bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Causative agents of acute diarrhoea in the first 3 years of life: Hospital‐based study
Authors: KHAN M. MUBASHIR A. , BAQAI R. , IQBAL J. , GHAFOOR A. , ZUBERI S. , BURNEY M. I. 
Published: March 2008

AbstractDuring the 2 years of the study, 402 patients and an equal number of age‐ and sex‐matched controls were investigated for the presence of diarrhoeal pathogens. Pathogenic organisms were recovered from 277 (68.9%) patients and 97 (24.1%) controls. In the patient group, possible bacterial pathogens were found in 210 (52.2%) cases. Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) was the most frequently found potential pathogen, being recovered in 132 cases (32.8%) with serotypes 026, 086, 0111 and 0124 being the most frequently identified. Other bacterial pathogens identified were enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) 57 (14.2%), Shigella 13 (3.2%) and Salmonella eight (2%). Rotavirus was identified in 33 (8.2%) cases. Mixed bacterial and viral infections were also seen in 26 (6.5%) cases.In the control group, enteric pathogens were recovered from 97 (24.1%) specimens. The most common bacterial pathogen found in this group was again EPEC (40, 9.9%), with serogroups 018, 044, 0111 and 0126 being the most frequent. Giardia lamblia and Entamoeba histolytica were found in 31 (7.7%) and 10 (2.5%) controls, respectively. Rotavirus was found in 16 (4%) controls. The results of both centres where the study was performed (Karachi and Rawalpindi) were compared.
Serum pepsinogen I levels in patients with non‐ulcer dyspepsia
Authors: CHANG FULL‐YOUNG , CHENG JIUNN‐TARNG , LEE FA‐YAUH , WANG TE‐FONG , LAI KWOK‐HUNG , LEE SHOU‐DONG , TSAI YANG‐TE 
Published: March 2008

AbstractIn order to understand whether the serum pepsinogen I (PGI) levels of non‐ulcer dyspepsia (NUD) patients differed from those of healthy controls and which kends of factors might influence these levels of the former, serum PGI levels were determined by radio‐immunoassay in 120 healthy controls and 361 NUD patients. The mean serum PGI level was significantly lower in NUD patients than in the controls (75.8 ± 38.2 ng/mL versus 95.9 ± 39.3 ng/mL; P < 0.0001); in NUD patients, it was significantly higher in males than in females (79.6 ± 40.4 ng/mL versus 63.2 ± 26.4 ng/mL; P < 0.001). However, corrected serum PGI levels according to the lean body mass disclosed no sex difference. Nevertheless, there was a weak correlation between the ages of patients and serum PGI levels (r= 0.403). The serum PGI levels in blood groups A, B, AB and O did not differ significantly. Smoking might be a decisive factor, for the mean serum PGI level was significantly higher among the smokers than among the non‐smokers (86.7 ± 44.6 ng/mL versus 70.6 ± 33.7 ng/mL; P < 0.001). It is concluded that the mean serum PGI level of NUD patients, while affected by sex, age, smoker status and the body size, is lower than that of the healthy controls. Without endoscopy, assay of serum PGI level has no place in the diagnosis of dyspepsia because of the wide overlapping of serum PGI levels between NUD patients and patients with other common gastric lesions.
Campylobacter pylori infection: Experience in a multiracial population
Authors: GOH K. L. , PEH S. C. , WONG N. W. , PARASAKTHI N. , PUTHUCHEARY S. D. 
Published: March 2008

AbstractOver a 15‐month period, 399 patients with dyspepsia were investigated for the presence of Campylobacter pylori infection. Half of the patients (50.6%) had Campylobacter organisms in the antrum of the stomach. C. pylori was found in 96.1% of patients with histological changes of chronic active gastritis in the antrum. Of patients with duodenal and gastric ulcers, 87.8% and 87.5%, respectively, had Campylobacter organisms, as did 39.3% of patients with non‐ulcer dyspepsia. C. pylori infection was most commonly found in Chinese and Indians. Although the prevalence of infection appeared to increase with age, there was an equal distribution amongst the sexes.
Auto‐immune (lupoid) hepatitis: An entity in the spectrum of chronic active liver disease*
Authors: Mackay Ian R. 
Published: March 2008

AbstractThe concept of auto‐immune hepatitis as a disease entity evolved from the descriptions of ‘chronic active hepatitis’ (CAH) in the 1950s. Several types of CAH are distinguished by disease‐specific features. The distinctive (but not exclusive) markers for auto‐immune CAH include: a negative test for HBsAg; female; Northern European ethnic background; multisystem disease expression; histological CAH with large areas of periportal piecemeal necrosis and plasmacytosis; pronounced hypergammaglobulinaemia; serum auto‐antibodies; the HLA B8‐DR3 phenotype; responsiveness to corticosteroid therapy; and rarity of supervening hepatocellular carcinoma.Much weight is attached to the serological marker auto‐antibodies to nuclear or smooth muscle (actin) antigens (ANA, SMA). However, these auto‐antibodies do not have an absolute association with auto‐immune CAH: the serological reactions are not yet standardized; titres decrease with remission of disease; and other auto‐antibodies mark variant forms of auto‐immune hepatitis. A more confident acceptance of auto‐immune hepatitis as an entity requires detection of a liver‐specific antigen, a valid experimental disease model in animals, and a better understanding of immune‐mediated damage to liver cells.
Influence of glutamine and branched chain amino acids on the jejunal atrophy associated with parenteral nutrition
Authors: PLATELL C. , McCAULEY R. , McCULLOCH R. , HALL J. 
Published: March 2008

ABSTRACTInfusions of conventional parenteral nutrients (CPN) are associated with gut atrophy. This may be due to the absence of glutamine in such solutions. Although glutamine is a preferred gut nutrient, it is excluded from CPN because it is unstable at room temperature. This problem may be circumvented either directly by the infusion of fresh solutions of glutamine, or indirectly by the infusion of branched chain amino acids (BCAA). We evaluated the effect of infusing either glutamine, BCAA, or glutamine plus BCAA‐enriched CPN on the rat jejunum. Sixty male Wistar rats were randomized to receive 6 days of either conventional parenteral nutrition (CPN), CPN plus 1.5% glutamine (GLN), CPN plus 2% BCAA (BCAA), CPN plus 0.8% BCAA and 1.0% glutamine (GLN/BCAA), or a normal oral diet (Chow). Standardized segments of jejunum were then removed for assessment. Compared with the CPN group, both the GLN/BCAA and the BCAA groups had greater mucosal weights (P < 0.05) and mucosal protein concentrations (P < 0.05), the GLN/BCAA group had greater jejunal weights (P < 0.05), and the GLN group had an increased jejunal weight (P < 0.05) and a higher crypt cell production rate (P < 0.05). We conclude that the infusion of glutamine or BCAA‐enriched parenteral nutrition improves jejunal morphology compared with conventional parenteral nutrition.
Cystic disease of the liver following prenatal and perinatal exposure to aflatoxin B1 in rats
Authors: NAIDU N. R. GOPAL , SEHGAL S. , BHASKAR K. V. S. , AIKAT B. K. 
Published: March 2008

ABSTRACTExperiments were designed to elucidate the differences, if any, in the liver histology induced by aflatoxin B in newborn and adult animals. The transfer of toxic metabolites from pregnant rats to their litters was confirmed by thin layer chromatography of liver homogenates in the latter. Extensive cystic lesions of the biliary and hepatic type developed only in young animals. Multifocal hepatic necrosis, bile ductular proliferation, areas of altered hepatocytes, neoplastic nodules and hepatocellular carcinoma constituted the total spectrum in both adult and newborn animals. Increased susceptibility to the toxins early in life appears to be responsible for this intriguing phenomenon. These aspects may have a bearing on the genesis of childhood liver disease.
Pathological and laboratory findings in LEC/Otk rats that spontaneously develop hepatic injury
Authors: KAWANO KAZUYA , HIRASHIMA TSUKASA , MORI SHIGEHITO , BANDO SUMIO , YONEMOTO KENICHI , ABE FUMIKO , GOTO HIROHIKO , NATORI TAKASHI 
Published: March 2008

ABSTRACTThe LEC strain of rats that spontaneously develops hepatic injury has been introduced into specific pathogen‐free (SPF) conditions (SPF‐LEC/Otk). The present communication describes the clinical and pathological features of the SPF‐LEC/Otk rats. The characteristic features of these animals are as follows: (i) Jaundice develops in almost all rats with increase in the P‐GPT level; (ii) The animals show episodes of jaundice, a high P‐GPT level and liver cell necrosis, but only slight inflammatory cell infiltration; (iii) The liver cells show characteristic microvesicular fatty changes; (iv) The P‐GPT level shows increases, first at 18 weeks and then at 25 weeks of age; (v) The rats show immunological disorders, such as deficiency of immunoglobulins, especially IgG1, and of helper T cells; (vi) Infectious agents such as viruses do not seem to be involved, although this possibility cannot be absolutely excluded; (vii) The immunological disorders are not directly associated with the occurrence of liver cell necrosis; and (viii) The pattern of inheritance (autosomal single‐recessive trait) of the disease strongly suggests that it is due to a genetic metabolic disorder.
Hepatocyte hepatitis B surface antigen expression in chronic hepatitis B virus carriers in Singapore: Correlation with viral replication and liver pathology
Authors: WEE AILEEN , YAP IVY , GUAN RICHARD 
Published: March 2008

ABSTRACTThe hepatocyte hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) expression in 149 liver biopsies from 124 chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) carriers was correlated with serum HBV DNA status and histologic activity. Hepatocyte HBsAg was stained by the peroxidase‐antiperoxidase method and serum HBV DNA was determined by dot blot hybridization. Sixty‐five biopsies (44%) showed minimal changes (MC), 82 biopsies (55%) showed chronic liver disease (CLD) and 2 biopsies (1%) showed hepatocellular carcinoma. Hepatocyte HBsAg was found in 144 biopsies (97%). It was present in the cytoplasm of 141 specimens (95%) and/or plasma membrane of 48 specimens (32%). Approximately half (45%) of the cytoplasmic HBsAg‐positive biopsies showed discrete distribution, while the other half (55%) were grouped. Fifty‐five per cent (77 of 141) of cytoplasmic HbsAg‐positive biopsies had CLD, while 44% (62 of 141) showed MC. There was no relationship between the presence of cytoplasmic HBsAg or its topographic distribution with disease activity. Membrane HBsAg distribution was similar for both groups of patients (MC vs CLD: 25 of 65 (38%) vs 23 of 82 (28%); P= NS). Serum HBV DNA was detected in 98 patients (66%) and was seen mostly in association with CLD (CLD vs MC: 61%vs 39%, P < 0.001). It was also detected more often in the sera of patients with membrane HBsAg than in those with cytoplasmic HBsAg staining (41 of 48 (85%) vs 97 of 141 (67%); P < 0.02). However, discrete distribution of cytoplasmic HBsAg was associated with positive serum HBV DNA when compared with grouped distribution (52 of 63 (83%) vs 43 of 78 vs (55%); P < 0.005).
Efficacy of endoscopic sclerotherapy on long‐term management of oesophageal varices: A comparative study of results in patients with cirrhosis of the liver, non‐cirrhotic portal fibrosis (NCPF) and extrahepatic portal venous obstruction (EHO)*
Authors: BHARGAVA D. K. , DASARATHY S. , SUNDARAM K. R. , AHUJA R. K. 
Published: March 2008

ABSTRACTA prospective study was conducted to compare the results of long‐term endoscopic variceal sclerotherapy in patients with different aetiologies of portal hypertension. A total of 404 consecutive patients were included. There were 234 patients with hepatic cirrhosis, 83 with non‐cirrhotic portal fibrosis (NCPF) and 87 with extrahepatic portal venous obstruction (EHO). The mean follow‐up for patients with cirrhosis, NCPF and EHO was 25, 37 and 28 months. A total of 73 (31%) patients with cirrhosis, 19 (23%) with NCPF and 10 (11.5%) with EHO rebled (P < 0.05) on follow‐up, prior to eradication of varices. Irrespective of the aetiology, 40 (17%) patients of Child's A class, 42 (33%) of Child's B and 20 (50%) of Child's C class rebled (P<0.01). The median bleeding free period (BFP) was longer (P<0.05) in patients with EHO than in cirrhotics. Patients in Child's A class had significantly longer BFP than those in Child's B, and the latter had a longer BFP than those in Child's C class (P<0.01). The probability of 7‐year survival was also better with EHO (97.5%) and NCPF (73.6%) than cirrhotics (41%). Survivals in patients with EHO and NCPF were comparable (P<0.1). Similarly 7‐year survival irrespective of aetiology in Child's A patients (90.7%) was longer than in Child's B (28.8%), and longer in Child's B than Child's C patients (0%). Success of eradication was greater (P<0.05) in EHO (92%) and NCPF (87%) than cirrhotic patients (75%). This was also related to the Child's status of patients. Recurrence of varices, and complications related to the procedure, were not influenced by Child's status or by the aetiology of portal hypertension. For a given Child's class, the results of scierotherapy in the different aetiological groups were similar.We conclude that the results of long‐term sclerotherapy are affected primarily by the Child's scores and indirectly by the aetiology of portal hypertension.
Proliferation and cytotoxicity of lectin‐induced lymphokine‐activated killer (LILAK) cells
Authors: SHIMIZU YUTAKA , KUROKI TETSUO , SHIOMI SUSUMU , KOBAYASHI KENZO , MONNA TAKEYUKI 
Published: March 2008

ABSTRACTMore than 1011 killer cells are needed for adoptive immunotherapy, but it is difficult to obtain so many from patients. Peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) treated with lectin and then with recombinant interleukin‐2 (rIL‐2) give many lectin‐induced lymphokine‐activated killer (LILAK) cells, studied here for proliferation, cytotoxicity, IL‐2 receptors (IL‐2R) and subsets. PBL obtained from hepatoma patients or healthy adults were incubated with phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) or concanavalin A (ConA) for 3 days and with rIL‐2 for 4 days. Then the medium was replaced with fresh medium containing rIL‐2 every 3 or 4 days, with the volume increased as cells proliferated. Cytotoxicity was expressed as the percentage lysis of target cells by 4 h 51Cr release. LILAK cells from healthy adults increased 120‐fold in 2 weeks when incubated with ConA; the lymphokine‐activated killer (LAK) cells increased 7‐fold. The percentage of IL‐2R+ cells increased more with ConA than with rIL‐2 alone. ConA induced more suppressor T cells than PHA. LILAK cells obtained from patients by PHA treatment increased 180‐fold in 2 weeks. Their cytotoxicity to Daudi cells was 1% before culture and 91% in 2 weeks; that of LAK cells was 60%. LILAK cells were cytotoxic to the tumour target cells, but not to allogeneic PBL. Adoptive immunotherapy may become more practical if many LILAK cells can be obtained at once by large‐scale culture, such as by a hollow‐fibre system.
Non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis: Impaired antipyrine metabolism and hypertriglyceridaemia may be clues to its pathogenesis
Authors: FIATARONE J. R. , COVERDALE S. A. , BATEY R. G. , FARRELL G. C. 
Published: March 2008

ABSTRACTNon‐alcoholic steatohepatitis resembles alcoholic liver disease in hepatic morphology but appears to have a different natural history. We sought to assess the nature of non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis by a prospective study of its clinical progression and the relationship of biochemical abnormalities to changes in serum lipids among 15 patients with this disorder. In addition, antipyrine clearance (Cl‐AP), which reflects hepatic microsomal oxidative capacity, was measured serially. Although initial liver histology included micronodular cirrhosis in five cases and bridging fibrosis in another three, only one patient developed a hepatic complication during 1–10 years (median: 3.7) of follow up. This confirms the relatively benign nature of non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis. Moreover, Cl‐AP, which was below the normal range in 13 patients, did not change significantly during 10–40 months of follow up. However, compared with other chronic liver diseases, the reduced Cl‐AP was disproportionately low relative to the uniformly normal serum albumin concentration and other indices of hepatic metabolic function. This is consistent with selective impairment of endoplasmic reticular drug oxidizing enzymes. Hyperlipidaemia was present in 11 patients. In three of these, diet‐induced correction of serum triglyceride elevation was associated with reduction of hepatocellular damage as indicated by serum enzyme levels. A hypothesis that unites these and earlier findings is that release of cytokines may occur in non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis and produce accumulation of free fatty acids in the liver, leading to focal necro‐inflammatory lesions and the destruction or down‐regulation of cytochrome P450.
Role of hepatic artery in haemodynamics in normal and cirrhotic livers in rats
Authors: SHIBAYAMA YURO , NAKATA KATSUJI 
Published: March 2008

ABSTRACTTo examine the degree of influence of the hepatic artery on microcirculation in the liver, microscopic observation of blood flow in the hepatic minute blood vessels and the sinusoids and pressure measurements at key points in hepatic vascular pathways in vivo were performed before and after hepatic artery ligation in normal and cirrhotic rats. In normal rats, portal vein pressure (109mmH2O) fell 10mmH2O after hepatic artery ligation, but the pressures of the terminal portal venule, the terminal hepatic venule and the inferior vena cava did not change. In cirrhotic rats, portal vein pressure (206 mmH2O) and terminal portal venule pressure (106mmH2O) fell 23 and 10mmH2O after hepatic artery ligation respectively: the pressures in the terminal hepatic venule and the inferior vena cava did not change. These results suggest that the pressure transmitted from the hepatic artery was mostly supplied to the intrahepatic portal vein in normal rats and both to the intrahepatic portal vein and to the sinusoids in cirrhotic rats. In both normal and cirrhotic rats, however, the pressure transmitted from the hepatic artery was about 10 per cent of the initial portal vein pressure, and the blood flow in minute vessels and sinusoids did not change after hepatic artery ligation. Accordingly, it is believed that the hepatic artery plays only a small role in the haemodynamics of the liver in both normal and cirrhotic rats, irrespective of the distribution and manner of the hepatic arterial termination.
Prevalence of hepatitis C virus antibody in an area endemic for hepatitis B virus and human T cell leukaemia virus
Authors: OCHI SHIGEKI , ONJI MORIKAZU , SHIRAISHI KAZUHITO , OHTU KYOKO , AKAO TOMOHIRO , YANO YOSHITO , TAKEI NOBUYUKI , MATSUI HIKARU , OHTA YASUYUKI , UMEDA MASAKICHI 
Published: March 2008

ABSTRACTTo clarify the prevalence of concurrent infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV), hepatitis B virus (HBV) and human T cell leukaemia virus (HTLV), we measured HCV antibody in the population of a district endemic for HBV and HTLV infection. Blood samples were collected in June 1990 from 579 inhabitants of four islands of Uwa Bay in the southwest of Ehime Prefecture in Japan. Anti‐HCV antibody against C100–3 protein was detected using an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay kit (Ortho Diagnostics). Thirteen of the 579 inhabitants (2.2%) were positive for anti‐HCV, and this prevalence rate was not significantly different from the frequency of anti‐HCV in Tokyo blood donors. A total of 11% (64 of 579) of the subjects were positive for HBsAg and 3.3% (19 of 579) were positive for anti‐HTLV. These frequencies of HBsAg and anti‐HTLV positivity were distinctly higher than the respective means of Japanese. All anti‐HCV positive individuals were negative for HBsAg and anti‐HTLV, while 54% (7 of 13) had increased alanine aminotransferase levels. These data suggest that the prevalence of HCV infection is not high even in an area endemic for HBV and HTLV infection.
Effects of stress on growth of transplanted hepatic tumours and immune responses
Authors: SEKIYA CHIHIRO , KOHDA HIRONOBU , YOSHIDA NORIYUKI , OHHIRA MASUMI , UEHARA AKIRA , UEDE TOSHIMITSU , KIKUCHI KOKICHI , NAMIKI MASAYOSHI 
Published: March 2008

ABSTRACTGrowth of transplanted hepatic tumours (T‐9) was enhanced in immune rats under stress, compared with immune rats in an unstressed condition. Compared with unstressed immune rats, killer activity of mononuclear cells infiltrating the tumours against T‐9 cells was significantly reduced in stressed immune rats. In contrast, killer activity of splenocytes obtained from stressed immune rats against T‐9 cells was elevated compared with that from unstressed immune rats. In addition, natural killer cell activity of mononuclear cells infiltrating the tumours obtained from stressed immune rats was significantly reduced compared with that from unstressed immune rats. Cell populations infiltrating tumour tissues were identified by flow cytometric analysis. The percentage of CD8+ cells in mononuclear cells isolated from tumour tissues of stressed immune rats was reduced compared with that of unstressed immune rats. Furthermore, interleukin‐2 responsiveness of splenocytes was suppressed in stressed immune rats, whereas T cell function as reflected by phytohaemagglutinin‐ or Concanavalin A‐reactivity was unaffected by stress. Collectively, it is likely that stress suppressed the generation of cytotoxic cells from the spleen cells of immune rats.
Aetiology and prognosis of fulminant viral hepatitis in Japan: A multicentre study
Authors: TAKAHASHI YOSHIYATA , SHIMIZU MASARU ,   THE STUDY GROUP OF FULMINANT HEPATITIS
Published: March 2008

AbstractIn 236 patients with fulminant viral hepatitis (FVH), type B (FBH) was most common (47.5%), followed by non‐A non‐B hepatitis (FNANB, 44.9%) and hepatitis type A (FAH, 7.6%). The survival rate was significantly higher in the FAH group than in the FBH and FNANB groups (61.1, 36.6 and 18.9% respectively), and was significantly higher in the FBH group than in the FNANB group. In spite of screening for hepatitis B virus (HBV), FBH was prevalent (27 of 41) in post‐transfusion cases; this phenomenon is discussed in relation to a recently revealed mutation of HBV. Within a month after the onset of hepatitis symptoms all cases in the FAH, 93% in the FBH and 79% in the FNANB group, developed encephalopathy. When the duration of illness before the onset of encephalopathy was more than 10 days (a subacute form), the survival rate was significantly lower than when encephalopathy developed in less than 11 days (an acute form). This difference could be accounted for by the difference in the relative frequency of aetiological viruses in the two forms and the higher survival rate in the acute, than the subacute, form in the FNANB group.
The Sydney System: Auto‐immune gastritis
Authors: STRICKLAND ROBERT G. 
Published: March 2008

AbstractThe association of gastric auto‐immunity with chronic gastritis has been recognized for more than 30 years. Despite this, little is known about the initiation of auto‐immune gastric mucosal injury or the role of gastric auto‐antibodies in this disease process. The current review describes recent progress in our understanding of these fundamental questions on the origin and progression of auto‐immune gastritis.In addition, evidence is presented (epidemiologic, clinical, pathologic and experimental) that strongly supports the view that auto‐immune gastritis is a distinctive category of chronic gastritis with significant long‐term sequelae.