G Bianchi Porro

Effects of Eradication of Helicobacter pylori on Gastritis in Duodenal Ulcer Patients

The incidence and mean score of Helicobacter pylori-related, active antroduodenitis, lesions of superficial antral epithelium and duodenal gastric-type metaplasia were higher in endoscopic biopsies from a large series of patients with duodenal ulcer, when compared with asymptomatic patients or patients with non-ulcer dyspepsia. In 65 out of 73 patients with duodenal ulcer who could be followed up, H. pylori was eradicated using a combination of amoxycillin, 3 g daily, metronidazole, 1 g daily, and omeprazole, 20 mg daily. Rapid and permanent (6-month follow-up) abolition of both gastroduodenitis activity and lesions of the gastric surface epithelium was observed in these 65 patients. There was also a progressive decrease in total immune-inflammatory cells but without a substantial change in duodenal gastric-type metaplasia. Similar, but transient and quantitatively less prominent, improvements were observed in the antroduodenal mucosa, which had been temporarily cleared of H. pylori by treatment with omeprazole alone. Conversely, increased gastritis activity, epithelial lesions and immune-inflammatory cell scores were found in the short term in the corpus mucosa, which was not cleared of H. pylori after omeprazole treatment. It is concluded that, of the various H. pylori-related mucosal changes, antroduodenitis activity and antral epithelial lesions most closely reflect the severity of mucosal damage and are probably the most important factors in duodenal ulcerogenesis. Their complete and rapid suppression after bacterial eradication may be a key factor in preventing ulcer relapse.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease: A typical spectrum disease (a new conceptual framework is not needed)

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a common GI disorder, particularly frequent in the primary care setting, with a high direct and indirect economic burden on society. Despite the high prevalence and costs of the disease, the epidemiology and natural history of GERD have not been fully elucidated. It has recently been suggested to abandon the current model of GERD as a “spectrum” disease and to adopt a new conceptual framework, e.g., categorizing GERD into three unique groups of patients: nonerosive reflux disease, erosive esophagitis, and Barretts esophagus. In the present review we present arguments against this proposal, and argue that the concept of a single disease, potentially progressing from mild nonerosive forms toward metaplasia and neoplasia (adenocarcinoma), still holds true and may in fact help us in planning the diagnostic and therapeutic approach as well as in allocating financial resources much better than the proposed model of a “tripartited” disease. Independently from the conceptual model adopted, however, more data on the natural history of patients with GERD are eagerly needed.

Mesalazine (5-Aminosalicylic Acid) Suppositories in the Treatment of Ulcerative Proctitis or Distal Proctosigmoiditis: A Randomized Controlled Trial

A multicentre double-blind study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of 1 g or 1.5 g mesalazine daily compared with placebo in 94 patients with mild to moderate distal proctosigmoiditis (less than 20 cm). The study end point was the determination of clinical, endoscopic, and histologic remission rates at 4 weeks. Eleven patients, nine receiving placebo and two receiving 1.5 g mesalazine, withdrew during trial, mostly because of worsening of symptoms. At 4 weeks clinical remission was achieved in 7 of 31 (39%) patients with placebo, in 22 of 32 (69%) patients in the 1 g mesalazine group, and 23 of 31 (74%) patients in the 1.5 g mesalazine group. No serious clinical or biochemical side effect of treatment was reported. Mesalazine suppositories are safe, well tolerated, and very effective in patients with active distal proctosigmoiditis: 500 mg twice daily appears a suitable dose regimen.

Maintenance treatment of ulcerative proctitis with mesalazine suppositories: a double-blind placebo-controlled trial

Objectives: A multicenter double-blind placebo-controlled clinical study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of two different therapeutic schedules of mesalazine suppositories in patients with ulcerative proctitis. Methods: From 1990 to 1993, 111 patients with ulcerative proctisis in remission, limited to the rectum (≤ 15 cm from anus), were enrolled. After obtaining informed consent, patients were randomized to three treatment groups: 500 mg mesalazine b.i.d. (36 patients), 500 mg mesalazine u.i.d. (40 patients), and placebo (35 patients). The treatment lasted 1 yr. Follow-up consisted of periodic clinical, endoscopic, and histological assessments. An endoscopic score > 1 according to the Baron scale defined relapse occurence. The three groups were homogeneous as regards main demographic, diagnostic, and prognostic features. Results: The cumulative relapse rates at 12 months were 10% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0–21) in the mesalazine b.i.d. group, 32% (95% CI: 16–49) in the mesalazine u.i.d. group, and 47% (95% CI: 29–65) in the placebo group. The comparison between the mesalazine b.i.d. group and the mesalazine u.i.d. group cumulative relapse rates gave a p value of 0.0334, whereas the corresponding comparison between the mesalazine b.i.d. group and the placebo group gave a p value of 0.007 (log-rank test). The dose-response relationship was statistically significant (p = 0.008 by Cox analysis). Two patients in the mesalazine b.i.d. group, two patients in the mesalazine u.i.d. group, and one patient in the placebo group withdrew from the study due to nonserious adverse events; four, three, and four patients per group, respectively, dropped out because of poor compliance. Two patients in the mesalazine u.i.d. group and two in the placebo group were lost to follow-up. Conclusions: The results of this study confirm the therapeutic efficacy of mesalazine suppositories in the maintenance treatment of ulcerative proctitis. According to our experience the most effective therapeutic schedule is 500 mg mesalazine b.i.d.

Upper GI bleeding in healthy full-term infants: a case-control study

Abstract OBJECTIVE: The aim of this case-control study was to evaluate the frequency and the type of mucosal lesions in newborn babies with upper GI bleeding (UGIB), the diagnostic role and safety of upper GI endoscopy, and the recognition of risk factors associated with the hemorrhagic event. METHODS: A population of 5180 infants born from June, 1988 to May, 1997 was examined. A case was defined as any patient who had UGIB within 4 days of delivery. The diagnosis was made by endoscopic examination in an endoscopy room. The following parameters were determined: amniotic fluid features, funicular blood pH, Apgar index at 5 min, neonatal weight, body length, gestational age, and the presence of other pathologies. Biochemical profiles were also evaluated. Clinical and demographic data of the mothers of the newborn babies were analyzed. Sera of cases and the respective parents were tested for gastrin and pepsinogen. As a control group, 53 full-term healthy infants matched for sex and age were randomly selected from the population of infants born in our pediatric department. RESULTS: Sixty-four of 5180 newborn babies (1.23%) suffered from UGIB within 26.5 ± 20 h of life. In 53 of 64 cases (mean age = 24.2 ± 25.5 h) it was possible to carry out an endoscopic examination. In one case, endoscopy was limited to the esophagus because of the presence of multiple mucosal ulcers and substenosis of the viscus. Esophageal damage was observed in 24/53 patients. The esophageal lesions were isolated in nine cases, and occurred jointly with gastric or duodenal damage in 14 cases and one, respectively. Gastric and duodenal lesions were seen in 43/52 and 1/52 patients, respectively. There were 17 cases of gastric ulcers and one case of duodenal ulcer. Blood clots were observed in 14 gastric ulcer patients; in one case there was evidence of active bleeding at the margins of a gastric ulcer. There was no significant difference with regard to the demographic and clinical characteristics of the cases and controls. Median values of serum gastrin of the cases and controls were similar. Median serum pepsinogen was significantly higher in the case group. CONCLUSIONS: UGIB in the newborn babies is often associated with clinically relevant mucosal lesions of the upper GI tract. The evolution, after treatment with antisecretory drugs, is generally rapid and favorable, with clinical recovery usually obtained within 24–48 h. The higher serum pepsinogen levels may only represent a significant risk factor of mucosal lesions and complications.

Influence of bacterial CagA status on gastritis, gastric function indices, and pattern of symptoms in H. pylori -positive dyspeptic patients

Objective:To date, little is known about a possible relationship between H. pylori-related disturbances of gastric function and the bacterial virulence. The aim of this study was to assess whether certain gastric function indices as well as the pattern of symptoms in nonulcer dyspepsia (NUD) are related to CagA status.Methods:A total of 56 consecutive patients with NUD (38 H. pylori-positive and 18 H. pylori-negative) were studied. Dyspeptic symptoms were categorized according to the predominant complaints and scored for severity and frequency. In all subjects, basal and pentagastrin-stimulated acid secretion, fasting and meal-induced gastrin release, fasting serum pepsinogen I (PG I) levels, and gastric emptying of solids were determined. CagA status was determined by assaying serum CagA IgG antibodies by western blotting.Results:Eighteen of 38 (47%) H. pylori-positive dyspeptics were CagA seropositive. Type and severity of dyspeptic symptoms did not significantly differ between CagA-positive and CagA-negative dyspeptics nor between H. pylori-positive and negative patients. Among the gastric function indices studied, only meal-stimulated gastrin was significantly influenced by CagA status (peak gastrin 129.9 [44.1] vs 99.1 [48.6] pg/ml in CagA-positive and negative NUD, respectively), but this was not accompanied by any significant modification of basal or stimulated acid secretion or gastric emptying of solids. The activities of both antral and corpus gastritis in NUD harboring CagA-positive strains were significantly higher than those of CagA-negative NUD. Accordingly, serum PG I levels were significantly higher in CagA-positive than CagA-negative or H. pylori-negative dyspeptics.Conclusions:These findings support a role for CagA status in influencing the activity and perhaps the distribution of gastritis in NUD, as well as the degree of gastrin response to a meal; however, this is not accompanied by disturbances of acid secretion or gastric emptying or by differences in the type and severity of symptoms.

Effect of Maprotiline on Pentagastrin-Stimulated Acid Secretion in Man

We have studied the effect of maprotiline, an antidepressant with a strong pronoradrenergic effect, on human gastric secretion. Twelve subjects (nine men and three women) entered the study; six had an active duodenal ulcer, and six were healthy volunteers. Each patient underwent two experiments with an interval of at least 48 h. In a randomized double-blind order, each patient received maprotiline or placebo intravenously during intravenous stimulation with pentagastrin (2 micrograms/kg/h). Thirty minutes after basal collection, pentagastrin was administered for 180 min by constant intravenous infusion. After 60 min placebo or maprotiline (1 mg/kg/h) was added to the intravenous infusion from the 60th to 120th min; thereafter 2 mg/kg/h were infused until the 180th min. Maprotiline infusion (2 mg/kg/h) inhibited significantly stimulated acid secretion in comparison with placebo in duodenal ulcer patients but not in healthy volunteers.