Nowadays, fertilization and pest control are carried out using chemical compounds that contaminate soil and deteriorate human health. Plant growth promoting bacteria endophytes (PGPBEs), are a well-studied group of bacteria that offers benefits to the host plant, such as phytostimulation, biofertilization, and protection against other microorganisms. The study of -which belongs to PGPBEs-aids the development of alternative strategies of an integrated approach for crop management practices.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Several techniques have been suggested for Helicobacter pylori infection diagnosis, invasive (histology) and not invasive (Urea Breath Test C13, or serological assays). An enzyme immunoassay able to detect Helicobacter pylori antigen directly in stool specimens was recently developed. A study was carried out in order to evaluate the sensibility and the specificity of this test comparing it with the Urea Breath Test C13 and histology.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Celiac disease (CD) may be associated with other immunologic disorders in adults and children. Previous studies linking CD and autoimmune thyroid disease in children have included very few patients with limited biochemical and immunologic screening tests. The aim of this multicenter study was to establish the prevalence of autoimmune thyroid involvement in a large series of pediatric patients with CD.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSeveral 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).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAim: To assess the incidence of cagA (cytotoxin-associated protein) and to evaluate its correlation with endoscopic-histologic findings and with eradication rate in a series of children affected by Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) gastritis.
Methods: Fifty consecutive H.