Is it possible to generate an additional pleasant and pain-relieving muscle stimulation when using a low-frequency spinal cord stimulation (SCS) for the treatment of lower back pain? Pilot study: A new technique: "MuscleSCS".

Objective: The combined use of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) and muscle stimulation, in the treatment of chronic pain, using the same probe, could improve the clinical results. However, this technique has not been established as yet. It was our hypothesis that it is possible to generate muscle stimulation by using low frequencies with SCS electrodes and use it to additionally treat chronic back pain.

[Endoscopic intragastric detection of hydrogen].

The sensitivity of hydrogen (H2) breath-tests for testing small-intestinal bacterial overgrowth is limited by many factors. In this study H2 was tested directly with a selective electrochemical cell in a sample of stomach gas obtained during gastroscopy. This was possible in 100 of 109 cases.

[Diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis based on the determination of lactoferrin and calcium in the duodenal juice?].

The diagnostic relevance of measuring calcium and lactoferrin in duodenal juice collected after stimulation is unclear. Concentration and output of these compounds were therefore analyzed after maximal stimulation of the pancreas according to Ribet, the duodenal juice being collected during an endoscopic procedure as described earlier. Kinetics of secretion showed a maximum within the first 10 minutes.

Frequency and activity of immune interferon (IFN-gamma)- and colony-stimulating factor-producing human peripheral blood T lymphocytes.

This report describes the first frequency estimate of immune interferon (IFN-gamma)- and colony-stimulating factor (CSF)-producing human peripheral blood T lymphocytes. Human peripheral blood lymphocytes (HPBL) were activated with T cell mitogens [concanavalin A (Con A) or phytohemagglutinin (PHA)] in bulk culture and subsequently plated in limiting dilution (LD) microcultures in the presence of irradiated allogeneic HPBL filler cells and culture medium supplemented with human interleukin 2 and T cell mitogen (Con A or PHA). HPBL growing in these cultures were T cells as determined by E-rosetting (greater than 85%) and were positive for the OKT8 marker.