Health-related quality of life outcomes of omeprazole versus ranitidine in poorly responsive symptomatic gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Objective: This study evaluated changes in health-related quality of life (HRQL) outcomes of once-daily omeprazole compared with ranitidine for the short-term treatment of patients with poorly responsive symptomatic gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

Methods: A double-blind, randomized clinical trial, compared omeprazole versus ranitidine for the treatment of poorly responsive GERD. Eligible patients had a history of predominant heartburn symptoms with symptomatic heartburn after 6 weeks of ranitidine treatment.

Determination of inulin clearance by bolus intravenous injection in healthy subjects and ascitic patients: equivalence of systemic and renal clearances as glomerular filtration markers.

Aims: Determination of systemic inulin clearance by the standard technique of constant intravenous infusion has long been accepted as a reliable method for measuring glomerular filtration rate (GFR) without urine collection, except in oedematous patients. However, recent studies using standard clearance techniques have claimed that systemic inulin clearance is significantly greater than renal clearance and therefore overestimates GFR. The main purpose of this investigation was to re-evaluate the relationship between systemic and renal inulin clearance using a different technical approach.

Optimization of a hydrophobic solid-phase extraction interface for matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization.

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) probe surfaces derivatized with octadecanethiol (C18) can be used as hydrophobic solid-phase extraction devices to isolate and desalt biopolymers directly on the probe surface. Using quantitative MALDI, it was possible to determine the approximate amount of peptide that bound to C18 surfaces and thus to calculate a surface density. It was determined that the amount of peptide bound at the probe surface was independent of the analyte concentration in the immersion solution (from high- to sub-ng ml-1 concentrations), but rather was dependent on the immersion time of the surface as it was exposed to the analyte.

Human esophageal epithelial cells possess an Na+/H+ exchanger for H+ extrusion.

Objective: The human esophagus is regularly exposed to refluxed gastric acid. Therefore, its epithelial cells require for survival a means of extruding excess H+ from the cytoplasm. Because Na+/H+ exchange activity has been observed in many mammalian cell types, including that of rabbit esophagus, we sought its presence in human esophageal epithelium.

Luminal hypertonicity and the susceptibility of rabbit esophagus to acid injury.

The esophagus is regularly exposed to hypertonic luminal environments, some of which have the capacity to increase epithelial permeability. The present experiments were designed to determine what impact such environments have on epithelial resistance to injury by acid. Rabbit esophageal epithelium mounted in Ussing chambers was exposed to luminal acid while monitoring electrical resistance (R), a marker of epithelial permeability, and morphology was assessed in tissues luminally pretreated with either urea (1 M), mannitol (1 M), or normal Ringer.

Megalin is an endocytic receptor for insulin.

Renal clearance is a major pathway for regulating the levels of insulin and other low molecular weight polypeptide hormones in the systemic circulation. Previous studies have shown that the reabsorption of insulin from the glomerular filtrate occurs by binding to as yet unidentified sites on the luminal surface of proximal tubule cells followed by endocytosis and degradation in lysosomes. In this study, an insulin binding site was identified in renal microvillar membranes by chemical cross-linking procedures.

On-probe solid-phase extraction/MALDI-MS using ion-pairing interactions for the cleanup of peptides and proteins.

Samples originating from biological sources often contain a complex mixture of inorganic salts, buffers, chaotropic agents, surfactants/detergents, preservatives, and other solubilizing agents. However, the presence of these contaminants virtually ensures the failure of any subsequent analysis of the sample by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS). Sample cleanup procedures, therefore, must be performed prior to MALDI-MS analysis.

All four putative ligand-binding domains in megalin contain pathogenic epitopes capable of inducing passive Heymann nephritis.

Megalin (gp330) is the main target antigen involved in the induction of Heymann nephritis (HN), a rat model of human membranous nephropathy. Its large extracellular region contains four putative ligand-binding domains separated by spacer regions. Previously, it was reported that the second ligand-binding domain (LBD II) of megalin is involved in the pathogenesis of passive HN because it is capable of binding antibodies in vivo and initiating formation of immune deposits (ID).

Structure of a muramic acid containing capsular polysaccharide from the pathogenic strain of Vibrio vulnificus ATCC 27562.

Vibrio vulnificus strains isolated from septicemia cases and from the environment show a wide variety of capsular types. In an attempt to find common structural features which can be correlated with pathogenicity and toxicity, we have determined structures of the capsular polysaccharides (CPS) from several pathogenic strains. We report the complete structure of the polysaccharide from the pathogenic V.

Selective hepatic arterial embolization of grade IV and V blunt hepatic injuries: an extension of resuscitation in the nonoperative management of traumatic hepatic injuries.

Background: Recognizing the significant mortality and complications inherent in the operative management of blunt hepatic injuries, hepatic arterial embolization was evaluated as a bridge between operative and nonoperative interventions in patients defined as hemodynamically stable only with continuous resuscitation.

Methods: Seven of 11 patients with grade IV or V hepatic injuries identified by computed tomography underwent hepatic arterial embolization. A prospective evaluation of hepatic embolization based on subsequent hemodynamic parameters was assessed by matched-pair analysis.

Effect of ethanol on the structure and function of rabbit esophageal epithelium.

Epidemiological studies indicate a relationship between alcohol consumption and esophageal epithelial disease. We therefore sought the contribution of the direct effects of ethanol on esophageal epithelial structure and (transport and barrier) function. Epithelium from the rabbit was mounted in Ussing chambers and exposed luminally for 1 h to 1-40% ethanol.

Is canine hepatocerebellar degeneration syndrome an animal model for carbohydrate-deficient glycoprotein syndrome in humans? An example of sequencing glycoprotein glycans with mass spectrometry.

The clinical symptoms and morphologic features of canine hepatocerebellar degeneration syndrome (CHD) bear striking resemblance to those of human carbohydrate-deficient glycoprotein syndrome (CDGS). The characteristic biochemical and molecular features of human CDGS lie in the truncated carbohydrate side chains of serum transferrin and numerous other glycoproteins of affected persons. Therefore, to explore the biochemical similarities between CHD and CDGS, we compared the structures of the carbohydrate side chains of canine serum transferrin isolated from a normal and a CHD-affected dog.

Review article: oesophageal mucosal resistance.

The human oesophagus is lined by a moist, partially keratinized, stratified squamous epithelium, one important property of which is to serve as a barrier between the outside (luminal) world and the internal world of the organism. This phenomenon in clinical parlance is known as 'oesophageal mucosal resistance'. This article details the structure and functions of the oesophageal mucosa that contribute to its defence against injury upon exposure to refluxed gastric acid.

A desalting approach for MALDI-MS using on-probe hydrophobic self-assembled monolayers.

One of the problems encountered in preparing samples for matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) analysis is the presence of nonvolatile salts in the sample. This difficulty is often exacerbated by the necessity to prepare the sample in the appropriate sample-to-matrix ratio. This paper reports a probe surface derivatization method that greatly simplifies this sample preparation process.

Pathogenic antibodies inhibit the binding of apolipoproteins to megalin/gp330 in passive Heymann nephritis.

Megalin/gp330 is an endocytic receptor that internalizes multiple ligands including apolipoproteins E (apo E) and B100 (apo B). Megalin is the main antigenic target in passive Heymann nephritis (pHN), where it binds circulating autoantibodies leading to the formation of subepithelial immune deposits (ID)-the hallmark of pHN. Apo E and apo B were found recently to accumulate within these IDs, and evidence was provided that their lipids may undergo peroxidation, causing glomerular basement membrane damage and proteinuria.

Laparoscopy in the critically ill.

Background: Laparoscopy was evaluated in critically ill patients with suspected acute cholecystitis, mesenteric ischemia, or gastrointestinal perforation. We studied laparoscopy to assess its utility, accuracy, and effect on cardiopulmonary stability.

Methods: Twenty-six surgical ICU patients with possible abdominal sepsis underwent laparoscopy.

Long-term interferon-alpha therapy does not affect sex hormones in males with chronic hepatitis C.

The effects of interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha), given at a dosage of 6 MU thrice weekly for 12 months, on gonadal function were investigated in 18 males affected by chronic hepatitis C. Periodically, all patients were clinically monitored and questioned about sexual function. Gonadotropin and serum androgen concentrations (follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, total testosterone, free testosterone, androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, and sex hormone binding globulin) were tested every 3 months.

Effects of luminal hypertonicity on rabbit esophageal epithelium.

The human esophagus is exposed daily to luminal contents that are hypertonic with respect to blood. Because the effects of such exposure are unknown, we investigated the impact of luminal hypertonicity on esophageal epithelial structure and (barrier and transport) function. Rabbit esophageal epithelium was mounted in Ussing chambers and exposed luminally to hypertonic (1,200 mosmol/kgH2O) solutions of mannitol, urea, or NaCl or to normal Ringer solution (300 mosmol/kgH2O).

The effect of age on plasma MEGX concentrations.

Aims: The study was designed to assess the effect age on the monoethylglycinexylidide (MEGX) liver function test.

Methods: Plasma MEGX concentration was measured in 16 young and 17 elderly healthy volunteers 10, 15, 30, 45 and 60 min after intravenous injection of 1 mg kg(-1) lignocaine.

Results: Lower MEGX concentrations were noted in elderly subjects.

Sexual transmission of the hepatitis C virus and efficacy of prophylaxis with intramuscular immune serum globulin. A randomized controlled trial.

Objective: To estimate the risk of sexual transmission of hepatitis C and to assess the value of prophylaxis with periodic intramuscular immune serum globulin administration.

Methods: Of 1102 steady heterosexual partners of patients with antibodies to the hepatitis C virus (HCV), 899 were enrolled in a single-blind, randomized, controlled trial. All the partners tested negative for antibodies to HCV and had normal baseline serum aminotransferase concentrations.

Eicosanoids and the esophagus.

Eicosanoids are metabolites of arachidonic acid and include, among other compounds, the prostaglandins and leukotrienes. These metabolites are known to play important roles in the health and disease of many gastrointestinal tissues. Less attention, however, has been given to their functions in the esophagus.