Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1984. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Enteropathy associated with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.
Ann Intern Med. 1984 Oct;101(4):421-8. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/84305410 Kotler DP; Gaetz HP; Lange M; Klein EB; Holt PR
Abstract:
To explore the effect of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome on gastrointestinal structure and absorption, the cases of 12 homosexual men with the syndrome and 11 homosexual controls were studied. Seven patients had diarrhea with weight loss. Bacterial or parasitic infections were not detected. All patients were malnourished; had significantly fewer T-lymphocyte helper and suppressor cells; and had significantly lower body weights, midarm circumferences, serum albumin concentrations, and iron binding capacities than homosexual controls. D-Xylose malabsorption and steatorrhea were present in patients, especially those with diarrhea. Jejunal and rectal biopsy samples were histologically abnormal in all patients with diarrhea. Jejunal abnormalities included partial villus atrophy with crypt hyperplasia and increased numbers of intraepithelial lymphocytes. Rectal abnormalities included intranuclear viral inclusions, mast cell infiltration in the lamina propria, and focal cell degeneration near the crypt base. The histologic findings suggest that a specific pathologic process occurs in the lamina propria of the small intestine and colon in some patients with the syndrome.
Keywords: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/*COMPLICATIONS/IMMUNOLOGY/ PATHOLOGY Atrophy Biopsy Body Weight Diarrhea/ETIOLOGY Epithelium/PATHOLOGY Gastroenteritis/ETIOLOGY Gastrointestinal Diseases/*ETIOLOGY/IMMUNOLOGY/PATHOLOGY Homosexuality Human Hyperplasia Inclusion Bodies, Viral/ULTRASTRUCTURE Intestinal Mucosa/PATHOLOGY Jejunum/PATHOLOGY Malabsorption Syndromes/ETIOLOGY Male Nutrition Disorders/ETIOLOGY Rectum/PATHOLOGY Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S. JOURNAL ARTICLE
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