Enteropathy

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Enteropathy refers to any pathology of the intestine. [1] Although enteritis specifically refers to an inflammation of the intestine, and is thus a more specific term than "enteropathy", the two terms are sometimes used interchangeably.

Contents

Types

Specific types of enteropathy include:

An incompletely defined syndrome of inflammation related to the quality of the environment. Signs and symptoms include reduced absorptive capacity and reduced intestinal barrier function of the small intestine. It is widespread among children and adults in low- and middle-income countries. [2]
A condition in which eosinophils (a type of white blood cell) accumulate in the gastrointestinal tract and in the blood. Eosinophil build up in the gastrointestinal tract can result in polyp formation, tissue break down, inflammation, and ulcers. [3]
A malabsorption syndrome precipitated by the ingestion of foods containing gluten in a predisposed individual. It is characterized by inflammation of the small intestine, loss of microvilli structure, deficient nutrient absorption, and malnutrition. [4]
Characterized by chronic diarrhea more than one month in duration with no obvious infectious cause in an HIV-positive individual. Thought to be due to direct or indirect effects of HIV on the enteric mucosa. [5]

If the condition also involves the stomach, it is known as "gastroenteropathy".

In pigs, porcine proliferative enteropathy is a diarrheal disease. [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gastrointestinal tract</span> Organ system within humans and other animals

The gastrointestinal tract is the tract or passageway of the digestive system that leads from the mouth to the anus. The GI tract contains all the major organs of the digestive system, in humans and other animals, including the esophagus, stomach, and intestines. Food taken in through the mouth is digested to extract nutrients and absorb energy, and the waste expelled at the anus as faeces. Gastrointestinal is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the stomach and intestines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eosinophil</span> Variety of white blood cells

Eosinophils, sometimes called eosinophiles or, less commonly, acidophils, are a variety of white blood cells and one of the immune system components responsible for combating multicellular parasites and certain infections in vertebrates. Along with mast cells and basophils, they also control mechanisms associated with allergy and asthma. They are granulocytes that develop during hematopoiesis in the bone marrow before migrating into blood, after which they are terminally differentiated and do not multiply.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eosinophilia</span> Blood condition

Eosinophilia is a condition in which the eosinophil count in the peripheral blood exceeds 5×108/L (500/μL). Hypereosinophilia is an elevation in an individual's circulating blood eosinophil count above 1.5 × 109/L (i.e. 1,500/μL). The hypereosinophilic syndrome is a sustained elevation in this count above 1.5 × 109/L (i.e. 1,500/μL) that is also associated with evidence of eosinophil-based tissue injury.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Enteritis</span> Intestinal inflammatory disease

Enteritis is inflammation of the small intestine. It is most commonly caused by food or drink contaminated with pathogenic microbes, such as Serratia, but may have other causes such as NSAIDs, radiation therapy as well as autoimmune conditions like coeliac disease. Symptoms include abdominal pain, cramping, diarrhoea, dehydration, and fever. Related diseases of the gastrointestinal system involve inflammation of the stomach and large intestine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malabsorption</span> Medical condition

Malabsorption is a state arising from abnormality in absorption of food nutrients across the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Impairment can be of single or multiple nutrients depending on the abnormality. This may lead to malnutrition and a variety of anaemias.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis</span> Medical condition

Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA), formerly known as allergic granulomatosis, is an extremely rare autoimmune condition that causes inflammation of small and medium-sized blood vessels (vasculitis) in persons with a history of airway allergic hypersensitivity (atopy).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gastrointestinal disease</span> Medical condition

Gastrointestinal diseases refer to diseases involving the gastrointestinal tract, namely the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine and rectum, and the accessory organs of digestion, the liver, gallbladder, and pancreas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hypoalbuminemia</span> Medical condition

Hypoalbuminemia is a medical sign in which the level of albumin in the blood is low. This can be due to decreased production in the liver, increased loss in the gastrointestinal tract or kidneys, increased use in the body, or abnormal distribution between body compartments. Patients often present with hypoalbuminemia as a result of another disease process such as malnutrition as a result of severe anorexia nervosa, sepsis, cirrhosis in the liver, nephrotic syndrome in the kidneys, or protein-losing enteropathy in the gastrointestinal tract. One of the roles of albumin is being the major driver of oncotic pressure in the bloodstream and the body. Thus, hypoalbuminemia leads to abnormal distributions of fluids within the body and its compartments. As a result, associated symptoms include edema in the lower legs, ascites in the abdomen, and effusions around internal organs. Laboratory tests aimed at assessing liver function diagnose hypoalbuminemia. Once identified, it is a poor prognostic indicator for patients with a variety of different diseases. Yet, it is only treated in very specific indications in patients with cirrhosis and nephrotic syndrome. Treatment instead focuses on the underlying cause of the hypoalbuminemia. Albumin is an acute negative phase respondent and not a reliable indicator of nutrition status.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lymphangiectasia</span> Medical condition

Lymphangiectasia, also known as "lymphangiectasis", is a pathologic dilation of lymph vessels. When it occurs in the intestines it is known as intestinal lymphangiectasia, colloquially recognized as Waldmann's disease in cases where there is no secondary cause. The primary defect lies in the inability of the lymphatic system to adequately drain lymph, resulting in its subsequent accumulation and leakage into the intestinal lumen. This condition, first described by Waldmann in 1961, is typically diagnosed in infancy or early childhood. However, it can also manifest in adults, exhibiting a broad spectrum of clinical symptoms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Protein losing enteropathy</span> Medical condition

Protein losing enteropathy (PLE) is a syndrome in which blood proteins are lost excessively via the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. It may be caused by many different underlying diseases that damage the lining of the GI tract (mucosa) or cause blockage of its lymphatic drainage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cronkhite–Canada syndrome</span> Medical condition

Cronkhite–Canada syndrome is a rare syndrome characterized by multiple polyps of the digestive tract. It is sporadic, and it is currently considered acquired and idiopathic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eosinophilic gastroenteritis</span> Medical condition

Eosinophilic gastroenteritis, also known as eosinophilic enteritis, is a rare and heterogeneous condition characterized by patchy or diffuse eosinophilic infiltration of gastrointestinal (GI) tissue, first described by Kaijser in 1937. Presentation may vary depending on location as well as depth and extent of bowel wall involvement and usually runs a chronic relapsing course. It can be classified into mucosal, muscular and serosal types based on the depth of involvement. Any part of the GI tract can be affected, and isolated biliary tract involvement has also been reported. The stomach is the organ most commonly affected, followed by the small intestine and the colon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FIP1L1</span> Protein-coding gene in the species Homo sapiens

Factor interacting with PAPOLA and CPSF1 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the FIP1L1 gene. A medically important aspect of the FIP1L1 gene is its fusion with other genes to form fusion genes which cause clonal hypereosinophilia and leukemic diseases in humans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White blood cell</span> Type of cells of the immunological system

White blood cells, also called immune cells or immunocytes, are cells of the immune system that are involved in protecting the body against both infectious disease and foreign invaders. White blood cells include three main subtypes: granulocytes, lymphocytes and monocytes.

Chronic diarrheaof infancy, also called toddler's diarrhea, is a common condition typically affecting up to 1.7 billion children between ages 6–30 months worldwide every year, usually resolving by age 4. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), diarrheal disease is the second greatest cause of death in children 5 years and younger. Diarrheal disease takes the lives of 525,000 or more children per year. Diarrhea is characterized as the condition of passing of three or more loose or watery bowel movements within a day sometimes with undigested food visible. Diarrhea is separated into three clinical categories; acute diarrhea may last multiple hours or days, acute bloody diarrhea, also known as dysentery, and finally, chronic or persistent diarrhea which lasts 2–4 weeks or more. There is normal growth with no evidence of malnutrition in the child experiencing persistent diarrhea. In chronic diarrhea there is no evidence of blood in the stool and there is no sign of infection. The condition may be related to irritable bowel syndrome. There are various tests that can be performed to rule out other causes of diarrhea that don't fall under the chronic criteria, including blood test, colonoscopy, and even genetic testing. Most acute or severe cases of diarrhea have treatment guidelines revolving around prescription or non prescription medications based on the cause, but the treatment protocols for chronic diarrhea focus on replenishing the body with lost fluids and electrolytes, because there typically isn't a treatable cause.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Environmental enteropathy</span> Disorder of chronic intestinal inflammation

Environmental enteropathy is an acquired small intestinal disorder characterized by gut inflammation, reduced absorptive surface area in small intestine, and disruption of intestinal barrier function. EE is most common amongst children living in low-resource settings. Acute symptoms are typically minimal or absent. EE can lead to malnutrition, anemia, stunted growth, impaired brain development, and impaired response to oral vaccinations.

Serum-derived bovine immunoglobulin/protein isolate (SBI) is a medical food product derived from bovine serum obtained from adult cows in the United States. It is sold under the name EnteraGam.

Eosinophilic myocarditis is inflammation in the heart muscle that is caused by the infiltration and destructive activity of a type of white blood cell, the eosinophil. Typically, the disorder is associated with hypereosinophilia, i.e. an eosinophil blood cell count greater than 1,500 per microliter. It is distinguished from non-eosinophilic myocarditis, which is heart inflammation caused by other types of white blood cells, i.e. lymphocytes and monocytes, as well as the respective descendants of these cells, NK cells and macrophages. This distinction is important because the eosinophil-based disorder is due to a particular set of underlying diseases and its preferred treatments differ from those for non-eosinophilic myocarditis.

Clonal hypereosinophilia, also termed primary hypereosinophilia or clonal eosinophilia, is a grouping of hematological disorders all of which are characterized by the development and growth of a pre-malignant or malignant population of eosinophils, a type of white blood cell that occupies the bone marrow, blood, and other tissues. This population consists of a clone of eosinophils, i.e. a group of genetically identical eosinophils derived from a sufficiently mutated ancestor cell.

Marc E. Rothenberg is an American physician-scientist who has made significant contributions to the fields of allergy, gastroenterology, and immunology. He is currently a Professor of Pediatrics, at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, the Director of the Division of Allergy and Immunology, the Director of the Cincinnati Center for Eosinophilic Disorders, and the principal investigator of the Consortium of Eosinophilic Disease Researchers (CEGIR) as part of the Rare Disease Clinical Research Network of the National Institute of Health. Rothenberg's research is focused on eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases.

References

  1. "enteropathy" at Dorland's Medical Dictionary
  2. Crane, Rosie J.; Jones, Kelsey D. J.; Berkley, James A. (2015-03-01). "Environmental enteric dysfunction: An overview". Food and Nutrition Bulletin. 36 (1 0): S76–S87. doi:10.1177/15648265150361S113. ISSN   0379-5721. PMC   4472379 . PMID   25902619.
  3. "Eosinophilic enteropathy | Disease | Overview | Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center (GARD) – an NCATS Program". rarediseases.info.nih.gov. Archived from the original on 2015-09-05. Retrieved 2016-07-09.
  4. "Celiac Disease – MeSH – NCBI". www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Retrieved 2016-07-09.
  5. "HIV Enteropathy – MeSH – NCBI". www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Retrieved 2016-07-09.
  6. "eMedicine – Protein-Losing Enteropathy : Article by Naeem Aslam". 5 January 2022.
  7. "Radiation enteritis: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia". medlineplus.gov.
  8. "Porcine Proliferative Enteritis". Merck Veterinary Manual. Archived from the original on 2016-10-28. Retrieved 2015-11-10.