Relevance of vesico-ureteric reflux in development of lipid a antibodies in recurrent urinary tract infections in children — a preliminary study

The serum titres of IgG and IgM antibodies to lipid A were measured in 24 children with chronic pyelonephritis (PN), 55 with recurrent lower urinary tract infections (LUTI), 13 with gram-negative sepsis (S), and in 50 control children using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Children ranged in age from 1 month-17 years. Patients with PN were differentiated by the presence or absence of an acute infectious episode and/or vesico-ureteric reflux (VUR). During an acute episode in PN and LUTI, IgG titres were significantly higher than in controls, but only PN patients with an acute infectious episode also had significantly elevated IgM titres. Overall, children with LUTI showed a significantly lower frequency of detectable IgG lipid A antibodies (27%) than in PN (63%). In PN children with VUR not accompanied by an infectious episode, lipid A antibody was found at relatively low titres, while an episode not accompanied by VUR displayed significantly elevated IgG titres, and an episode accompanied by VUR showed elevation of both IgG and IgM anti-lipid A antibody titres.Abbreviations UTI urinary tract infections - LUTI lower UTI - LUTI₁ LUTI with acute infectious episode - LUTI₂ LUTI without acute infectious epsisode - PN pyelonephritis - PN₁ PN with VUR but no acute infectious episode - PN₂ PN with acute infectious episode but no VUR - PN₃ PN with VUR and acute infectious episode - VUR vesico-ureteric reflux - S sepsis - ELISA enzyme-linked immunosorvent assay - LPS lipopolysaccharide     

Therapy of bacterial sepsis, meningitis and otitis media in infants and children: 1992 poll of directors of programs in pediatric infectious diseases.

To determine current opinions among experts in pediatric infectious diseases for treatment of bacterial sepsis, meningitis and acute otitis media, we polled directors of training programs in January, 1992. Responses were received from 69 centers in the United States and Canada. For initial treatment of presumed bacterial meningitis, the third generation cephalosporins alone or combined with ampicillin have become drugs of choice in all age groups. Most infectious disease programs include dexamethasone in the management of presumed bacterial meningitis for children 2 months of age and older. Third generation cephalosporins are also drugs of choice for presumed sepsis: combined with ampicillin for infants 5 weeks of age; used alone for children 5 months and 12 years of age. Amoxicillin remains the preferred drug for initial treatment of acute otitis media. The combination of amoxicillin and clavulanic acid is favored in the setting of an increased proportion of beta-lactamase-producing bacterial pathogens. Comparison of these results with polls in 1987 and 1989 indicates a shift in recommendations of therapy of presumed bacterial sepsis and meningitis from ampicillin alone or combined with an aminoglycoside or chloramphenicol to use of a third generation cephalosporin alone or combined with ampicillin.     

Human herpesvirus 7 in pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the significance of human herpesvirus 7 (HHV-7) in pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). OBJECTIVE: To evaluate children post autologous and allogeneic HSCT, with a positive PCR or immunohistochemistry for HHV-7 either from blood, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) or any other pathology specimen. Clinical data for these patients were collected examining symptoms and signs, engraftment, acute infectious complications, graft versus host disease (GVHD) where applicable, and survival. RESULTS: Between June 1999 and June 2003, 265 HSCT were performed in The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, allogeneic (n = 163) and autologous (n = 102). Nine children were positive for HHV-7 at a median of 21 days (range 16-27 days) post-HSCT. All had allogeneic transplantation. The most common underlying diagnosis was acute leukemia and 7 had matched unrelated donor (MUD) transplantation. Eight of the nine patients had grade II-IV acute GVHD and all of them had multiple infectious episodes with fungal, bacterial and other viral pathogens. Although not fully attributed to HHV-7, the clinical syndrome varied from fever, vomiting and diarrhea to septic shock. Four patients died due to GVHD and sepsis. CONCLUSION: HHV-7 was uncommon post-HSCT. It was associated with severe GVHD and sepsis secondary to severe immunosuppression.     

2005~2012年中国医科大学附属盛京医院PICU疾病谱分析

目的：总结中国医科大学附属盛京医院PICU 2005~2012年间收治患儿的疾病谱及导致死亡的常见疾病种类,以指导PICU的临床治疗工作。方法：回顾性分析2005~2012年间该院PICU收治的4484例患儿的临床资料。结果：2005~2012年间4484例患儿中,急性支气管肺炎居疾病谱中第1位,占24.51%(1099/4484);颅内感染、脓毒症、手足口病、外伤等疾病有逐年上升趋势,而非创伤性颅内出血、癫癎、先天性心脏病等疾病呈下降趋势。2005~2012年间病死率呈逐年下降趋势,由2005年的11.5%下降到2012年的3.1%,其中2005~2008年与2009~2012年前后4年病死率比较差异有统计学意义（11.98% vs 4.41%;P<0.01）。急性重症支气管肺炎、重度脓毒症、复杂性先天性心脏病、重度颅脑外伤、呼吸衰竭、重症手足口病、急性中毒、循环衰竭等为患儿主要死因。结论：急性支气管肺炎等感染性疾病是2005~2012年间该院PICU的主要病种,但疾病谱随着时间的变化发生了一些改变。2005~2012年间患儿病死率呈逐年下降趋势,急性重症支气管肺炎、重度脓毒症等为患儿主要死因。     

100 years of Pfeiffer's glandular fever]

Glandular fever was described by Emil Pfeiffer in 1889. He characterized the disease as an infectious process with fever, a swelling of the lymph nodes including an enlargement of the liver and the spleen and with a pharyngitis. It was the beginning of a very interesting chapter of medical investigations during the next 100 years. The reports of leucocytosis in reaction to this acute infection were the next important step. Sprunt and Evans recommended therefore the term "infectious mononucleosis" in 1920. Further Paul and Bunnell (1932) found the presence of heterophil antibodies in glandular fever. In 1968 Henle and Henle discovered the relations of Epstein-Barr-Virus (EBV) to infectious mononucleosis. In this connection the pathogenesis of glandular fever was investigated. Also the diagnosis of the disease found a certain base by the EBV-antibodies and it was possible to give a reliable interpretation of the clinical course, the symptoms and the complications of infectious mononucleosis. Furthermore the atypical manifestation of glandular fever could be identified. In recent years the problems of persistent and chronic infections were discussed. At last the antiviral chemotherapy was tested.     

Successful therapy of Clostridium septicum sepsis in a child with Burkitt's lymphoma

The association between Clostridium septicum sepsis in patients with malignant disease has been frequently documented. A presentation with fever, neutropenia, vomiting, and an acute abdomen is characteristic of this anaerobic infection which has been uniformly fatal in children with acute leukemia. We report the unusual course and the successful treatment of an adolescent with an abdominal Burkitt's lymphoma with leukemic transformation and clostridium septicum sepsis and cellulitis.     

Serum ferritin level in infants and children with anaemia and malignant disease

Serum ferritin was determined by immunoradiometry in children aged 6 months to 3 years, immediately before leaving hospital where they had been treated for various acute, non-haematological diseases. A low value was found in 13% of them. Serum ferritin concentration is a sensitive method in differentiating between iron deficiency and infectious anaemia. A significantly higher mean value was found in children affected by malignant disease (acute lymphoid or myeloid leukaemia, various solid tumours).     

Combating blood stream infections during induction chemotherapy in children with acute myeloid leukemia: Single center results in India

Optimal management of infectious complication is the biggest challenge in children receiving chemotherapy for acute myeloid leukemia (AML). We have analyzed the data of children undergoing AML induction chemotherapy at our center from 2002 to 2016 and found that Gram‐negative infections are more predominant when compared to the published literature. There also has been a surge in multidrug‐resistant (MDR) infections over the last 4 years, which has increased the need for supportive care and escalated the cost of care. We have introduced certain novel methods to combat MDR sepsis and decrease mortality rates.     

Pathophysiology of meningococcal sepsis in children

Septic shock with purpura is a syndrome frequently diagnosed in children and predominantly caused by Neisseria meningitidis. Despite improvements in management and therapy the mortality and morbidity in these patients are still high. During the last few years much effort has been put into understanding of the systemic host response during this acute infectious disease. This host response can be divided into the process of recognition of endotoxin, the cascade of pro- and counter inflammatory mediators, the endothelial damage resulting in capillary leakage and inappropriate vascular tone, and the procoagulant state. Conclusion This paper reviews the recent insights in the pathophysiology of the host response and their possible consequences for novel therapies in meningococcal sepsis. Received: 9 February 1998 / Accepted in revised form: 26 May 1998     

CD48 expression on leukocytes in infectious diseases: Flow cytometric analysis of surface antigen

Background: The function of CD48, one of the pan leukocyte cell surface antigens, is not yet well understood. CD48 was recently shown to enhance the CD40-mediated activating signal to B lymphocytes. As CD48 is one of the activation antigens of monocytes, neutrophils and lymphocytes, a change of its expression on the cells could be expected in infectious diseases. Methods and results: Leukocytes from 27 healthy controls and 97 patients with various infectious diseases were stained with anti-CD48 antibody and analyzed by flow cytometry. On monocytes and neutrophils, the CD48 expression was increased in all of the patients with varicella, measles, rubella, infectious mononucleosis, streptococcus tonsillitis, sepsis and appendicitis. On lymphocytes, a significant increase of CD48 was also detected in the patients with the same diseases, except those with sepsis or appendicitis. The normalization of increased CD48 expression was confirmed on monocytes at the convalescent phase. Conclusion: These data suggest that CD48 expression on leukocytes reflects the disease activity of infectious diseases, especially of viral infections.     

Meningococcal disease in children: a clinical review

Meningococcal disease is a global burden and remains one of the leading infectious causes of death in children, with an estimated annual death rate of 170,000 worldwide. Despite these figures, the management of children with severe meningococcal sepsis and septic shock remains suboptimal. This review presents an overview of this condition including the epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, complications, management, and prediction.     

Clinical sepsis in neonates is responsible for the lower prevalence of developing allergy

BACKGROUND: The hygiene hypothesis proposes an association between the change in exposure to microbes and the increased incidence of atopic disease. The purpose of the present study was to perform a prospective epidemiological study of the effect of perinatal infection on the development of allergy. METHODS: Eight hundred and ten children were born at Umeda Gynecological Hospital in Yamaguchi prefecture in Japan between April 1997 and March 1998. A questionnaire survey on the development of allergic diseases was sent by mail in 2002. The presence or absence of neonatal infectious disease (clinical sepsis) and maternal complications during the gestational period and delivery, and the incidence of bacterial infection during the perinatal period, were investigated by examining hospital records. RESULTS: Data were obtained for 410 children (51%). One hundred and forty-eight children (36.1%) developed allergic diseases. Among children whose mothers had allergies, the percentage of children who developed allergic disease(s) was significantly lower in children who had had clinical sepsis in the neonatal period than in those without clinical sepsis (26.1% vs 49.7%, P < 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Clinical sepsis in neonates might reduce the risk of developing allergic diseases in early childhood in children whose mothers have allergies.     

新生儿脓毒症研究进展

新生儿脓毒症是新生儿期细菌或真菌侵入血液循环并在其中生长繁殖,产生毒素所造成的全身性感染.目前该类疾病的发病率和病死率仍占新生儿感染性疾病首位.根据新生儿自身特点该类疾病的临床表现不明显,给临床带来了一系列问题.本文就新生儿脓毒症的流行病学、病因、病理生理、临床特点及与成人脓毒性休克的异同点等方面作一综述,以加深对新生儿脓毒症的认识.     

Myositis complicating viridans streptococcal sepsis in childhood leukemia

Hematogenous focal infections are a rare complication of bacteremia or sepsis caused by viridans-group streptococci. We describe two patients with acute leukemia who developed myositis during alpha-hemolytic streptococcal bacteremia. Children complaining of severe muscle pain associated with viridans streptococcal infections should be carefully evaluated for the presence of focal pyogenic complications and rhabdomyolysis. The severity of infectious myositis is highly variable, depending on the etiologic organism and host immunity, making individualized treatment the most effective approach.     

Breast-milk antimicrobial factors of rural Gambian mothers. II. Influence of season and prevalence of infection

The effects of season and variations in the prevalence of infectious disease on the concentrations and daily production of breast-milk immunoproteins were studied in 152 rural Gambian mothers and their children up to 26 months post-partum. IgA, IgG, IgM, C3, C4, lactoferrin, lysozyme and secretory component concentrations and breast-milk volumes were measured longitudinally over a six month period which encompassed dry and rainy seasons. No increase in the production of any immunoprotein was observed at the time of maximum prevalence of serious infectious diseases, especially diarrhoea, in the children. Enhanced secretion of certain immunoproteins was noted in mothers of children aged 9-18 months at the beginning of the rainy season. There was some evidence that this may have been associated with skin sepsis, particularly impetigo, in the children. The production of most immunoproteins fell during the rainy season. This was not the result of declining maternal food intakes as similar decreases were seen for women receiving a dietary supplement.     

Septic complications after splenectomy for sickle cell sequestration crisis

Patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) are predisposed to infections. There is a paucity of recent information on the incidence of post-splenectomy infectious complications in these patients. The purpose of this study was to determine whether splenectomy increases infectious complications in SCD. Twenty-nine patients with SCD had splenectomy for sequestration crises at our hospital between 1988 and 1992; 16 of them received all of their follow-up care at our institution. These 16 charts were reviewed for infectious-related admissions, hospital days, days of IV antibiotics, positive cultures, and episodes of sepsis. For each patient, these parameters in the pre- and postoperative period were compared and expressed as number per year. The mean age at time of splenectomy was 2.5 ± 0.4 years and the mean follow-up was 4.5 ± 0.4 years. There was no significant difference in the pre- and postoperative periods for admissions, hospital days, days of IV antibiotics, positive cultures, or episodes of sepsis per year. There were also no operative deaths. The incidence of pre-splenectomy sepsis was 0.04 ± 0.03 episodes per year compared to 0.09 ± 0.04 (P = ns) episodes/year after splenectomy. Sepsis occurred at an average of 20.8 (range 2–30) months postoperatively; Streptococcus pneumoniae was the most common causative organism. The total mortality after splenectomy in SCD patients was 3.4% (1/29) over a nearly 5-year period. Although infections are common in children with SCD, there was no increase in infections or episodes of sepsis in SCD patients who underwent splenectomy. Accepted: 6 March 1997     

Soluble CD23 antigen in Kawasaki disease and other acute febrile illnesses

Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute febrile illness of early childhood. Although the epidemiology of KD suggests an infectious agent, the cause still remains unknown. Intense immune activation during the acute disease has been well documented. Quantitative determination of soluble CD23 in serum can serve as an index of macrophage/monocyte or B-cell activation. To further characterize the immunological profile in KD, we investigated whether soluble CD23 levels in serum increase during the acute disease. In addition, we compared soluble CD23 levels in 33 patients with acute KD with levels in ten patients each with measles, rubella, infectious mononucleosis, and scarlet fever to determine if marked elevations in soluble CD23 were unique to acute KD. Patients with KD, rubella and infectious mononucleosis, but not patients with measles or scarlet fever, had increased soluble CD23 levels in serum during the acute stage, as compared to age-matched control subjects (P<0.01). These data suggest infection with Epstein-Barr virus and rubella and acute KD are all characterized by B-cell and macrophage/monocyte activation.     

全身炎症反应综合征患儿中性粒细胞淋巴细胞CD11b表达意义

目的：探讨全身炎症反应综合征（SIRS）患儿血液中性粒细胞、淋巴细胞CD11b表达对诊断和判断病情的意义。方法：用流式细胞术检测36例SIRS患儿血液中性粒细胞、淋巴细胞CD11b表达水平,28例一般感染性疾病,不符合SIRS诊断标准的患儿作为对照组。比较各指标对诊断SIRS的灵敏度、特异度,评价它们对诊断SIRS和判断病情的价值。结果：急性期SIRS组中性粒细胞CD11b表达为（96.7±8.1）%,高于对照组的（85.1±5.1）%,差异有显著性（P＜0.05）。中性粒细胞CD11b＞92.24%为阳性标准,诊断SIRS敏感性和特异性分别为97.2%,92.9%。急性期SIRS组淋巴细胞CD11b表达为(13.4±8.6)%,对照组为（19.2±6.4）%,差异有显著性（P＜0.05）;其中严重脓毒症组淋巴细胞CD11b表达为（7.3±3.0）%,低于非感染SIRS组的（19.3±2.9）%和脓毒症组的(15.9±12.5)%（P＜0.01）。恢复期SIRS组淋巴细胞CD11b表达为（13.35±4.89）%,对照组为（13.8±4.7）%,差异无显著性（P＞0.05）。结论：中性粒细胞CD11b可作为诊断SIRS的可靠指标,淋巴细胞CD11b表达下调可能是SIRS患儿病情加重的信号。［中国当代儿科杂志,2009,11（7）：540-542］     

Serum Immunoglobulin Levels and Incidence of Infection During the First Year of Life in Full-term and Preterm Infants

IgG, IgM, and IgA concentrations from birth to 12 months of age, and the incidence of acute infectious processes were determined in 25 full-term and in 26 preterm infants by the single radioimmunodiffusion technique in a prospective study. Infants born at term showed significantly higher IgG levels than preterm babies up to 2 months of age (P less than 0.05) and the frequency of preterm babies with one or more acute infectious episodes during the same period of time was higher, mainly owing to pulmonary, oral mucosa, and ocular infections. The frequency of children with six or seven infectious episodes was also higher in the preterm group (P less than 0.05). IgM and IgA levels did not differ between groups. Even though preterm infants did not show serious bacterial disease or inability to produce antibodies, the incidence of infectious processes was higher in this group up to 2 months of age, a period during which serum IgG levels were lower than in the group of children born at term.     

Down syndrome and arterial ischemic stroke in childhood: A potential immunologic link with selective IgG4 subclass deficiency

We report four children with Down Syndrome (DS) without evidence of congenital heart disease who sustained cerebral infarction in the context of an infectious disease. In one child, stroke occurred in the context of acute infection with Mycoplasma pneumonia. In another child, stroke occurred in the context of Streptococcus oralis (viridans subgroup) infection. In two other children, stroke occurred in the context of a bibasilar pneumonia for which an etiologic agent was not found. All patients had evidence of selective IgG4 subclass deficiency. We followed 8 other children with down syndrome with infectious diseases, but without stroke and a control group of healthy children, and measured the value of IgG4 for each group. We found a statistical significant difference of levels of IgG4 subclass deficiency in the group of stroke, in comparison with the other two groups (P values <0.001). We, therefore, suggest an association between IgG4 subclass deficiency and stroke in DS patients. IgG4 subclass deficiency could conceivably play a role in the high frequency of para-infectious related stroke in this population.