A candidate probiotic with unfavourable effects in subjects with irritable bowel syndrome: a randomised controlled trial

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Some probiotics have shown efficacy for patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). <it>Lactobacillus (L.) plantarum </it>MF1298 was found to have the best <it>in vitro </it>probiotic properties of 22 strains of lactobacilli. The aim of this study was to investigate the symptomatic effect of <it>L. plantarum </it>MF1298 in subjects with IBS. Primary outcome was treatment preference and secondary outcomes were number of weeks with satisfactory relief of symptoms and IBS sum score.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The design was a randomised double blind placebo-controlled crossover trial. 16 subjects with IBS underwent two three-week periods of daily intake of one capsule of 10¹⁰CFU <it>L. plantarum </it>MF 1298 or placebo separated by a four-week washout period.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Thirteen participants (81%; 95% CI 57% to 93%; <it>P </it>= 0.012) preferred placebo to <it>L. plantarum </it>MF1298 treatment. The mean (SD) number of weeks with satisfactory relief of symptoms in the periods with <it>L. plantarum </it>MF1298 and placebo were 0.50 (0.89) and 1.44 (1.26), respectively (<it>P </it>= 0.006). IBS sum score was 6.44 (1.81) in the period with <it>L. plantarum </it>MF1298 treatment compared with 5.35 (1.77) in the period with placebo (<it>P </it>= 0.010). With a clinically significant difference in the IBS sum score of 2 in disfavour of active treatment, the number needed to harm was 3.7, 95% CI 2.3 to 10.9.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This trial shows for the first time an unfavourable effect on symptoms in subjects with IBS after intake of a potential probiotic.</p> <p>The trial registration number</p> <p>Clinical trials NCT00355810.</p

The role of open abdomen in non-trauma patient : WSES Consensus Paper

The open abdomen (OA) is defined as intentional decision to leave the fascial edges of the abdomen un-approximated after laparotomy (laparostomy). The abdominal contents are potentially exposed and therefore must be protected with a temporary coverage, which is referred to as temporal abdominal closure (TAC). OA use remains widely debated with many specific details deserving detailed assessment and clarification. To date, in patients with intra-abdominal emergencies, the OA has not been formally endorsed for routine utilization; although, utilization is seemingly increasing. Therefore, the World Society of Emergency Surgery (WSES), Abdominal Compartment Society (WSACS) and the Donegal Research Academy united a worldwide group of experts in an international consensus conference to review and thereafter propose the basis for evidence-directed utilization of OA management in non-trauma emergency surgery and critically ill patients. In addition to utilization recommendations, questions with insufficient evidence urgently requiring future study were identified.Peer reviewe

High Prevalence of Idiopathic Bile Acid Diarrhea Among Patients With Diarrhea-predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome Based on Rome III Criteria.

Background & Aims: Some studies have found that patients with idiopathic bile acid diarrhea (BAD) present with symptoms of diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (D-IBS). However, these studies were either retrospective, did not define D-IBS according to current criteria, or included patients with chronic functional diarrhea. We performed a prospective study of the prevalence of idiopathic BAD in consecutive patients fulfilling the Rome III criteria for D-IBS. Methods: We analyzed data from 118 consecutive adult patients who fulfilled the Rome III criteria for D-IBS (mean age, 41.7 years; 72.9% female), seen at 2 gastroenterology clinics in the UK. We excluded patients with risk factors for BAD (previous history of cholecystectomy, terminal ileal Crohn's disease, terminal ileal resection or right hemicolectomy, pelvic or abdominal radiotherapy, celiac disease, or microscopic colitis). Participants completed questionnaires at baseline (on demographics, hospital anxiety, somatization, and depression, as well as the patient health questionnaire-12 and the short form-36 [SF-36]), and then received the (75)selenium homocholic acid taurine retention test. Retention of (75)selenium homocholic acid taurine 7 days after administration was used to identify patients with idiopathic BAD (mild BAD, 10%-14.9%; moderate BAD, 5.1%-9.9%; and severe BAD, ≤5%). Results: Twenty-eight were found to have BAD (23.7% of total), with similar percentages at each study site (25.3% and 20%; P=.54). Eight patients had mild BAD (28.6%), 8 had moderate BAD (28.6%), and 12 had severe BAD (42.8%). There was no statistical difference in age or sex, or depression, patient health questionnaire-12, or SF-36 scores, between individuals with vs without BAD. However, patients with BAD had a higher mean body mass index than those without BAD (31.6 vs. 26.4; P=.003). Physical activity (based on the SF-36) was significantly lower in subjects with moderate (43.8) or severe BAD (41.7), compared to patients with mild BAD (87.5) (P=.046). Conclusion: Almost 25% of patients presenting with D-IBS have idiopathic BAD; most cases are moderate to severe. Guidelines should advocate testing to exclude BAD before patients are diagnosed with D-IBS

Identification of a Functional TPH1 Polymorphism Associated With Irritable Bowel Syndrome Bowel Habit Subtypes

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Alterations in 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) signaling have been implicated as a factor contributing to the altered bowel habit of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) patients. Tryptophan hydroxylase 1 (TPH1) is the rate–limiting enzyme in enterochromaffin cell 5-HT biosynthesis. We hypothesized that genetic variants affecting TPH1 gene expression might alter intestinal 5-HT bioavailability and subsequently the propensity for distinct bowel habit subtypes in IBS. In this study, we assessed the only common TPH1 proximal promoter variant (-347C/A; rs7130929) and its association with bowel habit predominance in IBS. METHODS: Electrophoretic mobility shift assays were performed to assess whether the -347C/A allele variant affects the DNA-binding of nuclear factors. Genotype distribution was determined for 422 IBS patients subtyped using Rome III criteria and for 495 healthy controls recruited from two university medical centers. Association with bowel habit was tested using a multinomial logistic regression model controlling for race, anxiety, depression, and study site. RESULTS: Early growth response factor 1 (EGR-1) bound with higher affinity to a site comprising the minor A-allele of SNP -347C/A. TPH1 genotype frequencies did not differ between IBS patients and controls overall. The CC genotype was more prevalent in the IBS-D subtype (47%) than in the IBS-C (25%) and IBS-M (37%) subtypes (P=0.039) after adjusting for race and other covariates. Colonic biopsies from a small cohort of IBS patients from one center were tested for higher TPH1 mRNA expression in samples with CC compared to CA genotype, but the results did not reach statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: The TPH1 promoter SNP -347C/A differentially binds EGR1, correlates with IBS bowel habit subtypes and possibly colonic TPH1 expression consistent with its role in modulating intestinal 5-HT signaling