The first case of recurrent ultra late onset group B streptococcal sepsis in a 3-year-old child

AbstractGroup B streptococcus (GBS) is a commonly recognized cause of sepsis and meningitis in neonatal and young infants. Invasive GBS infection is classified into early onset GBS disease (EOD, day 0–6), late onset GBS disease (LOD, day 7–89) and ultra late onset GBS disease (ULOD, after 3 months of age). ULOD is uncommon and recurrence is especially rare. We present the first recurrent case of ULOD GBS sepsis in 3-year-old girl with a past medical history of hydrops fetalis and thoracic congenital lymphatic dysplasia. The first episode presented as sepsis at 2 years 8 months of age. The second episode occurred as sepsis with encephalopathy at 3 years 1 months of age. During each episode, the patient was treated using intravenous antimicrobials and her condition improved. Serotype examination was not performed in the first episode, but GBS type V was serotyped in the second episode. ULOD over 1year of age is quite rare and may recur

ASK1-dependent recruitment and activation of macrophages induce hair growth in skin wounds

Apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) is a member of the mitogen-activated protein 3-kinase family that activates both c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase and p38 pathways in response to inflammatory cytokines and physicochemical stress. We report that ASK1 deficiency in mice results in dramatic retardation of wounding-induced hair regrowth in skin. Oligonucleotide microarray analysis revealed that expression of several chemotactic and activating factors for macrophages, as well as several macrophage-specific marker genes, was reduced in the skin wound area of ASK1-deficient mice. Intracutaneous transplantation of cytokine-activated bone marrow-derived macrophages strongly induced hair growth in both wild-type and ASK1-deficient mice. These findings indicate that ASK1 is required for wounding-induced infiltration and activation of macrophages, which play central roles in inflammation-dependent hair regrowth in skin