Purpose : Early detection and intervention of hearing impairment is believed to improve speech and language development and behavior of children. The aim of this preliminary study was to determine the prevalence of hearing impairments, and to identify the association of risk factors relating to refer response in high risk neonates who were screened using distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE). Methods... |
Purpose : The aims of this study included assessment of molecular-epidemiologic features during an outbreak of colonization of extended spectrum β-lactamase producing Klebsiella pneumoniae(ESBL- KPN) and re-evaluation of their colonized status one year later. Methods : Rectal swab cultures for ESBL-KPN from all hospitalized infants and newly admitted infants were obtained during the outbreak of colonization from July to December,... |
Purpose : It is difficult to make a distinction between lower urinary tract infection(UTI) and acute pyelonephritis(APN) during the acute phase of febrile UTI due to nonspecific clinical symptoms and laboratory findings, especially among young children. We measured the serum procalcitonin(PCT) in children with UTI to distinguish between acute pyelonephritis and lower UTI, and to determine the accuracy of PCT... |
Purpose : Delineation of serum lipid and lipoprotein values in children after Kawasaki disease(KD) is important because of the predilection of this disease for the coronary arteries. Methods : The KD group was composed of 51 patients who were hospitalized from Jan. 2002 to Dec. 2003. Control was 25 patients with non-KD febrile illness. The levels of total lipid, phospholipid,... |
Purpose : Pneumococcal protein vaccine based on pneumococcal surface protein A (PspA) is in development with the potential to offer a broad range of protection against different strains. PspA elicits protection in mice against fatal sepsis as well as carriage and lung infection. This study was performed to investigate the frequency of PspA families among Streptococcus pneumoniae recovered from Korean... |
Purpose : The purpose of this study is to evaluate the clinical characteristic changes of acute poststeptococcal glomerulonephritis(APSGN) in recent. The cases of APSGN occurred for the last ten years were divided into group I and II by the unit of 5 years and clinical manifestations and laboratory findings of each groups were analyzed. Methods : Total of 74 cases... |
Purpose : An outbreak of ESBL-producing Shigella sonnei enteritis was unprecedented not only in Korea but throughout the world in the past. We intended to devise a management guideline for ESBL-producing shigellosis based on analysis of clinical manifestations and response to therapy. Methods : We analyzed 103 patients who were admitted to the hospital with acute GI symptoms and were... |
Purpose : Cow's milk protein-induced enterocolitis(CMPIE) is a symptom complex of vomiting and/ or diarrhea caused by delayed hypersensitivity and may result in serious complications. This study was undertaken to identify high risk factors to facilitate the early recognition of CMPIE. Methods : We reviewed the data of 101 patients, aged 15 to 45 days, admitted due to vomiting and/... |
Purpose : Medicolegal problems start when the patient asserts the mistake of doctor and doctor does not accept it. The purpose of this study is to assess the actual condition of medicolegal problems and to provide solutions of medicolegal problems in the pediatric field. Methods : There is not official statistical data about medicolegal problems in our country. We gathered... |
Purpose : Infants and children with cardiovascular diseases often present with respiratory symptoms. However, missed or delayed evaluation for potential airway problem may complicate overall prognosis. The aim of this study is to determine the clinical characteristics of these patients and explore the cause of airway problem. Methods : We reviewed the medical records of 64 patients(M : F=33:31, mean... |
There is scientific evidence that administration of probiotics is effective in the treatment of acute infectious diarrhea in children and the prevention of antibiotic associated diarrhea and nosocomial/ community acquired diarrhea. Probiotics prevent relapse of recurrent pouchitis and decrease the initial onset of pouchitis in ulcerative colitis. Probiotic organisms suppress growth of pathogens as well as their epithelial attachment and/or... |
Purpose : The purpose of this study was to examine the causes, clinical courses and outcomes in children with acute respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS), and evaluate the physiologic variables as prognostic factors in the patients. Methods : Retrograde medical chart review was carried out in 24 patients who were diagnosed with ARDS at the pediatric intensive care unit(PICU) during 20-month period. Results... |
New evidence is emerging that airway smooth muscle(ASM) may act as an immunomodulatory cell by providing pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, polypeptide growth factors, extracellular matrix proteins, cell adhesion receptors and co-stimulatory molecules. ASM can promote the formation of the interstitial extracellular matrix, and potentially contribute to the alterations within the extracellular matrix in asthma. In addition, extracellular matrix components can... |
Purpose : Hypoalbuminemia is a rare cause of pleural effusion. The relationship between the severity of hypoalbuminemia and the clinical course of pleural effusion is unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the change of clinical course according to the severity of hypoalbuminemia due to pleural effusion in children. Methods : A total of 96 patients admitted to Pusan... |
Purpose : Mycoplasama pneumoniae is a leading cause of pneumonia and exacerbates other respiratory conditions such as asthma. Surfactant protein A(SP-A) is involved in surfactant physiology and surfactant structure, and plays a major role in innate host defense and inflammatory processes in the lung. In this study, SP-A mediated mycoplasma cidal activity. The candidate-gene approach was used to study the... |
Purpose : We performed this study to evaluate the mean serum levels of insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I, insulin-like growth factor binding protein(IGFBP)-2 and IGFBP-3 in healthy Korean children according to age and sex. Methods : Ninety two healthy children, consisting of 42 boys and 50 girls, were classified into five groups according to age : neonate; infancy; early childhood; late childhood;... |
Henoch-Sch nlein purpura(HSP) is an IgA mediated immune complex vasculitic disease characterized by non-thrombocytic purpura, arthritis, gastrointestinal manifestations, and glomerulonephritis. HSP related glomerulonephritis induces hypoproteinemia and edema in some cases. Protein-losing enteropathy is another rare but known manifestation of HSP leading to hypoproteinemia and edema. We report a 6-year-old girl with HSP who showed edema caused by intestinal protein loss,... |
ity has been reported to occur in both clinical and experimental forms of dilated cardiomyopathy. There was no report about MMP in adriamycin(ADR)-induced cardiomyopathy. The purpose of this study was to investigate gene expression of MMP and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases(TIMP) in ADR-induced cardiomyopathy and clarify the relationship between MMP and cytokines. Methods : Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into two... |
Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP) is a systemic disorder characterized by leukocytoclastic vasculitis that can affect multiple organs predominantly the skin, joints, gastrointestinal tract and kidney. Although the specific pathogenesis of HSP is not known, there are several hypotheses. Although the importance of the complement activation in glomerular injury in HSP has been suggested, the complement levels and the blood pressure in... |
Purpose : The pathologic mechanisms of central nervous system(CNS) injuries in human meningitis are not yet completely understood. Recent studies indicate that the host inflammatory responses are as important in brain damage as the infecting organisms and toxins. There have been some reports on the relationship of nitric oxide(NO), macrophage inflammatory protein-1α(MIP-1α), and lactoferrin in bacterial meningitis, but few reports... |
Purpose : In order to assess the usefulness of serum ferritin as a marker of disease activity and prognostic factor in pediatric malignancy, serum ferritin levels were measured. Methods : Peripheral blood samplings for ferritin level were made at presentation, in remission following therapy, and in relapse in 95 children with malignancy admitted to the Department of Pediatrics, Kosin University Gospel... |
Purpose : Recently, there has been a marked increase in childhood obesity, and that has aroused social concern. Obesity increases several metabolic disease such as hypertension, diabetes, fatty liver, heart disease and the mortality rate. Complications of obesity are more closely related with the accumulation of visceral fat. Therefore, fundamental treatment of obesity Should be the reduction of body fat.... |
Purpose : PTEN/MMAC1, a novel tumor suppressor gene, is mutated in a variety of advanced and metastatic cancers. It acts as a phosphatase, and thereby, regulates the PI-3 kinase/Akt pathway. In this study, we examined to evaluate the new function of anti-tumor effects of PTEN/MMAC1 through the regulation of the IGFs-IGFBPs in gastric cancer cells. Methods : PTEN/MMAC1 was expressed in... |
Purpose : This study was performed to find the clinical significance in protein C as a differential marker in the beginning stage of infection and prognosis factor in severe infection among pediatric patients who were admitted due to fever. Methods : A total of 40 pediatric patients who had temperatures higher than 37.5℃ on admission at the Department of Pediatrics,... |
Purpose : Enhancing overall health by preventive and therapeutic use of probiotics has shown great promise on inflammatory, infectious, neoplastic disorders, allergies, et al. To attain preliminary data for the use of probiotics, we have studied the change in intestinal flora, Lactobacillus count among healthy, full term neonates. Methods : Fresh stool samples were collected on the 2nd or 5th day... |
Purpose : Respiratory distress syndrome(RDS) is caused by a deficiency of pulmonary surfactant, which is a lipoprotein complex. Both low levels of surfactant protein A(SP-A) and SP-A alleles have been associated with RDS. However, the genes underlying susceptibility to RDS are insufficiently known. The candidate-gene approach was used to study the association between the SP-A gene locus and RDS in... |
Purpose : Kawasaki disease(KD) is a multisystemic inflammatory vasculitis of unknown etiology, but immunological abnormalities have been documented and implicated in the pathogenesis of KD. Matrix metalloproteinases(MMPs) have proteolytic activity against connective tissue proteins, and increased activity of MMPs and a quantitative imbalance between MMP and tissue inhibitor of MMP (TIMP) can result in several pathologic conditions. MMP and TIMP... |
Purpose : Respiratory failure arises from derangements in pulmonary gas exchange. The causes may be classified as due to either lung disease or respiratory pump dysfunction. Problems with lung mechanics is an important cause of acute respiratory failure in children clinically. The aims of this study were to survey the cause and prognosis of children diagnosed with acute respiratory failure... |
Purpose : This study aimed to determine the efficacy and usefulness of chest auscultation and oxygen saturation measurement in the assessment of bronchial hyperresponsiveness to inhaled methacholine in pre-school wheezing children. Methods : One hundred and four children with histories of wheezing underwent bronchial challenges with nebulized methacholine using chest auscultation and oxygen saturation measurement. The challenge was considered positive when... |
Purpose : In a developing kidney, the renin-angiotensin system(RAS) is markedly activated and is thought to play an important role in postnatal renal growth and maturation. We previously demonstrated that angiotensin converting enzyme(ACE) inhibition in a developing rat kidney increases apoptosis and decreases its related gene expressions, which may account for renal growth impairment. Among the mitogen-activated protein kinases(MAPK) family... |