ABSTRACT
We compared the effects of postural changes on intraocular pressure, systemic blood pressure, and pupil size with and without induced mydriasis in 15 chronic chagasic patients and 20 healthy age-matched controls. The chagasic patients showed a marked fall in intraocular pressure on rising. However, systemic systolic blood pressure changes and pupil size in patients did not differ from those measured in controls. Our findings may be explained by an alteration in the autonomic ocular system that regulates homeostasis of ocular pressure and the probable existence of a baroreceptor arc-reflex that restores the equilibrium of sudden changes in the intraocular pressure.
Subject(s)
Chagas Disease/physiopathology , Eye Infections, Parasitic/physiopathology , Intraocular Pressure/physiology , Posture/physiology , Blood Pressure , Chronic Disease , Cross-Sectional Studies , Humans , Middle Aged , Pupil , Tonometry, Ocular , Video RecordingABSTRACT
Radioimmunology was used to measure serum levels of CEA (carcinoembryonic antigen) in 108 patients with a variety of different advanced malignant neoplasms and in a control group of 60 healthy subjects. TPA proved more sensitive as a tumour marker than CEA, since increased TPA was found in 76% of the cancer cases compared to 42% for CEA. No significant increase in diagnostic sensitivity was obtained by using both markers rather than PTA alone.
Subject(s)
Antigens, Neoplasm/analysis , Biomarkers, Tumor/blood , Carcinoembryonic Antigen/analysis , Neoplasms/diagnosis , Peptides/analysis , Evaluation Studies as Topic , Female , Humans , Male , Neoplasms/blood , Radioimmunoassay , Tissue Polypeptide AntigenABSTRACT
Clinical data, X-ray, findings, and the endoscopic and cytologic diagnosis of 94 patients admitted to hospital for gastric ulcer have been reviewed. The purpose of the study was to establish the frequency of malignancy and the reliability and comparative merits of clinical factors, radiology, endoscopy and multiple biopsies in arriving at exact diagnosis. The results show that endoscopy is the most accurate in differentiating benign from malignant gastric ulcers.