J Formos Med Assoc
-
Kawasaki disease (KD) is the most common type of acquired heart disease in children, and intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy is the preferred treatment. Several risk scoring systems have been developed to predict IVIG resistance, which is important in KD management, including the Kobayashi, Egami, and Formosa scores. We evaluated the performance of these scoring systems with a KD patient cohort from Taiwan. ⋯ The Formosa score had the highest sensitivity in determining IVIG resistance. Although the positive predictive value was low, the negative predictive value could reach 98.2%. The Formosa score was superior to other scoring systems in predicting IVIG resistance in Taiwanese KD patients.
-
Ingestion of alkaline substances should not be disregarded because a small amount can cause chemical burns in the esophagus, with esophageal stricture being the most common late complication. ⋯ Alkaline ingestion usually results in esophageal injury that is difficult to cure. Corrosive esophageal strictures cause swallowing difficulties and growth stunting in children. Young children who ingested alkaline oil have more complications. Given that alkaline corrosive injuries are often accidental, prevention of corrosive agent ingestion is crucial.
-
The small-molecule compounds Y16 and Rhosin can inhibit the activation of leukemia-associated Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor (LARG) and small G-protein RhoA, respectively, in breast cancer cells and inhibit their growth and migration. However, it remains unclear whether they have inhibitory effects on the vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). ⋯ Treating SHR VSMCs with Y16 can suppress the activation of LARG, prevent LARG binding to RhoA, and decrease the phosphorylation of MYPT1, thus weakening the activation of the calcium (Ca2+) sensitization pathway in SHR VSMCs.