Eubiosis and dysbiosis: the two sides of the microbiota

The microbial ecosystem of the gastrointestinal tract is characterized by a great number of microbial species living in balance by adopting mutualistic strategies. The eubiosis/dysbiosis condition of the gut microbiota strongly influences our healthy and disease status. This review briefly describes microbiota composition and functions, to then focus on eubiosis and dysbiosis status: the two sides of the microbiot

Mo1927 Mucosa-Associated Microbiota and Promoter Methylation Status of Genes Involved in Immune Response in Crohn's Disease Patients

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The Rome criteria for functional gastrointestinal disorders: A critical reappraisal

[No abstract available

Intestinal Mucus Barrier in Normal and Inflamed Colon

Intestinal bacteria are usually regarded as harmless commensals in healthy intestine but are pathogens, if these invade the tissues. The mucus gel separates the luminal bacteria from the epithelial surface throughout the colon in healthy individuals. This viscoelastic mucus gel is protective against adhesion and invasion by microorganisms, bacterial toxins, and antigens. The mucus viscosity increases progressively toward the distal colon. separating bacteria selectively in the proximal colon and completely in the distal colon. Mucus in normal subjects is usually intact and devoid of bacteria, by contrast mucus barrier is broken and penetrated by bacteria and inflammatory cells in patients with colonic inflammation. The immune inclusion hypothesis postulates that the host mucosa maintains an adherent bacterial biofilm that develops immune tolerance with specific immune mechanisms. The bacterial biofilm, growing in the mucus matrix, Would prevent contact of pathogenic bacteria with the intestinal mucosal wall. On the contrary, recent evidence indicates that bacteria are absent in mucus from healthy individuals and present in mucus from patients with inflammatory bowel disease. In inflammatory bowel disease alteration in the types of mucins or, alternatively, the altered mucus layer as a response to inflammation contributes to the underlying pathology by affecting the mucus barrier function. JPGN 48:S54-S55, 2009

Definition and epidemiology of functional gastrointestinal disorders

The term 'functional gastrointestinal disorder (FGID)' is used to define several variable combinations of chronic or recurrent gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms that do not have an identified underlying pathophysiology. In the absence of any objective marker, the identification and classification of FGIDs are based on symptoms. The most widely accepted classification is based on the 'Rome diagnostic criteria,' which have classified 24 FGIDs into oesophageal, gastroduodenal, bowel, biliary, anorectal and abdominal pain subcategories. Classification into mutually exclusive categories has been useful for performing epidemiological studies in homogeneous populations, but has inevitably lead to disregarding subjects with overlapping FGIDs, or with a not sufficiently standardised symptom presentation. The epidemiology of FGID is still in its infancy, as indicated by the lack of epidemiological data for many FGIDs and the widely different incidence and prevalence rates reported for the most frequently occurring and investigated FGIDs: irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), dyspepsia, constipation and oesophageal disorders. Epidemiological studies and the definitions of the various FGIDs need to be further improved and standardised. © 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Management of lower gastrointestinal tract dysfunction

[No abstract available

Use of low dose polyethylene glycol solutions in the treatment of functional constipation

A brief review is made of trials which used low doses of polyethylene glycol (13-30 g/day) solutions (125-500 ml/day) in rite treatment of chronic functional constipation. Most of these were short-run studies, and confirmed that polyethylene glycol solution increased bowel frequency, improved defaecation and decreased stool consistency. Three studies reported that polyethylene glycol electrolyte solution accelerated transit through the large bowel. One long-term study observed remission of constipation-related symptoms in more than 70% of the polyethylene glycol electrolyte solution treated patients, and the efficacy of the treatment was maintained over a 6-month period, despite progressive reduction of daily dosage