[Content of epidermal growth factor in biosubstrates and macrophage count in defect healing in children and adolescents with duodenal ulcer disease].

The concentrations of epidermal growth factor (EGF) in saliva, gastric juice, and blood and those of macrophages in mucosal biopsy specimens were determined in children with duodenal ulcer disease. The maximum level of EGF was noted in the saliva. There were unidirectional positive changes in the levels of EGF and macrophages during ulcerative defect healing.

[A new procedure for evaluating the severity of childhood celiac disease].

The paper describes a new procedure for evaluating the severity of childhood celiac disease, the basis of which is to determine the salivary activity of the enzyme ornithine decarboxylase (ODC). The salivary ODC activity index of 0.0001 to 0.0080 ncat/ml suggests severe celiac disease; that of 0.0081-0.0145 and 0.0146-0.0410 ncat/ml indicates its moderate and mild forms, respectively. The development of this procedure is urgent since the typical forms of celiac disease, which make the determination of the degree of the disease difficult in most cases.