Objective This study was carried out to compare chnical efficiency of methylprednisolone (MP) and dexamethasone (Dex) and their effects on Th cytokines in asthmatic children.Methods A total of 39 children with moderate and severe asthma at acute exacerbation were randomly divided into two groups, one (A) with MP 1 -2 mg/kg (n=21) and the other (B) with Dex 0.25 -0.75 mg/kg (n= 18),every 12 -24 h by intravenous drip.Scores of respiratory effort and peak expiratory flow rate prior to and three days after treatment in the asthmatic children aged over five years were evaluated,respectively,as well as the time of wheezing vanishing after treatment.Serum levels of interleukin-2 (IL-2) and IL-4 were determined by radioimmunoassay (RIA) prior to and three days after treatment,respectively.Results There was statistically significant difference in the time of wheezing vanishing between groups A and B (P = 0.042).Three days after treatment,PEER was significantly higher in group A than that in group B (P = 0.025).No statistically significant difference in serum IL-2 and IL-4,as well as ratio of IL-2/IL-4,was found in group B prior to and three days after treatment (P>0.05).Statistically significant difference in serum IL-2 was not observed in group B prior to and three day after treatment (P>0.05),and serum IL-4 decreased significantly (P=0.001) and ratio of serum IL-2/IL-4 (P=0.027) increased significantly three days after treatment than those prior to treatment.No significant correlation between respiratory-effort scores and ratio of serum IL-2/IL-4 prior to treatment was found (P=0.613).Conclusions Up-regulation of IL-2,or inhibition of release of IL-4,probably is not the main anti-inflammatory mechanism of dexamethasone.Methylprednisolone has little effect on serum IL-2,but can effectively reduce serum IL-4, thus increasing the ratio of serum IL-2/IL-4 and counterbalancing function of the Thl/Th2 cells.

Objective To investigate influence of exogenous insulin in all-in-one parenteral nutrition on blood glucose in infants with very low birth weight (VLBW). Methods Forty-two infants with VLBWI admitted to the department of pediatrics of Xuzhou Hospital affiliated to Southeast University during September 2005 to March 2009 were randomly assigned to Group Ⅰ ( n = 13 ) with exogenous insulin added to all-in-one parenteral nutrition at infusion rate of 0.4 U·kg-1·h-1,GroupⅡ(n = 13) with exogenous insulin at infusion rate of 0.1U·kg-1·h-1 and Group Ⅲ (n = 16) with no exogenous insulin added.Their blood glucose was monitored every two hours. Chi-square test was used for comparing difference in blood glucose abnormality between the three groups and association between blood glucose levels at admission and during hospitalization was analyzed with Spearman correlation. Results Incidence of hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia was 10. 9 percent (29/265) and 18. 1 percent (48/265) in Group Ⅰ, 20. 8 percent (59/284) and 14. 1 percent (40/284) in Group Ⅱ , and 20. 5 percent (61/298) and 11.7 percent (35/298) in Group Ⅲ, respectively. There was significant difference in incidence of hyperglycemia between Groups Ⅰ and Ⅱ ( x2 = 9. 844, P = 0. 002 ) and between Groups Ⅰ and Ⅲ ( x2 = 9. 478, P = 0. 002 ), but no significant difference in it between Groups Ⅱ and Ⅲ ( x2 = 0. 008, P = 0. 928 ). There was significant difference in incidence of hypoglycemia between Groups Ⅰ and Ⅲ ( x2 = 4. 526, P =0. 033 ), but no significant difference in it between Groups Ⅰ and Ⅱ (x2 =1.653, P=0. 199) or between Groups Ⅱ and Ⅲ (x2 =0.709, P =0.400).No significant correlation between endogenous blood insulin level at admission and during hospitalization( r = 0. 082, P = 0. 661 ) was found. Conclusions Blood glucose in infants with VLBW can not be regulated timely by their endogenous insulin itseff. Exogenous insulin added to all-in-one parenteral nutrition at infusion rate of 0. 1 U · kg-1 · h-1 may not significantly reduce incidence of hyperglycemia,while incidence of hypoglycemia can be reduced by exogenous insulin at infusion rate of 0. 4 U · kg- 1 · h -1 that can increase incidence of hypoglycemia Therefore, exogenous insulin is not recommended to be prophylactically added to all-in-one parenteral nutrition for infants with VLBW.