Are there psychosocial differences in diagnostic subgroups of children with recurrent abdominal pain?

Objectives: To examine psychosocial differences in diagnostic subgroups of children with recurrent abdominal pain (RAP).

Methods: Children meeting Apley's 1975 definition of RAP were divided according to physician ratings into three subgroups, based on the Rome II diagnostic criteria of functional gastrointestinal disorders: functional dyspepsia (n=17), irritable bowel syndrome (n=18), and functional abdominal pain (n=27). Groups were compared using measures of (a) child psychopathology, (b) parent psychopathology, and (c) child pain, somatization, and functional disability.

Comparison of PCR and clinical laboratory tests for diagnosing H. pylori infection in pediatric patients.

Background: Histology and/or culture are generally considered the gold standard for the detection of H. pylori infection. Especially in children, these tests may result in a false negative outcome because of patchy distribution of the organism in the stomach mucosa.

Growth of Helicobacter pylori in a long spiral form does not alter expression of immunodominant proteins.

Background: We have previously reported that altered culture conditions (a broth media with shaking) could induce a strain of Helicobacter pylori to assume a long spiral morphology resembling that described for Helicobacter heilmannii. The present study was initiated to determine if other strains of H. pylori could be induced to assume that morphology and if doing so would alter the expression of immunodominant proteins.