Endoscopic band ligation for postpolypectomy gastric bleeding

We report a case of a patient in whom endoscopic band ligation was achieved for postpolypectomy gastric bleeding. A 76‐year‐old man visited our hospital because of anemia. Endoscopy revealed a gastric polyp, approximately 12 mm in diameter, on the lesser curvature in the distal gastric body. The polyp was considered to be the source of chronic anemia and was therefore removed by using standard careful snare‐cautery polypectomy technique. Four days later, follow‐up endoscopy was performed to evaluate the postpolypectomy site, and an active bleeding postpolypectomy ulcer was identified. Initial attempts to achieve hemostasis with ethanol injection were unsuccessful. Immediate hemostasis was obtained with a subsequent endoscopic band ligation device. There has been no recurrent bleeding. Endoscopic band ligation might be a good treatment modality for the treatment of a postpolypectomy gastric bleeding lesion.     

A study of the hemoglobin levels in breast-fed infants in one village of Okinawa prefecture

We investigated the prevalence of anemia and the hemoglobin levels in breast-fed infants. Three hundred and fifty-six healthy children with different feeding methods were studied longitudinally. The results showed that the prevalence of anemia was higher and the hemoglobin levels were lower in breast-fed infants compared with those in partially breast-fed or formula-fed infants at late infancy.     

Levels of serum ferritin and total body iron among infants with different feeding regimens

The levels of serum ferritin and total body iron of healthy infants were analyzed to evaluate iron status among infants with different feeding regimens. The results showed that the levels of serum ferritin and total body iron were lower in breast-fed infants than in partially breast-fed or formula-fed infants at late infancy and 18 months of age.     

Oxalate-degrading Providencia rettgeri isolated from human stools

BACKGROUND: Oxalate-degrading bacteria are thought to metabolize intestinal oxalate and thus decrease the urinary excretion of oxalate by reducing its intestinal absorption. METHODS: We have isolated several novel oxalate-degrading bacteria from human stools. Oxalate degrading bacteria were investigated to characterize their protein profiles with antibodies against oxalyl-coenzyme A decarboxylase (65 kDa) and formyl-coenzyme A transferase (48 kDa) purified from Oxalobacter formigenes. RESULTS: One of these isolates was identified as Providencia rettgeri, which showed two proteins (65 kDa and 48 kDa) on sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) that were not found in non-oxalate-degrading P. rettgeri. Antibodies reacted with the 65 and 48 kDa proteins from the P. rettgeri strain on Western blotting. An Oxalobacter formigenes formyl-coenzyme A transferase gene probe reacted with chromosomal DNA from P. rettgeri on Southern blotting under high stringency conditions, while an Oxalobacter formigenes oxalyl-coenzyme A decarboxylase gene probe did not react under the same conditions. CONCLUSIONS: The mechamism of oxalate degradation by P. rettgeri appears to be similar to that of Oxalobacter formigenes. This is the first report of a facultative oxalate-degrading organism that is one of the Enterobacteriaceae.     

A study of the iron requirement in infants,using changes in total body iron determined by hemoglobin,serum ferritin and bodyweight

The amount of iron absorption in healthy breast-fed infants was estimated in order to assess the iron requirement. This was carried out by monitoring changes in total body iron (TBI). Hemoglobin and serum ferritin were measure to calculate hemoglobin iron, body storage iron and TB1 at the ages of 4–5 months and 10–11 months. The amount of iron absorption was ∼ 0.4 mg/day, calculated as the sum of TBI increment and physiological iron loss. From this study, the dietary iron requirement for the weaning period was estimated as 4 mg/day.     

Urolithiasis in Okinawa, Japan: A relatively high prevalence of uric acid stones

AIM: The aim of the present study was to investigate the composition of urinary tract stones in patients from Okinawa, the most southern island group of Japan. METHODS: The study was conducted by 12 hospitals in Okinawa. A total of 1816 urinary tract calculi were obtained from 1816 patients (1323 males; 493 females). The patients had a mean age of 53 +/- 15.3 years (mean +/- SD). The calculi were examined to determine their chemical composition. Stone samples were analyzed by computed infrared spectrophotometer. RESULTS: Pure stones comprised 58.4% of the total, with calcium oxalate stones accounting for 40% (21% monohydrate [whewellite]; 6.6% dihydrate [weddellite]; and 12.4% combined monohydrate and dihydrate stones), uric acid/urate stones for 9.6%, calcium phosphate stones for 5.1%, and struvite stones for 3.7%. The other 41.6% of the stones consisted of calcium oxalate mixed with other components. The male-to-female ratio was 2.7:1. CONCLUSION: In our series, calcium oxalate stones accounted for 81.6% of the urinary tract calculi, while uric acid/urate stones accounted for 15.8%. Uric acid stones, predominantly the anhydrous and/or dihydrate forms, showed a relatively high prevalence. Calcium oxalate stones, predominantly in the form of whewellite, showed a high prevalence among pure calculi; while the predominant combinations among mixed calculi were weddellite + calcium phosphate and whewellite + uric acid/urate.     

Definitions of severely mentally and physically disabled children in Japan: Do the differences affect the prevalence rates of these children?

The prevalence rate of severely mentally and physically disabled children (SDC) aged 6–15 years in Okinawa prefecture on 1 May 1989 was 0.74/1000 (143/192 038) according to Oshima's classification, compared with 0.89/1000 (170/192 038) according to the Ministry of Education's classification with minor modifications. The number of children in region classes 1, 2, 3 and 4 of Oshima's classification for SDC were 100, 34, 6 and 3, respectively. The difference (n = 27) between the total numbers of SDC according to the two classifications was mainly because of 21 children categorized as ‘walking with support’ who were included as SDC according to the Ministry of Education's classification but not as SDC according to Oshima's classification. Only region class 1 of Oshima's classification corresponded with region class 25 of the Ministry of Education's classification. The results of the present study indicate that the differences between the two definitions of SDC affect the reported prevalence rates of SDC. Therefore, changing patterns in the prevalence of SDC should be assessed by serial surveys using the same method in each district.