The Class Mentor Program at the University of Wisconsin Medical School: a unique and valuable asset for students and faculty.

There is a paucity of published data on mentor programs for medical students. The University of Wisconsin Medical School has 19 years of experience with a unique Class Mentor Program. A single mentor is dedicated to each class of incoming medical students.

Serum insulin-like growth factors and their binding proteins in patients with hepatic failure and after liver transplantation.

The liver is the major source of circulating insulin-like growth factor-I and -II (IGF-I and IGF-II) and several of their binding proteins (BPs). This study examined the effects of end-stage liver disease (ESLD) and subsequent liver transplantation (LT) on serum levels of these growth factors and their BPs in four children and six adults for up to 2 years. Serum IGF-I and IGF-II were quantified by radioimmunoassay (RIA), IGFBP-3 by immunoradiometric assay (IRMA), and changes in IGFBP-1, -2, -3, and -4 were estimated by Western ligand blotting (WLB).

Hypocalcemia and skeletal disease as presenting features of celiac disease.

Objective: To describe 15 patients examined for hypocalcemia, skeletal disease, or both in whom the diagnosis of celiac disease was subsequently made.

Design: Observational case series.

Patients: Fifteen patients (7 women and 8 men) were examined for hypocalcemia (n = 11), skeletal disease (n = 3), or both (n = 1).

Anabolic effect of IGF-I coinfused with total parenteral nutrition in dexamethasone-treated rats.

We determined the anabolic effects of recombinant human insulin-like growth factor I (rhIGF-I, 800 micrograms/day) coinfused with total parenteral nutrition (TPN) in male Sprague-Dawley rats (230-250 g), with and without dexamethasone (Dex, 70 micrograms/day)-induced catabolism for 6 days. Dex without IGF-I increased serum insulin concentrations 300% and glucose concentrations 20%; IGF-I plus Dex significantly reduced serum insulin and glucose concentrations to TPN control levels. Animals given Dex without IGF-I lost 30 +/- 3 g; IGF-I plus Dex reduced the weight loss to 9 +/- 3 g, P < 0.

Adverse effects of recombinant human insulin-like growth factor I in obese insulin-resistant type II diabetic patients.

Data from studies in diabetic rodents and evidence from clinical situations of severe resistance to insulin suggest that insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) is able to at least partly overcome insulin resistance. To assess the efficacy of recombinant human IGF-I in subjects with the most common form of insulin resistance, e.g.