Enteropathy

Distribution by Scientific Domains
Distribution within Medical Sciences

Kinds of Enteropathy

  • protein-losing enteropathy


  • Selected Abstracts


    Recurrent Exacerbations of Protein-losing Enteropathy after Initiation of Growth Hormone Therapy in a Fontan Patient Controlled with Spironolactone

    CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE, Issue 2 2010
    Michael J. Grattan MSc
    ABSTRACT Protein-losing enteropathy (PLE) is a rare, but serious complication in single ventricle patients after Fontan palliation, and is associated with a 5-year mortality of 46%. We describe a patient with PLE after Fontan palliation who achieved remission with high-dose spironolactone (an aldosterone antagonist), but had three exacerbations each temporally correlated with the use of growth hormone (an aldosterone agonist). Because of the opposing mechanisms of action of these two medications, caution might be indicated when using growth hormone for patients with PLE who are successfully treated with spironolactone. [source]


    Protein-Losing Enteropathy after Fontan Operation

    CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE, Issue 5 2007
    Jack Rychik MD
    ABSTRACT Protein-losing enteropathy (PLE) is a poorly understood and enigmatic disease process affecting patients with single ventricle after Fontan operation. In those afflicted, PLE after Fontan operation results in significant morbidity and mortality. The pathophysiology of the disease is unknown; however, a proposed mechanism incorporates a combination of phenomena including: (1) altered hemodynamics, specifically low cardiac output; (2) increased mesenteric vascular resistance; (3) systemic inflammation; and (4) altered enterocyte basal membrane glycosaminoglycan make-up. A paradigm for the clinical management of PLE after Fontan operation is proposed. [source]


    A Clinical Index for Disease Activity in Cats with Chronic Enteropathy

    JOURNAL OF VETERINARY INTERNAL MEDICINE, Issue 5 2010
    A.E. Jergens
    Background: There is a need for a clinically useful, quantitative index for measurement of disease activity in cats with chronic enteropathy (CE). Objective: To develop a numerical activity index that is of practical value to clinicians treating CE in cats. Animals: Eighty-two cats with CE. Methods: Retrospective case review of 59 cats diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Prospective validation study of 23 cats having either IBD or food-responsive enteropathy (FRE). Multivariate regression analysis was used to identify which combination of clinical and laboratory variables were best associated with intestinal inflammation of IBD. This combination of variables was expressed in a score that was used as an activity index for the prospective assessment of disease activity and of the effect of treatment in cats with IBD or FRE. Results: The combination of gastrointestinal signs, endoscopic abnormalities, serum total protein, serum alanine transaminase/alkaline phosphatase activity, and serum phosphorous concentration had the best correlation with histopathologic inflammation and comprise the feline chronic enteropathy activity index (FCEAI). Positive treatment responses in cats with CE were accompanied by significant (P < .05) reductions in FCEAI scores after treatment. Conclusions and Clinical Importance: The FCEAI is a simple numerical measure of inflammatory activity in cats with CE. The scoring index can be reliably used in the initial assessment of disease severity for both IBD and FRE and as a measure of clinical response to treatment for these disorders. [source]


    Comparison of Histopathologic Findings in Biopsies from the Duodenum and Ileum of Dogs with Enteropathy

    JOURNAL OF VETERINARY INTERNAL MEDICINE, Issue 1 2010
    D. Casamian-Sorrosal
    Background: In the investigations of dogs with chronic small intestinal diarrhea collection of ileal biopsies lengthens procedural time and has been of uncertain value. Objectives: To evaluate whether there was agreement between histologic changes present in samples of duodenal and ileal mucosa, and hence to provide initial information in the process of determining whether collection of ileal biopsies is clinically justified. Animals: 40 dogs with chronic small and large intestinal diarrhea from which endoscopic (in 30 cases) or surgical (in 10 cases) duodenal and ileal biopsies had been collected. Methods: Samples were reviewed concurrently by two observers (MJD and MDW) using the scoring system developed by the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) Gastrointestinal Standardization Group. Comparisons were made by kappa analysis. Results: Microscopic pathology was observed in 30 cases. Only eight out of this 30 (27%) had the same histopathologic diagnosis in both the duodenum and the ileum. This dropped to 3 out of 30 (10%) if different disease severity was also considered as disagreement. Microscopic pathology would have been found in 60% and 80% of the 30 cases, if only duodenal or ileal biopsies respectively, had been available. Conclusions and clinical importance: There was poor agreement between histopathological findings from duodenal versus ileal biopsies with abnormalities sometimes being more readily detected in the ileum. Routine collection of ileal plus duodenal samples appears warranted when concurrent small and large intestinal diarrhea is present. [source]


    Intestinal Crypt Lesions Associated with Protein-Losing Enteropathy in the Dog

    JOURNAL OF VETERINARY INTERNAL MEDICINE, Issue 3 2000
    M.D. Willard
    Six dogs were diagnosed with protein-losing enteropathy (PLE). There was no evidence of inappropriate inflammatory infiltrates or lymphangiectasia in multiple mucosal biopsies of the small intestine of 4 of the dogs. The 5th and 6th dogs had obvious lymphangiectasia and a moderate infiltrate of inflammatory cells in the intestinal mucosa. All 6 dogs had a large number of dilated intestinal crypts that were filled with mucus, sloughed epithelial cells, and/or inflammatory cells. Whether PLE occurs in these dogs because of protein lost from the dilated crypts into the intestinal lumen or whether the dilated crypts are a mucosal reaction due to another undetermined lesion that is responsible for alimentary tract protein loss is unknown. However, when large numbers of dilated intestinal crypts are present, they appear to be associated with PLE even if there are no other remarkable lesions in the intestinal mucosa. [source]


    Protein Losing Enteropathy in Severe Atopic Dermatitis in an Exclusively Breast-Fed Infant

    PEDIATRIC DERMATOLOGY, Issue 5 2009
    JIN-BOK HWANG M.D.
    Protein losing enteropathy was confirmed by fecal ,1 -antitrypsin clearance test and imaged successfully by 99mTc-human serum albumin scintigraphy. The present case highlights that protein losing enteropathy in severe infantile atopic dermatitis is being a topic of concern and also an issue even in exclusive breast feeding patients. [source]


    Chronic Intestinal Inflammation and Intestinal Disease in Dogs

    JOURNAL OF VETERINARY INTERNAL MEDICINE, Issue 1 2003
    A.J. German
    Normal individuals maintain tolerance to the endogenous bacterial flora residing within their alimentary tract, a phenomenon mediated by the gastrointestinal lymphoid tissue. Loss of this tolerance is a key factor in the development of chronic intestinal inflammation. Manifestations of such uncontrolled inflammation in humans include inflammatory bowel disease and celiac disease. Dogs may similarly be affected, and although the etiopathogenesis is likely similar, the lesions differ. This review includes discussion of the factors involved in breakdown of mucosal tolerance, the immunologic basis of canine enteropathies, and the use of novel immunotherapies for these diseases. [source]


    B cells are involved in the modulation of pathogenic gut immune response in food-allergic enteropathy

    CLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL IMMUNOLOGY, Issue 2 2008
    C. R. Cardoso
    Summary Food enteropathies involve uncontrolled or hypersensitivity reactions to ingested nutrients and may result in IgE and T-helper type 2 (Th2) responses as in food allergy. However, the precise role of B cells in the development of food enteropathies remains uncertain. In this work, we used B cell-deficient mice (B KO) and a model of peanut sensitization to examine the involvement of B lymphocytes in the pathogenesis of food allergy. Results showed that priming of wild-type (WT) mice with peanut proteins induced specific IgG1 and IgE responses in serum, with edema, tissue destruction, epithelial exulceration and inflammatory infiltrate in the gut of sensitized and challenged (S + Peanut) WT animals. In contrast, there was no sera immunoglobulin detection and absence of tissue destruction in the gut of B KO mice, which presented moderate inflammatory infiltrate and villous enlargement after peanut challenge. These animals presented marked decrease in IL-4 and TNF-, and high levels of IL-10, TGF-,, IL-12p40 and IFN-, mRNA in the gut. Moreover, the expression of CCL5, CCL11 and CXCL1 was reduced in the gut of B KO mice, in contrast to elevated messages of CCL2 or similar detection of Th1-related chemokines in S + Peanut WT mice. Finally, we provided evidence that B cells are necessary to the development of food-related enteropathies and induction of gut inflammation during allergic reactions to food. [source]


    Recurrent Exacerbations of Protein-losing Enteropathy after Initiation of Growth Hormone Therapy in a Fontan Patient Controlled with Spironolactone

    CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE, Issue 2 2010
    Michael J. Grattan MSc
    ABSTRACT Protein-losing enteropathy (PLE) is a rare, but serious complication in single ventricle patients after Fontan palliation, and is associated with a 5-year mortality of 46%. We describe a patient with PLE after Fontan palliation who achieved remission with high-dose spironolactone (an aldosterone antagonist), but had three exacerbations each temporally correlated with the use of growth hormone (an aldosterone agonist). Because of the opposing mechanisms of action of these two medications, caution might be indicated when using growth hormone for patients with PLE who are successfully treated with spironolactone. [source]


    Protein-Losing Enteropathy after Fontan Operation

    CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE, Issue 5 2007
    Jack Rychik MD
    ABSTRACT Protein-losing enteropathy (PLE) is a poorly understood and enigmatic disease process affecting patients with single ventricle after Fontan operation. In those afflicted, PLE after Fontan operation results in significant morbidity and mortality. The pathophysiology of the disease is unknown; however, a proposed mechanism incorporates a combination of phenomena including: (1) altered hemodynamics, specifically low cardiac output; (2) increased mesenteric vascular resistance; (3) systemic inflammation; and (4) altered enterocyte basal membrane glycosaminoglycan make-up. A paradigm for the clinical management of PLE after Fontan operation is proposed. [source]


    Case of eosinophilic granulomatous enterocolitis caused by Strongyloides stercoralis infection with marked hypoalbuminemia and ascites

    DIGESTIVE ENDOSCOPY, Issue 3 2004
    Nuthapong Ukarapol
    We report a 10-year-old boy presenting with generalized pitting edema, ascites, abdominal pain, and chronic mucous diarrhea for 4 weeks. He had underlying diseases of hemoglobin E and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and had been treated with immunosuppressive agents for a long period of time, including prednisolone and methotrexate. After extensive investigations, Strongyloides stercoralis infection, leading to protein-losing enteropathy and eosinophilic granulomatous enterocolitis, was diagnosed. In the present report, we demonstrate early colonoscopic findings, revealing patchy erythema and small raised mucosal nodules with erosions at the cecum. Histopathological study showed open ulceration with cryptitis, intense infiltration of eosinophils and histiocytes with granuloma formation, in which Strongyloides stercoralis larvae were noted. [source]


    The impact of prolonged fasting during aestivation on the structure of the small intestine in the green-striped burrowing frog, Cyclorana alboguttata

    ACTA ZOOLOGICA, Issue 1 2005
    Rebecca L. Cramp
    Abstract The effects of short-term fasting and prolonged fasting during aestivation on the morphology of the proximal small intestine and associated organs were investigated in the green-striped burrowing frog, Cyclorana alboguttata (Anura: Hylidae). Animals were fasted for 1 week while active or for 3,9 months during aestivation. Short-duration fasting (1 week) had little effect on the morphology of the small intestine, whilst prolonged fasting during aestivation induced marked enteropathy including reductions in intestinal mass, length and diameter, longitudinal fold height and tunica muscularis thickness. Enterocyte morphology was also affected markedly by prolonged fasting: enterocyte cross-sectional area and microvillous height were reduced during aestivation, intercellular spaces were visibly reduced and the prevalence of lymphocytes amongst enterocytes was increased. Mitochondria and nuclei were also affected by 9 months of aestivation with major disruptions to mitochondrial cristae and increased clumping of nuclear material and increased infolding of the nuclear envelope. The present study demonstrates that the intestine of an aestivating frog responds to prolonged food deprivation during aestivation by reducing in size, presumably to reduce the energy expenditure of the organ. [source]


    Faecal shedding and serological cross-sectional study of Lawsonia intracellularis in horses in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil

    EQUINE VETERINARY JOURNAL, Issue 6 2009
    C. V. Guimarães-Ladeira
    Summary Reason for performing the study: Proliferative enteropathy, caused by the intracellular bacterium Lawsonia intracellularis, has been described in horses in Australia, the USA, Canada and European countries but has not been reported in Latin America. The prevalence of the disease in horses worldwide is unknown. Objective: To evaluate the presence of subclinical L. intracellularis infection in horses in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Methods: A longitudinal study using serology and PCR for detecting antibodies (IgG) and shedding of L. intracellularis in faecal samples, respectively, was conducted using a total of 223 horses from 14 different horse farms in Minas Gerais, and from the Veterinary School of UFMG equine herds in Minas Gerais. The immunoperoxidase technique in glass slides was used as the serological test. Results: Twenty-one horse sera had immunoglobulin G titres of 1:60 and were considered positive. The PCR technique in faeces for L. intracellularis DNA identified 7 horses as faecal shedders. Horses shedding the organism appeared healthy, indicating that subclinical infection of L. intracellularis occurred in the horses. Conclusion: Seropositivity and detection of faecal shedding of L. intracellularis indicates the presence of the agent in the equine population in Minas Gerais. Potential relevance: Results of this study should alert clinicians in countries where proliferative enteropthy in horses has not been reported to consider this disease as a possible cause of enteric disease. [source]


    Acquired prothrombotic state due to protein-losing enteropathy as a rare cause for ischemic stroke?

    EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY, Issue 4 2007
    F. Amtage
    No abstract is available for this article. [source]


    Angiopoietin-2 in experimental colitis

    INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASES, Issue 6 2010
    Vijay C. Ganta PhD
    Abstract Background: The pathophysiology of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) includes leukocyte infiltration, blood and lymphatic remodeling, weight loss and protein enteropathy. The roles of angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) in initiating gut inflammation, leukocyte infiltration and angiogenesis are not well understood. Methods: Disease activity index, histopathological scoring, myeloperoxidase assay, immunohistochemistry and sodium dodecyl sulphate- polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic methods were employed in the present study to addess the roles of Ang-2 in experimental colitis. Results: Several important differences were seen in the development of experimental IBD in Ang-2,/, mice. Although weight change and disease activity differ only slightly in WT and Ang-2,/, + DSS treated mice, leukocyte infiltration, inflammation and blood and lymphatic vessel density is significantly attenuated compared to WT + DSS mice. Gut capillary fragility and water export (stool blood and form) appear significantly earlier in Ang-2,/, + DSS mice vs. WT. Colon lengths were also significantly reduced in Ang-2,/, and gut histopathology was less severe in Ang-2,/, compared to WT + DSS. Lastly, the decrease in serum protein content in WT + DSS was less severe in Ang-2,/, + DSS, thus protein losing enteropathy (PLE) a feature of IBD is relieved by Ang-2,/,. Conclusion: These data demonstrate that in DSS colitis, Ang-2 mediates inflammatory hemangiogenesis, lymphangiogenesis and neutrophil infiltration to reduce some, but not all clinical features of IBD. The implications for Ang-2 manipulation in the development of IBD and other inflammatory diseases and treatments involving Ang-2 are discussed. (Inflamm Bowel Dis 2009) [source]


    Celiac disease and dermatitis herpetiformis: the spectrum of gluten-sensitive enteropathy

    INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 8 2003
    Amy S. Oxentenko
    No abstract is available for this article. [source]


    Enamel hypoplasia of the primary dentition in a 4-year-old with intestinal lymphangiectasia

    INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PAEDIATRIC DENTISTRY, Issue 5 2005
    P. ARROW
    Summary. Intestinal lymphangiectasia (IL) is a rare disorder, and its incidence and prevalence is unknown for either Australia or world-wide. It is characterized by diarrhoea, mild steatorrhoea, oedema, enteric loss of protein (protein-losing enteropathy) and abnormal dilated lymphatic channels in the small intestine. Whilst oedema and diarrhoea are the predominant clinical features, other observed features include hypoalbuminemia, hypogammaglobulinemia, trace metal deficiency, hypocalcemia and chylous pleural effusions. While medical presentation of the condition has been reported widely, few descriptions of oral findings have been published. A search of Medline found two reports of dental findings in the permanent dentition in patients with IL. To date, there have been no reports on dental findings in the primary dentition. The primary dentition of a 4-year-old boy with IL had teeth with enamel defects which reflected the timing of enamel development and the period in which the disease was active. The present report highlights the need for early involvement of the dental team in the dental management of children with IL. [source]


    Mucosal tissue transglutaminase expression in celiac disease

    JOURNAL OF CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR MEDICINE, Issue 2 2009
    Vincenzo Villanacci
    Abstract Tissue transglutaminase (tTG) plays an important role in celiac disease pathogenesis and antibodies to tTG are a diagnostic marker of gluten-sensitive enteropathy. The aim of this study was to investigate the localization of tTG in the duodenal mucosa in control tissues and in different histological stages of celiac disease by using a commercial and a novel set of anti-tTG monoclonal antibodies, to see whether this assessment can be useful for diagnostic purpose. The distribution of tTG was firstly evaluated in 18 untreated celiac patients by using a commercial monoclonal antibody (CUB7402) against tissue transglutaminase enzyme and directed against the loop-core region of the enzyme. Thereafter, in further 30 untreated celiac patients we employed three newly characterized anti-tTG monoclonal antibodies produced against recombinant human-tTG. The epitopes recognized are located in three distinct domains of the protein corresponding to the core, C1 and C2 protein structure. Eleven age- and sex-matched patients with chronic duodenitis acted as controls. All subjects underwent upper endoscopy to obtain biopsy samples from the duodenum. Overall, we found that (i) tTG is equally expressed in CD at different stages of disease; (ii) tTG is expressed, at similar level, in CD and controls with duodenitis. Assessment of tTG level in biopsy samples by immunohistochemical methods is not useful in the clinical diagnostic work-up of CD. [source]


    A study of gross, histological and blood biochemical changes in rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum), with rainbow trout gastroenteritis (RTGE)

    JOURNAL OF FISH DISEASES, Issue 4 2010
    J Del-Pozo
    Abstract The mechanisms behind the pathogenesis of rainbow trout gastroenteritis (RTGE) are still unknown. This study examined the macroscopic and microscopic changes in trout with RTGE (RTGE+), as well as the blood chemistry. A total of 464 rainbow trout were sampled from 11 sites in the UK, comprising 152 RTGE+ fish and 330 random, apparently healthy fish. A case definition for RTGE was assessed by the analysis of its agreement with three laboratory tests: histopathology, packed cell volume and kidney bacteriology. Cluster analysis indicated the presence of three distinct presentations within the population of RTGE+ fish. Cluster A included gross signs associated with moribund RTGE+ fish, and clusters B and C identified gross signs consistent with concurrent diseases, notably furunculosis, enteric redmouth and proliferative kidney disease. The information gained was used to select RTGE+ fish without concurrent disease for the analysis of RTGE pathogenesis with blood biochemistry. This analysis revealed a severe osmotic imbalance and a reduced albumin/globulin ratio as indicatives of selective loss of albumin. These findings are compatible with a protein losing enteropathy. [source]


    Response to soy: T-cell-like reactivity in the intestine of Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L.

    JOURNAL OF FISH DISEASES, Issue 1 2007
    A M Bakke-McKellep
    Abstract T-cell-mediated hypersensitivity could be central in soybean meal (SBM)-induced intestinal changes in salmon. However, tools for immunohistochemical detection of T cells have been lacking in teleosts, including Atlantic salmon. Application of a specific histochemical protocol allowed demonstration of T-cell-like reactivities in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues using an antibody reacting to a conserved region of human CD3, (Dako A0452). Characteristic staining was observed in cells of the thymus as well as distal intestine, skin, gills and spleen. These cells were negative for immunoglobulin M (IgM). Intestinal intraepithelial leucocytes were CD3, positive. During the SBM-induced enteropathy, the mixed inflammatory infiltrate in the lamina propria of the distal intestine included many lymphocytes with a T-cell-like reactivity. Real-time polymerase chain reaction revealed significantly increased expression of a complex polypeptide (CD3pp), CD4 and CD8, (P < 0.05) in the distal intestine of SBM-fed fish compared to fish meal-fed reference fish. Increased reactivity for extracellular IgM in the lamina propria and a positive material between the epithelial cells at the tips of the folds was observed, possibly due to leakage of IgM through an abrogated epithelial barrier. In conclusion, a T-cell-like response appears to be involved in this example of a food-sensitive enteropathy. [source]


    Are repeat upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and colonoscopy necessary within six months of capsule endoscopy in patients with obscure gastrointestinal bleeding?

    JOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY AND HEPATOLOGY, Issue 12 2008
    David Gilbert
    Abstract Background and Aim:, Medicare reimbursement for capsule endoscopy for the investigation of obscure gastrointestinal bleeding in Australia requires endoscopy and colonoscopy to have been performed within 6 months. This study aims to determine the diagnostic yield of repeating these procedures when they had been non-diagnostic more than 6 months earlier. Methods:, Of 198 consecutive patients who were referred for the investigation of obscure gastrointestinal bleeding, 50 underwent repeat endoscopy and colonoscopy solely to enable reimbursement (35 females and 15 males; mean age 59.4 [range: 21,82] years). The average duration of obscure bleeding was 50.16 (range: 9,214) months. The mean number of prior endoscopies was 3 (median: 2) and 2.8 colonoscopies (median: 2). The most recent endoscopy had been performed 18.9 (median: 14; range: 7,56) months, and for colonoscopy, 19.1 (median 14; range 8-51) months earlier. Results:, A probable cause of bleeding was found at endoscopy in two patients: gastric antral vascular ectasia (1) and benign gastric ulcer (1). Colonoscopy did not reveal a source of bleeding in any patient. Capsule endoscopy was performed in 47 patients. Twenty four (51%) had a probable bleeding source identified, and another five (11%) a possible source. These included angioectasia (17 patients), mass lesion (2), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug enteropathy (2), Cameron's erosions (2), and Crohn's disease (1). Four patients undergoing repeat capsule endoscopy had a probable bleeding source detected. Conclusion:, The yield of repeat endoscopy and colonoscopy immediately prior to capsule endoscopy is low when these procedures have previously been non-diagnostic. Such an approach is also not cost-effective. [source]


    Gastrointestinal: Lymphangioleiomyomatosis with protein-losing enteropathy

    JOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY AND HEPATOLOGY, Issue 12 2006
    C-C Lin
    [source]


    Unique pattern of urinary tract calculi in Australian Aboriginal children

    JOURNAL OF PAEDIATRICS AND CHILD HEALTH, Issue 5 2003
    PJ Carson
    Abstract Young Aboriginal children in remote regions of tropical and desert Australia are at risk of developing urate stones in their upper urinary tract from an early age. These radiolucent calculi were only recognized with the availability of ultrasound diagnosis and are not associated with anatomic anomalies or abnormal uric acid production/metabolism. Although these stones appear to resolve spontaneously after the weaning period, some result in ureteric obstruction and infection which may lead to renal damage. This pattern of urolithiasis differs from the usual global urolithiasis pattern of either endemic bladder stones in young children in developing countries or predominantly calcium-based stones in upper tracts of older children and adults in affluent industrialized countries, where upper tract urate stones account for only a minority of childhood urinary tract stones. Risk factors for urate stones are low urine output and acidic urine. An association between urolithiasis and carbohydrate intolerance leading to chronic acidosis has been suggested for Aboriginal children, but existing limited evidence does not support this as a major aetiological factor. Although further studies on the epidemiology, natural history and management of these urate stones are needed, we believe the focus should be on improving the known social and environmental risk factors of remote Aboriginal children during the weaning period which contribute to the unacceptably high prevalence of failure to thrive, diarrhoeal disease, environmental enteropathy, iron deficiency and urolithiasis. [source]


    Milk formulas in acute gastroenteritis and malnutrition: A randomized trial

    JOURNAL OF PAEDIATRICS AND CHILD HEALTH, Issue 6 2002
    RH Kukuruzovic
    Objective: To compare three low-lactose milk formulas differing in osmolality and degree of protein hydrolysis in the treatment of diarrhoea and malnutrition in subjects with high rates of lactose intolerance, osmotic diarrhoea and a tropical/environmental enteropathy. Methods: A randomized double-blind trial of 180 Aboriginal children under 3 years of age admitted with acute diarrhoea and/or malnutrition was carried out. The intervention milk formulas were: (i) De-Lact, a low-osmolality lactose-free formula; (ii) O-Lac, a lactose-free formula; and (iii) Alfaré, a partially hydrolysed formula. Outcome measures were diarrhoeal severity, weight gain, formula palatability and changes in intestinal permeability (L/R ratios). Results: The duration of diarrhoea in days (mean; 95% confidence interval) was significantly longer on Alfaré (8.5; 7.0,10.0) compared to De-Lact (6.1; 5.0,7.2) and O-Lac (6.9; 5.6,8.1; P = 0.04). There were no differences in mean intake between formulas, but palatability of Alfaré was significantly worse (P < 0.01) than the other formulas. Over the trial 5 days, improvement in L/R ratios was significantly greater (P = 0.05) for De-Lact (18.6; 10.6,26.6) than for Alfaré (8.5; 2.1,14.9). Weight gain was not significantly different between the three formulas, except in a malnourished subgroup who had better weight gain on De-Lact (P = 0.05). Conclusions: In these Aboriginal children with diarrhoea and growth failure, a low osmolality milk was associated with better outcomes and a partially hydrolysed formula with less improvement in mucosal recovery, suggesting that cow's milk protein intolerance is not contributing to greater diarrhoeal severity or enteropathy in Aboriginal children. [source]


    Carbohydrate-deficient glycoprotein syndrome 1b: A new answer to an old diagnostic dilemma

    JOURNAL OF PAEDIATRICS AND CHILD HEALTH, Issue 5 2001
    DF Kelly
    Abstract: A patient with carbohydrate-deficient glycoprotein syndrome type 1b (CDGS1b) is reported. The patient presented at 5 months of age with failure to thrive, prolonged diarrhoea, hepatomegaly and elevated serum liver transaminases. Liver biopsy showed steatosis. A low serum albumin and elevated serum liver transaminases persisted throughout childhood during which he had repeated infectious illnesses. From the age of 10 years he had oesophageal and duodenal ulceration together with recurrent bacterial cholangitis. Liver biopsy demonstrated hepatic fibrosis. CDGS1b was suspected, supported by the finding of a protein-losing enteropathy and finally confirmed by showing a reduced phosphomannoseisomerase activity. This case illustrates a rare condition with a wide range of presentations. [source]


    Assessment and prevention of gastrointestinal toxicity of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

    JOURNAL OF PHARMACY AND PHARMACOLOGY: AN INTERNATI ONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCE, Issue 10 2006
    Majella E. Lane
    Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are widely used for analgesic, anti-inflammatory and, in the case of aspirin, for anti-thrombotic actions. The serious gastrointestinal side-effects associated with these drugs are of concern and pose a significant obstacle to their use. This review discusses the pathogenic mechanisms by which the conventional acidic NSAIDs induce gastrointestinal toxicity, with particular emphasis on non-prostaglandin effects. Methods of assessment of NSAID-induced enteropathy are reviewed, with particular emphasis on the use of functional measurement of NSAID-induced changes in the gastrointestinal tract. The advances in our knowledge of the pathogenesis of these effects have resulted in the development of a range of novel NSAIDs. Where functional assessment of the effects of NSAIDs has been employed, it appears to be more useful as an indicator of early-stage changes rather than a predictor of the effects of long-term NSAID exposure. Successful pharmaceutical strategies now offer considerable promise for reducing the severity of NSAID damage to the gastrointestinal tract. The utility of intestinal permeability measurements for selection and assessment of these strategies is discussed. [source]


    Clinical trial: the effects of a probiotic mixture on non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug enteropathy , a randomized, double-blind, cross-over, placebo-controlled study

    ALIMENTARY PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS, Issue 2 2010
    M. Montalto
    Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2010; 32: 209,214 Summary Background, Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can cause serious gastrointestinal side effects. Faecal calprotectin assay represents a simple and practical method for diagnosis of NSAID enteropathy. Intestinal micro-organisms are necessary for the development of NSAID-induced small bowel lesions and hence it has been suggested that probiotics could protect against NSAID enteropathy. Aim, To evaluate the effect of a probiotic mixture in comparison with placebo on faecal calprotectin concentrations (FCCs) in healthy volunteers receiving indomethacin. Methods, In a double-blind, cross-over trial, 20 healthy volunteers ingested a daily dose of probiotic mixture (VSL#3) or placebo for 21 days. From day 16 to day 19, all subjects were also administered 50 mg/day of indomethacin. FCCs were measured the day before starting probiotic/placebo ingestion (T0), and every day from day 15 to day 21. Results, During dosing with probiotic, median FCCs were significantly increased only at day 17 with respect to T0 values, whereas during dosing with placebo, they were significantly increased at every day from day 17 to day 21 with respect to T0 values. Conclusions, Treatment with VSL#3 before and during indomethacin therapy significantly reduces FCCs in healthy subjects with respect to placebo, suggesting that this approach could be useful in decreasing indomethacin-induced intestinal inflammation. [source]


    Review article: small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, bile acid malabsorption and gluten intolerance as possible causes of chronic watery diarrhoea

    ALIMENTARY PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS, Issue 10 2009
    X. FAN
    Summary Background, Chronic watery diarrhoea is one of the most common symptoms prompting GI evaluation. Recently, new diagnostic considerations have emerged as possible factors in chronic diarrhoea. Aim, To review available data regarding diagnosis and treatment of chronic diarrhoea with an emphasis on bacterial overgrowth and bile acid malabsorption. Methods, A systematic search of the English language literature of chronic diarrhoea was performed focused on three possible aetiologies of diarrhoea: small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), idiopathic bile salt malabsorption (IBAM), gluten responsive enteropathy. Results, Recent studies suggest that SIBO and bile acid malabsorption may have been underestimated as possible causes of chronic watery diarrhoea. Gluten intolerance with negative coeliac serology is a contentious possible cause of watery diarrhoea, but requires further research before acceptance as an entity. Conclusion, In patients with otherwise unexplained chronic watery diarrhoea, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth and bile salt malabsorption should be considered and investigated. [source]


    A Clinical Index for Disease Activity in Cats with Chronic Enteropathy

    JOURNAL OF VETERINARY INTERNAL MEDICINE, Issue 5 2010
    A.E. Jergens
    Background: There is a need for a clinically useful, quantitative index for measurement of disease activity in cats with chronic enteropathy (CE). Objective: To develop a numerical activity index that is of practical value to clinicians treating CE in cats. Animals: Eighty-two cats with CE. Methods: Retrospective case review of 59 cats diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Prospective validation study of 23 cats having either IBD or food-responsive enteropathy (FRE). Multivariate regression analysis was used to identify which combination of clinical and laboratory variables were best associated with intestinal inflammation of IBD. This combination of variables was expressed in a score that was used as an activity index for the prospective assessment of disease activity and of the effect of treatment in cats with IBD or FRE. Results: The combination of gastrointestinal signs, endoscopic abnormalities, serum total protein, serum alanine transaminase/alkaline phosphatase activity, and serum phosphorous concentration had the best correlation with histopathologic inflammation and comprise the feline chronic enteropathy activity index (FCEAI). Positive treatment responses in cats with CE were accompanied by significant (P < .05) reductions in FCEAI scores after treatment. Conclusions and Clinical Importance: The FCEAI is a simple numerical measure of inflammatory activity in cats with CE. The scoring index can be reliably used in the initial assessment of disease severity for both IBD and FRE and as a measure of clinical response to treatment for these disorders. [source]


    Intestinal Crypt Lesions Associated with Protein-Losing Enteropathy in the Dog

    JOURNAL OF VETERINARY INTERNAL MEDICINE, Issue 3 2000
    M.D. Willard
    Six dogs were diagnosed with protein-losing enteropathy (PLE). There was no evidence of inappropriate inflammatory infiltrates or lymphangiectasia in multiple mucosal biopsies of the small intestine of 4 of the dogs. The 5th and 6th dogs had obvious lymphangiectasia and a moderate infiltrate of inflammatory cells in the intestinal mucosa. All 6 dogs had a large number of dilated intestinal crypts that were filled with mucus, sloughed epithelial cells, and/or inflammatory cells. Whether PLE occurs in these dogs because of protein lost from the dilated crypts into the intestinal lumen or whether the dilated crypts are a mucosal reaction due to another undetermined lesion that is responsible for alimentary tract protein loss is unknown. However, when large numbers of dilated intestinal crypts are present, they appear to be associated with PLE even if there are no other remarkable lesions in the intestinal mucosa. [source]