Helicobacter pylori infection and gastric emptying of solids in humans

Helicobacter pylori has been implicated in a number of upper gastrointestinal illnesses. In a controlled study, we have investigated the relationship between H. pylori infection and gastric emptying of solids in two groups of patients with chronic symptoms of dyspepsia. In the first group, 19 patients with non-ulcer dyspepsia and H. pylori infection underwent a standard test of gastric emptying after ingestion of 500 μCi of Tc-labelled chicken liver. The results were compared to a control group of 16 uninfected volunteers. We also studied a second group of 20 patients with previously diagnosed idiopathic gastroparesis for the prevalence of H. pylori infection and its relationship to symptom severity and rates of gastric emptying. In the first group of patients, the half-time of gastric emptying was significantly less among the infected patients compared to the uninfected volunteers (108 ± 9 vs. 142 ± 14 min, P < 0.05). In the second group of patients with gastroparesis, the prevalence of H. pylori was not significantly different among these patients than among 21 age and sex matched controls (20% vs. 38%, P = 0.32). Gastric emptying was markedly slow in all 20 patients in the second group but less so among the four with H. pylori infection. Symptom scores were no different between infected and uninfected patients. We conclude that H. pylori infection is not associated with abnormally slow gastric emptying. On the contrary, gastric H. pylori infection appears to be associated with mildly accelerated emptying of solids compared to normal controls. Idiopathic gastroparesis and dyspepsia related H. pylori infection are separate but sometimes overlapping disorders.     

MYCOSIS FUNGOIDES AND PROGRESSIVE MULTIFOCAL LEUKOENCEPHALOPATHY

SUMMARY.— A patient is described with generalized mycosis fungoides who became severely demented. Autopsy showed that the dementia was due to progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy. The presumed pathogenesis of this rare disorder of the nervous system was demonstrated by electron microscopical examination of necropsy samples of brain, which showed intranuclear viral filaments and rounded particles. This bizarre viral invasion of the brain is thought to be an opportunistic infection due to impairment of immune defences by the generalized reticulosis and the chemotherapy received by the patient.     

SHlGELLA DYSENTERlAE TYPE 1 ENTEROCOLITIS

Abstract Shigella dysenteriae tpe 1 is much more virulent than Shigella flexneri and sonnei which are endemic in Australia. This report describes a 22 year old woman who acquired Shigella dysenteriae type 1 whilst travelling in India. During the course of her illness, she developed severe enteroco-litis for which a subtotal colectomy was performed. The illness resembled fulminant ulcerative colitis and its infectious nature was difficult to establish because several fecal cultures failed to grow the pathogen. Her infection was complicated by shigella bacteremia, disseminated intravascular coagulation, and renal cortical necrosis which requires continued hemodialysis.     

Comparison of Assays for Gap Junctional Communication Using Human Embryocarcinoma Cells Exposed to Dieldrin

Comparison of Assays for Gap Junctional Communication UsingHuman Embryocarcinoma Cells Exposed to Dieldrin. LOCH-CARUSO,R., CALDWELL, V., CIMINI, M., AND JUBERG, D. (1990). Fundam.Appl. Toxicol. 15, 63–74. Several assays were comparedfor their ability to detect inhibition of gap junctional communicationin human embryocarcinoma cells exposed to the pesticide dieldrin.Included in this evaluation was a recently developed assay basedon the transfer of the fluorescent dye derived metabolicallyfrom 5(and 6)-carboxy-2,7-dichlorofluorescein diacetate. Thisassay was compared to assays for fluorescence return after photobleaching(FRAP), transfer of Lucifer yellow after scrape-loading, autoradiographicvisualization of [³H]-uridine nucleotide transfer, and metaboliccoupling of 6-thioguanine (6-TG) metabolites. The scrape-loadingassay was the most sensitive assay, detecting inhibition ofjunctional communication at all concentrations tested. Additionally,the scrape-loading assay provided the clearest demonstrationof concentration-dependent inhibition of junctional communication,although the [³H] uridine assay also showed significant concentration-relatedeffects. The 5(and 6)-car-boxy-2,7-dichlorofluorescein diacetateand 6-TG metabolic coupling assays detected significant inhibitionat the two highest concentrations of dieldrin only. The FRAPassay also detected substantial inhibition at the two highestconcentrations only. These results show that scrape-loadingis the most sensitive assay of those compared in this studyfor the detection of inhibited junctional communication. Furthermore,compared to the other assays evaluated, the newly developed5(and 6)-carboxy-2,7-dichlorofluorescein diacetate assay isat least as sensitive, yet less cumbersome, less expensive,and more rapid. Finally, the results show that each of theseassays was easily applied to embryonic cells, suggesting thatthey may be useful for evaluating disruption of junctional communicationin embryonic cell cultures.