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Biomedical subjects

H L Vis

Publications and source records attributed to H L Vis.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1994

Human milk banking: influence of storage processes and of bacterial contamination on some milk constituents.

This paper reviews the effects of storage and bacterial content contaminating human milk on some milk constituents. Moreover, it reviews the inhibitory effect of refrigeration and freezing on bacterial growth. Our results suggest that the type and length of storage have an effect on some milk constituents, that this effect is modulated by the bacterial contamination of the milk and that refrigeration has a significant inhibitory effect on bacterial growth which is not observed after freezing. This stresses the importance of collecting noncontaminated milk and justifies the choice of refrigeration at 0-4 degrees C for storage up to 8 days.

Colony Count, Microbial↗
PubMed1994

Blood spot follicle-stimulating hormone during early postnatal life in normal girls and Turner's syndrome.

Although FSH has previously been found to be elevated during infancy in agonadal subjects, it is not known whether perinatal FSH levels are also increased. Neonatal blood spot FSH levels were studied retrospectively in nine full term girls born with Turner's syndrome and compared with presumably normal full term girls born the same week. FSH was measured using a highly specific immunoradiometric assay adapted to blood spots collected at the time of systematic neonatal screening. On day 5-6 after birth, FSH was undetectable (< 1 IU/L) or low (1-4.4 IU/L) in normal girls. Among the nine patients with Turner's syndrome, five had FSH levels below 3 IU/L, and four showed slightly elevated levels, ranging from 4.3-10.9 IU/L. These differences in FSH secretion were not related to differences in karyotype. Among five patients studied longitudinally during the first 6 weeks of life, three showed increases in FSH levels to 14.9-15.9 IU/L during the second week of life. However, this increase was comparable to that seen in some normal girls sampled on a second occasion during the first weeks after birth. One patient with Turner's syndrome still had low FSH (2.5 IU/L) on day 23, but showed some increase to 8.5 IU/L on day 30. We conclude that 1) in Turner patients, perinatal changes in FSH secretion are similar to those in normal girls, although there is already a lack of feedback control by gonadal hormones on the hypothalamo-pituitary axis; and 2) the FSH assay cannot be used for neonatal screening of Turner's syndrome.

Female↗
PubMed1993

Effects of 17 months treatment using recombinant insulin-like growth factor-I in two children with growth hormone insensitivity (Laron) syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: With the availability of recombinant insulin-like growth factor-I (recIGF-I), it was possible to study whether this peptide could promote growth without noticeable side-effects in patients with growth hormone insensitivity syndrome (Laron syndrome). We report data obtained before and during 17 months treatment using recIGF-I, 40 micrograms/kg s.c. twice a day, in two Lebanese siblings. PATIENTS: The boy and the girl showed very short stature (-6.8 and -6.1 SDS), high GH (79 and 147 IU/I), low plasma IGF-I (0.12 and 0.18 U/ml) and undetectable GH-binding protein. Height velocities were 4.3 and 3.8 cm/year before treatment which started at 8.4 and 6.8 years of age, respectively. RESULTS: After 1-8 weeks of therapy, biological evidence of IGF-I effect was obtained from reduction in serum GH and increase in procollagen-I. During the first 6 months of treatment, height velocity increased to 7.8 and 8.4 cm/year without any clinical evidence of side-effects. Between 6 and 12 months, growth response decreased to 6.6 and 6.3 cm/year. Between 12 and 17 months, growth rate returned to pretreatment values. Changes in bone mineral density paralleled growth response and bone maturation increased by 1.5 and 2.0 years during the first 12 months of treatment. Daily assessment of blood sugar showed asymptomatic low values (< 2.8 mM/I) in 11/730 and 22/730 measurements in the boy and the girl, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment of two patients with growth hormone insensitivity syndrome using 40 micrograms/kg of IGF-I twice a day resulted in increased linear bone growth and bone mineralization as well as increased bone maturation without remarkable adverse events. After 1 year of therapy, growth response could no longer be observed in these two patients.

Bone Density↗
PubMed1993

Atopic dermatitis: role of food and house dust mite allergens.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the humoral immune response to cow milk (CM) protein, soya protein, and house dust mites in a group of 64 CM-fed infants, who had atopic dermatitis as the sole atopic manifestation, by measuring not only IgE but also specific IgG antibodies (Ab) against bovine beta-lactoglobulin, soya flour aqueous extracts, and Der P1 antigens. METHODS: A CM-free diet (Nan HA, Nestle) was given to these 64 CM-fed infants and the sensitivity to CM proteins was established by a positive challenge test with the offending food in improved infants. The serum was obtained just before the start of the CM-free diet, at the first consultation. The patients were classified into two groups according to their clinical response to the hypoallergenic formula. RESULTS: Thirty-one infants (group 1) improved dramatically (positive challenge test), and 33 (group 2) did not improve with the exclusion diet but did improve after eviction of dust-producing items in the environment. The two groups were different in terms of their total IgE immunoglobulin concentration (higher in group 1, P < .05) and concentration of specific IgE Ab against CM protein (more frequent in group 1, P < .01). The IgG Ab concentrations against beta-lactoglobulin, the major CM antigen (P < 10-4), and against soya protein (P < .01) were significantly more elevated in the group improved by the diet, with a threshold above which the response to the exclusion diet could be predicted as positive. On the contrary, the level of specific IgG Ab against house dust mites was four times higher in group 2 than in group 1. Twenty-nine of the 33 infants of group 2 improved after eviction of dust-producing items in the environment. CONCLUSIONS: It is proposed that specific IgG Ab concentrations against beta-lactoglobulin, soya protein, and Der P1 antigen be determined in infants and children suffering from atopic dermatitis as a means of predicting the response to an exclusion diet, and a possible role of house dust mites in the pathogenicity of the disease is suggested.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

[Enzymes and histology of the intestinal mucosa of breast-fed African infants].

Weight gain and statural growth are slow in the Kivu area (Zaïre), as compared with international reference curves. One hypothesis put forward to explain this well-documented but poorly understood fact is inadequate breast-feeding with early intake of foods responsible for the introduction of microorganisms with deleterious effects on the digestive tract. A study of intestinal mucosa specimens from 90 at least partially breast-fed infants (4 to 22 months) showed that the appearance of the jejunal mucosa was consistently abnormal, as compared with histologic standards used in Europe. Furthermore, intestinal disaccharidase activities were always abnormal; lactase activities were extremely low and alpha-glucosidase activities were reduced by one-third to one-half as compared with European reference values. Age apparently influenced the magnitude of these modifications, whereas the correlation with nutritional status was less clear; only a correlation between the serum albumin level and the microscopic appearance of jejunal biopsy specimens was found. Intestinal alpha-glucosidase levels were lower in those patients with giardiasis. These findings demonstrate that in Kivu early atrophy of the intestinal mucosa contributes, together with the protein-calory malnutrition, to the lower growth rates in infants.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1991

Change in bile salt dependent lipase in human breast milk during extended lactation.

Two hundred eighty-one milk samples collected from Zaïrian nonprivileged, undernourished mothers, in series of nine groups from 1 month to 18 months after parturition, and 66 milk samples collected from French privileged mothers in series of four groups from 2 days to 16 months postpartum, were analyzed for their lactose, lipid and protein contents. In addition, the activity of bile salt-dependent lipase (esterase), which may play an important role in the newborn infant's lipids digestion, was measured. After the first month postpartum, independent of the nutritional state of the mother, sugar and protein concentrations were identical. Lipid content of French mothers' milk was lower in transitional milk, but appeared constant in mature milk with an average value of 29.1 +/- 5.8 mg/mL of milk. In Zaïrian mothers' milk, the lipid content of mature milk plateaued at around 50-55 mg/mL independent of the stage of lactation. Bile salt-dependent lipase showed constant esterase activity within the lactation stage in privileged mothers' milk, but decreased by almost 80-90% during the first four months of lactation in undernourished mothers. The data suggest that milk from nonprivileged mothers may lose some of its ability to hydrolyze milk lipid esters, which could also be of consequence to the infant's normal growth in view of its effect on the esters of the lipid-soluble vitamins A, E and D.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Minor and trace elements in human milk from Guatemala, Hungary, Nigeria, Philippines, Sweden, and Zaire. Results from a WHO/IAEA joint project.

Concentrations of As, Ca, Cd, Cl, Co, Cr, Cu, F, Fe, Hg, I, K, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, P, Pb, Sb, Se, Sn, V, and Zn were determined in human whole milk samples from Guatemala, Hungary, Nigeria, Philippines, Sweden, and Zaire; in most of these countries, three groups of subjects representing different socioeconomic conditions were studied. Analytical quality control was a primary consideration throughout. The analytical techniques used were atomic absorption spectrophotometry, atomic emission spectrometry with an inductively coupled plasma, colorimetry, electrochemistry, using an ion-selective electrode and neutron activation analysis. The differences between median concentrations of Ca, Cl, Mg, K, Na, and P (minor elements) were lower than 20% among the six countries. Among trace elements, concentrations observed in Filipino milk for As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, F, Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se, and V were higher than for milk samples from other countries. The remaining five countries showed a mixed picture of high and low values. In the case of at least some elements, such as, F, I, Hg, Mn, Pb, and Se, the environment appears to play a major role in determining their concentrations in human milk. The nutritional status of the mother, as reflected by her socioeconomic status, does not appear to influence significantly the breast milk concentrations of minor and trace elements. Significant differences exist between the actual daily intakes observed in this study and current dietary recommendations made by, for example, WHO and the US National Academy of Sciences. These differences are particularly large (an order of magnitude or more!) for Cr, F, Fe, Mn, and Mo; for other elements, such as, Ca, Cu, Mg, P, and Zn, they amount to at least a factor 2. In the opinion of the present authors, these findings point to the need for a possible reassessment of the dietary requirements of young infants with respect to minor and trace elements, particularly for the elements Ca, Cr, Cu, F, Fe, Mg, Mn, Mo, P, and Zn.

Democratic Republic of the Congo↗
PubMed1989

Maternal immune status against beta-lactoglobulin and cow milk allergy in the infant.

Beta-lactoglobulin (BLG) is probably the major cow milk antigen. Serum levels of anti-BLG antibodies were determined prospectively in mothers. The results were analyzed according to the existence of allergic manifestations in infants during the first months of life. Mothers of babies who developed allergy had statistically lower IgG anti-BLG concentrations than mothers of infants who presented no symptoms (P less than .001). Together with IgE umbilical cord blood screening, determine maternal IgG anti-BLG concentrations can more clearly define the allergic risk in the infant.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

The increase in zincaemia provoked by starvation does not influence the intestinal absorption of zinc.

Serum zinc, measured in obese patients undergoing two weeks of therapeutic starvation (0 kcal, water ad libitum) increased significantly during the starvation period (+48% at day 10) and returned to prestarvation values after refeeding with a 500 kcal diet. Intestinal absorption of zinc was investigated by an oral zinc tolerance test (with 75 mg of zinc acetate) on the second and the tenth day of starvation. No significant differences were observed between the first and the second test. In our experimental conditions 10 days of starvation failed to induce a loss of zinc exceeding 0.75% of the total body stores. It is concluded that the concentration of zinc in blood per se does not regulate intestinal absorption in the absence of a significant change in zinc requirements.

Adolescent↗