Asymptomatic Population (asymptomatic + population)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


HELICOBACTER PYLORI INFECTION IN ASYMPTOMATIC POPULATION IN SURABAYA

JOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY AND HEPATOLOGY, Issue 12 2000
Pangestu Adi
[source]


Molecular epidemiological study of hepatitis B virus infection in two different ethnic populations from the Solomon Islands

JOURNAL OF MEDICAL VIROLOGY, Issue 3 2007
Takako Utsumi
Abstract The Solomon Islands is a multi-ethnic nation with a high rate of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. The prevalence relative to ethnicity was examined in relation to HBV infection, genotypes, and mutations. Asymptomatic populations (n,=,564, 308 Melanesian and 118 Micronesian) from the Western Province were enrolled. Positive samples for Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) were examined for serological status, genotyping, viral load, and mutations of the basic core promoter (BCP) and pre-core (Pre-C) regions. The positive rate for HBsAg was 21.5%. The major Melanesian genotype was C (HBV/C), whereas the major Micronesian genotype was D (HBV/D). The prevalence of Hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) in serum was lower in carriers of HBV/D than of HBV/C. While the prevalence of the BCP mutation (T1762A1764) tended to be higher in HBV/C, that of the Pre-C mutation (T1846) was significantly higher in HBV/D (P,<,0.0001). Genetic distance and phylogenetic analyses based on complete genome sequences were also carried out for two strains of HBV/C and two strains of HBV/D, and the findings were compared with those in the DDBJ/EMBL/GenBank database. The full-length sequence revealed that strains from the Solomon Islands were classified into subgenotype C3 (HBV/C3) and D4 (HBV/D4), and that the HBV/D strains were related closely to those from Papua New Guinea. HBV infection in the Solomon Islands is hyperendemic, and the genotype is ethnicity-specific. HBeAg appears to clear from the serum in young adulthood in HBV/D infection, which may be influenced by genotype-dependent features in relation to viral mutations. J. Med. Virol. 79:229,235, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


Non- pylori Helicobacteraceae in the Upper Digestive Tract of Asymptomatic Venezuelan Subjects: Detection of Helicobacter cetorum- like and Candidatus Wolinella africanus -like DNA

HELICOBACTER, Issue 5 2007
M. Alexandra García-Amado
Abstract Background: The spectrum of human non- pylori Helicobacter infections is expanding, with species such as H. heilmannii and H. felis occasionally being associated with gastritis. However, the existence of non- pylori Helicobacter colonization in asymptomatic subjects has not been evaluated. The aim of this study was to investigate whether Helicobacter species other than pylori are present in the upper digestive tract of asymptomatic human subjects. Materials and methods: A Helicobacteraceae-specific semi-nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was used to detect Helicobacter- like organisms in the upper digestive tract of 91 Venezuelan volunteers (aged 18,68 years, 41 females, 50 males). Species were identified by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis and sequencing of the PCR products. Results: We detected DNA sharing 99,100% sequence identity in over 300,400 bp with the 16S rRNA genes of H. pylori, H. cetorum, and Candidatus Wolinella africanus in 76%, 16%, and 15% of the subjects, respectively. Multiple colonization was documented in 10% of the subjects: H. cetorum and Candidatus W. africanus (4%), H. pylori and Candidatus W. africanus (4%), and H. pylori and H. cetorum (2%). Conclusions: Our results suggest that non- pylori Helicobacteraceae colonization is relatively common in the Venezuelan asymptomatic population. This is the first report documenting the presence of H. cetorum DNA in the human upper digestive tract, and the second report of the recently discovered Candidatus W. africanus. [source]


Validity of sonographic screening for the detection of abdominal cancers

JOURNAL OF CLINICAL ULTRASOUND, Issue 7 2002
Yoshihiro Mizuma MD
Abstract Purpose This study assessed the prevalence of abdominal cancers and the validity of sonographic screening for abdominal cancers in an asymptomatic population. Methods We investigated the findings of the first sonographic screening of 16,024 residents of Osaka Prefecture. A comparison of records was carried out between the list of those screened and the Osaka Cancer Registry to identify false-negative results of our screening. Results The rate of subjects who required further testing after screening was 4.76% (762/16,024). Eleven of the 762 subjects with a positive sonographic screening study had abdominal cancers detected on further testing. Three subjects had false-negative screening results. The positive predictive value of sonographic screening was 1.4% (11/762), and the rate of screening-detected cancers was 0.069% (11/16,024). The prevalence of abdominal cancers was 0.087% (14/16,024), the sensitivity of screening sonography for the detection of abdominal cancers was 78.6% (11/14), and the specificity was 95.3% (15,259/16,010). Seven of 11 screening-detected cancers were resected curatively, and 6 of these patients are still alive. Five of these 6 cancers were renal cell carcinomas. Conclusions The sensitivity of screening sonography was relatively high and the specificity was sufficient among our asymptomatic population. The present study suggests that the target organ for sonographic screening to detect curable cancers should be the kidneys. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 30:408,415, 2002 [source]


Clinical usefulness of carbohydrate antigen 19-9 as a screening test for pancreatic cancer in an asymptomatic population

JOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY AND HEPATOLOGY, Issue 2 2004
JEE-EUN KIM
Abstract Background and Aim:, Although the prognosis for pancreatic cancer is generally poor, it is well known that the survival rate for resected pancreatic cancer is much higher than that for more conservative treatment. The importance of early detection is emphasized for resection of pancreatic cancer. Measurement of serum carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9 has shown satisfactory sensitivity and predictive value in symptomatic patients, but no available data has been found on healthy asymptomatic subjects. Thus, the authors aimed to determine the clinical usefulness of CA 19-9 as a screening tool for pancreatic cancer in asymptomatic subjects. Methods:, From December 1994 to November 2000, 70 940 asymptomatic persons visiting the Health Promotion Center at the Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea, participated. All subjects underwent abdominal ultrasonography and serum CA 19-9 measurement. The authors analyzed the sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values of CA 19-9 for detecting pancreatic cancer. Also, those subjects who had a serum CA 19-9 level above the cut-off value were followed up using a serial check of CA 19-9, computed tomography, or endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. Results:, The number of subjects with a level of CA 19-9 above the cutoff of 37 U/mL was 1063 (1.5%), including four cases diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. The prevalence of pancreatic cancer over the age of 30 years is 13.66 per 100 000 population in Korea. Therefore, the sensitivity is 100% and the specificity 98.5%. However, the positive predictive value of CA 19-9 for detecting pancreatic cancer is only 0.9% in the asymptomatic population. Conclusion:, Mass screening for pancreatic cancer using CA 19-9 levels in asymptomatic subjects is ineffective because of a very low positive predictive value, despite its high sensitivity and specificity. [source]