Prevalence and risk factors of irritable bowel syndrome in adolescents

Background Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common gastrointestinal disorder in children and adults. The IBS is diagnosed by symptoms that fulfill the Rome IV criteria. This condition can impact quality of life, especially in adolescents. Objectives To investigate the prevalence of IBS in high school students and analyze its risk factors. Methods This cross-sectional study was done with e-questionnaires from Rome IV Diagnostic Questionnaire on Pediatric Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders (R4PDQ). Students from high school and occupational schools age 14 to 18-years-old in Jakarta were included in this study. Possible risk factors for IBS were analyzed using Fisher’s exact test for bivariate analysis and logistic regression for multivariate analysis. Results Of 210 subjects, 10 (4.8%) had IBS. The IBS-M and IBS-C subtypes were more common than IBS-D. Gastrointestinal infection history was significantly associated with IBS (OR 7.1; 95%CI 1.7 to 29.3; P=0.013). Other factors such as gender, corporal punishment, asthma, spicy and fatty food consumption, as well as socioeconomic status were not significantly associated with IBS (P>0.05). Conclusion The prevalence of IBS in adolescents is 4.8%. History of gastrointestinal infection is a risk factor for IBS.

Strongyloides stercoralis Larvae in Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid in the Asthmatic Patient: A Case Report

Strongyloides stercoralis is a common cause of gastrointestinal infection. Symptoms are usually mild, but in the setting of impaired host immunity, severe and disseminated illnesses may occur. The present report describes a male patient with a history of asthma and corticosteroid therapy, now presented with dyspnea and abdominal pain. Examinations show Strongyloides stercoralis larvae in Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid specimens. The patients who have undergone immunosuppressive therapy are highly indicated for Strongyloides stercoralis screening which prevents hyperinflation in endemic areas.

Etiological and Epizootic Peculiarities Gastrointestinal Infection Processes in Sheep

For in-depth study of the peculiarities of the etiological and epizootic processes of gastro-intestinal infections in sheep, we conducted a study to determine the role of conditional-pathogenic microorganisms in this pathology. A study of the prevalence and frequency of intestinal infections in lambs on farms in the Kakheti region has shown that this pathology is very common and harms the region's livestock. During the study of pathological material of fallen lambs and aborted fetuses, 365 cultures were isolated, of which 182 cultures belonged to the genus Escherichia, 143 - Salmonella, 28 - Klebsiella, 4 - Streptococcus, 1 - Proteus and 7 cultures Diplococcus. Bacteria from the Enterobacteriaceae family has been found to play an important role in the development of gastro-intestinal diseases in lambs, accounting for approximately 97% of isolated cultures, of which Escherichia and Salmonella predominate, 51.0% and 39.1%. DOWNLOADS

STAT1 coordinates intestinal epithelial cell death during gastrointestinal infection upstream of Caspase-8

Intestinal homeostasis and the maintenance of the intestinal epithelial barrier are essential components of host defense during gastrointestinal Salmonella Typhimurium infection. Both require a strict regulation of cell death. However, the molecular pathways regulating epithelial cell death have not been completely understood. Here, we elucidated the contribution of central mechanisms of regulated cell death and upstream regulatory components during gastrointestinal infection. Mice lacking Caspase-8 in the intestinal epithelium are highly sensitive towards bacterial induced enteritis and intestinal inflammation, resulting in an enhanced lethality of these mice. This phenotype was associated with an increased STAT1 activation during Salmonella infection. Cell death, barrier breakdown and systemic infection were abrogated by an additional deletion of STAT1 in Casp8ΔIEC mice. In the absence of epithelial STAT1, loss of epithelial cells was abolished which was accompanied by a reduced Caspase-8 activation. Mechanistically, we demonstrate that epithelial STAT1 acts upstream of Caspase-8-dependent as well as -independent cell death and thus might play a major role at the crossroad of several central cell death pathways in the intestinal epithelium. In summary, we uncovered that transcriptional control of STAT1 is an essential host response mechanism that is required for the maintenance of intestinal barrier function and host survival.

Clostridioides difficile binary toxin binding component (CDTb) increases virulence in a hamster model

Clostridioides difficile is the leading cause of hospital-acquired gastrointestinal infection, in part due to the existence of binary toxin (CDT)-expressing hypervirulent strains. We have previously shown that CDT interacts with the TLR2/6 heterodimer to induce inflammation, and in this study we further explore this interaction as well as the contribution of the separate components of CDT, CDTa and CDTb. We found that the binding component, CDTb, is capable of inducing inflammation. Additionally, complementation of a CDT-deficient C. difficile strain with CDTb alone restored virulence in a hamster model of C. difficile infection. Overall, this study demonstrates that the binding component of C. difficile binary toxin contributes to virulence during infection.

Encapsulation of bacteriophage cocktail into chitosan for the treatment of bacterial diarrhea

The therapeutic effectiveness of a chitosan encapsulated bacteriophage cocktail as a smart biocontrol agent was evaluated in this study to be used as a preventative and treatment option for gastrointestinal infections. To evaluate the effect of the bacteriophage formulation on the treatment of gastrointestinal infection, rats were infected with Salmonella enterica, Shigella flexneri, and Escherichia coli. The rats were weighed and their stools cultured. The results showed that the group which had the chitosan encapsulated bacteriophage cocktail did not lose weight after 3 days and had significantly lower group weight changes. Weight loss was significant in the rats that had cefixime administered instead. Positive cultured stools were reduced after 4 days compared to 2 days in the treated group with the chitosan encapsulated bacteriophage cocktail. The chitosan encapsulated bacteriophage cocktail can therefore be effective in the treatment of gastrointestinal infections.

SARS-CoV-2 Gastrointestinal Infection Prolongs the Time to Recover From COVID-19

Objectives: We previously reported that SARS-CoV-2 infects the gastrointestinal (GI) epithelium. In this study, we aimed to explore the impact of SARS-CoV-2 GI infection on clinical outcomes of COVID-19.Materials and Methods: For this retrospective cohort study, 104 patients with COVID-19 were classified into a SARS-CoV-2 GI infection group and a non-infection group. The primary endpoint was the time of negative conversion of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in respiratory tract samples. The secondary outcome was the time of hospitalization for COVID-19.Results: Patients with SARS-CoV-2 GI infection had a longer duration of positive SARS-CoV-2 RNA in respiratory tract samples (median 12.0 days [95% CI: 10.0–13.2] vs. 9.0 days [95% CI: 7.5–10.5]; HR 0.575 [95% CI: 0.386–0.857]; P = 0.003) and hospitalization (median 28.0 days [95% CI: 23.2–32.8] vs. 15.0 days [95% CI: 13.6–16.4]; HR 0.149 [95% CI: 0.087–0.252]; P < 0.001) than patients without SARS-CoV-2 GI infection. Subgroup analyses for sex, age, epidemiological history, clinical classification and antiviral treatment showed consistent results.Conclusion: Our study indicates that SARS-CoV-2 GI infection prolongs the duration of SARS-CoV-2 shedding and hospitalization in the patients with COVID-19. More attention should be paid to SARS-CoV-2 GI infection of COVID-19 and fecal SARS-CoV-2 RNA test should be completed in time.