• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.147-151
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• 1998

On the treatment of Kawasaki disease, approximately 10% of children treated with IVIG have persistent or recrudescent fever despite IVIG treatment. We had experienced two children with Kawasaki disease who did not respond after multiple dosages of IVIG. They were treated within the first 10 days of onset of fever and were given oral aspirin (100mg/kg/day) and IVIG(2gm/kg) in a single infusion for 8 to 10 hours. The first child had not resolution of symptoms after three intravenous doses of IVIG(total 4gm/kg). And then treated with high dose methylprednisolone(30mg/kg) for 2 to 3 hours intravenously without symptoms improvement. On fifth hospital days, he was retreated with IVIG (2gm/kg) again with ultimate resolution of symptoms. The second child had resolution of symptoms after three intravenous doses of IVIG(total 4gm/kg). No adverse events were associated with the administration of IVIG or steroid. We reported two cases of IVIG non-responded Kawasaki disease with a brief review of the related literatures.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.45 no.10
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• pp.1273-1277
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• 2002

Purpose : To determine clinical features, laboratory findings and cardiac abnormalities of highdose immune globulin(IVIG) retreatment in patients with Kawasaki disease, and to report effectiveness of retreatment. Methods : Retrospective study of 174 children diagnosed with Kawasaki disease at Ewha Mokdong hospital from March, 1999 to July, 2001. Results : Twenty(11.5%) of 174 patients were retreated with high-dose IVIG. After this, only two patients(1.1%) did not respond to IVIG retreatment. Patients with failure to respond to initial IVIG did not differ from the patients who responded to a single course of IVIG in sex, age, days of fever at initial IVIG and clinical characteristics. Compared with responders with single IVIG treatment, the patients who were retreated had significantly lower albumin(3.7 vs 3.4 g/dL, P < 0.05), higher ALT(118.2 vs 229.3 U/L, P < 0.05) and CRP(8.9 vs 13.3 mg/dL, P < 0.05). On echocardiography, patients who recieved IVIG retreatment were significantly more likely to have caronary abnormalities(45.0% vs 13.6%, P < 0.05). Conclusion : Retratment with IVIG for persistent or recurrent fever was safe and effective.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.202-207
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• 2005

Intravenous immune globulin(IVIG) is widely used for immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), Kawasaki disease and other autoimmune neuromuscular disease. Aseptic meningitis was one of the most serious neurologic complications reported following the use of IVIG. We experienced 4 episodes of aseptic meningitis associated with IVIG usage in 3 patients from 2003 to 2004. Underlying disease of each patients was ITP, Kawasaki disease and myathenia gravis and all of them received high dose IVIG treatment for their underlying disease. Within a days, they started to complain severe headache and diagnosed meningitis by cerebrospinal fluid analysis. Cerebrospinal fluid leukocyte counts varied from 92 to over a thound per microliter with dominance of polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Microbiologic studies revealed no organisms. All of them were free from headache within 2 days and did not suffer any neurological sequelae.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.53 no.7
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• pp.745-752
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• 2010

Purpose: There is currently little evidence to support intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) therapy for pediatric myocarditis. The purpose of our retrospective study was to assess the effects of IVIG therapy in patients with presumed myocarditis on survival and recovery of ventricular function and to determine the factors associated with its poor outcome. Methods: We reviewed all consecutive cases of patients with myocarditis with left ventricular dysfunction verified by echocardiogram who had visited 3 university hospitals between January 2000 and September 2009. These patients were divided into 2 groups. Group 1 consisted of 23 patients (69.6%) who received IVIG alone or IVIG in combination with steroids, and group 2 consisted of 10 patients (30.3%) who received neither IVIG nor other immunosuppressive agents. Clinical manifestations, laboratory results, echocardiographic findings, and outcomes were compared between these 2 groups. Results: One year after the initial presentation, the difference in the probability of survival did not show statistical significance in IVIGtreated patients ($P$=0.607). Of the echocardiographic parameters on admission, a shortening fraction of less than 15% was associated with unremitting cardiac failure. Furthermore, anemic patients were more likely to have elevated N-terminal fragment levels of the B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in the progressed group ($P$=0.036). Conclusion: There was no difference between the IVIG-treated patients and the control patients in the degree of recovery of left ventricular function and survival. Prospective, randomized, clinical studies are needed to elucidate the effects of IVIG treatment during the acute stage of myocarditis on ultimate outcomes.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.50 no.10
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• pp.1005-1010
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• 2007

Purpose : To determine the optimal time of high dose intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) treatment, we analysed the clinical characteristics and progress of a group of Kawasaki disease patients who had early treatment with IVIG. Method : A retrospective study was conducted of 188 patients with Kawasaki disease who were admitted to Yeungnam University Medical Center from January 2000 to December 2005. All patients were treated with a high dose IVIG and high dose aspirin for the initial acute phase treatment. The early treatment group consisted of 94 patients who received treatment before 5 days of fever, and the conventional group consisted of 94 patients who were treated on or after day 5. The patients' sex, age, laboratory findings, total duration of fever, duration of fever after initial IVIG, need for additional IVIG and coronary artery status were noted. Result : There were no significant differences between the two groups in sex ratio and age. No significant differences were noted in the level of WBC count, ESR, CRP, serum albumin, LDH, total duration of fever and coronary abnormality. But the value of ALT($151.8{\pm}17.3$ vs. $81.9{\pm}13.4$, P=0.002), duration of fever after initial IVIG ($3.8{\pm}0.5days$ vs. $2.1{\pm}0.2days$, P=0.003), and rate of additional IVIG (15.9% vs. 6.3%, P=0.037) were significantly higher in the early treatment group. There was no significant difference in initial dose of IVIG, but dosage of aspirin was lower in early treatment group (P=0.037). Conclusion : There is no evidence that early treatment of IVIG has greater efficacy in preventing cardiac sequelae than conventional treatment. In addition, early treatment is likely to result in a greater requirement for additional IVIG treatment.

• Nutritional Sciences
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.23-27
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• 2005

The major garlic component, Allicin [diallylthiosulfinate, or (R, S)-diallyldissulfid-S-oxide] is known for its medicinal effects, such as antihypertensive activity, microbicidal activity, and antitumor activity. Allicin and diallyldisulfide, which is a converted form of allicin, inhibited the cholesterol level in hepatocytes, in vivo and in vitro. The metabolism of allicin reportedly occurs in the microsomes of hepatocytes, predominantly with the contribution of cytochrome P-450. However, little is known about how allicin affects the genes involved in the activity of hepatocytes in vivo. In the present study, we used the short-term intravenous injection of allicin to examine the in vivo genetic profile of hepatocytes. Allicin up-regulate ten genes in the hepatocytes. For example, the interferon regulator 1 (IRF-I), the wingless-related MMTV (mouse mammary tumor virus) integration site 4 (wnt-4), and the fatty acid binding protein 1. However, allicin down-regulated three genes: namely, glutathione S-transferase mu6, a-2-HS glycoprotein, and the corticosteroid binding globulin of hepatocytes. The up-regulated wnt-4, IRF-1, and mannose binding lectin genes can enhance the growth factors, cytokines, transcription activators and repressors that are involved in the immune defense mechanism. These primary data, which were generated with the aid of the Atlas Plastic Mouse 5 K Microarray, help to explain the mechanism which enables allicin to act as a therapeutic agent, to enhance immunity, and to prevent cancer. The data suggest that these benefits of allicin are partly caused by the up-regulated or down-regulated gene profiles of hepatocytes. To evaluate the genetic profile in more detail, we need to use a more extensive mouse genome array.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.46 no.5
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• pp.500-504
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• 2003

Purpose : To assess the clinical features and laboratory findings in Kawasaki patients with nonresponsibility to the acute antiinflammatory treatment, and identify the risk factors for the nonresponsibility, we reviewed the medical records of patients with Kawasaki disease. Methods : A retrospective study of 177 patients with Kawasaki disease at Wonkwang University Medical Center from June, 1997 to June, 2002, was performed. High dose intravenous immune globulin(IVIG) and aspirin were all used for the initial acute antiinflammatory treatment. Two groups, group A(n=19) of initial nonresponders and group B(n=158) of initial responders were compared clinically and laboratorically. Results : Nineteen(10.7%) of 177 patients hardly responded to the initial antiinflammatory treatment. Patients with failure to respond to initial treatment(group A) did not differ from the control group in terms of age, sex, WBC count, coronary abnormalities, and evidence of pyuria. Compared with initial responders(group B), the patients who were retreated(group A) had a significantly shorter feveradmission interval(P=0.041), and a higher level of both AST/ALT(P=0.011) and ASO titier(P=0.000). Conclusion : Among Kawasaki disease patients studied, retreatment group with initial nonresponders had significantly shorter fever-admission interval, and higher both AST/ALT level and ASO titer, than the initial response group.