Biomedical subjects

M Ciampolini

Publications and source records attributed to M Ciampolini.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1996

Microflora persistence on duodenojejunal flat or normal mucosa in time after a meal in children.

A pathogenic role for high numbers of bacteria in the small intestine had been suggested previously by bacterial counts on luminal aspirates, but these investigations were flawed by the sampling device "contamination" in the mouth and the changing nature of fluent intestinal content. A procedure was developed to sterilize the Watson biopsy capsule with HCl in the upper portion of the duodenum. Bacteria were counted in the mucosal homogenate of the first (diagnostic) duodenojejunal biopsy in 80 untreated celiac children, and in 46 children with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in a four-cell, controlled, randomized investigation. Persistence of bacteria on the mucosa for 20 h after the last meal was investigated in 62 subjects, and for 26 h after the last meal in 64 subjects. Bacteria, mainly streptococci and staphylococci, persisted at a concentration of 10(6) per gram of mucosa 20 h after the last meal. The number of bacteria per gram of mucosa was 24 times higher in all 62 children of the 20-h fast groups than in all 64 children of the 26-h fast groups (p < 0.001). The bacteria count in celiac children was 39 times higher in the 20-h fast group than in the 26-h one. This difference was significantly higher than the 11 times difference that was found on the normal mucosa between the 20- and 26-h fast IBS groups (p < 0.001), which was still significant. The number of bacteria on duodenojejunal mucosa depends on nutrient absorption and persists longer than the intermeal interval in these subjects.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1994

Same growth and different energy intake over four years in children suffering from chronic non-specific diarrhoea.

An increase in energy intake often occurs at weaning and this may depend on the current practice of offering energy-dense foods ad libitum. In two-year-old lean infants suffering from chronic non-specific diarrhoea (CNSD), the offering of food was evaluated by caregivers at every meal on the basis of food need expressions and non-starchy vegetable acceptance, taking into account the maintenance of good temper and normal activity between meals. The purpose was to avoid diarrhoea recurrence. This form of regulation was continued in a prospective, controlled, randomized investigation to explore: (i) familial pre-determination of growth and (ii) the existence of an 'unnecessary' fraction of energy intake, i.e. a fraction which may habitually be excluded while still maintaining the same normal intermeal behaviour, intellectual and physical achievements, growth, skinfold thicknesses and blood parameters. Seven-day intake home diaries and clinical assessments were performed every 6 to 12 months. Growth records were investigated in siblings. Eighty-two of 91 experimental subjects and 32 of 41 randomized ones in the control group were followed for up to four years. The control group maintained a significantly higher (15-30%) energy intake than the experimental children, without any fattening or growth acceleration, or any improved results in inter-meal behaviour, intellectual and physical achievements or blood parameters for four years. The normal median weight was reached in the experimental and control children in the sixth year of life and in the siblings in the fourth year of life.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Anthropometry↗

PubMed1991

Decrease in serum IgE associated with limited restriction in energy intake to treat toddler's diarrhea.

Toddler's diarrhea may be an allergic disease and its recurrences can be avoided with education to "internal spontaneity" in feeding, i.e., by education to a limited and reproducible decrease in eating incentives at the onset of meals. Serum IgE was thus investigated in 16 experimental children in a random comparison with 16 controls, all aged 1 to 4 years, before and after seven months' dietary treatment. Compliance was measured with a seven-day written diary, while serum IgE was measured by PRIST, before and after dietary treatment. A 21% decrease in energy intake (p less than 0.05) and about five times increase in fruit and nonstarchy vegetable intake amount was seen in treated children. A decrease in serum IgE level of 13.9 +/- 43.5 U/ml was found in the "internal spontaneity" group, as opposed to an increase of 33.2 +/- 50.5 U/ml in the control one (p less than 0.01). The differences between examinations were significantly correlated to the increase in NSV acceptance in all children plotted together (r = .51, p less than 0.005). The overall NSV effect on the changes of the 2 muscle areas, 2 symptoms, and 2 percent growth, 15 nutritional, 5 immune and 3 hepatic indices was significant with MANOVA (p less than 0.01). The education to "internal spontaneity" may be a useful tool for prevention of overeating, diarrhea recurrences and IgE increase in the second/third year of life.

Appetite↗

PubMed1991

Serum lipids in celiac children.

The plasma lipid levels were investigated in 45 celiac children under 3 years of age and 49 over this age at diagnosis (untreated groups), after gluten-free diet and in comparison with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) groups matched for size, gender, and age. Total and HDL cholesterol levels were significantly lower and triglycerides higher in celiac untreated children than in IBS control children in both age groups. HDL cholesterol significantly increased in both age groups after some months of gluten-free diet. Total and LDL cholesterol significantly increased and triglycerides decreased in the younger group of subjects after the period of gluten-free diet. These results may be useful for diagnostic purposes and to motivate a strict gluten-free diet in celiac children.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1990

Normal energy intake range in children with chronic nonspecific diarrhea: association of relapses with the higher level.

An increase in energy intake often occurs at weaning. The increase may be due partly to prompting by the caregiver to accelerate the child's weight gain and partly motivated by the palatability of common weaning foods. Increased food intakes initiated during weaning and continued into the second year of life may be associated with chronic, nonspecific diarrhea in selected children. An educational project was designed to reduce intakes augmented by either cause. Reductions were achieved by the regulation of energy-dense foods in the child's diet and reliance on the child's appetite control to determine meal size. The educational intervention was applied prospectively under nonblinded, controlled conditions. Children, 1 to 2 years of age, with chronic nonspecific diarrhea were assigned randomly to either a treatment or control group. Compliance, food consumption, preprandial glycemia, and outdoor activities were reported by the children's mothers in four 7-day diaries; symptoms related to the children's clinical condition and anthropometric and biochemical indices of nutritional status were noted at the beginning and end of a 7-month period. Forty-four of 53 children in the experimental group maintained compliance, and 44 of 47 children in the control group completed the follow-up. Energy intake decreased significantly by almost one-third in the experimental group. Growth, skinfold thickness measurements, and outdoor activities were similar between experimental and control groups over the 7-month period. Diarrheal episodes occurred in 6, 1, and 2 children in the experimental group at 1.5, 3, and 7 months and in 22, 18, and 15 children in the control group, respectively (p less than 0.002).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Child, Preschool↗

PubMed1986