Reproductive disorders, osteoporosis and secondary hyperparathyroidism with celiac disease.

A clinical observation of a patient with celiac disease, aged 23, with severe form of osteoporosis, accompanied by atraumatic fractures bones, lameness, late onset of menstruation and pathology of pregnancy is described. It is emphasized that only a timely diagnosis celiac disease and timely prescribed treatment make it possible to avoid severe complications.

[Seronegative celiac disease: A case report].

The paper describes a rare case of celiac disease in the absence of serum anti-tissue transglutaminase (anti-tTG) antibodies. A 51-year-old patient has been suffering from diarrheas for 20 years. He has lost 15 kg gradually; weakness progressed; muscle cramps, leg edemas, and signs of dynamic pseudoobstruction appeared. Morphological examination revealed small intestinal mucosal (SIM) villous atrophy (Marsh IIIC stage). IgA anti-tTG and IgG anti-tTG antibodies were 0.086 and 0.178, respectively. The patient was prescribed a gluten-free diet, water electrolyte solutions to correct metabolic disturbances, and prednisolone. During a control examination after 6 months, the patient had no complaints and gained 22 kg, and the SIM villus height was increased. The specific feature of the case is specific negative serological tests for celiac disease.

[Mesenteric inflammatory veno-occlusive disease is a rare nosological entity: Literature review and the authors' clinical observation].

Mesenteric inflammatory veno-occlusive disease (MIVOD) is a rare disease. Its basis is inflammation of the small and medium-sized mesenteric veins, which is generally complicated by thrombosis and intestinal ischemia. Arteries are not therewith involved in the process. According to the location, either ischemic jejunitis (ileitis) or segmental colitis develops. The etiology and incidence of MIVOD are unknown. Only a few tens of descriptions of clinical cases have been published. MIVOD is differentially diagnosed with Crohn's disease and vasculitides (Behçet's syndrome, Buerger's syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, and systemic lupus erythematosus). The paper presents a MIVOD patient with partial thrombosis of portal, superior mesenteric and splenic veins, pylephlebitis, extrahepatic portal hypertension and with ischemic jejunitis complicated by fistulas, subcompensated stenosis, and seropurulent peritonitis. At laparotomy, an infiltrate with multiple interintestinal abscesses and a 40-cm jejunal segment with 4 fistular openings up to 1.5 cm in diameter and necrotic walls were removed and an interintestinal anastomosis was applied. A morphological examination of the operative material detected thrombi, stases, and pronounced plethora of the veins with fibrinoid changes in their walls. The lumen of arterial vessels of different diameters was free. No signs of systemic vasculitis and Crohn's disease were found. The postoperative period was uncomplicated.

[The role of small bowel microflora in the development of secondary lactase deficiency and the possibilities of its treatment with probiotics].

AIM: To estimate the incidence of secondary lactase deficiency (SLD) in patients with postinfectious irritable bowel syndrome (PIBS) and the value of the small bowel microflora in its development and to elaborate treatment options for SLD. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: One hundred and thirty-eight patients with PIBS, including 112 (81.2%) women and 26 (18.8%) men, were examined. The patients' mean age was 33.9 +/- 9.1 years. The duration of the disease was 2.6 +/- 1.4 years. Lactase deficiency (LD) was diagnosed using the color scale to test biopsy specimens from the duodenal retrobulbar region. The bacterial overgrowth syndrome (BOS) was identified by a 2-hour lactulose (20 ml) hydrogen breath test. Sixty patients with moderate SLD were randomized to 2 groups: 1) 41 patients received basic therapy (mesim forte as one tablet t.i.d., no-spa, 40 mg, t.i.d.) and combined probiotic bifiform (Ferrosan) containing Bifidobacterium longum 107, Enterococcus faecium 107 as one capsule t.i.d. for 14 days. Group 2 patients (n = 19) had basic therapy in combination with placebo. RESULTS: SLD was detected in 59.4% of the patients with PIBS, including 43.5 and 15.9% with moderate and severe forms, respectively. In all cases, SLD was accompanied by BOS in the small bowel lumen, as confirmed by the results of a hydrogen breath test [101 +/- 37 ppm (a normal value of < 20 ppm)]. After a 14-day course of therapy with the combined probiotic bifiform, restoration of eubiosis in the small bowel lumen was achieved in 70.8% of the patients, as shown by the lesser degree of BOS (86.9 +/- 40.9 and 17.4 +/- 6.6 ppm before and after treatment, respectively; p < 0.01) and by normalization of the lactase test (p < 0.01). In the comparative placebo group, 68.4% showed no clear positive changes, SLD and BOS remained. CONCLUSION: The changes in the small bowel intraluminal microflora, which developed after prior intestinal infection, played a great role in the development of SLD. Bifiform belongs to the currently available probiotics and may be recommended to correct SLD in patients with PIBS resulting from the impaired microbiota of the small bowel and to prevent BOS.

[Lactase deficiency in patients with postinfectious irritable bowel syndrome and the role of intestinal microflora in its development].

PURPOSE: to define the frequency of secondary lactase deficiency (SLD) in patients with postinfectious IBS and to develop therapy for the correction of mild SLD in adult patients. METHODS AND MATERIALS: In this study, 138 patients (the mean age - 33.9 +/- 9.09; F/M - 112/26) with postinfectious IBS were analyzed concerning lactase deficiency. All patients underwent intestinal endoscopy with biopsies from the mucosa of the descending duodenum in order to determine lactase deficiency twice before and after therapy. To diagnose small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) all patients underwent lactulose breath test during 2 hours. RESULTS: SLD was detected in 59.4% of patients with postinfectious IBS. Mild SLD was determined in 43.5% of patients, and severe SLD - in 15.9% of patients. SLD in all cases was accompanied by SIBO (the mean level of lactulose breath test was 101 +/- 37 ppm, N<20 ppm). In group patients who took the probiotic during 14 days in 70.8% of patients recovering of lactose metabolism in the small intestine and decreasing of the intensity of clinical symptoms were registered. The decrease of the lactulose breath test level (86.9 +/- 40.9 ppm; 17.4 +/- 6.6 ppm; p<0.01) and negative LQT (p<0.01) were registered in the first group. In group patients who took placebo during 14 days there was no positive effect in 68.4% of cases. CONCLUSION: the probiotic Bifiform, composed of Bifidobacterium longum 10(7) and Enterococcus faecium 10(7), demonstrated efficiency in correction of mild SLD in patients with postinfectious IBS and can be used to prevent SIBO.

[Algorithm for diagnosis of small intestinal diseases].

AIM: To review diagnostic approaches in chronic diseases of the small intestine. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 1096 patients with chronic diseases of the small intestine were admitted to the clinic of the Central Research Institute of Gastroenterological Diseases in 1987-2006. RESULTS: Most of the patients (90.5%) had celiac disease, hypolactasia and other types of disaccharidase deficiency, yersiniosis ileitis, Krohn's disease, postresection syndrome of a short small intestine, mesenterial ischemia and endocrine enteropathy. Rare diseases (general variable hypogammaglobulinemia, lymphoma, Wipple's disease and diverticulosis of the small intestine) were diagnosed in 5.8% cases. Primary amyloidosis of the small intestine, eosinophilic gastroenteritis, arteriomesenterial obstruction, primary intestinal pseudoobstruction, hypogammaglobulinemic spru, primary intestinal lymphangiectasia, tuberculosis, total polyposis, Peutz-Eggers and Cronkhite-Canada syndromes, collagenic sprue, erosive-ulcerative jejunoileitis, adenocarcinoma and heavy alpha-chain disease were detected in 3.7% examinees. These diseases were encountered in one to 5 cases for the latest 20 years. CONCLUSION: Clinical diagnosis of small intestinal diseases is based on the syndromes of chronic diarrhea, defective absorption, enteral protein loss, small intestinal obstruction and intestinal hemorrhage. Differential diagnosis of the nosological entities employs x-ray, endoscopic, histological, immunological and other methods. Most of the small intestinal diseases including rare can be diagnosed in any gastroentorological department.

[Cholagenic diarrhea].

AIM: To characterize cholagenic diarrhea as a nosological entity with its specific features of etiology, pathogenesis, clinical picture and treatment. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 167 patients with chronic diarrhea (CD) participated in the trial. Of them, 25 patients have undergone resection of the small intestine, 98--cholecystectomy for cholelithiasis, 44 had concurrent hypokinesia of the gall bladder caused by celiac disease (n = 30) or biliary dyskinesia (n = 14). The examination included estimation of cholic acid in the duodenal content (40% glucose solution or cholecystokinin were used as stimulators); 24-h fecal mass; fecal mass for 24 hours, fat, potassium and sodium content in the feces; electromotor activity (EMA) of the gall bladder, small intestine and colon. RESULTS: Duodenal intubation with 40% glucose in patients with extensive resection of the small intes- tine detected a fall in cholic acid content in vesical bile to 408 +/- 58.39 mg compared to normal (910 +/- 97.29 mg%). In intravenous administration of cholecystokinin cholic acid concentration rose insignificantly (547.0 +/- 94.7 mg%) and was accompanied with bile loss with feces, polyfecalia, steatorrhea and high sodium concentration in feces. In celiac disease patients bile with high cholic acid concentration was secreted only in administration of cholecystokinin (1673 +/- 175.9 mg/%, normal 1701 +/- 140.6 mg/%). In patients after cholecystectomy colon EMA was primarily slow-wave and middle-amplitude, typical for hypermotor dyskinesia. CONCLUSION: CD develops after extensive resection and in inflammatory ileac diseases, suppression of contractile function of the gall bladder and after cholecystectomy. CD after cholecystectomy can be considered as a variant of postcholecystectomy syndrome. The treatment of CD should include drugs binding excessive bile acids in the colon, in hypokinesia of the gall bladder the treatment should include stimulators of its contractile function.

[Laxigal effectiveness in constipation of various etiology]. / Effektivnost' laksigala pri zaporakh razlichnogo geneza.

The efficiency of laxigal (sodium picosulfate) was evaluated in 66 patients aged 38-73 years with the irritated bowel syndrome (IBS), inert colon, and dolichocolon. Twenty-eight patients had defecations twice a week, 26 once a week or less. Twelve patients had no spontaneous defecations. Laxigal was administered in a dose of 10-24 droplets before sleeping. Good effect was attained in 42 (64%) patients and satisfactory in 24 (36%). Good effect is more often observed in patients with IBS and dolichocolon, while in patients with inert colon the results were usually no better than satisfactory. After long (3 weeks and longer) therapy with laxigal its dose could be reduced by 30-50% without loss of effect. Laxigal induces no diarrhea, abdominal pain, decrease in electrolyte composition or other serum shifts, does not disorder hepatorenal functions.

[Whipple's disease: results of long-term follow-up]. / Bolezn' Uippla: rezul'taty dlitel'nogo nabliudeniia.

AIM: To analyze clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of Whipple's disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Diagnostic and therapeutic data are available for 7 patients registered in 1990-1997. The diagnosis was made using intestinoscope SIF-10L ("Olympus"). Biopsies were obtained from the jejunal, duodenal and gastric mucosa. The patients received tetracycline, erythromycin, biceptol, on demand--prednisolone. RESULTS: Whipple's disease was diagnosed 6 years on the average following the first clinical symptoms. In most patients the intestinal symptoms were preceded or accompanied by such extraintestinal symptoms as enlargement of the lymph nodes, lowering of hemoglobin, hypoproteinemia, ESR increase to 40-60 mm/h. To study biopsies from the distal duodenum is the only measure needed for diagnosis of Whipple's disease. In untreated patients PAS-positive macrophages are detectable also in gastric body mucosa. The immediate treatment outcome is favorable. The recurrence was observed only in one patient who had given up taking tetracycline. CONCLUSION: Long-term antibacterial therapy brings the recovery. Primary disorder of the cellular immunity responsible for the disease onset necessitates long-term follow-up of the patients. Control biopsy should be examined once a year.

[Stimulating effects of a calcium antagonist foridon on absorption detected by segmental perfusion of the small intestine]. / Stimuliruiushchee deistvie antagonista kal'tsiia foridona na vsasyvanie, vyiavlennoe s pomoshch'iu segmentarnoi perfuzii tonkoi kishki.

A continuous perfusion of the jejunal segment has been performed in 18 patients with chronic intestinal diseases. The addition of 40 mg foridon, a calcium antagonist from dihydropyridine series increased the absorption rate of glucose, Na+ and water by 28.0%, 44.3% and 41.1%, respectively. The stimulating effect was independent of basal absorption and did not impair the absorption. It is planned to test foridon and other calcium antagonists as antidiarrheal medication.

[Lactose digestion and absorption in the jejunum of man: studies using the regional perfusion method]. / Perevarivanie i vsasyvanie laktozy v toshchei kishke cheloveka, izuchennye s pomoshch'iu metoda regional'noi perfuzii.

Continuous jejunal perfusion with 0.1, 1 and 10% lactose solutions was made in 9 patients with good milk tolerance and 25 patients with secondary hypolactasia. In normal tolerance lactose is assimilated in amounts of 30-60% along the 30 cm of the jejunal length. Hypolactasia results in inhibited hydrolysis and absorption of lactose whose activity rapidly diminishes. The phenomenon of substrate lactose induction is demonstrated available both in normal and hypolactasia conditions. In stepwise introduction of lactose in the intestine the tolerance to milk sugar noticeably rises. This fact should be allowed for when conducting enteral feeding.

[Hydrogen test: its diagnostic possibilities in intestinal diseases]. / Vodorodnyi test: diagnosticheskie vozmozhnosti pri zabolevaniiakh kishechnika.

The determination of hydrogen in exhaled air by gas chromatography was used for investigation of patients with relapsing diarrhea of various genesis. An increased H level on an empty stomach, regarded as a sign of bacterial growth in the intestine, was detected in 45% of examines, mainly in celiac disease immunodeficiency, intestinal tuberculosis, diverticulosis, diabetic enteropathy, and erosive duodenitis. An increase in the H level in exhaled air after a lactose tolerance test (50 g of lactose) made it possible to diagnose lactose deficiency in 38% of patients with chronic relapsing diarrhea. In the irritable colon syndrome lactose deficiency was detected in 40% of patients.