title: Hansen's disease and the digestive system: clinical symptoms and gastric secretory profile at baseline conditions and following maximum stimulation with pentagastrin.
abstract: The incidence of digestive symptoms in 100 patients with Hansen's disease was evaluated in this study, following a standardized questionnaire. A correlation between the frequency of symptoms, the form of the disease, and the length of treatment was investigated. Digestive symptoms were found in 31 patients (31%). No statistically significant difference was found between the presence of symptoms and the length of the disease or between the multibacillary and the paucibacillary form of the disease. However, a positive correlation between digestive symptoms and Hansen's disease was found in the multibacillary form of the disease only for patients treated for more than 12 months. Baseline and pentagastrin-stimulated gastric acid secretion was studied in 30 Hansen's disease patients and in 10 controls. A Iower basal acid output was observed in patients with Hansen's disease, but no statistical difference was found. Pentagastrin-stimulated gastric acid secretion was statistically different in Hansen's disease patients, as compared to controls. A Iower pentagastrin-stimulated acid secretion was found in Hansen's disease patients under treatment, as compared to untreated patients, but the difference was not statistically significant.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Gastroenterology, Hospital das Clinicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sáo Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: J N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Eisig
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zaterka
authors.forename: H K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Boyd
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Marchese
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Laudanna
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004064:Digestive System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D005744:Gastric Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007917:Leprostatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007918:Leprosy / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010418:Pentagastrin; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D007917:Leprostatic Agents; D010418:Pentagastrin