Association between Helicobacter pylori infection and platelet count in mice.

Strong evidence for an association between idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) and Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection has been reported in humans. Chronic ITP is known to be improved by the eradication of HP. The purpose of this study was to reproduce these events by the experimental infection of several strains of mice with HP.

Evaluation of mouse red blood cell and platelet counting with an automated hematology analyzer.

An evaluation of mouse red blood cell (RBC) and platelet (PLT) counting with an automated hematology analyzer was performed with three strains of mice, C57BL/6 (B6), BALB/c (BALB) and DBA/2 (D2). There were no significant differences in RBC and PLT counts between manual and automated optical methods in any of the samples, except for D2 mice. For D2, RBC counts obtained using the manual method were significantly lower than those obtained using the automated optical method (P<0.

[Characteristics of medical institutions visited by patients with intractable diseases--analyses of patients receiving financial aid for treatment].

The Research Committee of Epidemiology of Intractable Diseases (Ministry of Health and Welfare, Japan) conducted a nationwide survey of 34 intractable diseases. Each of 47 prefectural governments reported information on all patients with the diseases who received financial aid for the disease from April 1992 to March 1993. Information collected on each patient included the identification number, sex, age, the code of the municipality where the patient lived, and the medical institution and department where the patient was being treated.

[Survey of patients with intractable diseases. Analyses of patients receiving financial aid for treatment].

The Research Committee of Epidemiology of Intractable Disease (Ministry of Health and Welfare, Japan) conducted a Nationwide survey of 34 intractable diseases with each of the 47 prefectural governments reporting information on all patients having any of 34 intractable diseases, and who received financial aid for the disease from April 1992 to March 1993. Information collected about each patient was the identification number, which included the disease code, sex, age, the code of the municipality where the patient lived, the medical institution which treated the patient, and the department where the patient was treated. The results can be summarized as follows: 1) The total number of patients who received financial aid for disease was 247,726 (Male 93,251 Female 154,274) for a sex ratio of 0.