This study will investigate caffeine and methacetin breath tests in normal volunteers and validate the use of the tests for assessing hepatic cytochrome p450-ia2 activity. the effect of charcoal broiled beef and changes in protein/carbohydrate ratio on the hepatic metabolism of these substrates will… More

Biochemical liver function tests have been used by physicians in the identification and mangement of liver desease. these static tests include measurements of albumin, bilirubin, enzymes and prothrombin time. although such measures provide information about the immediate functional state of the… More

Anatomic and physiological derangements of the gastrointestinal tract can lead to abnormal overgrowth of the small intestine. a quantitative culture of an aspirate of small bowel fluid is used to detect bacterial overgrowth. this is often not performed because it is so inconvenient. the need for a… More

We will develop a nonradioactive, noninvasive breath test to predict blood drug levels. We willdevelop a 13C breath test to measure cytochrome P450IIIA enzyme activity. Many drugs, such ascyclosporine, are metabolized by this p450 family. The catalytic activity of p450IIIA will be estimatedfrom the… More

Bacterial overgrowth is a condition found primarily in the elderly and is estimated to affect 33% of people over 65 years. It causes great discomfort and clinically important nutritional deficiencies if left untreated. The underlying cause is reduced gastric acid secretion associated with aging. … More

Bacterial overgrowth is a condition found primarily in the elderly and is estimated to affect 33% of people over 65 years. It causes great discomfort and clinically important nutritional deficiencies if left untreated. The underlying cause is reduced gastric acid secretion associated with aging. … More

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a life altering disorder of the intestines that effects approximately 20 percent of the general population. There is no single diagnostic test for positive confirmation of IBS. Physicians arrive at an lBS diagnosis following a… More

Stable isotope medical diagnostic breath tests enjoy the advantages of being non-invasive, highly specific to detecting an invading organism or measuring organ function, and usually lower cost than competing tests. However, having a lower cost is not always sufficient. There is great financial… More

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Vitamin B 12 deficiency is a common, but under diagnosed condition found primarily in the elderly. This deficiency mainly results from changes in the gastrointestinal tract that take place during aging and from certain medications. Untreated, this condition can… More

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): In the avalanche of publicity surrounding H. pylori infection, children have been the one segment of the population that has been virtually ignored. However, there is a growing body of evidence that children, and especially minority children, are commonly… More

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): In the avalanche of publicity surrounding H. pylori infection, children have been the one segment of the population that has been virtually ignored. However, there is a growing body of evidence that children, and especially minority children, are commonly… More

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Vitamin B12 deficiency is a common problem that affects the general US population and the elderly in particular. The elderly are at risk for preclinical vitamin B12 deficiency due to the increased presence of B12 malabsorption and atrophic gastritis as a… More

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Disorders of the pancreas affect more than one million persons in this country with nearly 3 billion in health care costs. The incidence rate of chronic pancreatitis (CP) is rapidly increasing and may be related to exp anded alcohol abuse. Advanced CP causes… More