Dexamethasone suppression test: development of a method for simultaneous determination of cortisol and dexamethasone in human plasma by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry.

BACKGROUND: Dexamethasone is a synthetic glucocorticoid and is analogous to cortisol. It is used in the low-dose overnight dexamethasone suppression test (LDODST) to diagnose hypercortisolism in patients suspected to be suffering from Cushing's syndrome (CS). Measuring plasma dexamethasone in conjunction with measuring the amount of cortisol following the LDODST may allow clinicians to improve the diagnosis of CS. METHODS: Plasma samples were cleaned up by solid-phase extraction before analysis. Liquid chromatographic separation was carried out under reversed-phase conditions prior to detection by tandem mass spectrometry. The analytes were determined in the presence of deuterated internal standards cortisol-d4 and dexamethasone-d4. RESULTS: Limit of quantitation (LOQ) was 1.89 nmol/L for dexamethasone and <0.02 µmol/L for cortisol. Recoveries of both analytes ranged from 80.2% to 114.4%. Intra- and interassay coefficients of variation were <15%. The concentration of dexamethasone and cortisol was determined in 62 patients after performing LDODST. Dexamethasone concentrations ranged from 3.0 to 21.5 nmol/L (median 7.4 nmol/L) for 57 of these samples. For five patients the concentration was 0.22 µmol/L). CONCLUSIONS: A method for the simultaneous measurement of dexamethasone and cortisol in human plasma by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry has been developed and validated. The method is suitable for controlling the compliance to the LDODST and for determining the cortisol plasma concentration after the test. The interpretation of LDODSTs was improved by the simultaneous determination of both analytes.

Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine in the treatment of patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis: a randomized-controlled clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) increasingly use complementary medicine. The aim of this study was to determine whether traditional Chinese therapy is efficacious in patients suffering from seasonal AR. METHODS: Fifty-two patients between the ages of 20 and 58 who had typical symptoms of seasonal AR were assigned randomly and in a blinded fashion to (i) an active treatment group which received a semi-standardized treatment of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine, and (ii) a control group which received acupuncture applied to non-acupuncture points in addition to a non-specific Chinese herbal formula. All patients received acupuncture treatment once per week and the respective Chinese herbal formula as a decoction three times daily for a total of 6 weeks. Assessments were performed before, during, and 1 week after treatment. The change in severity of hay fever symptoms was the primary outcome measured on a visual analogue scale (VAS). RESULTS: Compared with patients in the control group, patients in the active treatment group showed a significant after-treatment improvement on the VAS (P = 0.006) and Rhinitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (P = 0.015). Improvement on the Global Assessment of Change Scale was noted in 85% of active treatment group participants vs 40% in the control group (P = 0.048). No differences between the two groups could be detected with the Allergic Rhinitis Symptom Questionnaire. Both treatments were well-tolerated. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that traditional Chinese therapy may be an efficacious and safe treatment option for patients with seasonal AR.

[Manometric study on the effect of proximal vagotomy on the lower esophageal sphincter]. / Manometrische Untersuchungen zum Einfluss der selektiven proximalen Vagotomie auf den unteren Osophagussphinkter

Selective proximal vagotomy (SPV) decreases the LES pressure (resting pressure and pentagastrin-stimulated pressure), significantly 6 months postoperatively without achieving LES insufficiency by clinical means. Immediately after stimulation LES pressure is identical, compared to preoperative measurements. The postoperative significantly increased concentration of basal gastrin seems not to be a major determinant of LES tone in humans.

[Manometric studies on the influence of selective proximal vagotomy on the lower esophageal sphincter]. / Manometrische Untersuchungen zum Einfluss der selektiv-proximalen Vagotomie auf den unteren Oesophagussphincter.

Selective proximal vagotomy (SPV) decreases the LES pressure (resting pressure and pentagastrin-stimulated pressure), significantly 6 months postoperatively without achieving LES insufficiency by clinical means. Immediately after stimulation LES pressure is identical, compared to preoperative measurements. Concentration of serum gastrin is not a major determinant of LES tone in humans.