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C Callegari

Publications and source records attributed to C Callegari.

30 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1984

A single-specimen fecal chymotrypsin test in the diagnosis of pancreatic insufficiency: correlation with secretin-cholecystokinin and NBT-PABA tests.

An investigation of fecal chymotrypsin activity on spot fecal specimens was carried out in three groups of subjects, divided as follows: 45 healthy controls (group C); 36 patients with gastroenterological diseases of extrapancreatic origin (group VP); and 42 patients with chronic pancreatitis (group CP). Nineteen patients of group CP underwent pancreozymin-secretin and NBT-PABA tests. The following results, expressed as mg of chymotrypsin/g of feces, were obtained: C = 0.610 +/- 0.203; CP = 0.291 +/- 0.154, p less than 0.001; VP = 0.560 +/- 0.234. FCT showed a sensitivity rate of 78.5% and a specificity rate of 71.6%. The fecal output of chymotrypsin correlated well with the pancreatic secretion of chymotrypsin (r = 0.59, p less than 0.01) and with the percentage of recovery of urinary PABA (r = 0.44, p less than 0.05). We conclude that chymotrypsin assay by the described method on spot stool specimens is a simple, reliable technique which may be considered a good screening test for pancreatic insufficiency. The test will not detect minimal pancreatic disease or minimal pancreatic dysfunction.

4-Aminobenzoic Acid↗
PubMed1984

Intestinal morphological changes during oral refeeding in a patient previously treated with total parenteral nutrition for small bowel resection.

This report describes a patient who, after a subtotal resection of small intestine for an embolic obstruction of the superior mesenteric artery, was maintained on total parenteral nutrition for 30 days and then refed. Cytoproliferative analysis of the intestinal mucosa, evaluated by peroral biopsies performed on days 1, 5, 14 and 30 after oral refeeding, demonstrated an increase in cell proliferation from 1 to 14 days after refeeding, followed by a return to starting values after 30 days. On days 1 and 5, we saw an intestinal hypoplasia that became a hyperplasia after 14 days of oral refeeding. Our data confirm the importance of oral nutrition for the small intestinal response after resection.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effect of chemically defined formula diets on pancreatic mass in the rat.

To establish the effect of chemically defined formula diets on pancreatic mass, 58 male Wistar rats, weighing approximately 200 g, were fed orally one of the following diets for 20 days: standard diet; partially hydrolyzed diet; elemental diet. The diets were isocaloric and provided 73 cal/day per rat. At the end of the experiment, the rats were killed and pancreas removed to assess wet weight and DNA and RNA content. Compared to the controls, the elemental diet caused a reduction in pancreatic wet weight (p less than 0.005), pancreatic DNA (p less than 0.001), and RNA content (p less than 0.001). In the group fed partially hydrolyzed diet, only pancreatic DNA content showed an highly significant reduction when compared with the reference group (p less than 0.001), whereas the value of RNA failed to reach the statistical significance. We found an increase of the ratio mg RNA/mg DNA in the partially hydrolyzed and elemental diet groups. These results suggest that long-term nutrition with the partially hydrolyzed diet, and more strongly with the elemental diet, may induce pancreatic hypoplasia.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Propranolol in children and adolescents with portal hypertension: its dosage and the clinical, cardiovascular and biochemical effects].

An adequate propranolol dose to reduce 25% the initial heart rate was searched in 19 children with portal hypertension. 13 were pre-hepatic and 6 hepatic hypertension, mean age: 6.96 +/- 3.48 years, range: 2-14 years. Treatment was started with 0.5 mg/kg/day increasing 0.25 mg/kg/day every third day, needing an average of 26 +/- 13 days (range: 6-54 days) to obtain the response. Daily dose ranged from 1 to 5.25 mg/kg/day (mean: 2.69 +/- 1.16). The highest daily dose was 175 mg, the lowest 23.4 mg (mean: 58.27 +/- 36.6 mg/day). Some parameters were evaluated before and after achieving the dose. There was a significant reduction of mean blood pressure (p < 0.01) and peripheral venous pressure (p < 0.05) in 68.4% of patients. A significant elevation (p < 0.001) of 24 hour urinary catecholamine levels occurred in 94.7%. Side effects were minimal. Propranolol could be considered a safe pharmacological option in these patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A single case report of recurrent surgery for chronic back pain and its implications concerning a diagnosis of Münchausen syndrome.

While undergoing treatment in the psychiatric department, A.C., a 40-year-old white male, who had arrived in the casualty department complaining of an uncontrollable anxiety attack and in a state of fluctuating consciousness, was found to be suffering from a psychopathological condition characterized by pathological lying, gambling, compulsive restlessness, a long clinical history of chronic back pain, with multiple invasive diagnostic investigations and repeated surgery for disc hernia with relative complications, culminating in the fitment of a fixed neurostimulator, a slow-discharge morphine pump and the patient being granted a full disability pension. The continual increases in the doses of morphine suggested a tendency towards drug addiction. After providing a brief overview of the historical background and current concepts relating to the relationship between factitious disorders, malingering and hysteria, the authors discuss the differential diagnosis of the case, suggesting a diagnosis of Münchausen syndrome (the hypothesis best supported by the clinical evidence). This diagnosis, although the subject of much academic debate, is, unfortunately, still not frequently encountered in the medical literature, with the result that even today it has a strong clinical, relational and social impact.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Levels of blood pepsinogen I in the offspring of patients with duodenal ulcer].

Hyperpepsinogenemia I is a reliable subclinical marker of the genetical predisposition to suffer duodenal ulcer. For that reason we determine basal serum pepsinogen I (PG I) levels in 25 ulcerous patients and 75% of their offspring and to a control group matched by age and sex. PG I levels in patients and their offspring were significantly higher than those in controls and their offspring (p < 0.001). By establishing an upper normal value of PG I, we identified a subpopulation of normopepsinogenemic ulcerous patients and another with high values (9 normo PG I: 64.3 +/- 6.2 ng/ml vs 16 ulcerous patients with PG I levels: 142.1 +/- 19 ng/ml) (p < 0.001). Of 16 hyperpepsinogenemic patients, 11 offspring (27%) had increased values, what did not happen to any of the offspring of ulcerous patients with normal PG I or control group finding that 80% of male patients with high PG I gave birth to 1 or 2 children with increased values, suggesting a transmission thorough the male character. So gentic role plays an important place in our ulcerous patients but environmental factors appear to decisively influence on the establishment of the disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Relation between plasma renin and other variables. An evaluation in the Venezuelan population].

The plasma renin activity (PRA) was determined by radioimmunoassay in 102 subjects with normal blood pressure. In this group, 56 were female and 46 male, their ages ranged between 13 and 90 years, they were not receiving any medication and their diet contained normal amounts of sodium and potassium. In addition to the PRA measurements, their weight, height, blood pressure, hemoglobin, hematocrit, serum and urinary sodium, potassium, chloride as well as proteinuria and creatinine clearance were studied. A significative correlation was found between the PRA and age. However, no correlation was found between PRA and urinary sodium. The subjects were also divided in three groups: I. less than 30 years old. II. between 30 and 60 years old, and III. over 60 years. A significative correlation between PRA and urinary sodium was found in group II. These results in group II could be explained by the finding of a daily urinary sodium excretion below 250 mEq. Age has a definite influence between PRA and urinary sodium. We found that important changes in the response of the yuxtaglomerular apparatus to the intake of sodium develop around the age of 60. In group II is where we found a more stable equilibrium in PRA. In group I, the response of the PRA to a low intake of sodium was faster and violent, where as in group III the response was slower. Finally we think it is very important in these type of studies to follow very strict methodology, because it is the only way to establish comparisons between the different ethnic groups.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[HLA, blood group, secretory factor, pepsinogen I, and Helicobacter pylori in duodenal ulcer patients].

Duodenal ulcer is a multifactorial entity where a genetic predisposition and extrinsic elements seem to concur in its origin. A series of genetic and extrinsic markers were determined in 50 patients with duodenal ulcer and 50 controls matched by age, sex and socioeconomical status. HLA antigens dit not have significant differences. Blood group O Rh+ was predominant (p < 0.01). Secretor status of antigen HBO in saliva was positive in 70% of patients (p < 0.001). Serum Pepsinogen I was increased in 85% of cases (p < 0.001). Immunoglobulin G anti H. pylori was positive in 62% of ulcerous (p < 0.001). The highest sensibility and negative predictive value was represented by increased serum pepsinogen levels (85%); the highest specificity and positive predictive value was to Ig G anti H. pylori (90 and 86%). These results affirm the polygenic character of the duodenal ulcer disease.

ABO Blood-Group System↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Urinary epidermal growth factor and serum pepsinogen I in patients with duodenal ulcers].

Absolute and corrected by creatinine excretion urinary Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) values were determined in 23 duodenal ulcer patients and compared to a control group. Basal serum pepsinogen I levels were measured in the patient group. Absolute urinary EGF values in patients were lower than in control group, such difference however, as such of EGF corrected by urinary creatinine excretion were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Absolute urinary EGF excretion in male patients was higher than in female patients (p < 0.05), but after establishing the ratio EGF/Creatinine, the difference disappeared. There was no correlation between EGF and Pepsinogen I, it was inverse with age and positive with creatinine excretion. Some mechanisms are considered to explain the urinary EGF normality in these patients. The increasing importance given to EGF in ulcerous diseases and further trends in research are analyzed.

Adult↗