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In this prospective study, we tried to evaluate various "humoral tests of malignancy" regarding their efficiency of discriminating between malignancy-related and non-malignant ascites. Fibronectin, total protein, number of cells, LDH, pH, specific gravity and cytology were compared in the ascitic fluid of 51 patients with malignancy-related and 52 patients with non-malignant ascites; patients with tuberculous peritonitis were not included. Ascitic fluid cholesterol was determined in 36 of 51 malignancy-related and in 37 of 52 non-malignant ascites. Cytology and fibronectin were found 100% specific with diagnostic efficiency 87.5% and 94.2% respectively under optimal conditions. Cholesterol was neither sensitive nor specific. It is concluded that fibronectin was a valuable test for malignancy-associated ascites.

This prospective study was undertaken to evaluate the significance of factors such as age, sex family history, educational status, residence area, H pylori antral colonization, smoking, alcohol consumption, coffee and cola drinking in Greek patients suffering from functional dyspepsia (FD), duodenal ulcer (DU), and gastric ulcer (GU). The study groups were chosen among consecutive outpatients who had undergone an upper gastro-intestinal (GI) endoscopy during a ten-month period because of dyspepsia, and who completed a suitable questionnaire; 295 patients aged 18-85 years (M: 185, F: 110) were finally included as follows: 54 patients aged 18-80 years M: 21, F: 33) with FD, 166 aged 19-85 years (M: 117, F: 49) with DU, and 75 aged 24-85 years (M: 47, F: 28) with GU. As controls for FD patients, 54 previously studied, healthy non-dyspeptic people, well matched for age and sex, were used. No differences were found between them and FD patients. On the contrary, we found that the 3 groups of patients differed significantly for age (p = 1.07 x 10(-3)) and sex (p = 1.67 x 10(-4)) distribution. There was a rather even age distribution and a discrete female predominance in the FD group. Positive family history for peptic ulcer disease (PUD) was found in 19% of patients with FD as compared with 48.2% (DU) and 37% (GU) (p = 4.84 x 10(-4)). Significantly more patients with PUD were smokers (p = 6.16 x 10(-3)) and alcohol drinkers (p = 1.84 x 10(-4)). H pylori antral colonization was found in 61% of patients with FD as compared with 74% (GU) and 85% (DU) (p = 8.65 x 10(-4)) of patients. Finally, factors such as educational level, area of residence, and cola drink consumption did not differ in the studied groups of patients.