Gastric acid secretion in patients with typhoid fever.

Gastric secretory studies were carried out in the following groups of patients: group A, 30 Salmonella typhi positive enteric patients, group B, 15 non-enteric fever patients and group C, 20 healthy controls. Patients with typhoid were divided into two subgroups on the basis of the severity of the disease: group A1 (17) consisted of uncomplicated cases of enteric fever and group A2 (13) comprised of those who had associated complications. During convalescence both groups of typhoid patients showed significantly lower basal acid output (BAO) and maximal acid output (MAO) levels compared with controls and patients with non-enteric fever. Patients in group A2 had significantly lower MAO levels compared with group A1 but the BAO levels showed no such difference. In contrast BAO and MAO levels during convalescence in patients with non-enteric fever were similar to those in the control group. After two months, there was a significant increase in both the BAO and MAO levels in groups A1 and A2. The levels in group A2, however, remained significantly lower compared with group A1, controls and patients with non-enteric fever. Histologically, the gastric mucosa did not show any significant abnormality in either group of typhoid patients. The results suggest that depressed gastric secretion is the result of enteric infection and is related to the severity of the disease process.

Effect of chronic tobacco-betel-lime "quid" chewing on human salivary secretions.

Salivary flow rates by mechanical stimulation with forced spitting method and by chemical stimulation with 10% citric acid were determined in 25 healthy adult subjects with a history of chronic tobacco-betel-lime "quid" chewing and in 25 healthy control adults with no history of chewing. The chewers secreted more saliva as compared to nonchewers on chemical, but not on mechanical stimulation. The salivary amylase, potassium, and sodium levels were lower in chewers, but the reductions of the first two components only were significant. These reductions were thought to be due to increased salivary flow with its dilutional effect. There was no difference between the two groups with respect to salivary pH. The salivary flow rates by either method had significant positive correlation with the duration of chewing, but not with the amount of tobacco chewed. Salivary potassium was inversely correlated with the amount of tobacco chewed. It was concluded that chronic tobacco-betel-lime quid chewing induces excessive secretion of more watery saliva leading to a concomitant decrease in enzyme and electrolyte content. One or more of the following factors were considered to be operating in causing increased salivary flow in chewers effect of nicotine or tobacco on other constituents of the quid, chronic salivary gland hyperplasia, or chronic hypertrophy of the muscles of mastication.

Salivary and gastric secretions in patients with tropical sprue.

Salivary secretions on mechanical stimulation with forced spitting method and on chemical simulation with 10% citric acid and gastric acid secretions on maximal histamine stimulation were studied in 20 adults with tropical sprue and 20 adult control subjects. It was observed that the chemical method provided a better stimulus than the mechanical one in both groups. The salivary flow rates as well as salivary amylase, pH, sodium and potassium were similar in both groups. Tropical sprue patients, however, had significantly lower maximal acid output as compared to normals. It was concluded that, although tropical sprue patients are known to have widespread damage to alimentary tract mucosa, salivary glands do not seem to be involved.

Correlation of salivary and gastric acid secretions in duodenal ulcer patients in tropics.

Salivary flow rates on mechanical stimulation by forced spitting method and by chemical stimulation with 10% citric acid and gastric acidity using an augmented histamine test were determined in 20 adult patients suffering from duodenal ulcer and in 20 adult control subjects matched with respect to age, sex, and body weight. Salivary flow rates were found to be much higher in response to chemical than to mechanical stimulus in both the groups. Duodenal ulcer patients exhibited an unexplained exaggerated response to chemical stimulation. Salivary pH, amylase, sodium, and potassium levels showed no significant differences between the two groups. The flow rates by either method generally showed a positive correlation with body weight in both the groups. Histamine stimulated gastric acid secretion was higher in duodenal ulcer patients than in controls. Acid secretion did not appear to be related to weight and also showed no consistent correlation with the salivary flow rates. It was concluded that (1) the salivary flow was dependent on body weight in duodenal ulcer patients as well as in controls, and (2) although salivary gland hyperplasia could be postulated in duodenal ulcer patients on the basis of increased salivary flow, the latter was poorly related to maximal acid secretion and therefore, if a combination of parietal cell and salivary gland hyperplasia did exist, it should be considered as incidental.

Unusual presentation of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis--a serious diagnostic and therapeutic problem.

A fatal case of meningo-encephalitis due to Amoeba naegleria is discussed. It was a problem for diagnosis because of its unusual presentation. The patient, a young pregnant female presented with pyrexia, severe headache, and photophobia. Anti-biotic therapy was started after a provisional diagnosis of acute pyogenic meningitis had been made. There was no response to antibiotic therapy. Facial nerve palsy and abnormal activity in the left centro-temporal region in the EEG was observed and suspicion of an intra-cranial space occupying lesion was entertained. Carotid angiography and ventriculography, however, showed no abnormality. Repeat cerebrospinal fluid examination revealed motile amoebae. The patient, however, died shortly afterwards. This case is documented for its atypical clinical presentation and therapeutic problems.

Gastric acid secretory responses to graded intravenous doses of histamine in hookworm anemia.

Dose-response curves for the effect of continuous infusion of histamine on gastric acid secretion were obtained in 10 patients with iron deficiency anemia due to hookworm infection. Each patient was studied with 4 doses (40, 60, 80 and 100 mug/kg/h) of histamine acid phosphate administered for 3 h, on separate days, in random fashion. The acid output increased with the dose of histamine, the maximal acid output was reached in all patients at the dose of 100 mug/kg/h. The dose of histamine when calculated according to body weight correlated well with the maximal acid output; the absolute dose of histamine had no correlation with the maximal acid response. The dose-response curve of stimulated acid output in anemia patients was much flatter than in control patients.