Vomit identification by a pepsin assay using a fibrin blue-agarose gel plate.

Reported is a simple and reliable method for identifying the presence of gastric fluid in forensic samples by an assay that reveals the pepsin activity. These samples are usually vomit found at the scene of a crime, either in fresh form or as a dried stain on clothing. The pepsin within the sample is assayed for its proteolytic activity which is revealed in a fibrin blue-agarose gel plate, as a result of an enzymatic reactivity that takes the form of a concentric, blue, translucent ring around the tested sample. Apart from being able to determine the pepsin content of fresh or recent forensic samples, this method has also achieved positive reactions in aged gastric fluid stains that were kept at room temperature. No body fluids other than the gastric fluid and no proteolytic enzymes other than pepsin show a positive reaction with the use of this method. This method has an additional advantage, in that the enzymatic activity seen on the gel plate can be photographed and the gel plate, on drying, can also be preserved as evidence.

[Assessment of criteria for forming follow-up groups of patients at high risk for ulcerogenesis in ambulatory care]. / Otsenka kriteriev formirovaniia grupp nabliudeniia sredi lits s faktorami vysokogo riska ul'tserogeneza v usloviiakh polikliniki.

A method of clinico-laboratory examinations to reveal persons at high risk for the development of duodenal ulcer, suitable for wide use during prophylactic medical screenings was devised. The rise of the levels of serum pepsinogen-I, pepsin and hexosamines in the urine, being of prognostic importance as applicable to ulcerogenesis, was the most significant indicator in screening risk group patients. During 3 to 5 years of the screened group follow-up and carrying out health measures, peptic ulcer was ascertained in 8.4% of the patients with chronic gastroduodenitis. Of these, 66.6% had initially suffered from pylorobulbitis. It is shown that there is a real opportunity of preventing ulcer formation in patients with chronic primary gastroduodenitis under outpatient conditions.

The effect of pepsin on autologous immune complex glomerulonephritis.

The effects of intravenous administration of pepsin on autologous immune complex glomerulonephritis, which is an established experimental model of membranous glomerulopathy in human, were investigated. Sensitization of rats with renal tubular antigen induced an increase in urinary protein excretion, decreases in serum levels of total protein, albumin and immunoglobulin G and histopathological abnormalities in glomerulus. A significant increase in serum immune complex and glomerular immune complex deposit were also observed. These abnormalities were ameliorated by pepsin. Pepsin may be effective and beneficial in the treatment of immune complex nephritis.

Pepsinogens: genetic polymorphism in man.

Population frequencies of the two patterns of pepsinogen excretion (with and without pepsinogen 5) and family studies indicate that pepsinogen 5 is controlled by a pair of genes, Pg(a) and Pg(b), at a single autosomal locus and that Pg(a) is dominant.