Specific gut microbial, biological, and psychiatric profiling related to binge eating disorders: A cross-sectional study in obese patients

Background & aimsBinge eating disorder (BED) is a frequent eating disorder associated with obesity and co-morbidities including psychiatric pathologies, which represent a big health burden on the society.The biological processes related to BED remain unknown. Based on psychological testing, anthropometry, clinical biology, gut microbiota analysis and metabolomic assessment, we aimed to examine the complex biological and psychiatric profile of obese patients with and without BED.MethodsPsychological and biological characteristics (anthropometry, plasma biology, gut microbiota, blood pressure) of 101 obese subjects from the Food4Gut cohort were analysed to decipher the differences between BED and Non BED patients, classified based on the Questionnaire for Eating Disorder Diagnosis (Q-EDD). Microbial 16S rDNA sequencing and plasma non-targeted metabolomics (liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry) were performed in a subcohort of 91 and 39 patients respectively.ResultsBED subjects exhibited an impaired affect balance, deficits in inhibition and self-regulation together with marked alterations of eating behaviour (increased emotional and external eating). BED subjects displayed a lower blood pressure and hip circumference. A decrease in Akkermansia and Intestimonas as well as an increase in Bifidobacterium and Anaerostipes characterized BED subjects. Interestingly, metabolomics analysis revealed that BED subjects displayed a higher level of one food contaminants, Bisphenol A bis(2,3-dihydroxypropyl) ether (BADGE.2H(2)O) and a food derived-metabolite the Isovalerylcarnitine.ConclusionsNon-targeted omics approaches allow to select specific microbial genera and two plasma metabolites that characterize BED obese patients. Further studies are needed to confirm their potential role as drivers or biomarkers of binge eating disorder

Critical transitions in chronic disease: Transferring concepts from ecology to systems medicine

Ecosystems and biological systems are known to be inherently complex and to exhibit nonlinear dynamics. Diseases such as microbiome dysregulation or depression can be seen as complex systems as well and were shown to exhibit patterns of nonlinearity in their response to perturbations. These nonlinearities can be revealed by a sudden shift in system states, for instance from health to disease. The identification and characterization of early warning signals which could predict upcoming critical transitions is of primordial interest as prevention of disease onset is a major aim in health care. In this review, we focus on recent evidence for critical transitions in diseases and discuss the potential of such studies for therapeutic applications

Eléments de bilan du programme quinquennal 1998-2003 et réflexions

Bilan établi sur base d'un travail préparatoire de la direction générale de la santé et des quatre services communautaires de promotion de la santé (ULG-APES, ULB-PROMES, UCL-RESO, Question santé asbl

Landslide susceptibility assessment in Limbe (SW Cameroon) : a field calibrated seed cell and information value method

The dissected volcanic terrains around Limbe, SW Cameroon are frequently affected by small scale but destructive landslides. In this study, a raster-based data driven method involving seed cells is used to build a landslide susceptibility model for the Limbe area. Factors considered to be potential controls of slope failure within this area include slope gradient, rock type, distance from roads, slope orientation, mean annual precipitation, soil type, land cover type, stream density and distance from stream. 63 small to very small translational and rotational landslide scars were identified through extensive field work. Landslide data is randomly divided into a training (75%) and validation set (25%) and seed cells are generated by creating 25 m buffer zones around the head scarp of each scar. The quantitative relationship between landslide seed cells and the above-mentioned factors is established by a data driven approach to obtain weighted factor classes. Summing weighted factor layers, a continuous scale of susceptibility indices is obtained and reclassified into 5 susceptibility classes. Seed cells obtained from the validation data set were used to evaluate the quality of several models involving different controlling factors. Our preferred model combines the weight of 6 factors (i.e. slope gradient, land cover, mean annual precipitation, stream density, proximity to roads and slope orientation). 78% of the validation seed cells are located within the high to very high susceptibility class, which occupy 16.9% of the study area. The obtained susceptibility map is combined with the outline of urban areas and key infrastructures to evaluate zones that are vulnerable to the impact of future slope failures. Such an approach will assist civil protection and urban planning efforts in SW Cameroon

Un bilan du programme quinquennal 1998-2002

Le 1er programme quinquennal mis en place après le décret du 14-7-1997 organisant la promotion de la santé en Communauté française belge, a fait l'objet d'un bilan dont l'idée directrice a été de se centrer sur les priorités thématiques par population : 15 ont été définies, certaines se situant à la convergence entre un thème et un public (ex. populations fragilisées et inégalités sociales de santé). Par ordre de priorité, on trouve : les assuétudes (dont le tabac), en 4ème : la prévention du sida, en 12ème la promotion de la santé dans le sport et la lutte contre le dopage. Parmi les programmes de prévention en toxicomanie, le tabac et l'alcool ne totalisent que 16% du budget. De nombreuses inquiétudes venant des "répondants à l'enquête" émergent dans le rapport. Le groupe de rédaction du bilan propose de reconduire un plan quinquennal sur les bases du précédent, mais qui déclinerait des objectifs opérationnels précis, pour la mise en place d'une véritable évaluation

Un bilan du programme quinquennal 1998-2002

Le 1er programme quinquennal mis en place après le décret du 14-7-1997 organisant la promotion de la santé en Communauté française belge, a fait l'objet d'un bilan dont l'idée directrice a été de se centrer sur les priorités thématiques par population : 15 ont été définies, certaines se situant à la convergence entre un thème et un public (ex. populations fragilisées et inégalités sociales de santé). Par ordre de priorité, on trouve : les assuétudes (dont le tabac), en 4ème : la prévention du sida, en 12ème la promotion de la santé dans le sport et la lutte contre le dopage. Parmi les programmes de prévention en toxicomanie, le tabac et l'alcool ne totalisent que 16% du budget. De nombreuses inquiétudes venant des "répondants à l'enquête" émergent dans le rapport. Le groupe de rédaction du bilan propose de reconduire un plan quinquennal sur les bases du précédent, mais qui déclinerait des objectifs opérationnels précis, pour la mise en place d'une véritable évaluation