Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0017536 (giardiasis)
 1,714 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Hypochlorhydria by compromising the defence mechanisms of the upper gastrointestinal tract predisposes to intestinal bacterial and parasitic infections. Achlorhydria predisposes to anaerobic colonization of the small intestine; colonization is far greater than in normal subjects even with partial neutralization of their gastric acidity after a meal. The best evidence for increased incidence of specific bacterial infection in the presence of achlorhydria relates to the nontyphoid salmonelloses. There is also strongly suggestive evidence in cholera. Among parasitic infections, the most impressive evidence relates to giardiasis and strongyloidiasis. In some instances, the infections themselves may also cause hypochlorhydria. Longitudinal studies are required. Whether patients receiving H2-receptor antagonists are unduly vulnerable to gastrointestinal infections is unclear. The importance of hypochlorhydria in 'Third World' populations, in whom gastrointestinal infections are extremely common, especially in infancy, is, at present, also impossible to evaluate.
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PMID:Infective gastroenteritis and its relationship to reduced gastric acidity. 392 41

Giardia lamblia infection may be asymptomatic or may produce diarrhea with or without malabsorption. Many drugs were used for treatment of giardiasis, but none proved to be ideal since all have potential troublesome side effects as they are absorbed from the intestine. In this study, a locally acting drug aminosidine-sulphate (gabbroral) has been tried in treatment of experimental giardiasis in a rat model under different conditions of gastric acidity which is one of the main local factors affecting the pathogenicity of the organism. The best results were obtained in the group with hyperacidity which was induced by indomethacin (indocid) with significant improvement in the pathological picture and parasitic count. While in experimental animals with normal acidity there was only partial eradication of the parasite. However, in the group with hypoacidity induced by cimetidine (cimetex), the drug showed no beneficial effects since most organisms invaded the deeper layers of the intestine escaping the local action of the drug.
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PMID:Aminosidine sulphate in experimental giardiasis. 760 72

One hundred and two patients suffering from giardiasis and/or chronic gastritis were subjected for upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Purified immune rabbit's serum against Giardia lamblia was used in ELISA and immunoperoxidase (IIP) techniques for detection of Giardia antigen in the stomach. Results showed that out of 70 cases with intestinal giardiasis, 8 (11.4%) by ELISA and 6 (8.6%) by IIP showed gastric giardiasis. Higher percentage of gastric giardiasis (14%) was encountered in cases with both giardiasis and chronic gastritis (50) than in cases with giardiasis alone (5%) but with statistically insignificant difference (P > 0.05). None of the cases with chronic gastritis alone (without giardiasis) was positive for gastric giardiasis. Dyspepsia was the main presenting symptom in cases with gastric giardiasis (P < 0.05) with significant (P < 0.05) association. Helicobacter pylori was encountered in 6 out of 8 cases (75%) with gastric giardiasis (P < 0.05) with significant (P < 0.05) association. Duodenogastric reflux was detected in 4 out of 8 cases (50%). Histopathological changes in antral mucosa were detected in all cases of gastric giardiasis. This study indicates that under abnormal circumstances most probably with decreased gastric acidity, gastric giardiasis can occur in concomitance with intestinal giardiasis. So, one has to search for Giardia in gastric biopsies, particularly those showing chronic atrophic gastritis and H. pylori. Also, one has to be aware of gastric giardiasis as a possible cause of upper gastrointestinal symptoms.
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PMID:Giardia lamblia and chronic gastritis. 875 56

All vertebrates produce gastric acid. Its main function is inactivation of ingested microorganisms. The majority of microbiological pathogens ingested never reaches the intestine because of the gastric barrier. Although gastric hypochlorhydria is fairly common due to atrophic gastritis, gastric surgery or use of inhibitors of gastric acid secretion, the resulting susceptibility to infection has not been studied extensively. Drug-induced blockade of acid secretion leads to gastrointestinal bacterial overgrowth; the clinical significance of this is still controversial. Gastric acidity is known to protect against non-typhoid salmonellosis and cholera and it is suspected that it protects against several parasitic diseases as giardiasis and strongyloides. There is a lack of studies focusing on the impact of the gastric acidic barrier on viral infections. Concerning prion infections only a single study has been performed, demonstrating a possible role of gastric acidity in the protection against foodborne prion disease in mice. The combination of malnutrition and hypochlorhydria may contribute to the high prevalence of gastrointestinal infections in developing countries. Further studies are needed to evaluate the clinical consequences of impaired gastric acidity with respect to susceptibility to infections.
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PMID:Gastric juice: a barrier against infectious diseases. 1567 70