Analysis of the urine proteome in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) accounts for over 213 000 deaths worldwide each year, largely due to late diagnosis. One of the risk factors for the development of PDAC is chronic pancreatitis (CP); the intense desmoplastic reaction makes differentiation between the two conditions extremely difficult. In order to identify biomarkers for noninvasive diagnosis, we performed 2-D DIGE analysis of urine samples from healthy individuals and patients with PDAC and CP.

Somatostatin reduces bile secretion and loss of bile constituents in patients with external biliary drainage.

The effect of 24-hours continuous somatostatin-14 infusion on the volume of the bile secretion and on the bile composition were studied in seven patients with malignant biliary obstruction who had transhepatic external biliary drainage. The bile acid composition was measured with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Somatostatin infusion significantly reduced the daily bile loss from median 473 ml to 140 ml (41 per cent, p = 0.

Rat pancreatic B-cells after chronic alcohol feeding. A morphometric and fine structural study.

Quantitative analysis of the light microscopic and fine structure of rat islet B-cells was carried out in chronic alcoholism. Absolute pancreatic weight and volume were similar in groups C (control) and E (ethanol), but relative pancreatic weight in group E rat was decreased. The results for fasting blood glucose and insulin levels were similar in the two groups of animals.

A stereological investigation of rat endocrine pancreas after a long-term low-protein diet.

Stereological analysis of rat endocrine pancreas was carried out after 4 months of low-protein intake. Thirty make Wistar rats, aged 2 months at the beginning of the experiment, were divided into three groups. The control group (NP) received a standard laboratory diet.

Pancreatic secretion of zinc and copper in normal subjects and in patients with chronic pancreatitis.

Pancreatic secretion of zinc and copper in duodenal juice were measured in 7 healthy persons and in 9 patients with chronic pancreatitis. Stimulation with cholecystokinin and secretin increased secretion of zinc in healthy persons but not in patients. Copper secretion was not influenced.