OBJECTIVES We sought to address the issues of safety, feasibility and clinical impact of noninvasive diagnosis of coronary vasospasm (CVS). BACKGROUND The safety of ergonovine provocation for CVS performed outside the catheterization laboratory has been questioned. METHODS We performed a retrospective analysis of the results of bedside ergonovine provocation testing by monitoring left ventr...

BACKGROUND Fractional exhaled nitric oxide is elevated in allergen-provoked asthma. The cellular and molecular source of the elevated fractional exhaled nitric oxide is, however, uncertain. OBJECTIVE To investigate whether fractional exhaled nitric oxide is associated with increased airway epithelial inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in allergen-provoked asthma. METHODS Fractional exha...

Testosterone affects human social behavior in various ways. While testosterone effects are generally associated with muscular strength and aggressiveness, human studies also point towards enhanced status-seeking motives after testosterone administration. The current study tested the causal influence of exogenous testosterone on male behavior during a competitive provocation paradigm. In this do...

Fifty patients with non-cardiac chest pain underwent 24 hour intraoesophageal pH and pressure recording and provocation tests to determine the relative value of both techniques in establishing the oesophageal origin of the chest pain. Twenty six patients (52%) had at least one positive provocation test: the acid perfusion test was positive related in 18 patients (36%), the edrophonium test in 1...

AIMS Serum deoxyribonuclease I (DNase I) activity has recently been highlighted as a potential diagnostic marker for detection of acute myocardial infarction. To evaluate whether serum DNase I activity is useful for detection of myocardial ischaemia, we investigated alteration of its levels after onset of vasospastic angina pectoris (VSAP), resulting in transient myocardial ischaemia, induced b...

The aim of this study was to evaluate rhinomanometric responses to nasal allergen provocation in children with allergic rhinitis sensitized to house dust mite. We studied 51 children, aged 6-16 years (mean: 11.5 +/- 2.6 years), with clinical symptoms of perennial allergic rhinitis without asthma and 20 non-atopic healthy controls in the same age range (mean: 11.8 +/- 3.8 years). All of the pati...

OBJECTIVES 22 workers, exposed to potassium aluminium tetrafluoride used as flux for soldering aluminium, were studied as clinical outpatients for symptoms of irritation of the nose, eye, skin, and airways. METHODS 16 volunteered for spirometry with methacholine provocation test including a test for small airways function by volume of trapped gas (VTG). RESULTS Median (range) latency time b...

Reactive aggression following provocation is a frequent form of human social behavior. The neural basis of reactive aggression, especially its control, remains poorly understood, however. We conducted an event-related potential (ERP) study using a competitive reaction time task that elicits aggression through provocation. Participants were selected from a larger sample because of extreme scores...

INTRODUCTION Nasal provocation testing involves an allergen-specific local reaction of the nasal mucosa to the administered allergen. AIM To determine the most objective nasal occlusion assessment technique that could be used in nasal provocation testing. MATERIAL AND METHODS A total of 60 subjects, including 30 patients diagnosed with allergy to common environmental allergens and 30 health...

We measured the microvascular response to histamine in guinea pig skin. Histamine (40 mg ml(-1)) was given either as a skin prick test or applied topically onto a skin window. The skin window was prepared by applying suction and gentle warming to the skin so that a blister was formed, and by removing the top of the blister. The microvascular response was measured as the accumulation of radiolab...