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Background Nasopharyngeal (NP) colonization with Streptococcus pneumoniae and non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) is common in children, and may evolve as the source of invasive infections. In Korea, the pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) were introduced >10 years ago, enabling the authors to study the effect of the vaccine in preventing carriage. Methods NP swabs were taken and a household survey was conducted at daycare centres located in different regions of Korea in 2014 and 2019. Pneumococcal serotypes were identified using the Quellung method and sequencing. NTHi were identified based on pilA and bexA genes. Results In total, 1460 NP swabs were obtained with pneumococcal carriage rates of 36.4–42.1% and NTHi carriage rates of 36.5–26.7%. Among children carrying pneumococci, a significant increase was seen in serotype 23A between 2014 and 2019 (from 12.6% to 22.0%; P=0.005). Children who had received PCV were at lower risk of vaccine-type carriage (2.9% vs 0.8%; P=0.005). Conclusions Between 2014 and 2019, the proportion of children carrying serotype 23A increased significantly, while the carriage rate of NTHi decreased. Continuous surveillance is needed to assess the long-term effects of the PCVs on carriage dynamics of pneumococcus and NTHi.

Background: dl-Malic acid (dl-M) is used widely in cosmetic formulations as a pH-adjuster or as a preservative. dl-M is used as an exfoliator in the form of α-hydroxy acids. However, the ro...

In areas with high prevalence of macrolide-resistant Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MRMP) pneumonia, treatment in children has become challenging. This study aimed to analyze the efficacy of macrolides and doxycycline with regard to the presence of macrolide resistance. We analyzed children with MP pneumonia during the two recent epidemics of 2014–2015 and 2019–2020 from four hospitals in Korea. Nasopharyngeal samples were obtained from children with pneumonia for MP cultures and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Macrolide resistance was determined by the analysis of 23S rRNA gene transition. Time to defervescence and to chest X-ray improvement were analyzed. Of 145 cases, the median age was 5.0 years and MRMP accounted for 59 (40.7%). Among macrolide-susceptible MP (MSMP), 78 (90.7%) were treated with macrolides and 21 (35.6%) in the MRMP group with doxycycline. In MRMP pneumonia, shorter days to defervescence (2 vs. 5 days, p &lt, 0.001) and to chest X-ray improvement (3 vs. 6 days, p &lt, 0.001) in the doxycycline group than in the macrolide group was observed, whereas no differences were observed among children with MSMP pneumonia. Compared to macrolides, treatment with doxycycline resulted in better outcomes with a shorter time to defervescence and to chest X-ray improvement among children with MRMP pneumonia.

Objectives In Korea, the National Immunization Program provided trivalent inactivated influenza vaccines (IIV3) to all children aged 6–59 months during the 2017–2018 season. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the vaccine effectiveness (VE) of IIV3 in children during the 2017–2018 season. Methods Children aged 6–59 months who were tested for influenza for their acute respiratory illness in four hospitals during the 2017–2018 influenza season were included. We estimated the VE of IIV3 by test-negative case-control design based on the rapid influenza diagnostic test (RIDT) or reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test results. Results A total of 4738 children were included in this study. The number of laboratory-confirmed influenza cases was 845 (17.8%), and there were 478 cases of influenza A and 362 cases of influenza B. The adjusted VE based on RT-PCR was 53.4% (95% CI, 25.3–70.5) against any influenza, 68.8% (95% CI, 38.7–84.1) against influenza A, and 29.7% (95% CI, −35.1 to 61.8) for influenza B. The adjusted VE based on RIDT was 14.8% (95% CI, −4.4 to 30.0) against any influenza, 24.2% (95% CI, 3.1–40.2) against influenza A, and −5.1% (95% CI, −42.6 to 21.4) against influenza B. Age-specific VE based on RT-PCR against any influenza was 44.1% (95% CI, −0.2 to 67.8) in children aged 6 months to 2 years and 59.3% (95% CI, 8.8–81.9) in children aged 3– Conclusion Our results suggest moderate protection (53.4%) of IIV3 against RT-PCR laboratory-confirmed influenza in children in the 2017–2018 influenza season. However, the RIDT hampered the validity to assess VE during influenza season. Caution is needed when interpreting an RIDT-based test negative design influenza VE study.

We report the case of a 12-year-old immunocompromised boy with spondylodiscitis of the thoracolumbar spine caused by Aspergillus terreus. Microbiologic diagnosis was confirmed by inoculation of aspiration fluid into blood culture bottles. Because of noncompliance, the patient was treated with extended voriconazole therapy (23 months) with regular serum drug concentration monitoring and intermittent direct observation therapy in an outpatient clinic. The Aspergillus genus contains species that are important causes of morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised hosts. Although the lung is the main target of invasive Aspergillosis, more severe forms such as Aspergillus osteomyelitis can occur. A. fumigatus is the most common cause of Aspergillus osteomyelitis, causing 55%-61% of all cases, whereas A. terreus causes 2.3%-2.8% of cases. The vertebral bodies are the most commonly affected sites, occurring in 46%-49% of cases., Here, we report the case of an immunocompromised 12-year-old boy with thoracolumbar spondylodiscitis caused by A. terreus.

목적: 중추신경계 감염의 적절한 치료를 위해서 신속한 원인 병원체의 확인이 중요하다. 본 연구는 열이 있는 영아의 뇌척수액 검체에서 원인 병원체 검출을 위한 BioFire® Meningitis/Encephalitis (ME) panel 검사 방법의 진단적 가치를 평가하고자 수행되었다. 방법: 2016년 1월부터 2019년 7월까지 발열을 주소로 서울대학교 어린이병원에 내원한 90일 미만의 영아로부터 채취한 뇌척수액으로 기존검사(세균 배양, Xpert® enterovirus assay, herpes simplex virus-1 and -2 중합효소 연쇄반응 검사)를 시행한 후 -70°C 초저온 냉동고에 보관된 검체를 대상으로 BioFire® ME panel 검사를 시행하였다. 결과: 총 72개 검체(원인 병원체가 검출된 24개와 검출되지 않은 48개)가 포함되었다. BioFire® ME panel 검사 결과, 기존검사로 원인 병원체가 검출되지 않은 48개의 검체 중 41개(85.4%)는 음성이었고 원인 병원체가 검출된 24개 검체 중 22개(91.7%)가 동일한 결과(enterovirus 19개, Streptococcus agalactiae 2개, Streptococcus pneumoniae 1개)를 보여 전체 일치율은 87.5% (63/72)였다. 병원체가 기존검사에서 검출되지 않았으나 BioFire® ME panel에서 검출된 7개의 검체 중 6개에서 human parechovirus (HPeV)가 검출되었다. 결론: 열이 있는 90일 미만 영아에서 BioFire® ME panel 검사법은 원인 병원체가 밝혀진 기존검사 결과와는 비교적 높은 일치도를 보이며, HPeV를 추가적으로 진단할 수 있었다. 향후, 소아청소년 진료 영역에서 BioFire® ME panel 검사법을 적용할 근거를 마련하기 위한 임상적 유용성과 비용 효과에 대한 연구가 필요하다.

This study investegated the effect of Liriope platyphylla (LP) on allergic reactions and its mechanism of action. We investigated the effect of LP on Evans Blue (EB) extravasation induced by anti-dinitrophenyl (DNP)-IgE in rats. We tested whether the ethanol extract of LP reduced ear skin thickness and historical changes induced by topical application of 2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB) to ears of mice. We evaluated compound 48/80-induced release of histamine in rats peritoneal mast cell (RPMCs). We also investigated the regulatory effect of LP on the level of inflammatory mediators in PMACI-induced human mast cell (HMC-1); cytokine IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α in HMC-1, MAPKs (ERK, JNK and p38) in HMC-1. The ethanol extract of LP (81.3 mg/100 g body weight) significantly inhibited the PCA reaction compared with the control (P < 0.05). However, LP did not prevent topical applications of DNFB-induced ear skin thickening and histological changes. In RPMCs, histamine release induced by compound 48/80 was significantly attenuated by LP at 100 μg/ml (P < 0.05). LP extract (100 μg/ml) significantly reduced the PMACI-induced IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α secretion via inhibition of ERK phosphorylation in HMC-1. In conclusion, the ethanol extract of LP inhibited mast cell-derived, immediate-type allergic reactions, and the result suggest the potential of LP for preventing allergic inflammatory disorders.