BACKGROUND/AIMS: Platelet activating factor (PAF) is a potent endogenous mediator in inflammatory processes. The role of this mediator, especially in connection with the unknown etiology of chronic inflammatory bowel diseases, remains poorly understood. A determination of PAF in stool may be helpful in recognizing quiescent inflammations in chronic inflammatory bowel diseases. A simple and reliable method for the determination of PAF in stool seems to be necessary to achieve this goal. METHODOLOGY: PAF analysis was performed with the help of a commercial PAF radioimmunoassay (RIA) kit after solid phase extraction (SPE) of ethanolic stool extracts. PAF was determined in stool from 10 healthy volunteers (m = 4; f = 6), 13 patients with ulcerative colitis (m = 7; f = 6) and 15 patients with Crohn's disease (m = 9; f = 6). Fecal PAF concentrations were compared with activity index of disease, endoscopic index, localization of lesions, leukocyte count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), medical prednisolone treatment, sex and age of the patients. RESULTS: In healthy volunteers, no PAF was detectable in stool. In patients with Crohn's disease 319.2 +/- 143.5 pg PAF/g stool and in patients with ulcerative colitis 824.9 +/- 408.7 pg PAF/g stool could be determined. A significant correlation (p < 0.05) was found between PAF-content in stool and the endoscopical index and intestinal localization of inflammatory lesions. No further correlations could be detected in our patients. CONCLUSIONS: Fecal PAF assessment may be used clinically as a non-invasive method to estimate severity of mucosal inflammation in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Relations between disordered exocrine pancreas function, alcohol consumption and age in alcoholics].

During clinical withdrawal treatment, a disturbed exocrine pancreas function was found in 28 per cent of 72 alcohol addicts, which occurred in connection with an alcohol-induced pancreatitis. The clinical course was mainly quiescent. Altered bicarbonate concentrations and enzyme dissociations were found as a result of the secretin pancreozymin test. In alcohol addicts, the maximum activity of the amylase output was reached as early as 20 minutes and that of bicarbonate, trypsin and chemotrypsin not until 40 minutes post stimulationem. The sums of the logarithmically transformed 40-minute output of bicarbonate, amylase and trypsin displayed significant differences between the alcohol-addict and control groups. The degree of severity of the disturbed exocrine pancreas function was essentially a function of the daily amount of alcohol taken by the addict and of the age of the patient. The dysfunction was most evident in the 30-to-50-year-old patients. Chronic consumption of alcohol is assumed to give rise to a selective effect on the hydro-kinetic and ecbolic pancreas function.

Adolescent↗