Increased risk of type 2 diabetes in noncirrhotic patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection.

Objectives: To investigate whether patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection without evidence of cirrhosis have an increased risk of diabetes mellitus (DM) and to evaluate possible risk factors for diabetes in this group.

Patients And Methods: We conducted a case-control study of 45 consecutive eligible patients with HCV infection and no clinical, scintigraphic, or histological evidence of cirrhosis, and a control group of 90 subjects without liver disease matched by age, sex, and body mass index and similar in their origin distribution. Eighty-eight patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection with no evidence of cirrhosis were also evaluated.

Cholelithiasis and pancreatic cancer. A case-control study.

To study the possible association between pancreatic cancer and cholelithiasis, we conducted a retrospective case-control study. Abdominal ultrasound of 100 consecutive cases of pancreatic cancer and that of 140 age- and gender-matched control subjects were examined by 2 observers who did not know the diagnosis. Thirty-seven patients with pancreatic cancer had cholelithiasis (37%), as compared with 23 (16%) of the control group (p < 0.

Correlation between gold-induced enterocolitis and the presence of the HLA-DRB1*0404 allele.

Objective: In recent years we have treated 4 rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients who developed gold-induced enterocolitis, a well-recognized, although rare, complication of chrysotherapy. The aim of the present study was to seek any genetic predisposition for this complication.

Methods: HLA DNA typing was done on fresh white blood cells from the 4 patients.

[Acute acalculous cholecystitis].

A previously healthy 32-year-old man presented with fever, upper abdominal pain and leukocytosis of 5 days duration. Ultrasonography and CT-scan of the abdomen were not diagnostic. On laparotomy acute gangrenous acalculous cholecystitis was found and was successfully treated by cholecystectomy.

Lymphocytic meningitis as the sole manifestation of Q fever.

A young man who presented with a 3 week history of fever and severe headache accompanied by mild leukocytosis, was found to have lymphocytic meningitis due to Coxiella burnetti. Thus, Q fever can present as lymphocytic (aseptic) meningitis responsive to tetracycline with no evidence of pulmonary involvement.