[Urinary ammonium: validation of an enzymatic method and reliability with an indirect urine ammonium estimation]. / Ammoniuries: validation d'une technique de dosage enzymatique et évaluation par rapport à une estimation par le calcul.

Urinary ammonium excretion is the best parameter to quantify net acid excretion by the kidney. As measurement of ammonium excretion is not routinely available, clinicians use formulas to estimate NH(4)+ excretion. However, the measurement of urinary NH(4)+ concentration can be performed by an automatically method, which is suitable for clinical practice. The aim of this study is to evaluate the validity of the enzymatic method of ammonium determination with Ammonia SL Elitech Diagnostics reagent on an Olympus AU 2700 analyzer, which use 1/100 diluted urine samples. A clinico-biological study allowed us to compare measurements obtained during a 30 months' period with the above enzymatic method with results obtained by a formula of calculation. Variations coefficients (CV%) of repeatability were less than 2.4% and, those of reproducibility tests less than 2,6%. Linearity was verified from 0.62 mmol/L to 158 mmol/L. Analytical sensitivity was 0.52 mmol/L and the correlation obtained with the assay used to date in the laboratory was excellent (y = 1.11 x - 1.72 ; r = 0.98). There is a significant positive correlation between measured concentrations obtained with this enzymatic method and urinary ammonium concentration estimates using the modified urine osmolal gap in two groups of patients, with and without mild chronic renal failure. As urine ammonium estimation is not reliable for detecting small changes in ammonium excretion, it must be absolutely measured when renal functional tests are performed. The assay described in this paper is simple, automatic and offers for the clinician accurate matter for the measurement of NH(4)+ excretion.

Cardiovascular risk factors associated with diabetes in an Indian community of Guadeloupe. A case control study.

Indians of Guadeloupe have an especially high prevalence type 2 diabetes mellitus and a particular susceptibility to coronary heart disease. This case-control study conducted from September 15 to 24, 1997, analysed cardiovascular risk factors associated with diabetes and particularly dyslipidaemia in the Indian community of Guadeloupe. The 172 subjects included 86 diabetic patients of Indian origin and 86 age- and sex-matched non-diabetic controls. All subjects underwent a physical examination by the same observer. Obesity and hypertension were assessed, and fasting lipid concentrations were measured. The body mass index and waist-to-hip ratio were higher among patients than controls: 27.8 vs 25.1 Kg/m2 (p < 0.001) and 0.94 vs 0.90 (p < 0.001). Mean arterial systolic and diastolic pressures were higher for patients than controls (p < 0.001). Median HDL-cholesterol was 1.23 mmol/L for patients vs 1.4 mmol/L for controls (p < 0.001), and median triglycerides were 2.0 vs 1.3 mmol/L (p < 0.001). Mean apolipoprotein B was 1.40 +/- 0.36 g/L for patients vs 1.23 +/- 0.35 g/L for controls (p < 0.001). Our results show slight hypertension, central obesity, a lower plasma HDL-cholesterol concentration, a higher triglyceride concentration, and a higher apolipoprotein B concentration for diabetics. These data would appear to have important implications for the prevention of cardiovascular disease in this population.

Prevalence of Paramphistomum daubneyi infection in cattle in central France.

Investigations at the slaughterhouse of Limoges (Central France) were performed in 1994-1996 to determine the prevalence of Paramphistomum daubneyi infection in cattle. In 1994/1995, higher prevalences of P. daubneyi were recorded in May, October, and January. In 1996, smaller variations were recorded, and prevalence in April and May was higher. The prevalence of P. daubneyi in summer was lower. Breed and age of cattle were not significantly associated to P. daubneyi infection, but females were significantly more infected than males. P daubneyi infection was related to that of Fasciola hepatica, but not to that of Dicrocoelium lanceolatum.

The Effect of Parasitism by Fasciola hepatica and Muellerius capillaris on the Nerve Ganglia of Lymnaea truncatula

Morphometric and histopathological studies were performed in Lymnaea truncatula experimentally infected by Fasciola hepatica or Muellerius capillaris between Days 30 and 60 postinfection. In the pedal ganglia, snail parasitism had a significant influence on the decrease in length and the increase in width in the M. capillaris group. In the dorsal lobes of cerebral ganglia, snail parasitism had a significant influence on the decrease in lobe width in the F. hepatica group and the increase in width in the M. capillaris group. In the two groups of infected snails, snail parasitism had a significant influence on the decrease in the number of neurons in the pedal ganglia and the dorsal lobes of the cerebral ganglia. The other ganglia and lobes did not demonstrate any significant differences in the size or number of neurons. Infected snails of both groups had multifocal nerve lesions, i.e. (a) dyskariosis with occasionally eccentric nuclei and (b) cell lysis with only cell remnants present.