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Biomedical subjects

M Isokoski

Publications and source records attributed to M Isokoski.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Galactitol is not a cause of senile cataract.

It has been postulated that the accumulation of sugar alcohol, galactitol, from milk induces cataract in the eye lens through an osmotic mechanism. In this study the concentrations of galactitol and other sugar alcohols (sorbitol, mannitol and inositol) were measured by sensitive gas chromatography in the lenses of 15 patients operated on for senile idiopathic cataracts and in 14 clear lenses removed at autopsy. Large amounts of inositol (mean +/- SD, 4.1 +/- 3.1 vs 4.7 +/- 3.0 mumol/g lens wet weight) and small amounts of mannitol and sorbitol were detected in both study groups. Galactitol levels remained clearly below the detection limit (2 nmol/g) in all lenses. It seems unlikely that senile cataract is a result of the accumulation of galactitol in the eye lens.

Adult

Medical education and the corresponding professional needs of young doctors: the Finnish Junior Physician 88 study.

The Universities of Kuopio and Tampere in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and Finnish Medical Association carried out the 'Junior Physician 88' study in 1988, the purpose of which was to shed further light on the life situation and future plans of young doctors and their views concerning undergraduate and postgraduate medical education. The study concerned all the doctors registered during the years 1977-1986 in Finland (n = 5208). After randomization, a postal questionnaire was sent to one half (n = 2631) of these doctors. After the first reminder letter, 1745 questionnaires (66.3%) were returned. According to the views of the respondents undergraduate hospital teaching was adequate but the teaching of practice in health centres, school health care, team-work, health care of the elderly, home health care, rehabilitation, environmental health care and administration did not meet the professional needs of doctors. All doctors were satisfied with the hospital teaching in their undergraduate curriculum. However, only the doctors who graduated from the two modern universities in Kuopio and Tampere were satisfied with their undergraduate health centre teaching.

Adult

Comparison of indirect diagnostic methods for hypolactasia.

The aim of this study was to continue our previously published work and to compare the different indirect diagnostic methods for hypolactasia with the lactase to sucrase ratio obtained by jejunal biopsy. The following tests were performed in 63 adult patients: the breath hydrogen test, the lactose tolerance test with ethanol (serum galactose measurement after oral lactose load with ethanol), the urinary lactose tolerance test (urinary galactose measurement after oral lactose load with ethanol), and the strip test (like the former but using a special test strip for urinary galactose). Specificities of all these tests were good (96-98%). The 3-h breath hydrogen test was less sensitive (69%) than the other methods (81-94%). The strip test is recommended for the general practitioner for the diagnosis of this common cause of abdominal complaints.

Adolescent

Strip test is reliable in common prevalences of hypolactasia.

The object of this study was to compare the indirect diagnostic methods on the basis of urinary galactose determination in the diagnosis of lactose malabsorption with the actual lactase activities. One hundred and seven patients were studied. The specificity and sensitivity of the strip test were 97%. With 30% actual prevalence the positive predictive value was 94%, and the negative predictive value was 99%. In common prevalences of hypolactasia the strip test was reliable.

Adolescent

Serum lipids and proteins in lactose malabsorption.

It has been suggested that dietary lactose may reduce the intestinal absorption of fat and protein in individuals with lactase deficiency. On the other hand, it is known that a high carbohydrate diet increases serum lipids. The purpose of this study was to examine whether there are differences in the fasting serum lipid and protein concentrations between people with lactose malabsorption and people with normal lactose absorption. Therefore in the connection of a family study serum lipids and proteins were measured in 409 subjects belonging to 11 families. Of these 288 were relatives of the 11 index persons and 121 were spouses or relatives of the spouses. The weight, height, and milk consumption of each person were recorded. When the age, sex, relative weight and milk consumption effects were taken into account there was a statistical difference between the lactose malabsorption and lactose absorption groups for the concentration of serum triglycerides, but not for the other variables. Besides, serum triglyceride values of over 200 mg/100 ml were significantly fewer in people with lactose malabsorption. It was hypothesized that increased intestinal motility may disturb the absorption of fats and cause the observed difference at least in the Finnish population.

Adolescent