The healthy intestine represents a remarkable interface where sterile host tissues come in contact with gut microbiota, in a balanced state of homeostasis. The imbalance of gut homeostasis is ...associated with the onset of many severe pathological conditions, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a chronic gastrointestinal disorder increasing in incidence and severely influencing affected individuals. Despite the recent development of next generation sequencing and bioinformatics, the current scientific knowledge of specific triggers and diagnostic markers to improve interventional approaches in IBD is still scarce. In this review we present and discuss currently available and emerging therapeutic options in modulating composition and metabolic activity of gut microbiota in patients affected by IBD. Therapeutic approaches at the microbiota level, such as dietary interventions alone or with probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics, administration of antibiotics, performing fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) and the use of nematodes, all represent a promising opportunities towards establishing and maintaining of well-being as well as improving underlying IBD symptoms.
The Mediterranean diet (MD) and the Nordic diet (ND) share more similarities than differences. Both diets are based on typical local and seasonal foods, share similar nutritional recommendations ...based on plant-based dietary principles, and are both now orienting toward environmental protection and sustainability. The main difference between the two diets is the primary fat source. Olive oil is the synonym for MD while the ND uses more rapeseed/canola oil. While longitudinal epidemiological studies support adherence to MD as a way to prevent chronic diseases, ND still needs more such studies because the current results are discrepant. Notably, studies that assessed the association between both diets and lower risks of chronic diseases, disability, and mortality from specific and all causes, implied that ND could also have an advantageous effect as MD. Hopefully, there will be more longitudinal and large prospective studies in the future that will provide more evidence-based recommendations.
The knowledge on how gut microbes contribute to the inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) at the onset of disease is still scarce. We compared gut microbiota in newly diagnosed, treatment-naïve adult IBD ...(Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC)) to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) patients and healthy group. Mucosal and fecal microbiota of 49 patients (13 UC, 10 CD, and 26 IBS) before treatment initiation, and fecal microbiota of 12 healthy subjects was characterized by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Mucosa was sampled at six positions, from terminal ileum to rectum. We demonstrate that mucosal microbiota is spatially homogeneous, cannot be differentiated based on the local inflammation status and yet provides bacterial footprints superior to fecal in discriminating disease phenotypes. IBD groups showed decreased bacterial diversity in mucosa at all taxonomic levels compared to IBS. In CD and UC, Dialister was significantly increased, and expansion of Haemophilus and Propionibacterium characterized UC. Compared to healthy individuals, fecal microbiota of IBD and IBS patients had increased abundance of Proteobacteria, Enterobacteriaceae, in particular. Shift toward reduction of Adlercreutzia and butyrate-producing taxa was found in feces of IBD patients. Microbiota alterations detected in newly diagnosed treatment-naïve adult patients indicate that the microbiota changes are set and detectable at the disease onset and likely have a discerning role in IBD pathophysiology. Our results justify further investigation of the taxa discriminating between disease groups, such as H. parainfluenzae, R. gnavus, Turicibacteriaceae, Dialister, and Adlercreutzia as potential biomarkers of the disease.
Mitochondrial neurogastrointestinal encephalomyopathy (MNGIE) is a rare disorder commonly diagnosed in later disease stages when it prominently manifests as malnutrition. We report on a female ...patient diagnosed with MNGIE at the age of 36. She was severely malnourished due to loss of resorptive surface after several surgical procedures, gastrointestinal dysmotility, and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. Therefore, early and aggressive total parenteral nutrition was introduced. Although no reports have shown that nutritional support can modify the clinical outcome, this case suggests that adequate nutritional support, particularly parenteral nutrition, supervised by an experienced nutritional team, may prolong the lifespan of patients with MNGIE.
Inflammatory bowel diseases are a group of chronic inflammatory conditions that affect gastrointestinal tract due to inapt and continuous immune activation in response to a myriad of predisposing ...factors (most notably genetics, environmental impact and gut microbiota composition). It has been shown that vitamin D status can also play a role in the disease pathogenesis, as its deficiency is commonly observed in two major forms of inflammatory bowel diseases - Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Mounting evidence supports the concept of intricate relationship between gut dysbiosis and vitamin D metabolism, while suboptimal levels of this vitamin have been linked to increased clinical disease relapse rates, inadequate response to drugs, as well as decreased quality of life in patients with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Consequently, the pertinent question is whether increased vitamin D supplementation and (on a population level) food fortification may bring significant benefit to the affected individuals. In this short review we discuss the synthesis, functions, status and food sources of vitamin D, appraise biotechnological facets of vitamin D status analysis and food fortification, and concentrate on novel developments in the field that describe its influence on intestinal microbiota and inflammatory bowel disease.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is becoming a major health burden with increasing prevalence worldwide due to its close association with the epidemic of obesity. Currently there is no ...standardized pharmacological treatment, and the only proven effective therapeutic strategy is lifestyle modification, therefore it is important to determine the potential dietary targets for the prevention and treatment of NAFLD. We assessed nutritional status in 30 patients diagnosed with NAFLD using anthropometric parameters, hand grip strength, and lifestyle and dietetic parameters (physical activity, NRS2002 form and three-day food diary). The mean body mass index was 29.62±4.61 kg/m2, yielding 86.67% of obese or overweight patients. Physical activity results indicat-ed poorly active subjects. Excessive energy intake was recorded in 27.78% of patients. The mean in-take of macronutrients was as follows: 15.5% of proteins, 42.3% of carbohydrates and 42.2% of fat, with -deficient micronutrient intake of calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, and vitamins A, B1 and B2. The -results showed that the quality of nutrition in study subjects was not accordant to current rec-ommendations and that they consumed a high proportion of fat, especially saturated fatty acids, along with low micronutrient intake. The results obtained might point to the importance of unbalanced diet as a contributing factor in NAFLD development.
Anemija zbog manjka željeza ili sideropenična anemija najčešći je oblik anemije u populaciji. Sideropenična anemija može nastati uslijed gastrointestinalnih bolesti, ginekoloških i drugih kroničnih ...krvarenja, može biti dio kliničke slike nefroloških i drugih bolesti i stanja, može doprinositi srčanom zatajenju u kardioloških bolesnika te pogoršavati ishode operativnih zahvata. Zbog navedenoga potreban je timski rad u liječenju sideropenične anemije, važno je otkriti i liječiti uzrok koji je doveo do gubitka željeza te liječiti anemiju nadoknadom željeza. Cilj je ovog rada prikazati pregled literature i klinička iskustva različitih nehematoloških specijalističkih usmjerenja u liječenju sideropenične anemije parenteralnim pripravcima željeza u različitim tercijarnim centrima u Hrvatskoj. U radu su opisani pristupi i postupnici u zbrinjavanju sideropenije i sideropenične anemije parenteralnim željezom iz aspekta gastroenterologa, ginekologa, nefrologa, kardiologa te anesteziologa, sa specifičnostima pojedinih bolesti i pristupa njihovom liječenju. U zaključku, novi visokodozni pripravci parenteralnog željeza unaprijedili su mogućnosti liječenja sideropenične anemije i primjenjuju se sve više u dnevnim bolnicama i odjelima različitih struka u Hrvatskoj, a ne samo u hematološkim dnevnim bolnicama ili odjelima.
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients with vitamin D deficiency show an increased risk of hospital admission, surgery, and loss of response to biologic therapy while high vitamin D levels are ...identified as a protective factor. Our goal was to investigate the prevalence of untreated and undertreated vitamin D deficiency and factors associated with vitamin D deficiency. In this cross-sectional study, we measured serum vitamin D in a random sample of Caucasian IBD patients. Vitamin D deficiency was defined as <50 nmol/L and insuficiency as 50-75 nmol/L. Supplementation was defined as taking 800-2000 IU vitamin D daily. Untreated patients were defined as not taking supplementation and undertreated group as receiving supplementation but showing vitamin D deficiency or insuficiency despite treatment. Our study included 185 IBD patients, i.e. 126 (68.1%) with Crohn's disease (CD) and 59 (31.9%) with ulcerative colitis (UC). Overall, 108 (58.4%) patients had vitamin D deficiency and 60 (32.4%) patients vitamin D insuficiency. There were 16 (14.8%) and 11 (18.3%) treated patients in vitamin D deficiency and vitamin D insuficiency group, respectively. The rate of untreated patients was 81.7% (n=49) in vitamin D deficiency group and 85.2% (n=92) in vitamin D insuficiency group. Tumor necrosis factor alpha inhibitors were associated with higher serum vitamin D levels in CD and UC, and ileal involvement, ileal and ileocolonic resection with lower levels. In conclusion, not only is vitamin D deficiency common in IBD patients but the proportion of untreated and undertreated patients is considerably high. We suggest regular monitoring of vitamin D levels in IBD patients regardless of receiving vitamin D supplementation therapy. Key words: Inflammatory bowel diseases; Vitamin D deficiency; Crohn's disease; Colitis, ulcerative
Purpose
This study investigated the frequency and characteristics of sarcopenia among patients after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) with a specific focus on the ...chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) population and its association with malnutrition, vitamin D and clinical characteristics.
Methods
We assessed sarcopenia, vitamin D levels, and nutritional status in 73 patients who underwent allo-HSCT, of which 45 were diagnosed with cGVHD. Sarcopenia was diagnosed according to the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP) criteria.
Results
Sarcopenia was diagnosed in 19.2% of patients after allo-HSCT with statistically no significant difference between cGVHD and non-cGVHD patients. The risk factor for sarcopenia was the male gender. Sarcopenia in allo-HSCT patients correlated strongly with malnutrition and with current corticosteroid treatment (
p
< 0.005). Among cGVHD patients sarcopenia additionally correlated strongly with the number of prior systemic immunosuppressive therapy lines (
p
< 0.005) and moderately with the intensity of immunosuppression, cGVHD severity global rating assessed by both the health care provider and the patient and joint and fascia cGVHD involvement (
p
< 0.05). Vitamin D deficiency was found in more than 54.8% of patients, but the correlation to sarcopenia was not found.
Conclusion
Sarcopenia was found to be common in long term survivors of allo-HSCT independently of the cGVHD diagnosis. Prospective longitudinal studies are needed for a better understanding of factors affecting the development of sarcopenia after allo-HSCT.
Octreotide is an analog of the polypeptide hormone somatostatin, which can reduce gastrointestinal, biliary and pancreas secretion, as well as
decrease gastrointestinal motility. Octreotide in ...combination with total parenteral nutrition (TPN) has proven to be effective therapy in patients with high-output enterocutaneous fistula (EF).
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