Related Experiment Videos
Persistent protein losing enteropathy in post measles diarrhoea.
Archives of Disease in Childhood
|August 1, 1986
Summary
Children with diarrhea, especially after measles, show elevated fecal alpha 1 antitrypsin. This indicates increased intestinal protein loss, particularly in post-measles shigellosis during acute illness.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Gastroenterology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Diarrheal diseases are a major cause of childhood morbidity.
- Measles can predispose children to secondary bacterial and viral infections.
- Protein-losing enteropathy (PLE) is a condition characterized by excessive loss of plasma proteins into the gastrointestinal tract.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate fecal alpha 1 antitrypsin clearance in children with diarrhea, comparing those with and without a history of measles.
- To assess the impact of different etiological agents (Shigella, enterotoxigenic E. coli, rotavirus) on fecal alpha 1 antitrypsin levels.
- To evaluate the relationship between measles, specific infections, and the severity of protein loss during acute and recovery stages of diarrhea.
Main Methods:
- Faecal alpha 1 antitrypsin levels were measured in two groups of children (6 months to 6 years) during acute and recovery phases of diarrhea.
- Group 1: 19 children with recent measles history.
- Group 2: 15 children with diarrhea without recent measles history. Etiological agents were identified.
Main Results:
- Children with rotavirus diarrhea exhibited transiently high fecal alpha 1 antitrypsin during the acute stage.
- Post-measles diarrhea cases showed significantly higher fecal alpha 1 antitrypsin than controls in both acute and recovery stages.
- Faecal alpha 1 antitrypsin was significantly higher in the acute stage compared to the recovery stage for both groups. Highest levels were seen in post-measles shigellosis, suggesting prolonged PLE.
Conclusions:
- Diarrhea, particularly following measles, is associated with increased intestinal protein loss, as indicated by elevated fecal alpha 1 antitrypsin.
- Post-measles diarrhea, especially shigellosis, may lead to prolonged protein-losing enteropathy.
- Fecal alpha 1 antitrypsin serves as a useful marker for assessing intestinal protein loss in pediatric diarrhea, with distinct patterns observed based on etiology and preceding illness.