Cardiac and Visceral Signs of Connective Tissue Dysplasia in Children with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis According to Ultrasound Examination Data

To study the cardiac and visceral signs of connective tissue dysplasia in children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, a comprehensive ultrasound examination of the abdominal cavity organs and echocardiography examination were conducted according to the standard protocol in 52 children aged from 5 to 16 years with the diagnosis of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. The reference group consisted of 26 patients with autonomic dysfunction (vegetative-vascular dystonia). The incidence of such visceral dysplasia types as duodenogastric reflux, gastroesophageal reflux, and gallbladder malformations among children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis was shown higher than in the reference group. The main cardiac sign of connective tissue dysplasia in patients with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis are an excessive chord of the left ventricle.

Multitarget therapy in patients with GERD and obesity

The article presents the results of a clinical study involving 59 overweight or obese patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease. Non-erosive reflux disease was diagnosed in 30 (51%), erosive esophagitis A (Los Angeles endoscopic classification) in 29 (49%) patients. The severity of the main symptoms of GERD was assessed, physical examination, esophagogastroduodenoscopy, daily pH impedance monitoring of the upper gastrointestinal tract, psychometric testing were performed. The body mass index correlated with age (0.35); the presence of a diaphragmatic hernia (0.32); cough (0.35); pH in the stomach (0.30); the number of slightly alkaline gastroesophageal refluxes (0.32); slightly alkaline time in the esophagus in minutes (0.30) and percent (0.32); reactive anxiety (0.30), number of points of FF scale (–0.26) and MH scale of the SF-36 questionnaire (–0.25). Waist circumference correlated with the presence of erosive esophagitis (0.25); male sex (0.32); diaphragm hernia of (0.40); duodenogastric reflux (0.42); DeMeester index (0.31), the duration of the longest acid gastroesophageal reflux (0.25). Patients with erosive esophagitis compared with patients with non-erosive reflux disease more often consumed alcohol; had higher BMI; more often had epigastric pain and oral bitterness, longer bolus time in the esophagus and poorer quality of life according to the MH scale of the SF-36 questionnaire. Taking into account the revealed features of pathogenesis, the drugs of choice in the treatment of GERD in overweight and obese patients may be multitarget molecules of itopride hydrochloride (Itomed®), ursodeoxycholic acid (Ursosan®) and rebamipid (Rebagit®).

Frequency of involvement different parts of the gastrointestinal tract in the pathological process in children with biliary dysfunction

The close anatomical and physiological connection of the digestive organs leads to a significant spread of functional disorders in various diseases. Purpose — to investigate the frequency and features of the clinical course of biliary dysfunction (BD) in children. Materials and methods. 66 children aged 10–18 years with BD were examined. The study included a complete clinical examination of children, laboratory and instrumental methods. To assess the severity of clinical symptoms in the examined patients was used traditional score scale of symptoms (0–3 points) and the frequency index (FI). Results. In most children, the database was combined with other functional and organic lesions of the digestive tract (n=56, 84.8%). The database was most often combined with chronic gastritis and duodenitis, as well as with functional motor disorders. FI in children with BD involved in the pathological process of the stomach and duodenum was the highest (0.59), and IR in children with BD and intestinal involvement was the lowest (0.23). The relationship between the frequency of combined pathology and the frequency of cases of increase in the size of the gallbladder (χ2=22.87 at a critical value of χ2=9.33 for the significance level p<0.01). Hyper- or hypofunctions of the biliary tract occurred with the same frequency. Conclusions. Biliary dysfunction in children is significantly more often combined with chronic gastritis and duodenitis, as well as with other functional disorders of the gastrointestinal tract (duodenogastric reflux). In children with biliary dysfunction and involvement in the pathological process of other parts of the gastrointestinal tract there is an increase in the frequency of exacerbations, more pronounced signs of dyspeptic syndrome on the background of pain with the same intensity and more often ultrasound reveals signs of gallbladder dysformation. The research was carried out in accordance with the principles of the Helsinki declaration. The study protocol was approved by the Local Ethics Committee of all participating institution. The informed consent of the patient was obtained for conducting the studies. No conflict of interest was declared by the authors. Key words: children, biliary dysfunction.

State of Hepatopancreatobiliary system and post-cholecystectomy quality of life

Objective: to assess the quality of life of patients and the state of the hepatopancreatobiliary system before and after cholecystectomy in the long-term period. Materials and methods: at the first stage, 107 people were examined after emergency, planned cholecystectomy (with symptomatic and asymptomatic course of GI). At the second stage, 90 people at different times after cholecystectomy for a more detailed examination of the external secretory function of the pancreas was performed. Results: the majority of patients, regardless of the type of surgery, had symptoms of dyspepsia associated with the development of functional disorders of the gastrointestinal tract (gastroesophageal reflux, duodenogastric reflux, sphincter Oddi dysfunction). A decrease in the external secretory function of the pancreas was shown regardless of the period after cholecystectomy. Conclusion: after cholecystectomy, functional disorders of the digestive system predominate in the long-term period due to loss of the physiological function of the gallbladder.

Helicobacteriosis: changes of the mucosa in disorder of motor functions (motorics) in the gastroesophagal and duodenogastral zones of the stomach

The morphological changes in the gastric mucosa in the presence of duodenogastric reflux and refluxesophagitis and their connection with the presence of Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection are studied. The endoscopic and histological examination of the stomach antral part was performed in 1251 patients with different gastroduodenal pathologies. HP was diagnosed by histological and real-time PCR methods. Among patients with different gastroduodenal pathologies the frequency of H. pylori infection was 77.9 %. Duodenogastric reflux was detected in 23.9 % of patients. In the presence of duodenogastric reflux, we have found a decrease in the risk of duodenal ulcer by a factor of 2.5, thus duodenogastric reflux may protect against the development of duodenal ulcer. In patients with duodenogastric reflux in the presence of H. pylori infection, significant differences from the group uninfected of Helicobacter pylori were found in the metaplasia frequency. A significant increase in the frequency of foveolar hyperplasia among patients with duodenogastric reflux was revealed. The prevalence of reflux-esophagitis in the study group was 8.3 %. No increased risk in reflux-esophagitis was observed either in the HP-positive or HP-negative cases. According to our finding, duodenogastric reflux was characterized by foveolar hyperplasia and metaplasia. We suggest that the presence or absence of H. pylori does not affect reflux-esophagitis.

Сhronic gastritis: impaired motor-evacuation function of the stomach

The effect of morphological changes in the gastric mucosa on the motor-evacuation function of the stomach was evaluated in 90 patients with chronic atrophic gastritis and 93 patients with chronic non-atrophic gastritis aged 18 to 82 years. Motor function disturbances were discovered of 90% of patients with chronic atrophic gastritis and 80,6% with chronic non-atrophic gastritis. It was established that the pyloric insufficiency compared with its spasm was significantly more (p0,01) often in chronic atrophic gastritis. Insufficiency of the lower esophageal sphincter in patients with atrophic gastritis was significantly (p0,01). Insufficiency of the lower esophageal sphincter in combination with duodenogastric reflux in patients with chronic atrophic gastritis was significantly more (p0,01) often observed during diffuse atrophy, i. e. when mucous membrane of stomach corpus and antrum is involved in the process. With the localization of atrophy in the antrum alone, pyloric insufficiency was observed significantly more (p 0,01) often than spasm. Thus, an interrelation between the insufficiency of the lower esophageal and pyloric sphincters with the diffuse atrophic process has been established. There are no significant differences of disorders of gastric motor function in patients with different types of chronic gastritis. Accelerated evacuation from the stomach with localization of atrophy in the mucous membrane of the stomach corpus is more (p 0,01) often observed in patients with chronic atrophic gastritis.