Introduction: The gold standard for the objective diagnosis of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is ambulatory-pH monitoring off medications. Increasingly, impedance-pH (MII-pH) monitoring on medications is being used to evaluate refractory symptoms. The aim of this study was to determine whether an MII-pH test on medications can reliably detect the presence of GERD.
Methods: Patients referred for persistent reflux symptoms despite pH confirmed adequate acid suppression (DeMeester score ≤14.7) were reviewed retrospectively. All patients who originally had MII-pH testing on medications were re-evaluated with an off medication Bravo-pH study. Acid exposure results (defined by off medication Bravo) were compared to the original on medication MII-pH.
Results: There were 49 patients who met study criteria (median age 51). Patients had normal acid exposure during their MII-pH test on medications (average DMS 4.35). Impedance was abnormal (normal ≤47) in 25 of the 49 patients (51%). On subsequent Bravo-pH off medications, 37 patients (75.7%) showed increased esophageal acid exposure (average DMS 36.4). Bravo-pH testing was abnormal in 84% of patients with abnormal MII testing and in 67% with normal MII testing. The sensitivity and specificity of an abnormal MII-pH on medications for increased esophageal acid exposure off medications was 56.8 and 66.7%, respectively. The positive predictive value of confirming GERD from an abnormal MII-pH on medications is 84%, while the negative predictive value is 33.3%. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was generated and the area under the curve was 0.71, indicating that MII-pH on medications is a fair test (0.7-0.8) in diagnosing pathologic GERD.
Conclusion: Compared to the gold standard, MII-pH on medications does not reliably confirm the presence of GERD. Excellent outcomes with antireflux surgery are dependent on the presence of GERD; thus, patients should not be offered antireflux surgery until GERD is confirmed with pH testing off medications.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00464-017-5759-7 | DOI Listing |
The prognosis for patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) has improved dramatically since the introduction of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and intravenous arsenic trioxide (ATO). However, ATO administration requires daily infusions over several months, representing an onerous burden for hospitals and patients. We evaluated the bioavailability of a novel encapsulated oral ATO formulation in APL patients in first complete remission during standard-of-care consolidation.
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Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110.
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Department of Agriculture Economics, Faculty of Agriculture, Ain Shams University, Cairo, 11241, Egypt.
The urgent need to address the growing problem of antimicrobial resistance in multidrug-resistant bacteria requires the development of pioneering approaches to treatment. The present study aims to evaluate the antimicrobial potential of the essential oils (EOs) of Moringa oleifera (moringa), Cinnamomum verum (cinnamon), and Nigella sativa (black seed) and the synergistic effect of the mixture of these oils against Staphylococcus aureus MCC 1351. Statistical modeling revealed cinnamon oil had the highest individual antimicrobial potency, followed by black seed oil.
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January 2025
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Hom, Hong Kong (P.R. China), 000000, Hong Kong, HONG KONG.
A series of new (donor)₂-donor-π-acceptor (D2-D-π-A) and (acceptor)₂-donor-π-acceptor (A2-D-π-A) organic photosensitizers based on the framework of (Z)-2-cyano-3-(5-(4-(diphenylamino)phenyl)thiophen-2-yl)acrylic acid have been synthesized and characterized. By incorporating groups with different electron-donating or withdrawing abilities, such as dibenzothiophene (DBT), dibenzofuran (DBF), and triazine (TA), into the triphenylamine segment, their photophysical properties have been regulated. Theoretical calculations were used to explore how various donor-acceptor combinations influence their hydrogen production performance.
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School of Marine Sciences, Zhuhai Key Laboratory of Marine Bioresources and Environment, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Coastal Engineering, Pearl River Estuary Marine Ecosystem Research Station, Ministry of Education, Sun Yat-Sen University, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai 519082, China.
Increasing evidence suggests that organohalogen contaminants (OHCs) could disrupt lipid metabolism in organisms, prompting consideration of fatty acids (FAs) as biological tools for assessing chemical stress in biological systems. This study examined 87 OHCs and 32 FAs in two sentinel cetacean species─Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins ( = 128) and Indo-Pacific finless porpoises ( = 26)─from the northern South China Sea (NSCS), a global hotspot for OHCs. Our results revealed higher OHC levels in these cetaceans than global averages.
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