Efficacy of oral pancreatic enzyme therapy for the treatment of fat malabsorption in HIV-infected patients.

Background: Nutrient malabsorption is a negative prognostic factor in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and recent studies have shown that pancreatic insufficiency is a codetermining factor of malabsorption.

Aims: To evaluate the effectiveness of open-label oral pancreatic enzyme supplementation therapy in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome patients with fat malabsorption.

Patients And Methods: Twenty-four consecutive patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection and fat malabsorption were recruited (11 males, 13 females; median age, 9.

Diagnostic accuracy of fecal elastase 1 assay in patients with pancreatic maldigestion or intestinal malabsorption: a collaborative study of the Italian Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

Several reports have indicated that fecal elastase-1 (EL-1) determination is a new, sensitive, and specific noninvasive pancreatic function test; however, very few patients with malabsorption due to small intestine diseases have been included in the previous studies. The aim of the study was to compare the diagnostic accuracy of fecal EL-1 and fecal chymotrypsin (FCT) in distinguishing between pancreatic maldigestion and intestinal malabsorption. Three groups of subjects were studied: group A included 49 patients with known cystic fibrosis (25 males, median age 5 years); group B included 43 subjects with various small intestine diseases (17 males, median age 6 years); and group C included 45 children without any history of gastrointestinal disease (22 males, median age 5 years).

Usefulness of faecal elastase-1 assay in monitoring pancreatic function in childhood coeliac disease.

Background: In coeliac disease it has been demonstrated that the indirect pancreatic function tests detect a greater percentage of subjects with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency than the secretin-caerulein test.

Aims: To evaluate faecal pancreatic elastase-1 assay in monitoring patients with coeliac disease.

Patients: Thirty patients with coeliac disease (11 m; age range 1-7 years) completed a 2-month follow-up.

Pancreatic dysfunction and its association with fat malabsorption in HIV infected children.

Background: Nutrient malabsorption frequently occurs in HIV infected children, but very few studies have investigated exocrine pancreatic digestive capacity in these cases.

Aims: To investigate pancreatic function in HIV infected children and to determine whether faecal fat loss, a prominent feature of intestinal dysfunction, is associated with pancreatic dysfunction.

Patients: Forty seven children with HIV infection without apparent pancreatic disease and 45 sex and age matched healthy controls.

Serum pancreatic enzymes in human immunodeficiency virus-infected children. A collaborative study of the Italian Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

Background: Numerous studies have shown pancreatic disease in adult human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients, but there are very few reports on pediatric patients. Our aim was to determine the prevalence of increased serum pancreatic enzyme levels and their relationship to clinical manifestations of acute pancreatitis in HIV-infected children.

Methods: Forty-seven consecutive, symptomatic HIV-infected children (24 male; median age, 7.