ABSTRACT
The aim of the study was to assess and compare the IgG seroprevalence of H. pylori in children with recurrent abdominal pain with healthy children and to investigate the related symptoms. IgG antibodies against low-molecular weight H. pylori antigens were assessed in 438 children with recurrent abdominal pain and in 91 healthy controls. Sera with an ELISA unit-value above the cut-off level were confirmed by Western immunoblot. Only seropositive children with recurrent abdominal pain were examined by an oesophago-gastro-duodenoscopy. Symptomatology was recorded according to the localization of the abdominal pain, presence of pyrosis, nocturnal pain, relation of pain to meals and bowel irregularities. The seroprevalence was 21% (95% CI: 17-25%) in the children with recurrent abdominal pain and 10% (95% CI: 5-18%) in the healthy controls (p = 0.30). In seropositive children with RAP H. pylori was found in 46/66 by culture and histology. The presence of H. pylori was significantly associated with active or inactive chronic gastritis. The presence of H. pylori was associated with both parents being born in a country with a high prevalence and a low social class. Helicobacter pylori-positive children had more often pain related to meals than the H. pylori-negative children. No differences among the two groups were seen according to the levels of haemoglobin, leucocytes, thrombocytes, weight and height. In conclusion, the seroprevalence of H. pylori is comparable in children with recurrent abdominal pain and healthy children. No specific symptomatology was seen in H. pylori-positive children with RAP.
Subject(s)
Abdominal Pain/etiology , Antibodies, Bacterial/blood , Helicobacter Infections/epidemiology , Helicobacter pylori/immunology , Immunoglobulin G/blood , Abdominal Pain/epidemiology , Adolescent , Analysis of Variance , Antigens, Bacterial/immunology , Blotting, Western , Chi-Square Distribution , Child , Child, Preschool , Denmark/epidemiology , Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay , Female , Gastritis/complications , Gastritis/diagnosis , Gastritis/epidemiology , Gastritis/microbiology , Helicobacter Infections/complications , Helicobacter Infections/diagnosis , Humans , Male , Prevalence , Recurrence , Seroepidemiologic Studies , Statistics, NonparametricABSTRACT
A fatal case of malakoplakia of the prostate is described. The malakoplakia developed after 20 years of chronic prostatitis caused by E. coli and was not prevented by careful antibiotic treatment. Three years after the histological verification malakoplakia invasion caused fistula to rectum. Autopsy revealed no signs of any debilitating diseases.
Subject(s)
Malacoplakia/complications , Prostatic Diseases/complications , Rectal Fistula/etiology , Humans , Malacoplakia/pathology , Male , Middle Aged , Prostate/pathology , Prostatic Diseases/pathology , Rectal Fistula/pathology , Rectum/pathologyABSTRACT
The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-specific antibody profile of 101 Greenland Eskimo children was determined. The proportion of children with serological evidence of recent or past primary EBV infections rose from 22% at 6 months of age to 79% at 24 months of age. All but 2 of 49 children more than 4 years of age proved seropositive. The geometric mean titre (GMT) of antibodies to the viral capsid antigen (VCA) was highest during the first 3 years of life and declined sharply to a lower, nearly constant level in older children. The GMT of antibodies to the nuclear antigen (EBNA), rose slowly during the first 4 years of life to its persistent level. None of the children had a history of illnesses comparable to infectious mononucleosis. The results have shown that in this population with an enhanced risk of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, primary EBV infection occurs at a very early age.
Subject(s)
Infectious Mononucleosis/immunology , Inuit , Adolescent , Age Factors , Antibodies, Viral/analysis , Child , Child, Preschool , Greenland , Herpesvirus 4, Human/immunology , Humans , Infant , Infectious Mononucleosis/epidemiologyABSTRACT
Ultrastructural investigation of 19 malignant lymphoepithelial salivary gland tumors in Greenland Eskimos disclosed evidence of epithelial origin of the tumor cells in 18 cases. Furthermore, tumor cells exhibited markers of squamous cell differentiation in 16 cases. Signs of adenomatous differentiation were never encountered. Thus, the malignant lymphoepithelial tumor of salivary glands is the ultrastructural counterpart to the nasopharyngeal anaplastic carcinoma (malignant lymphoepithelioma), both being high-grade squamous cell carcinomas.
Subject(s)
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/ultrastructure , Inuit , Salivary Gland Neoplasms/ultrastructure , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/pathology , Cell Nucleolus/ultrastructure , Desmosomes/ultrastructure , Female , Greenland , Humans , Male , Microscopy, Electron , Middle Aged , Salivary Gland Neoplasms/pathologyABSTRACT
Hepatitis type B is hyperendemic in Greenland with serologic evidence of infection in 54% of adults and a hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carrier rate of 7--25%. The impact of this infection rate on the occurrence of cirrhosis and primary liver cancer (PLC) was studied. Mortality rates for cirrhosis were obtained from official mortality statistics, 1951--1975. PLC was identified by a study of all biopsy and necropsy material taken in the study area during the same period. Neither cirrhosis nor PLC was found to be a more prevalent cause of death in this population than in Northern Europe where hepatitis B is at least 10-fold less prevalent. It is concluded that hepatitis B infection per se does not contribute significantly to the development of cirrhosis or to PLC, at least in the Eskimo population of Greenland.
