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Biomedical subjects

R Modigliani

Publications and source records attributed to R Modigliani.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

[Physiopathology of diarrhea].

Diarrhoea is defined as the daily excretion of faecal water in increased amounts. Several mechanisms may result in diarrhoea. They are: (1) increase in fluid and ions load which may exceed the maximum capacity of intestinal reabsorption; this is the "volumogenic" diarrhoea observed in Zollinger-Ellison syndrome; (2) accelerated gastrointestinal transit, notably through the colon, as in the so-called "diarrhée motrice" due to increased colonic motility; (3) osmotic diarrhoea due to ingestion of nonabsorbable solutes, as in malabsorption syndromes; (4) secretory diarrhoea with disorder of NaCl transport in the intestine as its main abnormality; this diarrhoea may be of bacterial, endocrine or other origin; (5) diarrhoea consecutive to morphological abnormalities of the small bowel and/or colon; it is often due to several of the above mechanisms, to which must be added exudation of blood, mucosities and proteins in the intestine.

Colon

Symptomatic, radionuclide and therapeutic assessment of chronic idiopathic dyspepsia. A double-blind placebo-controlled evaluation of cisapride.

Twenty-eight patients with chronic idiopathic dyspepsia defined by the presence of chronic unexplained symptoms suggestive of gastric stasis and directly related to food ingestion were included in this prospective study. Gastric emptying of the liquid and solid phases of a meal was quantified by a dual-isotope method, and symptoms were evaluated by a diary and a visual analog scale. Delay in gastric emptying was evidenced in 59% of the dyspeptic patients; it occurred with liquids in more cases than solids. Quantitative and qualitative evaluation of symptoms was of no practical value in predicting the presence of objective stasis. The dyspeptic patients were included in a double-blind randomized controlled trial of cisapride, a new gastrokinetic drug devoid of central antiemetic effects. After six weeks of cisapride treatment, all patients with initially abnormal gastric emptying rates for liquids, and all but one for solids returned to normal ranges, and significant differences between cisapride and placebo groups were observed for half emptying times of both solids (136 +/- 16 min vs 227 +/- 32 min; P less than 0.02) and liquids (61 +/- 4 min vs 132 +/- 37 min; P less than 0.01). Cisapride also significantly improved dyspeptic symptom scores at weeks 3 and 6 of treatment as compared to those measured before treatment. Nevertheless, the decrease in global diary score was significantly higher than that seen with placebo at week 3 (-16 +/- 6 vs -1 +/- 9; P less than 0.05), but not at week 6 (-18 +/- 5 vs -10 +/- 8).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult

Development and validation of an endoscopic index of the severity for Crohn's disease: a prospective multicentre study. Groupe d'Etudes Thérapeutiques des Affections Inflammatoires du Tube Digestif (GETAID).

The aim of this study was to develop and validate an endoscopic index for assessing the severity of Crohn's disease. Endoscopic findings were prospectively collected by a multicentre group in 75 patients with Crohn's colitis according to a previously validated procedure. The presence of nine preselected lesions was recorded in the following segments (1) rectum, (2) sigmoid and left colon, (3) transverse colon, (4) right colon, and (5) ileum. In addition the extent of the diseased and ulcerated areas were estimated in each segment. These segmental data were recorded on a standard form, together with the endoscopist's global estimate of lesion severity. A stepwise multiple regression was used to derive an index which was correlated with the endoscopist's global evaluation of lesion severity. Four mucosal lesions: deep and superficial ulcerations, ulcerated and non-ulcerated stenosis, and both estimates of extent involved were selected and weighted to obtain a Crohn's Disease Endoscopic Index of Severity which correlated with the endoscopist's global appraisal of lesion severity (r = 0.83). This index was then prospectively shown to be valid in a further series of 113 colonoscopies (r = 0.81). The index was calculated in 54 patients with active Crohn's disease, before and at the end of a course of corticosteroids: index variations correctly reflected changes in colitis severity as evaluated by the endoscopists (r = 0.72). For endoscopists familiar with the data collection procedure, this Crohn's Disease Endoscopic Index of Severity should be of value in the follow up of patients, especially in clinical trials.

Colonoscopy

[Abdominal and retroperitoneal masses. Diagnostic value of fine needle cytopunctures. 121 consecutive controlled cases].

A series of 121 consecutive patients with abdominal (96 cases) and retroperitoneal (25 cases) masses was studied in order to evaluate the contribution of cytology in establishing a definite diagnosis of the tumors. The cytologic results on aspirates were obtained with 22 or 23 gauge Chiba needles. At the same time, percutaneous fine needle aspiration biopsy was performed with 19 or 21 gauge fine needles having circumferentially bevelled tips that produced tiny tissue cores suitable for histologic study in 88 cases. These diagnoses were controlled with larger pathological specimens in 78 cases and appeared to be consistent with the clinical and biological course in 43 cases. The sensitivity of the cytologic diagnosis was 83 per cent, and its overall accuracy 87.6 per cent. There were no false-positive results. Furthermore, the method proved to be safe and well-tolerated, with low morbidity (0.8 per cent) and no mortality.

Abdominal Neoplasms

Cholecystokinin release and biliopancreatic secretion in response to selective perfusion of the duodenal loop with aminoacids in man.

The aim of this study was to measure the role of the duodenal loop in biliopancreatic secretion in man by infusing various stimuli at the ampulla of Vater and collecting duodenal contents at the ligament of Treitz, above an occluding balloon. Perfusion at 10 ml/min of a first mixture of aminoacids - phenylalanine (47.2 mmol), methionine (38.2 mmol), tryptophan (11 mmol), valine (61.6 mmol) - increased cholecystokinin (CCK) plasma concentrations and duodenal bile salt output (p less than 0.005) as compared with a control electrolyte solution, but did not change pancreatic enzyme secretion significantly; duodenal infusion of another aminoacid mixture - arginine (32.4 mmol), histidine (14.1 mmol), leucine (36 mmol), isoleucine (21.5 mmol), lysine (31 mmol), threonine (23 mmol) - did not change CCK plasma concentrations, bile salt or pancreatic enzyme output. The respective role of duodenal distension and endogenous CCK was investigated by perfusing the first aminoacid solution and the control solution at 2, 5, and 10 ml/min. Changing the perfusion rate of control solution from 2 to 5 ml/min led to a significant increase (p less than 0.01) in pancreatic secretion with no further increase at 10 ml/min. Bile salt output was not influenced by the perfusion rate of control solution. During the perfusion of the aminoacid solution, despite a stepwise increase in CCK release, the only significant change in pancreatic secretion was an increase of lipase output (p less than 0.05) when the infusion rate was raised from 2 to 5 ml/min. Our results suggest that duodenal CCK release (1) depends on the nature of aminoacids (2) has predominant role in the regulation of pancreatic secretion at low perfusion rate but is less effective when superimposed on a mechanical stimulus caused by duodenal distension (3) is a major stimulus for gall bladder contraction which is not influenced by duodenal distension.

Adult

Crohn's disease with respiratory tract involvement.

Symptomatic respiratory tract involvement with granulomatous bronchial lesions has not yet been described in Crohn's disease. We report two patients with colonic Crohn's disease and severe respiratory symptoms (dyspnoea associated in one of the patients with voicelessness); erythema, aphthoid and superficial ulcerations were found in the colon and whitish granulations in the bronchi at endoscopy. Non-caseating tuberculoid granulomas were found in the colonic mucosa of both patients, as well as in the bronchial mucosa of one of them; in the second a diffuse inflammatory infiltrate including epithelioid cells was found underneath an erosion of bronchial epithelium. Both patients improved on oral prednisone. These two patients probably had bronchial involvement by Crohn's disease.

Adolescent

Gastric emptying and gastrointestinal absorption of alcohol ingested with a meal.

We have measured, by an intubation method, gastric evacuation and gastrointestinal absorption of alcohol ingested with a meal in seven healthy nonalcoholic subjects. A homogenized meal containing [14C]PEG and ethanol (1 g/kg body wt) was given intragastrically while saline containing [57CO]vitamin B12 was perfused into the duodenum. Of the ingested alcohol, 39.4 +/- 4.1% was absorbed through the stomach wall during the first postprandial hour and 73.2 +/- 4.2% during the total postcibal period, whereas only 24 +/- 3% was absorbed during the same time in the duodenum. Thus alcohol ingested with a meal is mainly and rapidly absorbed in the stomach; the contribution of the small intestine below the angle of Treitz to alcohol absorption is negligible.

Adult

Effect of ethanol ingestion on postprandial gastric emptying and secretion, biliopancreatic secretions, and duodenal absorption in man.

Although abdominal complaints are frequent in both acute and chronic alcoholism, little is known of the effect of ingestion of ethanol with a meal on the function of the upper digestive tract. We have studied the effects of oral ethanol (1 g/kg body wt) taken with food on the gastric emptying rate of a solid-liquid meal as measured by a dual radioisotope technique in six normal subjects; and the gastric response (emptying and secretion), biliopancreatic secretions, and duodenal nutrient absorption after an homogenized meal, as evaluated by a gastroduodenal intubation-marker perfusion technique on seven healthy volunteers. In the latter experiments, radioimmunoassays of gastrin, secretin, cholecystokinin, pancreatic polypeptide, motilin, somatostatin, gastric inhibitory polypeptide, and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide were performed serially. As compared with the control experiment, alcohol induced the following effects: marked delay of gastric emptying of solids, smaller slowing effect on gastric emptying of the liquid phase of the solid-liquid meal and of the homogenized meal; no significant change in gastric acid secretion; no change in the overall postprandial pancreatic enzyme outputs, but a delay of lipase secretion; no change in the early bile salt postprandial output, but a reduced bile salt secretion from the second postprandial hour onwards; no significant change in carbohydrate and lipid duodenal absorption; and a significantly greater postcibal gastrin release. The mechanisms for these effects of alcohol on upper digestive tract function remain to be clarified.

Adult

Idiopathic pancreatitis associated with inflammatory bowel disease.

The list of extraintestinal manifestations of inflammatory bowel diseases does not classically include pancreatitis and pancreatic insufficiency. We report here six cases of unexplained pancreatitis associated with inflammatory bowel disease (five patients with Crohn's disease, one with indeterminate colitis). None of the classical etiologies for pancreatitis was found in our patients; moreover none of them had duodenal localization of Crohn's disease or sclerosing cholangitis, two conditions in which pancreatitis associated with inflammatory bowel disease has been previously described. Pancreatitis was painless (or was associated with moderate and atypical abdominal pain) in four of our six cases; no pancreatic calcification was found in any case; in three patients a total or subtotal exocrine pancreatic insufficiency was evidenced. Endoscopic retrograde pancreatography performed in four subjects showed normal or minimally altered pancreatic ducts even in those with severe pancreatic insufficiency. These cases emphasize the existence of a probably nonfortuitous association of inflammatory bowel disease with pancreatitis. Its recognition could make a significant contribution in the management of inflammatory bowel disease.

Adolescent

Jejunal secretory effect of intraduodenal food in humans. A comparison of mixed nutrients, proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates.

The effect of the presence of food in the intestinal lumen on fluid transport by an intestinal loop isolated from nutrients is debatable and seems to be species dependent. The aim of the present study was to investigate this effect in humans. Fluid and ion transport by a 30-cm-long jejunal loop was measured by the perfusion of a plasmalike electrolyte solution below an occlusive balloon inflated at the angle of Treitz. At the same time, the duodenum was infused at the papilla by saline (control period) or one of the following solutions (test period): protein hydrolysate, starch hydrolysate, lipids, or mixed nutrients. The four solutions (pH 7; 300 mosmol/L; 540 kcal/L) were infused in 6 normal subjects in a randomized order. In 6 further subjects, two other loads of intraduodenal lipids (120 and 1080 kcal/L) were tested according to a similar protocol. Blood samples were taken serially for radioimmunoassays of gastrin, secretin, cholecystokinin, pancreatic polypeptide, gastric inhibitory polypeptide, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, motilin, and somatostatin. Intraduodenal mixed nutrients, proteins, and lipids significantly reduced water and ion jejunal net absorption or induced a net secretion (without dose-effect relationship for lipids) and stimulated plasma cholecystokinin, pancreatic polypeptide, and gastric inhibitory polypeptide. Intraduodenal lipids also stimulated circulating levels of gastrin and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide. Intraduodenal sugars did not change jejunal fluid and ion transport and significantly increased plasma gastric inhibitory polypeptide. Covariance analysis showed transjejunal fluid movements to be linked with plasma levels of cholecystokinin. We conclude that an intraduodenal mixed meal exerts a secretory effect on a jejunal loop isolated from the nutrients and that this effect is due to the lipid and protein content of the meal; our data are compatible with a mediation of this phenomenon by cholecystokinin.

Adult

Occurrence of a new microsporidan: Enterocytozoon bieneusi n.g., n. sp., in the enterocytes of a human patient with AIDS.

A new microsporidium is reported infesting the enterocytes of a Haitian patients with AIDS. The stages observed were diplokaryotic cells, sporogonial plasmodia, unikaryotic sporoblasts, and spores. Neither a sporophorous vesicle (pansporoblastic membrane) nor parasitophorous vacuole were differentiated around the developmental stages, which were in direct contact with the host cell cytoplasm. The polar tube (5-6 coils) was differentiated before fission of the sporogonial plasmodium. The mature spores measured 1.5 micron X 0.5 micron. The spore wall was very thin as the endospore was absent or poorly differentiated. The organism is named Enterocytozoon bieneusi n. g., n. sp. and is assigned to the suborder Apansporoblastina.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome