Severity of fecal urgency and incontinence in inflammatory bowel disease: clinical, manometric and sonographic predictors.

Background: Fecal incontinence (FI) and urgency are prevalent symptoms in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). It is unclear which factors determine their severity. We evaluated associations of clinical activity, anorectal motility, and endoanal sonography with FI severity in IBD.

Reproducibility and agreement of pharyngeal automated impedance manometry with videofluoroscopy.

Background & Aims: Automated impedance manometry analysis (AIM) measures swallow function variables that define bolus timing, intrabolus pressure, contractile vigor, and bolus presence; these are combined to derive a swallow risk index (SRI) that is correlated with pharyngeal dysfunction and aspiration. We assessed intra-rater and inter-rater reproducibility of AIM analysis-derived variables; the diagnostic accuracy of AIM-based criteria for detecting aspiration was determined by using expertly scored videofluoroscopy as the standard.

Methods: Data on 50 bolus swallows of 10 mL each were randomly selected from a database of swallows that were simultaneously recorded with impedance, manometry, and videofluoroscopy.

Platelet IgG antibodies are significantly increased in chronic liver disease.

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of IgG antiplatelet (anti-P) IgG antibodies in patients with chronic liver disease (CLD) of diverse but well defined etiology.

Methods: One-hundred fifty-six consecutive patients with CLD (65 with chronic hepatitis B, 57 with chronic hepatitis C, 23 with alcoholic liver disease and 11 with primary biliary cirrhosis), and 240 healthy blood donors were investigated for the presence of anti-P antibodies.

Results: Anti-P antibodies were present in 36.

Increased fatigability of external anal sphincter in inflammatory bowel disease: significance in fecal urgency and incontinence.

Background And Aims: Fatigability of external anal sphincter (EAS) has not been studied in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients. We evaluated EAS fatigability in IBD patients with and without fecal incontinence (FI) and urgency, and correlated fatigability with demographic and clinical factors, and EAS endosonography.

Methods: Fifty-eight consecutive IBD cases and 14 healthy volunteers completed Bristol stool form and a FI severity scale.

Effect of alginate on satiation, appetite, gastric function, and selected gut satiety hormones in overweight and obesity.

Lack of control of food intake, excess size, and frequency of meals are critical to the development of obesity. The stomach signals satiation postprandially and may play an important role in control of calorie intake. Sodium alginate (based on brown seaweed Laminaria digitata) is currently marketed as a weight loss supplement, but its effects on gastric motor functions and satiation are unknown.

Dietary fiber supplements: effects in obesity and metabolic syndrome and relationship to gastrointestinal functions.

Dietary fiber is a term that reflects a heterogeneous group of natural food sources, processed grains, and commercial supplements. Several forms of dietary fiber have been used as complementary or alternative agents in the management of manifestations of the metabolic syndrome, including obesity. Not surprisingly, there is a great variation in the biological efficacy of dietary fiber in the metabolic syndrome and body weight control.

A preliminary candidate genotype-intermediate phenotype study of satiation and gastric motor function in obesity.

Stomach motility contributes significantly to fullness sensation while eating and cessation of food intake in humans. Genes controlling adrenergic and serotonergic mechanisms (ADRA2A, GNB3, and SLC6A4) affect gastric emptying (GE), volume (GV), and satiation. Fat mass and obesity-associated gene (FTO) is linked with satiety.

Actions and therapeutic pathways of ghrelin for gastrointestinal disorders.

Ghrelin is a peptide hormone that possesses unique orexigenic properties. By acting on the growth-hormone secretagogue receptor 1a, ghrelin induces a short-term increase in food consumption, which ultimately induces a positive energy balance and increases fat deposition. Reduced ghrelin levels have been observed in obese patients and after bariatric surgery.

Reproducibility and performance characteristics of colonic compliance, tone, and sensory tests in healthy humans.

Background: The performance characteristics of colonic sensation and motility measurements are unclear.

Aim: To compare left colon compliance, tone, and sensation in males and females and to evaluate inter and intra-individual coefficients of variation (COV) in these measurements.

Methods: Data were acquired using standard barostat methods, by one technologist, in 72 human volunteers (38 males, 18-65 years).

Effect of a chloride channel activator, lubiprostone, on colonic sensory and motor functions in healthy subjects.

Lubiprostone, a bicyclic fatty acid chloride channel activator, is efficacious in treatment of chronic constipation and constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome. The study aim was to compare effects of lubiprostone and placebo on colonic sensory and motor functions in humans. In double-blind, randomized fashion, 60 healthy adults received three oral doses of placebo or 24 microg lubiprostone per day in a parallel-group, placebo-controlled trial.

An unusual case of Crohn's disease with unresponsive pleural exudates. Is Crohn's disease finally a systemic immunological disorder?

Crohn's disease has been infrequently associated with various respiratory manifestations. Reports of pleural effusions in Crohn's disease are even sparser, but differential diagnosis is rich, with causes either associated with the disease or being independent. Processes directly or indirectly related to therapy, entities overlapping with Crohn's disease in pathogenesis and common causes of effusions should all be considered, under the guidance of laboratory testing and imaging.

Alterations in arterial blood parameters in patients with liver cirrhosis and ascites.

In cirrhotic patients, in addition to hepatocytes and Kuppfer cells dysfunction circulatory anatomic shunt and ventilation/perfusion (V(A)/ Q) ratio abnormalities can induce decrease in partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood (PaO(2)), in oxygen saturation of hemoglobin (SaO(2)) as well as various acid-base disturbances. We studied 49 cases of liver cirrhosis (LC) with ascites compared to 50 normal controls. Causes were: posthepatic 37 (75.