Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0017160 (gastroenteritis)
 11,398 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Infection is a major complication and the leading cause of death in thalassemia, especially E-beta thalassemia. The spectrum of infections in E-beta thalassemia include mild and severe infections, therapy-related infections such as Yersinia enterocolitica infection associated with desferrioxamine (DFO) therapy, and transfusion-transmitted disease, as well as unique infections such as with pythiosis. Prospective studies in Thailand indicate that patients with E-beta thalassemia had more frequent episodes of both mild and severe infections. The former included upper respiratory tract infection, acute gastroenteritis, cutaneous abscess, and gingivitis. Severe infections occurred more commonly in patients with splenectomy and included septicemia, pneumonia, biliary tract infection, salmonellosis, and urinary tract infection. Responsible organisms were Escherichia coli (26%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (23%), Salmonella (15%), and Streptococcus pneumoniae (13%). Other organisms included Pseudomonas, Staphylococci, Burkholderia pseudomallei (melioidosis), and Aeromonas. Patients undergoing DFO therapy are at risk for Y. enterocolitica infection which may be localized to mesenteric nodes and tonsils or occur as a generalized form such as septicemia. Recently, we have seen a unique infection so-called vascular pythiosis. Patients usually presented with clinical features of vascular occlusion of lower limbs from ascending arteritis and thrombosis. The causative organism, Pythium insidiosum, is fungus-like, in the kingdom Stramenopila, and in the class Oomycetes. The mortality rate is high and the only effective treatment has been early amputation or possibly immunotherapy. The predisposing factors of infections in thalassemia include splenectomy, iron overload, anemia, and granulocyte dysfunctions. General management of infections in thalassemia consist of prevention, i.e., immunization with pneumococcal and hepatitis vaccines, oral penicillins especially in patients with splenectomy, removal of predisposing factors such as gallstones, iron overload, and appropriate antibiotics.
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PMID:Infections in E-beta thalassemia. 1113 34

Toxoplasmosis is one of the more common parasitic zoonoses world-wide. In this study, an epizootic of toxoplasmosis among captive Bennett's wallabies (Macropus rufogriseus) from different locations is reported. By means of light microscopy, Toxoplasma gondii-like tachyzoites were observed associated to interstitial pneumonia, non-suppurative myocarditis, cholangiohepatitis and severe gastroenteritis. The protozoa stained positively with a T. gondii antibody and ultrastructurally were similar to T. gondii. Strikingly, tachyzoites appeared sometimes in an intranuclear location within granulocyte-like cells. Feral cats or reactivation of a latent infection are discussed as the possible sources of infection. As far as we know, this is the first confirmed report of toxoplasmosis in Bennett's wallabies in Spain and Europe, and may constitute a risk of infection for humans since new alimentary habits are being imposed in our countries.
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PMID:Toxoplasmosis in Bennett's wallabies (Macropus rufogriseus) in Spain. 1904 16

Dextran sulfate sodium is widely used to induce colitis in rodents. Though given orally in drinking water, this agent is widely believed to produce injury through direct toxic effects on the epithelium, and it has been assumed to produce damage and inflammation only in the colon. Given the apparent toxic effects of dextran sodium sulfate on epithelial cells, its administration orally, and the anticoagulant properties of this agent, we hypothesized that significant damage and inflammation would be produced in regions of the digestive tract proximal to the colon. Groups of rats or mice received DSS (5%) in the drinking water for up to 7 days. Tissues were harvested at various time-points for blind evaluation of damage, and measurement of several markers of inflammation. In both rats and mice given DSS, significant damage and inflammation was produced in the stomach, small intestine and colon. Significant granulocyte infiltration was apparent in all tissues by day 3 of DSS ingestion. Bleeding was evident throughout the small intestine and colon. These studies clearly demonstrate that DSS, when administered orally in drinking water, produces a pan-gastroenteritis, rather than the damage and inflammation being limited to the colon. The damage and inflammation in the stomach and small intestine could contribute to changes in body weight, stool consistency and bleeding, all of which are commonly used as indices of severity of colitis. Beneficial or detrimental effects of therapeutic interventions could be attributable, at least in part, to modulation of injury and inflammation proximal to the colon.
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PMID:Dextran sulfate sodium induces pan-gastroenteritis in rodents: implications for studies of colitis. 2321