Journal of gastroenterology and hepatology
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J. Gastroenterol. Hepatol. · Feb 2005
Multicenter Study Comparative StudyRapid diagnosis of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis with leukocyte esterase reagent strips in a European and in an American center.
Timely diagnosis and treatment of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) are essential to survival. The purpose of the present paper was to evaluate leukocyte esterase reagent strips (Nephur-Test and MultistixSG10) in the bedside diagnosis of SBP. ⋯ Leukocyte esterase reagent strips may provide a rapid bedside diagnosis of SBP.
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J. Gastroenterol. Hepatol. · Feb 2005
Comparative StudyGenetic association of vitamin D receptor polymorphisms with autoimmune hepatitis and primary biliary cirrhosis in the Chinese.
Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) and primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) are two autoimmune diseases of unknown etiology. Genetic factors appear to be involved in the pathogenesis of both diseases. Vitamin D has been shown to exert multiple immunomodulatory effects, which acts through its own receptor (VDR). Polymorphisms of VDR had been implicated in several autoimmune diseases. In the present study, the association between Chinese patients with AIH, PBC and the polymorphisms in exon 2, intron 8 and exon 9 of vitamin D receptor genes was studied. ⋯ It is suggested that there is a genetic link of VDR polymorphisms to autoimmune liver diseases such as AIH and PBC in Chinese patients. Further studies are needed to elucidate the mechanisms by which VDR polymorphisms contribute to the lose of immune tolerance in autoimmune diseases.