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

The laboratory findings of 20 patients with untreated megaloblastic anemia due to vitamin B12 deficiency were analysed. The material consists of 13 patients with pernicious anemia, 6 with postgastrectomy B12 deficiency and one with malabsorption syndrome. Hematological data (RBC, Hgb, Ht, WBC, Plt) were correlated with each other and serum LDH levels. Megaloblastic changes of bone marrow were apparent in cases of which Hgb values were below 9 g/dl, although its change were not clear in cases with mild anemia (above 9 g/dl). However, giant metamyelocytic changes of bone marrow were seen even in cases with mild anemia. Serum B12 levels in 6 out of 19 cases (31.6%) measured by clinical laboratory center were within normal range. In contrast, its level in all cases measured by radiodilution assay using R-protein or intrinsic factor were lower than normal values. Serum B12 levels measured by the latter method were correlated with various hematological data and also related with hematological severity, although its level measured by clinical laboratory did not have any correlation with hematological data. Schilling test seemed to be unreliable, because sample volume which was suggested by kit manual was too small (2 ml) to catch enough radioactivity for accurate measurement. Serum methylmalonic acid levels measured by gas capillary mass spectrophotometry were higher than normal values in all cases and were well correlated with hematological data.
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PMID:[Assessment of laboratory findings in megaloblastic anemia--measurement of serum vitamin B12 and methylmalonic acid]. 265 48

It is well established that Giardia infection causes malabsorption. However, the precise mechanism of such a malabsorption is not known. To investigate this, transport studies, using the tissue accumulation technique, were carried out in mice infected with G. lamblia obtained from human stools. There was a significant fall in the transport of D-glucose, L-alanine and glycine in the infected animals compared with the controls. Kinetics of the D-glucose and glycine transport system were examined by measuring the tissue uptake in the presence of different concentrations of the substrate. For glucose, the affinity constant (Km) for the transport site was the same (4 . 37mM) in normal and infected animals but the maximal transport rate (V max) was considerably reduced in infected animals (158 . 7 mu moles/hr/g tissue) compared with (357 . 1 microgram moles/hr/g tissue) in controls. Results with glycine were similar; the Km was similar in control and infected animals (5 . 7 mM) whereas the V max was reduced in infected animals (27 . 02 microgram moles/hr/g tissue) compared with controls (45 . 5 micrograms moles/hr/g tissue). Analysis of the intestinal enzymes showed a significant decrease in the levels of brush border sucrase, lactase and alkaline phosphatase in infected animals; the cellular enzymes, LDH, GOT and GPT remained unaffected. The observed aberrations in the transport functions and brush border enzymes suggest that G. lamblia causes malabsorption by damaging the epithelial membrane of the enterocyte.
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PMID:Transport studies and enzyme assays in mice infected with human Giardia lamblia. 717 14

The high incidence of megaloblastic anemia observed at our institution (2.1% of hospital admissions) prompted us to analyze the causes of cobalamin and/or folate deficiency in 30 patients admitted during the period 1983-1991 to the Medical Department of Locarno District Hospital. The study population includes 19 women and 11 men with a mean age of 69 years (range 28-91 years). All patients had severe macrocytic anemia (mean hemoglobin 74 +/- 23 g/l, MCV 121 +/- 12 fl), striking megaloblastic changes in aspirated marrow, and an elevated serum level of LDH (2170 +/- 2150 U/l). 19 patients had associated thrombocytopenia, 12 leukopenia and 11 both thrombocytopenia and leukopenia. Treatment led to prompt reticulocytosis and correction of megaloblastic changes in all patients, as well as to nearly complete resolution of the neurologic disorder in a patient with severe spastic ataxia. In 15 patients, megaloblastic anemia was caused by folate deficiency related to alcoholism (n = 6, mean age 55 years) and old age or poverty (n = 9, mean age 73 years). Cobalamin deficiency was present in 9 patients (mean age 69 years); it was due to pernicious anemia in 6 patients and to malabsorption in 2, while the cause remained unexplained in 1. The last patients (mean age 76 years) had deficiency of both cobalamin and folate, related to alcoholism (n = 3) or poverty (n = 3).
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PMID:[Megaloblastic anemia: 30 cases in a district hospital]. 787 99

Twelve patients (weight 107-178 kg and age range 19-43 years) were investigated following ileo-gastrostomy for morbid obesity. A number of variables were studied prospectively, pre- and postoperatively, to determine the cause of weight loss-previously attributed to malabsorption or decreased caloric intake. Weight loss of 10.9-36.5 kg, mean 22.9 kg, occurred. Three-day calorie counts demonstrated a postoperative decrease in daily caloric consumption of 320-3870, mean 1975 cal. Analysis of body compartment composition after derivation of lean body mass (from calculation of total body water with tritiated water) showed a mean decrease in adipose tissue of 17.7 kg. Postoperative weight loss, mainly fat, could not all be accounted for by decreased caloric consumption or steatorrhea (72-h stool fat increased by a mean of 30 g). Pulmonary studies showed no significant change in respiratory quotient, but a large decrease in both postoperative utilization of oxygen and the production of carbon dioxide. This may indicate an alternate, anaerobic, energy cycle utilization. Other statistically significant variables included a large fall in cholesterol, LDH cholesterol and triglycerides, and smaller decrease in HDL cholesterol. Changes in gastro-intestinal (GI) hormones and cell counts in stomach and small intestine were also measured and will be reported later.
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PMID:The Mechanism of Weight Loss after Ileo-gastrostomy for Morbid Obesity. 1077 23

Giardia lamblia is one of the most prevalent parasites residing in the duodenum of human and many other mammals throughout the world which is transmitted via ingested cysts through contaminated food or water. The severity of disease may depend on multiple parasite and host factors. Commonly, children and immunologically compromised persons like AIDS patient exhibit severe diarrhea, malabsorption and weight loss, however, there are also some infected people who are asymptomatic or only exhibit mild clinical symptoms and can shed the Giardia cysts in the environment. Although many studies have indicated that the innate immune system is important for Giardia defense, however, whether the innate immune responses such extracellular traps (ETs) could be induced by G. lamblia is still unclear. In recent years, macrophage extracellular traps (METs) have been described as an effective defense mechanism against invading microorganisms. In the present study, the formation of METs triggered by G. lamblia trophozoites was investigated. The formation of METs induced by G. lamblia trophozoites of mouse macrophage was observed with Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The main components DNA, H3 histone and MPO were confirmed by Sytox orange staining, DNase1 digestion, immunofluorescence staining and fluorescence confocal microscopy. Inhibitor assays suggested that G. lamblia trophozoites triggered METs formation through ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK signal pathways and was Store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) dependent. In addition, the process of METs formation triggered by G. lamblia trophozoites was also time and dose-dependent. Furthermore, the production of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) in macrophages stimulated with G. lamblia trophozoites significantly increased whereas no significant changes were observed about LDH activity.
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PMID:Mouse macrophages capture and kill Giardia lamblia by means of releasing extracellular trap. 3004 99