ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The association among asthma, hiatus hernia, oesophagitis and gastro-oesophageal reflux has been reported as etiologic factor that alters the clinical evolution of the asthma. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Prospective, longitudinal and comparative study was developed. 90 patients were incoming with persistent light and moderate asthma, of allergic etiology. By the 6 months of immune-allergic treatment the clinical answer was valued being classified in two groups: Group A: 40 patients with intermittent light asthma and group B: 50 patients with persistent severe moderate asthma. In both groups they were submitted to an endoscopy for the diagnosis of esophageal pathology, with biopsies in the 3 esophageal thirds. They registered symptoms of gastro-oesophageal reflux. RESULTS: 72 women and 28 men, age average 35.9 years. There was hiatus hernia in 33 patients, 12 of the group A and 21 of the B. Upper oesophagitis in 21 patients, 8 of the group A and 13 of the B. Symptoms of gastro-oesophageal reflux in 71 patients, 29 of the group A and 42 of the B. The association among hiatus hernia, oesophagitis and gastro-oesophageal reflux was observed in 12 patients, 2 of the group A and 10 of the B (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The association of symptoms among gastro-oesophageal reflux, hiatus hernia and upper oesophagitis, is bigger in the patients with bad answer to the anti-asthmatic treatment; they are justified to endoscopy study and biopsies of the upper oesophagus (in the group of patients with bad response and symptoms of gastro-oesophageal reflux) when 24 hours pH-monitoring is not available.
Subject(s)
Asthma/epidemiology , Esophagitis, Peptic/epidemiology , Hernia, Hiatal/epidemiology , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Alcohol Drinking/epidemiology , Anti-Asthmatic Agents/therapeutic use , Asthma/drug therapy , Asthma/etiology , Asthma/therapy , Comorbidity , Drug Resistance , Esophagitis, Peptic/etiology , Esophagoscopy , Female , Gastroesophageal Reflux/complications , Gastroesophageal Reflux/epidemiology , Hernia, Hiatal/complications , Humans , Immunotherapy , Male , Middle Aged , Obesity/complications , Prevalence , Severity of Illness Index , Smoking/epidemiology , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
We evaluated a slight modification of the automated oxidase/peroxidase method for glucose determination in blood with use of 4-aminophenazone [J. Clin. Pathol. 22, 246 (1969)]. Nonsugar reducing substances did not interfere, except for ascorbic acid in very high concentrations. Lipemic sera gave slightly lower values. Values for reproducibility, specificity, and sensitivity were closer to such values for the hexokinase method than was the case for some other commonly used methods.
