PURPOSE: Despite improved quality of intensive care, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) significantly contributes to mortality in critically ill children. As pre-existing definitions of ARDS were adult-oriented standards, the Pediatric Acute Lung Injury Consensus Conference (PALICC) group released a new definition of pediatric ARDS. In this study, we aimed to assess the performance of PALICC definition for ARDS risk stratification. METHODS: Total 332 patients who admitted to the intensive care unit at Severance Hospital from January 2009 to December 2016 and diagnosed as having ARDS by either the PALICC definition or the Berlin definition were retrospectively analyzed. Patient characteristics and mortality rates were compared between the individual severity groups according to both definitions. RESULTS: The overall mortality rate was 36.1%. The mortality rate increased across the severity classes according to both definitions (26% in mild, 37% in moderate and 68% in severe by the PALICC definition [P<0.001]; 20% in mild, 32% in moderate and 64% in severe by the Berlin definition [P<0.001]). The mortality risk increased only for severe ARDS in both definitions (hazard ratio [95% confidence interval]: 2.279 [1.414–3.672], P=0.001 by the PALICC definition; 2.674 [1.518–4.712], P=0.001 by the Berlin definition). There was no significant difference in mortality discrimination between the 2 definitions (difference in integrated area under the curve: 0.017 [−0.018 to 0.049]). CONCLUSION: The PALICC definition demonstrated similar discrimination power on PARDS' severity and mortality as the Berlin definition.
Acute Lung Injury* ; Berlin ; Child ; Consensus* ; Critical Care ; Critical Illness ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Mortality ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Adult* ; Retrospective Studies

PURPOSE: Oral allergy syndrome (OAS) is a unique allergic reaction to fresh fruits or vegetables, which is caused by cross-reactivity between foods and pollens. This study was conducted to investigate the clinical feature of OAS and relevant pollen allergens as well as the association between them in Korean children. METHODS: This single-center study included 290 children who were sensitized to pollens at Severance Hospital, and the clinical characteristics of children with and without OAS were compared. A multicenter study included 97 children who were diagnosed with OAS at 3 hospitals between January 2008 and June 2014. The details of clinical features were collected by retrospective medical record reviews using a standardized case report form. The relevant pollen allergens were identified by skin prick tests and/or serum specific IgE levels. RESULTS: The most commonly sensitized allergen was Japanese hop in pollen-sensitized children. Children with OAS were most commonly sensitized to birch and oak, and 12.4% of the pollen-sensitized children had OAS in the single center. The number of children who were newly diagnosed with OAS has increased over the past 7 years. The most common causative food of OAS was apple. More than 60% of patients with OAS had oral allergic reactions to multiple foods. CONCLUSION: OAS may be relatively common in pollen-sensitized children. OAS should be considered in children with allergic disease and sensitization to pollens.
Allergens ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Betula ; Child* ; Fruit ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity* ; Immunoglobulin E ; Medical Records ; Pollen ; Retrospective Studies ; Skin ; Vegetables

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate which Korean newspaper articles were reported on allergic diseases before the establishment of the Korean Academy of Asthma, Allergy and Clinical Immunology (KAAACI). METHODS: This study was performed in 3 newspapers, Chosun Ilbo, DongA Ilbo, and JoongAng Ilbo, which were founded and used the databases established before the establishment of KAAACI in 1972. The databases were searched using 42 keywords associated with allergic diseases (allergy, asthma, rhinitis, etc.). RESULTS: Among the 42 keywords, there were only 7 that were able to search: allergy, urticaria, asthma, dermatitis, rhinitis, pollen and eczema. The total number of articles related to allergic diseases were 62, as follows: allergy (n=21), urticaria (n=15), asthma (n=8), dermatitis (n=8), rhinitis (n=5), pollen (n=3), and eczema (n=2). There were 31 articles in Chosun Ilbo, 9 in DongA Ilbo, and 22 in JoongAng Ilbo. The first allergic disease published in the newspapers was asthma on the article entitled “Treat the cause of asthma” (on page 8 of November 10, 1960 DongA Ilbo). The first article that used the term allergy appeared in a column entitled, “Childhood illness and allergy” (on page 4 of May 30, 1960 DongA Ilbo). CONCLUSION: Since 1920, articles related to allergic diseases published in the Korean newspapers increased every year. These articles may have appeared due to the increase in the prevalence of allergic disease and the pioneering efforts of senior allergy researchers.
Allergy and Immunology ; Asthma ; Dermatitis ; Eczema ; Hypersensitivity ; Korea ; Periodicals* ; Pollen ; Prevalence ; Rhinitis ; Urticaria

No abstract available.
Anniversaries and Special Events* ; Hypersensitivity*

PURPOSE: Cockroach exposure is a pivotal cause of asthma. Tight junctions are intercellular structures required for maintenance of the barrier function of the airway epithelium, which is impaired in this disease. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) digest extracellular matrix components and are involved in asthma pathogenesis: MMP1 is a collagenase with a direct influence on airway obstruction in asthmatics. This study aimed to investigate the mechanism by which German cockroach extract (GCE) induces MMP1 expression and whether MMP1 release alters cellular tight junctions in human airway epithelial cells (NCI-H292). MATERIALS AND METHODS: mRNA and protein levels were determined using real-time PCR and ELISA. Tight junction proteins were detected using immunofluorescence staining. Epithelial barrier function was measured by transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER). The binding of a transcription factor to DNA molecules was determined by electrophoretic mobility shift assay, while the levels of tight junction proteins and phosphorylation were determined using Western blotting. RESULTS: GCE was shown to increase MMP1 expression, TEER, and tight junction degradation. Both an inhibitor and small interfering RNA (siRNA) of MMP1 significantly decreased GCE-induced tight junction disruption. Furthermore, transient transfection with ETS1 and SP1 siRNA, and anti-TLR2 antibody pretreatment prevented MMP1 expression and tight junction degradation. An extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitor also blocked MMP1 release, ETS1/SP1 DNA binding, and tight junction alteration. CONCLUSION: GCE treatment increases MMP1 expression, leading to tight junction disruption, which is transcriptionally regulated and influenced by the ERK/MAPK pathway in airway epithelial cells. These findings may contribute to developing novel therapeutic strategies for airway diseases.
Airway Obstruction ; Asthma ; Blattellidae* ; Blotting, Western ; Cockroaches ; Collagenases ; DNA ; Electric Impedance ; Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Epithelial Cells* ; Epithelium ; Extracellular Matrix ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique ; Humans* ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 1* ; Matrix Metalloproteinases ; Phosphorylation ; Phosphotransferases ; Protein Kinases ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; RNA, Messenger ; RNA, Small Interfering ; Tight Junction Proteins ; Tight Junctions* ; Transcription Factors ; Transfection

Arteriovenous malformation (AVM) of the mandible is a rare vascular condition that can manifest as a wide range of symptoms and, on rare occasions, cause fatal hemorrhage. The symptoms of mandibular AVM can range from soft tissue swelling and tooth mobility to severe hemorrhage. The recognition of early symptoms is crucial for the prevention of a fatal hemorrhage and for the proper diagnosis and treatment of mandibular AVM. For emergency hemostasis of a ruptured mandibular AVM, manual compression with gauze, topical thrombin, absorbable hemostat, suturing the lesion, and replanting the extracted tooth is recommended. Multiple treatment options for mandibular AVM are available, such as arterial embolization, venous embolization, direct surgical closure, and bone resection. A combination of treatment options should be considered in complicated cases. We report a case of a 10-year-old girl with a previous history of telangiectasia on the right cheek presented with cardiac arrest resulting from massive bleeding immediately after a tooth extraction.
Arteriovenous Malformations ; Cheek ; Child ; Diagnosis ; Emergencies ; Female ; Heart Arrest ; Hemorrhage ; Hemostasis ; Humans ; Mandible ; Telangiectasis ; Thrombin ; Tooth ; Tooth Extraction ; Tooth Mobility

PURPOSE: Age-based causes and clinical characteristics of immediate-type food allergy (FA) have not been sufficiently studied. Therefore, we investigated age-dependent clinical profiles of FA in Korean children through an extensive multicenter investigation. METHODS: Using a case report form developed by the authors, a retrospective medical record review was performed of patients (0-18 years old) diagnosed with immediate-type FA between September 2014 and August 2015 in 14 tertiary hospitals in Korea. RESULTS: A total of 1,353 children and adolescents, 93% younger than 7 years, were enrolled in the present study, and 1,661 cases of immediate-type FA were recorded in these patients. The 7 major causative foods were cow's milk (28.1%), hen's eggs (27.6%), wheat (7.9%), walnuts (7.3%), peanuts (5.3%), buckwheat (1.9%), and shrimps (1.9%). Categorizing the patients into 4 age groups revealed that the most common causative food was different for each age group: cow's milk (<2 years), walnuts (2–6 years), walnuts (7–12 years), and buckwheat (13-18 years). The onset time of symptoms was less than 10 minutes in 49%, between 10 and 30 minutes in 17%, and between 30 minutes and 2 hours in 34% of cases. Food-induced anaphylaxis was reported in 506 (30.5%) out of 1,661 cases, and the 7 major causes of food-induced anaphylaxis was cow's milk (27.5%), hen's eggs (21.9%), wheat (11.3%), walnuts (10.5%), peanuts (5.9%), buckwheat (4.2%), and pine nuts (3.0%). The proportion of anaphylaxis was highest in the patients allergic to buckwheat (67.7%), followed by those allergic to pine nuts (57.7%), walnuts (43.8%), wheat (43.5%), and peanuts (34.1%). CONCLUSIONS: The 5 major causative foods of immediate-type FA in Korean children were cow's milk, hen's eggs, wheat, walnuts, and peanuts. The distribution of causative foods was considerably distinctive according to different age groups. Anaphylaxis was reported in 30.5% of immediate-type FA cases.
Adolescent ; Anaphylaxis ; Arachis ; Child* ; Eggs ; Fagopyrum ; Food Hypersensitivity* ; Humans ; Juglans ; Korea ; Medical Records ; Milk ; Nuts ; Ovum ; Retrospective Studies ; Tertiary Care Centers ; Triticum

BACKGROUND: Serum albumin as an indicator of the disease severity and mortality is suggested in adult patients, but its role in pediatric patients has not been established. The objectives of this study are to investigate the albumin level as a biomarker of poor prognosis and to compare it with other mortality predictive indices in children in intensive care unit (ICU). METHODS: Medical records of 431 children admitted to the ICU at Severance Hospital from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2015 were retrospectively analyzed. Children who expired within 24 hours after ICU admission, children with hepatic or renal failure, and those who received albumin replacement before ICU admission were excluded. RESULTS: The children with hypoalbuminemia had higher 28-day mortality rate (24.60% vs. 9.28%, P < 0.001), Pediatric Index of Mortality (PIM) 3 score (9.23 vs. 8.36, P < 0.001), Pediatric Risk of Mortality (PRISM) III score (7.0 vs. 5.0, P < 0.001), incidence of septic shock (12% vs. 3%, P < 0.001), C-reactive protein (33.0 mg/L vs. 5.8 mg/L, P < 0.001), delta neutrophil index (2.0% vs. 0.6%, P < 0.001), lactate level (1.6 mmol/L vs. 1.2 mmol/L, P < 0.001) and lower platelet level (206,000/µl vs. 341,000/µl, P < 0.001) compared to the children with normal albumin level. PIM 3 (r = 0.219, P < 0.001) and PRISM III (r = 0.375, P < 0.001) were negatively correlated with serum albumin level, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our results highlight that hypoalbuminemia can be a biomarker of poor prognosis including mortality in the children in ICU.
Adult ; Albumins ; Blood Platelets ; C-Reactive Protein ; Child ; Critical Care* ; Humans ; Hypoalbuminemia ; Incidence ; Intensive Care Units* ; Lactic Acid ; Medical Records ; Mortality ; Neutrophils ; Pediatrics ; Prognosis* ; Renal Insufficiency ; Retrospective Studies ; Serum Albumin* ; Shock, Septic

Milk proteins are composed of casein, further classified into αS1-casein, αS2-casein, β-casein, and κ-casein, and whey protein, which is separated into α-lacatalbumin, β-lactoglobulin, serum albumin, and some minor proteins, such as lactoferrin and immunoglobulin. To reduce the allergenicity of protein, heat treatment and enzymatic protein hydrolysis by endopeptidase are necessarily required. Additionally, membrane technology should be applied to produce a protein hydrolyzate, which has consistent molecular weight of peptide and low in free amino acid without allergenic peptide or protein. Extensive casein hydrolyzate and whey protein hydrolyzate are used for protein source of mainly extensively hydrolyzed protein formula (eHF) intended for the treatment of cow's milk allergy. Also, partially hydrolyzed formula (pHF) is developed, which is using a single protein source e.g., whey protein hydrolyzate. The allergenicity of infant formula can be determined according to molecular weight profile and antigenicity reduction compared to intact protein. More than 90% peptides are present in eHF have a molecular weight of <3,000 Da. Peptide molecular weight profiles of pHF range mainly between 3,000 and 10,000 Da, but have a small percentage of >10,000 Da. Generally, antigenicity reduction in eHF and pHF is 10-6 and 10-3, respectively. Even if protein hydrolyzate is manufactured under strict quality control, there is still a risk of cross contamination of allergenic milk components through environmental conditions and the shared manufacturing process. Thus, quality assessment of protein hydrolyzate formula must be performed routinely.
Caseins ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Hydrolysis ; Immunoglobulins ; Infant Formula* ; Infant* ; Lactoferrin ; Membranes ; Milk ; Milk Hypersensitivity ; Milk Proteins ; Molecular Weight ; Peptides ; Quality Control ; Serum Albumin ; Whey Proteins

PURPOSE: Exhaled breath temperature (EBT) has been suggested as a noninvasive marker of airway inflammation in asthma. The aim of this study was to determine its clinical implication in children with asthma. METHODS: A total of 233 children were enrolled in this study. Among them, 116 were asthmatic children and 117 were healthy children. Spirometry, bronchodilator response (BDR) test, methacholine challenge test, and skin prick test were performed. EBT, fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), blood eosinophils, and total IgE levels were measured. EBT was measured by using X-halo. RESULTS: EBT was significantly higher in the asthma group than in the control group (median [interquartile range], 32.1℃ [30.0℃–33.9℃] vs. 29.7℃ [29.0℃–31.3℃], P<0.001). EBT was significantly higher in poorly or partly controlled asthmatic children than well-controlled asthmatic children (33.5℃ [31.0℃–34.4℃] vs. 30.3℃ [29.3℃–32.9℃], P<0.0001). Among total subjects, EBT was significantly higher in the atopic group than in the nonatopic group (32.4℃ [30.3℃–34.0℃] vs. 29.8℃ [29.0℃–30.3℃], P<0.001). There were neither significant associations between EBT and BDR (r=0.109, P=0.241) nor between EBT and PC20 (provocation concentration causing a 20% fall in FEV1) in total subjects (r=0.127, P=0.316). EBT did not show any association with FeNO (r=0.353, P=0.071). CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that EBT might play a role as an ancillary marker for allergic airway inflammation and the degree of control in pediatric asthma patients. Additional studies are required to explore the value of EBT in detail.
Asthma* ; Child ; Eosinophils ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E ; Inflammation ; Methacholine Chloride ; Nitric Oxide ; Skin ; Spirometry