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Biomedical subjects

A Fontanella

Publications and source records attributed to A Fontanella.

26 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

Orocoecal transit time in healthy and constipated children.

Orocoecal transit time (OCTT), assessed by means of H2 breath test after lactulose and/or after a semisolid standard meal, was studied in normal and constipated children. Both control subjects and patients with constipation showed a significantly longer OCTT after a standard meal than after lactulose ingestion (p less than 0.01). Whereas the OCTT after lactulose did not differ in the two groups, the constipated patients had a significantly longer transit time after a standard meal when compared to controls (p less than 0.05). No correlation was observed within each group between the OCTT after a standard meal or after lactulose ingestion (r = -0.077; p greater than 0.01). These findings suggest that 1) measurement of the transit of a standard meal instead of a lactulose solution may offer more direct insight into the role of small intestinal transit of food, both in physiological and pathological conditions, 2) gastrointestinal segments other than colon may play a role in chronic non organic constipation of childhood.

Breath Tests↗
PubMed1985

Inefficacy of immunosuppressive treatment in HBSAg-positive, delta-negative, moderate chronic active hepatitis in children.

The efficacy of immunosuppressive treatment was evaluated in a group of 15 children (aged 2-10 years) affected by clinically asymptomatic, biochemically mild, HBSAg-positive, delta-antibody-negative, histologically moderate, chronic active hepatitis (CAH). Clinical, biochemical, serological, and histological features of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection were studied during a follow-up of 2 years. Eight of 15 patients received immunosuppressive treatment (prednisone plus azathioprine); seven received a placebo. No significant differences were found among treated and untreated patients, an overall improvement of nearly all parameters of disease (aminotransferases, albumin, prothrombin time, immunoglobulins, bromsulphalein at 45 min, and bile acid serum levels) being found in both groups. Treated patients showed an improvement in aminotransferase levels only at the first 3-month checkup. This finding, however, was not statistically significant in our study and disappeared at subsequent follow-up examinations. A high incidence of HBeAg was noted at entry into the study (10 of 15 patients checked). HBeAg seroconversion was observed in two of the six HBeAg-positive treated patients and in two of the four HBeAg-positive untreated patients. Finally, the histological picture showed similar patterns in both groups of patients studied. Our data suggest that no benefit from immunosuppressive therapy can be proven at this time in asymptomatic, moderately active, HBsAg-positive, delta-negative CAH in children.

Azathioprine↗
PubMed1985

Isolation and characterization of two particle-bound oligoaminopeptidases from human meconium that are different from oligoaminopeptidase of adult small intestine.

Two oligoaminopeptidases (substrate L-leucyl-beta-naphthylamide) have been separated by ion exchange chromatography after Triton solubilization of meconial particles. The quantitatively major form (oligoaminopeptidase II) has been purified to apparent homogeneity. The two meconial oligoaminopeptidases differ from each other in their polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic mobility and isoelectric points. Both meconial enzymes differ from the adult enzyme by having more acidic isoelectric points and different affinities to Helix pomatia lectin-Sepharose columns. Oligoaminopeptidase II has a faster anodal electrophoretic mobility than the adult enzyme but a similar apparent molecular weight and subunit structure. Extensive neuraminidase digestion of meconial oligoaminopeptidase II does not modify the gel electrophoretic mobility of the enzyme. The charge difference between adult and meconial human brush border oligoaminopeptidases is therefore probably due, at least in part, to differences in the carbohydrate composition of these glycoproteins, and differences in the number of terminal or exposed sialic acid residues do not explain the observed charge differences.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Immunoregulatory functional abnormalities in children affected by HBsAg-positive chronic active hepatitis: role of prostaglandins in T-mediated suppression.

Suppressor cell function was evaluated in children affected by HBsAg-positive chronic active hepatitis. Circulating concanavalin A- (ConA) precultured lymphocytes failed to suppress the proliferative response of autologous responder cells to a mitogen. In four of eight patients with a failure of ConA-induced suppressor activity, indomethacin added during the induction phase of T suppressor cells abolished the defect, indicating that prostaglandin-producing adherent cells may influence ConA-induced suppressor activity. An inverse relationship between suppressor cell activity and the number of suppressor/cytotoxic subsets defined by the OK T8 monoclonal antibody was found. Our findings strongly support the hypothesis that an abnormality in the immunoregulatory system plays a role in the pathogenesis of HBsAg-related chronic active hepatitis. It is also suggested that non-T regulatory cells are implicated in the immunological abnormality in chronic active hepatitis.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Interferon: a meta-analysis of published studies in pediatric chronic hepatitis B.

Perinatally infected Asian children respond poorly to interferon (IFN) therapy. In contrast, IFN therapy seems to be more effective in Caucasian children who presumably acquired HBV infection later in life. We reviewed seven controlled studies of IFN treatment in children with chronic hepatitis B living in western countries (216 treated, and 200 untreated children). Before treatment all patients were HBeAg and HBV-DNA +ve, with a biopsy proven chronic hepatitis B. Ages ranged 1 to 16 years (mean age 7 years). Most patients were Caucasian. Protocols which have been adopted may schematically be divided into protocols which have used high doses of IFN (7.5 to 10 MU/sqm/TIW), and protocols which have used low doses of IFN (3 to 6 MU/sqm/TIW), with a short (3 to 6 months) or a long duration of treatment (12 months). The percentage of treated patients who, at the end of treatment, lost HBV-DNA (that in most studies corresponded also to HBeAg serum conversion) averages 20 to 58% (mean 35.5%) that is much higher than that observed in controls (range 8-17%; mean 11.4%). A better trend is probably observed only in patients who received the treatment for a longer period of time. At the end of treatment, low percentages of patients lost BsAg (range 0-4%; mean 1.1%): again higher doses tend to be more effective than lower doses. In some studies IFN has been shown to significantly accelerate the termination of viral replication. Data on longer term outcome of IFN treatment in Caucasian children are scarce and confirm results obtained at short and at medium-term FU either in horizontally either in perinatally infected children. Results from few randomized controlled trials of interferon therapy with prednisone priming in Chinese and Caucasian children were comparable to results obtained without prednisone. In one study steroid priming did not potentiate the effect of IFN, however it existed a tendency of prednisone to improve HBeAg clearance in patients with normal aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase activity lesser than 100 u/l. In most studies, factors positively influencing response rates of IFN treatment are represented by severe inflammation in the basal liver biopsy, high basal levels of serum transaminase, low basal levels of serum HBV-DNA. Vertical transmission may be considered a factor adversely affecting the response to IFN treatment both in Chinese and Caucasian population. In general in most controlled studies, the majority of responders have shown a significant reduction in hepatic inflammation and transaminase normalization. Children have a low risk of developing severe IFN-induced side effects. Adverse reactions and worsening of health-related quality of life were tolerable and did not seem to be a limiting factor for IFN therapy in young candidates.

Antiviral Agents↗