[Small bowel morphometry in acute and persistent diarrhea due to classic enteropathogenic Escherichia coli]

Enteropathogenic E.coli infection may cause different ranges of abnormalities in the small bowel villi, but there are no morphometric studies about it. Thirty specimens of small intestinal mucosa obtained from children having acute or persistent diarrhea by enteropathogenic E.coli were analysed and then compared to the specimens of the small intestinal biopsy of thirteen patients of the control group. We had the following target in this paper: evaluate the morphological changes of intestinal mucosa using linear morphometry and to verify the number of intra-epithelial lymphocytes/100 enterocytes; search the presence of Gram negative bacteria adhered to the small intestinal mucosa. Gram negative bacteria were present in three patients with acute diarrhea. The morphometric changes were more remarkable in the villosites which were shorter, in the enteropathogenic E.coli group. The total mucosa thickness as well as the villous height and the relation villous/crypt were significantly shorter in the enteropathogenic E.coli group when compared to the control Group. There were no differences between the two groups for the crypt length and for de number of intraepithelial lymphocytes/100 enterocytes.