ABSTRACT
METHODS: The newly described--multigene analysis test (DiBiCol) identifying 7 inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)-specific genes in colonic mucosal biopsy differentiating between ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) with active inflammation--is a new addition to existing methods with a higher stated sensitivity and specificity. Method biopsy material from 78 patients with a complicated course diagnosed as most probably UC in 38, CD in 18 and inflammatory bowel disease unclassified (IBDU) in 22 were investigated by DiBiCol. RESULTS: DiBiCol showed a pattern consistent with CD in 13 patients with UC and led to change of diagnosis in 3 patients and a strong suggestion of CD in 8 patients. A total of 2 patients remained as UC. DiBiCol showed a pattern of UC in 4 patients of 18 with CD leading to a changing of diagnosis to UC in 3 patients, but the fourth remained as CD. In 22 patients with IBDU DiBiCol showed a pattern consistent with UC in 7 cases and with CD in 13 cases. A new evaluation 1 year after the DiBiCol allowed the assessment of clinical diagnosis in 10 patients confirmed in 9 of 10 patients by DiBiCol. In patients with acute flare of colitis the clinical diagnosis corresponded in 10 of 12 UC and in 5 of 6 CD cases. SUMMARY: Adopting the DiBiCol test led to a change of the primary diagnosis in a significant number of patients with the initial diagnosis of UC and CD and suggested a clinically probable diagnosis in most of the patients with IBDU and in those with an acute flare of colitis.
Subject(s)
Colitis, Ulcerative/genetics , Colitis, Ulcerative/pathology , Crohn Disease/genetics , Crohn Disease/pathology , Adult , Aged , Biopsy , Colitis, Ulcerative/diagnosis , Crohn Disease/diagnosis , Female , Genetic Testing , Genotype , Humans , Inflammatory Bowel Diseases/diagnosis , Inflammatory Bowel Diseases/genetics , Inflammatory Bowel Diseases/pathology , Male , Middle Aged , Retrospective Studies , Young AdultABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: During the conversion from the bacillary into the coccoid form, Helicobacter pylori organisms are known to change extensively. The aim of this study was to determine some of the changes that occur regarding morphology, intracellular composition and surface properties during the aging of bacteria in vitro. MATERIALS AND METHODS: H. pylori from agar plate cultures of different ages was used in this study. The intracellular composition of the two morphological forms of the bacteria was tested by density centrifugation, DNA extraction and quantitative OD, mRNA and ATP measurements. Immunoblotting was used to observe changes in secreted/superficial protein patterns, and hydrophobicity measurements were used to observe changes in surface properties. RESULTS: All bacillary H. pylori organisms changed morphology gradually over 10 days of culture. Rods had a higher density than cocci; bacteria stored in PBS had the highest density and bacteria stored in water had the lowest. The quantitative DNA, RNA and ATP content were reduced in the aging bacteria. Fewer immunogenic proteins were expressed, and an increased surface hydrophobicity was observed in the older cultures. CONCLUSION: This study highlights several aspects of H. pylori aging in vitro and shows some of the differences that exist between bacillary and coccoid forms. This information is important for understanding the transmission and survival of H. pylori outside the human host, as the degradative changes in the intracellular composition and the surface properties shown here point to dead bacteria, and not to a viable but nonculturable form.
Subject(s)
Helicobacter pylori/chemistry , Helicobacter pylori/physiology , Intracellular Fluid/chemistry , Adenosine Triphosphate/analysis , Bacterial Proteins/chemistry , Bacterial Proteins/immunology , Centrifugation, Density Gradient , DNA, Bacterial/analysis , DNA, Bacterial/isolation & purification , Helicobacter pylori/cytology , Helicobacter pylori/immunology , Immunoblotting , RNA, Bacterial/analysis , RNA, Ribosomal/analysis , Surface Properties , Time FactorsABSTRACT
A custom in-the-ear (ITE) hearing aid fitting was compared to two over-the-ear (OTE) hearing aid fittings for each of 9 subjects with mild to moderately severe hearing losses. Speech intelligibility via the three instruments was compared using the Speech Intelligibility Rating (SIR) test. The relationship between functional gain and coupler gain was compared for the ITE and the higher rated OTE instruments. The difference in input received at the microphone locations of the two types of hearing aids was measured for 10 different subjects and compared to the functional gain data. It was concluded that (a) for persons with mild to moderately severe hearing losses, appropriately adjusted custom ITE fittings typically yield speech intelligibility that is equal to the better OTE fitting identified in a comparative evaluation; and (b) gain prescriptions for ITE hearing aids should be adjusted to account for the high-frequency emphasis associated with in-the-concha microphone placement.
