No abstract available.
Asthma* ; Cough*

The eosinophil is the major cell responsible for the inflammatory reaction in bronchial asthma. Secretion of granular components is probably of considerable importance for the inflammatory effects of the eosinophils. Eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) is the one of the secretory components of the eosinophil granule and-is considered as an activation marker of eosinophil count, serum concentration of ECP and serum IgE were studied in normal, symptomatic and asymptomatic asthmatic children. In symptomatic asthma, peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) was studied and methacholine challenge test was done in asymptomatic asthma in addition. Blood eosinophil count and serum ECP in asthma were significantly raised compared with those of the normal children. And the level of serum ECP in symptomatic asthma was higher than that in asymptomatic asthma. The mean % fall of PEFR was significantly correlated with serum ECP and blood eosinophil count in symptomatic asthma. In asymptomatic asthma, there was no correlations between methachloine PC20 and blood eosinophil count or methachloine PC20 and serum ECP level. Our findings show that blood eosinophil count and serum ECP levels differ not only between normal children and asthmatic children, but also between symptomatic asthma and asymptomatic asthma.
Asthma ; Child* ; Eosinophil Cationic Protein* ; Eosinophils* ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E ; Methacholine Chloride ; Peak Expiratory Flow Rate

BACKGROUND: Though immunotherapy(IT) has become an effective rnethod in extrinsic allergic patients who didn't respond to pharmacologic therapy or couldn't avoid allergen, the mechanism, termination index and prognostic index of IT have not been clarified yet. METHOD: We selected 81 asthmatic children on immunotherapy with house dust mite (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and Dermatophagoides farinae). We measured the hematologic findings, the levels of serum IgG and IgE, allergen(house dust, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and Dermatophagoides farinae)-specific IgE concentrations, lymphocyte subsets and methacholine challenge test yearly during IT, and checked the radiographs of chest and paranasal sinus. RESULTS: Peripheral white blood cell count, the percentage of eosinophil and total eosinophil count decreased significantly after 2 years of IT. Serum IgG level increased significantly after 3 years of IT. Serum total and specific IgE levels decreased significantly after 3 years of IT, but they were still higher than the normal values. CD4+, CD8+, and B lymphocytes did not change with the IT, but CD3+ lymphocytes increased significantly after 2 years of IT. PC20-methacholine increased significantly after 1 year of IT, but no correlation was found between the duration of IT and bronchial hyperreactivity. Twenty-eight patients(34.6%) had abnormal findings on chest radiographs: 15 patients(53.6%) as bronchitis, 10 patients(35.7%) as bronchopneumonia, 2 patients(7.1%) as hyperinflation and 1 patient(3.6%) as atelectasis. Sixty-three patients(77.8%) had abnormal findings on paranasal sinus radiographs. In the follow-up radiographs of 49 patients, 28 patients(57.1%) showed improvement of paranasal sinusitis after 1 year of IT. CONCLUSION: This study showed some changes of the immunologic findings such as eosinophil count, IgG, IgE, allergen-specific IgE and CD3+ lymphocytes, and improvement of bronchial hyperreactivity and paranasal sinusitis' in asthmatic children during IT. These findings were closely related to clinical improvement.
B-Lymphocytes ; Bronchial Hyperreactivity* ; Bronchitis ; Bronchopneumonia ; Child* ; Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus ; Dust ; Eosinophils ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E* ; Immunoglobulin G ; Immunotherapy* ; Leukocyte Count ; Lymphocyte Subsets ; Lymphocytes ; Methacholine Chloride ; Pulmonary Atelectasis ; Pyroglyphidae ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Reference Values ; Sinusitis* ; Thorax

BACKGROUND: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most common cause of lower respiratory infection in infants and young children, but the pathogenesis of RSV-induced inflammation is not well defined. MATERIAL AND METHOD: In order to examine the potential interactions between virus-infected airway epithelial cells and neutrophils, we studied the ability of neutrophils to adhere to yirus-infected airway epithelial cell monolayers by myeloperoxidase assay. Also we measured the ability of airway epithelial cells to secrete interleukin-8(IL-8) and inter-cellular adhesion molecule-1(ICAM-1) in virus-infected airway epithelial cell cultures by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA). The degree of IL-8 and ICAM-1 gene expression in the RSV-infected BEAS-2B cell cultures were analyzed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR). RESULTS: The RSV-infected BEAS-2B cell resulted in significantly enhanced level of neutrophil adherence compared to the uninfected control(p (0.001). IL-8 and ICAM-1 production significantly increased by RSV infection(p<0.05). There was a significant positive correlation between neutrophil adherence and IL-8 level(r=0.73, p=0.002), and ICAM-1 level (r=0.843, p=0.001) in RSV-infected cells. The degree of both IL-8 and ICAM-1 mRNA expression increased in the RSV-infected cells compared with the uninfected ones. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that RSV infection significantly enhances the production of IL-8 and ICAM-1 in airway epithelial cells which then results in increased neutrophil adherence.
Cell Culture Techniques ; Child ; Epithelial Cells* ; Gene Expression ; Humans ; Infant ; Inflammation ; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 ; Interleukin-8 ; Neutrophils* ; Peroxidase ; Respiratory Syncytial Viruses* ; RNA, Messenger

No abstract available.
Child* ; Dust* ; Humans ; Lymphocytes* ; Pyroglyphidae*

No abstract available.
Colostrum* ; Humans ; Lymphocyte Subsets* ; Lymphocytes* ; Milk* ; Mothers*

No abstract available.
Asthma* ; Immunotherapy*

BACKGROUND: Induction of anesthesia with propofol commonly associated with reduction in systemic arterial pressure, especially in elderly and high risk patients. This reduction is influenced by the dose and rate of propofol injection. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of different injection rate of propofol on vital signs, dose requirement and induction time during induction period. METHODS: Unpremedicated one hundred and twenty ASA physical status I and II patients aged 20~60 years scheduled for elective surgery were randomly allocated into one of four (150, 300, 600, 1200 ml/hr) groups according to speed of injection of propofol during induction period. Loss of verbal contact was taken as the end-point of induction. Vital signs, SpO2, dose requirement of propofol and induction time were checked. RESULTS: As the injection rate of propofol became slower, there were significant reduction in induction dose and increase in induction time (p<0.05). For example, induction dose and time were 1.82 mg/kg, 223 +/- 58 sec in 150 ml/hr group and 3.14 mg/kg, 50 +/- 11 sec in 1200 ml/hr group, respectively. Also, decrease in systolic and diastolic pressure were less marked at lower injection rates. CONCLUSIONS: Slower injection of propofol produces less vital sign changes and dose requirement for the induction of anesthesia.
Aged ; Anesthesia* ; Arterial Pressure ; Blood Pressure ; Humans ; Propofol* ; Vital Signs*

No abstract available.
Alcoholism* ; Memory*

No abstract available.
Cholangitis, Sclerosing*