• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
• /
• 제64권5호
• /
• pp.223-224
• /
• 2021

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
• /
• 제48권3호
• /
• pp.251-259
• /
• 2005

Atopy is a highly prevalent and serious health problem. The prevalence and severity of asthma and allergic diseases have increased over recent decades, particularly in industrialized nations. Early life infections may protect against the development of atopy and allergic diseases like asthma. The inverse relationship between the incidence of atopy and childhood infections has led to the 'hygiene hypothesis', which suggests that diminished exposure to childhood infections in modern society has led to decreased Th1-type responses. Th1 and Th2 responses are counter-regulatory. Reduced Th1 may lead to enhanced Th2-type inflammation, which is important in promoting asthma and allergic disease via up-regulation of IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13. It is now widely accepted that altered regulation of Th2 responses(and possibly the balance between Th1 and Th2 responses) is an important factor in the development of atopy. CpG DNA represent a novel class of drugs with substantial immunomodulatory properties. CpG DNA contain unmethylated motifs centered on the CpG dinucleotides, like bacterial DNA. These CpG DNA promote Th1 and regulatory type immune responses and suppress Th2 responses. In murine studies, CpG DNA are effective in prevention and treatment of asthma and allergic diseases. CpG DNA are just beginning to be tested in human asthma. While its precise mechanisms continue to be fully studied, CpG DNA offers considerable promise as a novel treatment for atopic inflammation. It may prove to be an important disease modifying therapy, or even curative therapeutic agent for asthma and allergic diseases.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
• /
• 제64권8호
• /
• pp.408-414
• /
• 2021

Background: Complementary food in infancy is necessary for human growth, neurodevelopment, and health. However, the role of allergen consumption in early infancy and its effects on the development of food allergy or tolerance remain unclear. Purpose: To investigate the influence of age at the time of complementary food introduction on the development of asthma and atopic dermatitis in Korean children aged 1-3 years. Methods: We combined data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey collected from 2010 to 2014 and analyzed 1619 children aged 1-3 years who were included in the survey. Multivariate regression analysis was used to identify associations among type of feeding, age at the time of complementary food introduction, and doctor-diagnosed atopic dermatitis and asthma. Results: Age at the time of complementary food introduction was not significantly associated with doctor-diagnosed atopic dermatitis and asthma in children aged 1-3 years. In the univariate analysis, children with asthma showed higher water and sodium intake levels than nonasthmatic children. However, this relationship was not significant in the multivariate regression analysis. Conclusion: The present study revealed no statistically significant relationship between age at the time of complementary food introduction and the risk of atopic dermatitis and asthma in young Korean children. A national prospective study is needed to clarify the influence of age at the time of complementary food introduction on the development of allergic diseases.

• 대한한방소아과학회지
• /
• 제28권1호
• /
• pp.32-42
• /
• 2014

Objectives The purpose of this study is to establish relationship between allergic diseases and functional gastrointestinal disorders in children and adolescents using objective criteria and questionnaires. Methods This study surveyed 237 children and adolescents who visited the department of Pediatrics of ${\bigcirc}{\bigcirc}$ Korean Medicine Hospital from September 23rd, 2013 to December 26th, 2013. The Korean version of International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire and the Korean-translated Questionnaire on Pediatric Gastrointestinal Symptoms-Rome III (QPGS-Rome III) were used. We analyzed the data by using PASW Statistics 18.0 with Chi-square test, Fisher's exact test and Linear by linear association. Results There was no significant difference between prevalence of allergic diseases and functional gastrointestinal disorders. Also, there was no strong relationship between the number of allergic diseases and the functional gastrointestinal disorders. However, some parts showed significant relationships - such as asthma symptoms ever and belch; asthma symptoms last 12 months and belch; allergic rhinitis diagnosis ever and belly aches and abdominal pain around and below the belly button; allergic rhinitis treatment last 12 months and belly aches and abdominal pain around and below the belly button; and atopic dermatitis diagnosis ever and irritable bowel syndrome (respectively; p=0.046, p=0.008, p=0.004, p=0.029, p=0.035). And as the number of allergic diseases increases, the prevalence of functional gastrointestinal disorders are 19.4%, 31.3%, 41.7%, 31.0% respectively. Conclusions Although there was no significant relationship between allergic diseases and functional gastrointestinal disorders, some gastrointestinal symptoms were related to allergic diseases.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
• /
• 제48권10호
• /
• pp.1038-1049
• /
• 2005

Asthma is characterized by a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways that leads to tissue injury and subsequent structural changes collectively called airway remodelling. Characteristic changes of airway remodelling in asthma include goblet cell hyperplasia, deposition of collagens in the basement membrane, increased number and size of microvessels, hypertrophy and hyperplasia of airway smooth muscle, and hypertrophy of submucosal glands. Apart from inflammatory cells, such as eosinophils, activated T cells, mast cells and macrophages, structural tissue cells such as epithelial cells, fibroblasts and smooth muscle cells can also play an important effector role through the release of a variety of mediators, cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors. Through a variety of inflammatory mediators, epithelial and mesenchymal cells cause persistence of the inflammatory infiltrate and induce airway structural remodelling. The end result of chronic airway inflammation and remodelling is an increased thickness of the airway wall, leading to a increased the bronchial hyperresponsiveness and fixed declined lung function.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
• /
• 제53권2호
• /
• pp.136-145
• /
• 2010

Natural killer T (NKT) cell is a special type of T lymphocytes that has both receptor of natural killer (NK) cell (NK1.1, CD161c) and T cell (TCR) and express a conserved or invariant T cell receptor called $V{\alpha}14J{\alpha}18$ in mice or Va24 in humans. Invariant NKT (iNKT) cell recognizes lipid antigen presented by CD1d molecules. Marine-sponge-derived glycolipid, ${\alpha}-galactosylceremide$ (${\alpha}-GalCer$), binds CD1d at the cell surface of antigen-presenting cells and is presented to iNKT cells. Within hours, iNKT cells become activated and start to secrete Interleukin-4 and $interferon-{\gamma}$. NKT cell prevents autoimmune diseases, such as type 1 diabetes, experimental allergic encephalomyelitis, systemic lupus erythematous, inflammatory colitis, and Graves' thyroiditis, by activation with ${\alpha}-GalCer$. In addition, NKT cell is associated with infectious diseases by mycobacteria, leshmania, and virus. Moreover NKT cell is associated with asthma, especially CD4+ iNKT cells. In this review, I will discuss the characteristics of NKT cell and the association with inflammatory diseases, especially asthma.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
• /
• 제55권8호
• /
• pp.259-264
• /
• 2012

Wheezing is one of the most frequent complaints that lead to the use of medical resources in younger children. Generally, wheezing is caused by bronchiolitis and resolves spontaneously without recurrence, but sometimes, wheezing can progress into asthma. Early data on the natural history of childhood wheezing was mostly obtained from retrospective reviews of medical records or from questionnaires, which made it difficult to exclude biases. Now that many cohort studies are available, reviewing the results of birth cohort studies makes it possible to understand the natural course of early childhood wheezing and the risk factors for asthma. In this study, we have reviewed the various phenotypes of early childhood wheezing and their natural courses to help select the most appropriate management modalities for the different types of early childhood wheezing.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
• /
• 제59권6호
• /
• pp.276-279
• /
• 2016

Sjogren-Larsson syndrome (SLS) is a rare autosomal recessive neurocutaneous disorder with worldwide incidence of 0.4 per 100,000 people. It is characterized by the triad of congenital ichthyosis, spastic diplegia or quadriplegia, and mental retardation. Herein we report a 2-year-old male child with SLS, asthma, and recurrent pneumonia. SLS was confirmed by a molecular genetics study that revealed a deletion mutation in the ALDH3A2 gene. An ALDH3A2 gene mutation results in dysfunction of the microsomal enzyme fatty aldehyde dehydrogenase and impaired metabolism and accumulation of leukotriene B4, which is a key molecule and a pro-inflammatory mediator in developing allergic diseases, especially asthma. An increased level of leukotriene B4 has been reported in SLS patients. As far as we are aware, this is the first report of SLS associated with asthma and recurrent pneumonia. In conclusion, pediatricians should be aware of and evaluate patients with SLS for possible associated asthma and allergic disorders.

• Advances in pediatric surgery
• /
• 제14권1호
• /
• pp.94-97
• /
• 2008

A 19-month-old boy suffered from stridor and dysphagia. He was taking asthma medication for a few months, but symptoms did not improve. After admission, a chest CT showed a posterior mediastinal mass, which compressed the trachea and esophagus. The removed mass via open thoracotomy was a bronchogenic cyst on histopathology. Postoperatively, stridor and dysphagia disappeared. In case of persistent and refractory stridor or dysphagia in children, congenital lesions including bronchogenic cyst need to be ruled out.

• 대한소아치과학회지
• /
• 제25권1호
• /
• pp.157-161
• /
• 1998

The teeth and gingivae of 20 children with asthma aged up to 6 years who had been taking syrup medicines regularly for at least six months were compared with those of a control group of 79 children of similar ages. Dental disease was assessed by measuring dental plaque(plaque index) and gingivitis(gingival index). The results of this study show that long-term administration of syrup medicine ketotifen sweetened with glucose increase the plaque index and gingival index in children who had primary dentition. But there was no significant difference between the two groups. By increasing the intake duration of syrup, both indices were increased.