[Bacteriological, parasitological and virological study of the digestive flora in alpha-chain disease]

Intestinal flora was explored in twelve patients affected with alpha-chain disease at different stages (stage A: 2 cases; stage B: 6 cases; stage C: 4 cases). Bacterial overgrowth in the jejunum was observed in 11 cases, but intestinal flora was diverse and no one species was always present; although a 3-month oral antibiotic treatment induced complete remission in one patient (stage A) it was not possible to demonstrate any pathogenic bacterial species. Intestinal lambliasis was present in 40 p. 100 of cases. Virologic studies were negative. At stages A and B of the disease, antibiotic treatment was able to improve malabsorption and/or plasma protein digestive losses in 62 p. 100 of cases; this effect seemed related to the reduction of the bacterial flora and to giardiasis eradication.