Search results for "Sensitivity"

Decreased Esophageal Sensitivity to Acid in Morbidly Obese Patients: A Cause for Concern?

2017

Background/Aims: To evaluate esophageal sensitivity to acid between morbidly obese (MO) patients and non-MO controls with abnormal esophageal acid exposure. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 58 patients: 30 MO (cases) and 28 non-MO (controls). Esophageal symptoms and esophageal sensitivity to 0.1 M hydrochloric acid solution (Bernstein test) were compared between MO and non- MO patients with a prior diagnosis of abnormal esophageal acid exposure. Results: MO patients were less symptomatic than non-MO controls (14% vs 96%; odds ratio [OR], 0.006; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.001 to 0.075; p=0.000). MO patients were more likely to present with decreased esophageal sensitivit…

2019

Purpose: To summarize existing knowledge and to understand individual response to radiation exposure, the MELODI Association together with CONCERT European Joint Programme has organized a workshop in March 2018 on radiation sensitivity and susceptibility.Methods: The workshop reviewed the current evidence on this matter, to inform the MELODI Strategic Research Agenda (SRA), to determine social and scientific needs and to come up with recommendations for suitable and feasible future research initiatives to be taken for the benefit of an improved medical diagnosis and treatment as well as for radiation protection.Results: The present paper gives an overview of the current evidence in this fie…

Diabetes Antibody Standardization Program: evaluation of assays for autoantibodies to glutamic acid decarboxylase and islet antigen-2

2008

Aims/hypothesis Islet autoantibodies are important in diabetes classification and risk assessment, and as endpoints in observational studies. The Diabetes Autoantibody Standardization Program (DASP) aims to improve and standardise measurement of autoantibodies associated with type 1 diabetes. We report results for glutamic acid decarboxylase autoantibodies (GADA) and islet antigen-2 autoantibodies (IA-2A) from three DASP workshops (2002–2005). Methods Up to 60 laboratories in 18 countries participated in each workshop. Participants received coded serum aliquots from 50 patients with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes (median age 18 years, range 9–35 years) and 100 blood donor controls. Results…

Discrimination of early/intermediate and advanced/complicated coronary plaque types by radiofrequency intravascular ultrasound analysis

2002

Radiofrequency intravascular ultrasound (IVUS-RF) analysis, as an extension of conventional IVUS imaging, may provide more accurate plaque discrimination. Thirty-two autopsy atherosclerotic coronary arteries were investigated. Corresponding sectors in different plaques were matched by histologic and RF analysis. Histologic analysis utilized the American Heart Association plaque classification. The backscattered ultrasound RF signal was analyzed by fast-Fourier transform, providing the underlying frequency components of its power spectrum. The normalized backscattered signal power (in decibels [dB]) for frequencies between 15.3 and 40.3 MHz was then measured for plaque discrimination. Advanc…

Suspected Nonceliac Gluten Sensitivity Confirmed in Few Patients After Gluten Challenge in Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trials

2017

A double-blind, placebo-controlled, gluten challenge has been proposed to confirm a diagnosis of non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) in patients without celiac disease who respond to a gluten-free diet. To determine the accuracy of this approach, we analyzed data from 10 double-blind, placebo-controlled, gluten challenge trials, comprising 1312 adults. The studies varied in the duration of the challenge (ranging from 1 day to 6 weeks), daily doses for the gluten challenge (ranging from 2 g to 52 g; 3 studies administered less than 8 g/day), and composition of the placebo (gluten-free products, xylose, whey protein, rice, or corn starch containing fermentable carbohydrates). Most of the stu…

Implementation of Sample Pooling Procedure Using a Rapid SARS-CoV-2 Diagnostic Real-Time PCR Test Performed Prior to Hospital Admission of People wit…

2021

Reliability, accuracy, and timeliness of diagnostic testing for SARS-CoV-2 infection have allowed adequate public health management of the disease, thus notably helping the timely mapping of viral spread within the community. Furthermore, the most vulnerable populations, such as people with intellectual disability and dementia, represent a high-risk group across multiple dimensions, including a higher prevalence of pre-existing conditions, lower health maintenance, and a propensity for rapid community spread. This led to an urgent need for reliable in-house rapid testing to be performed prior to hospital admission. In the present study, we describe a pooling procedure in which oropharyngeal…

Critical assessment of chitotriosidase analysis in the rational laboratory diagnosis of children with Gaucher disease and Niemann-Pick disease type A…

2006

Laboratory diagnosis of lysosomal storage disorders, especially sphingomyelinase deficiency (Niemann–Pick disease type A/B) and Niemann–Pick disease type C (NPC) can be challenging. We therefore aimed to analyse the feasibility of first-step screening with specific chitotriosidase cut-off values in children ≤ 10 years of age with visceral organomegaly (hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, or hepatosplenomegaly) in whom a storage disorder was suspected. We conducted a retrospective, cross-sectional, referral, single-centre study to assess diagnostic test properties in 106 individuals. Median chitotriosidase activity was 12 655 nmol/h per ml (interquartile range 4693–20982) in Gaucher disease (GD); 78…

LI-RADS ancillary features favoring benignity: is there a role in LR-5 observations?

2021

The Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System algorithm allows category downgrade in the presence of ancillary features (AFs) favoring benignity, even in observations categorized as LR-5. This study aims to assess the role of AFs favoring benignity in LR-5 observations and their impact on category downgrade. This study included high-risk patients with at least one LR-5 observation imaged with gadoxetate disodium MRI. Three readers with different experience levels independently evaluated the presence of AFs favoring malignancy (not hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in particular and HCC in particular) and AFs favoring benignity. Category downgrade was considered possible in the presence of ≥ 1 AF…

Systematic review of the diagnosis of gastric premalignant conditions and neoplasia with high-resolution endoscopic technologies

2013

Aim. The aim of the article is to systematically review the current evidence on the diagnostic use of narrow band imaging (NBI), flexible spectral imaging color enhancement (FICE) and endoscopic image enhancement technology i-scan endoscopies for gastric precancerous and cancerous lesions. Materials and methods. Original manuscripts were searched in PubMed until October 2012. Pertinent data were collected and pooled diagnostic accuracy measures were estimated when possible. Results. In total, 38 studies were evaluated. Thirty-one studies were included for NBI and 7 studies for FICE assessment in this systematic review. No article was found meeting inclusion criteria for i-scan endoscopy. Th…

The value of high resolution CT in the diagnosis of meniscal lesions of the knee

1991

We report on 50 patients who had meniscal pathology and were given computed tomographic (CT) scans. Our diagnostic accuracy was approximately 92%. We believe that CT is a good method of screening these patients prior to using a much more expensive method, such as magnetic resonance imaging or diagnostic arthroscopy.