Hounsfield units in assessing bone mineral density in ankylosing spondylitis patients with cervical fracture-dislocation.

Background: Cervical spine fracture-dislocations in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) are mostly unstable and require surgery. However, osteoporosis, one of the comorbidities for AS, could lead to detrimental prognoses. There are few accurate assessments of bone mineral density in AS patients.

[Value of serum cytosolic β-glucosidase in diagnosis of neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis].

Objective: This study was conducted to compare serum cytosolic β-glucosidase (CBG) levels of age-matched control patients with those of infants with necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) thereby to determine the eventual association between serum CBG levels with extensive disease in infants with NEC.

Method: A total of 96 premature infants were divided into the early NEC group (n = 25), confirmed NEC group (n = 23) and the control group (n = 48). Serum CBG concentration, C-reactive protein (CRP) and peripheral blood white blood cells (WBC) were measured at the onset of the disease in patients in early NEC or confirmed NEC groups and at weeks 2-3 in control infants.