Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0024523 (malabsorption)
 7,319 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Sixteen male patients with stable chronic obstructive airways disease were separated into two groups of eight according to arterial carbon dioxide tensions. Hypercapnia was associated with lower arterial oxygen tensions, higher red cell volume, and increased weight, while normocapnic subjects were decidedly thin. The considerable difference in body weight between the two groups could not be explained by variation in caloric intake, and malabsorption was excluded as a cause of weight loss in the underweight subjects. Serum tri-iodothyronine, thyroxine, cortisol, and oestradiol concentrations were similar and normal in each group, but both groups had significantly low testosterone values as compared with controls, values in the hypercapnic being appreciably lower than in the normocapnic group. The adrenal androgen dehydroepiandrosterone was significantly high in the normocapnic group and low in the hypercapnic group compared with controls. Serum pituitary luteinising and follicle stimulating hormones were normal, but three hypercapnic individuals had high serum prolactin values. Early morning urinary aldosterone values were significantly higher in the hypercapnic than in the normocapnic group. Such hormone comparisons have not previously been made in subjects with chronic obstructive airways disease grouped according to arterial blood gas values, and it is concluded that major alterations in adrenal and testicular function may occur, possibly due to pituitary suppression from hypoxia. Such hormonal changes might in part account for the contrasting alterations in body habitus found in this condition.
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PMID:Diet, absorption, and hormone studies in relation to body weight in obstructive airways disease. 54 19

The essentiality of zinc for humans was recognized in the early 1960s. The causes of zinc deficiency include malnutrition, alcoholism, malabsorption, extensive burns, chronic debilitating disorders, chronic renal disease, certain diuretics, the use of chelating agents such as penicillamine for Wilson's disease, and genetic disorders such as acrodermatitis enteropathica and sickle cell disease. The requirement of zinc is increased in pregnancy and during the growing age period. The clinical manifestations in severe cases of zinc deficiency included bullous-pustular dermatitis, alopecia, diarrhoea, emotional disorder, weight loss, intercurrent infections, hypogonadism in males and it is fatal if untreated. A moderate deficiency of zinc is characterized by growth retardation and delayed puberty in adolescents, hypogonadism in males, rough skin, poor appetite, mental lethargy, delayed wound healing, taste abnormalities and abnormal dark adaptation. In mild cases of zinc deficiency in human subjects, we have observed oligospermia, slight weight loss and hyperammonaemia. Zinc is a growth factor. As a result of its deficiency, growth is affected adversely in many animal species and in man. Inasmuch as zinc is needed for protein and DNA synthesis and cell division, it is believed that the growth effect of zinc is related to its effect on protein synthesis. Testicular functions are affected adversely as a result of zinc deficiency in both humans and experimental animals. This effect of zinc is at the end organ level and the hypothalamic--pituitary axis is intact in zinc-deficient subjects. Inasmuch as zinc is intimately involved in a cell division, its deficiency may adversely affect testicular size and thus its function. In mice, the incidence of degenerate oocytes, and hypohaploidy and hyperhaploidy in metaphase II oocytes were increased due to zinc deficiency. Zinc at physiological concentrations reduced prolactin secretion from the pituitary in vitro and it has been suggested that this trace element may have a role in the in vivo regulation of prolactin release. Thymopoietin, a hormone needed for T-cell maturation, has also been shown to be zinc dependent. It is clear that zinc may have several roles in biochemical and hormonal functions of various endocrine organs. Future research in this area is very much needed.
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PMID:Clinical, endocrinological and biochemical effects of zinc deficiency. 390 80

The requirement of zinc for humans was recognized in the early 1960s. The causes of zinc deficiency include malnutrition, alcoholism, malabsorption, extensive burns, chronic debilitating disorders, and chronic renal diseases; use of certain drugs such as penicillamine and, in some cases, diuretics; and genetic disorders such as acrodermatitis enteropathica and sickle cell disease. The requirement of zinc is increased in pregnancy and during growth. The clinical manifestations of severe zinc deficiency include bullous-pustular dermatitis, alopecia, diarrhea, emotional disorder, weight loss, intercurrent infections, and hypogonadism in males; zinc deficiency can be fatal if unrecognized and untreated. A moderate deficiency of zinc is characterized by growth retardation and delayed puberty in adolescents, hypogonadism in males, rough skin, poor appetite, mental lethargy, delayed wound healing, taste abnormalities, and abnormal dark adaptation. In mild cases of zinc deficiency in human subjects, we have observed oligospermia, slight weight loss, and hyperammonemia. Zinc is a growth factor. As a result of its deficiency, growth is affected adversely in many animal species and humans, probably because zinc is needed for protein and DNA synthesis and cell division. The effects of zinc and growth hormone on growth appear to be independent of each other in experimental animals. Whether zinc is required for the metabolism of somatomedin needs further investigation. Thyroid and adrenal functions do not appear to change as a result of zinc deficiency. Glucocorticoids may have an effect on zinc metabolism, although the clinical relevance of this effect is not known at present. In contrast, testicular function is affected adversely as a result of zinc deficiency in both humans and experimental animals. The effect appears to be a direct one since the hypothalamic-pituitary axis is intact, and may relate to the reduction in testicular size as a result of the need for zinc in cell division. In addition, zinc is required for the function of several testicular enzymes, although a specific role in steroidogenesis has not been identified. Zinc appears to have a role in the modulation of prolactin secretion, in the secretion and action of insulin, and in the production and biologic effects of thymic hormones. It is clear that the endocrine consequences of zinc deficiency are multiple, and that continued investigation should provide additional pathophysiologic and therapeutic insights.
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PMID:Clinical, endocrinologic, and biochemical effects of zinc deficiency. 391 98

3 conditions may be responsible for absence of menstruation in women taking the minipill: pregnancy, extrauterine pregnancy, or endometrial atrophy which is the most frequent cause but should be treated only after the other 2 possibilities are excluded. The most frequent cause of pregnancy while taking minipills is error in pill consumption due to forgetting, but malabsorption due to vomiting less than 2 hours after taking the pill or an interaction with some other medication may be responsible. The possibility of extrauterine pregnancy should be systematically considered, and the possibility that a micropill and not a minipill is involved should be ruled out. With a sequential minipill contraceptive efficacy does not reach 100% but iatrogenic amenorrhea is infrequent because of the strong dose of ethinyl estradiol. In the case of a preexisting amenorrhea that does not respond to the estrogen or progestin dose, a prolactin adenoma may be suspected. After 2 consecutive beta tests of pregnancy 8 days apart have been negative, it may be concluded that endometrial atrophy is the cause of the amenorrhea. Unprotected sexual relations should be avoided and the patient should be given a fast-acting combined oral contraceptive such as Lutestral to induce bleeding, after which the minipill can be resumed. If unprotected intercourse occurs there is a risk of pregnancy since amenorrhea and anovulation are not synonymous. A morning after pill can be used if the unprotected sexual relations occurred within the last 72 hours. If a pill was forgotten or probably forgotten before the emenorrhea, the most prudent attitude would be to consider the pill to have been ineffective during the preceding 21 days and to test for pregnancy. Unprotected intercourse should be avoided, a fast-acting combination pill should be prescribed to induce bleeding, and the minipill should then be resumed. Amenorrhea in the 1st month of use after an abortion is not significant. This secondary effect of the minipill should be explained to the patient to avoid unnecessary worry.
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PMID:[Do's and don'ts in treating amenorrhea in women taking the minipill]. 1226 2

In the past, celiac disease (CD), or intolerance to gluten, was considered a rare disease of infancy characterized by chronic diarrhea with malabsorption and delayed growth. Besides the overt enteropathy, there are other clinic and subclinical forms which appear later in life. Target organs are not limited to the gut, but include liver, thyroid, skin and female and male reproductive systems. CD interference on reproduction is related to the multifactorial nature of the disease, whose pathological manifestations can be modulated, besides gluten, by different concurrent genetic and environmental factors. CD induces malabsorption with consequent deficiencies of micronutrients such as iron, folic acid and vitamin K, which are essential for organogenesis, and fat-soluble vitamins important for spermatogenesis. Regarding endocrine disorders, the deficiencies of specific trace elements on ovarian function could explain its involvement in the increased risk of female osteoporosis in CD patients. Affected males show a picture of tissue resistance to androgens; the increases of follicle-stimulating hormone and prolactin, not associated with infertility, may indicate an imbalance at hypothalamus-pituitary level, with general effects on health. Since reproductive alterations are reversible, adoption of a gluten-free diet supported by early diagnosis is important. Therefore, the detection of early biomarkers, such as deficiencies of vitamins and/or iron and andrological or endocrinological dysfunctions, should trigger timely strategies for prevention and treatment.
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PMID:[Reproductive aspects of celiac disease]. 1625 Jan 82

Aggressive giant invasive pituitary adenomas refractory to standard surgical or medical treatment remain a genuine challenge. In addition, communicating hydrocephalus (CH) attributed to malabsorption of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) developing after radiotherapy for pituitary adenomas has not been previously reported. Herein, we describe the case of a 48-year-old male presenting with a giant atypical prolactinoma refractory to previous therapies, including pharmacotherapy and repetitive surgery. He underwent image-guided fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy in 28 fractions, resulting in early manifestation of CH associated with undisputed, both radiological and hormonal response. He recovered well after a shunt placement, with otherwise favorable consequences such as sustained tumor regression, decreasing prolactin level, and retained visual function for a 22-month follow-up. Fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy would provide a viable treatment alternative for these refractory cases, while caution should be exercised regarding the possibility of iatrogenic CH.
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PMID:Early manifestation of communicating hydrocephalus after fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy for aggressive giant atypical prolactinoma. 2477 68