Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0017168 (gastroesophageal reflux disease)
 11,783 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

In general, peptic ulcer disease during pregnancy is relatively rare. Certainly, gastroesophageal reflux symptomatology and hyperemesis gravidarum are the primary pregnancy-associated upper gastrointestinal tract illnesses. The symptoms of dyspepsia accompanies all three diagnoses and makes it difficult to determine whether peptic ulcer is playing a role in the patient's symptomatology. Patients with a previous history of complicated peptic ulcer diatheses should be suspected of having recurrent ulcer disease and treated accordingly. Endoscopy is not to be feared if needed to confirm a diagnosis of peptic ulcer disease or to aid in the diagnosis of the patient with upper gastrointestinal tract hemorrhage. There is thought to be some improvement in peptic ulcer disease with pregnancy, which may be secondary to lower gastric acid output and increased protective mucus production associated with elevated progesterone levels. This may afford some level of protection against this disease process in pregnant women. Patients who are smokers and have a previous history of peptic ulcer disease are at highest risk for ulcer disease during pregnancy. Multiple agents have been found to be relatively safe and effective for ulcer healing, with H2 antagonists the mainstay of therapy during pregnancy.
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PMID:Peptic ulcer disease in pregnancy. 147 37

Two major markers of virulence have been described in H. pylori. The first is a secreted protein (VacA) that is toxic to human cells in tissue culture. This cytotoxin causes vacuolation of epithelial cells in vitro and induces epithelial cell damage in mice. The second is a 40-Kb pathogenicity island for which the gene cagA (cytotoxin-associated gene A) is a marker. Approximately 60% of H. pylori isolates in Western countries are cagA+. The protein encoded by cagA+ has a molecular weight of 120-140 kDa and exhibits sequence heterogeneity among strains isolated from Western and Eastern countries. Although no specific function has been identified for CagA, there is increasing evidence that cagA+ strains are associated with increased intensity of gastric inflammation and increased mucosal concentration of particular cytokines including interleukin 8. Inactivation of picB (Hp 0544) or any of several other genes in the cag island ablates the enhanced IL-8 secretion of human gastric epithelial cells in tissue culture. Furthermore, persons colonized with cagA+ strains have an increased risk of developing more severe gastric diseases such as peptic ulcer and distal (non-cardia) gastric cancer than those harboring cagA- strains. We investigated the role of cagA status in both gastroduodenal and extragastroduodenal disease with H. pylori. Among the diseases limited to the antrum and body of the stomach and the duodenum, we demonstrated a correlation between CagA seropositivity and peptic ulcer disease. We also showed correlation between distal gastric cancer rated and CagA prevalence in populations in both developed and developing countries. In addition, we found that for several Asian populations, the relationship between CagA seropositivity and gastroduodenal diseases was complex. For extragastroduodenal diseases, our results confirmed previous reports that demonstrated that CagA status did not play a role in diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and hyperemesis gravidarum. However, we found a clear negative association between the presence of a positive response to CagA and esophageal diseases. Therefore, CagA seropositivity (and thus gastric carriage) is associated with increased risks of certain diseases (involving the lower stomach and duodenum) and decreased risks of GERD and its sequelae. This apparent paradox can best be explained by differences in the interaction of cagA+ and cagA- strains with their hosts.
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PMID:The role of CagA status in gastric and extragastric complications of Helicobacter pylori. 1069 63

The 13C-octanoic acid breath test is considered a useful tool to measure gastric emptying both in physiological and pathological conditions. Many studies have concerned functional dyspepsia. Recently, breath test has been used in predicting a delayed gastric emptying in subsets of dyspeptic symptoms. In detail only postprandial fullness and vomiting are resulted significantly correlated with delayed solid emptying. Besides in the patients with dyspepsia and irritable bowel syndrome associated, intestinal disturbances did not seem to contribute to delay gastric emptying. In diabetic patients octanoate test has confirmed the percentages of delayed emptying obtained by means of scintigraphy. In other organic states (celiac disease, cirrhosis, renal failure, neurological disease, etc) most of reports have proved a delayed emptying of solids. In GERD and ulcer disease gastric function is resulted normal, being accelerated in distal gastrectomy and in hyperemesis gravidarum. From pathophysiological point of view Helicobacter pylori, extrinsic autonomic neuropathy (apart from diabetes) and autoimmunity do not seem to relate with gastric emptying, both in functional and organic disease.
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PMID:13C-octanoic acid breath test in functional and organic disease: critical review of literature. 1645 24

This chapter on the gastrointestinal and hepatic systems in pregnancy focusses on those conditions that are frequent and troublesome (gastro-oesophageal reflux and constipation), distressing (hyperemesis gravidarum) or potentially fatal (obstetric cholestasis, acute fatty liver of pregnancy and HELLP (haemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, low platelets) syndrome). It also highlights the clinical challenge obstetricians may face in managing rare conditions such as the Budd-Chiari syndrome, liver transplantation, primary biliary cirrhosis and Wilson disease. The clinical presentation of liver and gastrointestinal dysfunction in pregnancy is not specific, and certain 'abnormalities' may represent physiological changes of pregnancy. Diagnosis and management are often difficult because of atypical symptoms, a reluctance to use invasive investigations and concerns about the teratogenicity of the medications. The best available evidence to manage these conditions is discussed in the chapter.
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PMID:Gastrointestinal and liver disease in pregnancy. 2420 84