Serum free and total prostate-specific antigen levels in patients with liver disease.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the effect of liver diseases on serum free prostate-specific antigen (fPSA) levels, total prostate-specific antigen (tPSA) levels, and fPSA/tPSA ratios. METHODS: Serum concentrations of tPSA and fPSA were measured in 18 men with histologically confirmed liver cirrhosis, 20 men with histologically proved chronic hepatitis, and 20 healthy men. All patients underwent a standard urologic evaluation, including history, physical examination, urine analysis, serum fPSA and tPSA determinations, and liver function tests (serum bilirubin, serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, and serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase). RESULTS: Patients with liver cirrhosis had slightly lower fPSA levels than did control subjects or patients with chronic hepatitis, but these differences did not reach statistical significance. tPSA levels also were not significantly different among the three groups. CONCLUSIONS: In the presence of liver disease, despite the limited liver reserve, tPSA and fPSA are specific and reliable markers in the clinical management of prostatic diseases in this population. This result should be taken into account when serum concentrations of fPSA, tPSA, and the fPSA/tPSA ratio are evaluated in patients with liver disease.

Response to triple treatment with omeprazole, amoxicillin, and clarithromycin for Helicobacter pylori infections in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis patients.

In this study, the response to triple treatment with omeprazole, amoxicillin, and clarithromycin was investigated in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients with Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infections. The study enrolled 20 CAPD patients (11 male, 9 female) who had dyspeptic complaints. The mean age of the patients was 46 (range: 21-65). The study also enrolled, as a control group, 124 patients (66 male, 58 female) who had no systemic disease, but who had upper gastrointestinal endoscopy for dyspeptic complaints. The mean age of the patients in the control group was 47 years (range: 20-74 years). Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, rapid urease test (CLO test), and direct histologic examination were carried out to detect Hp infection. Hp infection was detected in 10 cases (50%) in the CAPD group and in 53 cases (43%) in the control group. In both groups, patients with Hp infection received the triple treatment of omeprazole 20 mg twice daily for 30 days, amoxicillin 500 mg thrice daily for 15 days, and clarithromycin 500 mg thrice daily for 15 days. To assess response to treatment, upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, CLO test, and direct histologic examination were repeated 3 months after initiation of the treatment. Hp was eradicated in all of the 11 CAPD patients (100%), and in 42 of the control patients (92%). Our results suggest that the triple treatment with omeprazole, amoxicillin, and clarithromycin for Hp infection is as effective in CAPD patients as in the normal population.

NSAID-related upper gastrointestinal bleeding: are risk factors considered during prophylaxis?

The purposes of this study were to evaluate the effect of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) on acute nonvaricose upper gastrointestinal bleeding (ANUGIB) and establish whether the NSAID-prescribing physicians take precautions to prevent or reduce GI ulcerations. Clinical characteristics, causes of bleeding and clinical outcomes of patients hospitalised in our gastroenterology clinic with ANUGIB were recorded prospectively over a 1.5-year period. NSAIDs, including aspirin, were used by 127 of 168 patients (73%). Among the NSAID users, 100 patients (78%) had at least one risk factor for serious adverse GI events related to NSAIDs. Only two patients were using proton pump inhibitors and one patient was using H2 receptor blocker of the high-risk group for GI side effects of NSAIDs. NSAIDs have an important effect on GI bleeding, and it seems that risk factors are underestimated by physicians.

Stereologic estimation of mean nuclear volume in well-differentiated adenocarcinoma and carcinoma in situ of the gallbladder.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate mean nuclear volume of cells in well-differentiated adenocarcinomas (20 cases) and carcinoma in situ (20 cases) of the gallbladder by the principle of estimation of the volume of particles with arbitrary shapes. STUDY DESIGN: Hematoxylin and eosin-stained, 4-micron-thick, vertical sections from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue blocks were analyzed by using a projection microscope with a 100:1 oil immersion objective (NA 1.3); the final magnification was 2,500:1. The measurements were carried out in 10 microscopic fields for each slide. Mean nuclear volume was obtained by the stereologic method of point-sampled intercepts for vertical sections. RESULTS: Mean nuclear volume in well-differentiated adenocarcinomas (127.67 +/- 46.95 micron 3) was significantly larger than in carcinoma in situ (69.17 +/- 15.74 micron 3) (P < .000001). CONCLUSION: Stereologic estimation of mean nuclear volume may be helpful in the discrimination of malignant and borderline lesions of the gallbladder.

Insulin resistance in chronic hepatitis C.

Insulin resistance (IR), glucose intolerance and diabetes mellitus are commonly associated with cirrhosis. The exact pathogenetic mechanisms responsible are still unknown; however, they may be related to both hepatitis C virus itself and to liver injury. IR may be the earliest abnormality, which in the following years may progress to clinical diabetes mellitus. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of IR by euglycaemic hyperinsulinemic clamp technique, in chronic hepatitis C patients. 15 patients and nine healthy controls without any known condition that may affect IR were enrolled to the study. Chronic hepatitis C was diagnosed by liver biopsy (hepatic activity index was also determined in 10 patients) and appropriate viral and biochemical tests. Eight patients were given interferon therapy, which had been stopped for at least 3 months before the study. Euglycaemic hyperinsulinemic clamp technique was performed as previously described and peripheral glucose utilisation rate, M value, was calculated in mg/kg/min by infusion of 40 IU/m2/min regular insulin. M value of the control group was significantly higher than that of chronic hepatitis C patients (M = 5.1+/-1 vs. 3.7+/-1; p = 0.004), which was consistent with IR in the patient group. There was no significant correlation between the M value and alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase and hepatic activity index (p = 0.621, 0.549, 0.479, respectively). Our results suggest that IR is present in chronic hepatitis C patients; it is not directly related to hepatic injury, moreover, it may be associated with some component(s) inherent to hepatitis C virus.