Campylobacter pylori in upper digestive tract diseases in children.

Results of studies on the frequency of the occurrence of the bacteria, Campylobacter pylori, in the mucous membrane of the gastric antrum are presented in this paper. The study was carried out on 61 children treated for chronic abdominal pain. The diagnosis was established on the basis of flexible endoscopy and histology of antral biopsies.

[Changes in vitamin D metabolism in children following partial intestinal resection].

Six children (five after partial intestinal resection, one after colectomy) were studied with respect to absorption and metabolism of vitamin D. The results showed decreased 25-OH-D3 serum concentrations below 20 ng/ml (in two patients even below 10 ng/ml), possibly due to disturbed enterohepatic circulation of vitamin D metabolites.

[Autoimmune chronic hepatitis in children].

Autoimmune chronic hepatitis is a clinical syndrome of unknown aetiology with serious prognosis. The disease poses also important problems. During 4 years 11 children with autoimmune chronic hepatitis were observed, among them 10 girls and 1 boy aged from 8 to 16 years.

Endogenous, cutaneous vitamin D synthesis stimulation as an effective way of improving the vitamin D status in children with hepatobiliary malfunctions.

Repetitive (5 days) ultraviolet treatment was used to improve vitamin D status of 26 pediatric patients suffering from different hepatobiliary disorders. The treatment resulted in a significant improvement of patients' vitamin D and 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels regardless of their disease and other factors such as increased blood bilirubin content or jaundice. Presence of a dependence between the increase in 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations after treatment and its original levels was confirmed.

Inherited defect of alpha-1-antitrypsin associated with chronic liver and respiratory tract diseases in children.

The frequency of occurrence of alpha-1-antitrypsin (A1AT) deficiency among total of 3228 Polish children with chronic liver diseases and chronic disease of respiratory tract was determined. It was observed that among children with chronic liver diseases which disclosed more frequent defect (concentration of A1AT below 150 mg/dl was found in 10.3% of children), the highest occurrence of deficiency was in children with neonatal hepatitis (23.