Three patients with exogenous obesity were studied while fed a 400-kcal constant metabolic diet, provided as a single daily meal served at consecutive ten-day periods, starting with either the "breakfast" protocol at 8 AM or the "dinner" protocol at 5 PM. Both patients 1 and 2 had notably greater weight loss with the breakfast protocol than with the dinner. However, in patient 3 this difference was not demonstrated. Urine samples, collected at four-hour intervals throughout the studies and analyzed for sodium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, 17-hydroxycorticosteroids, and aldosterone secretions, showed differences in excretion of minerals and hormones with the timing of meals. The data tentatively show an achievement of greater weight loss when the isocaloric diet is given at 8 AM.

17-Hydroxycorticosteroids↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Renal tubular acidosis: diagnostic work-up treatment and mechanisms of growth retardation.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Acidosis, Renal Tubular↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Chinese herbal medicines revisited: a Hong Kong perspective.

Chinese herbal medicines (CHM) and Chinese proprietary medicines (CPM) are widely used by people of Chinese origin throughout the world. Although the use of these medicinal materials rarely causes significant toxic effects, cases of severe and even fatal poisoning have occurred after medication with herbs containing aconitine, podophyllin, and anticholinergic substances. Furthermore, CHM and CPM are often adulterated with substituted herbs, heavy metals, and western medicines; such contamination can have important clinical consequences. In Hong Kong, surveillance and legislation are required to control the use of some of these herbal preparations. In other countries, medical practitioners should also be aware of the possibility that these herbal-medicine-related remedies may cause significant clinical problems in their Chinese patients.

Drug Contamination↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Diabetic microangiopathic complications in young Chinese diabetic patients: a clinic-based cross-sectional study.

Microangiopathic complications are major causes of morbidity and mortality in diabetic patients. We studied 150 consecutive young Chinese diabetic subjects attending the Prince of Wales Hospital Diabetes Center on their presence of diabetic microangiopathic complications and the relationships with other risk factors. All patients with aged younger than 40 years and had an age of onset of disease at younger than 35 years. Their known duration of diabetes was 57.2 +/- 5.0 months. Of these 150 patients, 50 (33.3%) had microangiopathic complications, 34 (22.7%) had albuminuria, 11 (7. 3%) had peripheral neuropathy, and 21 (14%) had retinopathy. Using multiple logistic regression analysis, albuminuria was independently associated with body-mass index and systolic blood pressure, peripheral neuropathy was associated with fasting plasma glucose and lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and retinopathy was associated with duration of disease and fasting plasma glucose. In conclusion, there were high percentages of microangiopathic complications, particularly albuminuria, in our young Chinese diabetic patients. Obesity, high blood pressure, and poor glycemic control are important for these complications.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Visceral protothecosis mimicking sclerosing cholangitis in an immunocompetent host: successful antifungal therapy.

A healthy 39-year-old man who had clinical findings consistent with sclerosing cholangitis was found to have systemic protothecosis at surgery. Severe granulomatous inflammation and palpable nodules were found in the gallbladder, on the surface of the liver, and in the duodenum. Prototheca wickerhamii was detected in biopsied specimens and stool; the titer of indirect fluorescent antibody to this organism was 1:2,000. The patient recovered after a short course of treatment with amphotericin B and 3 months of oral therapy with ketoconazole. He had no other concurrent illness and had no abnormality in his immune system. This is the second reported human case of systemic protothecosis. An elevated IgG level, an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate, eosinophilia, and abnormal levels of enzymes in the liver were found in both cases. Protothecosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of hepatic and biliary inflammatory diseases of uncertain etiology.

Adult↗