Gynecological and obstetrical aspects of Enterobius vermicularis infection.

Enterobiasis is an easily recognizable and treatable disease with higher incidence among children. Based on these facts, its clinical importance is usually underestimated. This infection also occurs during adulthood and without treatment, it can cause severe complications in some rare cases.

Metal deposition and functional neurotoxicity in rats after 3-6 weeks nasal exposure by two physicochemical forms of manganese.

Airborne manganese represents a major risk of nervous system damage first of all in industrial settings. The resulting effects may depend on the dose and physicochemical form of Mn. To compare the effect of soluble and nanoparticulate Mn, adult male rats received daily instillation of MnCl(2) solution or MnO(2) nanoparticle suspension (dose: 2.

Functional neurotoxicity of Mn-containing nanoparticles in rats.

Airborne metal-containing particles represent a known source of health risk but the role of nano-sized particles in the pathogenicity of dust has been recognized only recently. As a model of inhalational exposure to manganese, adult male Wistar rats were treated with a suspension of MnO(2) nanoparticles of ca. 23 nm diameter, instilled into the trachea for 3, 6, and 9 weeks in daily doses of 2.

Subacute intratracheal exposure of rats to manganese nanoparticles: behavioral, electrophysiological, and general toxicological effects.

The toxicity of manganese-containing airborne particles is an important occupational and environmental problem. In this work, adult male Wistar rats were treated with a nanosuspension of MnO(2) of approximately 23 nm nominal particle diameter, instilled into the trachea for 3, 6, and 9 wk in doses of 2.63 and 5.

The incremental value of troponin-I testing in patients with intermediate risk unstable angina.

Background: Classification of patients with unstable angina (UA) by Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR) guidelines in the emergency department reliably stratifies risk of death or myocardial infarction (MI) for triage to outpatient evaluation (low-risk), hospitalization (high-risk), or additional testing (intermediate-risk). Cardiac troponin-I elevation may identify patients at higher risk, but the incremental value may vary with AHCPR clinical risk.

Hypothesis: The objective of this study was to determine whether cardiac troponin-I had any additional value beyond triage based upon history, physical examination, and electrocardiogram, in the evaluation of patients with UA.

The effects of total laboratory automation on the management of a clinical chemistry laboratory. Retrospective analysis of 36 years.

Background: Thirty-six years of data and history of laboratory practice at our institution has enabled us to follow the effects of analytical automation, then recently pre-analytical and post-analytical automation on productivity, cost reduction and enhanced quality of service.

Methods: In 1998, we began the operation of a pre- and post-analytical automation system (robotics), together with an advanced laboratory information system to process specimens prior to analysis, deliver them to various automated analytical instruments, specimen outlet racks and finally to refrigerated stockyards. By the end of 3 years of continuous operation, we compared the chemistry part of the system with the prior 33 years and quantitated the financial impact of the various stages of automation.

Clinical utility of monitoring tacrolimus blood concentrations in liver transplant patients.

The relationship between the dose of tacrolimus, trough tacrolimus blood concentration, and selected clinical endpoints (acute rejection, nephrotoxicity, and other toxicities) were examined in a prospective, multicenter clinical trial to validate the use of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for monitoring whole-blood concentrations of tacrolimus in liver transplant patients. A total of 111 subjects from six transplant centers were evaluated over 12 weeks posttransplantation. In addition to trough tacrolimus blood concentrations, hematocrit, ALT, AST, GGTP, alkaline phosphatase, total bilirubin, serum creatinine, BUN, serum potassium, serum magnesium, blood glucose, and serum albumin were also measured.

Analytical validation of the PRO-Trac II ELISA for the determination of tacrolimus (FK506) in whole blood.

Background: The analytical validation of multiple lots of the PRO-Trac II ELISA (DiaSorin) for the determination of tacrolimus in whole blood is described.

Methods: The analytical parameters assessed included analytical sensitivity, dilution linearity, functional sensitivity, values in samples containing no tacrolimus, intra- and interassay precision, supplementation and recovery, metabolite cross-reactivity, interference studies, and method comparisons HPLC-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS/MS) and the IMx Tacrolimus II multiparticle enzyme immunoassay. Where appropriate, assessments were performed according to NCCLS guidelines.

Could education be dangerous to your health? Pitfalls of misapplied statistics.

It is important to evaluate cardiovascular risk factors. A correlation between cholesterol levels and the duration of formal education has not been observed previously. In analyzing our data, it was found that these two variables had a significant correlation (p < 0.

Analytical evaluation of i-STAT Portable Clinical Analyzer and use by nonlaboratory health-care professionals.

We evaluated the performance of the i-STAT Portable Clinical Analyzer, a hand-held instrument that, with its current cartridge, analyzes for electrolytes, urea nitrogen, glucose, and hematocrit in approximately 60 microL of whole blood in approximately 90 s. Accuracy, imprecision, and linearity studies were performed with aqueous controls and standards and by split-sample analysis. Intrarun imprecision (CV) ranged from 0.

Hormone, inorganic phosphate concentrations and enzyme activity in hemodialyzed and kidney-transplanted children.

Several serum hormone concentrations, enzyme activities, and inorganic phosphate complexes were investigated in 13 hemodialyzed children, 7 kidney-transplanted children, and in 15 healthy controls. Prior to kidney transplantation 10 of the 14 tested hormone levels of hemodialyzed children differed significantly from those of healthy controls; however, after kidney transplantation most of them normalized, only the angiotensin-converting enzyme and alkaline phosphatase activities were significantly elevated in comparison with the control group. Among the different inorganic phosphate complexes, dialysis had the least effect on the CaHPO4 complex.

Bile secretory function of intrahepatic biliary epithelium in the rat.

To shed light on ductular fluid secretion, hepatic histology and ultrastructure, cell proliferation and phenotypes, and several aspects of biliary physiology were studied in rats with ductular cell hyperplasia induced by either biliary obstruction (0-14 days) or 1-naphthylisothiocyanate (ANIT) feeding (0-28 days). In both groups of experimental animals, bile duct hyperplasia and spontaneous bile flow and secretin-induced choleresis increased with time of treatment in a linear fashion. Measurements of [14C]mannitol biliary entry and of biliary tree volume showed that the increase in both spontaneous and secretin-stimulated bile flow originated at the proliferated biliary structures.

Effect of hemodialysis on the distribution of phosphates in blood.

Phosphate retention is commonly associated with chronic renal failure. Previously we presented a technique to calculate the distribution of phosphate constituents in body fluids. We studied it in pre- and postdialysis serum of 62 patients.

Change of serum inorganic phosphate complexes in diabetic ketoacidosis.

The concentrations of serum inorganic phosphate complexes (HPO4(2-), H2PO4-, NaHPO4-, KHPO4-, CaHPO4 and MgHPO4) were studied during diabetic ketoacidosis. On admission to hospital the H2PO4- concentration was significantly increased, in comparison with well-controlled diabetics. After 12-24 h the concentration of all phosphate complexes decreased.

Immunoprecipitation method for CK-MB analysis re-evaluated: influence of CK-BB and macro-CK on blank activities.

We evaluated the analytical performance of the immunoprecipitation technique for quantification of creatine kinase (CK; EC 2.7.3.

Biliary physiology in rats with bile ductular cell hyperplasia. Evidence for a secretory function of proliferated bile ductules.

To establish the role of the biliary epithelium in bile formation, we studied several aspects of biliary physiology in control rats and in rats with ductular cell hyperplasia induced by a 14-d extrahepatic biliary obstruction. Under steady-state conditions, spontaneous bile flow was far greater in obstructed rats (266.6 +/- 51.

Stability of lactate dehydrogenase at different storage temperatures.

The effect of storing human serum, cord blood serum or heparinized plasma at 25 degrees C, 4 degrees C & -20 degrees C on the activity and isoenzyme distribution of lactate dehydrogenase (LD) was studied. Cellulose acetate and agarose electrophoresis, as well as an immunochemical inhibition technique, were used for isoenzyme quantification. In contrast to previous reports, cryo-instability was found only in specimens stored at 4 degrees C.

The effect of oral calcium-loading test on the distribution of urinary phosphates in healthy and hypercalciuremic children.

The distribution of inorganic phosphate ions in urine is calculated with known stability constants, measured pH and electrolyte concentrations. The distribution of phosphate ions in the urine of healthy children is considerably different from that of hypercalciuremic children. Before and after oral calcium-loading test, the most significant difference is in the molar fraction of CaHPO4.

Choleretic effects of differently structured bile acids in the guinea pig.

The effects of 10 differently structured bile acids on bile flow and composition were studied in anesthetized, bile duct-cannulated guinea pigs. At the infusion rates of 2 and 4 mumole/min/kg, all bile acids produced choleresis. The most potent was chenodeoxycholate, which increased bile flow by an average of 31.

Calculated distribution of various inorganic phosphate constituents in body fluids, based on the principles of complex equilibria.

The distribution of inorganic phosphate ions in body fluids is calculated by equilibrium studies. Equations of partial mol fractions of each complex species are calculated with known stability constants, measured pH and electrolyte concentrations. We present these results in serum and urine in health, and in some diseases, with characteristic pH values and electrolyte concentrations.

A new recycling technique for human placental cotyledon perfusion: application to studies of the fetomaternal transfer of glucose, inulin, and antipyrine.

A previously described technique has been modified to permit the continuously recirculating perfusion of the separate maternal and fetal circulations of an isolated cotyledon of human placenta. Viability of the perfused cotyledons was established by measurements of oxygen consumption (average, 0.18 ml/gm/hr), glucose utilization (average, 1.

Collection and preservation of human placental blood.

High-risk premature infants require red cell transfusions for anemia. Placental blood for autologous transfusions can be collected sterilely into citrate-phosphate-dextrose and stored at 4 degrees C. During storage for 8 days, the placental red cell content of adenosine triphosphate remained normal.

Subjective symptoms in workers with low-level exposure to lead.

In an attempt to identify health effects associated with low-level lead exposure, 45 cable-manufacturing workers underwent clinical examinations in a cross-sectional study. Thirteen workers were in direct contact with lead-containing stabilizers, while 31 were only indirectly exposed. The directly exposed had a higher prevalence of reported neurological and gastrointestinal symptoms than those with low or insignificant lead exposure.