E. Szymańska, S. Szymańska, A. Karkucińska-Więckowska, A. Wierzbicka, J. Kierkuś, M. Dądalski
{"title":"The Usefulness of Tissue Calprotectin in Pediatric Crohn’s Disease—A Pilot Study","authors":"E. Szymańska, S. Szymańska, A. Karkucińska-Więckowska, A. Wierzbicka, J. Kierkuś, M. Dądalski","doi":"10.3390/gidisord5010003","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/gidisord5010003","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Fecal calprotectin (FCP) is a highly sensitive biomarker of intestinal inflammation widely used in diagnostics and monitoring of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Immunohistochemical assessment of calprotectin in the bowel mucosa is not a diagnostic standard. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate tissue calprotectin (TCP) as a potential marker providing added insight for pediatric patients with Crohn’s disease (CD). Methods: Fecal and tissue calprotectin were measured in children with CD. The values were correlated with disease activity and histopathological changes of the patients’ endoscopic biopsies. Disease activity was assessed using the Pediatric Crohn’s Disease Activity Index (PCDAI); fecal calprotectin (FCP) was measured with the ELISA test. Immunohistochemical (IHC) staining for calprotectin antigen was performed on the biopsy samples from six bowel segments, and the number of TCP cells was counted per high power field (HPF). Non-parametric statistical tests were used for data analysis. Results: Fifty-seven children with CD with a median age of 10.5 (1–17) years (yrs) were examined for fecal and tissue calprotectin. The patients’ median PCDAI score was 10 (0–63.5), while median FCP was 535 (30–600) μg/g. We observed a correlation between disease activity (PCDAI) and FCP, TCP in inflammatory lesions and in crypts. There was no association either between FCP and TCP or between TCP in epithelium and PCDAI. Conclusion: It seems that IHC detection of calprotectin in bowel mucosa to assess disease behavior may be useful. FCP is a gold-standard biomarker in the diagnosis, monitoring and prognosis of IBD, and its levels correlated well with clinical activity in our study group.","PeriodicalId":73131,"journal":{"name":"Gastrointestinal disorders (Basel, Switzerland)","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"69992207","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Frequency and Characteristics of Severe Liver-Related Adverse Events in Patients with Chronic Liver Diseases after Vaccination against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2: A Retrospective Study","authors":"Oyunjargal Bat-Erdene, Kouichi Miura, Hiroshi Maeda, Shunji Watanabe, Mamiko Tsukui, Yoshinari Takaoka, Hiroaki Nomoto, Rie Goka, Naoki Morimoto, H. Yamamoto","doi":"10.3390/gidisord5010002","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/gidisord5010002","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Vaccination against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is recommended for patients with chronic liver diseases as the vaccine can prevent and/or reduce the severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, we have little information on the often-reported liver-related adverse events (LrAEs) caused by the mRNA vaccine. Methods: We retrospectively investigated the frequency and details of severe LrAEs and changes in liver function tests in patients with chronic liver diseases. Results: Among 431 patients with chronic liver diseases, 416 (96.5%) had received the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine ≥ 2 times. Among the 345 patients included in the analysis, 6 (1.7%) had severe LrAEs; 3 ascites, 2 increases in transaminases, and 1 an increase in total bilirubin. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that cirrhosis and autoimmune disease were risk factors for severe LrAEs. In contrast, the liver function reserve assessed by the Child–Pugh and ALBI scores did not markedly change after vaccination in patients with cirrhosis and/or autoimmune diseases despite a small increase in transaminase levels. Conclusion: SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines, which were used in most of our patients, are safe in patients with chronic liver diseases, but the frequency of severe LrAEs is slightly increased in patients with cirrhosis and/or autoimmune diseases.","PeriodicalId":73131,"journal":{"name":"Gastrointestinal disorders (Basel, Switzerland)","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46942933","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Self-Reported Reasons for Inconsistent Participation in Colorectal Cancer Screening Using FIT in Flanders, Belgium","authors":"S. Hoeck, T. Tran","doi":"10.3390/gidisord5010001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/gidisord5010001","url":null,"abstract":"Background: In Flanders, the uptake in the population-based colorectal cancer (CRC) screening program (using fecal immunochemical test, FIT) is suboptimal (~50%). This study explored the reasons for inconsistent participation in FIT screening among irregular participants in Flanders. Methods: An online survey with both open questions and fixed statements was sent to irregular participants (2016–2018) in the Flemish CRC screening program. A reminder email followed eight weeks after the first email. Data analysis used both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Post-stratification weights based on gender, age group, and the first two digits of the postcode were employed to reduce non-response bias. Results: In total, 5328 out of 19,592 irregular participants responded to the survey. While the main reasons not to participate were related to ‘postponing participation’ and ‘having other priorities’, the main reasons to participate were related to the importance of (preventive) health checks. The role of general practitioners (GPs) in promoting CRC screening also emerged as an important theme among the respondents’ answers (based on fixed statements). Conclusions: The study reported the main reasons for inconsistent participation in FIT screening for CRC in Flanders. The findings are helpful in guiding tailored interventions to increase FIT screening uptake in the region.","PeriodicalId":73131,"journal":{"name":"Gastrointestinal disorders (Basel, Switzerland)","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43201161","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
H. Eutamene, C. Beaufrand, C. Harkat, V. Théodorou
{"title":"Effect of Two Mucoprotectants, Gelatin Tannate and Xyloglucan plus Gelatin, on Cholera Toxin-Induced Water Secretion in Rats","authors":"H. Eutamene, C. Beaufrand, C. Harkat, V. Théodorou","doi":"10.3390/gidisord4040030","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/gidisord4040030","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Newer antidiarrheal agents include the mucoprotectants gelatin tannate and xyloglucan. Methods: Rat models of cholera toxin (CT)-induced water secretion were used to evaluate the mucoprotective effects of gelatin tannate, xyloglucan, and related compounds. Results: Oral pretreatment for 4 days with gelatin tannate (250 and 500 mg/kg/day), but not tannic acid or gelatin (both 125 mg/kg/day), blocked CT-induced intestinal water secretion. CT-induced intestinal water secretion was also attenuated by oral xyloglucan 12.5 mg/kg + gelatin 125 mg/kg (6 h pre-CT) and gelatin 250 mg/kg (12 h pre-CT), and by local (intra-jejunal loop) administration of gelatin, gelatin tannate and xyloglucan concomitantly with CT. Conclusions: Gelatin tannate and xyloglucan + gelatin attenuated CT-induced intra-loop water secretion in this experimental model, supporting previous evidence that their mechanisms of mucosal protection are closely related to their chemical structures, which confer film-forming properties via the formation of mucoadhesive films.","PeriodicalId":73131,"journal":{"name":"Gastrointestinal disorders (Basel, Switzerland)","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42857299","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
A. Arnold, M. von Winterfeld, E. Berg, M. Hummel, B. Rau, F. Krenzien, U. Stein, C. Treese
{"title":"Immunohistochemical Analysis of Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyltransferase Expression in Gastric and Esophageal Adenocarcinoma (AEG)","authors":"A. Arnold, M. von Winterfeld, E. Berg, M. Hummel, B. Rau, F. Krenzien, U. Stein, C. Treese","doi":"10.3390/gidisord4040031","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/gidisord4040031","url":null,"abstract":"Nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) represents a major component in cellular energy metabolism, which is also crucial for cancer cells that have elevated aerobic glycolysis; moreover, targeting the NAD salvage pathway by inhibition of NAMPT was shown effective in a subgroup of gastric cancer cell lines. In order to study the expression levels of NAMPT in adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction and stomach (AEG/S) we performed immunohistochemical analysis in a cohort of 296 tumor samples using tissue-microarrays (TMAs). In the present investigation, we saw a high expression of NAMPT in only a minority of our large AEG/S cohort. Although we did not find a correlation between NAMPT expression and survival, subgroup analysis showed that NAMPT expression was more frequent in older patients (>65 years, p = 0.049) and was associated with a numerical shorter survival that did not reach statistical significance within this age group. In conclusion, we did not find significance for any prognostic effect of NAMPT in our AEG/S cohort; however, the evaluation of other NAD metabolic enzymes is needed as molecular predictors of response to potential NAMPT inhibition in the treatment of patients with AEG/S.","PeriodicalId":73131,"journal":{"name":"Gastrointestinal disorders (Basel, Switzerland)","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45702073","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
N. Gettigan Mc, K. Allen, C. Foley, S. Bennett, C. Lardner, T. Lukose, O. Kelly, A. O'Toole, K. Boland
{"title":"An Irish Multi-Centre Study of Behaviours, Attitudes and Barriers to Exercise in Inflammatory Bowel Disease, a Survey from the Patient’s Perspective","authors":"N. Gettigan Mc, K. Allen, C. Foley, S. Bennett, C. Lardner, T. Lukose, O. Kelly, A. O'Toole, K. Boland","doi":"10.3390/gidisord4040029","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/gidisord4040029","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Physical activity (PA) in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has many potential favourable outcomes including anti-inflammatory effects, improvement in quality of life and improvements in patient body composition. It is recognised that patients with IBD have a significantly decreased exercise tolerance. Aim: 1. To assess physical activity levels, behaviours and barriers to PA in IBD. 2. To assess the likelihood of patients with IBD to engage in a community-based exercise programme. 3. To examine the presence of body image concerns in IBD. Method: Patient surveys were distributed in Beaumont and Connolly Hospitals between October and December 2021. Descriptive statistics, Chi-squared testing and Pearson’s correlations were completed using Minitab. p < 0.05 denoted statistical significance. Results: Data were recorded for a total of 203 patients. Out of all patients, 62% (n = 126) had Crohn’s disease (CD). Over half of the cohort were male (n = 115). Mean weight among females was 75 kg and 83 kg among males. Exercise behaviours: Out of all patients, 71% exercise regularly, on average for 59 min, 3.2 days/week. Walking was the most common form of PA (74%). A post-diagnosis change in exercise behaviour was found in 66% with three-quarters exercising less. The primary barrier to exercise was fatigue (54%). Female gender (p = 0.007) and age < 45 years (p = 0.02) were associated with body image dissatisfaction reported in 62% of patients. Conclusion: These data demonstrate the patient-reported impact of IBD on patient participation in PA. Concerns regarding body image were common and associated with gender and age. A feasibility study of a physician-derived exercise programme in patients with active IBD is underway in Beaumont Hospital to determine the effect on patient response to therapy, inflammation and body composition outcomes (NCT05174754).","PeriodicalId":73131,"journal":{"name":"Gastrointestinal disorders (Basel, Switzerland)","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45913212","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
David Smith, S. Jheeta, Hannya V. Fuentes, B. Street, Miryam Palacios-Pérez
{"title":"Microbiome–Gut Dissociation in the Neonate: Autism-Related Developmental Brain Disease and the Origin of the Placebo Effect","authors":"David Smith, S. Jheeta, Hannya V. Fuentes, B. Street, Miryam Palacios-Pérez","doi":"10.3390/gidisord4040028","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/gidisord4040028","url":null,"abstract":"While the importance of the intestinal microbiome has been realised for a number of years, the significance of the phrase microbiota–gut–brain axis is only just beginning to be fully appreciated. Our recent work has focused on the microbiome as if it were a single entity, modifying the expression of the genetic inheritance of the individual by the generation of interkingdom signalling molecules, semiochemicals, such as dopamine. In our view, the purpose of the microbiome is to convey information about the microbial environment of the mother so as to calibrate the immune system of the new-born, giving it the ability to distinguish harmful pathogens from the harmless antigens of pollen, for example, or to help distinguish self from non-self. In turn, this requires the partition of nutrition between the adult and its microbiome to ensure that both entities remain viable until the process of reproduction. Accordingly, the failure of a degraded microbiome to interact with the developing gut of the neonate leads to failure of this partition in the adult: to low faecal energy excretion, excessive fat storage, and concomitant problems with the immune system. Similarly, a weakened gut–brain axis distorts interoceptive input to the brain, increasing the risk of psychiatric diseases such as autism. These effects account for David Barker’s 1990 suggestion of “the fetal and infant origins of adult disease”, including schizophrenia, and David Strachan’s 1989 observation of childhood immune system diseases, such as hay fever and asthma. The industrialisation of modern life is increasing the intensity and scale of these physical and psychiatric diseases and it seems likely that subclinical heavy metal poisoning of the microbiome contributes to these problems. Finally, the recent observation of Harald Brüssow, that reported intestinal bacterial composition does not adequately reflect the patterns of disease, would be accounted for if microbial eukaryotes were the key determinant of microbiome effectiveness. In this view, the relative success of “probiotic” bacteria is due to their temporary immune system activation of the gut–brain axis, in turn suggesting a potential mechanism for the placebo effect.","PeriodicalId":73131,"journal":{"name":"Gastrointestinal disorders (Basel, Switzerland)","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-11-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49126666","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
H. Kawabata, Kojiro Nakase, Tetsuya Yamamoto, Hiroaki Satake, K. Yamaguchi, Yuji Okazaki, M. Miyata, S. Motoi
{"title":"Management of Anti-Hepatitis C Virus-Antibody-Positive Patients in Non-Hepatology Departments in an Acute Care, General Hospital in Japan","authors":"H. Kawabata, Kojiro Nakase, Tetsuya Yamamoto, Hiroaki Satake, K. Yamaguchi, Yuji Okazaki, M. Miyata, S. Motoi","doi":"10.3390/gidisord4040027","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/gidisord4040027","url":null,"abstract":"In Japanese hospitals, patients undergoing invasive procedures or surgery are screened for anti-HCV antibodies; however, the majority of possible HCV careers are not referred to hepatologists. In addition to the conventional alert email system, a hepatologist extracted monthly lists of anti-HCV-antibody-positive patients who had been tested two months previously and checked medical records to determine whether the doctors who ordered the tests had properly dealt with the positive results. If the doctors had not yet properly followed up, the hepatologist would send emails to both the doctor and a medical clerk to inform them to conduct an HCV-RNA test and to refer HCV-RNA-positive patients to hepatologists. In total, 130 patients managed in the pre-intervention period and 151 patients managed in the post-intervention period were included in this study. The number of anti-HCV-positive patients whose results were not properly handled showed a significant decrease after the introduction of the double alert system (p = 0.034). Among patients undergoing screening anti-HCV antibody testing, a significant number of patients with probable chronic HCV hepatitis were overlooked by the email alert system and their results were not properly handled. The double alert system was useful for reducing the number of positive anti-HCV antibody patients whose results were not properly handled.","PeriodicalId":73131,"journal":{"name":"Gastrointestinal disorders (Basel, Switzerland)","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-10-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46679615","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
N. Papadopoulos, P. Tsibouris, I. Braimakis, P. Apostolopoulos
{"title":"Bulevirtide plus Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate Improves Liver Function in HDV/HBV Related Cirrhosis after Virological Response: A Case Report","authors":"N. Papadopoulos, P. Tsibouris, I. Braimakis, P. Apostolopoulos","doi":"10.3390/gidisord4040026","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/gidisord4040026","url":null,"abstract":"Hepatitis D virus (HDV) globally affects nearly 5% of people with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Bulevirtide (BLV) is an HDV/HBV entry inhibitor recently approved for adult patients with chronic hepatitis delta (CHD). In this real-life case report, we describe the virological efficacy, the safety, and the liver function amelioration of one patient with liver compensated cirrhosis with esophageal varices after one-year combo treatment with BLV (2 mg/day in sub-cutaneous injection) and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) (245 mg/day). The patient had HDV RNA levels of 9300 IU/mL, 1100 IU/mL, and undetectable at baseline, after three months, and after six months of treatment, respectively. In addition, the model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score has declined from 11 at baseline to 8 after twelve months of treatment accompanied by alanine aminotransferase (ALT) normalization. Moreover, the treatment significantly improved the liver stiffness measurement (LSM) since a reduction from 34.3 kPa to 24.5 kPa was observed after twelve months of treatment. Furthermore, the treatment was well tolerated, and no dose reduction was needed.","PeriodicalId":73131,"journal":{"name":"Gastrointestinal disorders (Basel, Switzerland)","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-10-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41282210","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Neutrophils in Intestinal Inflammation: What We Know and What We Could Expect for the Near Future","authors":"L. Arosa, M. Camba-Gómez, J. Conde-Aranda","doi":"10.3390/gidisord4040025","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/gidisord4040025","url":null,"abstract":"Neutrophils are short-lived cells that play a crucial role in inflammation. As in other tissues, these polymorphonuclear phagocytes are involved in the intestinal inflammatory response, on the one hand, contributing to the activation and recruitment of other immune cells, but on the other hand, facilitating intestinal mucosa repair by releasing mediators that aid in the resolution of inflammation. Even though these responses are helpful in physiological conditions, excessive recruitment of activated neutrophils in the gut correlates with increased mucosal damage and severe symptoms in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and pre-clinical models of colitis. Thus, there is growing interest in controlling their biology to generate novel therapeutic approaches capable of reducing exacerbated intestinal inflammation. However, the beneficial and harmful effects of neutrophils on intestinal inflammation are still controversial. With this review, we summarise and discuss the most updated literature showing how neutrophils (and neutrophil extracellular traps) contribute to developing and resolving intestinal inflammation and their putative use as therapeutic targets.","PeriodicalId":73131,"journal":{"name":"Gastrointestinal disorders (Basel, Switzerland)","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-10-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44243944","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}