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Biomedical subjects

A Fich

Publications and source records attributed to A Fich.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Cytoprotective doses of arbacet with minimal antisecretory properties are not effective in duodenal ulcer healing.

The efficacy of arbacet (a synthetic analog of prostaglandin E2) in definite cytoprotective but minimal antisecretory dose was evaluated in the treatment of duodenal ulcer. One hundred five patients with endoscopically proven duodenal ulcer were randomized in a double-blind manner to receive four times daily either arbacet 25 micrograms or placebo. Ulcer healing was assessed endoscopically after two and four weeks of treatment. The mean age, sex distribution, and tobacco and alcohol consumption were similar in the two treatment groups. The ulcers of 16 patients in both the placebo and the arbacet-treated group healed after 14 days of treatment. At the end of the study, healing of the ulcer was observed in 69.2% of the arbacet-treated patients and in 60.4% of patients in the placebo treated group. (Difference was not statistically significant). We conclude that cytoprotective doses of arbacet with minimal antisecretory properties are not effective in duodenal ulcer healing.

Adolescent↗

Familial intestinal pseudoobstruction dominated by a progressive neurologic disease at a young age.

Chronic neuropathic intestinal pseudoobstruction is a rare entity, characterized by recurrent episodes of bowel obstruction without a mechanical obstructive cause. We report five members of two Jewish-Iranian families in whom chronic neuropathic intestinal pseudoobstruction was associated with an identical and unique progressive severe neuronal disease. It appeared within the first two decades of life. The disease consisted of external ophthalmoplegia, ptosis, and severe sensory and motor peripheral neuropathy. Three patients also had neuronal hearing loss. There was no evidence of central nervous system involvement and all patients were mentally intact. The combined disease was confirmed by radiologic, electrophysiologic, and histologic studies. Specific nutritional deficiencies, toxic elements, and systemic diseases affecting both the gastrointestinal tract and the nervous system were ruled out. It seems that these patients suffer from an autosomal recessive, presently unrecognized variant, of chronic neuropathic intestinal pseudoobstruction. In a patient with severe peripheral neuropathy of unknown etiology associated with symptoms suggestive of intestinal obstruction, the possibility of chronic neuropathic intestinal pseudoobstruction has to be considered.

Adolescent↗

Crohn's disease of the duodenum presented as pancreatitis due to persimmon bezoar.

Pancreatitis due to Crohn's disease of the duodenum is very rare. It is the result of either reflux of duodenal content into the pancreatic duct or stenosis due to direct involvement of the ampullary region with Crohn's disease. The patient described had isolated Crohn's disease of the duodenum; pancreatitis was the result of persimmon bezoar's constricting the ampullary region.

Acute Disease↗

Familial progressive neuronal disease and chronic idiopathic intestinal pseudo-obstruction.

Chronic idiopathic intestinal pseudo-obstruction (CIIP) is characterized by recurrent episodes of bowel obstruction without mechanical cause. In five members of two Jewish-Iranian families, CIIP was associated with progressive neuronal disease, starting before age 30, with ophthalmoplegia, sensorimotor peripheral neuropathy, and hearing loss. There was no evidence of CNS involvement. The pattern suggested autosomal recessive inheritance.

Adolescent↗

Human gastric mucosal mast cells are chondroitin sulphate E-containing mast cells.

Our recent identification of chondroitin sulphate E-containing mast cells (E-MC) in the human colonic mucosa is extended here to the human gastric mucosa by using a combination of both biochemical and immunochemical approaches. Most of the mast cells in human gastric biopsies, which were located mainly around small blood vessels in the submucosa, showed various degrees of degranulation and were granular when stained by monoclonal antibody against chondroitin sulphate proteoglycan. The human gastric mucosa biopsies incorporated (35S)-sulphate into proteoglycans. Cells in the tissues which were histamine-positive also incorporated (35S). The 35S proteoglycans, which were either left associated with the tissue or released into the medium, were found not to be heparin but chondroitin sulphate E. Incubation of the human gastric mucosa biopsies in the presence of anti-human IgE revealed significant enhancement in the release of both (35S)-chondroitin sulphate E proteoglycan and histamine.

Chemical Phenomena↗

Primary duodenal carcinoid.

Duodenal carcinoid tumors are rare. We report two patients with isolated duodenal carcinoid tumors diagnosed accidentally by endoscopy, who were not operated, and were followed for more than 2 yr without evidence of metastasis. Because duodenal carcinoid tumors are slow growing and have a relative benign course, a conservative approach is recommended in old patients with relative contraindications to surgery.

Aged↗

Role of endogenous gastric prostanoids in the pathogenesis and therapy of duodenal ulcer.

Synthesis of prostaglandin E2 and 6-keto prostaglandin F1 alpha by cultured antral and fundic gastric mucosa obtained from 86 patients with active duodenal ulcer who were not receiving medication was 50% lower (p less than 0.01) than their respective synthesis by cultured gastric mucosa in normal subjects. Antral and fundic prostanoid synthesis in patients receiving chronic therapy with nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs was almost completely inhibited. The decreased synthesis of antral and fundic prostaglandin E2 and 6-keto prostaglandin F1 alpha in duodenal ulcer patients was not affected following ulcer healing achieved after 4 wk of therapy with placebo, arbacet, misoprostol, sucralfate, and pirenzepine. In contrast, following 4 wk of therapy with ranitidine, both antral and fundic prostaglandin E2 synthesis were significantly increased when compared with their respective synthesis before therapy. These results confirm that gastric prostanoid synthesis is decreased in patients with active duodenal ulcer and in subjects treated with nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, suggesting that decreased endogenous prostanoid synthesis may contribute to the pathogenesis of mucosal damage. The induction of endogenous prostanoids by ranitidine may contribute to its therapeutic effect.

6-Ketoprostaglandin F1 alpha↗

Serum IgE levels in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

The role of allergy in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is unclear. The present study was performed to evaluate serum levels of IgE and other immunoglobulin classes in patients with IBD. Patients with IBD had significantly elevated serum levels of both IgG and IgM in the presence of normal levels of IgA. Serum concentration of IgE, as well as the prevalence of patients with "high IgE" were significantly increased in IBD. Among patients with IBD, those with Crohn's disease or those in relapse had the highest levels of IgE. The possibility that allergy plays a pathogenic role in a subset of IBD is discussed.

Adolescent↗

Effect of misoprostol and cimetidine on gastric cell turnover.

The effects of misoprostol 200 micrograms q.i.d. and cimetidine 300 mg q.i.d. on gastric cell turnover were investigated in duodenal ulcer patients before and after four weeks of therapy. Endoscopic biopsies were incubated with 3H-thymidine. Glandular column length (number of cells per column) and the number of labelled cells per column were determined by autoradiography. There were no significant treatment effects on column length of the gastric pits of either the antrum or fundus. However, misoprostol and cimetidine had opposing effects on cell turnover. Misoprostol significantly decreased the number of labelled cells in antral (P less than 0.01) and fundic (P less than 0.001) gastric pits. However, cimetidine significantly increased (P less than 0.01) the number of labelled cells in antral and fundic columns. The increased gastric cell turnover caused by cimetidine may contribute to its activity in peptic ulcer disease. The decreased cell turnover induced by misoprostol does not appear to be a mechanism responsible for its well-established cytoprotective activity.

Adult↗

Effect of misoprostol and cimetidine on gastric cell labeling index.

The effect of misoprostol and cimetidine on gastric cell turnover was studied. Endoscopic biopsy specimens of fundic and antral mucosa were obtained from duodenal ulcer patients before and after 4 wk of therapy with cimetidine 1.2 g/day or misoprostol 800 micrograms/day. Biopsy specimens were incubated with [3H]thymidine. Glandular column length and number of labeled cells were determined after autoradiography. There was no significant difference in column length of antral or fundic glands before or after therapy with cimetidine and misoprostol. The number of antral and fundic labeled cells was significantly decreased after misoprostol treatment (3.6 +/- 0.3 and 4.6 +/- 0.4, mean +/- SE), as opposed to their respective number before therapy (6.9 +/- 0.5 and 8.3 +/- 0.8) (p less than 0.01). On the other hand, after treatment with cimetidine, the number of antral and fundic labeled cells was significantly higher (11.8 +/- 0.9 and 7.5 +/- 1.0, respectively) as compared with their number before therapy (5.7 +/- 0.5 and 5.6 +/- 0.6, respectively). The decreased gastric cell turnover induced by misoprostol indicates that the trophic effect of prostanoids on gastric mucosa is not due to an increase in cellular kinetics. The increased gastric cell turnover induced by cimetidine may contribute to its therapeutic effect in peptic ulcer disease.

Adult↗

Recruitment of subjects for fecal occult blood screening: a comparison of two methods in Jerusalem.

Two approaches to the recruitment of subjects for screening for fecal occult blood were tested in two middle-class neighborhoods in Jerusalem. After invitations were mailed to 2,909 persons aged 40 and older, 855 (29%) requested the special "Colo-Screen" packet of slides; and 496, one-sixth of those contacted originally, ultimately returned stool specimens for examination. In a parallel campaign by family doctors, invitations were distributed personally to 324 patients visiting a Sick Fund Clinic; 225 (69%) requested Colo-Screen slides and 137 (42% of the persons invited) sent in stool specimens. Males and females responded equally. Of the 633 specimens received, 29 (4.6%) were positive for occult blood; two cancers and seven adenomatous polyps were found and resected. Screening programs for colorectal cancer should encourage greater personal participation of family doctors in the recruitment process.

Colonic Neoplasms↗

Comparison of misoprostol and cimetidine in the treatment of duodenal ulcer.

The efficacy of misoprostol (a synthetic analogue of prostaglandin E1) and cimetidine in the treatment of duodenal ulcer was evaluated. Seventy-one patients with endoscopically proven duodenal ulcer were randomized in a double-blind manner in one of three groups that received four daily doses of either misoprostol, 50 or 200 micrograms, or cimetidine, 300 mg. Ulcer healing was assessed endoscopically after 4 weeks of treatment. The mean age, sex distribution, and tobacco, alcohol and caffeine consumption were similar in all treatment groups. Only one patient was lost to follow-up. On the misoprostol low dose, healing of the ulcer was observed in 60.9% of the patients. In contrast, healing on the higher dose of misoprostol was not significantly different to that with cimetidine. No significant clinical or laboratory side effects were observed in any of the patients. We found that the daily dose of 800 micrograms misoprostol is safe and effective in the treatment of duodenal ulcer.

Adult↗