Relationship between C14 urea breath test values and solid-phase gastric emptying time in non-ulcer dyspepsia patients

BACKGROUND

Non-ulcer dyspepsia (NUD) is a poorly understood syndrome often found with endoscopic evidence of gastritis; Helicobacter pylori (Hp) is a common and important cause of gastritis. In the recent literature, gastric hypomotility is thought to be a cause of NUD. Thus, this investigation studied the relationship between Hp and delayed gastric emptying in NUD patients.

METHODS

Using a radionuclide-labelled solid meal to calculate gastric emptying time (GET) of 78 NUD patients. The carbon-14 urea breath test (C14 UBT) was used to quantitate Hp infection.

RESULTS

The prevalence of Hp infection in patients with NUD reached 59%. There was a strong association of Hp infection with advanced age (p = 0.0091). There was no significant difference between solid-phase GET and C14 UBT values among three different age groups (young, middle, old) of NUD patients. There was no difference among sex, age, body weight and solid-phase GET between Hp-positive and Hp-negative NUD patients. However the solid-phase GET was significantly prolonged in patients with NUD, compared with the controls.

CONCLUSIONS

Solid-phase GET is not correlated with the C14 UBT values, and Hp gastric colonization does not account for dyspeptic syndrome in NUD patients.

Studies on trypanosomes in the Taiwan monkey

Fifty-three or 9% of 594 Taiwan monkeys, Macaca cyclopis, were found infected with a Trypanosome species. The parasites were recovered from monkey blood in diaphasic blood-agar culture medium with a Locke's solution overlay. Trypanosomes were found on only a few thick blood smears and no dividing or multiplying forms were found. Some of the organisms had a free-flagellum (4.7 microns), an undulating membrane and both ends of the body were pointed. The total length averaged 41.7 microns; nucleus was slightly anteriorly located. Blood from culture positive monkey would not infect monkeys or other animals, but cultured parasites readily infected monkeys and one mouse, and one rat treated with cortisone. Triatoma rubrofasciata and Triatoma protracta fed upon culture-positive monkeys did not become infected but one of the former became infected after membrane feeding upon cultured parasites mixed with monkey blood. Studies were also done on the development of Trypanosome conorhini in monkeys and other animals. The parasite was recovered from the hind-and mid-gut of naturally infected Taiwan Triatoma rubrofasciata (109 of 117). Some bugs also had salivary gland infections. Most laboratory animals (rats, mice, Mongolian gerbils, guinea pigs, rabbits) developed infections detected by blood-smear and culture. The parasite was serially passaged through monkeys and bugs monthly for one year but there was no change in the development pattern. Only trypmastigotes were present in blood smears; no dividing forms were found. Triatoma rubrofasciata and Triatoma protracta readily developed gut infections when fed upon monkeys, but only a few Rhodnius prolixus became infected.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)