Intraoperative parathyroid hormone assay: a necessary tool for multiglandular disease.

Objectives: The aims were to: (1) evaluate whether failure of intraoperative parathyroid hormone (ioPTH) to decrease by the Miami criterion is a more specific indicator of multiglandular disease (MGD) than sestamibi scan and (2) determine an adequate cutoff value for decrease in ioPTH in MGD.

Study Design: Case series with chart review.

Setting: Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center- Shreveport.

Soluble HLA-I (s-HLA-I) synthesis in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Our objective was to study a possible contribution of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes to soluble HLA-I synthesis in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Solid-phase enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) was used to measure sHLA-I in the sera of 20 patients with SLE and 76 normal controls with known HLA phenotypes. Serial serum samples ( n=108) from the above group of patients ( n=19) were further investigated by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and immunoblotting.

Pyogenic liver abscess.

Background: A current assessment of liver abscesses should allow for better understanding of the pathogenesis of the disease and improve the effectiveness of diagnosis and treatment. Amebic liver abscess occurs more commonly than pyogenic liver abscess on a worldwide basis. However, in the United States, pyogenic liver abscess predominates.

The sestamibi scan as a preoperative screening tool.

Sestamibi scan is generally recognized in the literature to play a role in the imaging of parathyroid adenoma. Most institutions quote sensitivities ranging from 80 to 100 per cent. There is still a question as to whether patients need preoperative localization studies.

Roux-en-Y venting jejunostomy in pancreatic transplantation: a novel approach to monitor rejection and prevent anastomotic leak.

Introduction: Pancreatic transplantation (PTx) with portal venous delivery of insulin and enteric drainage of the exocrine secretion is more physiologic than bladder-systemic (BS) drainage. With portal-enteric (PE) PTx, the diagnosis of acute rejection (AR) requires a percutaneous biopsy. The roux-en-y (RNY) venting jejunostomy in patients with PEPTx offers a novel approach to monitor rejection and prevent anastomatic leaks.