Prebiotics for induction and maintenance of remission in ulcerative colitis.

Background: People affected by ulcerative colitis (UC) are interested in dietary therapies as treatments that can improve their health and quality of life. Prebiotics are a category of food ingredients theorised to have health benefits for the gastrointestinal system through their effect on the growth and activity of intestinal bacteria and probiotics.

Objectives: To assess the efficacy and safety of prebiotics for the induction and maintenance of remission in people with active UC.

Infliximab for medical induction of remission in Crohn's disease.

Background: Infliximab is a monoclonal antibody that binds and neutralises tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), which is present in high levels in the blood serum, mucosa and stool of people with Crohn's disease.

Objectives: To evaluate the benefits and harms of infliximab alone or in combination with another agent for induction of remission in Crohn's disease compared to placebo or active medical therapies.

Search Methods: On 31 August 2021 and 4 March 2023, we searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, ClinicalTrials.

Patient education interventions for the management of inflammatory bowel disease.

Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a life-long condition for which currently there is no cure. Patient educational interventions deliver structured information to their recipients. Evidence suggests patient education can have positive effects in other chronic diseases.

Remote care through telehealth for people with inflammatory bowel disease.

Background: People with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) require intensive follow-up with frequent consultations after diagnosis. IBD telehealth management includes consulting by phone, instant messenger, video, text message, or web-based services. Telehealth can be beneficial for people with IBD, but may have its own set of challenges.

Probiotics for management of functional abdominal pain disorders in children.

Background: Functional abdominal pain is pain occurring in the abdomen that cannot be fully explained by another medical condition and is common in children. It has been hypothesised that the use of micro-organisms, such as probiotics and synbiotics (a mixture of probiotics and prebiotics), might change the composition of bacterial colonies in the bowel and reduce inflammation, as well as promote normal gut physiology and reduce functional symptoms.

Objectives: To assess the efficacy and safety of probiotics in the treatment of functional abdominal pain disorders in children.

Corneal Langerhans cells in children with celiac disease.

Celiac disease (CeD) is a common small bowel enteropathy characterized by an altered adaptive immune system and increased mucosal antigen presenting cells. This study aims to establish if quantification of corneal Langerhans cells (LCs) using corneal confocal microscopy (CCM) could act as a surrogate marker for antigen presenting cell status and hence disease activity in children with CeD. Twenty children with stable CeD and 20 age-matched controls underwent CCM and quantification of central corneal total, mature and immature LC density.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease Treatments and Predictive Biomarkers of Therapeutic Response.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic immune-mediated inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract with a highly heterogeneous presentation. It has a relapsing and remitting clinical course that necessitates lifelong monitoring and treatment. Although the availability of a variety of effective therapeutic options including immunomodulators and biologics (such as TNF, CAM inhibitors) has led to a paradigm shift in the treatment outcomes and clinical management of IBD patients, some patients still either fail to respond or lose their responsiveness to therapy over time.

Antibiotics for the induction and maintenance of remission in ulcerative colitis.

Background: Antibiotics have been considered to treat ulcerative colitis (UC) due to their antimicrobial properties against intestinal bacteria linked to inflammation. However, there are concerns about their efficacy and safety.

Objectives: To determine whether antibiotic therapy is safe and effective for the induction and maintenance of remission in people with UC.

Tacrolimus (FK506) for induction of remission in corticosteroid-refractory ulcerative colitis.

Background: There are a limited number of treatment options for people with corticosteroid-refractory ulcerative colitis. Animal models of inflammatory bowel disease and uncontrolled studies in humans suggest that tacrolimus may be an effective treatment for ulcerative colitis.

Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of tacrolimus for induction of remission in people with corticosteroid-refractory ulcerative colitis.

Probiotics for treatment of chronic constipation in children.

Background: Functional constipation is defined as chronic constipation with no identifiable underlying cause. It is a significant cause of morbidity in children, accounting for up to 25% of visits to paediatric gastroenterologists. Probiotic preparations may sufficiently alter the gut microbiome and promote normal gut physiology in a way that helps relieve functional constipation.

Interventions for the management of abdominal pain in Crohn's disease and inflammatory bowel disease.

Background: Crohn's disease is a remitting and relapsing disorder that can affect the whole gastrointestinal tract. Active disease symptoms include abdominal pain, fatigue, weight loss, and diarrhoea. There is no known cure; however, the disease can be managed, and therefore places a huge financial burden on healthcare systems.

Interventions for the management of abdominal pain in ulcerative colitis.

Background: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammation of the colon characterised by periods of relapse and remission. It starts in the rectum and can extend throughout the colon. UC and Crohn's disease (CD) are the most common inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs).

Gastrointestinal manifestations of COVID-19 in children: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objectives: To summarise the published evidence on the gastrointestinal manifestations of COVID-19 in children and to determine the prevalence of gastrointestinal symptoms.

Methods: In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched PubMed, Embase, CINAHL and the WHO's database of publications on novel coronavirus. We included English language studies that had described original demographic and clinical characteristics of children diagnosed with COVID-19 and reported on the presence or absence of gastrointestinal symptoms.

Corneal confocal microscopy identifies a reduction in corneal keratocyte density and sub-basal nerves in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Purpose: To assess whether alterations in stromal keratocyte density are related to loss of corneal nerve fibres in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM).

Methods: Twenty participants with T1DM and 20 age-matched healthy controls underwent corneal confocal microscopy. Corneal sub-basal nerve morphology and corneal keratocyte density (KD) were quantified.

Interventions for treating iron deficiency anaemia in inflammatory bowel disease.

Background: Inflammatory bowel disease affects approximately seven million people globally. Iron deficiency anaemia can occur as a common systemic manifestation, with a prevalence of up to 90%, which can significantly affect quality of life, both during periods of active disease or in remission. It is important that iron deficiency anaemia is treated effectively and not be assumed to be a normal finding of inflammatory bowel disease.

Levetiracetam for convulsive status epilepticus in childhood: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Importance: Prolonged seizures are life-threatening emergencies associated with significant morbidity.

Objective: To determine the efficacy and safety of levetiracetam in treating convulsive status epilepticus (CSE) in childhood.

Data Sources And Study Selections: PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature were searched from inception up to April 2020.

Corneal confocal microscopy demonstrates minimal evidence of distal neuropathy in children with celiac disease.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to utilise corneal confocal microscopy to quantify corneal nerve morphology and establish the presence of sub-clinical small fibre damage and peripheral neuropathy in children with celiac disease.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional cohort study of twenty children with celiac disease and 20 healthy controls who underwent clinical and laboratory assessments and corneal confocal microscopy. Corneal nerve fiber density (no.

Probiotics for induction of remission in Crohn's disease.

Background: Crohn's disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the gastrointestinal tract, in which the pathogenesis is believed to be partly influenced by the gut microbiome. Probiotics can be used to manipulate the microbiome and have therefore been considered as a potential therapy for CD. There is some evidence that probiotics benefit other gastrointestinal conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome and ulcerative colitis, but their efficacy in CD is unclear.

Role of the gut microbiota in the pathogenesis of coeliac disease and potential therapeutic implications.

Purpose: Although genetic predisposition and exposure to dietary gluten are considered necessary triggers for the development of coeliac disease, alterations in the gut microbial composition may also contribute towards the pathogenesis of coeliac disease. This review aims to provide an overview of the available data on the potential mechanisms through which the gut microbiota plays a role in the causation of coeliac disease and to discuss the potential therapeutic strategies that could diminish the consequences of microbial dysbiosis.

Method: A search of the literature was performed using the PubMed, Embase, and JSTOR databases; relevant articles were included.

Systematic review with meta-analysis: the efficacy of tranexamic acid in upper gastrointestinal bleeding.

Background: Upper gastrointestinal bleeding is a common medical emergency associated with substantial mortality. Tranexamic acid may be effective for reducing mortality in upper gastrointestinal bleeding.

Aim: To examine the effects of tranexamic acid in upper gastrointestinal bleeding by systematic review and meta-analysis.