It is unclear how the prevalence of people who believe the gluten-free diet (GFD) to be generally healthy (“Lifestylers”) is impacting the overall rates of self-reported gluten sensitivity (GS). We repeated a population survey from 2012 in order to examine how attitudes towards GS have changed over time. Our survey (N = 1004) was administered in Sheffield (UK) in 2015, replicating the 2012 experiment. The questionnaire included a food frequency survey and assessed self-reported GS as well as associated variables (prevalence, current diet, pre-existing conditions, etc.). The overall rates of key variables and chi-squared analysis in comparison to the previous survey were as follows: self-reported GS was 32.8% (previously 12.9%, p < 0.001), pre-existing coeliac disease (CD) was 1.2% (previously 0.8%, p = 0.370), following a GFD was 3.7% (previously 3.7%, p = 0.997). Self-reported GS was positively associated with some pre-existing conditions, including anxiety, depression, chronic fatigue, headaches, and other food allergies/intolerances (including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS); chi-squared analyses, all p < 0.001). Over a 3-year period, the fraction of people who self-reported GS increased by over 250%. Despite this, arguably more meaningful indications of underlying physiological GS remained comparable. This research suggests that the public perception of gluten is causing a marked increase in the number of people who erroneously believe they are sensitive to it.

Women in the second half of pregnancy, who were infected with genital mycoplasmas and who gave written informed consent, were randomly assigned to receive capsules of identical appearance containing erythromycin estolate, clindamycin hydrochloride, or a placebo for 6 weeks. Levels of serum glutamic oxalacetic transaminase (SGOT) were determined before and during treatment by a fluorometric method. All pretreatment levels of SGOT were normal (<41 units). Participants who received erythromycin estolate had significantly more abnormally elevated levels of SGOT (16/161, 9.9%) than did those who received clindamycin (4/168, 2.4%, P < 0.01) or those who received placebo (3/165, 1.8%, P < 0.01). Elevated levels of SGOT ranged from 44 to 130 U. Serum bilirubin levels were normal. Gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase activity was abnormal in six of six participants who had abnormal levels of SGOT while receiving erythromycin estolate. There were few associated symptoms, and all levels of SGOT returned to normal after cessation of treatment. The treatment of pregnant women with erythromycin estolate may be inadvisable.Erythromycin, a macrolide antibiotic produced by the actinomycete Streptomyces erythreus, has been used extensively in clinical medicine since its introdluction in 1952. Erythromycin base and its salts are not consistently absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract, presumably because they are destroyed by gastric acid. The only preparation of erythromycin that is well absorbed when given orally is the lauryl sulfate salt of the propionyl ester (propionyl erythromycin lauryl sulfate; erythromycin estolate [5]). The estolate is also the only form of erythromycin that has been associated with any reported hepatotoxicity. As reviewed by Braun (1), there have been reports of individuals who have developed hepatic toxicity in association with the administration of erythromycin estolate (8). Even when the propensity of erythromycin to produce hepatic toxicity has been considered to be established, it has been generally considered that this is an unusual idiosyncratic reaction (1, 5). The present report describes a group of pregnant women, over 9% of whom developed subclinical hepatotoxicity while receiving erythromycin estolate. Investigators in this laboratory have associated the genital mycoplasmas Mycoplasma hominis and Ureaplasma urealyticum (T-mycoplasmas) with birth weight. In one study (9), these organisms were found to be more prevalent among low-birth-weight infants than among infants of normal birth weight. In another study (3), women who were colonized with these organisms early in pregnancy gave birth to infants that weighed significantly less than infants whose mothers were not colonized. Earlier studies from this laboratory had found that non-bacteriuric pregnant women who were treated with a broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent gave birth to significantly fewer lowbirth-weight infants than did women who received a placebo (4; H. A. Elder, R. Smith, and E. H. Kass, Program Abstr. Intersci. Conf. Antimicrob. A...

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Abstract Objectives The study aims were to assess the burden of non-traumatic wrist pain in terms of numbers of referrals to secondary care, and to characterise how patients present, are diagnosed and are managed in secondary care in the United Kingdom National Health Service. Methods Ten consecutive patients presenting with non-traumatic wrist pain were identified retrospectively at each of 16 participating hospitals and data was extracted for twelve months following the initial referral. Results The 160 patients consisted of 100 females and 60 males with a median age of 49, accounting for approximately 13% of all new hand/wrist referrals. The dominant wrist was affected in 60% of cases and the mean symptom duration was 13.3 months. Diagnoses were grouped into: osteoarthritis (OA) (31%), tendinopathy (13%), ganglion (14%), ulnar sided pain (17%) and other (25%). The OA group was significantly older than other groups, while other groups contained a predominance of females. The non-surgical interventions in decreasing frequency of usage were: steroid injections (39%), physiotherapy (32%), splint (31%) and analgesics (12%). Of those who underwent surgery, all patients had previously received non-surgical treatment, however 42% had undergone only one non-surgical intervention. Conclusion Non-traumatic wrist pain represents a significant burden to secondary care both in terms of new patient referrals and in terms of investigation, follow up and treatment. Those presenting with osteoarthritis are more likely to be older and male, while those presenting with other diagnoses are more likely to be younger and female.