Gastric metaplasia in the duodenal bulb shows increased mucosal interleukin-8 activity in Helicobacter pylori-positive duodenal ulcer patients

BACKGROUND: Although increased levels of interleukin (IL)-8 are known to be associated with infiltration of neutrophils in the gastric mucosa with Helicobacter pylori infection, no study has investigated the relationship between local IL-8 levels and neutrophil infiltration in the duodenal mucosa of patients with duodenal ulcer (DU). METHODS: Duodenal mucosal biopsy specimens with and without gastric metaplasia (GM) were obtained from patients with DU and controls with an endoscopic methylene blue (MB) staining method. Levels of IL-8 secreted in the organ cultures of biopsy specimens were measured with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The number of myeloperoxidase-positive neutrophils infiltrating the lamina propria was determined in immunohistochemically stained tissue sections. RESULTS: Histologic assessment showed that there was a strong correlation between the absence of endoscopic MB staining and the extent of GM. The levels of IL-8 in both duodenal and antral mucosal tissues were significantly higher in patients with H. pylori infection than in those without infection. In patients with DU the duodenal mucosal tissues with GM (MB-unstained mucosa) showed significantly higher levels of IL-8 than those without GM (MB-stained mucosa) or the antral mucosa. The number of neutrophils showed similar variations among DU and control patients with a positive correlation with IL-8 activity. The levels of IL-8 and the number of neutrophils decreased after H. pylori eradication in both duodenal and antral mucosal tissues, and these changes were more remarkable in the duodenal mucosal tissues with GM. CONCLUSIONS: Increased IL-8 activity in the duodenal mucosa with GM may be important for ulcerogenesis in H. pylori-positive DU patients.     

Some hematological problems in Indonesia

Indonesia consist of many island inhabited by many ethnic groups with different social economic condition. As in other parts of the world, anemia is still one of the major health problem in Indonesia. The reported anemia prevalence differs in each area and age groups, ranging from 5.4% in well nourished preschool children to 56.3% in primary school children; and 19% to 62.5% in pregnant women. The causes of anemia mostly reported were nutritional like iron deficiency, abnormal hemoglobin besides other conditions. In Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital as the national referral hospital in Indonesia, in the adults groups, the cause of anemia reported were 14% with iron deficiency, 54% aplastic, 16% hemolytic and 16% other causes. Whereas in the child health department the cause were 29% nutritional deficiency, 31% thalassemia, 10% aplastic, 4% hemolytic and 26% other causes. Thalassemia is quite often reported in Indonesia. In 1955 Lie-Injo first reported the HbE as the most frequently found abnormality among many ethnic groups in Indonesia, ranging from 2.5% to 13.2%. In later studies the prevalence reported varies very much. It was reported as 9.5% in newborns, 22% in pregnant women, and 15.95% to 60% in athletes. The carrier frequency in some areas was between 6-10%, while the pattern of mutation varied widely within each region. Hemophilia cases in Indonesia is still not diagnosed adequately, only 530 cases were reported. The problems were lack of diagnostic laboratories and awareness. As many as 56.9% of the hemophilia patients who received cryoprecipitate were reported positive with HCV antibody. Hematological malignancy is now also became an increasing problem in Indonesia, in child health department the prevalence of leukemia was 57%, and lymphoma 13% among other malignancies. In National Cancer hospital, the prevalence leukemia as diagnosed using morphology and flowcytometry, were 51.4% AML, 19.7% B-ALL, 14.6% T-ALL, 4.5% preB-ALL, with 9.8% cases with co expression, and 30% other malignancies. Due to geographical situation, economic condition and lack of diagnostic laboratory facility many abnormalities were unable to be diagnosed properly.     

Visio-spatial skills in athletes: comparison of rugby players and non-athletes

Sport Sciences for Health - Research pertaining to the superiority of athletes’ visio-spatial expertise when compared to non-athletes is conflicting. This discrepancy may arise due to a...     

Brain amyloid and vascular risk are related to distinct white matter hyperintensity patterns

White matter hyperintensities (WMHs) are associated with vascular risk and Alzheimer’s disease. In this study, we examined relations between WMH load and distribution, amyloid pathology and vascular risk in 339 controls and cases with either subjective (SCD) or mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Regional deep (DWMH) and periventricular (PWMH) WMH loads were determined using an automated algorithm. We stratified on Aβ1-42 pathology (Aβ+/−) and analyzed group differences, as well as associations with Framingham Risk Score for cardiovascular disease (FRS-CVD) and age. Occipital PWMH (p = 0.001) and occipital DWMH (p = 0.003) loads were increased in SCD-Aβ+ compared with Aβ− controls. In MCI-Aβ+ compared with Aβ− controls, there were differences in global WMH (p = 0.003), as well as occipital DWMH (p = 0.001) and temporal DWMH (p = 0.002) loads. FRS-CVD was associated with frontal PWMHs (p = 0.003) and frontal DWMHs (p = 0.005), after adjusting for age. There were associations between global and all regional WMH loads and age. In summary, posterior WMH loads were increased in SCD-Aβ+ and MCI-Aβ+ cases, whereas frontal WMHs were associated with vascular risk. The differences in WMH topography support the use of regional WMH load as an early-stage marker of etiology.