Background Recurrent respiratory tract infection (RRTI) is a disease occurred frequently in preschool children. Methods A total of 120 RRTI children were randomly divided into active group, remission group, intervention group and control group, meanwhile 30 healthy children were selected as the healthy group. Children in the intervention group were given oral Bifidobaeterium tetravaccine tablets (Live) for 2 months, while the control group received routine treatment. Stool sample were detected to analyze the bacterial strains. The occurrence of respiratory tract infection (RTI) was compared between different groups during 1 year follow-up. Results Compared with the healthy group, the number of Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli in the active group, remission group, intervention group and control group was significantly decreased ( P < 0.05). The number of Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli in the intervention group was significantly higher compared to other RRTI groups ( P < 0.05). During the follow-up period, the average annual frequency of different acute RTI and use of antibiotics were significantly reduced ( P < 0.05), the average duration of cough, fever and use of antibiotics at each episode were also significantly shortened ( P < 0.05) in the intervention group compared to the control group. Conclusions Children with RRTI are susceptible to intestinal flora imbalance. Oral probiotics can effectively improve the RRTI intestinal microecological balance in children and reduce the frequency of RTI.

BackgroundStem cells provide a promising candidate for the treatment of the fatal pediatric dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). This study aimed to investigate the effects of intramuscular injection of human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUCMSCs) on the cardiac function of a DCM rat model.MethodsA DCM model was established by intraperitoneal injections of doxorubicin in Sprague-Dawley rats. hUCMSCs at different concentrations or cultured medium were injected via limb skeletal muscles, with blank medium injected as the control. The rats were monitored for 4 weeks, meanwhile BNP, cTNI, VEGF, HGF, GM-CSF, and LIF in the peripheral blood were examined by ELISA, and cardiac function was monitored by echocardiography (Echo-CG). Finally, the expression of IGF-1, HGF, and VEGF in the myocardium was examined by histoimmunochemistry and real-time PCR, and the ultrastructure of the myocardium was examined by electron microscopy.ResultsInjection of hUCMSCs markedly improved cardiac function in the DCM rats by significantly elevating left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and left ventricular fraction shortening (LVFS). The BNP and cTNI levels in the peripheral blood were reduced by hUCMSCs, while HGF, LIF, GM-CSF, and VEGF were increased by hUCMSCs. Expression of IGF-1, HGF, and VEGF in the myocardium from the DCM rats was significantly increased by hUCMSC injection. Furthermore, hUCMSCs protected the ultrastructure of cardiomyocytes by attenuating mitochondrial swelling and maintaining sarcolemma integrity.ConclusionsIntramuscular injection of UCMSCs can improve DCM-induced cardiac function impairment and protect the myocardium. These effects may be mediated by regulation of relevant cytokines in serum and the myocardium.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13287-017-0472-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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Background: A high prevalence of infantile-onset Pompe disease (IOPD) in the Chinese population has been noted, but there are currently no reported clinical trials of enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) for IOPD in this population. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of alglucosidase alfa in Chinese patients with IOPD.Materials and Methods: A multicentre, single-arm, prospective, open-label clinical trial was performed at 4 sites in China. Eligible Chinese subjects with IOPD received an infusion of alglucosidase alfa at a dose of 20 mg/kg every 2 weeks for up to 52 weeks. The primary endpoints of clinical efficacy were the survival rate and changes in the left ventricular mass index (LVMI). The safety assessment was based on the incidence of adverse events (AEs).Results: A total of 10 eligible subjects were enrolled in the study. The mean age at the start of ERT was 5.36 ± 1.56 months. Nine subjects had survived after 52 weeks of treatment. One subject discontinued the study and died after mechanical ventilation was withdrawn. The intent-to-treat analysis demonstrated that the survival rate was 90.0% (95% confidence interval: 55.5–99.7%). The mean LVMI at week 52 was 70.59 ± 39.93 g/m2 compared to that of 298.02 ± 178.43 g/m2 at baseline, with a difference of -227.60 ± 155.99 g/m2. All subjects had left ventricular mass (LVM) Z scores &gt;10 at baseline, and eight subjects (80%) achieved Z scores &lt;5 at week 52. No treatment-related AEs were observed, and no AEs led to the discontinuation of treatment.Conclusions: This clinical trial is the first study of ERT for IOPD in China, indicating that alglucosidase alfa has favourable efficacy and safety for the treatment of Chinese patients with IOPD (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT03687333).