Non-allergic benign infantile proctocolitis: a neglected nosographic entity

The presence of rectal bleeding in the first months of life is very often diagnosed as food protein-induced allergic proctocolitis (FPIAP). The symptoms typically start in infancy, and most cases resolve by age 12 months. Infants with FPIAP usually present bloody stools mixed with mucus, with or without reduced stool consistency. Most affected infants are generally healthy-appearing. We used the story of an infant with rectal bleeding as a reminder that there is also the possibility of a form of benign non-allergic proctocolitis that is not usually included in the differential diagnosis. In the absence of warning signs and in case of infant well-being, it should be the first clinical entity to suspect. Therefore, we suggest we should wait at least 2 months before starting to eliminate cow milk or other foods from the diet.

Incidence of ‘new-onset’ constipation and associated factors during lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic

ObjectiveA minimum of physical activity and low liquid intake are factors that have been associated with constipation. The health emergency brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in adopting behaviour, such as sheltering-in-place (less mobility) and dietary changes, creating a scenario we believe to be an adequate model for examining the appearance of symptoms of constipation and its associated factors.DesignA cross-sectional and descriptive study was conducted on an open population, applying an electronic survey (4 weeks after lockdown due to COVID-19 in Mexico) to evaluate demographic characteristics, physical activity, water and fibre intake, appearance of constipation symptoms (including stool consistency), and quality of life.ResultsOut of 678 subjects evaluated, 170 (25%, 95% CI: 21.7 to 28.4) developed symptoms of ‘new-onset’ constipation, with a significant decrease in the number of daily bowel movements (p<0.05) and stool consistency (p<0.05) during lockdown. Furthermore, in the ‘new-onset’ constipation population there was a higher proportion of subjects (79 (47%) of 170) who stopped exercising during the pandemic compared with the subjects who did not develop constipation symptoms (187 (37%) of 508, p=0.03, OR: 1.49, 95% CI: 1.0 to 2.1). The multivariate analysis (logistic regression) showed that female sex (p=0.001), water intake (p=0.039), and physical activity (p=0.012) were associated with ‘new-onset’ constipation.ConclusionsIn our study on an open population in Mexico, we found that one-fourth of the population developed ‘new-onset’ constipation symptoms during the lockdown imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A reduction of physical activity and less water consumption were associated factors.

A Low-FODMAP Diet Improves the Global Symptoms and Bowel Habits of Adult IBS Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: A low-fermentable oligo-, di-, monosaccharides, and polyols (FODMAP) diet has been reported to be associated with improving the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS); however, its efficacy as evaluated by different studies remains controversial.Objective: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were conducted to explore the efficacy of a low-FODMAP diet (LFD) in alleviating the symptoms of IBS.Methods: A search of the literature for RCTs that assessed the efficacy of an LFD in treating IBS patients was conducted using the electronic databases PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Web of Science. The searches in each database were conducted from the inception of the database to February 2021. Two independent reviewers screened citations and a third reviewer resolved disagreements. Two independent reviewers also performed eligibility assessments and data extraction. The RCTs that evaluated LFDs vs. a normal IBS or usual diet and assessed changes of IBS symptoms were included in the search. Data were synthesized as the relative risk of global symptoms improvement, mean difference of IBS Severity Scoring System (IBS-SSS) score, sub-items of IBS-SSS irritable bowel syndrome-related quality of life (IBS-QOL), hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS), stool consistency/frequency, and body mass index (BMI) using a random effects model. The risk of bias was assessed using Risk of Bias Tool 2 (RoB 2). The bias of publication was assessed based on Egger's regression analysis. The quality of evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology.Results: A total of 2,768 citations were identified. After full-text screening, a total of 10 studies were eligible for the systematic review and were subsequently used to compare an LFD with various control interventions in 511 participants. An LFD was associated with the improvement of global symptoms [n = 420; Risk Ratio (RR) = 1.54; 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.18 to 2; I2 = 38%], improvement of stool consistency [n = 434; Mean difference (MD) = −0.25; 95% CI −0.44 to −0.06; I2= 19%), and a reduction trend of stool frequency (n = 434; MD = −0.28; 95% CI −0.57 to 0.01; I2 = 68%) compared with control interventions. There was no statistically significant change in IBS-QOL (n = 484; MD = 2.77; 95% CI −2 to 7.55; I2 = 62%), anxiety score (n = 150; MD = −0.45; 95% CI −3.38 to 2.49; I2 = 86%), depression score (n = 150; MD = −0.05; 95% CI −2.5 to 2.4; I2 = 88%), and BMI (n = 110; MD = −0.22; 95% CI −1.89 to 1.45; I2 = 14%). The overall quality of the data was “moderate” for “global improvement of IBS symptom,” “stool consistency,” “stool consistency for IBS with diarrhea (IBS-D),” and “stool frequency for IBS-D,” and “low” or “very low” for other outcomes according to GRADE criteria.Conclusion: An LFD is effective in reducing the global symptoms and improving the bowel habits of adult IBS patients. The efficacy for IBS-D patients can also be more pronounced.Systematic Review Registration: CRD42021235843.

Does Day-to-Day Variability in Stool Consistency Link to the Fecal Microbiota Composition?

IntroductionStool consistency has been associated with fecal microbial composition. Stool consistency often varies over time, in subjects with and without gastrointestinal disorders, raising the question whether variability in the microbial composition should be considered in microbiota studies. We evaluated within-subject day-to-day variability in stool consistency and the association with the fecal microbiota in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and healthy subjects, over seven days.MethodsTwelve IBS patients and 12 healthy subjects collected fecal samples during seven consecutive days. Stool consistency was determined by the patient-reported Bristol Stool Scale (BSS) and fecal dry weight percentage. 16S rRNA V4 gene sequencing was performed and microbial richness (alpha diversity; Chao1 index, observed number of species, effective Shannon index) and microbial community structure (beta diversity; Bray-Curtis distance, generalized UniFrac, and taxa abundance on family level) were determined.ResultsLinear mixed-effects models showed significant associations between stool consistency and microbial richness, but no time effect. This implies that between-subject but not within-subject variation in microbiota over time can partially be explained by variation in stool consistency. Redundancy analysis showed a significant association between stool consistency and microbial community structure, but additional linear mixed-effects models did not demonstrate a time effect on this.ConclusionThis study supports an association between stool consistency and fecal microbiota, but no effect of day-to-day fluctuations in stool consistency within seven days. This consolidates the importance of considering stool consistency in gut microbiota research, though confirms the validity of single fecal sampling to represent an individual’s microbiota at a given time point. NCT00775060.

The Effect of Arabinoxylan on Gastrointestinal Tolerance in Generally Healthy Adults: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Study

Objectives Arabinoxylan (AX) is a non-digestible carbohydrate composed of (1→4)-β-D-xylan polymers that contain arabinose and varying uronic acid residues. AX was formally identified as a dietary fiber by the U.S. FDA for its effect on maintenance of healthy blood glucose levels. The primary objectives of this human trial were to examine the effects of a novel prebiotic AX wheat fiber extract (87.9% AX) produced by upcycling crop leftovers, such as wheat straw, on gastrointestinal (GI) tolerance, bowel habits, and stool consistency in adults. Methods A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial with three test periods separated by 2-week washout periods was conducted. Forty-five subjects (M/F: 29/16, aged 47.8 ± 9.6 y, 27.9 ± 4.4 kg/m2) were randomly assigned to consume maltodextrin placebo (PLA) or AX wheat fiber extracts providing 6.37 g AX/d (LAX) or 12.74 g AX/d (HAX) for 3 weeks. Study products were mixed thoroughly with 16 oz. water and consumed twice a day, once each in the morning and evening, with or without food. During the 7 days prior to the start of any intervention (baseline) and prior to the end of each test period, GI symptoms, as well as bowel movement ratings and stool consistency and frequency, were evaluated using the GI Tolerability Questionnaire (GITQ), which assesses abdominal cramping, bloating, burping, flatulence, nausea, reflex, and stomach rumbling, and the Bowel Habits Diary with Bristol Stool Scale. Results There were no statistically significant differences between PLA, LAX, and HAX in the area under curve of the GITQ composite score, as well as severity rating of individual symptoms (P &gt; 0.05). Additionally, stool frequency (median ranging 7.5–8.0 over 7 days), stool consistency (median ranging 3.71–3.84), straining during bowel movements, discomfort during bowel movements, and sensation of incomplete evacuation did not differ between interventions (P &gt; 0.05). There were no reported adverse events that were judged to be related to the AX wheat fiber extract product. Conclusions Consumption of prebiotic AX wheat fiber extract product containing 6.37 or 12.74 g AX per day for 3 weeks did not affect GI tolerance symptom severity and bowel habits and stool consistency in adults and did not result in related adverse events, suggesting that the product is safe and well-tolerated. Funding Sources Comet Bio.

The Importance of Objective Stool Classification in Fecal 1H-NMR Metabolomics: Exponential Increase in Stool Crosslinking Is Mirrored in Systemic Inflammation and Associated to Fecal Acetate and Methionine

Past studies strongly connected stool consistency—as measured by Bristol Stool Scale (BSS)—with microbial gene richness and intestinal inflammation, colonic transit time and metabolome characteristics that are of clinical relevance in numerous gastro intestinal conditions. While retention time, defecation rate, BSS but not water activity have been shown to account for BSS-associated inflammatory effects, the potential correlation with the strength of a gel in the context of intestinal forces, abrasion, mucus imprinting, fecal pore clogging remains unexplored as a shaping factor for intestinal inflammation and has yet to be determined. Our study introduced a minimal pressure approach (MP) by probe indentation as measure of stool material crosslinking in fecal samples. Results reported here were obtained from 170 samples collected in two independent projects, including males and females, covering a wide span of moisture contents and BSS. MP values increased exponentially with increasing consistency (i.e., lower BSS) and enabled stratification of samples exhibiting mixed BSS classes. A trade-off between lowest MP and highest dry matter content delineated the span of intermediate healthy density of gel crosslinks. The crossectional transects identified fecal surface layers with exceptionally high MP and of <5 mm thickness followed by internal structures with an order of magnitude lower MP, characteristic of healthy stool consistency. The MP and BSS values reported in this study were coupled to reanalysis of the PlanHab data and fecal 1H-NMR metabolomes reported before. The exponential association between stool consistency and MP determined in this study was mirrored in the elevated intestinal and also systemic inflammation and other detrimental physiological deconditioning effects observed in the PlanHab participants reported before. The MP approach described in this study can be used to better understand fecal hardness and its relationships to human health as it provides a simple, fine scale and objective stool classification approach for the characterization of the exact sampling locations in future microbiome and metabolome studies.

Blue poo: impact of gut transit time on the gut microbiome using a novel marker

Background and aimsGut transit time is a key modulator of host–microbiome interactions, yet this is often overlooked, partly because reliable methods are typically expensive or burdensome. The aim of this single-arm, single-blinded intervention study is to assess (1) the relationship between gut transit time and the human gut microbiome, and (2) the utility of the ‘blue dye’ method as an inexpensive and scalable technique to measure transit time.MethodsWe assessed interactions between the taxonomic and functional potential profiles of the gut microbiome (profiled via shotgun metagenomic sequencing), gut transit time (measured via the blue dye method), cardiometabolic health and diet in 863 healthy individuals from the PREDICT 1 study.ResultsWe found that gut microbiome taxonomic composition can accurately discriminate between gut transit time classes (0.82 area under the receiver operating characteristic curve) and longer gut transit time is linked with specific microbial species such as Akkermansia muciniphila, Bacteroides spp and Alistipes spp (false discovery rate-adjusted p values <0.01). The blue dye measure of gut transit time had the strongest association with the gut microbiome over typical transit time proxies such as stool consistency and frequency.ConclusionsGut transit time, measured via the blue dye method, is a more informative marker of gut microbiome function than traditional measures of stool consistency and frequency. The blue dye method can be applied in large-scale epidemiological studies to advance diet-microbiome-health research. Clinical trial registry website https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03479866 and trial number NCT03479866.