Cryptosporidiosis in patients with colorectal cancer.

Parasitological examination of feces was carried out for 55 patients with diagnosed colorectal cancer before chemotherapy. Except for Cryptosporidium sp., no other intestinal parasites were found in the specimens; moreover, only the patients with watery diarrhea were Cryptosporidium sp.-positive by enzyme immunoassay. Prevalence of infection in the group of patients with diarrhea (23 persons) was 43.5%, whereas it was 18% for the entire group of patients under study. Coproantigens of this parasite were detected primarily in the patients with tumors located on the left side (in the sigmoid and descending colon).

Chronic hypokalaemia--how to establish a diagnosis?

We present three cases of patients with symptomatic, chronic, diagnosis-resistant hypokalaemia. Differential diagnosis of renal potassium loss between Gitelman's syndrome, Bartter's syndrome and loop diuretic abuse was made. Key elements in differential diagnosis of chronic hypokalaemia are blood pressure assessment, acid base equilibrium, serum calcium concentration, 24-hour urine potassium and calcium excretion.

[Strongyloidosis--a case report]. / Wegorczyca (strongyloidosis)--przypadek kliniczny.

A case of Strongyloides stercoralis infection was described.

[Vitamin C and uric acid concentrations in plasma and gastric mucosa in patients regularly consuming vegetables, fruits and fruit juices]. / Stezenie witaminy C i kwasu moczowego w osoczu i blonie sluzowej zoladka u osób spozywajacych regularnie warzywa, owoce i soki owocowe.

UNLABELLED: Vitamin C (Asc) as a reactive oxygen species scavenger inhibits detrimental oxidation reactions and counteracts formation of mutagenic compounds which damage DNA in the gastric and duodenal mucosa. It has been considered as an important factor in reducing risk of gastric carcinoma. However, the role of uric acid (UA) as an antioxidant factor and its influence on gastric mucosa has not been so well investigated. The aim of the study was to evaluate the relationship between vegetable, fruit and fruit juices intake and water soluble antioxidant (Asc and UA) concentrations in plasma and gastric mucosa. The study also assessed the prevalence and intensity of inflammatory changes in mucosa and Helicobacter pylori infection. 34 patients participated in the study. Asc and UA concentrations in plasma and gastric mucosa samples were examined with the use of liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. Histopathological examinations of gastric mucosa were also performed. Higher concentrations of Asc and UA in plasma and less frequent inflammatory changes of gastric mucosa were found in patients regularly consuming vegetables and fruits. It may suggest the protective effect of these compounds on mucosa. No significant relationship was found between H. pylori infection and antioxidant concentrations in plasma and gastric tissue in patients with chronic gastritis. CONCLUSIONS: Diet rich in fruits, vegetables and fruit juices helps in reducing prevalence of inflammatory changes in gastric mucosa. It can be associated with higher Asc and UA concentrations in plasma and higher UA concentrations in gastric mucosa. Lower Asc and UA concentrations in patients with gastritis have no significant relationship with H. pylori infection.

[Disseminated tuberculosis--diagnostic difficulties in a patient with chronic heart failure]. / Gruzlica prosówkowa rozsiana--trudnosci diagnostyczne u chorego z przewlekla niewydolnoscia serca.

We presented case 64 year old patient with disseminated tuberculosis. The main symptom was fever and his death was due to respiratory and circulatory failure. In spite of extensive diagnostic research the aetiology of sepsis was not identified and the treatment was ineffective. In patients with severe disseminated tuberculosis the traditional diagnostic methods are often not effective.

[Diagnostic value of different methods applied for detecting Helicobacter pylori infection in gastric mucosa]. / Wartosc diagnostyczna róznych metod stosowanych w wykrywaniu zakazenia helicobacter pylori w blonie sluzowej zoladka.

The aim of the paper comprised: 1) estimating the incidence of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection in subjects directed to undergo endoscopic examination due to ailments involving the upper segments of the alimentary tract, 2) determination of the degree of H. pylorii infection detectability on the basis of invasive methods (bacterial culture, urease test and histological examination of specimens stained by Giemsa method) and non-invasive (serological investigation, skin test) with endoscopic image and histopathologic changes in gastric mucosa being talken into consideration, 3) assessing the titer of class IgG anti-H. pylori antibodies in subjects with endoscopic and histopathologic changes of gastric mucosa, infected by H. pylori, as well as persons after eradication of bacteria, 4) estimating the diagnostic value of individual methods. The study material consisted of 428 patients (224 women and 204 men) investigated at Endoscopy Laboratory of Internal Diseases Clinic in the years 1991-1994. Bacterial cultures and urease tests were performed in all the studied subjects, 230 specimens stained by Giemsa method were examined histopathologically, in 351 subjects the titer of class IgG anti-H. pylori antibodies in blood serum were determined by ELISA method, while in 73 persons the skin test from the suspension of dead bacterial colonies was carried out. Histopathological examination of mucosal sections was accomplished in 396 studied subjects, assessing the histological type of mucosal inflammation in H. pylorii infected persons and in those having not been infected. The applicability of the respective diagnostic methods was examined by calculating the sensitivity and specificity of the given method, and taking into account the results of bacterial culture as the reference method. It is evident from the performed investigations that the majority of subjects, having been endoscopically studied because of ailments stemming from the upper segment of the alimentary tract, were infected by H. pylori (Tab. 1, 2, 3). H. pylori colonisation in gastric mucosa was often accompanied by pathological changes of the stomach and duodenum in the endoscopic and histopathologic images. In the routine clinical diagnostics the urease test, histological examination of specimens stained by Giemsa method as well as bacterial culture are valuable methods of detecting H. pylorii infection. With regard to medium and high values of the titer of antibodies IgG anti-H. pylori, the serological investigation as a non-invasive method displays a high compliance with positive results of invasive examinations (Tab. 5, Fig. 1, 2, 3). An early skin test may become a screening method for detecting H. pylori infection, after its methodical modification.