Efficacy of ambulatory treatment of patients with primary chronic gastroduodenitis

The authors studied the efficacy of the treatment of 80 patients with primary chronic gastroduodenitis on an ambulatory basis. Use was made of spasmolytics, cholinolytics, antacids, sedative agents together with reflexotherapy, dietetic management and physiotherapy. As a result of the treatment, positive changes were recorded in the clinical, functional (intragastric pH-metry with the sodium carbonate test), endoscopic, histomorphologic, morphometric and immunologic characteristics. The changes in the characteristics indicated were examined both shortly after the treatment (1 to 1.5 month) and in the long-term period. Duodenal ulcer developed in 4 persons (5%) in the long-term period, which is 5 times more seldom as compared to the reported data.     

Clinico-morphologic analysis of compensatory and adaptive processes of the kidneys in chronic glomerulonephritis

Patients with different patterns of chronic glomerulonephritis (CGN) were distributed in 2 groups depending on the presence or lack of chronic renal failure (CRF). In renal biopsy specimens, the mitotic index was calculated and the comparison was made of the intensity of cell division with the degree of intracellular regeneration reactions and with the efficacy of the single-type multimodality pathogenetic therapy. None mitotic figure could be discovered in the renal tissue in all the cases of CGN complicated by CRF. In uncomplicated CGN, the patients were divided into 2 groups in terms of the intensity of cell division in the kidneys. One of the groups showed hyperplasia of the cells, whereas the other one manifested the low characteristics of the mitotic index. In the group of patients with a high level of cell division, the intracellular regeneration processes in the kidneys were more pronounced and the treatment appeared more effective. The level of cell division in renal biopsy specimens may serve as an objective diagnostic criterion for CGN and its complication by CRF.     

Endocrine function of the pancreas in chronic pancreatitis

Endocrine function of the pancreas was examined in patients with chronic pancreatitis of different etiology. Radioimmunoassay was applied to measure blood immunoreactive insulin, C-peptide and glucagon as characteristics of the hormonal activity of the pancreas. Pancreatic function was revealed to be disordered. The degree of the disorders correlated with the disease gravity and duration as well as with its progress (exacerbation or remission). As compared with patients presenting with cholepancreatitis, more remarkable alterations, which were particularly well observable during making the glucose tolerance test, were found in patients with chronic pancreatitis of alcoholic etiology.     

Clinical and pathogenetic significance of the euphylline-calcium test for direct analysis of the exocrine secretory function of the pancreas in chronic relapsing pancreatitis

The authors improved the probe assay of the pancreas: an original euphylline-calcium test was developed. The examination is informative and safe in the diagnostics of the chronic relapsing pancreatitis. A number of advantages of the optimized method of diagnostics before the traditional ones, including the secretin-pancreazimin test, were proven.     

Sonographic changes of the pancreas in chronic renal failure

Several abnormalities regarding pancreatic morphology and function have been reported in patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) with an incidence as high as 72%. In a prospective study we investigated 96 outpatients from our chronic ambulatory hemodialysis program by abdominal ultrasound. Of the patients with CRF, 20.6% were found to have morphologic alterations of the pancreas compared to 4.7% of controls. Although pathologic sonograms of the pancreas correlated with biliary disease, hyperparathyroidism and years of hemodialysis, the most obvious etiologic factor appeared to be the duration of CRF. Possible pathogenetic mechanisms are discussed and screening abdominal ultrasound examinations in patients with long-standing CRF are recommended.