No abstract available.
Purpura, Schoenlein-Henoch*

We sudied, with echocardiography as a main tool, the natural processes of 211 patients with uncomplicated ventricular septal defect (VSD) (incidence, 5.33 per 1,000 live births); 146 (69.2%) had a perimenbranous VSD and 32 (15.2%) had a subarterial, 25 (11.8%) had a muscular type of VSD. Cumulative rate of spontaneous closure was 26.1%. In the closure processes, about three-fourth of perimembranous VSD showed a partial closure or tunnel formation by changes of septal leaflet of the tricuspid valve, remaining one-fourth showed a "functional" complete closure. Four of 58 neonates had a partially closed-perimembranous VSD. Rates of infundibular stenosis and Eisenmenger syndrome were 6.6% and 1.4% respectively. Aortic prolapse with insufficiency was detected in 6 patients who were over 6 years of age. Surgical closure was required in 27.5% of all studied patients and in 12% of infants (14 of 177). No natural deaths were observed during the study-periods of recent 3 years. But, 3 of 58 (5.2%) were dead postoperativel (two were early, one late). Doppler color flow mapping is a valuble aid in the diagnosis of VSD and may be on reason for the observed increase in the incidence of VSDs.
Constriction, Pathologic ; Diagnosis ; Echocardiography* ; Eisenmenger Complex ; Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Prolapse ; Tricuspid Valve

No abstract available.
Echocardiography, Doppler* ; Heart Defects, Congenital*

No abstract available.
Carbon Dioxide* ; Carbon* ; Critical Illness* ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn* ; Oxygen*

"Capsaicin, the pungent principle of hot peppers, is a neurotoxin that depletes primary sensory neurons of neuropeptides like tachykinin. The objectives of these experiment was to examine the effects of capsaicin on Salmonel/a typhimurium-induced production of cytokines such as TNF-a, IL-1B, IL-6, IL-10 and IL-12 and on production of nitric oxide in peritoneal macrophages. In addition, the effects of capsaicin on survival rates of S. typhimurium-infected mice and on nuclear transcription factor (NF-kB) activation were also investigated. Mice were pretreated with a single s.c. injection of 100 ug of capsaicin and were infected i.v. with S. typhimurium (5xO5/mouse) in 0.2 ml volume after capsaicin pretreatment. The serum cytokine levels were measured 30, 60, 120, 180 and 240 min after Salmonella infection, using ELISA kits. The activation of NF-B was also examined by gel shift assay in spleens, thymuses and brains of mice that had been pretreated with a single s.c. injection of 100 ug of capsaicin. It was found that Sa/mone/la infection induced the production of TNF-a, IL-1B, IL-6, IL-10 and IL-12, but capsaicin pretreatment inhibited the production of TNF-a, IL-1B, IL-10 and IL-12, but enhanced IL-6 production 120 min after Salmonella infection. Interestingly, the capsaicin pretreatment inhibited the activation of NF-kB in spleens and thymuses. There were no differences in the numbers of bacteria in livers, brains, spleens, kidneys and lungs between capsaicin- pretreated mice and the control animals in applied experimental conditions. Suprisingly, however, capsaicin pretreatment increased both the survival rates of Sa/mone//a-infected mice and production of nitric oxide by peritoneal macrophages compared with capsaicin-untreated control mice. Taken together, these results indicate that the capsaicin-sensitive primary sensory neurons may play an important modulatory role in the production of cytokine, nitric oxide and NF-B activation and the pathogenesis of salmonellosis."
Animals ; Bacteria ; Brain ; Capsaicin* ; Cytokines* ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Interleukin-10 ; Interleukin-12 ; Interleukin-6 ; Kidney ; Liver ; Lung ; Macrophages, Peritoneal ; Mice ; Neuropeptides ; NF-kappa B* ; Nitric Oxide* ; Salmonella Infections* ; Salmonella typhimurium ; Salmonella* ; Sensory Receptor Cells ; Spleen ; Survival Rate ; Tachykinins ; Thymus Gland ; Transcription Factors

No Abstract Available.

We investigated the acute effect of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) on the activity of polymorphoneuclear leukocyte (PMN). We selected 6 patients of growth hormone deficient and 5 normal control children. In both groups, 0.15 IU/kg of rhGH was administered subcutaneously. The plasma growth hormone level were measured by radioimmunoassay on 0, 2, and 6 hours after administration of rhGH. To determined PMN activity, peripheral blood PMN were separated by discontinuous density-gradient centrifigation. Isolated PMN were stimulated hy fMLP and PMA and then respiratory burst activity of PMN was determined. The average growth hormone level of growth horrnone deficient and normal group were increased to the level of 41.6+/-23.7 and 96.3+/-46.5 ng/ml respectively, 2 hours after rhGH injection and decreased to the level of 18.5+/-10.6 and 42.2+/-5.5 ng/ml respectively, 6 hours after rhGH injection. Superoxide (O ) production by PMN which was stimulated by PMA was increased from 9.98+/-5.18 to 38.67+/-19.19 (x 10'cpm) after 6 hours of rhGH injection in control group children. It seemed that administration of the rhGH do not made a any effects acutely on PMN activity in growth hormone deficient group. But in a normal control children, extemal administration of rhGH acutely increased activity of PMN.
Child* ; Growth Hormone ; Human Growth Hormone* ; Humans* ; Leukocytes ; Neutrophils* ; Plasma ; Radioimmunoassay ; Respiratory Burst ; Superoxides

PURPOSE: Recent clinical studies have shown that arsenic trioxide(As2O3) at low concentrations induces complete remission without significant toxicity in patients with refractory acute promyelocytic leukemia(APL). Like APL cells, neuroblastoma(NB) cells are thought to be arrested at an early stage of differentiation, and can respond with retinoic acid treatment. Sulindac, a nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug, was reported to induce antitumor activity against various tumors through induction of apoptosis and inhibition of angiogenesis. There was no data with the effect of sulindac on NB, and the concentration of sulindac for antitumor effect could not be safely used in the clinical field. Therefore, we at first focused the synergistic cytotoxicity of two drugs using CHLA-15, CHLA-20 NB cells with different resistance to anticancer drugs, and then studied the mechanism of synergistic cytotoxicity at a clinically safe concentration of two drugs. METHODS: CHLA-15 and CHLA-20 cells were cultured in IMDM and treated with As2O3 and/or sulindac. Cell viability was measured by methilthiazol-2-yl-2, 5-diphenyl, tetrazolium bromide(MTT) assay. Apoptosis was assessed by DNA fragmentation assay. Apoptotic machinaries including FAS, caspase-3, PARP[poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase] were determined by Western blot analysis. RESULTS: As2O3 caused significant cytotoxicity on both CHLA-15 and CHLA-20 cell lines in a dose dependent manner, whereas sulindac had no demonstrable cytotoxic effects. Both drugs in combination induced synergistic cytotoxicity on two cell lines. Especially on a clinically therapeutic level with 2micrometer of As2O3 and 10micrometer of sulindac in combination, the viability of CHLA-15 and CHLA-20 cells was decreased to 15%, 60% more than arsenic alone, respectively. The synergistic cytotoxicity occurred by apoptosis through up-regulation of the Fas receptor, activation of caspase-3 and cleavage of PARP, which was a central pathway of induction of apoptosis. CONCLUSION: As2O3 and sulindac induced synergistic cytotoxicity and apoptosis on NB through up- regulation of the FAS receptor, activation of caspase-3 and cleavage of PARP. Taken together, these results indicate that As2O3 and sulindac are therapeutic agent candidates for treatment of NB.
Neuroblastoma

PURPOSE: For evaluation of the growth hormone and cortisol responses to insulin stimuli in children with short stature, the human growth hormone secretion and cortisol level was monitored 30 and 60 minutes after insulin infusion by intravenousely. METHODS: The inclusion criteria of children for this study were that the height was below 3 percentile compare with the same sex and age children, bone age was younger more than one year of chronologic age, and insulin and L-dopa induced growth hormone secretion was below 10ng/mL. There were 10 children compatible with this criteria(group A) and 11 children was selected for control group(group B). Serum concentration of growth hormone was determined just before intravenous infusion of 0.1U/kg insulin and then 30 and 60 minutes after insulin infusion. Serum level of cortisol was determined simultaneously with the growth hormone but skip the level of the 30 minutes after insulin infusion. Serum glucose level was monitored on every time sampling the blood for determined growth hormone and cortisol level. Serum level of growth hormone and cortisol were determined by radioimmunoassay. RESULTS :The serum glucose concentration were decrease to under 50% of baseline level on 30 minutes after insulin infusion in A and B group. The serum growth hormone level before insulin infusion was 2.5+/-1.78ng/mL and changed to 2.2+/-1.69 ng/mL on 60 minutes after insulin infusion in group A. In group B, the serum growth hormone level alteration before and on 60 minutes after insulin infusion was from 5.5+/-6.67ng/mL to 12.6+/-7.91ng/mL. The serum concentration of cortisol was changed from baseline level 10.7+/-7.10, 7.9+/-3.98microg/dL to 16.7+/-11.47, 26.1+/-3.59microg/ dL on 60 minutes after insulin infusion in group A and B respectively, but some cases in group A show a little increase in cortisol level. CONCLUSION: On the basis of this study, it is suggested that the deficiency of growth hormone secretion is related to cortisol concentration in peripheral blood. But for more detailed assessment of this association, follow up studies will be needed in more cases.
Blood Glucose ; Child* ; Growth Hormone* ; Human Growth Hormone ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone* ; Infusions, Intravenous ; Insulin* ; Levodopa ; Radioimmunoassay

A peritoneal loose body is reported to develop because of torsion and separation of the epiploic appendages. The condition is usually symptomless and may be incidentally during abdominal surgery or autopsy. It usually occurs in middle-aged and elderly adults and is very rare in children. In this paper, we report a case of a peritoneal loose body in the pelvic cavity of a 10-year old-girl who presented with urinary frequency and left lower abdominal discomfort. A second plain X-ray film of the abdomen, obtained before surgery, in a different view than the first, revealed that the calcified mass had migrated to a lower position. The mass was laparoscopically resected, and histological examination revealed it to be a fibrotic nodule with central liquefaction and calcification.
Abdomen ; Adult ; Aged ; Autopsy ; Child ; Humans ; X-Ray Film