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Query: UMLS:C0017536 (giardiasis)
 1,714 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Intraepithelial lymphocyte counts were evaluated in 131 jejunal mucosal biopsies taken from children with a small intestinal enteropathy arising from a variety of causes including coeliac disease, (untreated, after gluten withdrawal, and during subsequent challenge), giardiasis, cow's milk protein intolerance, and 'intractable diarrhoea'. The counts were compared with those from the biopsies of children referred for investigation but in whom no gastrointestinal disease was demonstrated and from healthy siblings of children with coeliac disease, investigated during a family study. Children with coeliac disease showed a raised count which fell after gluten withdrawal as has been demonstrated by others in adults. Lymphocytic infiltration of the epithelium increased rapidly during gluten challenge in such children, while no change was seen in those children proven ultimately not to have coeliac disease by the usually recognized criteria. In other enteropathies the range of counts was wide, overlapping with both normal and coeliac groups and indicating the nonspecificity of lymphocytic infiltration of the gut epithelium. The findings are discussed in relation to their significance and to further avenues of investigation to determine their possible diagnostic value in confirming the diagnosis of coeliac disease during gluten challenge.
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PMID:Evaluation of the intraepithelial lymphocyte count in the jejunum in childhood enteropathies. 97 98

In June 1983, an outbreak of waterborne giardiasis occurred in a group of 93 university students and faculty participating in a geology field course in Colorado. All cases occurred in one subgroup of persons who were heavily exposed to untreated stream water on a field trip, and the risk of illness was strongly related to the amount of untreated stream water consumed. The median incubation period from a brief exposure to the first symptom was 7 days. The authors compared symptoms and stool sample results among 31 Giardia-positive persons in the exposed group and 36 Giardia-negative participants in an unexposed group to assess several case definitions for acute giardiasis. Diarrhea, abdominal cramps, flatulence, foul-smelling stools, nausea, excessive tiredness, bloating, anorexia, and chills were each significantly more common in the first group than in the second. A giardiasis case definition of 5 days or more of diarrhea--the definition used in many epidemiologic studies of giardiasis--had a specificity of 100 percent but a sensitivity of only 32.2 percent compared with a definition based on results of stool examinations. When a case was defined as an illness lasting 7 days or more, with a combination of two or more of six symptoms (diarrhea, flatulence, foul-smelling stools, nausea, abdominal cramps, and excessive tiredness), sensitivity rose to 73 percent, with a specificity of 88 percent. Such a case definition may be an improvement over that of 5 days of diarrhea, especially in outbreaks where there is good laboratory documentation that Giardia is the etiologic agent. The definition should be validated in other outbreaks and in situations where giardiasis must be distinguished from gastrointestinal disease caused by other agents.
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PMID:Acute giardiasis: an improved clinical case definition for epidemiologic studies. 199 3

Giardiasis is a common infection, and many of its symptoms are similar to those of Crohn's disease. Despite a long discussion on the role of microbiologic agents in Crohn's disease, giardiasis has never been investigated. We studied giardiasis as assessed by the occurrence of cysts in 86 patients with Crohn's disease, in 82 patients with other gastrointestinal disease, and in 52 patients without gastrointestinal disease. In addition, in 20 patients with Crohn's disease the effects of metronidazole on giardiasis and disease activity were studied. Frequency of giardiasis was 61.6% in patients with Crohn's disease, 31.7% in patients with other gastrointestinal disease, and 5.8% in the control group (p less than 0.01). Stool frequency, disease activity, and humoral signs of inflammation in patients with Crohn's disease showed no relationship to giardiasis. All but two patients treated with metronidazole became free of cysts. Crohn's disease activity index decreased in 14 of 20 patients (p less than 0.05). In conclusion, giardiasis is a common finding in patients with Crohn's disease. Treatment of giardiasis can, in individual cases of Crohn's disease, result in a quick recovery from symptoms of high disease activity.
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PMID:Crohn's disease is frequently complicated by giardiasis. 322 99

The protozoan Giardia lamblia has frequently been identified as the cause of epidemic gastrointestinal disease. Overseas travel (to both Third-World and industrialized countries), contaminated mountain streams and malfunctioning city water-supply systems are often cited as contributing factors. Giardiasis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of persistent diarrhea and other abdominal pain syndromes of unknown etiology. Aggressive diagnostic testing is required to identify the parasite. Appropriate treatment is highly successful.
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PMID:Giardiasis. 745 21

Giardia is the best known cause of protozoal gastrointestinal disease in North America, producing significant but not life-threatening gastrointestinal distress and diarrhea. Although diagnosis of giardiasis may be challenging, treatment is usually successful. Entamoeba histolytica poses a rarer but far more difficult clinical challenge. Dysentery caused by E. histolytica may be the most feared intestinal protozoal infection, although Cryptosporidium parvum, Balantidium coli, Isospora belli, Sarcocystis species and other newly described protozoa also may cause diarrhea in healthy individuals and may result in intractable, life-threatening illness in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome or other immunosuppressive diseases. Certain protozoa once considered relatively unimportant, such as Cryptosporidium, are now recognized as significant causes of morbidity even in the United States, since transmission readily occurs through contaminated water.
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PMID:Intestinal protozoa. 905 17

Giardiasis, a gastrointestinal disease caused by Giardia intestinalis is endemic in Malaysia. The prevalence rate has been reported to range from 1.4% to 11.1%. The present study was undertaken between 1992-1994 in three health districts in three states viz. Pahang, Negeri Sembilan and Selangor. Seven thousand five hundred and fifty seven (7557) primary school children between the ages of 6-12 years from the lower socio-economic groups were screened. The prevalence was 0.21%. The study suggests that improved water supply, toilet facilities and sanitation have lowered the prevalence of a waterborne disease in the areas surveyed.
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PMID:Prevalence of giardiasis among Malaysian primary school children. 1096 37

Several reports have indicated that fecal elastase-1 (EL-1) determination is a new, sensitive, and specific noninvasive pancreatic function test; however, very few patients with malabsorption due to small intestine diseases have been included in the previous studies. The aim of the study was to compare the diagnostic accuracy of fecal EL-1 and fecal chymotrypsin (FCT) in distinguishing between pancreatic maldigestion and intestinal malabsorption. Three groups of subjects were studied: group A included 49 patients with known cystic fibrosis (25 males, median age 5 years); group B included 43 subjects with various small intestine diseases (17 males, median age 6 years); and group C included 45 children without any history of gastrointestinal disease (22 males, median age 5 years). In all patients, stools were collected for 72 h on a standard diet and fecal EL-1, FCT, and steatocrit tests were performed. Both EL-1 and FCT were below normal limits in all CF patients with pancreatic maldigestion not treated with pancreatic enzyme (100% sensitivity for both assays); El-1, but not FCT, was also below normal in all the CF patients with pancreatic maldigestion treated with pancreatic extracts. Both EL-1 and FCT values in the CF group were significantly lower than in subjects with various small intestinal diseases and in children without any history of gastrointestinal disease (P < 0.0001). FCT, but not EL-1, values showed an inverse statistically significant correlation with steatocrit values in the whole CF group (P < 0.001); FCT was below normal in three of four CF patients with steatorrhea on pancreatic enzyme therapy. Both EL-1 and FCT had 100% specificity when calculated in children without any history of gastrointestinal disease; in contrast, specificity was 86% for EL-1 and 76% for FCT if we considered the control group with small intestinal diseases: low EL-1 was observed in two cases of intestinal giardiasis, two cases of short bowel syndrome, one case of celiac disease, and one case of intestinal pseudobstruction; FCT was abnormal in four cases of intestinal giardiasis, three cases of celiac disease, one case of short bowel syndrome, one case of Crohn's disease, and one case of intestinal pseudobstruction. Diagnostic accuracy was 92% for fecal EL-1 and 82% for FCT. Steatocrit values were over the normal limit in 11 patients with small intestine diseases; in 7/11 of these patients at least one of the pancreatic test results was below the normal limit. In conclusions, in patients with CF, fecal EL-1 determination is not more sensitive than FCT in identifying pancreatic maldigestion; however, fecal EL-1 assay is more specific than FCT determination in distinguishing pancreatic maldigestion from intestinal malabsorption.
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PMID:Diagnostic accuracy of fecal elastase 1 assay in patients with pancreatic maldigestion or intestinal malabsorption: a collaborative study of the Italian Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Hepatology. 1141 13

An increasing number of laboratory tests are available for diagnosis of gastrointestinal tract diseases in dogs and cats. Use of these tests can lead to more accurate and rapid diagnoses. This review discusses laboratory tests, both new and old, and the role they currently play in the evaluation of animals presented with gastrointestinal problems. A minimum database helps assess the severity of the disorder, detect extra-gastrointestinal causes of problems and assists in formulating diagnostic and therapeutic plans. Faecal examination remains one of the most important diagnostic procedures in the investigation of gastrointestinal problems. Zinc sulphate faecal flotation is an excellent routine screening technique for helminth and protozoal infections, including giardiasis. Rectal cytology can assist in the diagnosis of large bowel disorders. Interpretation of faecal immunodiagnostic tests is hampered by insufficient knowledge of test sensitivities and specificities. Routine faecal cultures are not warranted and faecal occult blood tests are rarely indicated. Serum tests for gastric inflammation are now under development. The serum trypsin-like immunoreactivity test remains the gold standard technique for the diagnosis of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. Breath hydrogen tests can be helpful in assessing the functional relevance of mild abnormalities in small-bowel biopsy specimens. Subnormal concentrations of serum cobalamin appear to be more specific indicators of gastrointestinal disease in cats than in dogs. Tests for small intestinal bacterial overgrowth remain controversial and assessment of gastrointestinal permeability has yet to prove its value in the diagnostic assessment of companion animals with gastrointestinal problems. Faecal alpha1-protease inhibitor shows promise for the diagnosis of protein-losing enteropathy.
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PMID:Laboratory procedures for the diagnosis of gastrointestinal tract diseases of dogs and cats. 1603 43

Chronic exposure to toxicants alters immune function that can affect the ability of the host to mount a response to infection. Giardiasis is a gastrointestinal disease in which subtle alteration in immunity of the host can transform the normal acute infection into a chronic one. In this work we used a murine giardiasis model to evaluate the effect of chronic oral intoxication with sodium arsenite on the characteristics of giardiasis. BALB/c mice were intoxicated during 45 days with water containing 50, 125 or 250 microg/mL sodium arsenite. Each group was then inoculated with G. muris cysts. Cysts excreted in the feces were isolated and quantified. The toxic effect of arsenic on intestinal trophozoites was evaluated using G. lamblia trophozoites cultured in vitro with different arsenic concentrations, corresponding to equivalent concentrations of arsenic found in the gut lumen of intoxicated mice. Mice intoxicated with 125 and 250 microg/mL of sodium arsenite and infected with G. muris cysts displayed a shorter period of cysts excretion and were resistant to secondary infection with the parasite. In vitro studies showed that G. lamblia trophozoites were able to grow in presence of high sodium arsenite concentrations, suggesting the absence of a direct toxic effect on the parasite in the gut. Since a longer period of Giardia cysts excretion is associated with suppression of the immune system, the earlier clearance of primary G. muris infection in intoxicated mice suggests the induction of an immune modification that leads to an improved ability of mice to overcome the infection.
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PMID:Effect of oral chronic intoxication with sodium arsenite on murine giardiasis. 1641 70

Giardia duodenalis is a flagellated protist that causes gastrointestinal disease throughout the world. In the Philippines, study on G. duodenalis is limited. It is also believed that prevalence rates of this organism in the country are underestimated. In this study, stool samples from residents living in a slum area in Manila were collected. These were examined under microscopy for identification of common helminthic and protistan parasites. Results showed that 22.05% of 2,354 stool samples collected contained Giardia cysts. A fraction of samples (n = 133) positive for Giardia cysts were set aside. Genomic DNA was extracted from these samples and a polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism procedure based on the organism's triose phosphate isomerase gene was utilized. This particular procedure is capable of distinguishing assemblages or genotypes within G. duodenalis. The highest identified assemblage was Assemblage B (86.47%). The two genotypes of Assemblage A were also detected. This is the first report on the identification of genotypes of G. duodenalis in the Philippines. The results of this study can serve as basis for future control and prevention of giardiasis and parasitism in the country.
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PMID:Genotyping of Giardia duodenalis isolates among residents of slum area in Manila, Philippines. 1740 23


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