PubMed Health⌕ Search

SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “gastrointestinal dysfunction”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

Diarrhea and abnormalities of gastrointestinal function in a cohort of men and women with HIV infection.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of gastrointestinal dysfunction in the era of improved treatment of HIV infection. METHODS: Gastrointestinal function was studied cross-sectionally in 671 persons with HIV. Absorptive function was measured by a 25-g D-xylose test, a Sudan-III stain for fecal fat on a 100-g fat diet, and serum levels of micronutrients. RESULTS: Eighty-eight percent had at least one abnormality of gastrointestinal function: 47.7% had low D-xylose absorption; 40.3% had a history of liver disease; 38.9% had diarrhea; 28.3% had chronic diarrhea; 22.5% had borderline or low serum vitamin B12 levels; 12.2% had stool pathogens; and 7.2% were hypoalbuminemic. Men were more likely to have low D-xylose absorption, diarrhea, and stool pathogens than women. Intravenous drug users (IVDUs) were more likely to have a history of liver disease and hypoalbuminemia. However, borderline or low vitamin B12 levels were less frequent in IVDUs; they tended to have less diarrhea and a lower prevalence of stool pathogens. Despite less history of liver disease, 14.1% of women were hypoalbuminemic. Differences in patterns of gastrointestinal dysfunction are unlikely to be due to severity of immunosuppression as abnormalities were seen in all risk groups with CD4 >200 cells/mm3. D-xylose absorption below 30 mg/dl, current diarrhea, and borderline levels of vitamin B12 were associated with advanced immunosuppression. CONCLUSIONS: Abnormalities of gastrointestinal function are common in the current era of HIV treatment, appear early in the course of HIV infection, and in the absence of diarrhea. Gender and IVDU are important determinants of the type and frequency of gastrointestinal abnormalities.

Adult↗

Gastrointestinal symptoms and diabetes mellitus in children and adolescents.

Because it may be difficult to evaluate gastrointestinal diseases in children with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), this report highlights several clinical features unique to diabetes and emphasizes the relationship between gastrointestinal pathology and glycemic control. Two children with IDDM are described whose hyperglycemia, ketosis, and abdominal pain were the presenting features of H. pylori-positive duodenal ulcer disease and acute appendicitis, respectively. A third nondiabetic child developed persistent postprandial hyperglycemia as the initial manifestation of dumping syndrome. These patients illustrate the relationship between glycemic control and gastrointestinal pathology in children with diabetes and the effects of gastrointestinal dysfunction on glucose regulation in nondiabetic children. In children with IDDM, gastrointestinal pathology can be confused with ketoacidosis and complicate diabetes control and management. Early recognition and treatment of the underlying gastrointestinal disease often improves glycemic control. Furthermore, severe gastrointestinal dysfunction in nondiabetic children may deleteriously influence glycemic regulation and may be confused with childhood diabetes.

Adolescent↗

Gastrointestinal motor dysfunction in acquired selective cholinergic dysautonomia associated with infectious mononucleosis.

This report documents the disturbance in gastrointestinal motor function in a patient with selective cholinergic dysautonomia that occurred following acute infectious mononucleosis. Apart from the gut, other organs affected included the pupils, sweat glands, lacrimal and salivary glands, and urinary bladder. Autonomic function tests showed the preservation of sympathetic adrenergic functions in contrast to the generalized involvement of postganglionic parasympathetic and sympathetic cholinergic nerves, including denervation hypersensitivity of the pupil and urinary bladder to exogenous cholinergic agonists. Cardiac and abdominal vagal responses were abnormal. Colon myenteric plexus ganglion cells were normal by morphological and immunohistochemical studies, suggesting that the selective cholinergic dysautonomia was the most likely pathophysiologic process responsible for the observed motility disorder. This study documents the occurrence of selective cholinergic dysautonomia following a viral illness, the importance of the extrinsic neural control on the motor function of the gastrointestinal tract, and the usefulness of combined motility and autonomic function testing in the evaluation of patients with symptoms suggestive of gut dysmotility.

Adult↗

Evaluating survivors of pediatric cancer.

The past 3 decades have seen tremendous improvements in the survival of children diagnosed with cancer, with the 5-year survival rate approaching 80%. This improvement in survival has resulted in a growing population of childhood cancer survivors. Use of cancer therapy at an early age can produce complications that may not become apparent until years later. Approximately two thirds of the survivors of childhood cancer experience at least one late effect and about one fourth experience a late effect that is severe or life-threatening, although psychosocial issues in survivors and family members are often underestimated and may be more prevalent. Long-term complications in childhood cancer survivors, such as impairment in growth and development, neurocognitive dysfunction, cardiopulmonary compromise, endocrine dysfunction, renal impairment, gastrointestinal dysfunction, musculoskeletal sequelae, and subsequent malignancies, are related not only to the specific therapy used but also may be determined by individual host characteristics. We review the known late effects in survivors of childhood in order to suggest reasonable starting points for the evaluation of specific long-term problems in this unique but growing population.

Antineoplastic Agents↗

Cancer survivorship--pediatric issues.

The last three decades have seen tremendous improvements in survival of children diagnosed with cancer, with the 5-year survival rate approaching 80%. This improvement in survival has resulted in a growing population of childhood cancer survivors. Use of cancer therapy at an early age can produce complications that may not become apparent until years later. Approximately two thirds of the survivors of childhood cancer will experience at least one late effect, and about one third will experience a late effect that is severe or life threatening. Long-term complications in childhood cancer survivors, such as impairment in growth and development, neurocognitive dysfunction, cardiopulmonary compromise, endocrine dysfunction, renal impairment, gastrointestinal dysfunction, musculoskeletal sequelae, and subsequent malignancies, are related not only to the specific therapy employed, but may also be determined by individual host characteristics. We review the known late effects of treatment in survivors of childhood cancer in order to suggest reasonable starting points for evaluation of specific long-term problems in this unique but growing population. The Children's Oncology Group (COG) has developed risk-based, exposure-related guidelines for follow-up care that are available at www.surivorshipguidelines.org.

Child↗

Disruption of intestinal motility by a calcium channel-stimulating autoantibody in type 1 diabetes.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Autonomic neuropathy, including gastrointestinal dysfunction, is a common complication of type 1 diabetes; however, its cause is uncertain. This study aimed to test whether functional autoantibodies cause the gastrointestinal dysfunction. METHODS: We used isolated mouse colon undergoing colonic migrating motor complex (MMC) activity to test for autoantibodies that disrupt colonic motility. Purified immunoglobulin G (IgG) from patients with type 1 diabetes or from controls was tested either in vitro or after passive transfer. Pharmacological studies of the interaction between the IgG and L-type calcium channel activator (Bay K8644) and inhibitors (nicardipine and verapamil) were performed. The effect of IgG on nerve-evoked contraction of the vas deferens longitudinal smooth muscle was also assessed. RESULTS: MMC activity was disrupted by IgG (0.2 mg/mL) from 8 of 16 patients with type 1 diabetes but not by control IgG. Passive transfer of diabetic IgG to mice also disrupted MMCs, showing access to the antigen in vivo. The acute effect of the autoantibody was mimicked by the dihydropyridine agonist, Bay K8644 (2-10 nmol/L), and both Bay K8644 and the autoantibody competitively inhibited the effect on MMC contraction of the dihydropyridine antagonist, nicardipine. Diabetic IgG, but not control IgG, altered the nerve-evoked contractile activity of vas deferens smooth muscle effects mimicked by Bay K8644. CONCLUSIONS: A novel functional autoantibody that activates smooth muscle L-type calcium channels at the dihydropyridine binding site is produced specifically by patients with type 1 diabetes and may mediate gastrointestinal and autonomic dysfunction in these patients.

Adult↗

Effect of an aqueous extract of dried immature fruit of Poncirus trifoliata (L.) Raf. on intestinal transit in rodents with experimental gastrointestinal motility dysfunctions.

The effect of an aqueous extract of the dried immature fruit of Poncirus trifoliata Raf. (Rutaceae) (PF-W) on gastrointestinal (GI) motor function was investigated by measuring the intestinal transit rate (ITR) of Evans blue in rats and mice with experimental GI motility dysfunctions (GMDs). GMD was induced by appropriate surgery or by the administration of acetic acid, atropine, L-DOPA, or morphine to the animals. The ITR in these GMD animals was significantly retarded compared to normal animals. The retardation, however, was significantly inhibited by the intragastric administration of PF-W (0.1-1g/kg) in a dose dependent manner for all GMD models except for L-DOPA-induced GMD. The above results suggest that PF-W has the potential for development as a prokinetic agent that may prevent or alleviate GMD in human patients.

Animals↗

Neurologic dysfunction in gastrointestinal disease.

The various disease processes described in this review by no means exhaust the list of GI diseases in which neurologic dysfunction may occur, but merely serve as a representative sampling. Recognition is often a function of awareness, and the growing knowledge of the rich interaction between GI and neurologic systems on many levels suggests that additional associations will be uncovered in the future.

Acute Disease↗

Advanced glycation end products (AGE) and the receptor for AGE are present in gastrointestinal tract of familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy patients but do not induce NF-kappaB activation.

Familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy (FAP), Portuguese type, is a hereditary amyloidosis caused by mutated transthyretin (ATTR) in which an exchange of valine for methionine at position 30 has taken place (ATTR Val30Met). Gastrointestinal complications, such as nausea, diarrhoea and malabsorption, have a significant impact on survival since the cause of death in the majority of cases is a consequence of extreme malnutrition due to dysmotility of the gastrointestinal tract. Recently, a role of the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) has been implicated in amyloid toxicity. Transthyretin (TTR) amyloid fibrils have been shown to have affinity for RAGE and subsequently induce NF-kappaB activation and apoptosis. Since gastrointestinal dysfunction plays an important role in FAP, we wanted to investigate if amyloid toxicity in the gastrointestinal tract is related to RAGE, NF-kappaB activation and apoptosis. Gastrointestinal tract autopsy samples were studied for the distribution of amyloid, RAGE, advanced glycation end products (AGE) and NF-kappaB. Furthermore, we examined the immunoreactivity of an apoptotic marker to investigate if an apoptotic pathway contributes to amyloid toxicity. The distribution of RAGE and AGE strongly correlated to that of amyloid deposits. Sequential immunofluorescence staining revealed a clear relationship between TTR, AGE and RAGE. No correlation between NF-kappaB, apoptotic marker and amyloid deposits was found. We conclude that RAGE-AGE or RAGE-TTR interaction might play important roles for gastrointestinal dysfunction and amyloid toxicity, although not through NF-kappaB activation and apoptosis.

Adult↗

Systemic inflammatory response syndrome and organ dysfunction following gastrointestinal surgery.

OBJECTIVES: Progression from systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) to sepsis, severe sepsis, and septic shock has been demonstrated in a variety of patients. However, the presence of SIRS alone was not helpful in predicting the development of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) since SIRS includes many nonprogressive conditions. This study was conducted to investigate the clinical significance of SIRS in postoperative patients. DESIGN: Retrospective study. SETTING: The surgical department of a university hospital. PATIENTS: Two hundred ninety-two consecutive patients who received elective common gastrointestinal surgery (esophagectomy, pancreatoduodenectomy, hepatectomy, gastrectomy, colorectal resection, and laparoscopic cholecystectomy) between 1992 and 1995. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were analyzed for preoperative physiologic status, surgical stress parameters, and postoperative status of SIRS, complications, and end-organ dysfunction. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Duration of SIRS or positive criteria's number of SIRS after surgery significantly correlated with surgical stress parameters (blood loss/body weight and operation time) and peak serum C-reactive protein concentrations. SIRS that continued or reappeared after postoperative day 3 was an early sign of postoperative complications. SIRS continuing consecutively for 2 days after postoperative day 3 had a 70.6% positive predictive value and a 92.5% negative predictive value for postoperative complications. Septic complications and prolongation of SIRS were associated with MODS. Five of six patients who met the SIRS criteria for >30 days developed severe MODS, and three of them died. CONCLUSIONS: SIRS is a useful criterion for the recognition of postoperative complications and end-organ dysfunctions. Early recovery from SIRS may arrest the progression of organ dysfunction.

Aged↗

Reducing time to oral diet and hospital discharge in patients undergoing radical cystectomy using a perioperative care plan.

OBJECTIVES: To outline our current perioperative treatment of patients undergoing radical cystectomy and urinary diversion, which uses advancements in perioperative care to allow for early institution of an oral diet and early hospital discharge, and thereby overall improvement in patient recovery and outcome after this procedure. METHODS: Forty consecutive patients underwent radical cystectomy and urinary diversion with curative intent from 2001 to 2002. A care plan was followed for all patients and included improvements in preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative care. The preoperative care included limited outpatient bowel preparation with sodium phosphate solution and patient education. Operative modifications included reduced incision length, initial preperitoneal dissection, and the use of internal surgical stapling devices. The postoperative care included the use of prokinetic agents, early nasogastric tube removal, the use of non-narcotic analgesics, and early institution of an oral diet. The outcomes with regard to time to institution of an oral diet, tolerance of a regular diet, and hospital discharge were assessed. RESULTS: The mean surgical time was 3.9 hours, and the mean estimated blood loss was 573 mL. The mean time to the institution of a clear liquid diet was 2.0 days and to a regular diet was 4.2 days. The mean time to hospital discharge was 5.1 days. No statistically significant differences were found in the time to resumption of a regular diet or to discharge between patients undergoing ileal conduits versus orthotopic ileal neobladders. Only 1 patient had any gastrointestinal dysfunction (ileus), and this patient was discharged on postoperative 7. No patient had any delayed complications involving problems with diet intolerance or other gastrointestinal dysfunction. The results of the current series were compared with those of historical controls. CONCLUSIONS: Advancements in preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative management have together been successfully used in our patient population to reduce morbidity and improve recovery with regard to the early institution of an oral diet and early hospital discharge.

Adult↗

Interactions of the salivary and gastrointestinal systems. II. Effects of salivary gland dysfunction on the gastrointestinal tract.

Salivary gland dysfunction is uniformly detrimental to the oral cavity. Its effects on the GI tract have begun to be explored. Dry mouth is a common complaint among older adults, probably due to systemic disease and its therapy rather than the aging process per se. Evaluation of complaints of dry mouth should include medical history, sialometry and physical examination. Numerous medications can elicit drug-induced xerostomia. Patients who have received radiation therapy to the head and neck region often have permanent radiation-induced xerostomia, which has been linked to esophagitis. SS is an autoimmune systemic exocrinopathy resulting in irreversible salivary gland dysfunction. SS has numerous GI manifestations, including dysphagia, temporal defects of deglutition, esophageal dysmotility, gastritis, pancreatitis and liver disease. Management of salivary hypofunction is directed toward preserving the dentition and improving patient comfort. Drug-induced xerostomia is often correctable by altering the therapeutic modality.

Aging↗

Upper gastrointestinal tract dysfunction in bulimia.

Bulimia nervosa is a health problem of increasing magnitude that is estimated to affect 2-5% of the American adolescent and young adult female population. Because of the magnitude of this clinical problem and because of the importance of the upper gastrointestinal tract in its expression, a intradepartmental program of health care for patients affected with the disease was initiated. Eleven consecutive symptomatic bulimic individuals have been evaluated jointly by the gastroenterology and the psychiatry departments of the University of Pittsburgh. Five of these 11 individuals were found to have clinically important upper gastrointestinal pathology including ulcerative esophagitis, erosive gastritis, duodenal ulcer, and delayed gastric emptying. These gastrointestinal conditions could have been either a result of or have contributed to the symptomatology of these five patients. These data suggest that bulimic subjects have clinically important gastroenterological disease processes that require specific diagnosis and treatment independent of the psychiatric treatment provided for the bulimic condition.

Adult↗

Chronic intestinal pseudoobstruction associated with autoantibodies against proliferating cell nuclear antigen.

Autoantibodies against proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) have been detected almost exclusively in sera from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Because of the extremely low prevalence of anti-PCNA, however, it has been difficult to establish its disease specificity and clinical associations. We present 2 cases in which patients with anti-PCNA developed severe gastrointestinal dysfunction that led to chronic intestinal pseudoobstruction. Neither patient had manifestations suggestive of SLE. Although sclerodermatous skin changes were minimal or absent in these patients, physical and radiographic findings indicated that systemic sclerosis was a likely cause of the gastrointestinal dysfunction. The similarity of the clinical features in these patients implies that the unusual detection of this unique autoantibody may not be a coincidence.

Autoantibodies↗