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Biomedical subjects

R R Peleman

Publications and source records attributed to R R Peleman.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

Increased colonic mucosal angiotensin I and II concentrations in Crohn's colitis.

To define a potential role for the angiotensin system in Crohn's colitis, the colonic mucosal levels of angiotensin I and II were measured in endoscopic biopsy samples from patients with active Crohn's colitis (n = 20), ulcerative colitis (n = 13), other forms of colitis (n = 3), and normal controls (n = 17). Colonic mucosal levels of angiotensin I and II were greater in patients with Crohn's colitis than in normal subjects (p less than 0.001 and p less than 0.001, respectively). Mucosal levels of angiotensin I and II were also higher in Crohn's colitis than in ulcerative colitis (p less than 0.001 and p less than 0.001, respectively), and levels of angiotensin II were higher in Crohn's than in other forms of colitis (p = 0.014). Mucosal levels of angiotensin I and II correlated well with the degree of macroscopic inflammation in Crohn's colitis (r = 0.86, p less than 0.001 and r = 0.68, p less than 0.001, respectively). Mucosal levels of angiotensin I correlated fairly well with the Crohn's Disease Activity Index (r = 0.46, p less than 0.05) while angiotensin II levels correlated poorly. These studies suggest that angiotensin I and II may have a role in the inflammation associated with Crohn's colitis.

Angiotensin I

Impairment of gallbladder emptying in diabetes mellitus.

Individuals with diabetes mellitus are reported to have a twofold to threefold increase in the incidence of cholesterol gallstones. A frequently cited but unproven pathophysiologic mechanism for this phenomenon is reduced gallbladder muscle function, which results in stasis and allows for cholesterol gallstone crystal formation and gallstone growth. To date, gallbladder motor function has not been investigated in a well-characterized diabetic population. Therefore, using radionuclide cholescintigraphy, gallbladder filling and subsequent emptying produced in response to an infusion of the octapeptide of cholecystokinin in 30 diabetic patients and 20 control individuals were studied. No difference in any parameter used to assess gallbladder filling was demonstrated in the diabetics when compared with controls. In contrast, gallbladder emptying induced with cholecystokinin-octapeptide (20 ng/kg body wt . h) was reduced in diabetics compared with controls (55% +/- 5% vs. 74% +/- 4%, p less than 0.01). The peak emptying rate in the diabetics was also decreased (5.0% +/- 0.5% per minute) compared with the controls (7.0% +/- 0.6% per minute, p less than 0.02). The observed decreased gallbladder emptying found in diabetics was not related to obesity, type of diabetes, diabetic control, or presence or absence of peripheral neuropathy. The most severe impairment of gallbladder emptying occurred, however, in diabetics with an associated autonomic neuropathy. This subgroup demonstrated a significant reduction in the percentage of gallbladder emptying (40% +/- 8% vs. 62% +/- 5%, p less than 0.04) and the peak ejection rate (3.5% +/- 0.5% per minute vs. 5.6% +/- 0.6%, p less than 0.02) compared with the diabetics without autonomic neuropathy.

Diabetes Mellitus

Screening and surveillance for colorectal cancer.

Pathologic reviews and clinical studies demonstrate that groups with increased cancer risk can be identified. It is estimated that about 3.5 per cent of colorectal cancers in this country are the result of known heritable cancer syndromes, such as familial polyposis. Much effort is currently being devoted to evaluation of biologic markers, such as cell surface antigens and their antibodies, ornithine decarboxylase, errors in DNA repair, abnormalities in metabolism of polyadenosine diphosphate, and application of molecular genetic techniques to identify patients with genetic cancer susceptibility.

Adult

Colonoscopic polypectomy.

Since the advent of fiberoptic endoscopy and the introduction of colonoscopic polypectomy, a simple and cost-effective procedure has been available to deal with an exceedingly common problem, the colonic polyp. Although polyps in the gastrointestinal tract have a varied natural history, there is strong evidence that adenomatous colonic polyps have a potential for malignant degeneration and that virtually all colorectal cancers arise from adenomatous polyps. This article will review some basic features of the endoscopic approaches and problems associated with polypectomy.

Colonic Polyps

Orthotopic liver transplantation for acute and subacute hepatic failure in adults.

The role of liver transplantation in 29 patients with fulminant and subacute hepatic failure due to a variety of different causes was examined by comparing the outcome and a variety of "hospitalization" variables. Transplanted patients (n = 13) were more likely to survive (p less than 0.05), were younger (p less than 0.05) and spent more time in the hospital (p less than 0.025) than did those who were not transplanted (n = 16). Despite spending a much longer time in the hospital, transplanted patients spent less time in the intensive care unit (p less than 0.05) in coma (p less than 0.01) and on a respirator (p less than 0.01) than did those not transplanted. Most importantly, the survival rate for transplanted patients was significantly improved (p less than 0.05) as compared to those not transplanted. We conclude that liver transplantation can be applied successfully to the difficult clinical problem of fulminant and subacute hepatic failure.

Acute Disease