Research Articles (Human Ecology and Dietetics)

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Browsing by Author "Basson, Abigail"

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    The influence of second-hand cigarette smoke exposure during childhood and active cigarette smoking on Crohn's Disease phenotype defined by the montreal classification scheme in a Western Cape Population, South Africa
    (PLoS ONE, 2015-09) Chivese, Tawanda; Basson, Abigail; Esterhuizen, Tonya
    Smoking may worsen the disease outcomes in patients with Crohn’s disease (CD), however the effect of exposure to second-hand cigarette smoke during childhood is unclear. In South Africa, no such literature exists. The aim of this study was to investigate whether disease phenotype, at time of diagnosis of CD, was associated with exposure to second-hand cigarette during childhood and active cigarette smoking habits.
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    Nutrition management in the adult Crohn's disease patient
    (MedPharm Publications, 2012) Basson, Abigail
    Malnutrition, nutrient deficiencies and osteoporosis are common in Crohn’s disease patients regardless of disease activity. While the role of diet in the pathogenesis of the disease remains inconclusive, upon diagnosis nutrition therapy plays an integral role throughout patient care. Successful nutrition intervention involves appropriate nutritional assessment, supplemental nutrition and individualized counseling and support.
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    Nutritional management after colonic interposition
    (MedPharm Publications, 2011) Basson, Abigail
    During oesophagal reconstruction adequate nutrition must be maintained. The article provides an account of the feeding programme and procedures followed in the case of a patient that had an emergency gastrectomy, splenectomy and oesophagectomy.
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    Vitamin D and Crohn’s disease in the adult patient: a review
    (SAGE Publications, 2014) Basson, Abigail
    Crohn’s disease (CD) is characterized as a chronic immune-mediated inflammatory disorder of the gastrointestinal tract. Current consensus surrounding the cause of the disease suggests a complex interplay between genetic susceptibility, the intestinal microbiome and environmental factors, leading to the aberrant Th1 and Th17 cell driven autoimmune response. Vitamin D deficiency is common in CD patients, and longstanding deficiency has been associated with reduced bone mineral density (BMD). Accumulating evidence now suggests that in addition to maintaining skeletal integrity, vitamin D also plays an integral role in regulating the general immune response, a function employed via its genomic actions on the vitamin D receptor (VDR). The VDR is expressed in all immune cells and both directly and indirectly targeted by the bioactive form of vitamin D, 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25[OH]₂D). Impaired regulation or deficiency of the vitamin has been linked to the promotion of self-reactive T cell development, loss of immune tolerance to self-structures and experimental colitis in animal models, whilst the subsequent administration of the vitamin in these models resulted in the improvement of immune-mediated symptoms. In addition, low vitamin D has been associated with disease activity in CD patients, and supplementation appears to be beneficial in improving clinical scores and reducing inflammation. Therefore, the primary aims of this paper were to review the molecular evidence supporting the immunoregulatory roles of vitamin D and its supplementation in the CD patient, based upon existing literature. The physiological processes, accepted serum concentration values and its well-recognized role in bone health were also summarized.