title: KL-6 as a biomarker of respiratory complications in severely disabled children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to assess the importance of KL-6 level in evaluating the status of stabilized chronic pneumonia in children in the severe motor and intellectual disabilities-medical care-dependent (SMID-MCD) category.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 20 SMID-MCD children were enrolled in this study. Serum KL-6, white blood cell count, C-reactive protein, chest computed tomography (CT) and other factors related to respiratory complications were analyzed in all children under stable respiratory conditions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean age was 5.8 ± 1.0 years (mean ± SE). Serum KL-6 was significantly higher in those SMID-MCD children with abnormal CT than in those with normal CT: 316 ± 39 U/mL versus 190 ± 11, respectively (P = 0.0075).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Measures of serum KL-6 level provide valuable information for determining the respiratory management of SMID-MCD children with occult chronic pneumonia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Toon, Japan.|Department of Pediatrics, Ehime Prefectural Central Hospital, Matsuyama, Japan.|Department of Pediatrics, Sumitomobesshi Hospital, Niihama, Japan.
authors.forename: Fumihiro
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ochi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Toon, Japan.
authors.forename: Mitsumasa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fukuda
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Ehime Prefectural Central Hospital, Matsuyama, Japan.|Department of Pediatrics, National Hospital Organization Yanai Medical Center, Yanai, Yamaguchi, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiromitsu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ohmori
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Sumitomobesshi Hospital, Niihama, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshiaki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yano
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Ehime Rehabilitation Center for Children, Toon, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wakamoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Toon, Japan.|Department of Pediatrics, Ehime Rehabilitation Center for Children, Toon, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Toon, Japan.
authors.forename: Eiichi
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ishii
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019988:Children with Disabilities; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D018396:Mucin-1 / Q000097:blood*; D012120:Respiration Disorders / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000534:rehabilitation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C060192:MUC1 protein, human; D018396:Mucin-1
keywords: KL-6; computed tomography; respiratory infection; respiratory problem; severe motor and intellectual disabilities