The effect of probiotics on gut flora, level of endotoxin and Child-Pugh score in cirrhotic patients: results of a double-blind randomized study

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of Escherichia coli Nissle (Mutaflor, Ardeypharm GmbH, Herdecke, Germany) on the intestinal colonization, level of endotoxin and liver functions in patients with liver cirrhosis. METHODS: Thirty-nine patients with liver cirrhosis diagnosed by means of biopsy and clinical examinations were randomly allocated to treatment with E. coli Nissle or placebo for 42 days. Standard clinical examination, biochemical and hematological examinations, level of endotoxin and microbiological examination of the stool were performed before and after the treatment. RESULTS: In comparing the treatment of E. coli Nissle and placebo, significant improvement of the intestinal colonization (P<0.001) in the E. coli Nissle group was described. We found a trend of significant lowering of the endotoxemia (P=0.07) and improvement of liver functions evaluated by Child-Pugh score (P=0.06). CONCLUSION: E. coli Nissle seems to be effective in the restoration of normal colonic colonization and can probably lower endotoxemia in cirrhotic patients.     

Novel Fecal Biomarkers That Precede Clinical Diagnosis of Ulcerative Colitis

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Clinical impact of a high-frequency seizure onset zone in a case of bitemporal epilepsy

High-frequency activity has been described as having a role in the initiation of epileptic seizures. The case of a patient with refractory bitemporal epilepsy is presented. Extraoperative monitoring with depth and subdural electrodes revealed an ictal pattern with a build-up of high-frequency (> 80 Hz) activity originating in the cortex, with spread to both hippocampi. This observation was only revealed with the use of high-pass filtering, and represented crucial information that significantly influenced the decision about the side, localization and extent of resection. Removal of the cortex generating high-frequency activity, led to cessation of seizures in this patient. Current knowledge about the role of high-frequency activity and the case presented here support the importance of recording with equipment capable of detecting fast activity during the presurgical invasive monitoring. An active search for a high-frequency seizure onset zone in patients with structurally-unaffected hippocampi may improve the outcome beyond that possible with conventional bandwidth, invasive EEG recordings. [Published with video sequences].     

Minimal differences in prevalence and spectrum of organic disease at upper gastrointestinal endoscopy between selected secondary care patients with symptoms of gastro-oesophageal reflux or dyspepsia

Objectives: Gastro-oesophageal reflux and dyspepsia are felt to be separate upper gastrointestinal (GI) conditions. We aimed to measure the degree of overlap between them, and assess whether endoscopic findings differed.

Material and methods: Demographic, symptom, upper GI endoscopy and histology data were collected from consecutive adults in secondary care. Patients were categorised according to whether they reported gastro-oesophageal reflux alone, dyspepsia alone or both, and patient demographics and endoscopic findings were compared.

Results: Of 1167 patients, 97 (8.3%) had gastro-oesophageal reflux alone, 571 (48.9%) dyspepsia alone, and 499 (42.8%) overlap. Patients with overlap symptoms were more likely to smoke, compared with those with gastro-oesophageal reflux alone, or dyspepsia alone (p?=?.009), but there were no other differences. Patients with gastro-oesophageal reflux alone or overlap had a higher prevalence of erosive oesophagitis (18.6% and 15.4% respectively, p?<?.001), but this was still the commonest diagnosis among those with dyspepsia alone (7.2%). No significant differences were seen in prevalence of other endoscopic findings.

Conclusions: Gastro-oesophageal reflux and dyspepsia symptoms commonly overlap. There were minimal differences in demographics or spectrum of underlying organic disease between various symptom groups, suggesting that restrictive classifications according to predominant symptom may not be clinically useful.     

Pathogenic factors involved in the development of irritable bowel syndrome: focus on a microbial role

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a symptom complex characterized by recurrent abdominal pain or discomfort, and accompanied by abnormal bowel habits, in the absence of any discernible organic abnormality. Its origin remains unclear, partly because multiple pathophysiologic mechanisms are likely to be involved. A significant proportion of patients develop IBS symptoms after an episode of gastrointestinal infection. In addition to gastrointestinal pathogens, recent evidence suggests that patients with IBS have abnormal composition and higher temporal instability of their intestinal microbiota. Because the intestinal microbiota is an important determinant of normal gut function and immunity, this instability may constitute an additional mechanism that leads to symptom generation and IBS. More importantly, a role for altered microbiota composition in IBS raises the possibility of therapeutic interventions through selective antibiotic or probiotic administration. The new concept of functional bowel diseases incorporates the bidirectional communication between the gut and the central nervous system (gut-brain axis), which may explain the multiple facets of IBS by linking emotional and cognitive centers of the brain with peripheral functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and vice versa.     

The diagnostic value of combining flexible sigmoidoscopy and double-contrast barium enema as a one-stage procedure

Results from the consecutive examination of 675 patients using both flexible sigmoidoscopy and a double-contrast x-ray technique were analyzed with special reference to the detection of polyps in the rectum and sigmoid colon. A total of 193 polyps were found. Histological examination of 93 polyps revealed that half of those less than 5 mm in diameter and 93.3% of those more than 6 mm in diameter were adenomas. The x-ray examination failed to detect 44% of the proven adenomas smaller than 5 mm, 35.3% of those 6-10 mm in size, and 16.7% of those larger than 11 mm in diameter. These rates were significantly higher than those of flexible sigmoidoscopy, which had corresponding miss rates of 8, 11.2, and 0%, respectively. The double-contrast barium enema (DCBE) failed to detect every second polyp in the rectosigmoid. Every second polyp in the same region proved to be adenoma. The DCBE combined with flexible sigmoidoscopy gives the most reliable and precise diagnosis of various disorders of the rectum and sigmoid colon.