No abstract

An increased association of ulcerative colitis and coeliac disease has been reported, as have the results of several small-bowel biopsy studies in ulcerative colitis. Forty-two patients from a population of 438 patients with coeliac disease had rectal biopsies. Fourteen of these showed inflammation of various degrees of severity, including three compatible with a diagnosis of ulcerative colitis. The presenting complaint in 34 of these patients was diarrhoea or steatorrhoea. Twenty-seven patients had coeliac disease diagnosed at the same time or after their rectal biopsy. The other 15 were previously diagnosed coeliacs. Twelve of the 14 patients with abnormal rectal biopsy specimens were known to have subtotal/total villous atrophy at the time of rectal biopsy. Proctitis as seen in these coeliac patients had no unique features to differentiate it from proctitis caused by other disorders. The diarrhoea/steatorrhoea stopped in all patients on commencement of a gluten-free diet, except in those with ulcerative colitis. Proctitis is common in patients with coeliac disease presenting with diarrhoea/steatorrhoea. This study supports the finding of an increased association of coeliac disease and ulcerative colitis and is, to our knowledge, the first rectal biopsy study of a coeliac population.

proportion of women experiencing intercourse and the proportion of sexually active women who used contraceptives were greater than those found in Britain and America." In an unpublished survey of both university (undergraduate) and non-university (for example, secretarial) students in Cambridge in 1973 we found the proportion of sexually experienced women in both groups (570/) to be close to that of the Australian sample (62%'). On the other hand, Dr Cole's data on the relationship of age to sexual experience (15% having had intercourse by the age of 16 and 95%' by the age of 21) correspond to our non-university group only, for whom the

The distribution of HLA antigens in a group of Irish patients with hyperthyroidism was studied, in an attempt to define whether specific antigens were associated with relapse of the disease following medical therapy. The increase in HLA-B8 and DR3 found by others in this disease was confirmed, but no difference in HLA type was documented in 33 patients who had relapsed compared to 24 who had not relapsed. Forty-six per cent of the relapsed group were DR3 as against 45% of the non-relapsed group.

Terminal complement component deficiency predisposes to meningococcal infection and is inherited in an autosomal co-dominant manner. An Irish family is described, in which 2 of 3 brothers had recurrent meningococcal infection. A novel screening assay was used to investigate for terminal complement deficiency and the 2 affected brothers were found to be completely deficient in the seventh component of complement (C7). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for C7 revealed lower than normal levels in the remaining brother and parents. C7 M/N protein polymorphism allotyping, used to investigate the segregation of the C7 deficiency genes, showed that the apparently complement sufficient brother was heterozygous C7 deficient and a carrier of one of the deficiency genes. Complement screening should be carried out in any individual suffering recurrent meningococcal infection or infection with an uncommon meningococcal serogroup. Identification of complement deficient patients allows the implementation of strategies to prevent recurrent infection.

No abstract

No abstract

This study shows no firm relationship between the non-secretor state and coeliac disease, nor any difference in the distribution of HLA markers among secretor and non-secretor coeliacs. It is unlikely, therefore, that the secretor gene is the much sought-after second coeliac gene.