Is serum citrulline measurement clinically useful in coeliac disease?

Citrulline (CIT), a non-protein amino acid in circulating blood, is almost exclusively contained in the enterocytes of small bowel mucosa and may represent a reliable marker of functioning enterocyte mass. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical utility of measuring serum citrulline levels in a group of patients affected by coeliac disease (CD). Fifty healthy volunteers, 21 patients with untreated coeliac disease and 6 patients with refractory coeliac disease took part in the study.

The influence of surgery, immunosuppressive drugs, and rejection, on graft function after small bowel transplantation: a large-animal study.

In this study we assessed functional changes (motility and absorption) of intestinal allografts in a large-animal model of orthotopic small bowel transplantation in swine. Studies were performed on non-rejecting animals in the early and late stages after transplantation and after induction of different grades of acute rejection. Immunosuppression consisted of oral FK506 and mycophenolate mofetil.

[Papillary cystic tumor of the pancreas].

A case of papillary cystic tumour of the pancreas in a young woman is reported. The review of the literature permits to stress the rarity of this tumour with a good prognosis.

"Immunosubtraction" electrophoresis: a simple method for identifying specific proteins producing the cellulose acetate electrophoretogram.

To identify the proteins that are responsible for the electrophoretic pattern on cellulose acetate, we propose a method based on the precipitation of various individual proteins at the beginning of the electrophoretic run. Any non antibody proteins in the monospecific antisera were removed with a preliminary electrophoretic fractionation of the antiserum. Using this method, we could remove a band or a zone from the pattern, leaving the rest of the pattern unaltered.

The problem of peak identification in crossed immunoelectrophoresis: a modification of the technique of Platt et al.

After a brief review of the known techniques for the identification of crossed immunoelectrophoresis peaks, the authors claim that the technique of Platt et al (1973), Clin. Chim. Acta 46, 419-429) is the most effective.

Two-dimensional immunoelectrophoresis: a new simplified method.

A new method of two-dimensional immunoelectrophoresis is described, in which fixed amounts of both antigen (total proteins) and antibody are employed. When applied to normal human sera, it results in the appearance of 15 peaks accounting for the commonest serum proteins with the only exception of alpha 1-acid glycoprotein. Transferrin, measured by Laurell's or Mancini's technique, is used as an internal standard.