ABSTRACT
Multiple factors are incriminated in the etiopathogeny of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in premature infants, including oral feeding, vascular abnormalities, increase in pro-inflammatory cytokines, and inappropriate response of the intestinal barrier to bacterial microflora. CARD15/NOD2 is a gene recently recognized as important in the innate response to gut flora and is involved in Crohn's disease susceptibility. We thus tested its putative role in NEC. Ten children (seven boys and three girls) suffering from NEC who were admitted to Robert Debré hospital between 1999 and 2002 were retrospectively included in the study. Genetic screening of the 11 constant exons and the exon-intron junctions of CARD15/NOD2 by direct sequencing revealed no novel mutations of that gene in NEC patients. Furthermore, the three main mutations of CARD15/NOD2 (R702W, G908R, and 1007fs) associated with susceptibility to Crohn's disease were not found in these patients. Our results suggest that CARD15/NOD2 does not play a major role in genetic susceptibility to NEC.
Subject(s)
Enterocolitis, Necrotizing/genetics , Enterocolitis, Necrotizing/physiopathology , Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins/genetics , Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins/physiology , Crohn Disease/genetics , Crohn Disease/physiopathology , DNA Mutational Analysis , Female , Genetic Predisposition to Disease , Genetic Testing , Humans , Infant, Newborn , Male , Nod2 Signaling Adaptor Protein , Retrospective Studies , Risk FactorsABSTRACT
BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: The treatment of children with Hirschsprung's disease beginning in the proximal jejunum remains a challenge for the pediatric surgeon. These patients need a definitive parenteral nutrition, which could lead to a liver impairment. The goal of this work is to assess the quality of life after combined liver, intestine, and right colon transplantation. METHODS: This is a retrospective study of 3 patients. Data regarding symptomatology, radiographic and operating findings, postoperating recovery, and quality of life were analyzed and compared with the quality of life before the transplantation. RESULTS: The suspicion of a very long intestinal aganglionosis should be derived from the intestinal biopsies. Three combined liver, intestine, and right colon transplantation operations have been performed. The immunosuppression included steroids, tacrolimus, and azathioprine. An abdominal pull-trough (Duhamel procedure 2, Swenson procedure 1) was performed from 6 to 24 months after the transplantation. The follow-up after the transplantation ranges from 2 to 6 years. These 3 patients are completely off total parenteral nutrition with bowel movements 2 to 3 times a day. Two patients are continent day and night, and one is continent during the day only. CONCLUSIONS: Intestinal transplantation is feasible with good results even when a liver impairment needs a combined intestine and liver transplantation. The right colon transplantation, in our experience, does not impair the results. The quality of life after the transplantation is better than before.