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BMC Geriatr 2019 Apr 16;19(1):111. Epub 2019 Apr 16.

Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, PO Box 52, 20520, Turku, Finland.

Background: In children suffering from severe lower airway illnesses, respiratory virus detection has given good prognostic information, but such reports in the elderly are scarce. Therefore, our aim was to study whether the detection of nasopharyngeal viral pathogens and conventional inflammatory markers in the frail elderly correlate to the presence, signs and symptoms or prognosis of radiographically-verified pneumonia.

Methods: Consecutive episodes of hospital care of patients 65 years and older with respiratory symptoms (N = 382) were prospectively studied as a cohort. Read More

Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol 2018 Dec 21. Epub 2018 Dec 21.

University of Alabama at Birmingham, Department of Medicine, Gregory J. Fleming Cystic Fibrosis Center, Departments of Pediatrics and Cell Developmental and Integrative Biology, Birmingham, Alabama, United States ;

Cigarette smoking is associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and chronic bronchitis. Acquired ion transport abnormalities, including CFTR dysfunction, caused by cigarette smoking have been proposed as potential mechanisms for mucus obstruction in chronic bronchitis. Although popular and perceived to be safe, it remains unclear if e-cigarette use harms the airways via mechanisms altering ion transport. Read More

J Allergy Clin Immunol 2019 Apr 30;143(4):1416-1425.e4. Epub 2018 Nov 30.

Upper Airways Research Laboratory, Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium; Division of ENT Diseases, Clintec, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address:

Background: Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) is characterized by T2-skewed inflammation and increased colonization by Staphylococcus aureus. IFN-λ1 is known for its antiviral activity, but there is little information on its antibacterial role.

Objective: We sought to determine the expression and release of IFN-λ1 from nasal mucosal tissue of healthy subjects and patients with CRSwNP on exposure to S aureus and assess its potential role in antibacterial defense mechanisms. Read More

Drug Des Devel Ther 2018 8;12:3825-3845. Epub 2018 Nov 8.

Department of Family Medicine, Hsinchu MacKay Memorial Hospital, Hsinchu, Taiwan,

Purpose: Childhood reactive airway diseases (RADs) are concerning problems in children's airways and may be preceded by bronchiolitis and may progress to childhood asthma. The severity of the disease is indicated by deterioration in pulmonary functions, increased usage of rescue medications, and recurrent wheezing episodes. Macrolides have both antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory functions and have been used as adjunctive therapy in childhood RADs. Read More

J Paediatr Child Health 2019 Feb 1;55(2):181-187. Epub 2018 Aug 1.

Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Centre for Children's Health Research, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

Aim: In children presenting to an emergency department (ED) with an acute coughing illness, the aims of this study were to: (i) describe the frequency of doctor visits and medication use; and (ii) describe management and relate it to current evidence-based guidelines.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study in ED of a major teaching hospital (Royal Children's Hospital, Brisbane, Australia). Participants included 537 children (<15 years) presenting with acute (<2 weeks) cough, with a median age of 2. Read More

BMJ Open Respir Res 2018 5;5(1):e000239. Epub 2018 May 5.

Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York, USA.

Introduction: respiratory tract infection has been implicated in the pathogenesis of reactive airway disease and asthma. Innate cytokine responses that are protective of infection with intracellular pathogens may be impaired in patients with asthma. Tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) is a cytokine related to functions of monocytes and may inhibit infection. Read More

J Pediatr 2018 07 8;198:67-75.e1. Epub 2018 May 8.

Section of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics and the Digestive Health Institute, Children's Hospital Colorado and University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO.

Objective: To determine the effects of treating obstructive sleep apnea/nocturnal hypoxia on pediatric nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) severity and oxidative stress.

Study Design: Biopsy proven participants (n = 9) with NAFLD and obstructive sleep apnea/hypoxia were studied before and after treatment with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) for sleep disordered breathing, including laboratory testing and markers of oxidative stress, urine F(2)-isoprostanes.

Results: Adolescents (age 11. Read More

Front Immunol 2018 23;9:854. Epub 2018 Apr 23.

Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States.

The pathogenesis of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections is characterized by lower airway obstruction driven at great extent by the exuberant production of inflammatory cytokines. We have previously shown that RSV infection and results in production of reactive oxygen species along with reduction in the expression of antioxidant enzymes (AOEs), which are involved in maintaining the cellular oxidant-antioxidant balance. These events were associated with the concomitant reduction in nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), a key transcription factor that controls AOE expression. Read More

Allergy 2018 Nov 11;73(11):2150-2159. Epub 2018 Oct 11.

COPSAC, Copenhagen Prospective Studies on Asthma in Childhood, Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Background And Objectives: The development of childhood asthma is associated with neonatal colonization with pathogenic bacteria in hypopharynx. Furthermore, established asthma is associated with systemic low-grade inflammation. We here report on the association between neonatal colonization with pathogenic bacteria in hypopharynx and the development of systemic low-grade inflammation. Read More

Dis Model Mech 2018 02 26;11(2). Epub 2018 Feb 26.

Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA

Spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1) is characterized by adult-onset cerebellar degeneration with attendant loss of motor coordination. Bulbar function is eventually impaired and patients typically die from an inability to clear the airway. We investigated whether motor neuron degeneration is at the root of bulbar dysfunction by studying SCA1 knock-in ( ) mice. Read More

Curr Allergy Asthma Rep 2017 Oct 5;17(11):79. Epub 2017 Oct 5.

Curriculum in Toxicology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.

Purpose Of Review: Vaping is gaining popularity in the USA, particularly among teens and young adults. While e-cigs are commonly represented as safer alternatives to tobacco cigarettes, little is known regarding the health effects of their short- or long-term use, especially in individuals with pre-existing respiratory diseases such as asthma. Flavored e-cig liquids (e-liquids) and e-cig aerosols contain airway irritants and toxicants that have been implicated in the pathogenesis and worsening of lung diseases. Read More

Arch Dis Child Educ Pract Ed 2018 Dec 2;103(6):300-301. Epub 2017 Sep 2.

Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Hospital 'Bambino Gesù', Rome, Italy.

A 4-year-old boy was admitted to our department with fever, cough and dyspnoea, unresponsive to salbutamol and antibiotic therapy. He had previously contracted bronchiolitis at 20 days of life, followed by intermittent episodes of wheeze that never required hospitalisation and responded to short inhaled corticosteroid cycles. He had an atopic family history. Read More

J Asthma 2018 05 21;55(5):492-501. Epub 2017 Jul 21.

e Diabetes Research Centre , University of Leicester, Leicester General Hospital , Leicester , UK.

Objective: A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine if in-school physical activity (PA) varied by age, gender, weight and asthma status, participation in physical education (PE), outdoor recess, and other in-school PA among urban schoolchildren with asthma.

Methods: PA was measured by tri-axial accelerometers. Height and mass were measured and overweight defined as BMI ≥85th percentile. Read More

J Asthma 2018 04 21;55(4):345-353. Epub 2017 Jul 21.

c Department of Pediatrics , Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University ; Kaohsiung , Taiwan.

Objective: Asthma is a chronic inflammatory airway disease induced by many environmental factors. The inhalation of allergens and pollutants promotes the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) leading to airway inflammation, hyper-responsiveness, and remodeling in allergic asthma. The effects of asthma medications on ROS production are unclear. Read More

Clin Infect Dis 2017 Jun;64(suppl_3):S317-S327

International Vaccine Access Center, and.

Background.: Previous studies suggested an association between upper airway pneumococcal colonization density and pneumococcal pneumonia, but data in children are limited. Using data from the Pneumonia Etiology Research for Child Health (PERCH) study, we assessed this potential association. Read More

Pediatr Rev 2017 Jan;38(1):e1-e5

Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Division of Congenital Heart Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX.

Antioxid Redox Signal 2017 Sep 7;27(7):433-451. Epub 2017 Feb 7.

1 College of Medicine, Central Michigan University , Mt. Pleasant, Michigan.

Aims: Cigarette smoke (CS)-mediated acquired cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR)-dysfunction, autophagy-impairment, and resulting inflammatory-oxidative/nitrosative stress leads to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)-emphysema pathogenesis. Moreover, nitric oxide (NO) signaling regulates lung function decline, and low serum NO levels that correlates with COPD severity. Hence, we aim to evaluate here the effects and mechanism(s) of S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) augmentation in regulating inflammatory-oxidative stress and COPD-emphysema pathogenesis. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2016 Dec;95(51):e5677

Department of Pediatrics, Severance Hospital, Institute of Allergy, Brain Korea 21 PLUS Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.

Pentraxin 3 (PTX3) is a soluble pattern recognition receptor and an acute-phase protein. It has gained attention as a new biomarker reflecting tissue inflammation and damage in a variety of diseases. Aim of this study is to investigate the role of PTX3 in childhood asthma. Read More

Pediatrics 2016 12 10;138(6). Epub 2016 Nov 10.

Department of Forensic Medicine, Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara, Kanagawa, Japan

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most common viral cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia in young children worldwide. Premature birth, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, congenital heart disease, and Down syndrome are risk factors for high mortality and prolonged morbidity after RSV infection. Conversely, many previously healthy, full-term children are also admitted to the hospital because of RSV, and some of them experience severe sequelae or die due to the virus. Read More

Pediatr Emerg Care 2018 Oct;34(10):702-705

Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Children's Hospital of New Jersey, RWJ Barnabas Health, Newark, NJ.

Objectives: Patients with obstructive airway disease have varying degrees of pulsus paradoxus that correlate with illness severity. Pulsus paradoxus can be measured using plethysmography. We investigated whether plethysmograph (pleth) variability on admission to the pediatric emergency department (ED) could predict patient disposition. Read More

J Biol Chem 2016 Nov 4;291(48):25192-25206. Epub 2016 Oct 4.

From the Curriculum in Toxicology, Departments of Pediatrics and Microbiology and Immunology, Center for Environmental Medicine, Asthma, and Lung Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599,

When inhaled, ozone (O) interacts with cholesterols of airway epithelial cell membranes or the lung-lining fluid, generating chemically reactive oxysterols. The mechanism by which O-derived oxysterols affect molecular function is unknown. Our data show that in vitro exposure of human bronchial epithelial cells to O results in the formation of oxysterols, epoxycholesterol-α and -β and secosterol A and B (Seco A and Seco B), in cell lysates and apical washes. Read More

Pediatr Crit Care Med 2016 11;17(11):1023-1031

1Department of Pediatrics (Hospital Medicine and Infectious Diseases), University of Colorado School of Medicine and Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO.2Department of Pediatrics (Hospital Medicine), University of Colorado School of Medicine; Adult and Child Center for Health Outcomes Research and Delivery Science, Aurora, CO.3Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, and Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO.4University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO.5Department of Pediatrics (Critical Care), University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.6Department of Pediatrics (Infectious Diseases), University of Colorado School of Medicine, and Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO.7Division of Viral Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA.8Department of Pediatrics (Critical Care), University of Colorado School of Medicine, and Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO.9Department of Microbiology (Virology), Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO.

Objective: In 2014, the Unites States experienced an outbreak of enterovirus D68 associated with severe respiratory illness. The clinical characteristics associated with severe illness from enterovirus D68 during this outbreak compared with those associated with the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus outbreak are unknown.

Design And Setting: In this retrospective cohort study, we characterized the clinical features of children with enterovirus D68 admitted to the PICU between August 1, 2014, and November 1, 2014, and compared them with critically ill children infected with H1N1 influenza during the pandemic admitted between May 1, 2009, and January 31, 2010. Read More

Chest 2016 09 19;150(3):661-72. Epub 2016 Apr 19.

Department of Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary; Division of Clinical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary; Institute of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary.

Background: Increased expression of the human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) was previously described in lung biopsy samples from patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). It remains unknown, however, whether serum HE4 concentrations are elevated in CF.

Methods: Seventy-seven children with CF from six Hungarian CF centers and 57 adult patients with CF from a Czech center were enrolled. Read More

Front Biosci (Elite Ed) 2016 06 1;8:370-7. Epub 2016 Jun 1.

Department of Pediatrics, Floating Hospital for Children, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA,

The temporal origins of childhood asthma are incompletely understood. We hypothesize that allergen sensitization which begins in early infancy causes IgE-mediated airway and vascular remodeling, and airway hyper-responsiveness. Mice were sensitized with ovalbumin (OVA) without or with anti-IgE antibody from postnatal day (P) 10 through P42. Read More

Semin Immunopathol 2016 05 2;38(3):331-8. Epub 2016 Feb 2.

Department of Pediatrics, Division of Immunology and Infectious Disease, School of Medicine, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA.

Environmental pollutant exposures are major risk factors for adverse health outcomes, with increased morbidity and mortality in humans. Diesel exhaust (DE) is one of the major harmful components of traffic-related air pollution. Exposure to DE affects several physiological systems, including the airways, and pulmonary diseases are increased in highly populated urban areas. Read More

J Clin Diagn Res 2015 Sep 1;9(9):SD03-4. Epub 2015 Sep 1.

Senior Resident, Department of Pediatrics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences , New Delhi, India .

Mesenchymal Hamartoma of the chest wall (MHCW) is a very rare benign tumour. They are usually discovered in infancy. Spontaneous regression is known to occur in this benign condition. Read More

J Gen Virol 2015 Oct 14;96(10):2961-70. Epub 2015 Jul 14.

3​Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA 1​Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA 4​Department of Rare and Emerging Viral Infections and Response, Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands.

Nipah virus (NiV) is a zoonotic emerging pathogen that can cause severe and often fatal respiratory disease in humans. The pathogenesis of NiV infection of the human respiratory tract remains unknown. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by airway epithelial cells in response to viral infections contribute to lung injury by inducing inflammation and oxidative stress; however, the role of ROS in NiV-induced respiratory disease is unknown. Read More

Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis 2015 30;10:1253-63. Epub 2015 Jun 30.

Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Nutrition, Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden ; Unit for Lung and Airway Research, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.

Background: It is still unclear whether signs of neutrophil mobilization in the blood of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease represent true systemic events and how these relate to bacterial colonization in the airways. In this study, we evaluated these issues during clinically stable periods and during exacerbations in smokers with obstructive pulmonary disease and chronic bronchitis (OPD-CB).

Methods: Over a period of 60 weeks for each subject, blood samples were repeatedly collected from 60 smokers with OPD-CB during clinically stable periods, as well as during and after exacerbations. Read More

Environ Sci Technol 2015 Jul 9;49(14):8769-76. Epub 2015 Jul 9.

†Department of Pediatrics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, 50 North Dunlap Street, Memphis, Tennessee 38103, United States.

The ″in situ burning" of trapped crude oil on the surface of Gulf waters during the 2010 Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill released numerous pollutants, including combustion-generated particulate matter (PM). Limited information is available on the respiratory impact of inhaled in situ burned oil sail particulate matter (OSPM). Here we utilized PM collected from in situ burn plumes of the DWH oil spill to study the acute effects of exposure to OSPM on pulmonary health. Read More

BMC Pulm Med 2015 Jun 21;15:67. Epub 2015 Jun 21.

Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.

Background: Staphylococcus aureus (SA) is the most prevalent organism infecting the respiratory tract of CF children, and remains the second most prevalent organism in CF adults. During early childhood, SA infections are associated with pulmonary inflammation and decline in FEV1, but their clinical significance in adult CF patients is poorly characterized.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study to determine the association between airway microbiology and clinical outcomes (FEV1, rate of pulmonary exacerbations, CRP levels and clinical scores). Read More

Turk Pediatri Ars 2014 Sep 1;49(3):210-6. Epub 2014 Sep 1.

Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology, İstanbul University Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Medicine, İstanbul, Turkey.

Aim: We aimed to determine the rate of primary immune deficiency (PID) among children presenting to our immunology outpatient clinic with a history of frequent infections and with warning signs of primary immune deficiency.

Material And Methods: The files of 232 children aged between 1 and 18 years with warning signs of primary immune deficiency who were referred to our pediatric immunology outpatient clinic with a complaint of frequent infections were selected and evaluated retrospectively.

Results: Thirty-six percent of the subjects were female (n=84) and 64% were male (n=148). Read More

PLoS One 2015 15;10(6):e0128778. Epub 2015 Jun 15.

Department of Anesthesiology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota, United States of America; Department of Physiology & Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota, United States of America.

Cigarette smoke contributes to or exacerbates airway diseases such as asthma and COPD, where airway hyperresponsiveness and airway smooth muscle (ASM) proliferation are key features. While factors such as inflammation contribute to asthma in part by enhancing agonist-induced intracellular Ca(2+) ([Ca(2+)]i) responses of ASM, the mechanisms by which cigarette smoke affect ASM are still under investigation. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that cigarette smoke enhances the expression and function of Ca(2+) regulatory proteins leading to increased store operated Ca(2+) entry (SOCE) and cell proliferation. Read More

Free Radic Biol Med 2015 Nov 11;88(Pt B):391-403. Epub 2015 Jun 11.

Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, TX 77555, USA; Department of Sealy Center for Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, TX 77555, USA. Electronic address:

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most important cause of viral acute respiratory tract infections and hospitalizations in children, for which no vaccine or treatment is available. RSV infection in cells, mice, and children leads to rapid generation of reactive oxygen species, which are associated with oxidative stress and lung damage, due to a significant decrease in the expression of airway antioxidant enzymes (AOEs). Oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathogenesis of RSV-induced lung disease, as antioxidants ameliorate clinical disease and inflammation in vivo. Read More

Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 2015 Aug 12;309(3):L205-10. Epub 2015 Jun 12.

Department of Anesthesiology, School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama;

Exposure to chlorine (Cl2) damages airway and alveolar epithelia resulting in acute lung injury and reactive airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) to methacholine. However, little is known about the effect of preexisting respiratory disease on Cl2-induced lung injury. By using a murine respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection model, we found that preexisting RSV infection increases Cl2 (187 ppm for 30 min)-induced lung inflammation and airway AHR at 24 h after exposure (5 days after infection). Read More

Pediatrics 2015 Feb 19;135(2):271-9. Epub 2015 Jan 19.

Divisions of Asthma Research,

Background And Objective: Asthma heterogeneity causes difficulty in studying and treating the disease. We built a comprehensive statewide repository linking questionnaire and medical record data with health outcomes to characterize the variability of clinical practices at Ohio children's hospitals for the treatment of hospitalized asthma.

Methods: Children hospitalized at 6 participating Ohio children's hospitals for asthma exacerbation or reactive airway disease aged 2 to 17 were eligible. Read More

Paediatr Anaesth 2015 Apr 5;25(4):392-9. Epub 2014 Nov 5.

Department of Anesthesiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.

Background: Perioperative respiratory complications after adenotonsillectomy (T&A) are common and have been described to occur more frequently in children below 3 years of age, those with cranio-facial abnormalities, Down syndrome, obstructive sleep apnea, morbid obesity, and failure to thrive.

Aims: To investigate the association between awake vs deep tracheal extubation and perioperative respiratory conditions.

Results: The primary outcome was any perioperative respiratory complication. Read More

Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 2014 Feb 17;78(2):343-7. Epub 2013 Dec 17.

Department of Otolaryngology and Communication Enhancement, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, United States; Department of Otology and Laryngology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.

Objectives: Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) in children has been associated with a variety of disorders including atopic disease, cystic fibrosis, immunologic disorders and ciliary dyskinesia. Although a strong association, or even cause and effect relationship, between allergic rhinitis (AR) and CRS is commonly assumed, the epidemiologic relationship between these disorders has not yet been defined in children.

Methods: A retrospective review of all children diagnosed with CRS on otolaryngology or allergy office evaluation at a large tertiary-care pediatric hospital over a ten-year period was performed. Read More

J Pediatr 2014 Apr 22;164(4):871-5. Epub 2013 Dec 22.

Department of Pediatrics, University of Rochester School of Medicine, Rochester, NY.

Objective: To determine the frequency of medical problems in a large population of children with Down syndrome.

Study Design: Study population included 440 children with Down syndrome (ages 3-14 years) identified primarily through the New York Congenital Malformations Registry. Parents completed questionnaires on medical problems. Read More

Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 2013 ;372:39-57

Departments of Pediatrics and Medicine, University of Rochester, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA.

Since its discovery in 1955, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) has consistently been noted to be the single most important cause of lower respiratory tract illness in infants <1 year of age. RSV also causes repeat infections and significant disease throughout life. In addition to the young child, persons with compromised immune, pulmonary or cardiac systems, and the elderly have significant risk from infection. Read More

Clin Exp Immunol 2013 May;172(2):263-79

Division of Critical Care Medicine, C.S Mott Children's Hospital and Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.

RSV lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) are among the most common diseases necessitating hospital admission in children. In addition to causing acute respiratory failure, RSV infections are associated with sequelae such as secondary bacterial infections and reactive airway disease. One characteristic host response observed in severe RSV-induced LRTI and/or subsequent development of asthma is increased expression of interleukin (IL)-10. Read More

ScientificWorldJournal 2012 17;2012:217518. Epub 2012 Dec 17.

Division of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University and Emory+Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Center for Developmental Lung Biology, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.

Exhaled breath condensate (EBC) has been increasingly studied as a noninvasive research method for sampling the alveolar and airway space and is recognized as a promising source of biomarkers of lung diseases. Substances measured in EBC include oxidative stress and inflammatory mediators, such as arachidonic acid derivatives, reactive oxygen/nitrogen species, reduced and oxidized glutathione, and inflammatory cytokines. Although EBC has great potential as a source of biomarkers in many lung diseases, the low concentrations of compounds within the EBC present challenges in sample collection and analysis. Read More

Pediatr Cardiol 2013 Apr 30;34(4):964-77. Epub 2012 Nov 30.

Section of Pediatric Cardiology and Critical Care, Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 1 Children's Way, Slot 512-3, Little Rock, AR 72202-3591, USA.

The study aimed primarily to evaluate the efficacy of noninvasive ventilation (NIV) and to identify possible predictors for success of NIV therapy in preventing extubation failure in critically ill children with heart disease. The secondary objectives of this study were to assess the efficacy of prophylactic NIV therapy initiated immediately after tracheal extubation and to determine the characteristics, outcomes, and complications associated with NIV therapy in pediatric cardiac patients. A retrospective review examined the medical records of all children between the ages 1 day and 18 years who sustained acute respiratory failure (ARF) that required NIV in the cardiovascular intensive care unit (CVICU) at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital between January 2008 and June 2010. Read More

Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 2012 Dec 28;303(11):L991-1000. Epub 2012 Sep 28.

Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is one of the most common causes of bronchiolitis and pneumonia among infants and young children worldwide. In previous investigations, we have shown that RSV infection induces rapid generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which modulate viral-induced cellular signaling, and downregulation of antioxidant enzyme (AOE) expression, resulting in oxidative stress in vitro and in vivo, which plays a pathogenetic role in RSV-induced lung disease. In this study, we determined whether pharmacological intervention with synthetic catalytic scavengers could reduce RSV-induced proinflammatory gene expression and oxidative cell damage in an in vitro model of infection. Read More

Congenit Heart Dis 2012 Sep-Oct;7(5):455-9. Epub 2012 Aug 7.

Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, Texas Children's Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to assess the utility of the exercise stress test (EST) in pediatric patients without previously diagnosed heart disease who present with chest pain and to correlate EST results with echocardiographic findings.

Design: Retrospective chart review over a 14-month period.

Setting: Cardiology clinic at an academic children's hospital. Read More

J Immunol 2012 Sep 30;189(5):2545-52. Epub 2012 Jul 30.

Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53792, USA.

Chitin exposure in the lung induces eosinophilia and alternative activation of macrophages and is correlated with allergic airway disease. However, the mechanism underlying chitin-induced polarization of macrophages is poorly understood. In this paper, we show that chitin induces alternative activation of macrophages in vivo but does not do so directly in vitro. Read More

Antioxid Redox Signal 2013 Jan 7;18(2):186-217. Epub 2012 Sep 7.

Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77555, USA.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is one of the most important causes of upper and lower respiratory tract infections in infants and young children, for which no effective treatment is currently available. Although the mechanisms of RSV-induced airway disease remain incompletely defined, the lung inflammatory response is thought to play a central pathogenetic role. In the past few years, we and others have provided increasing evidence of a role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) as important regulators of RSV-induced cellular signaling leading to the expression of key proinflammatory mediators, such as cytokines and chemokines. Read More

J Public Health Manag Pract 2012 May-Jun;18(3):196-203

Child Health Evaluation and Research (CHEAR) Unit, Division of General Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.

Objective: To assess the accuracy of using administrative data from state-managed programs to identify children with asthma in a statewide immunization information system. We wished to understand the degree to which alternative asthma case definitions applied to administrative data influence the accuracy of cases identified in an immunization information system.

Design & Setting: Children aged 2 to 18 years were sequentially classified into 3-case definition groups on the basis of Michigan Department of Community Health administrative data (2005-2006): (1) children with a Children's Special Health Care Services (CSHCS) Program qualifying diagnosis of asthma (CSHCS cases); (2) those having 1 or more asthma medication claims (Rx cases); or (3) those without asthma medications having 1 or more health services claim reporting an asthma diagnosis code (Dx cases). Read More

Pediatr Pulmonol 2012 Sep 19;47(9):856-63. Epub 2012 Mar 19.

Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Medical School and The University of Minnesota Amplatz Children's Hospital, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA.

Rationale: Cystic fibrosis (CF) lung disease is characterized by structural changes and remodeling in airway architecture and lung parenchyma. Neutrophilic inflammation and infection lead to injury and breakdown of airway matrix constituents, including elastin. The non-invasive measurement of urinary desmosine (UDes), a breakdown product of elastin, may be reflective of ongoing lung injury and may serve as a biomarker of active short-term damage during pulmonary exacerbation. Read More

Pediatrics 2012 Feb 4;129(2):e285-90. Epub 2012 Jan 4.

Pediatric Emergency Unit, Assaf Harofeh Medical Center, Zerifin 70300, Israel.

Background: Infections with viruses causing upper respiratory tract infection (URI) are associated with increased leukotriene levels in the upper airways. Montelukast, a selective leukotriene-receptor antagonist, is an effective treatment of asthma and allergic rhinitis.

Objective: To determine whether prophylactic treatment with montelukast reduces the incidence and severity of URI in children. Read More