Background: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is an extremely common condition affecting approximately 10-15% of the population. Lower abdominal pain is a common feature and, if the patient also has gynaecological symptoms such as heavy periods, they may be referred to a gynaecologist especially when the bowel symptoms are relatively mild. In this setting a laparoscopy is often undertaken and endometriosis commonly identified as this condition affects up to 10% of women. Consequently pain is frequently attributed to the endometriosis even when it is relatively mild. However it is a common observation amongst gynaecologists that women with mild endometriosis often have severe symptoms which do not seem to respond well to treatment. This raises the possibility that their pain may not actually be due to endometriosis or is being amplified by the visceral hypersensitivity which is a characteristic feature of irritable bowel syndrome.Methods: 20 patients with minimal-mild endometriosis, 20 with moderate-severe endometriosis, 20 healthy volunteers (HV) who have had laparoscopy for sterilisation, 20 IBS patients and 20 patients with pain who were found to have a normal pelvis (on laparoscopy) were studied. Gastrointestinal, gynaecological, and noncolonic symptoms were recorded as well as demography, quality of life and psychological status. Visceral sensitivity was assessed in all patients and abdominal distension was studied in a sub group of 26 endometriosis patients and 20 IBS patients.Results: 20 (100%) of IBS patients, 13 (65%) of minimal-mild endometriosis patients, 11 (55%) of moderate-severe endometriosis patients, 17 (85%) of laparoscopic negative pain patients and no healthy volunteers fulfilled ROME III criteria for IBS. Patients with endometriosis and IBS had similar levels of visceral sensitivity which were significantly lower than that observed in controls (p=0·002, p<0·001).In particular, both minimal-mild and moderate-severe endometriosis patients had significantly lower (mean-95% CI) pain thresholds in mmHg 28.1(24.5, 31.6) and 28.8(24.9, 32.6) respectively compared with controls 39·5 (36·0, 43·0) p=0.001and p=0.002. However, with few exceptions, there were no distinguishing features between patients in terms of demography, symptomatology and distension.Conclusion: Clinically, it is very difficult to distinguish between endometriosis and IBS. However, visceral hypersensitivity appears to be a major component of endometriosis and may explain the problem of excessive pain especially in patients with mild disease offering a potential new target for treatment

Bakgrund: IBS (Irritable bowel syndrome) är en funktionell mag-tarmsjukdom med en oklar orsak och patofysiologi. IBS förekommer mest hos kvinnor och karakteriseras av buksmärta, uppblåsthet, diarré och/eller förstoppning samt ökad gasbildning. I nuläget finns inga läkemedel som botar sjukdomstillståndet, och den senaste tiden har intresset för probiotika som behandling av IBS ökat. Probiotika innehåller levande mikroorganismer som anses ha en gynnsam effekt på tarmflorans sammansättning, samt kan tros ha en symtomatisk effekt vid IBS. Syfte: Syftet med detta litteraturarbete är att ta reda på om kosttillskott som innehåller bakteriearten Lactobacillus plantarum har en positiv effekt för att lindra symtomen hos patienter som lider av en diarrépredominant IBS. Metod: Sex randomiserade, dubbelblinda och placebo-kontrollerade studier granskades. Studierna utvärderade effekten av den enskilda bakteriearten L. plantarum eller en kombination av probiotika som innehöll L. plantarum för symtomlindring hos IBS-patienter. Artikelsökning utfördes i databasen PubMed via Linnéuniversitetets bibliotek. Resultat: Tre av de fyra studierna som undersökte L. plantarum i kombination med andra bakteriestammar påvisade en statistiskt signifikant förbättring av symtomen buksmärta hos IBSpatienter. En av de två studierna som undersökte enbart L. plantarum visade en signifikant förbättring av symtomen buksmärta. Två av sex studier visade ingen signifikant förbättring av symtomlindring mellan probiotika- och placebo gruppen. Slutsats: Utifrån sammanställningen påvisades att effekten uppnåddes framförallt i gruppen med måttliga IBS besvär. Dock gav inte behandling med L. plantarum alltid en statistisk signifikant förbättring av symtomlindring hos diarré predominanta IBS-patienter. Vidare studier behövs på subtypen diarré predominant IBS för att stärka och fastställa L. plantarums effekt.

Le syndrome de l’intestin irritable (SII) est un trouble fonctionnel d’origine multifactorielle, impliquant des facteurs environnementaux tels que le stress, l’alimentation et met en jeu un dysfonctionnement de l’axe intestin-cerveau, une micro-inflammation, une dysbiose et une hyperperméabilité intestinale. Le rôle du protéasome dans la régulation de la barrière intestinale au cours du SII a été étudié. De plus, ces troubles fonctionnels intestinaux (TFI) ont également été décrits comme exacerbés chez des patients souffrant d’obésité, dont la physiopathologie est complexe. Néanmoins, les mécanismes impliqués dans cette association restent mal compris et ont donc été recherchés. Dans ce travail, des modèles murins « SII-like » comme le modèle de stress « water avoidance stress » ou WAS et le modèle post-inflammatoire « post-TNBS » ont été utilisés afin d’étudier l’impact d’une inhibition du protéasome sur la régulation de la perméabilité intestinale. L’inhibition pharmacologique du protéasome par le PR-957 ou l’utilisation de souris invalidées pour une sous unité β2i du protéasome limite l’hyperperméabilité intestinale. Une supplémentation orale en glutamine permet également de diminuer la perméabilité intestinale. Une étude protéomique au niveau colique des souris WAS et une étude de l’ubiquitome colique de patients souffrant de SII à profil diarrhéique confirment l’implication du protéasome dans la physiopathologie du SII. Nous avons ensuite cherché à comprendre le lien entre l’obésité et le SII en combinant des modèles d’obésité (génétique et induite par une alimentation riche en graisses ou HFD) et le modèle WAS. Seules les souris HFD présentent une exacerbation de l’hyperperméabilité intestinale et une corticostéronémie plasmatique élevée en réponse au modèle WAS. Des études complémentaires suggèrent que ces résultats sont indépendants de la leptine, de la glycémie et du microbiote intestinal. Nos travaux proposent donc de nouvelles pistes de prise en charge des patients souffrant de SII, par intervention nutritionnelle via la glutamine ou en utilisant le protéasome comme cible thérapeutique. Nous suggérons également un rôle de l’alimentation (riche en graisse) dans le développement des TFI au cours de l’obésité. / Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a multifactorial functional disorder, involving environmental factors (stress and diet for instance), gut-brain-axis dysfunction, micro-inflammation, dysbiosis and an alteration of intestinal permeability. The role of the proteasome in the regulation of the intestinal barrier during IBS has been studied. In addition, these intestinal functional disorders have also been described in patients with obesity. Nevertheless, the mechanisms underlying an association of intestinal functional disorders in the obesity context, remain poorly understood and have therefore been investigated in this thesis. In this study, "IBS-like" mouse models such as water avoidance stress (WAS) and the post-inflammatory (post-TNBS) models, were used to study the impact of proteasome inhibition on the regulation of intestinal permeability. We found that the pharmacological inhibition of the proteasome (with PR-957) or the use of knock-out mice for a subunit of the proteasome (β2i -/-) limit intestinal hyperpermeability occured in IBS-Like models. Moreover, we found that oral supplementation with glutamine also reduces intestinal hyperpermeability, wich, thus, can be considered as a putative nutritional treatment for IBS. A colonic proteomic study of WAS mice and a study of colonic ubiquitoma in IBS patients with diarrheal profiles confirmed the involvement of proteasome in the pathophysiology of IBS. Therefore, the link between obesity and IBS was examined by combining models of obesity (ob/ob genetic and high-fat diet [HFD] models) with WAS model. Only HFD mice displayed enhanced intestinal hyperpermeability and higher plasma corticosterone levels in response to WAS. Further studies suggest that these results, themselve, are independent of leptin, glycaemia and gut microbiota. This study paves new ways of treating patients suffering from IBS, by nutritional intervention via glutamine or by using the proteasome as a therapeutic target. We also suggest a role of diet (high fat) in the development of intestinal functional disorders during obesity.

No description available.

Cancer treatments including chemotherapy and radiotherapy treat cancer by targeting rapidly dividing cells. Although these forms of treatment damage rapidly dividing cancer cells, they are also toxic to the cells of the gastrointestinal tract, leading to inflammation of the mucosal layer (mucositis) and causing nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. Improvement in symptoms may allow patients to have better performance status permitting ongoing treatment and possibly a better prognosis. This article describes the pathophysiology of chemotherapy-induced mucositis and includes 3 case reports of treatment of mucositis with serum bovine immunoglobulin.

博士(心理学) / Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology / 同志社大学 / Doshisha University

<p>Stress is known to play an important role in the natural history of gastrointestinal diseases, and functional disorders in particular. In health, activation of the stress response serves to maintain homeostasis in response to harmful stimuli. However, prolonged activation of the stress response can become maladaptive and contribute to the initiation and maintenance of symptoms in disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The mechanisms underlying this detrimental effect are unclear. This thesis investigates this relationship by examining the influence of 10 days of water avoidance stress on a murine model of acute bacterial gastroenteritis; a known trigger in a subset of IBS patients. Results indicate that stress can increase the level of the stress hormone norepinephrine in the gut. However, the overall influence of host stress during infection proves to be beneficial in this model, with decreased colonic inflammation and earlier clearance of the pathogen. Next, we utilized the olfactory bulbectomy (OBx) model of depression comorbid anxiety, which shows a heightened stress response, to examine mechanism underlying stress-mediated susceptibility in a more chronic setting. OBx resulted in increased neural activity and motility in the gut, and a change in composition of gut microbiota. These responses were not accompanied by changes in gut permeability or immune activation. Thus stress alters the habitat of commensal bacteria via a neurally mediated change in colonic motility. These results have bearing on the ability of stress to alter the microbiota: a feature of functional GI disorders.</p> / Doctor of Philosophy (Medical Science)

Background: IBS is the most common functional gastrointestinal disorders and affects approximately 10-20 % of the general population and is widespread in all societies and socio-economic groups. Although the disorder does not have a life-threatening course, it still seriously affects the patients in their everyday life. Aim: The general aims of this thesis were to estimate the occurrence of irritable bowel syndrome in the general population and to achieve a better understanding of present treatment of this disorder and impact on every-day life in those suffering from IBS. Material and methods: The LIPS study comprises two parts. Part I was a retrospective register study where the data collection was based on computerised medical records at three selected Primary Health Care centres in a defined region. Part II was a population based case-control study. The identified IBS cases from part I constitute the cases, while their control groups were randomly selected from the population census register in the same area as the cases. Data in part II were collected by means of a postal questionnaire to cases and controls. The study was conducted in Linköping, a city located in the south-east of Sweden with 135 000 inhabitants. Results: The female IBS patients reported lower influence on planning their work and working hours as well as fewer opportunities to learn new things at their work compared to their controls, even after adjustments in multiple logistic regressions for potential confounders like; mood, sleeping problems and perceived health. The female IBS patients had considerably lower HRQOL in all dimensions compared to their controls, even when compared to male patients. Younger female IBS cases (18-44 years) reported lower mental health on the SF-36 scale than the older IBS female cases (p=0.015). In the multivariate analysis these variables, lack of influence on planning the work, family history of IBS, anxiety and sleeping disturbance displayed an association with being diagnosed with IBS in women. In men, lack of influence on working pace, family history of IBS was associated with an IBS diagnosis.The consultation incidence of IBS in part I was 3.4 (95% CI 3.20-3.70) per 1000 person-years for all IBS cases, among females; the incidence rate was 4.6 per 1000 person-years (95% CI 4.16-4.97) and males; 2.3 per 1000 person-years (95% CI 2.01-2.59). The dominating pharmacological treatment prescribed for abdominal complaints were fibre and bulking laxatives agents as well as acid suppressive drugs. These variables had an independent impact on the probability of a follow-up consultation; diagnosed co-morbidity besides the IBS diagnosis, rectoscopy ordered and laboratory tests ordered. Conclusions: IBS patients identified in primary care are significantly affected in their working-life compared to individuals in the general population. Especially female IBS-patients report lower decision latitude at work and they also appear to have a particularly impaired psychosocial functioning in their every day life and impaired HRQOL. Factors associated with IBS diagnosis among females are anxiety as well as family history of IBS and lack of co-determination at work. The incidence rate of IBS was 3.4 per 1000 person-years which increased with age and with an overrepresentation of females. IBS patients did not appear to be heavy utilisers of primary care and those who attended were treated by their GP without further consultation. The strongest predictors for having a follow-up consultation were diagnosed co-morbidity, rectoscopy and laboratory tests ordered / Figure on page 8 reprinted from Lancet 360(9332), Nicholas, J Talley and Robin Spiller, "Irritable bowel syndrome: a little understood organic bowel disease?", pp. 555-564, Copyright 2006 with permission from Elsevier. On the day of the public defence of the doctoral thesis, the status of articles III and IV was Submitted.

Within this thesis the role of cognitive processes in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) will be examined. A systematic review and meta-analysis of the rate of psychiatric comorbidity in IBS participants, relative to controls, was performed. Evidence supported heightened rates of psychiatric disorder. A novel hypothesis regarding overlapping cognitive vulnerability to IBS and psychiatric disorders was found to fit well with the pattern of comorbidity. Competing hypotheses and the potential moderators were examined. Overall, no single model of psychiatric morbidity in IBS could fully account for the results of the meta-analysis. The implications of this meta-analysis for a cognitive approach to IBS are discussed. Cognitive processes were directly investigated in two experiments. First, in a modified exogenous cueing task, which assessed attention to pain words, there was faster orienting towards, and engagement with pain words in IBS participants relative to controls. Next, participants completed a primed lexical decision task, which indexed interpretation biases by measuring response times to targets after ambiguous illness primes. Relative to controls, IBS participants’ responses were slower to target words presented after ambiguous illness primes, and demonstrated priming for targets related to the neutral meaning of the illness prime. In the second study, different IBS and healthy control participants completed an internet-based survey of autobiographical memory. Participants described and rated painful and emotional autobiographical events. IBS participants reported pain memories from a more observer perspective relative to controls, suggesting a possible coping strategy for pain content. Finally, three cognitive styles, alexithymia, rumination and self-blame, were evaluated using existing and novel self-report measures. Overall, when compared with healthy participants, IBS participants reported: less difficulty identifying feelings as indexed by the alexithymia measure; increased pain-focused rumination; and a general, negative self-blame. These results may imply a vigilance-avoidance model of cognitive processing in IBS.

Les bénéfices attribués aux probiotiques sont nombreux : effets bénéfiques sur le microbiote intestinal, confort digestif, modulation du système immunitaire et prévention des infections intestinales. Ces effets divers et variés sont souches-spécifiques. Actuellement, de nombreuses études visent à mieux caractériser ces effets probiotiques.Ces travaux avaient pour objectif de déterminer et d’analyser les effets probiotiques de trois souches de la collection Danone : la souche de Lactobacillus paracasei CNCM I-3689, la souche de L. rhamnosus CNCM I-3690 ainsi que la souche de Bifidobacterium animalis subps. lactis CNCM I-2494. Dans un premier temps, leurs effets ont été caractérisés dans des modèles in vitro pour des propriétés anti-pathogènes, des propriétés d’immuno-modulation ainsi que pour des propriétés de protection de la barrière épithéliale intestinale. Dans un second temps, leurs effets de la protection de la barrière ont été confirmés dans un modèle murin de faible inflammation.Une analyse des mécanismes sous-jacents à ces effets à la fois chez la souche probiotique et chez l’hôte a été initiée par la construction et l’analyse fonctionnelle de banques génomiques bactériennes ainsi que par l’étude de la modulation des gènes impliqués dans le maintien de la barrière intestinale chez l’hôte. / Health benefits of probiotic bacteria are numerous: beneficial effects on the intestinal microbiota, digestive comfort, modulation of the immune system and prevention of winter infection. These diverse and various effects are strain-specific. Nowadays, numerous studies aim at better characterizing those probiotics effects.This project aimed at identifying and analyzing the probiotic effects of three strains from Danone collection: Lactobacillus paracasei CNCM I-3689, L. rhamnosus CNCM I-3690 and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis CNCM I-2494. First, their effects were assessed in in vitro models for immunomodulation properties, antipathogens activity and intestinal barrier protection. Secondly, their beneficial effects were confirmed in low-grade inflammation murine model.The analysis of the underlying mechanisms has been initiated both in the bacterial strains by the construction and the functional analysis of genomic libraries and in the host by measuring the modulation of the genes involved in the intestinal barrier maintain.