The objective of the present study was to assess esophageal motor function in 21 children (7.5 ± 2.9 years) with caustic strictures. Esophageal manometry was performed using a water-infusion system interfaced with a polygraph and displayed on a computer screen. The data were compared with those obtained from 9 healthy children. Radionuclide transit was determined by studying deglutition of a single bolus of 99mTc pertechnetate in 10 ml of water. Non-peristaltic low-amplitude and long-duration waves were the most common findings detected in patients with strictures longer than 20% of esophageal length (N = 11). Compared with the control group, these patients presented lower mean amplitude and longer mean duration of waves (24.4 ± 11.2 vs 97.9 ± 23.7 mmHg, P < 0.05, and 6.7 ± 2.4 vs 1.6 ± 0.1 s, P < 0.05, respectively). Six patients presented low-amplitude waves just below the constricted site. Ten children presented delayed esophageal transit. There was an association between dysphagia and abnormalities on manometry (P = 0.02) and between symptoms and scintigraphy data (P = 0.01). Dysphagia in caustic strictures is due to esophageal motility abnormalities, which are closely related to the scarred segment.

Patients with gastric cancer have a variety of immunological abnormalities. In the present study the lymphocytes and their subsets were determined in the peripheral blood of patients with gastric cancer (N = 41) both before and after surgical treatment. The percent of helper/inducer CD4 T cells (43.6 ± 8.9) was not different after tumor resection (43.6 ± 8.2). The percent of the cytotoxic CD8+ T cell population decreased significantly, whether patients were treated surgically (27.2 ± 5.8%, N = 20) or not (27.3 ± 7.3%, N = 20) compared to individuals with inflammatory disease (30.9 ± 7.5%) or to healthy individuals (33.2 ± 7.6%). The CD4/CD8 ratio consequently increased in the group of cancer patients. The peripheral blood lymphocytes of gastric cancer patients showed reduced responsiveness to mitogens. The defective blastogenic response of the lymphocytes was not associated with the production of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-ß) since the patients with cancer had reduced production of TGF-ß1 (269 ± 239 pg/ml, N = 20) in comparison to the normal individuals (884 ± 175 pg/ml, N = 20). These results indicate that the immune response of gastric cancer patients was not significantly modified by surgical treatment when evaluated four weeks after surgery and that the immunosuppression observed was not due to an increase in TGF-ß1 production by peripheral leukocytes.

As estenoses benignas do esôfago (EBE) são complicações muito freqüentes, resultado de várias etiologias, a saber: refluxo gastro-esofágico, ingestão de agentes corrosivos, pós-cirurgias do esôfago, pós-radioterapia no tórax, pós-escleroterapia endoscópica de varizes do esôfago, ingestão de medicamentos, uso prolongado de cateter nasogástrico, compressão extrínseca e membranas esofágicas congênitas. As dilatações esofágicas são recomendadas no tratamento dessa complicação, empregando dilatadores de vários tipos e diâmetros, facilitando ao doente a ingestão alimentar. OBJETIVOS: Avaliação dos resultados e vantagens do tratamento conservador das EBE através de dilatações esofágicas realizadas ambulatorialmente com auxílio da endoscopia digestiva flexível. MÉTODOS: No período de 1981 a 1999 foram tratados, conservadoramente e seguidos no Gastrocentro -- UNICAMP, 500 doentes com EBE, através de um Programa de Dilatações Esofágicas instituído para cada caso. A maioria era do sexo masculino (59,2%) e a faixa etária mais acometida encontra-se entre 31 anos e 60 anos, compreendendo 52,8% dos pacientes em estudo. As estenoses mais prevalentes foram as estenoses pépticas (30,4%), cáusticas (23,6%), de anastomoses (23,2%), por megaesôfago (8,0%) e por uso prolongado de cateter nasogástrico (6,4%), perfazendo um total de 91,6% das EBE. Quanto ao número de procedimentos, 94,2% dos casos foram submetidos a no máximo 25 dilatações do esôfago. Em 95,6% deles foram utilizados dilatadores com diâmetro entre 10,5 mm e 16,0 mm. A duração do tratamento foi até 24 meses em 76,2% dos casos. Perfurações esofágicas ocorreram em seis doentes (1,2%), sem mortalidade. RESULTADOS: Foram considerados bons em 76,2%, regulares em 18,2% e maus em 5,6% dos doentes. O sucesso do tratamento variou conforme a etiologia da estenose, ocorrendo bons resultados em 81,0% das estenoses pépticas, em 66,1% das estenoses cáusticas e em 82,7% das estenoses de anastomoses. A falha do tratamento conservador ocorreu em 9,3% das estenoses cáusticas, 4,3% das estenoses de anastomose e 3,9% das estenoses pépticas. A estenose cáustica propiciou a falha maior da terapêutica conservadora em relação aos demais. CONCLUSÃO: O tratamento conservador, através de dilatações orientadas por fio-guia (Savary-Gilliard e Eder Puestow), é a primeira escolha nas EBE; é eficaz a longo prazo, com índice mínimo de complicações e o tratamento cirúrgico é apenas indicado se não for possível realizar as dilatações.

The benign esophageal stenoses (BES) are common complications owing to many etiologies: gastroesophageal reflux, ingestion of corrosive agents, esophageal surgery, radiotherapy, postendoscopic variceal sclerotherapy, drug ingestion, prolonged nasogastric intubation, extrinsic compression and esophageal webs. Esophageal dilatations are worldwide recommended to treat this complication, employing dilators of many types and diameters and facilitating the food ingestion. PURPOSE: Evaluation of the results and advantages of the conservative treatment of the BES using esophageal dilatations, in outpatient service of upper digestive endoscopy. METHODS: During the period from 1981 to 1999, 500 patients with BES were treated and followed up at the Gastrocenter -- UNICAMP, in an individually Program of Esophageal Dilatation for each case. The highest number of cases was under ages from 31 to 60 years old (52,8%), and males (59,2%). The most predominant etiologies were: peptic stenosis (30,4%), caustic ingestion (23,6%), anastomosis (23,2%), megaesophagus (8,0%) and prolonged nasogastric ingestion entubation (6,4%), totalizing 91,6% of the BES. Most of patients (94,2%) were submitted to the maximum of 25 dilations. Dilators from 10,5 to 16 mm were employed in 95,6% of the cases. The duration of the treatment was 24 months in 76,2% of the BES. Esophageal perforations occurred in 6 patients (1,2%), without mortality. RESULTS: Were considered excellent, good and bad results, respectively in 76,2%, 18,2% and 5,6% of the cases. On the other hand, excellent results were recorded in 81,0% of the peptic stenosis, 66,1% of the caustic stenosis and 82,7% of the anastomotic stenosis. The conservative treatment failed in 9,3% of the caustic stenosis, 4,3% of the anastomotic stenosis and 3,9% of the peptic stenosis. Thus, the caustic stenosis were unsuccessfull in the highest percentage of unsuccessful. CONCLUSION: The conservative treatment using guidewire dilators (Savary-Gilliard and Eder-Puestow) is the first choice in the BES, is effective for long time, with short complications and the surgical treatment is indicated only when the dilatations failed.