Ping-Ing Lee

Effects of Maternal Screening and Universal Immunization to Prevent Mother-To-Infant Transmission of HBV

BACKGROUND & AIMS Mother-to-infant transmission is the major cause of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection among immunized children. There has been much debate about screening pregnant women and administering hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIG) to newborns. We analyzed the rate of HBV infection among children born to hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive mothers and whether HBIG administration reduces transmission. METHODS We analyzed data from 2356 children born to HBsAg-positive mothers, identified through prenatal maternal screens. In addition to HBV vaccines, HBIG was given to all 583 children with hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive mothers and to 723 of 1773 children with HBeAg-negative mothers. Serology tests for HBV were performed from 2007 to 2009, when children were 0.5-10 years old. RESULTS A significantly greater percentage of children with HBeAg-positive mothers tested positive for antibodies against the hepatitis B core protein (16.76%) and HBsAg (9.26%) than children with HBeAg-negative mothers (1.58% and 0.29%, respectively; P < .0001 and <.001). Among the HBV-infected children, the rate of chronicity also was higher among children with HBeAg-positive mothers than children with HBeAg-negative mothers (54% vs 17%; P = .002). Similar rates of antibodies against the hepatitis B core protein (0.99% and 1.88%; P = .19) and HBsAg (0.14% and 0.29%; P = .65) were noted in children born to HBeAg-negative mothers who were or were not given HBIG. Infantile fulminant hepatitis developed in 1 of 1050 children who did not receive HBIG (.095%). CONCLUSIONS Children born to HBeAg-positive mothers are at greatest risk for chronic HBV infection (9.26%), despite immunization. Administration of HBIG to infants born to HBeAg-negative mothers did not appear to reduce the rate of chronic HBV infection, but might prevent infantile fulminant hepatitis. Screening pregnant women for HBsAg and HBeAg might control mother-to-infant transmission of HBV.

Clinical manifestations and molecular epidemiology of necrotizing pneumonia and empyema caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae in children in Taiwan.

Recently, there have been increasing numbers of pneumococcal pneumonia cases, with their associated complications. We conducted a retrospective review to increase the understanding of childhood pneumococcal pneumonia. Seventy-one patients with pneumococcal pneumonia were identified. Forty (56.3%) of them developed complicated pneumonia. Multivariate analysis showed that presence of immature polymorphonuclear leukocytes in peripheral blood (odds ratio [OR], 3.67; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.08-12.63), high C-reactive protein levels (>12 mg/dL) (OR, 5.24; 95% CI, 1.10-24.93), and no underlying disease at presentation (OR, 5.48; 95% CI, 1.06-28.25) were independent predictors of the occurrence of necrosis or/and abscess. Fourteen isolates (35%), which were genotypically identical and had the same pulsed-field gel electrophoresis pattern (serogroup 14, with MICs of penicillin of 0.1-0.5 mu g/mL), were significantly associated with complicated pneumonia (P=.047). Whether the virulence of antibiotic-resistant pneumococci is evolving deserves further investigation.

Long-term efficacy of recombinant hepatitis B vaccine and risk of natural infection in infants born to mothers with hepatitis B e antigen

To evaluate the long-term protection afforded by the vaccine, recombinant hepatitis B (HB) vaccine was given to 171 infants born to hepatitis B e antigen-positive carrier mothers. Group A (53 infants) and group B (57 infants) received four doses of HB vaccine at birth and at 1, 2, and 12 months of age, with a dose of 20 micrograms in group A and 10 micrograms in group B. Group C (61 infants) received three 20 micrograms doses of HB vaccine at birth and at 1 and 6 months of age. These children were followed up annually up to 5 years of age. Six children (4%) became HB carriers before 1 year of age, and the carrier state persisted to the end of follow-up. The overall seropositive rate of HB surface antibody (anti-HBs) dropped from 99% at 1 year of age to 83% at 5 years of age. Among 548 serum pairs taken at 1-year intervals from children negative for HB surface antigen (HBsAg), a fourfold rise of anti-HBs titer was noted in 58 (11%) and a 10-fold rise of anti-HBs was noted in 17 (3%). Maternal HB core antibody disappeared in most children (151/152, 99%) before 2 years of age. Natural infections, as judged by persistence or reappearance of HB core antibody, occurred in 19 of 163 (12%) HBsAg-negative children. None of these episodes was associated with HBsAg positivity. We conclude that the long-term protection afforded by recombinant HB vaccine is satisfactory and that a further booster dose before 5 years of age is not necessary.

Factors affecting clearance of hepatitis B e antigen in hepatitis B surface antigen carrier children

To understand the natural history of chronic hepatitis B virus infection in children, we studied factors affecting the clearance of hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg). One hundred sixty-nine apparently healthy children whose sera were positive for HBeAg and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and who were recruited by screening were followed prospectively to delineate the HBeAg clearance rate. Another 59 carrier children visiting the outpatient clinic because of symptoms or abnormal liver function were studied for comparison. The annual HBeAg clearance rate was low (less than 2%) during the first 3 years of life but increased with age. The HBeAg clearance rate in children older than 6 years of age was lower in those whose mothers had HBsAg positivity (14.3%) than in those whose mothers had no detectable HBsAg (35.3%). Children who were brought for medical care had higher HBeAg clearance rates (42.4%) than those who were recruited by screening (14.6%) because immune clearance of hepatitis B virus and hence HBeAg often led to hepatocellular damage manifested by abnormal liver function profiles or by symptoms that had caused the parents to seek medical care for their children. We conclude that age, source of subject recruitment, and maternal HBsAg status are important factors affecting HBeAg clearance rate in HBsAg carriers.

Acinetobacter baumannii and Acinetobacter genospecies 13TU and 3 bacteraemia: comparison of clinical features, prognostic factors and outcomes

OBJECTIVES To investigate the clinical impact of different genospecies of the Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-Acinetobacter baumannii complex (ACB complex; A. baumannii, Acinetobacter gen. sp. 13TU and Acinetobacter gen. sp. 3) on the severity of bacteraemia. METHODS We retrospectively compared the clinical features and outcomes of patients with bacteraemia caused by A. baumannii, Acinetobacter gen. sp. 13TU or Acinetobacter gen. sp. 3. The genospecies were identified using oligonucleotide array sequence analysis (interspacer sequence), and the clonality of Acinetobacter gen. sp. 13TU and 3 isolates was determined by PFGE analysis. RESULTS A total of 215 patients with bacteraemia due to ACB complex were evaluated. Among them, 117 (54.4%) had A. baumannii bacteraemia, 77 (35.8%) had Acinetobacter gen. sp. 13TU bacteraemia and 21 (9.8%) had Acinetobacter gen. sp. 3 bacteraemia. A. baumannii bacteraemia was associated with a higher 14 day mortality rate (P < 0.001), a higher 30 day mortality rate (P < 0.001) and a higher in-hospital mortality rate than bacteraemia due to Acinetobacter gen. sp. 13TU or Acinetobacter gen. sp. 3. Independent prognostic factors for the 30 day mortality included the Charlson co-morbidity index (P < 0.001) and Pitt bacteraemia score (P < 0.001). Bloodstream infection caused by a multidrug-resistant A. baumannii isolate appeared to be associated with a poor outcome (P = 0.069). There was no clonal spread of Acinetobacter gen. sp. 13TU or Acinetobacter gen. sp. 3 during the study period. CONCLUSIONS Bacteraemia due to multidrug-resistant strains but not A. baumannii per se appears to be associated with poor outcome.

Bacterial cholangitis in patients with biliary atresia: impact on short-term outcome

Abstract Bacterial cholangitis (BC) is a common complication in patients with biliary atresia (BA) and is characterized by fever, acholic stools and positive blood cultures. The diagnosis is often empirical because the yield of blood cultures is low. It is difficult to differentiate BC from other febrile episodes. In order to characterize the clinical and laboratory features of BC in patients with BA, identify risk factors, and correlate cholangitis with outcome, 37 patients with BA from 1993 to 1998 who underwent a Kasai operation in our hospital were studied. The follow-up period ranged from 6 to 59 months. A total of 107 febrile episodes were documented in these patients. The diagnostic criteria for cholangitis were fever, increased jaundice, or acholic stools. The clinical features, laboratory data, results of bacterial cultures, and outcomes were analyzed retrospectively. A total of 107 febrile episodes, including 78 bouts of cholangitis and 29 non-cholangitis infections, were found in 34 patients. Patients with BC had higher postoperative bilirubin levels (P=0.02) and less frequent use of prophylactic antibiotics (P=0.05) than those with non-cholangitis infections. Abnormal white blood cell counts (>12,000 or <4,000 mm3) tended to be present in patients with BC (P=0.08). There were no statistical differences in the risk factors and laboratory data between culture-positive (n=16) and -negative (n=62) cholangitis cases. The occurrence of cholangitis significantly reduced survival in both patients with good (P=0.03) and inadequate bile flow (P=0.03). All 9 patients who had never had cholangitis survived during the follow-up period. Repeated attacks of BC further decreased survival probability. The responsive organisms were mainly enteric bacteria, including Escherichia coli, Enterobacter cloacae, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumanni, and Salmonella typhi. The sensitivity tests justified empirical therapy with ceftriaxone. The effectiveness of prophylactic trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole or neomycin warrants further studies. BC was a highly prevalent postoperative complication in patients with BA, especially those with inadequate bile drainage. It significantly affected early mortality. Aggressive and complete treatment with empirical ceftriaxone was appropriate.

Catheter-Related Bacteremia Caused by Staphylococcus pseudintermedius Refractory to Antibiotic-Lock Therapy in a Hemophilic Child with Dog Exposure

ABSTRACT We describe a case of catheter-related bacteremia due to Staphylococcus pseudintermedius in a child with dog exposure. The organism was confirmed as S. pseudintermedius based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis and positive PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism of the pta gene.

Meningitis caused by human herpesvirus-6.

Since the discovery of human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) the illnesses associated with it have increased steadily. Two infants with meningitis are reported: both suffered a mild meningitis and serological studies confirmed an acute HHV-6 infection. This report supports a role of HHV-6 in nervous system disease.

Sentinel Hospital Surveillance for Rotavirus Diarrhea in Taiwan, 2001–2003

We examined the epidemiological profile of rotavirus infection among children hospitalized for diarrhea in Taiwan, to assess the burden of this disease. From 1 April 2001 through 31 March 2003, children <5 years old with gastroenteritis admitted to 4 sentinel hospitals were enrolled in a surveillance study and had stool specimens tested for the presence of rotavirus, enteric adenovirus, and the bacterial pathogens for which routine screening is performed. For 52% of patients, a recognized enteric pathogen was identified, including rotavirus (43% of patients), bacteria (11%), enteric adenovirus (2.5%), and a mixture of pathogens (3.9%). Rotavirus was detected year-round, but great month-to-month variability made it difficult to identify a distinct seasonal pattern. Rotavirus disease was most common among children 7-23 months old, but the rate of rotavirus detection varied little between the youngest and oldest age groups. The novel strain P[8]G9 was detected most commonly (37% of strains), followed by strains P[8]G1 (31%), P[4]G2 (10%), P[8]G3 (9.3%), and P[8]G4 (3.7%). Rotavirus infection is the most important cause of diarrhea among hospitalized children in Taiwan, and a rotavirus vaccination program for young children might significantly reduce this problem.

Correlation between antibiotic consumption and resistance of Gram-negative bacteria causing healthcare-associated infections at a university hospital in Taiwan from 2000 to 2009

OBJECTIVES This study investigated the correlation between antibiotic consumption and antimicrobial resistance in Gram-negative bacteria causing healthcare-associated infections at a university hospital in Taiwan from 2000 to 2009. METHODS Disc susceptibility data of Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterobacter cloacae, Serratia marcescens, Proteus spp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter spp., Stenotrophomonas maltophilia and other non-fermentative Gram-negative bacilli causing healthcare-associated infections were evaluated. Data on annual patient-days and annual consumption (defined daily doses per 1000 patient-days) of extended-spectrum cephalosporins, β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitor combinations, carbapenems, aminoglycosides and fluoroquinolones were analysed. RESULTS The trend of total consumption of extended-spectrum cephalosporins, β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitor combinations, carbapenems, aminoglycosides and fluoroquinolones significantly increased between 2000 and 2003 and remained stable between 2004 and 2009. The decreasing use of gentamicin and amikacin in recent years was associated with increasing susceptibility of E. coli, E. cloacae, S. marcescens and P. aeruginosa to gentamicin, as well as increasing susceptibility of P. aeruginosa to amikacin. The use of piperacillin/tazobactam was positively correlated with the prevalence of piperacillin/tazobactam-resistant E. coli and S. maltophilia. In contrast, the use of cefotaxime and piperacillin/tazobactam was negatively correlated with the prevalence of cefotaxime-resistant E. coli and piperacillin/tazobactam-resistant S. maltophilia, respectively. The consumption of fluoroquinolones was positively correlated with the rates of ciprofloxacin-resistant E. coli, piperacillin/tazobactam-resistant P. aeruginosa and ceftazidime-resistant S. maltophilia. CONCLUSIONS The relationship between antibiotic prescription and the rates of resistance for Gram-negative bacteria is complicated; every type of antimicrobial agent or even individual agent can have distinct associations with different pathogens.