Plasma dopamine beta-hydroxylase: rapid diagnostic test for recurrent hereditary polyserositis.

The diagnosis of recurrent hereditary polyserositis (RHP; also known as familial Mediterranean fever) remains one of exclusion since there has been no specific diagnostic laboratory test. A previous study suggested that the disorder is related to abnormal catecholamine metabolism. Plasma dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH) activity was assayed spectrophotometrically in 91 RHP patients and 162 controls.

Double-blind study comparing cimetidine and two doses of a slow release formulation of trimoprostil in duodenal ulcer patients with a 6-month follow-up.

120 adult outpatients with endoscopically proven duodenal ulcer were randomly allocated to three groups of 40, treated in a double-blind manner with cimetidine 400 mg twice daily, trimoprostil 3 mg twice daily and trimoprostil 3 mg at bedtime. Trimoprostil was administered as a slow release formulation. Healing rates after 4 weeks were 78, 74 and 58%, respectively, the difference being not significant (p = 0.

Familial Mediterranean fever (recurrent hereditary polyserositis) in Arabs--a study of 175 patients and review of the literature.

Recurrent hereditary polyserositis (RHP) or familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is a chronic inherited illness of obscure aetiology. The disease is characterised by paroxysmal attacks of fever, peritonitis, pleuritis or arthritis, and predominantly affects Sephardic Jews, Arabs, Turks and Armenians. In this study, we report our 11-year experience of 175 Arab patients with this disease.

Metaraminol provocative test: a specific diagnostic test for familial Mediterranean fever.

The diagnosis of familial Mediterranean fever has been one of exclusion. In a placebo-controlled, double-blind, cross-over study a challenge with a 10 mg dose of metaraminol infusion was followed within 48 h by a typical disease-like attack in all of 21 patients with familial Mediterranean fever but in none of 21 control subjects. The induced attacks were milder and of shorter duration than the spontaneous ones.