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)

Amyloidosis nearly always goes along with manifestations of the gastrointestinal tract. It can mimic a variety of different clinical syndromes. Pathogenetically amyloidosis leads to an organ insufficiency due to local infiltration of amyloid or to replacement of tissue with amyloid fibrils. Characteristic ultrastructure is composed of an irregular network of fibrils without any periodicity. The topographic position gives an explanation for the intestinal symptoms. Involvement of the intramural nerve system is responsible for motility disorders like diarrhoea or constipation. In case of perivasal infiltration hemorrhage and inflammatory changes can be found, as well as malabsorption syndromes, when subepithelial amyloid layers are present. Electron microscopy therefore may contribute to the pathogenetic understanding of morphological findings in regard to clinical symptoms.
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PMID:[The ultrastructure of intestinal amyloidosis]. 726 1

Twenty-one stable hospitalized cystic fibrosis patients with malabsorption syndrome participated in an open-label crossover clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy of two-period dosing regimens of a pancreatic microtablet enzyme preparation in the treatment of steatorrhea. Standard dosing consisted of 500 U lipase/kg body weight/meal, 250 U lipase/kg body weight/snack; high dosing consisted of 1,500 U lipase/kg body weight/meal, 750 U lipase/kg body weight/snack. Doses were determined by units of lipase/kg body weight to provide dosing consistency among patients of varying size. Each patient was on a regular diet of approximately 100 g of fat per day. Two separate, 72-h stool collections were performed between markers. A significant difference in mean percentage fat absorbed between the standard dose and the high dose was found (86% versus 91%, p < 0.05). Subjects were then stratified into two groups, based on the grams of fecal fat eliminated (GFFE) as follows: Group 1 with < or = 7 GFFE/24 h on both dosages (n = 7) and Group 2 with > 7 GFFE/24 h on either dose (n = 14). A significant difference (p < 0.05) between Group 1 (96%) and Group 2 (88%) was noted in the percentage fat absorbed while on the high dose. Fat absorption improved from 81% to 88%, (p < 0.05) in Group 2. During the study period, the adverse reactions of constipation or elevated serum uric acid levels were not observed. The increased doses of pancreatic enzymes resulted in improved correction of steatorrhea.
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PMID:Comparison of weight-based dosages of enteric-coated microtablet enzyme preparations in patients with cystic fibrosis. 781 42

Chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction denotes the clinical picture that results due to the failure of intestinal peristalsis to overcome the normal resistance to flow and is characterized by recurrent episodes of signs and symptoms of intestinal obstruction in the absence of any mechanical compromise of the intestinal lumen. The region(s) of the gut affected may be isolated or diffuse. It is not uncommon to find evidence of autonomic neuropathy and smooth muscle dysfunction with extraintestinal manifestations such as urinary symptoms from abnormal ureter or bladder function. Intestinal pseudo-obstruction can be caused by a variety of diseases, and for simplicity, certain authors have divided it into myopathic and neuropathic categories. Intestinal pseudo-obstruction may present at any age with a variable amount of abdominal pain, distension, nausea, diarrhea, or constipation and with laboratory abnormalities usually reflecting the degree of malabsorption and malnutrition present. The radiologic findings are varied but commonly include paralytic ileus or signs of apparent clinical obstruction with dilated loops of bowel. The number of pseudo-obstruction cases is dependent on how one defines the condition. It appears prudent to require radiographic abnormalities consistent with obstruction on a plain film of the abdomen for the diagnosis. More recently, studies have focused on the gastrointestinal manometric abnormalities of the stomach and small intestine in chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction during fasting and fed states; however, sensitivity and specificity of these abnormalities are not well defined. Treatment is aimed at limiting symptoms and maintaining adequate nutrition. Prokinetic agents should be tried in an attempt to restore normal intestinal propulsion. However, their overall efficacy appears to be variable. It is still too premature to consider intestinal pacing or small bowel transplantation in this condition. Surgical approaches to chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction should be limited to patients refractory to medical therapy, and even then, an approach focused on the patient's primary presenting symptoms should be considered.
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PMID:Chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction. 854 80

The pathophysiology and treatment of colonic motility disorders are reviewed. Colonic dysfunction is a common reason for patients to seek medical care, although patients' perceptions may not reflect abnormal function. Abnormalities in colonic function can result from a primary disorder of the large intestine or from metabolic, neurologic, collagen vascular, neoplastic, or infectious diseases. Irritable bowel syndrome, a common disorder of colonic motility, can be caused by alterations in colonic neuromuscular functions, afferent neural function, or psychosocial factors. Colonic dysmotility can also result from malabsorption of carbohydrates. The most severe form of altered colonic motility is acute colonic pseudo-obstruction. Diagnostic studies should be limited to tests appropriate for the patient's symptoms and apparent severity of disease. Most motility disorders are functional disorders and do not result in abnormal studies. Pharmacotherapy should be directed by objective measures, the most useful of which are measurement of whole gut transit time and quantification of the water content of stools. Treatment should be determined by the nature of the disorder and the symptoms involved. For constipation, treatment should begin with changes in diet, fluid and fiber intake, and concurrent medications. Irritant laxatives can have damaging effects and should not be used habitually; however, polyethylene glycol-based purgatives can be helpful. Newer prokinetic agents, such as cisapride, have been shown to promote colonic motility. For selected patients with intractable constipation, surgery has a good success rate. For patients with functional diarrhea, opioid analogues can increase fluid absorption and delay transit.
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PMID:Challenges in the treatment of colonic motility disorders. 893 27

Jejunoileal diverticula are estimated to occur in 1-5% of the population. The incidence increases with age, peaking at the sixth and seventh decades. The pathogenesis is believed to involve an acquired defect of the intestinal smooth muscle or myenteric plexus. Eighty percent of jejunoileal diverticula are localized to the jejunum, 15% to the ileum, and 5% to both. Diverticula in the jejunum tend to be large and multiple, whereas those in the ileum are small and solitary. Symptoms of intermittent abdominal pain, flatulence, diarrhea, and constipation are reported in 10-30% of patients with jejunoileal diverticula. The radiographic diagnosis of these diverticula is difficult to establish. Enteroclysis should be reserved for patients who have persistent abdominal pain despite nonrevealing endoscopic and contrast enhanced studies of the upper and lower gastrointestinal tracts. Asymptomatic jejunoileal diverticula should be managed conservatively. Complications occur in 6-10% of patients and include obstruction, diverticulitis, hemorrhage, perforation, malabsorption, and chronic debilitating abdominal pain. When surgical therapy is indicated, intestinal resection with primary anastomosis is the preferred treatment.
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PMID:Jejunoileal diverticula. 907 21

Although patients with Hirschsprung's disease (HD) carry some factors that increase the risk of urolithiasis this fact seems to be underestimated. Among 302 patients with HD, four patients (1.32%) with urolithiasis were encountered. Since factors increasing the risk of urolithiasis such as urinary tract infection, constipation, vesicoureteral reflux, enteric resections and malabsorption may be encountered during the course of HD, an increased risk of urolithiasis in these patients should be expected.
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PMID:Urolithiasis in patients with Hirschsprung's disease. 924

Coeliac disease is an intolerance to gluten that classically produces a chronic diarrhoea with a picture of malabsorption and a total villous atrophy. These elements regress completely in a sequential way under a prolonged strict gluten-free diet. The progress registered in the understanding of this affection depends on the individualization of the atypical forms (delayed isolated stature, constipation...) of asymptomatic forms thanks to the study of specific antibodies (anti-gliadin, anti-endomysium, and more recently anti-transglutaminase). The auto-immune nature of coeliac disease is well established. The diagnostic criteria are simplified allowing the commencement of a gluten-free diet which must be perfectly detailed. Finally, allergy to wheat flour merits individualization in the framework of coeliac disease (cf. article).
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PMID:[Celiac disease: clinical and subclinical forms]. 1201 89

Hypomagnesemia is seen in 11% of the normal hospital population and in up to 65% of severely ill patients, and can have many causes. The clinical picture may comprise the signs of Chvostek and Trousseau, paraesthesias, tremor and convulsions, although asymptomatic hypomagnesemia is seen most often. Hypomagnesemia can be treated by parenteral or oral administration of magnesium, guided by the serum magnesium level. Parenteral magnesium suppletion is indicated if the concentration is below 0.5 mmol/l or in the presence of symptoms of hypomagnesemia. In patients with magnesium concentrations between 0.5 and 0.7 mmol/l and a deficient diet or malabsorption, prolonged therapy is sometimes necessary. In such cases, oral Mg-containing antacids in a normal dosage regimen may be a good choice, but clinical proof is still lacking. In case of renal insufficiency or constipation the magnesium dose should be lowered, while in hypophosphatemia oral antacids are contra-indicated.
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PMID:[The treatment of hypomagnesemia]. 1251 Apr 10

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is a hereditary episodic febrile syndrome that is expressed by acute spells of fever, painful manifestations in the abdomen, chest and joints, and slow development of nephropathic amyloidosis. Despite the recent cloning of the FMF gene (MEFV) and the identification of about 40 disease-related mutations, the diagnosis is still clinically dependent, and the pathogenesis and most of the clinical heterogeneity remain to be explained. Because episodic abdominal pain affects 95% of FMF patients, most of them are seen by gastroenterologists and undergo complete or partial abdominal imaging before the diagnosis is made. Focusing on recent advances in FMF, this article reviews both common and infrequent manifestations that a gastroenterologist may encounter during workups of FMF patients. These include episodic abdominal pain, paralytic or mechanical ileus, constipation, diarrhea, ascites, malabsorption, bowel infarction, and bleeding, arising directly from FMF or secondary to FMF common associations such as amyloidosis, vasculitides, inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, or colchicine side effects. This article will help the gastroenterologist to cope with most clinical situations related to the abdominal and alimentary tract in patients with FMF.
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PMID:Abdominal and digestive system associations of familial Mediterranean fever. 1468 3

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of the most common 'functional' gastrointestinal disorders accounting for 3% of all primary care consultations, with a strong female predominance. Although most of the literature comes from Western industrialized societies, when it has been looked for, this disorder appears to be equally common in the Third World. It is characterized by chronic abdominal pain or discomfort associated with disordered bowel habit and visceral hypersensitivity. Anxiety and somatization are more common in IBS than in the general population and may encourage consultation; however, they correlate poorly with symptoms. Bacterial gastroenteritis may be followed by the development of IBS in 5-10% of patients, depending on the severity of initial illness and prior anxiety or depression. The Rome criteria allow reliable diagnosis provided that there are no 'alarm' features which mandate further investigation. Microscopic colitis and bile salt malabsorption can easily be mistaken for IBS, as can chronic infestations or infections which should be considered, while recognizing that these are extremely uncommon in westernized societies. Some patients respond to exclusion diets as lactose and wheat intolerance are common. Others with prominent anxiety and/or depression respond to psychotherapy or antidepressants. Diarrhoeal symptoms respond to loperamide and 5HT3 receptor antagonists, while constipation responds to 5HT4 agonists. Antispasmodics may have limited benefit in treating pain. Low-dose tricyclic antidepressants are also helpful in alleviating pain and anxiety, even in those without obvious psychiatric disorders. If diagnostic criteria are met, then once diagnosed, new diagnoses rarely appear.
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PMID:Irritable bowel syndrome. 1576 61


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