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Journal of the Canadian Association of... Jun 2024Dyspepsia is a common, generally low-risk gastrointestinal condition. The American College of Gastroenterology and Canadian Association of Gastroenterology recommend...
BACKGROUND
Dyspepsia is a common, generally low-risk gastrointestinal condition. The American College of Gastroenterology and Canadian Association of Gastroenterology recommend avoiding gastroscopy in healthy patients <60 years old. Many dyspeptic patients can be effectively managed in primary care. This study aimed to determine: (1) the proportion of gastroscopies performed for dyspepsia among patients <65 years old with no alarm symptoms or clinically appropriate indications and (2) to determine the frequency of clinically actionable findings and dyspepsia-related healthcare utilization in the year following gastroscopy.
METHODS
Outpatient endoscopy reports were sampled and reviewed retrospectively from 2019 to -2021 in Edmonton, Alberta to identify gastroscopies performed for the indication of dyspepsia. Gastroscopies were considered low-risk for significant endoscopic findings if age <65, no alarm symptoms or other concerning indications, and insufficient evidence that first-line treatments and diagnostic approaches had been tried prior to gastroscopy. Clinically important findings were defined as those impacting management, not otherwise identifiable non-invasively.
RESULTS
Of the 358 reviewed gastroscopies for dyspepsia, 293 (81.8%) had no alarm symptoms, and 130 (36.3%) had no alarm symptoms or other appropriate indications. Clinically important findings were identified in 9 (6.9%) of the 130 low-risk cases. In the year following, one patient (1/130) visited the emergency department 3 times for their symptoms and no patients required hospital admission. No malignancies were detected.
CONCLUSIONS
Many gastroscopies are performed on patients <65 years old with dyspepsia, even when they lack alarm symptoms or other clinical indications, despite recommendations against this practice and low procedure yield. Strategies to improve the uptake of current guidelines may optimize endoscopy resource utilization.
PubMed: 38841145
DOI: 10.1093/jcag/gwae003 -
Frontiers in Neuroscience 2024Observational studies have suggested associations between functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) and variations in the cerebral cortex. However, the causality of...
BACKGROUND
Observational studies have suggested associations between functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) and variations in the cerebral cortex. However, the causality of these relationships remains unclear, confounded by anxiety and depression. To clarify these causal relationships and explore the mediating roles of anxiety and depression, we applied univariate, multivariable, and mediation Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses.
METHOD
We utilized genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary data from the FinnGen database and the ENIGMA consortium, identifying genetic variants associated with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), functional dyspepsia (FD), and cerebral cortex structures. Data on anxiety and depression came from FinnGen and a large meta-analysis. Utilizing a bidirectional univariate MR approach, we explored correlations between FD, IBS, and cortex variations. Then, independent effects were assessed through multivariable MR. A meta-analysis of these results, incorporating data from two cohorts, aimed to increase precision. We also explored the potential mediating roles of anxiety and depression.
RESULTS
Our findings indicate a negative causal correlation between FD and the thickness of the rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC) across both global and regional adjustments (β = -0.142, 95% confidence interval (CI): -0.209 to-0.074, = 0.004; β = -0.112, 95%CI: -0.163 to-0.006, = 0.003) and a positive causal correlation with the globally adjusted thickness of the superior frontal gyrus (SFG) (β = 0.107, 95%CI: 0.062 to 0.153, = 0.001). The causal correlation with the rACC persisted after multiple variable adjustments (β = -0.137, 95% CI: -0.187 to-0.087, = 1.81 × 10; β = -0.109, 95%CI: -0.158 to-0.06, = 0.002). A significant causal association was found between globally adjusted surface area of the caudal anterior cingulate cortex (cACC) and IBS (odds ratio = 1.267, 95%CI: 1.128 to 1.424, = 0.02). The analysis showed that neither anxiety nor depression mediated the relationship between FGIDs and cerebral cortex structures.
CONCLUSION
Our research provides significant MR evidence of a bidirectional causal relationship between FGIDs and the cerebral cortex structures. This evidence not only confirms the two-way communication along the brain-gut axis but also illuminates the underlying pathophysiology, paving the way for identifying potential therapeutic approaches.
PubMed: 38841096
DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1398412 -
Frontiers in Medicine 2024The significance of interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) in the gastrointestinal tract has garnered increasing attention. In recent years, approximately 80 articles on ICC... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVE
The significance of interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) in the gastrointestinal tract has garnered increasing attention. In recent years, approximately 80 articles on ICC have been published annually in various journals. However, no bibliometric study has specifically focused on the literature related to ICC. Therefore, we conducted a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of ICC to reveal dynamic scientific developments, assisting researchers in exploring hotspots and emerging trends while gaining a global perspective.
METHODS
We conducted a literature search in the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) from January 1, 2013, to December 31, 2023, to identify relevant literature on ICC. We employed bibliometric software, namely VOSviewer and CiteSpace, to analyze various aspects including annual publication output, collaborations, research hotspots, current status, and development trends in this domain.
RESULTS
A total of 891 English papers were published in 359 journals by 928 institutions from 57 countries/regions. According to the keyword analysis of the literature, researchers mainly focused on "c-Kit," "expression," "smooth muscle," and "nitric oxide" related to ICC over the past 11 years. However, with "SIP syncytium," "ANO1," "enteric neurons," "gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST)," and "functional dyspepsia (FD)," there has been a growing interest in the relationship between ANO1, SIP syncytium, and ICC, as well as the role of ICC in the treatment of GIST and FD.
CONCLUSION
Bibliometric analysis has revealed the current status of ICC research. The association between ANO1, SIP syncytium, enteric neurons and ICC, as well as the role of ICC in the treatment of GIST versus FD has become the focus of current research. However, further research and collaboration on a global scale are still needed. Our analysis is particularly valuable to researchers in gastroenterology, oncology, and cell biology, providing insights that can guide future research directions.
PubMed: 38831987
DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2024.1391545 -
Cureus May 2024Background Dyspepsia is one of the most common GI complaints encountered in clinical practice. Histopathological assessment of endoscopic gastric mucosa biopsy is...
Background Dyspepsia is one of the most common GI complaints encountered in clinical practice. Histopathological assessment of endoscopic gastric mucosa biopsy is crucial to delineate the exact cause of dyspepsia to guide patients' management. Objectives The aim of this study was to determine the histopathological spectrum of upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract endoscopic biopsies and to study the age and sex distribution of the predominant upper GI lesions. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Pathology, Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences, Ranchi, Jharkhand, India, from January 2022 to December 2023. All endoscopic mucosal biopsies of the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum (first and second parts) lesions were examined under a microscope for histopathological findings. Results Out of 250 endoscopic biopsies studied, there were 76 cases of esophageal biopsies, 149 cases of gastric biopsies, and 25 cases of duodenal biopsies. The male-to-female ratio was 1.2:1. Non-neoplastic lesions were more common than neoplastic lesions. The most common lesions encountered were esophagitis in the esophagus, gastritis in the stomach, and duodenitis in the duodenum. Conclusion The main organic cause of dyspepsia in our setting was chronic gastritis. We conclude that endoscopy of the upper GI tract and histopathological examination help in the earlier detection of both benign and malignant lesions. This aids in better timely management of the patients and improves the overall treatment provided resulting in a better prognosis.
PubMed: 38826983
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.59508 -
World Journal of Gastrointestinal... May 2024Chronic gastritis (CG) is a common gastrointestinal disorder characterized by inflammation of the stomach lining. Liver-stomach disharmony (LSD) syndrome is believed to...
BACKGROUND
Chronic gastritis (CG) is a common gastrointestinal disorder characterized by inflammation of the stomach lining. Liver-stomach disharmony (LSD) syndrome is believed to contribute to CG symptoms.
AIM
To evaluate the efficacy and safety of microcosmic syndrome differentiation and Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) treatment in patients with CG and LSD syndrome.
METHODS
Sixty-four patients with CG and LSD syndrome were randomly divided into two groups: The treatment group received CHM based on microcosmic syndrome differentiation and the control group received conventional Western medicine. The treatment course lasted 12 wk. The primary outcome was improvement in dyspeptic symptoms, measured using the Nepean Dyspepsia Index. The secondary outcomes included the improvement rate of endoscopic findings, histopathological findings, and microcosmic syndrome scores and the incidence of adverse events.
RESULTS
After 12 wk of treatment, the treatment group showed significantly greater improvement in dyspeptic symptoms than the control group (93.75% 65.63%, < 0.01). The treatment group also showed a significantly higher improvement rate in endoscopic findings than the control group (81.25% 53.13%, < 0.05). The improvement rates of histopathological findings and microcosmic syndrome scores were not significantly different between the two groups ( > 0.05). No serious adverse events were observed in either group.
CONCLUSION
Microcosmic syndrome differentiation and CHM treatment can effectively improve dyspeptic symptoms and endoscopic findings in patients with CG and LSD syndrome and have a good safety profile. Further studies with larger sample sizes and longer follow-up periods are required to confirm the long-term efficacy and mechanism of action of this treatment.
PubMed: 38817300
DOI: 10.4240/wjgs.v16.i5.1377 -
World Journal of Gastroenterology May 2024In this editorial, we discuss the article in the . The article conducts a meta-analysis of the diagnostic accuracy of the urea breath test (UBT), a non-invasive method...
In this editorial, we discuss the article in the . The article conducts a meta-analysis of the diagnostic accuracy of the urea breath test (UBT), a non-invasive method for detecting ( infection in humans. It is based on radionuclide-labeled urea. Various methods, both invasive and non-invasive, are available for diagnosing infection, including endoscopy with biopsy, serology for immunoglobulin titers, stool antigen analysis, and UBT. Several guidelines recommend UBTs as the primary choice for diagnosing infection and for reexamining after eradication therapy. It is used to be the first choice non-invasive test due to their high accuracy, specificity, rapid results, and simplicity. Moreover, its performance remains unaffected by the distribution of in the stomach, allowing a high flow of patients to be tested. Despite its widespread use, the performance characteristics of UBT have been inconsistently described and remain incompletely defined. There are two UBTs available with Food and Drug Administration approval: The C and C tests. Both tests are affordable and can provide real-time results. Physicians may prefer the C test because it is non-radioactive, compared to C which uses a radioactive isotope, especially in young children and pregnant women. Although there was heterogeneity among the studies regarding the diagnostic accuracy of both UBTs, C-UBT consistently outperforms the C-UBT. This makes the C-UBT the preferred diagnostic approach. Furthermore, the provided findings of the meta-analysis emphasize the significance of precise considerations when choosing urea dosage, assessment timing, and measurement techniques for both the C-UBT and C-UBT, to enhance diagnostic precision.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Breath Tests; Carbon Isotopes; Carbon Radioisotopes; Dyspepsia; Helicobacter Infections; Helicobacter pylori; Sensitivity and Specificity; Urea; Meta-Analysis as Topic
PubMed: 38813047
DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v30.i17.2302 -
Radiology Case Reports Aug 2024infections persist globally among humans. These pathogens mainly inhabit the intrahepatic biliary system. Most individuals with clonorchiasis exhibit mild symptoms. The...
infections persist globally among humans. These pathogens mainly inhabit the intrahepatic biliary system. Most individuals with clonorchiasis exhibit mild symptoms. The absence of distinctive symptoms often results in delayed diagnosis and treatment, potentially leading to chronic infection. We herein report a case of a 29-year-old female presented with a year-long history of abdominal distention and dyspepsia. Imaging revealed intrahepatic bile duct dilatation, intrahepatic bile duct cyst, and associated deposits. One month post-cystectomy, the patient developed massive ascites and a significant increase in eosinophil count. After treatment, multiple worms were observed in the drainage tube. Morphological and DNA metagenomic analyses confirmed the presence of Clinical manifestations of C. sinensis vary widely. Imaging serves as a valuable diagnostic tool in endemic areas, especially in detecting intrahepatic duct dilation where the flukes reside. In addition to intrahepatic bile duct dilation, abnormal echoes within the bile duct and the presence of floating objects in the gallbladder significantly aid in diagnosis. Clinicians may encounter these parasitic diseases unexpectedly, underscoring the importance of understating such cases in routine practice and contributing to our broader understanding of managing similar cases in clinical settings.
PubMed: 38812594
DOI: 10.1016/j.radcr.2024.04.085 -
PloS One 2024Functional dyspepsia (FD) refers to a group of clinical symptoms caused by gastric and duodenal dysfunction. Which is a chronic functional disorder of the... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Functional dyspepsia (FD) refers to a group of clinical symptoms caused by gastric and duodenal dysfunction. Which is a chronic functional disorder of the gastrointestinal tract with no cure. Zhishixiaopi decoction (ZSXP) is a type of Chinese herbal prescription that for treating FD. Although some randomized controlled trials (RCTs) report that ZSXP can significantly improve FD clinical symptoms and/or laboratory results, the trial design varies greatly among studies, making it challenging to draw a conclusion of the efficacy of ZSXP in treating FD.
DESIGN
A systematic review and a meta-analysis.
SETTING
Mianyang Central Hospital.
OBJECTIVE
We conducted a systematic review and a meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ZSXP for treating FD.
METHODS
We developed inclusion and exclusion criteria based on FD diagnosed criteria, interventions to treat FD, and outcomes of these interventions. Search strategies combined disease terms, symptom terms, anatomy terms and intervention terms. Literature search was conducted on eight online databases in English or Chinese, including Medline (via PubMed), Embase (via Ovid), The Cochrane Library, Web of Science, China Biology Medicine (CBM), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese Scientific Journals Database (VIP), and Wanfang Database.
INTERVENTION
The experimental group received oral administration of ZSXP and had a complete treatment process. ZSXP needs to fully contain the key herbal ingredients, regardless of whether the dosage of each herb is consistent with the original prescription. The Control group received monotherapy or combination therapy of other Western medicine and had a complete treatment process.
OUTCOMES
The primary outcomes appraised were Total effective rate (TER), serum levels of Motilin(MOT), Gastrin(GAS) and Somatostatin (SS), Gastric emptying rate (GER) using a Barium meal method (GER(B)) and Gastric half emptying time using an Ultrasonic method (GHET(T1/2)). The Cochrane Bias Risk Tool was used for quality critical appraisal, Review Manager (RevMan) version 5.3 was used for statistical analysis.
RESULTS
A total of 21 medium-quality RCTs were included in the meta-analysis. All 21 included studies were conducted and completed in Mainland China from 1998 to 2020. The treatment duration was between two weeks to two months. The meta-analysis suggests that, compared with the Western medicine treatment group, ZSXP treatment was more effective to improving the TER in FD [Odds ratio, OR = 3.54, 95%CI:(2.49, 5.05), Z = 6.99, P<0.00001] without significant increase in adverse events. However, no statistical significance was found between the groups in serum MOT levels [Standard mean difference, SMD = 1.05, 95%CI:(-0.42, 2.53), Z = 1.04, P = 0.16], serum GAS levels [SMD = -0.16, 95%CI:(-1.20, 0.88), Z = 0.31, P = 0.76], serum SS levels [SMD = -0.04, 95%CI:(-1.97, 1.89), Z = 0.04, P = 0.97], GER(B) [SMD = 1.09, 95%CI:(-0.81, 3.00), Z = 1.12, P = 0.26]or GHET(T1/2) [Mean difference, MD = -2.18, 95%CI:(-5.55, 1.19), Z = 1.27, P = 0.20].
CONCLUSIONS
The meta-analysis suggests that Zhishixiaopi treatment is a relatively effective and safe traditional Chinese medicine prescription and could be used for functional dyspepsia treatment. Considering the limitations of this study, the conclusion needs to be further confirmed by high-quality, multi-center, and large-sample randomized controlled trials.
Topics: Humans; Dyspepsia; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Drugs, Chinese Herbal; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 38809916
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0301686 -
World Journal of Clinical Cases May 2024Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a common complication of esophageal cancer surgery that can affect quality of life and increase the risk of esophageal...
BACKGROUND
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a common complication of esophageal cancer surgery that can affect quality of life and increase the risk of esophageal stricture and anastomotic leakage. Wendan Decoction (WDD) is a traditional Chinese herbal formula used to treat various gastrointestinal disorders, such as gastritis, functional dyspepsia, and irritable bowel syndrome. Mosapride, a prokinetic agent, functions as a selective 5-hydroxytryptamine 4 agonist, enhancing gastrointestinal motility.
AIM
To evaluate the therapeutic effects of WDD combined with mosapride on GERD after esophageal cancer surgery.
METHODS
Eighty patients with GERD were randomly divided into treatment (receiving WDD combined with mosapride) and control (receiving mosapride alone) groups. The treatment was conducted from January 2021 to January 2023. The primary outcome was improved GERD symptoms as measured using the reflux disease questionnaire (RDQ). The secondary outcomes were improved esophageal motility (measured using esophageal manometry), gastric emptying (measured using gastric scintigraphy), and quality of life [measured the Short Form-36 (SF-36) Health Survey].
RESULTS
The treatment group showed a notably reduced RDQ score and improved esophageal motility parameters, such as lower esophageal sphincter pressure, peristaltic amplitude, and peristaltic velocity compared to the control group. The treatment group showed significantly higher gastric emptying rates and SF-36 scores (in both physical and mental domains) compared to the control group. No serious adverse effects were observed in either group.
CONCLUSION
WDD combined with mosapride is an effective and safe therapy for GERD after esophageal cancer surgery. It can improve GERD symptoms, esophageal motility, gastric emptying, and the quality of life of patients. Further studies with larger sample sizes and longer follow-up periods are required to confirm these findings.
PubMed: 38808341
DOI: 10.12998/wjcc.v12.i13.2194