Laboratory medicine in France. A jeopardized situation.

The expenses for health care in France have risen considerably during the present decade, ranking third after USA and Canada in the Western world. In spite of the very low cost of laboratory medicine (2.4% of the total expenditure in 1995), clinical laboratories have undergone a severe squeeze, due to two limiting factors; a decrease in the ordering of laboratory tests from private physicians and a reduction in the total expenses for laboratory services from the Social Security. Consequently, there has been unemployment of technical and secretarial staff and severe restriction in investment for buying new equipment. However, hospital laboratories will manage to assume their challenge in developing robotics, automation, molecular pathology techniques and expert systems. Private laboratories, in spite of their efforts to follow the technological advances in automation, will survive thanks to consolidation of regional networks that operate in a cooperative rather than competitive mode. Therefore, the challenge will be not in the adaptation of clinical laboratories, but in the limitation of overspending at the national level and in modification of the behaviour of irresponsible citizens accustomed to spending freely on health care services.

Effects of an enkephalinase inhibitor on esophageal motility in man.

Enkephalins are short lived peptides which are rapidly cleaved by 2 membrane peptidases: an enkephalinase and a carboxypeptidase. Enkephalin-like immuno-reactivity has been demonstrated in the smooth muscle and in the myenteric plexus of the human lower esophageal sphincter (LES). Opioid receptors have been found in the gastrointestinal tract and recently an enkephalin analog has been shown to inhibit LES relaxation and modify the peristaltic progression of the esophageal contractions. Acetorphan is an enkephalinase inhibitor which prevents, at least to some extent, the hydrolysis of endogenous enkephalins. Thus, the present work was designed to study the effect of acetorphan on esophageal motility. Ten healthy volunteers (mean age: 23 years) were studied. On 2 separate days, each subject received in random order acetorphan (2.5 mg/kg intravenously at a constant rate in 20 min) or placebo. Esophageal manometry was performed with a Dentsleeve. Wet swallows (5 ml) were performed at 1 min intervals during 80 min and results were pooled in 10 min periods. Acetorphan inhibited significantly (p less than 0.02) LES relaxation 20 min after the beginning of the infusion and throughout the study. The maximal effect occurred 50 min after the beginning of acetorphan infusion and LES relaxation (m +/- SEM) was reduced from 92 +/- 2.6 to 79.5 +/- 2.9 p. 100 (p less than 0.01). Duration, amplitude, and velocity of esophageal contractions were not modified. Acetorphan an enkephalinase inhibitor, is able to reproduce the effect of IV exogenous enkephalins on LES relaxation in man. This result suggest that endogenous enkephalins might play a role in the normal control of the LES relaxation.

[Measurement of colonic transit time: description and validation of a new method]. / Mesure du temps de transit colique (TTC): description et validation d'une nouvelle technique.

The method described by Arhan et al. for measuring colon mean transit time requires plain films of the abdomen during 7 consecutive days (0.007 Gy). A new method is described for measuring the mean segmental transit time of radio opaque markers through the human colon which aims at decreasing ray exposure. While on a diet containing 20 g of bran, a dose of 20 markers was given to the subject for three consecutive days (D1, D2, D3) at the same hours. Each dose of markers was of different shape. A plain film of the abdomen was taken at D4, D7, D10 at the same time as the ingestion of the markers. The first X ray demonstrated the number of markers at 24, 48, 72 h simultaneously and so on from 96 to 216 h for the X ray taken at D7 and D10. Mean transit time in the right, left, rectosigmoid and the whole colon was measured in 22 volunteers and was respectively 6.9 h, 9.1 h, 18.4 h, 34.4 h. The upper limit of the mean transit time (m + 2 SD) was respectively 24 h, 30 h, 44 h, 67 h in the right, left, rectosigmoid and the whole colon. This method has been validated in 20 subjects (10 volunteers and 10 constipated patients) by comparing the mean segmental transit time with the mean segmental transit time measured by the method of Arhan et al. This new method could allow to explore patients with idiopathic constipation more frequently and to better assess the treatment of constipation.

[Protein-losing enteropathy syndrome caused by a localization of Kaposi's sarcoma in AIDS]. / Syndrome d'entéropathie exsudative dû à une localisation d'un sarcome de Kaposi au cours du SIDA.

A 35-year-old HIV positive patient with skin and gastrointestinal localization of a Kaposi's sarcoma was admitted for severe diffuse edema. Increased alpha-I-antitrypsin clearance (150 ml/24 h) allowed us to confirm the diagnosis of protein loosing enteropathy resulting from sarcoma infiltration in the stomach, the duodenum and the entire small bowel. At autopsy, ileal ulcerations were found. Gastrointestinal involvement occurring during Kaposi's sarcoma is common and usually symptomless. The discovery of a protein loosing enteropathy in our patient suggests that this gastrointestinal involvement could play a role in the hypoalbuminemia often found in these patients.

[Comparative effects of ricinoleic acid and senna on orocecal and oroanal transit time in healthy subjects. Application of the salacylazosulfapyridine method]. / Effets comparés de l'acide ricinoléique et d'un sennoside sur le temps de transit oro-caecal et oro-anal chez l'homme sain. Application de la méthode de la salacylazosulphapyridine.

The appearance in plasma of sulphapyridine after oral administration of salicylazosulphapyridine (Salazopyrin) was shown to be useful for measuring the orocecal transit time in normal subjects. The purpose of this study was to use this method in diarrhea with accelerated intestinal transit time. A two-step study was performed in 12 healthy volunteers: a) under resting conditions; b) 2 weeks later with ricinoleic acid 40 ml (n = 6) or senna 19 mg (X-Prep = 1.2 g; n = 6) administration. In each step, Salazopyrin (2 g) and 20 radiopaque markers were ingested with a 200 kcal meal (Polydiet TCM = 200 ml). The following parameters were determined: a) plasmatic level of sulphapyridine (spectrophotometry) at 30 min intervals during 12 h; b) 2-day stool frequency and weight; c) oro-anal transit time (passage of the first marker and half of the markers in stools). In one subject, no sulphapyridine level was detected after administration of ricinoleic acid. With senna, 2 day stool frequency and weight increased by 80 and 131 percent respectively: orocecal transit time decreased from 6.1 +/- 1.3 to 4.8 +/- 1.2 h (m +/- SD; P less than 0.01) and oro-anal transit time (first marker) decreased from 31.8 +/- 9.6 to 20.7 +/- 8.9 (P less than 0.05). With ricinoleic acid, 2 day stool frequency and weight increased by 212 and 350 percent respectively; orocecal transit time decreased from 5.8 +/- 1.8 to 2.2 +/- 0.7 (P less than 0.01) and oroanal transit time (first marker) decreased from 25.3 +/- 7.1 to 8.0 +/- 6.8 h (P less than 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Efficacy and tolerability of enprostil in the treatment of duodenal ulcer. Comparison with cimetidine]. / Efficacité et tolérance de l'enprostil dans le traitement de l'ulcère duodénal. Comparaison à la cimétidine.

Enprostil, a synthetic PGE2, has been shown to have an inhibitory effect on gastric acid secretion, a mucoprotective effect and a postprandial lowering effect on gastrin. A double blind randomized study was performed in 80 patients, in order to evaluate the efficacy and safety enprostil (35 mu b.i.d) as compared to cimetidine (400 mg b.i.d) in duodenal ulcer. Healing rates after two, four and six weeks of treatment, as based on endoscopic evaluation, were 35, 72 and 83 p. 100 for enprostil and 45, 73 and 83 p. 100 for cimetidine, respectively. There were no significant differences between treatment groups. The time to relief of nighttime and daytime ulcer pain and antacid consumption were similar in the two groups. The patient's overall subjective assessment was better in the cimetidine group, but this was not confirmed by physicians' opinions. Diarrhea was observed in 7 p. 100 of patients treated by enprostil compared with 5 p. 100 for patients treated by cimetidine. One enprostil treated patient withdrew from the trial prematurely because of abdominal pain. This study demonstrates the efficacy and safety of enprostil in the treatment of active duodenal ulcer at the dosage of 35 micrograms twice daily.

[Intestinal motility in patients with small bowel diverticulosis]. / Etude de la motricité intestinale dans les diverticuloses de l'intestin grêle.

It has been demonstrated that motility disorders may be responsible for esophageal and colon diverticulosis. Recently anatomic alterations of both small bowel muscular layers and myenteric plexus have been described in patients with small bowel diverticulosis. Such pathological features could be responsible for motility disorders and small bowel diverticulosis formation. The aim of this work was to study the small bowel motility in patients with small bowel diverticulosis. Ten patients (mean age: 69.2 +/- 6 years mean +/- SEM) with more than 3 diverticula in the jejunum or the ileum (excepting duodenal diverticulum) were studied. After an overnight fast, a 4 lumen probe (side holes 10 cm apart) was used to record duodeno-jejunal motility for 4 hours. Esophageal manometry was also performed in 8 patients. The mean number of phase 3 of the migrating motor complex (mean +/- SEM) during 4 hours was significantly lower in patients with small bowel diverticulosis (0.15 +/- 0.05/hours; mean +/- SEM) than in 10 normal volunteers (0.52 +/- 0.07/hours; mean +/- SEM) (P less than 0.01); 5 patients had zero phase 3 during the 4 hours of recording; one patient displayed intestinal hypomotility associated with aberrant phase 3 like activity; 4 patients showed simultaneous minute-rhythm during more than 80 percent of the phase 2 of the migrating motor complex. Esophageal manometry was also disturbed in 6 patients (low amplitude contractions less than 30 cm H2O in the distal esophagus). Bacterial overgrowth was investigated in 8 patients by means of a glucose breath-test and was found in 6 cases. In conclusion, duodeno jejunal motility is altered in patients with small bowel diverticulosis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Retrorectal tumor in adults. Combination of computed tomography and endorectal echography]. / Tumeur rétrorectale de l'adulte. Intérêt de l'association tomodensitométrie et échographie endorectale.

A retrorectal tumor was identified by presacral palpation in a 41-year old woman. Combined preoperative computed tomography and intrarectal ultrasound accurately delineated regional and local spread, respectively. This combined approach confirmed diagnosis and provided guidance for total ablation of a mature cystic teratoma.

[Sclerosing peritonitis. A series of 10 cases and review of the literature]. / Péritonite encapsulante. Une série de 10 observations et revue de la littérature.

OBJECTIVE AND METHODS: The aim of this study was to describe the main features of sclerosing peritonitis, using a retrospective study in 10 patients. RESULTS: The main causes of sclerosing peritonitis were continual ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (n = 3), peritoneal chemotherapy (n = 2) and liver cirrhosis (n = 2). Sclerosing peritonitis was revealed by acute or chronic bowel obstruction (n = 8). Small bowel X-rays and abdominal tomodensitometry showed a small bowel dilatation with a normal mucosa (n = 7), ascites (n = 5) as well as agglutination and fixation of small bowel loops within a cocoon (n = 3). Surgical viscerolysis was performed in 9 patients and allowed prolonged clinical remission in 4; 3 patients died postoperatively (1 had a cirrhosis and 2 were treated with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis), 1 patient had a complicated postoperative course with recurrent enterocutaneous fistulae. CONCLUSION: Sclerosing peritonitis may be suspected in a patient who presents a combination of bowel obstruction, small bowel dilatation without mucosal disease and ascites. Surgical viscerolysis is a dangerous operation associated with high mortality in patients with renal failure or cirrhosis.

Antibiotic versus maintenance therapy in the prevention of duodenal ulcer recurrence. Results of a multicentric double-blind randomized trial.

OBJECTIVES: Reduction of gastric acid secretion by maintenance therapy and eradication of Helicobacter pylori by antibiotic treatment have been shown to reduce duodenal ulcer relapse. This study compared the effect of two regimens, a 6-month maintenance on an H2 receptor antagonist versus a one-week antibiotic therapy, on the rate of duodenal ulcer relapse in duodenal ulcer patients with gastric H. pylori infection. METHODS: We conducted a 30-week, double-blind, double-dummy, multicentric clinical trial involving 119 patients (97 M, 22 F, mean age 39 +/- 14 years) randomly assigned to a daily dose of 40 mg famotidine for 6 weeks supplemented with, during the first week, either antibiotics (500 mg amoxicillin q.i.d. and 500 mg tinidazole t.i.d.-antibiotic group) or their placebo (maintenance group). Healed patients after 6 weeks entered the 6-month maintenance phase: the maintenance group received 20 mg famotidine at bedtime and the antibiotic group, a placebo. Endoscopy with antral biopsies was performed to allow a rapid urease test, culture and histological examination upon entry, after 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months and, whenever symptoms recurred. H. pylori status was regarded as positive if any one of these three tests was positive, and negative if all tests were negative. RESULTS: The 2 treatment groups were well balanced for all baseline characteristics. After 6 weeks, H. pylori was eradicated in 25 (45%) patients in the antibiotic group, and in 1 (2%) in the maintenance group (P < 0.01). In term of intention-to-treat, there was no significant difference in the healing rate after 6 weeks (93 and 83% in the antibiotic and maintenance groups, respectively; P = 0.15) or in the relapse rate after 6 months (13 and 28% in the antibiotic and maintenance groups, respectively; P = 0.17 Log-rank test). However, the overall failure rate (absence of healing, relapse) was lower (P = 0.04, Log-rank test) in the antibiotic group in which all relapses but one were observed in H. pylori positive patients. The rate of ulcer relapse (1/20) in patients of antibiotic group who remained free of H. pylori during the study, was significantly (P < 0.01) lower compared with that of H. pylori positive patients in the maintenance group (11/44). During the first 6-week period, more side effects were observed in the antibiotic group than in the maintenance group (4 vs 1 patient, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate no significant difference between ulcer relapse rates after 6 months following a one-week antibiotic therapy or long-term maintenance therapy. Short-term antibiotic therapy should be considered as a valuable alternative to the long-term maintenance therapy.

Radionuclide and radiation protection data handbook 2nd edition (2002).

This handbook is a reference source of radionuclide and radiation protection information. Its purpose is to provide users of radionuclides in medicine, research and industry with consolidated and appropriate information and data to handle and transport radioactive substances safely. It is mainly intended for users in low and intermediate activity laboratories. Individual data sheets are provided for a wide range of commonly used radionuclides (144 in total). These radionuclides are classified into five different groups as a function of risk level, represented by colours red, orange, yellow, green and blue, in descending order of risk.

[Helicobacter pylori infection and the surgically treated stomach]. / Hélicobacter pylori et estomac opéré.

In 38 patients who had been operated for peptic ulcer (32) or gastric cancer (6), we performed upper GI endoscopy with biopsies. HP was found in the mucosa in 8 out of 10 patients with highly selective vagotomy, 5 out of 11 patients with gastrectomy for ulcer, 6 out of 11 patients with vagotomy-pyloroplasty and in only 1 case out of 6 with gastrectomy for cancer. These results are in agreement with other publications. Bilio-pancreatic reflux into the stump probably explains why HP was found in only 50% of cases with suppression of pyloric function, compared with 80% after highly selective vagotomy. Interstitial gastritis was present in every case infected with HP, but the same gastritis was present in one half of mucosas, without infection by HP. This particular gastritis in probably caused by reflux. The role of HP in the relapse of ulcers therefore remains to be demonstrated.

[Voluminous exogastric myoid tumor. Contribution of echotomography and x-ray computed tomography]. / Volumineuse tumeur myoïde exogastrique. Apports de l'échotomographie et de la tomodensitométrie.

We described a case of voluminous exogastric leiomyoblastoma revealed by abdominal pain and clinical mass. Ultrasonography showed a mixed mass, with both solid and liquid components, without determining specifically the organ of origin. CT body examination showed an intense hypervascularization, associated with cystic components. Laparotomy with tumor excision was done without any metastases. Such US and CT aspects can lead to the exact diagnostic, if they prove the gastric origin of the mass. Otherwise, the discussion is between pancreatic or epiploic tumors.

[Adenine arabinoside: hope in the treatment of chronic virus B hepatitis]. / L'adénine arabinoside: un espoir dans le traitement de l'hépatite chronique à virus B.

Five patients presenting with HBs Ag and HBe Ag-positive chronic hepatitis were treated with adenosine arabinoside (Vidarabine) in doses of 15 mg/kg/day. The drug was administered by intravenous infusion in 2 series of 5 infusions each separated by 2-day intervals. Two patients had a second course 4 months after the first one. There were no clinical or biochemical adverse reactions. Following treatment, serum transaminase levels returned to normal. All patients became HB Ag-negative, with presence of anti-HBe antibody in three; two patients became HBs Ag-negative, with presence of anti-HBs antibody in one. Although very short, this series should encourage further therapeutic studies, including a controlled, randomized trial in a large number of patients.

[Simplified defecography technique. Description and results]. / Technique simplifiée de défécographie. Description et résultats.

Defecography is a useful paraclinical examination to explore disturbances of continence or defecation. The purpose of this study was to present a simplified defecography technique and assess its validity in subjects without defecation problems (n = 10) and in patients complaining of idiopathic chronic constipation (n = 35). The anorectal angle at rest (RAA) and when straining at stool was not significantly different in constipated patients and in controls. Defecography often gave abnormal results. Anterior rectocele was found in almost 50 percent (17/35) of constipated patients and in 20 percent (2/10) of controls (P less than 0.05). None of the patients had posterior rectocele. Persistent imprint of the puborectal muscle during straining was present in 36 percent (9/35) of constipated patients and in 10 percent (1/10) of controls (NS). The imprint was not always associated with closure of the RAA between rest and straining; this closure was never found in controls but was observed in 6 out of 17 constipated patients (35 percent; P less than 0.05). Perineal descent (PD) varied from 0.6 to 3.7 cm (mean +/- s.e.m.: 2.0 +/- 0.63 cm) in controls, as against 0.6 to 7.9 cm (mean +/- s.e.m.: 2.7 +/- 0.45 cm) in constipated patients. In 24 percent of the constipated patients PD was greater than 3.7 cm (the maximum value recorded in controls). All constipated patients with closure of the RAA during defecation had a PD of less than 1 cm, thus confirming the concept of "pelvic floor muscle hypertonia". Disorders of rectal statics are more frequent in subjects with constipation, but their significance is varied. Some abnormalities could be the cause of constipation (e.g. anismus) and others its consequence (anterior rectal prolapse, anterior rectocele, PD).

[Intrahepatic collections of fluid of pancreatic origin. A case]. / Collections liquidiennes intra-hépatiques d'origine pancréatique. Une observation.

A case of intrahepatic liquid collections of pancreatic origin is reported. A search in the literature yielded 8 cases of pancreatic pseudocysts which developed in the liver left lobe. The present case was original owing to its localization in the right hepatic lobe, to the large volume of the intrahepatic effusions and to the scarcity of underlying pancreatic symptoms. Ultrasonography and computerized axial tomography were useful aids to the diagnosis as well as to the therapeutic procedures. Surgery, which usually is a matter of discussion in chronic pancreatitis, was necessary to obtain the favourable outcome expected in such diseases.

[Role of giardiasis in non-ulcer dyspepsia]. / Rôle de la giardiase dans la dyspepsie non ulcéreuse.

In 1987 and 1988, 340 consecutive patients attended the endoscopy centre of Cochin hospital, Paris, and underwent oesophago-gastroduodenal endoscopy in a search for Giardia lamblia parasitology and histology. Two-hundred and eight of these patients presented with non-ulcer dyspepsia and entered a prospective study aimed at determining the advisability of a systematic search for Giardia lamblia in this population. Six biopsies were positive for giardiasis, including 3 in patients with acquired immunodeficiency, 1 in a case of chronic diarrhoea with atrophic villi and 2 in dyspeptic patients. Giardiasis, therefore, cannot be regarded as a cause of non-ulcer dyspepsia, and a systematic search for the parasite is of little interest in such cases. However, giardiasis remains a cosmopolitan parasitic disease with a non-negligible prevalence in France among subjects at risk, such as communities, children, travellers, homosexuals and immunodeficient patients.