRV infection group, there was no correlation between the mRNA expression of IFN-λ1 and HRV load (P>0.05). The mRNA expression of IFN-λ1 in the HRV infection group was significantly higher than that in the healthy control group (P<0.05), but significantly lower than that in the RSV infection group (P<0.05). Conclusions HRV can induce the expression of IFN-λ1 in respiratory epithelial cells, suggesting that IFN-λ1 may play an important role in anti-HRV infection in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A boy, aged 11 years, was admitted due to intermittent fever for 15 days, cough for 10 days, and "hemoptysis" for 7 days. The boy had fever and cough with left neck pain 15 days ago, and antibiotic treatment was effective. During the course of disease, the boy developed massive "hemoptysis" which caused shock. Fiberoptic bronchoscopy revealed a left pyriform sinus fistula with continuous bleeding. In combination with neck and vascular imaging examination results, the boy was diagnosed with internal jugular vein injury and thrombosis due to congenital pyriform sinus fistula infection and neck abscess. The boy was improved after treatment with temperature-controlled radiofrequency ablation for the closure of pyriform sinus fistula, and no recurrence was observed during the follow-up for one year and six months. No reports of massive hemorrhage and shock due to pyriform sinus fistula infection were found in the searched literature, and this article summarizes the clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment of this boy, so as to provide a reference for the early diagnosis of such disease and the prevention and treatment of its complications.

Objective: To investigate the respiratory pathogens and clinical features in children with acute exacerbation of bronchial asthma., Methods: Nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from 225 children with acute exacerbation of bronchial asthma, aged <14 years, who attended the outpatient service or were hospitalized from August 2017 to August 2019. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to detect 12 pathogens, i.e., respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), human rhinovirus (HRV), influenza virus A (IFVA), influenza virus B (IFVB), parainfluenza virus types 1-3 (PIV1-3), human metapneumovirus (HMPV), adenovirus (ADV), Bordetella pertussis (BP), Chlamydia pneumoniae (CP), and Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP)., Results: The overall detection rate of virus was 46.2% (104/225), and 7 kinds of viruses were detected, i.e., HRV (19.6%, 44/225), ADV (16.0%, 36/225), IFVB (5.8%, 13/225), RSV (4.9%, 11/225), IFVA (3.6%, 8/225), PIV3 (1.8%, 4/225), and HMPV (0.4%, 1/225). Of all pathogens, BP had the highest detection rate of 28.4% (64/225), and the detection rates of MP and CP were 16.4% (37/225) and 0.4% (1/225), respectively. The mild exacerbation group had a higher detection rate of BP than the severe exacerbation group (P<0.05), while the severe exacerbation group had significantly higher detection rates of RSV and MP than the mild exacerbation group (P<0.05). There were significant differences in the proportion of children with paroxysmal cough, spasmodic cough, fever, lung rales and abnormal lung imaging findings among the simple BP infection, simple virus infection and simple MP infection groups (P<0.05)., Conclusions: BP, HRV, and MP are common respiratory pathogens detected in children with acute exacerbation of bronchial asthma, and respiratory virus infection is an important pathogen of acute exacerbation of asthma in children. Acute exacerbation of asthma caused by different pathogens has different clinical features and severities.

Objective: To study the expression of interferon-λ1 (IFN-λ1) in respiratory epithelial cells in children with human rhinovirus (HRV) infection., Methods: Sputum samples and nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from the children who were hospitalized due to acute respiratory infection from February to October, 2017. Bacterial culture was performed, and nucleic acid test was performed for 11 respiratory pathogens. A total of 90 children with positive HRV alone were enrolled as the HRV infection group, and 95 children with positive respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) alone were enrolled as the RSV infection group. A total of 50 healthy children who underwent outpatient physical examination during the same period of time and had negative results for all pathogen tests were enrolled as the healthy control group. Nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from all groups, and quantitative real-time PCR was used to measure viral load and the mRNA expression of IFN-λ1., Results: In the HRV infection group, there was no significant difference in the mRNA expression of IFN-λ1 between boys and girls and across all age groups (P>0.05). In the HRV infection group, there was no correlation between the mRNA expression of IFN-λ1 and HRV load (P>0.05). The mRNA expression of IFN-λ1 in the HRV infection group was significantly higher than that in the healthy control group (P<0.05), but significantly lower than that in the RSV infection group (P<0.05)., Conclusions: HRV can induce the expression of IFN-λ1 in respiratory epithelial cells, suggesting that IFN-λ1 may play an important role in anti-HRV infection in children.

Objective: To investigate the distribution characteristics and clinical features of Burkholderia cepacia infection in children., Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of 16 children with Burkholderia cepacia infection who were hospitalized between June 2012 and September 2017., Results: All 16 children with Burkholderia cepacia infection were sporadic cases. A total of 16 strains of Burkholderia cepacia were isolated, among which 8 were detected by sputum culture, 5 were detected by blood culture, 2 were detected by tracheal intubation tip culture, and 1 was detected by lung biopsy culture. Of the 16 children, there were 11 boys and 5 girls, with an age of 5 days to 6 years, and the children aged <1 year accounted for 69%. As for department distribution, 10 children were in the PICU/NICU and 6 were in the general wards. As for clinical manifestations, one child had disseminated intravascular coagulation, and the other 15 children had pulmonary infection, among who 11 had severe pneumonia (8 of them underwent mechanical ventilation during treatment). As for underlying diseases, 2 had severe congenital heart disease, 4 had primary immunodeficiency, 3 were highly suspected of immunodeficiency or inherited metabolic diseases, 1 had tracheal stenosis, 1 had Kawasaki disease, 1 was a preterm infant with bronchopulmonary dysplasia, 1 had severe cleft lip and palate, and 3 had no definite underlying diseases. Of all the children, 7 also had infections with adenovirus and Mycoplasma. The average length of hospital stay was 20.3 days for all children, and 12 were improved and 4 died after treatment. All 16 strains of Burkholderia cepacia had a drug resistance rate of 100% to amikacin and gentamicin and ≥80% to ampicillin/sulbactam and ticarcillin/clavulanic acid, as well as the lowest drug resistance rate to levofloxacin., Conclusions: Burkholderia cepacia is an opportunistic pathogen often found in immunocompromised children and can produce drug resistance. The presence or absence of underlying diseases should be considered during anti-infective therapy. The children with Burkholderia cepacia infection often have a poor prognosis, and an understanding of the disease spectrum of Burkholderia cepacia infection helps with clinical diagnosis and treatment.

This study aimed to investigate antibody levels of the newer human enteroviruses (EV) A71, A90, and B87 in the population of Shandong Province, and provide a scientific basis for the development of prevention and control measures. In this study, serum specimens were collected from 400 individuals living in Yantai city, Shandong Province in 2010. EV-A71, A90, and B87 antibodies were detected using neutralization tests, and the results were analyzed by statistical methods. It was found that the positive neutralizing antibody rates of EV-A71, A90 and B87 in the population were 46.0%, 8.8%, and 47.0%, respectively. Their geometric mean titers (GMT) were 1 : 5.20, 1 : 1.49, and 1 : 4.02, respectively. Positive antibody rates for EV-A71 and EV-B87 were lowest in the 1-yr and 7-mo age groups, respectively. Positive rates increased gradually with age, and become consistent in the population aged >5 years. Positive antibody rates of EV-A90 were consistent across all age groups. Maternal antibody levels of EV-A71 declined rapidly after birth, and the increase in seroprevalence among 3-7 years old children implied that most EV-A71 infections occurred in preschool and early elementary school children. High positive antibody rates of EV-B87 in healthy individuals, especially children, implied that there may be an immune barrier within the general population. The population monitoring of EV-A90 should be strengthened, as its positive antibody rate is low.