title: Substance P in rectal mucosa of children with chronic constipation.
abstract: Substance P content was determined by radioimmunoassay in rectal mucosa of 17 children with idiopathic constipation and 9 with normal bowel movements who were used as controls. In children with chronic idiopathic constipation, rectal mucosa substance P levels were lower than levels in the control group: 47.6 +/- 11 vs. 79.4 +/- 11 pg/mg net weight respectively (differences not statistically significant). Substance P levels in rectal mucosa of children with soiling (11/17) did not differ from those of chronically constipated children without soiling (46.0 +/- 16 vs. 50.5 +/- 19 pg/mg net weight). In children with constipation, substance P levels did not correlate either with age or duration of symptoms. Substance P levels in normal controls were similar to levels previously observed in non-constipated adults, whereas levels in constipated children were intermediate between levels observed in healthy subjects and levels in adults with chronic constipation. These findings may point to a motility derangement as a possible factor in the pathogenesis of chronic constipation in childhood.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Hadassah University Hospital, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Granot
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wengrower
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lysy
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Waldbaum
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Karmeli
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Goldin
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003248:Constipation / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000737:chemistry*; D008297:Male; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D013373:Substance P / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D013373:Substance P