Ambulatory 24-hour esophageal pH monitoring

If 24-hour esophageal pH monitoring is to be a useful diagnostic tool, it must reliably discriminate gastroesophageal reflux patients despite daily variations in distal esophageal acid exposure. To address this issue, we studied 53 subjects (14 healthy normals, 14 esophagitis patients, and 25 patients with atypical symptoms) with two ambulatory pH tests performed within 10 days of each other. Intrasubject reproducibility of 12 pH parameters to discriminate the presence of abnormal acid reflux was determined. As a group, the parameters of percent time with pH<4 (total, upright, recumbent) were most reproducible (80%). Therefore, a subject was defined as having gastroesophageal reflux disease if at least one of these three values were abnormal. Intrasubject reproducibility for the diagnosis of reflux disease was 89% for the entire sample. Among subsets, the reproducibility was 93% for the normals and esophagitis patients and 84% for the atypical symptom patients. Total percent time with pH<4 was the single most discriminate pH parameter (85%) and nearly equaled that of the three combined parameters (89%). The intrasubject variability of this parameter was determined by the mean ±2sd of the relative differences between the two test results for all 53 subjects. Total percent time with pH<4 may vary between tests by a factor of 3.2-fold or less (218% higher to 69% lower). We conclude: (1) ambulatory 24-hr esophageal monitoring is a reproducible test for the diagnosis of gastroesophageal reflux disease; and (2) the large intrastudy variability in 24-hr total acid exposure may limit this test's usefulness as a measurement of therapeutic improvement.Supported, in part, by Public Health Services Grant AM 34200-01A1 from NIADDIK.     

QT间期相关基因研究进展

心电图反映心脏除极和复极的电位影响,心电图波形的变化主要取决于心脏本身的改变.在医学临床工作中,心电图检查对诊断心脏疾病具有重要作用.     

肺炎链球菌β-内酰胺酶TEM基因的发现

目的：探讨肺炎链球菌是否产β-内酰胺酶。方法：对2002年9月至2003年4月在苏州大学附属儿童医院就诊的呼吸道感染患儿痰标本中分离到的23株肺炎链球菌进行β-内酰胺酶TEM基因PCR检测与PCR扩增产物直接测序分析。结果：23株肺炎链球菌经TEM基因PCR检测21株阳性，阳性率达91．3％。测得1号菌株(SR001)基因序列为TEM-1型，已登录美国国立生物信息中心，注册号：AY392531。结论：从肺炎链球菌中检出β-内酰胺酶TEM基因。肺炎链球菌对青霉素耐药机制包括产β-内酰胺酶。     

支气管扩张症肺组织内降钙素表达的临床意义

目的　了解支气管扩张症肺组织降钙素 (CT)蛋白表达水平与其病变特点的关系。方法　应用免疫组化方法定量分析 4 5例支气管扩张症患者手术切除的肺组织 ,对其气道上皮内神经内分泌细胞 (NEC)计数 ,并与 19例无肺部疾患的尸检肺组织进行比较。结果　 2组均可见被染成棕红色的CT阳性细胞 ,它们分布于肺内各级支气管上皮细胞间 ,以支气管分叉处较多见。支气管扩张症组肺组织内5 0 0 0个上皮细胞中CT阳性细胞数为 (6 7.4 8± 11.0 3)个 ,非支气管扩张症组肺组织内CT阳性细胞数仅为 (5 .0 2± 1.0 0 )个 ,2组比较有非常显著性差异 (P <0 .0 0 1)。结论　支气管扩张症肺组织高水平CT表达可能与其慢性炎症改变有关 ,其局部CT表达增高可能系机体对支气管扩张病变的一种局部性代偿或调节机制。     

In vivo kinetics of 123I-labelled insulin: studies in normal subjects and patients with diabetes mellitus

Radioactive tracer techniques using 131I- and 125I-insulin have been applied to study insulin metabolism. A simple method to label human insulin with 123I to a high specific activity is described. We have used this radiotracer to study insulin kinetics in vivo in normal subjects and in two groups of diabetic patients. The rate of decline in plasma radioactivity was shown to be significantly reduced in patients with diabetes. There were no significant differences in the time-activity profiles of liver and kidneys between the groups studied. This technique may provide insight into the mechanism of some forms of insulin resistance.     

Oligoclonal immunoglobulins in HIV infection

We tested 150 patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) for the presence of oligoclonal bands in serum, prompted by reports that these abnormal proteins may have prognostic significance. Sixty HIV-negative individuals from "at-risk" groups were tested along with 80 HIV-negative, healthy blood donors for the presence of these bands. All sera were tested by isoelectric focusing, because it is more sensitive for this purpose than more-conventional electrophoretic techniques. In the HIV-positive group, 61% of the sera had oligoclonal bands; in the HIV-negative "at-risk" group, 36% had bands. No bands were detectable in sera from the healthy blood-donor group. Some patients were also followed for differing periods throughout their infection, and changes in their oligoclonal banding patterns could not be correlated with disease progression. The fact that oligoclonal bands were found to be present without HIV infection in a substantial number of individuals from within the "at-risk" groups leads us to conclude that the presence of oligoclonal bands in HIV infection is of limited prognostic significance.     

Treatment effects of the Herbst appliance

The purpose of this study was to examine the results of treatment with a modified Herbst appliance. The pretreatment and posttreatment cephalometric and dental cast records of 32 consecutively treated Class II, Division 1 cases were evaluated. Results showed that the skeletal Class II correction was achieved by an average 1.5 mm of greater than normal forward mandibular growth in conjunction with a minimal "headgear" effect inhibiting maxillary growth. Dental Class II correction was achieved by significant amounts of distal bodily movement and tipping of the maxillary first molars combined with bodily forward movement of the mandibular first molars. Significant increases were seen in maxillary arch length and maxillary intercanine and intermolar widths, while the mandibular arch demonstrated few changes. Slight forward movement of the mandibular incisors was noted with no significant change occurring in the maxillary incisors.