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In 1995-1997 at the First Surgical Clinic, Medical Faculty, Palacký University and Faculty Hospital Olomouc three patients were treated on account of obstruction of the pyloroduodenal region caused by Crohn's disease. The condition was treated by anastomosis, possibly with vagotomy, depending on the site of stenosis. Clinical, laboratory and endoscopic control examinations after a 6-month to 3-year interval revealed good results of this approach.

Neopterine is considered to be one of the markers of immunity system activity. An increased level of this pteridine derivate is determined in blood or urine in infections, transplant rejections, and in other conditions accompanied by changes in the immunity system. Monitoring its level in various body liquids can be important when assessing the immunity system condition, nevertheless, its non-specificity causes difficulties when interpreting the results. Up to now, very few papers have been published dealing with the determination of neopterine levels in patients with IBD. We studied a group of 25 patients who are monitored in a longterm manner at our clinic suffering from Crohn's disease. During 1993 and 1994, we were determining their levels of neopterine in blood together with other parameters. It was a group of patients chosen at random in different stages of disease, and we were interested in the correlation of the height of neopterine level with the activity of Crohn's disease. We proved statistically unimportant correlation between the height of neopterine level in blood serum and Crohn's disease activity. The question is discussed whether the examination of this marker be useful when monitoring Crohn's disease activities.

The authors give an account of the occurrence of Crohn's disease in first grade relatives. Within a short time interval on account of Crohn's disease daughter, son and mother were operated.

In 32 patients suffering from various stages of activity of Crohn's disease, c-ANCA and p-ANCA in serum were examined. Altogether, 54 blood samples were examined. In 21 patients of 32, i.e. 65.6%, at least in one examination of c-ANCA in serum the value was higher than 9 units (positive finding). In 10 patients of 32, i.e. 32.2%, at least in one examination of p-ANCA in serum the value was higher than 9 units (positive finding). In the case of high activity of Crohn's disease, c-ANCA in serum were higher than 9 units (positive finding) in 69.6% examinations, in case of low activity, values of c-ANCA in serum were higher than 9 units (positive finding) only in 9.5% examinations. p-ANCA in serum were, when the activity was high, positive in 46.1% examinations, while when the activity of Crohn's disease was low, p-ANCA were positive in 9.5%. The question of specificity of findings is discussed.

In this paper the problem of Crohn's disease incidence among the nearest relatives is discussed. Within a short period of time a daughter, a son and their mother had to undergo an operation successively.

The study evaluates the clinical picture and the course of affection by the Crohn's disease in a set of 144 patients, who have been observed at the Second Clinic of Internal Medicine in Olomouc since 1956. The results are similar to the analogous foreign studies in many cases. The fact that 72% of patients were at least once operated is interesting, and it only confirms the fact that the conservative treatment is not very successful, but on the other hand neither the surgical treatment can entirely solve this problem. The difficulties with diagnosis in spite of the latest examinational methods are also mentioned.