AIM To explore the natural history of covert hepatic encephalopathy (CHE) in absence of medication intervention. METHODS Consecutive outpatient cirrhotic patients in a Chinese tertiary care hospital were enrolled and evaluated for CHE diagnosis. They were followed up for a mean of 11.2 ± 1.3 mo. Time to the first cirrhosis-related complications requiring hospitalization, including overt HE (O...

Data on blood cholinesterase levels in the Malaysian population is lacking. The spectrophotometric method of Ellman was used to determine the red cell, plasma and whole blood cholinesterase (ChE) levels in 407 Malaysian blood donors. The mean+1SD for plasma ChE in females (n = 48) was 2.37 + 0.70 umol/min/ml and 2.76 + 0.75 umol/min/ml in males (n = 359). The mean plasma ChE in males was higher...

Background: Acute organophosphate poisoning (AOPP) is related to several clinical complications that may be fatal. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of demographic, clinical and laboratory findings on AOPP outcome. Methods: In this retrospective cross-sectional study, medical records of all patients with AOPP admitted to Imam Reza Hospital, Mashhad, Iran, were reviewed from Jan...

BACKGROUND Although numerous studies examine catastrophic health expenditures (CHE) worldwide, most focus on whole populations rather than specific vulnerable groups. This study analyzes the extent, associated factors and inequality of CHE in elderly household with chronic disease patients in China. METHODS Data were obtained from a nationally representative elderly household survey-the China...

BACKGROUND Erythrocyte cholinesterase (RBC-ChE) activities serve as useful and sensitive biomarkers to monitor exposure to cholinesterase-inhibiting substances, such as chemical warfare nerve agents and pesticides. Although the interindividual variation of RBC-ChE is well characterized, the magnitude of intraindividual variation for RBC-ChE remains controversial. An accurate measure of intraind...

Possibility of monitoring insecticide resistance in the diamondback moth by analyzing the insensitivity of cholinesterase (ChE) which is resistant to organophosphates and carbamates was investigated. Four kinds of ChE genotypes were found and inherited by incomplete dominance factors. Against propoxur and monocrotophos, each ChE genotype showed LD50 in proportion to the values of I50. Differenc...

During a period of 10 months, inter and intraindividual variations in plasma cholinesterase (ChE) activity were studied in 331 employees of an organophosphorus insecticide factory, and in 193 healthy volunteers without occupational exposure to known ChE inhibitors. Repeated (n = 6) measurements of ChE activity and ChE substance concentration were performed in 410 subjects. The study showed subs...