[Chronic diarrhea post cholecystectomy].

In the present article presents the high frequency of previous cholecystectomy as determinant factor of chronic diarrhea and its control with cholestyramine.

[Constipation syndrome: methods for measuring the speed of intestinal transit].

In the present article, I remind what I presented, in a symposium performed in our Society on the constipation syndrome, in relation with the definition and the determinant factors of this syndrome, and, in addition, with the methods we have created to determine physiologically the velocity of the intestinal transit, specially colonic.

[Pepsinogen and gastrin in the noninvasive diagnosis of gastric atrophy. A case-control study in Peruvian population].

Introduction: Detection of gastric atrophy could be used for early diagnosis of gastric cancer in Perú. It was determined the pepsinogens I and II (PGI, PGII) and Gastrin-17 (G17) serum levels, and the PGI/PGII ratio as a non-invasive diagnostic test for gastric atrophy in Peruvian patiens.

Methods: Dyspeptic adults undergoing endoscopy and gastric biopsies were studied.

[Forty-four years of advances in pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of flatulence syndrome].

In the present paper, the author reminds investigations performed, since forty-four years ago, to clarify the etiopathogenesis and to improve the diagnosis and treatment of the flatulence syndrome.

[Comments on irritable bowel syndrome].

Unlabelled: The Author comments about the inadequacy of the organic and functional terminology in the description of digestive problems categorized as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), also the adjective irritable and wrong is ambiguous and equivocal and the consideration in the definition of the Rome I, II , and III criteria for IBS since 3 months of discomfort is subject to great debate.

Keywords: Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Rome criteria, functional diseases.

[Gastrointestinal syndromes (3): flatulence (2)].

The second part of the article on flatulence reviewed aspects of the pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of this syndrome.

[Gastrointestinal syndromes (3): flatulence (1)].

Now we expose important data on definition and cardinal symptoms of the flatulence syndrome and, besides, on accumulated knowledge in relation to digestive tract gases.

[Major gastrointestinal syndromes (2): dyspepsia or syndrome of the upper digestive system related with food (2)].

We expose, this time, our ideas and findings on the etiopathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of the dyspeptic syndrome.

[Common gastrointestinal syndromes (2): dyspepsia or upper digestive tract syndrome related to food (I)].

We expose, this time, our ideas and findings on the definition, the classification and the cardinal symptoms of the dyspeptic syndrome.

[Major gastrointestinal syndromes (1): general remarks].

We will review concepts of the maladies of the people, focusing the problems as "great" syndromes, that are those that include the greater number of gastrointestinal symptoms. We begin this series of articles, reviewing aspects of the multifactorial genesis of the diseases, the real core of the diagnosis and the classification of the organic and "functional" gastrointestinal disorders.

[The high fermentative capacity of colonic bacteria in the origin of flatulence and its sensibility to bismuth subsalicylate].

Using a previously described technique, "in vitro" determinations were carried out for faecal fermentation (FF): basal faecal fermentation (BFF), i.e, only with faeces, with faeces and lactulose (LFF) and with faeces, lactulose and bismuth subsalicylate (BiLFF) in 34 patients with flatulence. The media+d.

[Gastroesophageal reflux symptoms: their association with dyspepsia].

The clinical histories of 364 patients with heartburn and/or regurgitations, that is, with symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux (GER), were reviewed to determine the frequencies with which these symptoms appeared in isolated form or associated with manifestations of dyspepsia. Only 41 (11.3%) of the patients presented symptoms of GER in isolated form; in the remaining 323 (88.

Helicobacter pylori-associated chronic atrophic gastritis involving the gastric body and severe disease by Vibrio cholerae.

Evidence has associated chronic infection by Helicobacter pylori with chronic gastritis, low gastric acid production and an increased risk of life-threatening cholera. However, the relationship of specific patterns of histological damage in the gastric mucosa associated with H. pylori infection and the occurrence of cholera has not been described.

Environmental temperature, cholera, and acute diarrhoea in adults in Lima, Peru.

The effects of environmental temperature, presence and severity of El Niño, presence of cholera in the community, and interactions among these variables on the number of adult diarrhoeal patients attending the Hospital Nacional Cayetano Heredia in Lima, Peru, during 1991-1998, were evaluated. During 1991-1996, an increased number of visits to the hospital due to acute diarrhoea in the warmer months was observed. This periodic pattern was altered in 1997, when rising of the environmental temperature was observed in Lima secondarily associated with a strong El Niño event.

[Relapsing viral hepatitis type A complicated with renal failure].

We report the case of a 42-year old male with an episode of relapsing hepatitis A of cholestatic pattern, which clinic course was complicated by fever, anemia and renal failure, requiring hemodialysis. The occurrence of cryglobulins and diminished complement levels was detected. A kidney biopsy was performed showing evidence of thrombotic microangiopathy.

[Viral hepatitis A as a triggering agent of autoimmune hepatitis report of a case and review of literature].

The case of a 61-year-old woman who developed a picture of viral Hepatitis A with an uncomplicated clinical course is reported herein. However, nine months after the diagnosis, the aminotransferases still remained discretely elevated (AST 78 UI/L, ALT 95 UI/L). At that moment, the patient started to present transient arthralgias and markers were requested for autoimmune hepatitis, which turned out positive, besides presenting hypergammaglobulinemia.

[Small intestine bacterial overgrowth in patients with chronic diarrhea and normal control subjects].

The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence and meaning of small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) in patients with chronic diarrhea and normal control subjects. To that effect, a hydrogen breath test was performed using lactulose on 54 patients with chronic diarrhea and 16 normal control subjects. The presence of SIBO was defined as an increase in the hydrogen concentration, of > 20 parts per million above the basal value in any of the breath tests after the ingestion of lactulose.

[CONTRIBUTION STUDY TO THE EPIDEMIOLOGY OF HELICOBACTERPYLORI IN PERU: ANALYSIS OF 3005 CASES].

Compiling our observations from the last 15 years in regard to the epidemiology of Helicobacter pylori in Perú, we have analized 3005 cases. Studying and comparing the rates of infection among japanese inmigrants living in Perú for more than 10 years, niseis, japanese visitors and peruvians, we found similar rates. According to these results it seems that at least in japaneses there is not any genetic predisposition to acquire the infection.

[HELICOBACTER PYLORI, CHRONIC GASTRITIS, GASTRIC ANDDUODENAL ULCER: STUDY OF 1638 PATIENTS].

We anaylize in patients from high socio economic level the histologic findings of biopsies from the gastric mucosa taken endoscopically. Patients with upper gastrointestinal symptoms were examined with esophagogastroduodenoscopy. In the histologic study we considered: presence of Helicobacter pylori, mucinous damage, displasia, atrophy and intestinal metaplasia.

[HELICOBACTER PYLORI INFECTION ERRADICATION IN DISPEPTIC PATIENTS WITH AND WITHOUT PEPTIC ULCER].

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection is very prevalent worldwide, and has been associated with the presence of duodenal ulcer, gastric ulcer and chronic active gastritis. It is also speculated that HP may have a role in gastric cancer development. Triple drug schemes have been shown to be the most effective approach to erradicate HP infection.

[Flatulence].

At present physicians focus their medicine studies in well defined illnesses as peptic ulcer, gastric cancer, ulcerative colitis and so on. However, patients reveal their discomfort to us, that is their symptoms or group of symptoms (syndromes). For this reason, our concern for many years has been the study of symptoms and syndromes.

[Prevalence and relation of dyspepsia to irritable bowel syndrome in a native community of the Peruvian jungle].

Introduction: Dyspepsia and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are two of the most frequent syndromes in gastroenterology. However, very few epidemiological studies have been conducted in Peru and none in the Peruvian Jungle.

Objectives: The objective of this study is to determine the prevalence of dyspepsia and irritable bowel syndrome in a jungle community of Peru and the recurrence percentage of these syndromes.