Nutritional Therapy for Inflammatory Bowel Disease

The components of a diet influence intestinal microbiota, epithelial barrier function, immune system, and many other factors that play important role in both development and treatment of inflammation in gastrointestinal tract. We briefly review potential role of specific dietary compounds as a risk or protective factor, but we predominantly concentrate on nutritional status and nutritional intervention in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Besides exclusive enteral nutrition as a potential first-line treatment in active Crohn’s disease, other nutritional therapeutic modalities such as partial enteral nutrition, parenteral nutrition, diets based on carbohydrate modifications, anti-inflammatory diet, and the use of specific dietary compounds with anti-inflammatory properties, known as pharmaconutrition, are presented

Exclusive and Partial Enteral Nutrition in Crohn’s Disease

Exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN) is a well-establised primary therapy in active pediatric Crohn’s disease (CD). EEN promotes mucosal healing, restores bone mineral density, and improves growth. On the contrary, treatment of active CD with corticosteroids (CS) has a strong negative impact on the linear growth and bone density. Therefore, EEN is recommended as a first-line therapy in children with active CD. EEN has been evaluated in a number of clinical studies including randomized controlled trials. While meta-analyses of adult studies suggest superiority of CS, pediatric studies have shown that EEN is at least as effective as CS in inducing remission. The mechanisms by which EEN suppresses inflammation are not yet fully elucidated. Hypotheses include improvement in nutritional status, decreasing of the inflammatory cascade mechanism, limiting luminal antigen exposure, improving intestinal permeability, and modification of intestinal microbiota

Partial Enteral Nutrition in Crohn’s Disease

Exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN) has proven to be a highly effective treatment option in inducing remission in active Crohn’s disease (CD) in the paediatric population. In adults with CD, the results of meta-analyses demonstrated that therapy with corticosteroids was more effective in comparison with EEN. The most important limitation of the success of EEN treatment is patients’ compliance. Exclusivity of enteral nutrition and its substantial impact on the quality of life are the main reasons why EEN is not acceptable to many patients. Therefore, the treatment with partial enteral nutrition (PEN), where patients are allowed to eat some ordinary food besides enteral formulas, is becoming an important treatment option, not only in inducing, but also in maintaining remission in CD. However, strong evidence on the efficacy of PEN for induction and maintenance of CD remission is still lacking. Due to the excellent safety profile of the treatment with enteral nutrition in comparison with other treatment modalities, further well-designed, randomised, controlled studies are necessary to elucidate the exact role of PEN in inducing and maintaining of remission in CD patients. Herein, the most relevant studies on the efficacy and the role of PEN in active and quiescent CD are reviewed

The Use of Fecal Calprotectin Testing in Paediatric Disorders : A Position Paper of the European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition Gastroenterology Committee

Objectives: The aim of the study was to review the evidence regarding the clinical use and value of fecal calprotectin (FC) measurements in different gastrointestinal disorders in children. Methods: A literature search was conducted in the PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases until October 31, 2019. Subtopics were identified and each assigned to individual authors. Results: A total of 28 recommendations were voted on using the nominal voting technique. Recommendations are given related to sampling, measurement methods, and results interpretation. The 14 authors anonymously voted on each recommendation using a 9-point scale (1 strongly disagree to 9 fully agree). Consensus was considered achieved if at least 75% of the authors voted 6, 7, 8, or 9. Conclusions: Consensus was reached for all recommendations. Limitations for the use of FC in clinical practice include variability in extraction methodology, performance of test kits as well as the need to establish local reference ranges because of the influence of individual factors, such as age, diet, microbiota, and drugs. The main utility of FC measurement at present is in the diagnosis and monitoring of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) as well as to differentiate it from functional gastrointestinal disorders (FAPDs). FC, however, has neither utility in the diagnosis of infantile colic nor to differentiate between functional and organic constipation. A rise in FC concentration, may alert to the risk of developing necrotizing enterocolitis and help identifying gastrointestinal involvement in children with Henoch-Schonlein purpura. FC measurement is of little value in Cow's Milk Protein Allergy, coeliac disease (CD), and cystic fibrosis. FC does neither help to distinguish bacterial from viral acute gastroenteritis (AGE), nor to diagnose Helicobacter Pylori infection, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), acute appendicitis (AA), or intestinal polyps.Peer reviewe

Probiotics for the Prevention of Nosocomial Diarrhea in Children

This document provides recommendations developed by the ESPGHAN Working Group (WG) on Probiotics and Prebiotics on the role of probiotics in the prevention of nosocomial diarrhea in children based on a systematic review of previously completed systematic reviews and of subsequently published randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The quality of evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) guidelines. Recommendations were given only if at least 2 RCTs examined the same probiotic strain. Based on currently available evidence the WG recommends using Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG if the use of probiotics for preventing nosocomial diarrhea in children is considered

Differences in management of eosinophilic esophagitis in Europe : an assessment of current practice

Objectives:The aim of the study was to assess differences in the diagnosis and management of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) by European pediatric (PG) and adult gastroenterologists (AG), and their self-reported adherence to guidelines. Methods:A multiple-choice questionnaire gauged the diagnostic and management strategies of gastroenterologists treating children or adults in 14 European countries and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Results:Questionnaires were completed by 465 PG and 743 AG. PG were significantly more likely to take biopsies in patients with symptoms of esophageal dysfunction (86.2% PG vs 75.4% AG, P<0.001) and to perform endoscopic follow-up (86.3% PG vs 80.6% AG, P<0.001). After failure of proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs), topical steroids were the preferred second-line therapy; however, PG opted more frequently for elimination diets (47.5% PG vs 13.7% AG, P<0.001). More PG than AG indicated having read recent guidelines (89.4% PG vs 58.2% AG, P<0.001). Geographic differences in practice were reported, with respondents from the United Kingdom, Portugal, and Spain more often adhering to recommended biopsy protocols. Physicians in the UAE, France, Lithuania, and Poland tended to opt for steroid therapy or elimination diets as first-line therapy, in contrast to most other countries. Conclusions:Significant differences in general practice between PG and AG were demonstrated with notable divergence from consensus guidelines. International practice variations are also apparent. Among other strategies, educational activities to highlight current recommendations may help harmonize and optimize clinical practice