[Current status of the use of the endoscopic cholangiography technique].

The endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography as a diagnostic technique employed to obtain an accurate radiological study of the biliary path, and the biliary duct-pancreatic-duodenal junction. However, during the initial diagnostic studies, both echography and nuclear magnetic resonance have taken a priority. Currently, their importance is as a preliminary diagnostic method during endoscopic intervention.

[Endoscopic ligation and sclerotherapy in the treatment of esophageal varices].

Endoscopic variceal ligation (EVL) and esophageal variceal sclerotherapy (EVS) are both used in the treatment of esophageal varices. Sclerotherapy is widely used with success, however it is associated with multiple local and systemic complications. To overwhelm the complications of sclerosis, Stiegmann in 1986 proposed the elastic band variceal ligation which demonstrated to be efficient as sclerotherapy though with minor side effects.

[Endoscopic treatment of benign esophageal stenosis].

Benign esophageal stenosis is the most frequent type of stenosis of the digestive tract. Surgical treatment is still affected by a high percentage of morbidity and mortality. This is not acceptable for a condition which is not neoplastic in nature.

Monoclonal antibodies for the detection of desialylation of erythrocyte membranes during haemolytic disease and haemolytic uraemic syndrome caused by the in vivo action of microbial neuraminidase.

Especially in childhood, the in vivo action of microbial neuraminidase may cause haemolytic anaemia or life-threatening haemolytic uraemic syndrome. The exposure of the Thomsen-Friedenreich (T) crypto-antigen and T-antigen polyagglutinability of erythrocytes has been described as the first sign of toxic cleavage of N-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5Ac) from sialoglycoproteins of cell membranes. This phenomenon may, however, be too unspecific to initiate treatment for toxin elimination.

[Flow cytometry detection of erythrocyte antigens and antibodies. Technical aspects and new clinical applications].

Background: Although hemagglutination techniques have proved worthwhile since many years in immunohematology, they also have several disadvantages. They are manual and subjective visual methods, which make it difficult to quantitate red cell antibodies or surface antigens. Flow cytometric analysis overcomes these limitations because of its ability to analyze individual populations of cells by sensitive, reproducible, and objective methods.