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Biomedical subjects

F Balli

Publications and source records attributed to F Balli.

86 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

[Atrophy of the duodeno-jejunal mucosa in cow's milk protein intolerance. Importance of cell-mediated immunologic factors].

Cow's milk sensitive enteropathy has been described several times but in spite of that, it is still a problem concerning the pathogenesis. Our study involves the children hospitalized from 1974 to 1984 in the First Department of Pediatrics, University of Modena. Patients were suffering from chronic diarrhea and malabsorption. At the first biopsy each child showed atrophy of the small intestinal mucosa. All patients had been fed fed with gluten. We have followed the protocol for Celiac Disease's diagnosis; we found proved 85% of cases, excluded 15%. These last cases may be considered as cow's milk sensitive enteropathy. We catamnestically considered all the clinical and laboratory data of the two groups in the purpose of selecting significative parameters for a differential diagnosis. The data meaning fully different between the two groups resulted: family history of allergy, recurrent infections, positive occult blood in the stools, eosinophils in blood greater than 400/mm3 serum IgE value greater than 97 degrees P X (p less than 0.01). On the ground of recent studies the involvement of the cell-mediated immunity in cow's milk sensitive enteropathy is supposed.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Comparison of long-term pH-metry and radiological studies in the diagnosis of gastroesophageal reflux].

The authors examined 28 children, mean age 12 months (26 days to 5 years), for a suspected gastro-esophageal reflux (GER), by two method of diagnosis: 24 hours continuous pH-monitoring and radiology. They found a first group (11 cases) with both of these methods negative; a second group (7 cases) with GER confirmed by pH-monitoring, but with negative radiology: a third group (6 cases) where both of these methods resulted positive and eventually a fourth group (4 cases) where radiology showed the presence of GER, not confirmed by pH-monitoring. The Authors conclude that continuous pH-monitoring for its accuracy, would have to be only first degree method in diagnosis of GER. In some cases the second level method is endoscopy whereas radiology is a third level one, to show associated malformations.

Child, Preschool↗
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[Immunostimulating therapy in chronic non-specific diarrhea].

The authors describe 9 children affect by chronic aspecific diarrhea treated with levamisole; the drug was effective in reducing diarrhea episodes during the period of administration in respect to the untreated group. Follow-up of 3-5 months did not show auxological or nutritional differences in the two groups.

Antibody Formation↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Atherosclerosis: a childhood problem].

The project "Precursors of Atherosclerosis (ATS) in Children" following the protocol of WHO started in Modena in 1981/82. A total of 527 schoolchildren of 6, 9, 12 and 15, living in the area around Modena, Emilia Romagna Region, were examined, sampled from whole schools or classes. Each group exceeds the minimum of 100 children with the exception of the group including subjects of 15. The population sampled is fairly homogeneous. There are no immigrants to the area and the intra-population differences due to social-classes are minimal. The standard of life is very high: the rate of income is one of the highest in Italy and the incidence of ATS manifestations is very high. The children will be reexamined each year for three years at the same season and the study will be over in 1984. A questionnaire with family story has been filled by the parents and the parents were directly examined about: height, blood pressure, cholesterolemia, triglyceridemia, smoking habit. Following the protocol in each child are determined: height, weight, Quetelet's index (kg/m2), skinfold thickness, blood pressure, cholesterolemia, triglyceridemia, sexual maturity and smoking habit. The statistical elaboration methods of data are chosen in cooperation with the "Centro di Calcolo" of the University of Modena, and elaborated with the Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) method.

Adolescent↗
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[Intestinal flora in children with celiac disease].

The variations of duodeno-jejunal bacterial flora are evaluated. 26 celiac children aged 2 to 7 years were divided in three groups. First group: 8 children in active phase of disease on a free diet; Second group: 10 children kept since one year on a gluten-free diet; Third group: 8 children challenged with gluten for some months. As the same time of the jejunal biopsy, a sample of duodenal juice was obtained for bacteriological examination; for this purpose were used the following culture media: Fluid thioglycollate medium (FTM), Blood-agar, Bile Esculin Azide Agar (BEAA), SF, selective for enterococcus, and MacConkey Agar. The results are: The number of bacterias in the first and third group is significantly higher (p less than 0.001 and p less than 0.05 respectively) than the second group with normal intestinal mucosa. Particular variations in bacteriological species in the three groups are not demonstrated. The excessive growth of bacterias in active phase of celiac disease could worse the absorption of lipids, vitamins, iron, and others substances and it could facilitate the local inflammatory processes in the small intestine.

Celiac Disease↗
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[Retrograde cholangiopancreatography in the diagnosis of Alagille's syndrome].

The present report deals with an 11-year-old boy affected by Alagille's Syndrome. He presented hepatic ductular hypoplasia without any other associated malformation and with forward evolution to cirrhosis. The diagnosis was made by hepatobiliary scanning with Tc99 HIDA and by Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), because it was impossible to execute liver biopsy.

Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic↗
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[Diet therapy of enteritis in children (experience in 929 cases)].

929 cases of acute enteritis are reviewed. They were admitted since 1972 to 1981 in the first Pediatric Department of Modena, and treated with dietetic therapy. The periods of stool normalisation according the treatment received are discussed (oral rehydrating therapy versus casein hydrolysate). The results are compared with the evolution of diarrhea in 322 children treated with antidiarrheal adsorbents. According to our experience the diet with casein hydrolysate results to be an effective therapy of acute diarrhea, affording a nearly complete reduction in the use of intravenous infusions.

Acute Disease↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Continuous intraesophageal pH monitoring in the study of gastroesophageal reflux (GER) in children. Influence of age on the considered parameters].

Gastroesophageal reflux is a very common event in children; it is studied using 24-hour intraesophageal pH-monitoring, which has a large sensitivity and specificity, but in the literature is not clear if the age of the children could have influence on the parameters considered in the pH-monitoring. The aim of our study is to assess if the age of our small patients could modify the results of pH-monitoring. During 3-year period from 1991-1993 continuous intraesophageal pH-monitoring of 45 children (29 males and 16 females), divided in three groups on the bases of age, homogeneous for number, sex and clinical symptoms, with pathologic reflux time (> 4% of 24 hours) has been evaluated. In our cases the pathologic total reflux time in 24 hours doesn't seem change with age. It has been noted that under two years of age the pH-monitoring measures are homogeneous with a tendency of reflux longer than children over two years. This older group has more after lunch refluxes; that is the number of total refluxes is larger in older children but the number of refluxes with length higher than five minutes is more in younger. These data are discussed in relation to the anatomical and functional gastroesophageal characteristics of the different age of the child.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Dietotherapy in the diseases of the gastrointestinal tract in infancy (author's transl)].

The AA are proposing a dietotherapy in the diseases of the gastrointestinal tract in infancy, characterized from acute diarrhoea. A slow hydrolysis product of casein is used for this purpose. The AA after description of the very good results obtained, are calling the attention on the fact that the advantage was realized only with a food product and not with drugs.

Age Factors↗
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[Autoimmune hepatitis: pediatric aspects].

Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), a liver inflammatory condition, is characterized by hypergammaglobulinemia, hypertransaminasemia, presence of autoantibody and periportal hepatitis revealed by histology. Usually it comes with acute onset and with bad prognosis. We describe recent updated literature for clinical manifestation and pathogenesis, principally referring to adult disease. We described the data obtained from a multicenter investigation (10 Italian center) included in the Gastroenterology and Hepatology Italian Society. The investigation collected 42 AIH cases in 18 years, this confirms that the disease is rare for pediatric age. There is a prevalence of females on males but not as important as in adults (F/M:3/1). The average age at diagnosis was 7 + 4 years old. The diagnosis was always made based on observed symptoms excluding 2 cases with silent hypertransaminasemia. The most frequently observed autoantibody was SMA. In two cases, diagnosis was done without finding commonly investigated autoantibody. Prognosis is severe, in one case the hepatic transplantation was successful.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Vaccination against hepatitis A].

The epidemiology of hepatitis A, a disease endemic in various countries, is in a state of continuous change. Adults are more exposed to infection and considering the frequent absence of immunity, in contrast to children in whom the disease is almost always asymptomatic, the disease is often serious and prolonged with a mortality of up to 2.5%. The mode of transmission of HAV is predominantly the fecal-oral route; the virus is isolated during the prodromic period of the disease from the feces, blood, bile and seminal fluid. The virus can also be found in saliva (OMS '95); in addition it may also be transmitted by the maternal-fetal route. The HAV infects cells in vitro but does not cause a direct cytopathic effect. At the beginning of the acute phase of the disease the production of anti-HAV antibodies is of the IgM type followed later by IgG. Some studies have shown a potential role of cellular immunity in clearance of the virus from the hepatocytes and in the pathogenesis of the infection of HAV. The efficacy of immunoglobulin serum in the prevention of hepatitis A has been demonstrated since 1944. As regards active immunity two types of vaccinations have been prepared. One with live attenuated HAV carried by either bacteria or virus. The other, killed inactivated HAV, HAV capsule, antigenic subunit, synthetic peptides, anti-idiotypes or virosomes. The recent literature describe the vaccine produced by Merck Sharp & Dohme and by Smith Kline Beecham (SKB); both vaccines are made from HAV, grown in vitro, inactivated with formalin and adsorbed to aluminum hydroxide. The protection of the vaccine begins 14 days after administration and lasts from one month to one year. Numerous studies have been conducted which have shown that the vaccine is effective when given in 2 doses and confers protection against HAV for at least one year. The results have shown that the vaccination causes seroconversion in approximately 100% of subjects, and does not cause serious side effects and the acceptance of the vaccination worldwide has been good.

Global Health↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Asymptomatic hypertransaminasemia].

Asymptomatic hypertransaminasemia can be associated with extrahepatic diseases. Viral, bacterial, protozoan infections are the most frequent hepatic causes. Metabolic and autoimmune diseases more rarely cause hepatocitolisis without symptoms. Iatrogenic causes must be also considered in childhood. Obesity, celiac disease, irritable bowel diseases can seldom be associated with hypertransaminasemia. Diagnosis may be difficult and sometimes unsuccessful.

Child↗