Is analysis of lower esophageal sphincter vector volumes of value in diagnosing gastroesophageal reflux disease?

AIM:With successful surgical treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease(GERD),there is interest in understanding the anti-reflux barrier and its mechanisms of failure.To date, the potential use of vector volumes to predict the DeMeester score has not been adequately explored. METHODS:627 patients in the referral database received esophageal manometry and ambulatory 24-hour pH monitoring.Study data included LES resting pressure(LESP), overall LES length(OL)and abdominal length(AL),total vector volume(TVV)and intrabdominal vector volume(IVV). RESULTS:In cases where LESP,TVV or IVV were all below normal,there was an 81.4%probability of a positive DeMeester score.In cases where all three were normal, there was an 86.9%probability that the DeMeester score would be negative.Receiver-operating characteristics(ROC) for LESP,TVV and IVV were nearly identical and indicated no useful cut-off values.Logistic regression demonstrated that LESP and IVV had the strongest association with a positive DeMeester score;however,the regression formula was only 76.1%accurate. CONCLUSION:While the indices based on TVV,IVV and LESP are more sensitive and specific,respectively,than any single measurement,the measurement of vector volumes does not add significantly to the diagnosis of GERD.

Esophageal ulceration complicating doxycycline therapy

AIM;TO report present state of iatrogenic drug-induced esophageal injury(DIEI)induced by medications in a private clinic. METHODS:Iatrogenic drug-induced esophageal injury (DIEI)induced by medications has been more frequently reported.In a private clinic we encountered 36 cases of esophageal ulcerations complicating doxycycline therapy in a mainly younger Saudi population(median age 29 years). RESULTS:The most frequent presenting symptoms were odynophagia,retrosternal burning pain and dysphagia(94 %, 75 % and 56 %,respectively).The diagnosis was according to medical history and confirmed by endoscopy in all patients. Beside withdrawal of doxycycline,when feasible,all patients were treated with a proton-pump inhibitor(PPI)and a prokinetic.Thirty patients who reported to the clinic after treatment were improved within 1-7(median 1.7)days. CONCLUSION:Esophageal ulceration has to be suspected in younger patients with odynophagia,retrosternal burning pain and/or dysphagia during the treatment with doxycycline.

Poverty and Nutritional Health of the Child: Some Evidence from 2005 Demographic and Health Survey of Congo

The objective of this study is to identify the ways in which poverty could affect the nutritional health of the child and to analyze the strength of these links. On the whole, it appears that the relationship between poverty (measured by the wealth index) and health of the child (measured by an anthropometric index) is positive and highly significant.

Diagnosis and treatment of congenital choledochal cyst: 20 years' experience in China

AIM: To summarize the experience of diagnosis and treatment of congenital choledochal cyst in the past 20 years (1980-2000). METHODS: The clinical data of 108 patients admitted from 1980 to 2000 were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: Abdominal pain,jaundice and abdominal mass were presented in most child cases. Clinical symptoms in adult cases were non-specific, resulting in delayed diagnosis frequently. Fifty-seven patients (52.7%) had coexistent pancreatiobiliary disease. Carcinoma of the biliary duct occurred in 18 patients (16.6%).Ultrasonic examination was undertaken in 94 cases, ERCP performed in 46 cases and CT in 71 cases. All of the cases were correctly diagnosed before operation. Abnormal pancreatobiliary duct junction was found in 39 patients. Before 1985 the diagnosis and classification of congenital choledochal cyst were established by ultrasonography preoperatively and confirmed during operation, the main procedures were internal drainage by cyst enterostomy. After 1985, the diagnosis was established by ERCP and CT, and cystectomy with Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy was the conventional procedures.In 1994, we reported a new and simplified operative procedure in order to reduce the risk of choledochal cyst malignancy. Postoperative complication was mainly retrograde infection of biliary tract, which could be controlled by the administration of antibiotics, there was no perioperative mortality. CONCLUSION: The concept in diagnosis and treatment of congenital choledochal cyst has obviously been changed greatly.CT and ERCP were of great help in the classification of the disease.Currently, cystectomy with Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy is strongly recommended as the choice for patients with type I and type IV cysts. Piggyback orthotopic liver transplantation is indicated in type V cysts (Caroli's disease) with frequently recurrent cholangitis.

Inflammatory bowel disease in Estonia:a prospective epidemiologic study 1993-1998a

INTRODUCTIONThe incidence of ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn,s disease (CD)in Estonia 1993-1998 was investigated prospectively .The mean annual incidence of UC was 1.7 per 100 000,and that of CD1.4 per 100 000.This population-based study showed much lower incidence of UC and CD than those reported for western and northern Europe .

Association of extraintestinal manifestations of inflammatory bowel disease in a province of western Hungary with disease phenotype:Results of a 25-year follow-up study

AIM:IBD is a systemic disease associated with a large number of extraintestinal manifestations (EIMs).Our aim was to determine the prevalence of EIMs in a large IBD cohort in Veszprem Province in a 25-year follow-up study. METHODS:Eight hundred and seventy-three IBD patients were enrolled (ulcerative colitis/UC/:619,m/f:317/302, mean age at presentation:38.3 years,average disease duration:11.2 years;Crohn's disease/CD/:254,m/f:125/129, mean age at presentation:32.5 years,average disease duration:9.2 years).Intestinal,extraintestinal signs and laboratory tests were monitored regularly.Any alteration suggesting an EIMs was investigated by a specialist. RESULTS:A total of 21.3% of patients with IBD had EIM (UC:15.0%,CD:36.6%).Age at presentation did not affect the likelihood of EIM.Prevalence of EIMs was higher in women and in CD,ocular complications and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) were more frequent in UC.In UC there was an increased tendency of EIM in patients with a more extensive disease.Joint complications were more frequent in CD (22.4% vsUC 10.2%,P<0.01).In UC positive family history increased the risk of joint complications (OR:3.63).In CD the frequency of type-1 peripheral arthritis was increased in patients with penetrating disease (P=0.028).PSC was present in 1.6% in UC and 0.8% in CD.Dermatological complications were present in 3.8% in UC and 10.2% in CD,the rate of ocular complications was around 3% in both diseases.Rare complications were glomerulonephritis,autoimmune hemolytic anaemia and celiac disease. CONCLUSION:Prevalence of EIM in Hungarian IBD patients is in concordance with data from Western countries.The high number of EIM supports a role for complex follow-up in these patients.

Epidemiological survey of cryptosporidiosis in Anhui Province China

AIM: To provide scientific evidence for prevention and controlling of cryptosporidiosis, the infection of Cryptosporidium parvum and its epidemiological characteristics were studied in some areas of Anhui Province. METHODS: The oocyst of Cryptosporidium parvum in 5421 fresh stool samples from eleven areas of Anhui Province was tested by auramine-phenol stain and improved anti-acid stain respectively. The specific antibody of IgG, IgM and T subsets of 41 patients with positive Cryptosporidium parvum in stools were detected by ELISA and biotin-streptavidin (BSA) respectively. RESULTS: The total infective rate of Cryptosporidium parvum was 1.33% (74/5421). Among them, the positive rates of oocyst in the areas of Huaibei (1.82%) and Fuyang (1.80%) were higher. The positive rates of oocyst in stools of infants, pupils, middle school students, college students, adults, patients with diarrhea, and those with immunodeficiency were 3.15%(28/889), 0.82% (9/1098), 0.82%(9/1092), 0.83%(8/969), 0.85% (9/1095), 2.88%(8/278) and 8.33%(3/36)% respectively. The positive rates of oocyst in infants and the patients with diarrhea and immunodeficiency were significantly higher than those in controls (P【0.01). The positive rate of oocyst in males was similar to that in females (P】0.05). The positive rate of oocyst in urban areas (1.13%) was significantly lower than those in rural areas (1.72%, P【0.01). The positive rates of specific IgG, IgM and IgG+IgM in sera of the patients with positive oocyst in stool were 63.4% (26/41), 17.1% (7/41), 19.5% (8/41) respectively. The number fractions of T subsets of CD(3)(+), CD(4)(+), CD(8)(+) and CD(4)(+)/CD(8)(+) of the patients were 0.66+/-0.07, 0.44+/-0.06, 0.28+/-0.04 and 1.58+/-0.32 respectively. The difference between the patients and the controls was significant (P【0.05). The main manifestations of the patients were subclinical infection, in forms of slight abdominal pain, mild diarrhea, and loose stool. CONCLUSION: There are two infection peaks in infection of Cryptosporidium parvum and its infection can be found more often in infants, patients with diarrhea or immunodeficiency, and in rural areas. Subclinical infection is the main manifestation and might be easily misdiagnosed. When the therapeutic effectiveness is low for diarrhea, the infection of Cryptosporidium parvum should be considered, concerning their age and immune function.

Can ultrasound predict the severity of acute pancreatitis early by observing acute fluid collection?

INTRODUCTIONThe spectrum of acute pancreatitis (AP) ranges from a mild spontaneously resolved disorder to severe disease with mortality up to 20%-48.4%[1-3]. sAP is defined as the AP with organ failure and /or local complications which developed form acute fluid collection (AFC) including necrosis ,abscess , pseudocyst formation into or around the pancreas [4].

Prediction of recurrence and prognosis in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma after resection by use of CLIP score

AIM: The survival time of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after resection is hard to predict. Both residual liver function and tumor extension factors should be considered. A new scoring system has recently been proposed by the Cancer of the Liver Italian Program (CLIP). CLIP score was confirmed to be one of the best ways to stage patients with HCC. To our knowledge, however, the literature concerning the correlation between CLIP score and prognosis for patients with HCC after resection was not published. The aim of this study is to evaluate the recurrence and prognostic value of CLIP score for the patients with HCC after resection. METHODS: A retrospective survey was carried out in 174 patients undergoing resection of HCC from January 1986 to June 1998. Six patients who died in the hospital after operation and 11 patients with the recurrence of the disease were excluded at 1 month after hepatectomy. By the end of June 2001, 4 patients were lost and 153 patients with curative resection have been followed up for at least three years. Among 153 patients, 115 developed intrahepatic recurrence and 10 developed extrahepatic recurrence, whereas the other 28 remained free of recurrence. Recurrences were classified into early (【 or =3 year) and late (】3 year) recurrence. The CLIP score included the parameters involved in the Child-Pugh stage (0-2), plus macroscopic tumor morphology (0-2), AFP levels (0-1), and the presence or absence of portal thrombosis (0-1). By contrast, portal vein thrombosis was defined as the presence of tumor emboli within vascular channel analyzed by microscopic examination in this study. Risk factors for recurrence and prognostic factors for survival in each group were analyzed by the chi-square test, the Kaplan-Meier estimation and the COX proportional hazards model respectively. RESULTS: The 1-, 3-, 5-, 7-,and 10-year disease-free survival rates after curative resection of HCC were 57.2%, 28.3%, 23.5%, 18.8%, and 17.8%, respectively. Median survival time was 28, 10, 4, and 5 mo for CLIP score 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 to 5, respectively. Early and late recurrence developed in 109 patients and 16 patients respectively. By the chi-square test, tumor size, microsatellite, venous invasion, tumor type (uninodular, multinodular, massive), tumor extension (【 or = or 】50% of liver parenchyma replaced by tumor), TNM stage, CLIP score, and resection margin were the risk factors for early recurrence, whereas CLIP score and Child-Pugh stage were significant risk factors for late recurrence. In univariate survival analysis, Child-Pugh stages, resection margin, tumor size, microsatellite, venous invasion, tumor type, tumor extension, TNM stages, and CLIP score were associated with prognosis. The multivariate analysis by COX proportional hazards model showed that the independent predictive factors of survival were resection margins and TNM stages. CONCLUSION: CLIP score has displayed a unique superiority in predicting the tumor early and late recurrence and prognosis in the patients with HCC after resection.

Gastric malignancies in Northern Jordan with special emphasis on descriptive epidemiology

AIM:To study the epidemiology of gastric malignancies in Jordan as a model for Middle East countries where such data is scarce. METHODS:Pertinent epidemiological and clinicopathological data for 201 patients with gastric malignancy in north of Jordan between 1991 and 2001 were analyzed. RESULTS:Male:female ratio was 1.8:1.The mean age was 61.2 years,and 8.5% of the patients were younger than 40 years of age.The overall age-adjusted incidence was 5.82/100 000 population/year.The age specific incidence for males raised from 1.48 in those aged 30-39 years to 72.4 in those aged 70-79 years.Adenocarcinomas, gastric lymphomas,malignant stromal tumors,and carcinoids were found in 87.5%,8%,2.5%,and 2% respectively.There was an average of 10.1-month delay between the initial symptoms and the diagnosis.Only 82 patients underwent“curative”gastrectomy.Among adenocarcinoma groups,Lauren intestinal type was the commonest(72.2%)and the distal third was the most common localization(48.9%).The mean follow up for patients with gastric adenocarcinoma was 25.1 mo(range 1-132mo).The 5-year survival rates for stages Ⅰ(n=15), Ⅱ(n=41),Ⅲ(n=59),and Ⅳ(n=53) were 67.3%,41.3%, 5.7%,and 0% respectively(P=0.0001).The overall 5 year survival was 21.1%. CONCLUSION:Despite low inddence,some epidemiological features of gastric cancer in Jordan mimic those of high- risk areas.Patients are detected and treated after a relatively long delay.No justification in favor of a possible gastric cancer screening effort in Jordan is supported by our study;rather,the need of an earlier diagnosis and subsequent better care.

Comparison of different intervention procedures in benign stricture of gastrointestinal tract

AIM:To determine the most effective intervention procedure by evaluation of mid and long-term therapeutic efficacy in patients of stricture of the gastrointestinal tract (GTT). METHODS:Different intervention procedures were used to treat benign stricture of GIT in 180 patients including pneumatic dilation (group A,n=80),permanent (group B, n=25) and temporary (group C,n=75) placement of expandable metallic stents. RESULTS:The diameters of the strictured GIT were significantly greater after the treatment of all procedures employed (P<0.01).For the 80 patients in group A,160 dilations were performed (mean,2.0 times per patient). Complications in group A included chest pain (n=20),reflux (n=16),and bleeding (n=6).Dysphagia relapse occurred in 24(30%) and 48 (60%) patients respectively during 6-and- 12 momth follow-up periods in group A.In group B,25 uncovered or partially covered or antireflux covered expandable metallic stents were placed permantly, complications included chest pain (n=10),reflux (n=15), bleeding (n=3),and stent migration (n=4),and dysphagia relapse occurred in 5 (20%) and 3 patients (25%) during the 6-and-12 month follow-up periods,respectively.In group C,the partially covered expandable metallic stents were temporarily placed in 75 patients and removed after 3 to 7 days via gastroscope,complications including chest pain (n=30),reflux (n=9),and bleeding (n=12),and dysphagia relapse occurred in 9 (12%) and 8 patients (16%) during the 6-and-12 month follow-up periods,respectively.The placement and withdrawal of stents were all successfully performed.The follow-up of all patients lasted for 6 to 96 months (mean 45.3±18.6 months). CONCLUSION:The effective procedures for benign GIT stricture are pneumatic dilation and temporary placement of partially-covered expandable metallic stents.Temporary placement of partially-covered expandable metallic stents is one of the best methods for benign GIT strictures in mid and long-term therapeutic efficacy.

Epidemiology and outcome of Crohn's disease in a teaching hospital in Riyadh

AIM: To know the epidemiology and outcome of Crohn's disease at King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and to compare the results from other world institutions.METHODS: A retrospective analysis of patients seen for 20 years (between 1983 and 2002). Individual case records were reviewed with regard to history, clinical, findings from colonoscopy, biopsies, small bowel enema, computerized tomography scan, treatment and outcome.RESULTS: Seventy-seven patients with Crohn's disease were revisited, 13% presented the disease in the first 10 years and 87% over the last 10 years. Thirty-three patients (42.9%) were males and 44 (57.1%) were females. Age ranged from 11-70 years (mean of 25.3+11.3 years). Ninety-two (92%) were Saudi. The mean duration of symptoms was 26+34.7 mo. The mean annual incidence of the disease over the first 10 years was 0.32:100 000 and 1.66:100 000 over the last 10 years with a total mean annual incidence of 0.94:100 000 over the last 20 years. The chief clinical features included abdominal pain, diarrhea, weight loss,anorexia, rectal bleeding and palpable mass. Colonoscopic findings were abnormal in 58 patients (76%) showing mostly ulcerations and inflammation of the colon. Eighty nine percent of patients showed nonspecific inflammation with chronic inflammatory cells and half of these patients revealed the presence of granulomas and granulations on bowel biopsies. Similarly, 69 (89%) of small bowel enema results revealed ulcerations (49%), narrowing of the bowel lumen (42%), mucosal thickening (35%) and cobblestone appearance (35%). CT scan showed abnormality in 68 (88%) of patients with features of thickened loops (66%) and lymphadenopathy (37%). Seventy-eight percent of patients had small and large bowel disease, 16% had small bowel involvement and only 6% had colitis alone. Of the total 55 (71%) patients treated with steroids at some point in their disease history, a satisfactory response to therapy was seen in 28 patients (51%) while 27 (49%) showed recurrences of the condition with mild to moderate symptoms of abdominal pain and diarrhea most of which were due to poor compliance to medication. Seven patients (33%) remained with active Crohn's disease. Nine (12%) patients underwent surgery with resections of some parts of bowel, 2 (2.5%) had steroid side effects, 6 (8%) with perianal Crohn's disease and five (6.5%) with fistulae.CONCLUSION: The epidemiological characteristics of Crohn's disease among Saudi patients are comparable to those reported from other parts of the world. However the incidence of Crohn's disease in our hospital increased over the last 10 years. The anatomic distribution of the disease is different from other world institutions with less isolated colonic affection.

Clinical and epidemiological features of patients with clonorchiasis

AIM:To study the clinical and epidemiological features of patients with clonorchiasis so as to provide scientific evidences for the diagnosis and prevention of clonorchiasis. METHODS:Stools from 282 subjects suspected of having clonorchiasis were examined for helminth eggs with modified Kato's thick smear and sedimentation methods,and their sera were tested for HAV-DNA,HBV-DNA,HCV-RNA,HDV- RNA and HEV-RNA with polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Clinical symptoms of patients with clonorchiasis only were analyzed,and their blood samples were tested for circulating antigen (CAg) with Dot-ELISA,esoinophilic granulocyte count, and alanine aminotransferase (ALT).Meanwhile,they were asked to provide data of occupation,eating habit,hygienic habit and knowledge of donorchiasis.In addition,the ecosystem of the environment in epidemic areas was surveyed. RESULTS:Among the 282 patients,61 (21.43%) were infected with clonorchis sinensis only,97 (34.64%) were co-infected with clonorchis sinensis and other pathogens, 92 (32.86%) were infected with hepatitis virus only and 31 (11.07%) neither with clonorchis sinensis nor hepatitis virus. Among the 61 patients with clonorchiasis only,there were 14 (22.95%) subjects with discomfort over hepatic region or epigasfrium,12 (19.67%) with general malaise or discomfort and inertia in total body,6 (9.84%) with anorexia,indigestion and nausea,4 (6.56%) with fever,dizziness and headache (6.56%),and 25 (40.98%) without any symptoms;sixty one (100%) with CAg (+),98.33% (59160) with eosinophilic granulocytes increased and 65.00% (39/60) with ALT increased.B-mode ultrasonography revealed 61 cases with dilated and thickened walls of intrahepatic bile duct,and blurred patchy echo acoustic image in liver.Twenty-six cases had stones in the bile duct,39 cases had slightly enlarged liver with diffuse coarse spots in liver parenchyma.Twenty cases had enlarged gallbladder with thickened coarse wall and image of floating plagues,9 cases had slightly enlarged spleen.By analysis of epidemiological data,we found that the ecologic environment was favorable for the epidemiology of clonorchiasis.Most patients with clonorchiasis were lack of knowledge about the disease.Their living environment, hygienic habits,eating habits and their occupations were the related factors that caused the prevalence of the disease. CONCLUSION:The clinical symptoms of clonorchiasis are non-specific,and the main evidences for diagnosis of clonorchiasis should be provided by etiologic examination, B-mode ultrasonography and clinical history.The infection of clonorchis sinensis is related to occupations,bad eating habits and lack of knowledge about prevention of the disease.

Healthy ranges of serum alanine aminotransferase levels in Iranian blood donors

AIM: The healthy ranges for serum alanine aminotransferase(ALT) levels are less well studied. The aim of this study was to define the upper limit of normal (ULN) for serum ALT levels, and to assess factors associated with serum ALT activity in apparently healthy blood donors. METHODS: A total of 1 939 blood donors were included.ALT measurements were performed for all cases using the same laboratory method. Healthy ranges for ALT levels werecomputed from the population at the lowest risk for liver disease. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to evaluate associations between clinical factors and ALT levels.RESULTS: Serum ALT activity was independently associated with body mass index (BMI) and male gender, but not associated with age. Association of ALT with BMI was more prominent in males than in females. Upper limit of normal for non-overweight women (BMI of less than 25) was 34 U/L,and for non-overweight men was 40 U/L.CONCLUSION: Serum ALT is strongly associated with sex and BMI. The normal range of ALT should be defined for male and female separately.

Dysfunction of peripheral blood dendritic cells from patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection

AIM: To identify the property of dendritic cells (DCs) of peripheral blood monocytes (PBMC) in patients with chronic HBV infection. METHODS: Twenty patients with persistent HBV infection were included in this study, 10 healthy subjects being used as a control group. The peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of T cell-depleted populations were incubated and induced into mature dendritic cells in the RPMI-1640 medium in the presence of cytokines GM-CSF, IL-4, FLt-3,TNF-alpha and 100mL.L(-1 )of fetal calf serum for a total of 10-12 days. The expressions of surface markers on DCs were evaluated using flow cytometric analysis. ELISA method was used to determine the cytokine levels of interleukin-12 (IL-12) and IL-10 in the supernatant produced by DCs. For detection of the stimulatory capacity of DCs to T cell proliferation, mytomycin C-treated DC were incubated with allogenic T cells. RESULTS: A typical morphology of mature DCs from healthy subjects and HBV-infected patients was induced in in vitro incubation, but the proliferation ability and cellular number of DCs from HBV-infected patients significantly decreased compared with healthy individuals. In particular, the expression levels of HLA-DR, CD80 (B7-1) and CD86 (B7-2) on DC surface from patients were also lower than that from healthy individuals (0.46 vs 0.92 for HLA-DR, 0.44 vs 0.88 for CD80 and 0.44 vs 0.84 for CD86,P【0.05). The stimulatory capacity and production of IL-12 of DCs from patients in allogenic mixed lymphocyte reaction (AMLR) significantly decreased, but the production level of nitric oxide (NO) by DCs simultaneously increased compared with healthy subjects (86 +/- 15 vs 170 +/- 22 micromol.L(-1), P 【0.05). CONCLUSION: The patients with chronic HBV infection have the defective function and immature phenotype of dendritic cells, which may be associated with the inability of efficient presentation of HBV antigens to host immune system for the clearance of HBV.

Modalities of testing Helicobacter pylori in patients with nonmalignant bile duct diseases

AIM:This paper describes the procedure of detection of Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori)in bile specimens in patients suffering from benign diseases of biliary ducts(lithiasis with/without nonspecific cholangitis). METHODS:The group of 72 patients entering the study consisted of 32 male and 40 female(45 % and 55 %, respectively).Bile was obtained during ERCP in 68 patients, and during cholecystectomy in 4 patients.A fast urease test (FUT)to determine the existence of H.pylori in gastric mucosa was carried out for all the patients during the endoscopic examination.The existence of genetic material of H.pylori was determined by detection of ure A gene by the method of nested PCR.The results of this reaction were shown by electrophoresis on 10 g·L^(-1)agarose gel in a band of 256 bp. RESULTS:The majority of the patients included in our study had biliary lithiasis without signs of cholangitis(48 patients, 67 %),whereas other patients were complicated by cholangitis(17 patients,24 %).Seven patients(9 %)had normal ERCP,forming thus the control group.In the group of patients with lithiasis 26 patients(24.2 %)had positive PCR of H.pylori in bile and among the patients with associated cholangitis positive PCR was detected in 9 patients(52.9 %).Among the seven patients with normal ERCP only one(14 %)had positive PCR of H.pylori.A high percentage of H.pylori infection of gastric mucosa was observed(57 patients,79 %).It was also observed that its slightly higher positivity was in the patients with distinct bile pathology:81% FLIT positive patients in the group with choledocholithiasis alone and 76 % in the group with choledocholithiasis associated with cholangitis.Seventy-one percent of the patients with regular findings had positive FUT.CONCLUSION: The prevalence of H. pylori infection both in bile and in gastric mucosa in patients with benign diseases of biliary ducts does not show a statistically significant difference in relation to the prevalence of the same with the patients with normal ERCP. The existence of H. pylori infection possibly does not play a role in pathogenesis of benign biliary diseases.

Crohn's disease in adults: Observations in a multiracial Asian population

AIM： To determine the demography and clinical presentation of CD and secondly to determine any differences in the prevalence between the different ethnic groups in a multiracial Asian population. METHODS： Patients with CD who were seen in 2001- 2003 in the University of Malaya Medical Centre （UMMC） were enrolled in this study. Prevalence of disease was calculated for the group as a whole and by race with hospital admissions per ethnic group as the denominator. RESULTS： Thirty-four patients were diagnosed to have CD. Basic demographic data of patients; male：female 17：17; mean age 29.1 years （±13.5 years）; ethnic group： Malays 5 （14.7%）, Chinese 12 （35.3%） and Indians 17 （50%）. Twenty-six （76.5%） were diagnosed under the age of 40 and 8 （23.5%） were diagnosed over the age of 40. Location of the disease was as follows： ileocolonic 13 （38.2%）, terminal ileum only 9 （26.5%）, colon only 8 （23.5%）, and upper gastrointestinal 4 （11.8%）. Sixteen （47.1%） had penetrating disease, 9 （26.5%） had stricturing disease and 9 （26.5%） had nonpenetrating and non-stricturing disease. The hospital admission prevalence of CD was 26.0 overall, Indians 52.6, Chinese 6.9, and Malays 9.3 per 10^5 admissions per ethnic group. The difference between Indians and Malays： [OR 5.67 （1.97, 17.53）P〈 0.001] was statistically significant but not between the Indians and the Chinese [OR 1.95 （0.89, 4.35） P= 0.700]. The difference between the Chinese and the Malays was also not statistically significant. [OR 2.90 （0.95, 9.42）P= 0.063]. CONCLUSION： The clinical presentation of CD is similar to the Western experience. Although the overall prevalence is low, there appears to be a clear racial predominance among the Indians.

80 CASES OF PERIPHERAL FACIAL PARALYSIS TREATED BY ACUPUNCTURE WITH VIBRATING SHALLOW INSERTION

Eighty cases of peripheral facial paralysis were treated by acupuncture with vibrating shallow insertion. The total effective rate was 98.75% and cure rate 88.75%. There was no significant difference in therapeutic effect as compared with the conventional electroacupuncture method (P > 0.5), suggesting that shallow puncture by vibratings can also yield satisfactory therapeutic results.

Clinical Research into Ke Min Yin for Treatment of Persistent Allergic Rhinitis in Patients with Qi Deficiency and Blood Stasis

Persistent allergic rhinitis (PAR) is one of the common diseases at ear-nose-throat department. From August 1998 to May 2001, we randomly selected 60 cases of PAR with qi deficiency and blood stasis for a clinical observation. 30 patients in the treatment group were treated with Ke Min Yin (克敏饮), a herbal medicine, to supplement qi, expel wind, nourish blood and promote blood circulation; and the other 30 cases in the control group were treated with cetrine. Through systematic observation and statistical processing, the clinical research is summarized and reported in the following.

A study on pathogenicity of hepatitis G virus

AIM To study the pathogenicity of hepatitis G virus (HGV) and observe the genesis and pathological process of hepatitis G.METHODS HGV-RNA in serum was detected by RT-PCR assay. The immunohistochemical assays of liver tissue were performed with HGV monocoloned antibody (McAb)expressed from the region of HGV NS5 nucleic acid sequence. The clinical and pathological data of 52 patients with hepatitis G were discussed. In animal experiment,the Chinese Rhesus monkeys were infected with the serum of a patient with HGV infection. And the dynamic changes in serology and liver histology of animals were observed.RESULTS One hundred and fifty-four patients with HGVRNA positive were selected from 1552 patients with various kinds of hepatitis. Of 154 patients with HGV infection, 52 were infected with HGV only, which accounted for 33.8% (52/154) and 102 with positive HGVRNA were super-infected with other hepatitis viruses,which accounted for 66.2% (102/154). The clinical and pathological observation showed that the acute and chronic hepatitis could be induced by HGV. The slight abnormality of transaminases ALT and AST in serum of monkeys lasted nearly 12 months and histological results showed a series of pathological changes.CONCLUSION HGV is a hepatotropic virus and has pathogenicty.