Skip to content
The Kids Research Institute Australia logo
Donate

No results yet

Search

Research

Maternal prenatal stress exposure and sex-specific risk of severe infection in offspring

Maternal stressful life events during pregnancy have been associated with immune dysregulation and increased risk for asthma and atopy in offspring. Few studies have investigated whether prenatal stress is associated with increased overall or specific infectious diseases in childhood, nor explored sex differences. We sought to examine the relationship between the nature and timing of maternal stress in pregnancy and hospitalisation with infection in offspring.

Research

ACE2 expression is elevated in airway epithelial cells from older and male healthy individuals but reduced in asthma

COVID-19 is complicated by acute lung injury, and death in some individuals. It is caused by SARS-CoV-2 that requires the ACE2 receptor and serine proteases to enter AEC. We determined what factors are associated with ACE2 expression particularly in patients with asthma and COPD. We obtained lower AEC from 145 people from two independent cohorts, aged 2-89 years, Newcastle (n = 115) and Perth (n = 30), Australia. The Newcastle cohort was enriched with people with asthma (n = 37) and COPD (n = 38). Gene expression for ACE2 and other genes potentially associated with SARS-CoV-2 cell entry was assessed by qPCR, and protein expression was confirmed with immunohistochemistry on endobronchial biopsies and cultured AEC.

Research

Acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease: Incidence and progression in the Northern Territory of Australia 1997 to 2010

The reduction in ARF recurrence indicates that the RHD control program has improved secondary prophylaxis; a decline in RHD incidence is expected to follow.

Research

The Australian guideline for prevention, diagnosis and management of acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease (2nd edition)

Acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD) occur at very high rates among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Research

Evidence for the use of an algorithm in resolving inconsistent and missing Indigenous status in administrative data collections

We found that algorithms reduced the amount of missing data and improved within‑individual consistency.

Research

The microbiology of impetigo in Indigenous children: associations between Streptococcus pyogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, scabies, and nasal carriage

Prevalence and antimicrobial resistance of impetigo pathogens in a randomised, controlled trial of impetigo treatment conducted in remote Indigenous communities

Research

Is Streptococcus pyogenes resistant or susceptible to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole?

Streptococcus pyogenes is commonly believed to be resistant to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (SXT), resulting in reservations about using SXT for skin and...

Research

Early Vocabulary Development of Australian Indigenous Children: Identifying Strengths

The current study sought to increase our understanding of the factors involved in the early vocabulary development of Australian Indigenous children.

Research

It’s not just droplets: a systematic review and meta-analysis of the modes of transmission of Group A Streptococcus

The transmission of Group A Streptococcus (Strep A) through respiratory droplets has been considered the dominant mode of transmission to date; however, little is known about the relative contribution of other modes of transmission. This review systematically summarises the contemporary evidence regarding the transmission of Strep A.

Research

Koolungar (Children) Moorditj (Strong) Healthy Skin Project Part II: Skin Health in Urban-Living Australian Aboriginal Children

Although essential for overall health and wellbeing, little is known about skin health in urban-living Australian Aboriginal children. This co-designed, research-service project aimed to describe skin health and document skin disease frequency in urban-living Aboriginal children and young people in Western Australia and investigate housing associations for skin infections.