Prevalence of atrophic gastritis in dyspeptic patients in Piedmont. A survey using the GastroPanel test

BACKGROUND

Chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG) is a precursor of the intestinal type of gastric cancer, the second leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. GastroPanel is a recently marketed serological kit for the non-invasive diagnosis of CAG, defined by some authors "even more reliable than biopsy histology". The goal of this study was 1) to evaluate the agreement between the serum gastric profile provided by GastroPanel (PGI, PGII, G-17, AbHp) and histology over CAG diagnosis, and 2) to evaluate the prevalence of CAG by means of GastroPanel in a Northern Italian dyspeptic population.

METHODS

Basal blood samples for GastroPanel parameters evaluation (Biohit Plc, Finland) were collected after an overnight fast from 1387 dyspeptic patients (age range: 18-80 years; F 704). Gastroscopy with two biopsies each of the antrum and corpus was offered to a group of the first 400 consecutive patients (age 18-80 years, F 214) to compare the results of histology and GastroPanel in CAG.

RESULTS

Agreement between GastroPanel and histology for corpus-prevalent CAG was 94%, with a sensitivity and specificity of 80% and 96%, respectively. In our series of 1387 dyspeptic patients, the prevalence of corpus-prevalent CAG, of antral-prevalent CAG and of multifocal CAG (antrum+ corpus) was 10.7%, 3.6% and 2.4%, respectively. Out of the 34 patients with multifocal atrophic gastritis, 12% were under 30 years of age.

CONCLUSIONS

GastroPanel is a reliable non-invasive test for diagnosis of CAG and deserves consideration for current use in clinical practice as a valuable diagnostic tool.

Increased incidence of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth during proton pump inhibitor therapy

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) can cause diarrhea, enteric infections, and alter the gastrointestinal bacterial population by suppressing the gastric acid barrier. Among patients that received long term PPI treatment, we evaluated the incidence of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO; assessed by glucose hydrogen breath test [GHBT]), the risk factors for development of PPI-related SIBO and its clinical manifestations, and the eradication rate of SIBO after treatment with rifaximin.

METHODS

GHBTs were given to 450 consecutive patients (200 with gastroesophageal reflux disease who received PPIs for a median of 36 months; 200 with irritable bowel syndrome [IBS], in absence of PPI treatment for at least 3 years; and 50 healthy control subjects that had not received PPI for at least 10 years). Each subject was given a symptoms questionnaire.

RESULTS

SIBO was detected in 50% of patients using PPIs, 24.5% of patients with IBS, and 6% of healthy control subjects; there was a statistically significant difference between patients using PPIs and those with IBS or healthy control subjects (P < .001). The prevalence of SIBO increased after 1 year of treatment with PPI. The eradication rate of SIBO was 87% in the PPI group and 91% in the IBS group.

CONCLUSIONS

SIBO, assessed by GHBT, occurs significantly more frequently among long term PPI users than patients with IBS or control subjects. High dose therapy with rifaximin eradicated 87%-91% of cases of SIBO in patients who continued PPI therapy.

Epidural plus general anesthesia vs general anesthesia alone for elective aortic surgery: effects on gastric electrical activity and serum gastrin secretion

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to evaluate differences in electrogastrographic activity and serum gastrin secretion in patients subjected to general anesthesia (GA) vs blended anesthesia (BA = GA plus epidural analgesia) for abdominal aortic surgery.

METHODS

Thirty-four patients (all males: 28 with abdominal aorta aneurysm, 6 with obstructive aorto-iliac disease; mean age: 68+/-7 years) were randomly assigned either to GA (N.=17) or to BA (N.=17) for abdominal aortic surgery. Each patient was evaluated for serum gastrin secretion at the time of electrogastrography (EGG) 24 h before and after surgery, using ambulatory equipment. Gastrin levels were tested under fasting conditions and after a standard meal. EGG shows gastric electrical activity that parallels gastric motor activity.

RESULTS

Before surgery, no significant difference was found for any of the EGG parameters or the serum gastrin integrated value (area under the curve [AUC]) between the two groups of patients. After surgery, an increased frequency of electrical waves (tachygastria) was observed in 22% of those undergoing GA and in 5% of patients undergoing BA. The power ratio (postprandial/fasting total power) was exceedingly high (>4) in 53% of the GA patients and in 11% of the BA patients (P<0.05). The gastrin AUC was 263+/-58 pg/mL in the GA group and 179+/-92 pg/mL in the BA group (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

An excess of EGG activity and serum gastrin secretion was observed in patients undergoing GA vs those submitted to BA. Thus, the latter procedure seems to affect gastric function less than GA alone.

New insights into Lactobacillus and functional intestinal disorders

Intestinal microflora can be considered as a ''dynamic system'' that actively interacts with the intestinal epithelium and the local immune system. It synthesizes antimicrobial substances (bacteriocins), vitamins (PP, B1, B6, B12), it produces a major intestinal nutrient (butyric acid) and interacts in a competitive fashion with the pathogens. Lactobacilli concentration (Gram+, Gram variable, facultative anaerobes) is generally decreased in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) patients. This syndrome has, until recently been considered to be ''functional'', whereas, in fact, it may result from previous enteritis (in up to 31% of patients), featuring a persistent low-grade intestinal inflammation and a reduction in interleukin-10 (IL-10) concentration. Some Lactobacilli strains (e.g. L. paracasei subsp. paracasei) in vitro lead to normalisation of the hypercontractility of the smooth muscle cells. A growing body of clinical findings indicates that some ''genetically stable'' strains of Lactobacilli may be useful in the treatment, even long term, of IBS, and reduce the postoperative infection rate, especially in critically ill patients (orthotopic liver transplant, severe pancreatitis). However, some Lactobacilli, ''not genetically stable'', used in the treatment of neutropenic patients during chemotherapy and in pediatric patients submitted to gastrojejunostomy, have been reported to lead to bacteremia and endocarditis. These effects may be due to transfer of bacteria and genetic material. Therefore, the confirmed genetic stability and the fact that no antibiotic resistance occurs are fundamental requisites for the use of Lactobacilli in certain disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, such as, for instance, IBS. In conclusion, ''genetically stable'' Lactobacilli (L. paracasei subsp. Paracasei F19) have recently become available, representing an exiting new field in clinical studies and for treatment purposes, offering guarantees of safety also for long-term use. Careful personalized evaluation, as always in medical practice, is necessary in order to gain further insight into, and to validate with additional studies, the role of ''genetically stable'' Lactobacilli in the treatment of IBS.