The evaluation of a novel conductometric device for the diagnosis of cystic fibrosis.

Background: We evaluated the diagnostic discrimination of a new micro-flow cell device (Nanoduct) which measures sweat conductivity in situ at a regional referral centre for cystic fibrosis (CF).

Methods: The device was evaluated in comparison to the measurement of sweat chloride with the established quantitative pilocarpine iontophoresis test (QPIT) and extended in a number of patients to conductivity measurements in liquid sweat collected with the Macroduct system. Sweat testing was conducted simultaneously on patients referred for diagnostic sweat testing, on patients known to have CF and on adult volunteers.

Faecal calprotectin: a new marker for Crohn's disease?

Background: Gastroenterologists are often hampered by the lack of a reliable, non-invasive index of bowel inflammation when establishing a differential diagnosis for patients presenting with chronic diarrhoea. Investigations aim to distinguish between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) (e.g.

Faecal chymotrypsin in small for gestational age infants: effects of nucleotides and breast feeding.

The effect of diet on pancreatic exocrine function, measured by faecal chymotrypsin activity (FCA), was studied longitudinally in three groups of small for gestational age (SGA) infants in the first six months of life. The three groups comprised breastfed infants (group B), those randomly allocated to receive a standard infant formula (group S), or the same formula supplemented with nucleotides (group N). The three groups did not differ in their birthweight or gestational age.