Congenital Heart Disease in Adolescents With Gluteal Muscle Contracture

Gluteal muscle contracture (GMC), presented with hip abduction and external rotation when crouching, is common in several ethnicities, particularly in Chinese. It remains unclear that the reasons why these children are weak and have no choice to accept repeated intramuscular injection. Here, we found some unique cases which may be useful to explain this question.We describe a series of special GMC patients, who are accompanied with congenital heart disease (CHD). These cases were first observed in preoperative examinations of a patient with atrial septal defect (ASD), which was proved by chest X-ray and cardiac ultrasound. From then on, we gradually identified additional 3 GMC patients with CHD. The original patient with ASD was sent to cardiosurgery department to repair atrial septal first and received arthroscopic surgery later. While the other 3 were cured postoperative of ventricular septal defect (VSD), tetralogy of fallot (TOF), patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), respectively, and had surgery directly.The study gives us 3 proposals: (1) as to CHD children, it is essential to decrease the use of intramuscular injection, (2) paying more attention to cardiac examination especially cardiac ultrasound in perioperative period, and (3) taking 3D-CT to reconstruct gluteal muscles for observing contracture bands clearly in preoperation. However, more larger series of patients are called for to confirm these findings.     

Cellular targets of regulatory B cell-mediated suppression

Regulatory B cells (Bregs) are defined by their ability to restrain inflammatory responses both in vivo and in vitro. Interleukin 10 (IL-10) production by Bregs is thought to be central to their ability to regulate inflammation, largely due to IL-10s’ ability to suppress pro-inflammatory cytokine production by effector lymphocytes and to maintain the differentiation of regulatory T cells (Tregs). However, with an increase in available published data, it has become evident that Bregs utilize a number of suppressive mechanisms in order to alter the activation of a variety of different lymphocytes. Here, we summarize the multiplicity of cellular targets of Breg-mediated suppression and describe the mechanisms employed by Bregs to suppress chronic inflammatory responses.     

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目的对儿童血管迷走性晕厥(VVS)的传统诊断程序与新诊断程序进行卫生经济学评价。方法采用回顾分析方法,根据不同的诊断程序(即传统诊断程序和新诊断程序),将1995年1月至2005年5月北京大学第一医院儿科确诊的81例VVS患儿分为2组,分别计算其就诊费用、检查费用、住院日、确诊日等,运用经济学最小成本分析法进行评价。结果新诊断程序的平均就诊费用比传统诊断程序少耗费1668.80元;新诊断程序的平均就诊检查费用比传统诊断程序少耗费1413.30元。结论新诊断程序对确诊儿童血管迷走性晕厥具有良好的经济学效益,值得临床推广。