Effect of a synbiotic on microbial community structure in a continuous culture model of the gastric microbiota in enteral nutrition patients.

Patients with dysphagia require long-term nutritional support. This can be delivered by the enteral route via a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube. Enteral nutrition (EN) bypasses the body's innate defences that prevent the microbial colonization of the proximal gut, which predisposes to microbial overgrowth.

Predicting OA progression to total hip replacement: can we do better than risk factors alone using active shape modelling as an imaging biomarker?

Objective: Previously, active shape modelling (ASM) of the proximal femur was shown to identify those individuals at highest risk of developing radiographic OA. Here we determine whether ASM predicts the need for total hip replacement (THR) independent of Kellgren-Lawrence grade (KLG) and other known risk factors.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study of 141 subjects consulting primary care with new hip pain was conducted.

Bacterial translocation in cirrhosis is not caused by an abnormal small bowel gut microbiota.

Sepsis is common in liver cirrhosis, and animal studies have shown the gut to be the principal source of infection, through bacterial overgrowth and translocation in the small bowel. A total of 33 patients were recruited into this study, 10 without cirrhosis and 23 with cirrhotic liver disease. Six distal duodenal biopsies were obtained and snap frozen for RNA and DNA extraction, or frozen for FISH.

Cognitive behavior therapy, exercise, or both for treating chronic widespread pain.

Background: The clinical impact of telephone-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy (TCBT), exercise, or a combined intervention in primary care patients with chronic widespread pain (CWP) is unclear.

Methods: A total of 442 patients with CWP (meeting the American College of Rheumatology criteria) were randomized to receive 6 months of TCBT, graded exercise, combined intervention, or treatment as usual (TAU). The primary outcome, using a 7-point patient global assessment scale of change in health since trial enrollment (range: very much worse to very much better), was assessed at baseline and 6 months (intervention end) and 9 months after randomization.

Diet and the risk of head and neck cancer: a pooled analysis in the INHANCE consortium.

We investigated the association between diet and head and neck cancer (HNC) risk using data from the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology (INHANCE) consortium. The INHANCE pooled data included 22 case-control studies with 14,520 cases and 22,737 controls. Center-specific quartiles among the controls were used for food groups, and frequencies per week were used for single food items.

Recommendations for probiotic use-2011 update.

This study describes the consensus opinion of the participants of the third Yale Workshop on probiotic use. There were 10 experts participating. The recommendations update those of the first 2 meetings that were published in 2005 and 2008.

Fermentation in the human large intestine: its physiologic consequences and the potential contribution of prebiotics.

The human large intestine harbors a complex microbiota containing many hundreds of different bacterial species. Although structure/function relationships between different components of the microbiota are unclear, this complex multicellular entity plays an important role in maintaining homeostasis in the body. Many of the physiologic properties of the microbiota can be attributed to fermentation and the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), particularly acetate, propionate, and butyrate.

The relationship between body mass index across the life course and knee pain in adulthood: results from the 1958 birth cohort study.

Objectives: To determine whether a high BMI in childhood or early adulthood has a long-term influence on the likelihood of knee pain.

Methods: A birth cohort study of persons born during first week of 1958 in Great Britain. Participants were followed up throughout childhood and adulthood, most recently at 45 years, when information was collected on knee pain.

The prevalence and management of low back pain across adulthood: results from a population-based cross-sectional study (the MUSICIAN study).

The aim of the current study was to determine: the prevalence of low back pain (LBP) and associated disability; the frequency of consultation to general practice; whether there were differences in management by age. We conducted a cross-sectional population study in Aberdeen city and Cheshire County, UK. Participants were 15,272 persons aged 25 years and older.

Role of medical history and medication use in the aetiology of upper aerodigestive tract cancers in Europe: the ARCAGE study.

Background: The study aimed to investigate the role of medical history (skin warts, Candida albicans, herpetic lesions, heartburn, regurgitation) and medication use (for heartburn; for regurgitation; aspirin) in the aetiology of upper aerodigestive tract (UADT) cancer.

Methods: A multicentre (10 European countries) case-control study [Alcohol-Related CAncers and GEnetic susceptibility (ARCAGE) project].

Results: There were 1779 cases of UADT cancer and 1993 controls.

Mucosal biofilm communities in the human intestinal tract.

Complex and highly variable site-dependent bacterial ecosystems exist throughout the length of the human gastrointestinal tract. Until relatively recently, the majority of our information on intestinal microbiotas has come from studies on feces, or from aspirates taken from the upper gut. However, there is evidence showing that mucosal bacteria growing in biofilms on surfaces lining the gut differ from luminal populations, and that due to their proximity to the epithelial surface, these organisms may be important in modulating the host's immune system and contributing to some chronic inflammatory diseases.

Population attributable risk of tobacco and alcohol for upper aerodigestive tract cancer.

Tobacco and alcohol are major risk factors for upper aerodigestive tract (UADT) cancer and significant variation is observed in UADT cancer rates across Europe. We have estimated the proportion of UADT cancer burden explained by tobacco and alcohol and how this varies with the incidence rates across Europe, cancer sub-site, gender and age. This should help estimate the minimum residual burden of other risk factors to UADT cancer, including human papillomavirus.

Is there an association between preterm birth or low birthweight and chronic widespread pain? Results from the 1958 Birth Cohort Study.

Objective: The aim was to examine the relationship between gestational age and birthweight and adult chronic widespread pain (CWP).

Design And Participants: A prospective cohort study of 18,558 participants recorded birthweight and gestation at birth.

Exposure: Participants were categorised by gestation (fullterm ≥37 weeks; preterm <37 week) and birthweight (full birthweight (FBW) ≥2.

Occupation and risk of upper aerodigestive tract cancer: the ARCAGE study.

We investigated the association between occupational history and upper aerodigestive tract (UADT) cancer risk in the ARCAGE European case-control study. The study included 1,851 patients with incident cancer of the oral cavity, oropharynx, hypopharynx, larynx or esophagus and 1,949 controls. We estimated odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for ever employment in 283 occupations and 172 industries, adjusting for smoking and alcohol.

Evidence for the efficacy of complementary and alternative medicines in the management of rheumatoid arthritis: a systematic review.

Objective: To critically evaluate the evidence regarding complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) taken orally or applied topically (excluding fish oil) in the treatment of RA.

Methods: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of RA using CAMs, in comparison with other treatments or placebo, published in English up to August 2010, were eligible for inclusion. They were identified using systematic searches of bibliographic databases and manual searching of reference lists.

Epidemiology of back pain in older adults: prevalence and risk factors for back pain onset.

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of disabling and non-disabling back pain across age in older adults, and identify risk factors for back pain onset in this age group.

Methods: Participants aged ≥ 75 years answered interviewer-administered questions on back pain as part of a prospective cohort study [Cambridge City over-75s Cohort Study (CC75C)]. Descriptive analyses of data from two surveys, 1988-89 and 1992-93, estimated prevalence and new onset of back pain.

Diet, lifestyle and chronic widespread pain: results from the 1958 British Birth Cohort Study.

Objectives: To examine the relationship between diet and lifestyle, and chronic widespread pain (CWP). If persons with CWP have dietary and lifestyle habits consistent with an increased risk of cancer or cardiovascular disease, it may partially explain evidence in the literature suggesting an association between CWP and these diseases.

Methods: The 1958 British Birth Cohort Study comprises individuals born in England, Scotland and Wales in the United Kingdom during one week in March 1958.

A genome-wide association study of upper aerodigestive tract cancers conducted within the INHANCE consortium.

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have been successful in identifying common genetic variation involved in susceptibility to etiologically complex disease. We conducted a GWAS to identify common genetic variation involved in susceptibility to upper aero-digestive tract (UADT) cancers. Genome-wide genotyping was carried out using the Illumina HumanHap300 beadchips in 2,091 UADT cancer cases and 3,513 controls from two large European multi-centre UADT cancer studies, as well as 4,821 generic controls.

Role of road traffic accidents and other traumatic events in the onset of chronic widespread pain: Results from a population-based prospective study.

Objective: To determine the relationship between physically traumatic events and the onset of chronic widespread pain (CWP).

Methods: This was a case-control study nested within a large prospective cohort. CWP was determined, by questionnaire, as per the American College of Rheumatology fibromyalgia classification criteria.

Elevated levels of gonadotrophins but not sex steroids are associated with musculoskeletal pain in middle-aged and older European men.

The aim of this study was to determine the association of hormone levels with the occurrence of musculoskeletal pain. Men ages 40 to 79 years were recruited from population registers in 8 European centres. Subjects were asked to complete a postal questionnaire, which enquired about lifestyle and the occurrence of musculoskeletal pain over the past month.

Adherence and cytokine induction in Caco-2 cells by bacterial populations from a three-stage continuous-culture model of the large intestine.

Adherence of bacteria to epithelial cells is an important step in colonization and immune modulation in the large bowel. The aims of this study were to use a three-stage continuous-culture system (CCS) to investigate how environmental factors affect bacterial attachment to Caco-2 cells and modulation of cytokine expression by gut microorganisms, including a probiotic Bifidobacterium longum strain, DD2004. The CCS simulated environmental conditions in the proximal large intestine (vessel 1 [V1]) and distal colon (V2 and V3) at two different system retention times (R) within the range of normal colonic transits (20 and 60 h).

Association of HTR2A polymorphisms with chronic widespread pain and the extent of musculoskeletal pain: results from two population-based cohorts.

Objective: The aim of the current study was to investigate whether genetic variation in genes across the serotoninergic system is associated with chronic widespread pain (CWP) and the number of pain sites reported.

Methods: A discovery cohort, with pain data at 3 time points, was used to investigate genetic associations with 2 phenotypes: 1) CWP (at ≥ 2 time points; n = 164) compared with pain-free controls (at 3 time points; n = 172), and 2) the maximum number of pain sites reported at any 1 of the 3 time points (range of sites 0-29; n = 989). A cohort of 2,285 men for whom a DNA sample and pain data were available (including 203 CWP cases and 929 controls) was used for validation.

Evidence for the efficacy of complementary and alternative medicines in the management of osteoarthritis: a systematic review.

Objectives. To critically evaluate the evidence regarding complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) taken orally or applied topically (excluding glucosamine and chondroitin) in the treatment of OA. Methods.