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Query: UMLS:C0024523 (malabsorption)
 7,319 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

In this paper, the intestinal bacterial flora is described and the functions of permanent bacterial flora and its individual members is discussed. The pertinent publications about the factors which effects the bacterial flora and specially relations between intestinal parasites and bacterial flora is reviewed. Among these parasites giardia, amoebae, B. coli and Ascaris may change bacterial population by causing malabsorption syndromes. Some drugs used in treatment of parasitic infestations may have harmful effects on normal intestinal bacterial flora. In parasitic diseases the probable floral changes could be looked for and taken into the consideration for a successful treatment of the patients.
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PMID:[The effect of parasites on enteric bacterial flora]. 55 90

Forty adult patients having intestinal infestation with giardia or with parasitic associations, such as giardia-strongiloides, giardia-taenia solium, were subjected to morphological explorations, iron and vitamin B12 absorption tests, steatorrhea assay and serological tests, before treatment as well as six months and one year after eradication of the infection. On admittance, jejunal morphological lesions were noted only in 15 cases especially in associated infestation, iron depletion in six patients, vitamin B12 malabsorption in five patients and steatorrhea only in two cases. After the lapse of six months and one year, respectively, all the tests ranged within normal values, and the jejunal morphological aspect improved significantly indicating the pathogenetic role of intestinal parasites in the development of selective malabsorption.
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PMID:Absorption studies in patients with parasitic infestation of the small intestine, before and after treatment. 94 94

Growth of bacteria greater than 10-5 organisms/ml was found in 22 children, of whom 17 gave a histroy of chronic diarrhoea. The other 8 children had either no diarrhoea or where having an acute attack lasting for a few days. In those with chronic diarrhoea, Esch. coli, bacteroides, and enterococci tended to occur more frequently, whereas streptococci occurred more frequently in those with acute diarrhoea. Bacilli, staphylococci, micrococci, klebsiellas, pseudomonads, and candidas often occurred in both groups and in large numbers in those with chronic diarrhoea. This confirms previous reports in other parts of the world that some children with malnutrition have considerable bacterial contamination of the jejunum, and that this may be of aetiological significance as a cause of much of the diarrhoea seen in malnourished children. It is possible too that this may be important in the pathogenesis of malnutrition. The presence of intestinal parasites in these malnourished children is also noted. A double-blind trial in the use of antibiotics in this condition is advocated to determine whether it is possible to break the diarrhoea-malabsorption-malnutrition cycle. At the same time the effect of simply removing the child to a more sanitary environment, together with an estimate of the natural clearance of bacteria from the upper intestine, should be evaluated.
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PMID:Jejunal microflora in malnourished Gambian children. 109 72

Hydrogen breath tests were performed in Gabon (Central Africa) after a loading dose of lactose in 67 well-nourished African children (50 with intestinal parasites and 17 unparasitized) and in 18 unparasitized young adults. All had normal nutritional status, and none had diarrhea or digestive symptoms. Parasites that were found included Ascaris lumbricoides in 76% of the parasitized children, Trichuris trichiura in 58%, Giardia in 24%, Entamoeba histolytica in 20%, Schistosoma intercalatum in 16%, and Necator Americanus in 14%. A similar proportion of parasitized (64%) or unparasitized (62.8%) subjects were lactose malabsorbers. Giardia infection was associated with a higher, but not significantly different, proportion of lactose intolerance (10 of 12, 83.3%). The presence of infection with A. lumbricoides or T. trichiura did not increase the percentage of lactose malabsorption. These data indicate that a decrease of lactase activity in well-nourished African children is not related to the presence or the importance of Ascaris or other intestinal parasites if the nutritional status is normal.
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PMID:Influence of intestinal parasitism on lactose absorption in well-nourished African children. 153 47

In summary, it appears that giardiasis, coccidiosis, cryptosporidiosis, strongyloidiasis, capillariasis and perhaps P. falciparum malaria are the only parasitic diseases which cause malabsorption of many nutrients. D. latum and A. lumbricoides interfere with vitamin B12 and vitamin A absorption, respectively. In view of the increasing use of immunosuppressive therapy, it is likely that malabsorption caused by intestinal parasites may become even more evident in the future.
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PMID:Parasites and malabsorption. 640 70

In humans as well as in animals, intestinal parasites can affect key stages of alimentation, digestion, and absorption. Selected examples of the effects of parasitic infection on food intake, intestinal propulsion and motility, organ function, epithelial structure and function, and intestinal circulation are presented. Malabsorption and nutrient loss can result from many of these common infections. Additional data are needed to determine the extent to which alterations in gastrointestinal structure and function vs. effects on appetite mediate the effects of parasites on host nutrition in humans.
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PMID:Impact of intestinal parasites on digestive function in humans. 669 44

Three-hundred Aboriginal people five to 70 yr have been studied at three missions in the north west of Australia-Beagle Bay, Lombadina and One Arm Point. The prevalence of hypozincaemia and hypercupraemia (a departure of more than 2 S.D. from the expected normal) has been assessed. Plasma iron concentration was determined. Half of the individuals had hypozincaemia and for some age groups the prevalence was greater (almost 100% for 15 to 20-year-old females at Lombadina). Hypercupraemia was prevalent and ranged from 70 to 100% for most age groups. Hypoferraemia was detected frequently. By the use of anthropometric methods the children were found to be growth retarded and to have reduced weight for height. These people are known to be infected with intestinal parasites which cause bleeding into the bowel or malabsorption which can cause losses of zinc or failure of adsorption. They prefer unleavened bread which contains phytic acid which inhibits zinc absorption. The soil is zinc deficient and the climate conducive to large losses of zinc in sweat. Geophagia is practiced and pica is found to occur in children. Preliminary evidence of elevated copper status is available. We speculate that growth failure may be related to zinc deficiency or copper toxicity.
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PMID:Zinc, copper and environmental factors in the aboriginal peoples of the North West. 694 43

Giardia is one of the most frequently isolated intestinal protozoa and is found worldwide in both developing and more developed countries. Clinical aspects of human infection with Giardia range from the asymptomatic carrier state to severe malabsorption. Host-related factors, parasite-related factors, and host-parasite interactions affect the outcome of infection, with social, environmental, and climactic factors influencing the prevalence of Giardia infection. The author collected a single stool specimen from each of 1100 children aged 6-14 years of both sexes from urban and rural schools to investigate the prevalence of intestinal parasites among primary school children in northern Jordan. Questionnaires on relevant information were completed for each child. Giardia lamblia was observed in 396 (36%) of the 1100 stool specimens analyzed. 41.3% were infected in the 6-9 year old group, 30% in the 9-12 year old group, and 27.7% in the over 12 year old group. Several in the youngest group had diarrhea and reported variable symptoms. Rates were higher in children from rural areas, from children in families of relatively low income, and among males. Contaminated drinking water is suspected to be the major source of infection. The author discusses the importance of the asymptomatic cases and the epidemiological factors contributing to transmission in these areas.
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PMID:Prevalence of giardiasis among primary school children. 795 35

Often anaemia and other haematological changes are unrelated to primary diseases of the erythron but are secondary to gastrointestinal alterations, such as occult or overt blood loss or defective absorption of essential haemopoietic factors. This overview emphasizes, through the description of different pathological conditions, the fundamental role of the gastrointestinal tract in maintaining a normal haematological balance. This role is jeopardized in diseases related to the liver and to the various sections of the alimentary tract from the oesophagus to the rectum. Of primary importance in inducing haematological changes which may be modified by curing the primary condition are essentially the diseases of the small intestine, following malabsorption of iron, folic acid and vitamin B12, such as conditions associated with small intestine bacterial overgrowth, tropical sprue, gluten sensitive enteropathy whipple's disease and various infections with intestinal parasites. Moreover, the Authors briefly survey the other pathological conditions of the alimentary tract often associated with chronic bleeding. In this context of particular relevance are the screening procedures which may reveal the presence of occult bleeding caused by neoplastic diseases. It is important that the clinician be aware of this possibility and of the underlying physiopathological mechanism of the diseases of the alimentary tract, so that appropriate and timely therapeutic measures may be undertaken.
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PMID:Anaemias and other haematological changes due to disease of the alimentary tract. 821 Jun 28

Food- and waterborne coccidia including Cryptosporidium parvum, Cyclospora cayetanensis, Sarcocystis hominis and Sarcocystis suihominis, and Isospora belli are cyst-forming apicomplexan protozoa that cause intracellular infections, predominantly in the epithelial cells of the intestine. They are transmitted by oocysts from person-to-person by the fecal-oral route or via contaminated water or food. The most common symptom of infection is diarrhea, however, asymptomatic infections occur. Infections are associated with intestinal inflammation, with pathological lesions such as villus blunting, and abnormal function such as malabsorption. Mild-to-moderate, self-limiting diarrhea is common in healthy individuals ingesting infective stages of these organisms. However, patients with immune dysfunction can have severe intestinal injury and prolonged diarrhea. Diagnosis in many cases is made by a microscopic examination of the stool, and the use of appropriate staining techniques, but more recently molecular methods for detection are used increasingly. Effective antimicrobial treatment for prolonged infection in immunocompromised patients is available for most of these infections. These gastrointestinal coccidial pathogens have important similarities in epidemiology, disease pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and treatment. Although there are many other cyst-forming coccidia of public health, veterinary and/or economic importance, discussion in this chapter will be limited to C. cayetanensis, as an important example of the group. Aspects of the biology, epidemiology, diagnosis, disease, treatment and control are considered. This parasite is considered to be an emerging pathogen. From 1990 to 2000, there were 11 foodborne outbreaks of cyclosporosis in North America that affected at least 3600 people. There are many outstanding questions regarding this parasite and under-reporting is common because general diagnostic methods for intestinal parasites are inadequate for detection of Cyclospora.
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PMID:Cyclospora cayetanensis, a food- and waterborne coccidian parasite. 1556 80


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