Cinthia G. Goldman

Effect of probiotics and functional foods and their use in different diseases

The use of functional foods (probiotics and prebiotics) has been demonstrated to be effective for the treatment or control of several diseases. Further well designed trials to examine the effects of different probiotic components are required. It is important to establish separate functions and to gain further insight into the underlying mechanisms that include competitive exclusion and modification of colonic microflora. For a very long time Russians have used kefir for the treatment of a wide range of illnesses. This paper attempts to review the use of probiotic and functional foods in different diseases, with a special emphasis on kefir.

Zinc Status and Immune System Relationship A Review

The essentiality of zinc for humans was first documented by Prasad in the 1960s. The main clinical manifestations associated with zinc deficiency are growth retardation, hypogonadism, diarrhea, and increased susceptibility to infectious diseases. Thus, in the past 25 yr, there was an increased interest of researchers in studying the role of zinc in human immunity. Although mechanistic research has been carried out using animal models, there are several studies in humans with similar results. This work is an attempt to review the information available in this field to understand the important role that zinc plays in the normal development and function of the immune system.

Review article: is there a link between micronutrient malnutrition and Helicobacter pylori infection?

Helicobacter pylori causes a chronic gastric infection, which is usually life‐long. Many epidemiological studies have shown that this is probably one of the most common bacterial infections throughout the world involving 30% of the population living in developed countries and up to 80–90% of the population in developing regions. Concomitantly, developing regions also have high prevalence of micronutrient malnutrition. In the last few years, some studies have suggested that H. pylori infection may affect the homeostasis of different micronutrients including iron, vitamin B12, folic acid, α‐tocopherol, vitamin C and β‐carotene. In this article, we discuss the current scientific information of the effect that H. pylori infection may produce on micronutrient malnutrition.

Zinc deficiency and growth: current concepts in relationship to two important points: intellectual and sexual development.

Zinc deficiency remains a serious health problem worldwide affecting developed as well as developing countries. Despite the evidence proving that zinc deprivation during the periods of rapid growth negatively affects the cognitive brain as well as sexual development, there are few complete studies carried out in children. The present article proposes a revision of the evidence gathered until now on the relationship existing between zinc deficiency and intellectual and sexual development during the stages of childhood, preadolescence, and adolescence.

Iron, zinc, and copper nutritional status in children infected with Helicobacter pylori.

Objective: Helicobacter pylori colonizes the gastric mucosa of about half of the worlds population and it has been related to extragastrointestinal diseases. The present study sought to evaluate the association between H pylori infection and iron, zinc, and copper nutritional status in symptomatic children. Patients and Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in 395 children (4–16 years) with upper gastrointestinal symptoms, who were tested for H pylori infection by the 13C-urea breath test. Iron status was determined by hemoglobin, serum ferritin, and serum transferrin receptors. Copper and zinc serum concentrations were also evaluated. Epidemiological data, dietary assessment, and anthropometric indicators were analyzed as potential confounding factors. Results: Prevalence of H pylori infection was 24.3%. Anemia and iron deficiency (ID) were found in 12.0% and 14.3% of the H pylori–positive and 8.9% and 11.0% of the H pylori–negative children, respectively. There was no association between H pylori infection and anemia (odds ratio = 1.54 [95% confidence interval [CI] 0.73%–3.24%]) or ID (odds ratio = 1.35 [95% CI 0.67–2.70]). Crude β coefficients showed that H pylori has no significant effect on hemoglobin, serum ferritin, serum transferrin receptors, copper, and zinc concentrations. However, adjusted results suggested that H pylori–infected children had an increase of 9.74 μg/dL (95% CI 2.12–17.37 μg/dL) in copper concentrations. Conclusions: This study revealed that H pylori infection was not associated with iron deficiency, anemia, or zinc concentrations; however, a positive relation with copper status was found after adjusting for confounding factors. The contribution of H pylori infection to higher copper concentrations needs to be confirmed by additional studies.

Current knowledge of iron metabolism

Iron plays many roles in human physiology. In this article, we summarize the basic and current knowledge of this essential micronutrient on human metabolism.

Novel gastric helicobacters and oral campylobacters are present in captive and wild cetaceans

The mammalian gastric and oral mucosa may be colonized by mixed Helicobacter and Campylobacter species, respectively, in individual animals. To better characterize the presence and distribution of Helicobacter and Campylobacter among marine mammals, we used PCR and 16S rDNA sequence analysis to examine gastric and oral samples from ten dolphins (Tursiops gephyreus), one killer whale (Orcinus orca), one false killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens), and three wild La Plata river dolphins (Pontoporia blainvillei). Helicobacter spp. DNA was widely distributed in gastric and oral samples from both captive and wild cetaceans. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated two Helicobacter sequence clusters, one closely related to H. cetorum, a species isolated from dolphins and whales in North America. The second related cluster was to sequences obtained from dolphins in Australia and to gastric non-H. pylori helicobacters, and may represent a novel taxonomic group. Dental plaque sequences from four dolphins formed a third cluster within the Campylobacter genus that likely represents a novel species isolated from marine mammals. Identification of identical Helicobacter spp. DNA sequences from dental plaque, saliva and gastric fluids from the same hosts, suggests that the oral cavity may be involved in transmission. These results demonstrate that Helicobacter and Campylobacter species are commonly distributed in marine mammals, and identify taxonomic clusters that may represent novel species.

Decreasing Trend of Helicobacter pylori Infection in Children with Gastrointestinal Symptoms from Buenos Aires, Argentina

Background:  Helicobacter pylori infection is declining in developed and developing countries. The aim of this study was to retrospectively evaluate over an 8‐year period the rate of H. pylori infection in children with gastrointestinal symptoms from Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Evidence of Helicobacter sp. in Dental Plaque of Captive Dolphins (Tursiops gephyreus)

Gastrointestinal lesions have been extensively reported in wild and captive marine mammals. However, their etiology remains unclear. In humans and other animals, chronic gastritis and peptic ulcers have been associated with Helicobacter sp. Therefore, the aim of our study was to investigate the presence of Helicobacter sp. in the gastric juice, dental plaque, and saliva of marine mammals living in a controlled environment. Five dolphins (Tursiops gephyreus), one killer whale (Orcinus orca), one false killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens), three sea lions (Otaria flavescens), two elephant seals (Mirounga leonina), and two fur seals (Arctocephalus australis) were studied. Saliva, dental plaque, and gastric juice samples were examined for Helicobacter sp. using polymerase chain reaction. None of the gastric juice or saliva samples were positive for Helicobacter sp. However, Helicobacter sp. DNA was detected in dental plaque from two dolphins, suggesting the oral cavity might be a reservoir of this bacterium.

Helicobacter spp. from gastric biopsies of stranded South American fur seals (Arctocephalus australis).

Gastrointestinal lesions with uncertain etiology have been widely described among pinnipeds. The aim of our study was to investigate the presence of Helicobacter spp. in the gastric mucosa of South American fur seals (Arctocephalusaustralis). Gastric biopsies from thirteen seals, stranded on the shores of the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean in Argentina, were evaluated for the presence of Helicobacter spp. by PCR and DNA sequence analysis. Six gastric biopsies were positive for Helicobacter spp. Pairwise sequence comparisons showed less than 95% identity to novel Helicobacter spp. described from pinnipeds from North America and Australia. However, phylogenetic analysis revealed that the South American fur seal sequences clustered with 99-100% homology with H. cetorum, a species isolated from dolphins and whales. The presence of H. cetorum in pinnipeds, if confirmed by its isolation from the gastric mucosa of these mammals, demonstrates the wide host range of this bacterium in the marine environment.