[The reference values selection and validity check also are a spirometry quality issue].

Spirometric measurements are widely used for routine clinical assessment of workers with occupational exposures to bronchial irritants or sensibilizing agents, however their interpretation requires appropriate reference values for predicting normality. We studied 1319 subjects 18-25 years old (754 males--57.1% e 565 females--42.

Bronchial reactivity in a general population of north Italy: relationships with occupational exposure.

Two thousand eight hundred and forty one subjects, aged 8-73 yrs, took part in the second cross-sectional survey in the Po River Delta area: among them, a subsample of currently employed people, aged 14-71 yrs, was chosen to establish the relationship between occupational exposure to dusts, chemicals or gases and respiratory symptoms, lung function and bronchial reactivity. Each subject filled out the Italian National Research Council (CNR) standardized questionnaire concerning respiratory symptoms, diseases and risk factors. A variable proportion of subjects performed acceptable forced and slow vital capacity manoeuvres, diffusing capacity of carbon monoxide and bronchial challenge test to methacholine.

Somatostatin effect in postprandial hypoglycemia.

The effect of the administration of oral glucose with or without a simultaneous intravenous somatostatin infusion on blood glucose, immunoreactive insulin, C-peptide, and glucagon levels in seven patients with idiopathic postprandial hypoglycemia was studied. Oral glucose alone induced an excessive insulin response and hypoglycemia, whereas a slight suppression in glucagon levels without any increase at the hypoglycemic nadir was observed. The simultaneous administration of somatostatin significantly reduced the insulin response and induced a slower rise of blood glucose; no hypoglycemia developed.