Obesity is related to multiple functional abdominal diseases

Obesity Is Associated with Altered Rectal Sensitivity in Chronic Constipation

BACKGROUND

Defecation dysfunction may contribute to chronic constipation (CC), but the impact of obesity on anorectal physiology in CC remains unclear. We aimed to evaluate the relationship between obesity and anorectal function on physiologic testing in patients presenting with CC.

METHODS

This was a retrospective cohort study of consecutive adults who underwent high resolution anorectal manometry (HRAM) at a tertiary center for CC. Patient demographics, clinical history, surgical/obstetric history, medications, and HRAM results were reviewed. Patients were classified into obese (BMI > 30 kg/m2) vs non-obese (BMI < 30 kg/m2) groups at the time of HRAM. Fisher-exact/student t-test for univariate analyses and general linear regression for multivariable analysis were performed.

RESULTS

383 adults (mean 50.3 years; 85.8% female) with CC were included. On HRAM, patients with obesity had lower anal sphincter resting tone (37.3 vs 48.5 mmHg, p = 0.005) and maximum squeeze pressure (104.8 mmHg vs 120.0 mmHg, p = 0.043). No significant differences in dyssynergia (61% vs 53%, p = 0.294) and failed balloon expulsion (18% vs 25%, p = 0.381) were found between obese and non-obese groups. On balloon distention testing, the maximum tolerated (163.5 vs 147.6 mL, p = 0.042) and urge sensation (113.9 vs 103.7 mL, p = 0.048) volumes were significantly increased among patients with obesity. After adjusting for potential confounders, obesity remained independently associated with increased maximum tolerated volume (β-coefficient 13.7, p = 0.049).

CONCLUSION

Obesity was independently associated with altered rectal sensitivity among patients with CC. Altered rectal sensation may play an important role in CC among patients with obesity. Anorectal physiology testing should be considered to understand the pathophysiology and guide management.

The relationship between functional constipation and overweight/obesity in children: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Studies have reported the relationship between functional constipation and obesity in pediatric population. However, the results are contradictory. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the possible association between these two disorders in pediatric population.

METHODS

Four databases including PubMed, Embase, CENTRAL, and Web of Science were searched until 30 September 2022. The review was done in accordance with PRISMA guidelines and registered in PROSPERO (CRD42022328992) RESULTS: Nine studies met the eligibility criteria, including 7444 participants. Studies showed the risk of obesity was significantly increased in boys with functional constipation (CI: 1.12, 3.07; P = 0.016). Such an association was also observed in girls (CI: 1.42-4.47; P = 0.00). A statistically significant association was observed between overweight/obesity and increased risk of functional constipation in children and adolescents (CI: 1.14-3.97; P = 0.02). Especially in developed countries (CI: 1.49-3.46; P = 0.00); however, no significant association was observed in developing countries (CI: 0.81-5.3; P = 0.13).

CONCLUSIONS

There is a risk of obesity in either boys or girls with functional constipation. An association exists between the risk of functional constipation and children/adolescents with obesity, especially in developed countries, but not in developing countries.

IMPACT

Our study encourages further research in this field because early detection and intervention are crucial for both functional constipation and overweight/obesity in children, to better identify its complex biology and possibly optimize the treatment approaches.

Assesment of functional gastrointestinal diseases in obese children

Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGID) are disorders of gut-brain interactions characterized by chronic recurrent gastrointestinal symptoms and are reported to be more common in obese individuals. The aim of the study was to evaluate FGID in obese children. A total of 405 children (6-18 years) were enrolled in this cross sectional study. The children were divided into two groups according to body mass index (BMI) as < 85th percentile and > 95th percentile. Diagnosis of FGID was based on ROME VI criteria. Demographic and clinical characteristics of the patients were evaluated. FGID and subgroups were determined. The mean age of the children was 12.73 ± 3.17 years; 52% (n = 211) of them was female and 47.9% (n = 194) was male. A total of 50.6% patients had BMI > 95th percentile, and 55.1% of those patients had FGID. The subgroups of FGID, functional abdominal pain disorders and functional defecation disorders were significantly more common in obese children than non-obese group (P < 0.01). Additionally, constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), diarrhea-predominant IBS, functional diarrhea, and abdominal distention were significantly more common in obese children than non-obese children (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

 FGID in obese children was found to be increased significantly. Assessment of functional gastrointestinal symptoms in obese children will prevent unnecessary examinations.

WHAT IS KNOWN

• Functional gastrointestinal disorders are reported to be more common in obese individuals.

WHAT IS NEW

• Functional abdominal pain disorders and functional defecation disorders were significantly more common in obese children than non-obese group. • Constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), diarrhea-predominant IBS, functional diarrhea, and abdominal distention were significantly more common in obese children than non-obese children.

The interaction between obesity and visceral hypersensitivity

Obesity has been a worldwide problem associated with numerous chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic disorders. It may also play a role in visceral hypersensitivity, contributing to irritable bowel syndrome. (i) Adipose tissue secretes various inflammatory mediators, causing intestinal hyperpermeability and nerve endings activation. (ii) Obesity and gastrointestinal microbiota could affect each other, and microbial metabolites can increase sensitivity of the colon. (iii) Vitamin D deficiency contributes to both fat accumulation and disruption of the intestinal mucosal barrier. (iv) Brain-gut axis may be another bridge from obesity to visceral hypersensitivity.

Chronic abdominal pain after bariatric surgery: a narrative review

Objective: This paper reviews the prevalence, etiology, risk factors, diagnosis and prevention of chronic abdominal pain after bariatric surgery. Introduction: Chronic pain is a very common and complex problem that has serious consequences on individuals and society. It frequently presents as a result of a disease or an injury. Obesity and obesity-related comorbidities are a major health problem and are dramatically increasing year after year. Dieting and physical exercise show disappointing results in the treatment of obesity. Therefore, bariatric surgery is increasingly widely offered as a weight reducing strategy. In our pain clinic we see a lot of patients who suffer from chronic abdominal pain after bariatric surgery. This review aims to explore the link between chronic abdominal pain and bariatric surgery in this specific type of patients. Method: The review is based on searches in PubMed, Embase and Cochrane databases. Keywords are used in different combinations. We did a cross-reference of the articles included. Results: Chronic abdominal pain after bariatric surgery is very common. Around 30% of the bariatric patients experience persistent abdominal pain. An explanation for the abdominal pain is found in 2/3 of these patients. There is a wide variety of causes including behavioral and nutritional disorders, functional motility disorders, biliary disorders, marginal ulceration and internal hernia. Another, frequently overlooked, cause is abdominal wall pain. Unexplained abdominal pain after bariatric surgery is present in 1/3 of the patients with persistent abdominal pain. More studies are needed on the risk factors and prevention of unexplained abdominal pain in bariatric patients.

Controversies on the relationship between increased body mass index and treatment-resistant chronic constipation in children

BACKGROUND

There are conflicting reports on the association between children with increased body mass index (BMI), and constipation. This retrospective chart review of two groups of children from a primary care clinic was designed to address the controversy.

METHODS

Group-1: Charts of all children seen in a year for general pediatric care were reviewed for incidences of increased BMI (>85th percentile) and constipation as well as overweight recognition in the final diagnosis; Group-2: Children diagnosed with constipation at the same primary care setting for 5 years were identified by ICD-9 code. These charts were reviewed for prevalence of increased BMI and incidences of referral to subspecialty clinic.

RESULTS

Group-1: Three hundred nineteen (33.4%) of the 955 children had increased BMI and 28 (2.93%) had constipation. The prevalence of constipation was not increased among children with increased BMI. Group-2: 24 of the 66 children with constipation were referred to the pediatric gastroenterology clinic. children with increased BMI were three times more likely to be referred (n = 20, p = 0.04). The two groups had a similar prevalence of children with increased BMI (Group 1 = 33.4%; Group 2 = 30.3%).

CONCLUSION

In the general pediatric population, children with an increased BMI were not at an increased risk of developing constipation. However, children with increased BMI and constipation were three times more likely to be referred, presumably for treatment failure, to the pediatric gastroenterology clinic .Hence children with increased BMI were more likely to develop treatment resistant constipation.

Higher prevalence of obesity among children with functional abdominal pain disorders

Background

Functional abdominal pain (FAP) disorders are one of the most common gastrointestinal disorders in children. We aimed to define the association between obesity and functional abdominal pain (FAP) disorders and to assess differences between overweight/obese children and normal weight children with FAP disorders.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective study of children (2–18 years old) with a clinical diagnosis of FAP who were followed-up in our pediatric gastroenterology unit between 1/2016–10/2018. FAP disorders were defined according to the ROME IV criteria. Body mass index (BMI) percentiles were defined by CDC standards. Patients with BMIs ≥85th percentile were designated as being overweight/obese. A population control group was obtained from the 2015–2016 Israel national health survey.

Results

Data from 173 children with FAP disorders (median age 11.5 years, 114 females) were included. Seventy-one children (41%) were classified as having functional abdominal pain-NOS, 67 (38.7%) as having irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and 35 (20.2%) has having functional dyspepsia. Fifty-three children (30.6%) were classified as being overweight/obese.

Adolescents with FAP disorders had a significantly higher prevalence of overweight/obesity compared to controls (39.5% vs. 30%, respectively, p = 0.04). Children with FAP and overweight were older [12.4 (range 9.8–15.3) vs. 10.8 (7.4–14.1) years, p = 0.04] and had more hospitalizations due to FAP (20.8% vs. 7.6%, p = 0.01) compared to Children with FAP and normal weight.

Conclusions

Adolescents with FAP had higher prevalence of overweight/obesity compared to controls. Future studies are warranted to raise awareness of weight issues in FAP and determine the effect of weight loss on FAP.

Is there any association between overweight, physical activity, fat and fiber intake with functional constipation in adolescents?

Objectives: To assess the prevalence of functional constipation and its association with overweight, physical activity and the estimation of fat and fiber intake in adolescents.Methods: In all, 386 adolescents aged 14-19 years from the city of Maceió (Alagoas, Northeast Brazil) were included in this study. Participants responded to standardized questionnaires that assessed bowel habits, physical activity and the estimation of fat and dietary fiber intake. Functional constipation was defined according to the Rome criteria. Weight and height were measured using standard methods. Body mass index (BMI) was used to evaluate whether a participant was overweight.Results: The prevalence of constipation was 24.9%. The median BMI was higher in female adolescents with constipation (22.6) compared with female adolescents without constipation (20.0; p = .001). Physical inactivity (fewer than 300 min of physical activity per week) was more frequent in females (62.7%; 126/201) than in males (42.2%; 78/185; p = .000). No association was observed between physical inactivity and functional constipation. Excessive intake of fat in the diet was found in 45.3% (175/386) of participants, while poor dietary fiber intake was found in 84.2% (325/386) of participants. No association was found between a fat-rich diet and constipation. Low dietary fiber intake was associated with constipation in female adolescents (odds ratio = 3.42, 95% confidence interval: 1.08 and 12.06).Conclusions: The prevalence of constipation was high among this group of adolescents. Constipation was not associated with physical inactivity but was associated with a low dietary fiber intake and higher BMI values in female adolescents.

Irritable bowel syndrome: a new therapeutic target when treating obesity?

There is accumulating evidence showing that obesity is due not merely to increased food intake, but could have a more complex pathophysiology possibly originating from the gut. Due to its microbiological, hormonal, and nutritional aspects, the gut could represent a starting point for the treatment of weight excess. Obesity is associated with a change of microbiota composition that not only could increase the calorie extraction from food but also could create a functional derangement resulting in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Several mechanisms have been postulated to explain this association, such as specific foods that are poorly absorbed, i.e., carbohydrates and lipids, as well as conditions of psychological stress which could stimulate colonic hypersensitivity giving rise to IBS symptoms. Another factor involved in this link could be the subclinical inflammation typical of obesity, characterized by the release of inflammatory mediators that can irritate intestinal nerve endings. The change of levels of some anorexigenic hormones, as well as the alterations of the gut microbiota with the reduction of the bacteroides/Firmicutes ratio, could also contribute to the pathogenesis of IBS related to obesity. Thus, the aim of this manuscript is to review the current evidence on the association between obesity and IBS while providing physiopathological hypotheses that may explain this link. Further, we will report the effect of weight loss on IBS symptoms, highlighting the importance of an accurate assessment of gut function in obese patients.

Overweight and obesity among Saudi children and adolescents: Where do we stand today?

BACKGROUND/AIM

To provide the most recent estimate of childhood obesity and determine the trend in childhood obesity in Riyadh city over the past two decades, by comparing our results with previous studies that published data comparable to our study in terms of geography, sample age (6-16 years), and use of World Health Organization (WHO) cut-offs to define obesity.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2015 among school children in Riyadh city. A sample of 7930 children (67% girls) aged 6-16 years were randomly selected. Body mass index for age and gender above +1 and below +2 standard deviation scores (SDS) defined overweight (SDS, z-scores) and >+2 SD scores defined obesity.

RESULTS

The overall prevalence of overweight and obesity was 13.4% (14.2% for girls and 12% for boys; P= 0.02) and 18.2% (18% for girls and 18.4% for boys; P = 0.73), respectively. When compared with the WHO-based national prevalence rate of obesity reported in 2004 (≈9.3%), the obesity rate has doubled over a 10-year period. There was a significantly higher prevalence of obesity in adolescents (>11 years) than in children (20.2% vs 15.7%; P < 0.01). Overweight and obesity increased significantly with higher levels of socioeconomic status. Obese children were at 1.5 and 2 times risk of developing gas bloating and vomiting than non-obese children.

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of overweight and obesity has risen alarmingly among Saudi children and adolescents over the past decade and should make a strong case to initiate and monitor effective implementation of obesity prevention measures.

Prevalence of nocturia and fecal and urinary incontinence and the association to childhood obesity: a study of 6803 Danish school children

INTRODUCTION

Fecal and urinary incontinence are common disorders in children. Obesity and its associated comorbidities have become increasingly common, and a relation between obesity, nocturia, incontinence, and nocturnal enuresis has been suggested.

OBJECTIVE

This large scale population study aims to determine the prevalence of fecal incontinence (FI), daytime urinary incontinence (DUI), nocturnal enuresis (NE), and nocturia in children at school entry and in adolescence and to clarify whether obesity is associated to any of the aforementioned symptoms.

STUDY DESIGN

First-grade children and their parents and adolescents in the seventh to ninth grades were interviewed in relation to school nurse visits. The interview included questions on whether incontinence or nocturia were experienced at least once per month. The participants' age was recorded, and weight and height were measured. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated and age standardized by the use of BMI-standard deviation score (SDS), with reference to World Health Organization normative BMI data. Obesity was defined as BMI-SDS >2. Associations between obesity and incontinence and nocturia were quantified by odds ratio (OR).

RESULTS

Completed interview questionnaires and measurements were obtained from 4002 children (95.1%) in the child population and 2801 adolescents (84.4%) in the adolescent population. The mean age of children was 6.45 ± 0.39 years, and 4.4% were obese. Overall 11.2% reported FI, 21.8% DUI, 16.8% NE, and 31.4% experienced nocturia. Obesity was associated with FI in first-grade boys (OR 1.86 compared with normal weight). Mean age of adolescents was 13.9 ± 0.85 years, and 7.6% of adolescent boys and 5.5% of the girls were obese. Fecal incontinence was reported by 2.1% of the adolescents, 4.5% had DUI, 1.0% stated to have NE, and 32.3% reported nocturia. Obesity was significantly associated with nocturia in adolescents (OR 1.74-2.01).

DISCUSSION

The prevalence of nocturia seems constant throughout childhood and adolescent life; this has not previously been documented. Incontinence is very common at school entry, with DUI reported more frequently than enuresis by both children and adolescents. Obesity is associated with nocturia in adolescents and FI in first-grade boys, but no significant association between obesity and NE or DUI is found. Strength of this study is the very high participation rates, but the study does not reveal information on previous treatment, subtype, or severity of symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

Incontinence is very common in children. One-third of both children and adolescents experience nocturia. Obesity is associated with FI in first-grade boys and nocturia in adolescents.

Association Between Obesity/Overweight and Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders in Children

OBJECTIVE

Although emerging data indicate that obese/overweight children are more likely to develop functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) than normal-weight peers, contrasting results have been reported. The present observational, case-control study aimed at estimating the prevalence of FGIDs in obese/overweight children compared to normal-weight peers.

METHODS

Consecutive obese and overweight children aged 4 to 18 years attending the obesity outpatient clinic were enrolled as study cases. Normal-weight children were enrolled as comparison group. All the enrolled patients received a thorough health examination from both a pediatric endocrinologist and gastroenterologist. Moreover, they were asked to fill out the Rome III questionnaire for the diagnosis of FGIDs. Data were analyzed to compare the prevalence of FGIDs between cases and controls.

RESULTS

Throughout the study period we enrolled 103 cases and 115 controls. No significant age and sex differences were found between the 2 groups. FGIDs were significantly more prevalent in obese/overweight compared to normal-weight children (47.57% vs 17.39%; P < 0.0001). Increased prevalence was observed for functional constipation (18.44% vs 7.82%; P = 0.025), functional dyspepsia (23.33% vs 6.95%; P = 0.001), and irritable bowel syndrome (10.67% vs 2.60%; P = 0.024), whereas no difference was observed for functional abdominal pain (1.94% vs 2.60%; P = 1.00).

CONCLUSIONS

Our data suggest that there is a link between excess body fat and FGIDs in children. This finding may offer a model of patients in which the effects of food and nutritional substances, the gut microbial environment, and psychosocial factors are fitting well with the emerging biopsychosocial conceptual model for FGIDs.

Diagnosis, treatment and prevention of pediatric obesity: consensus position statement of the Italian Society for Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetology and the Italian Society of Pediatrics

The Italian Consensus Position Statement on Diagnosis, Treatment and Prevention of Obesity in Children and Adolescents integrates and updates the previous guidelines to deliver an evidence based approach to the disease. The following areas were reviewed: (1) obesity definition and causes of secondary obesity; (2) physical and psychosocial comorbidities; (3) treatment and care settings; (4) prevention.The main novelties deriving from the Italian experience lie in the definition, screening of the cardiometabolic and hepatic risk factors and the endorsement of a staged approach to treatment. The evidence based efficacy of behavioral intervention versus pharmacological or surgical treatments is reported. Lastly, the prevention by promoting healthful diet, physical activity, sleep pattern, and environment is strongly recommended since the intrauterine phase.

Gastrointestinal Complications of Obesity

Obesity usually is associated with morbidity related to diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular diseases. However, there are many gastrointestinal and hepatic diseases for which obesity is the direct cause (eg, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease) or is a significant risk factor, such as reflux esophagitis and gallstones. When obesity is a risk factor, it may interact with other mechanisms and result in earlier presentation or complicated diseases. There are increased odds ratios or relative risks of several gastrointestinal complications of obesity: gastroesophageal reflux disease, erosive esophagitis, Barrett's esophagus, esophageal adenocarcinoma, erosive gastritis, gastric cancer, diarrhea, colonic diverticular disease, polyps, cancer, liver disease including nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, gallstones, acute pancreatitis, and pancreatic cancer. Gastroenterologists are uniquely poised to participate in the multidisciplinary management of obesity as physicians caring for people with obesity-related diseases, in addition to their expertise in nutrition and endoscopic interventions.

Functional Dyspepsia: An Enigma in a Conundrum

As defined by Rome III, there are 4 abdominal pain-related functional gastrointestinal disorders in children: irritable bowel syndrome, functional dyspepsia (FD), abdominal migraine, and functional abdominal pain. Dyspepsia is a constellation of symptoms referable to the gastroduodenal region of the upper gastrointestinal tract. FD refers to dyspeptic symptoms that cannot currently be explained by an organic cause, and affects 25% to 40% of the adult population over a lifetime. In children, this condition results in increased specialist consultations, with reported prevalence between 3% and 27%. The Rome III criteria for pediatric FD include the presence or persistence of recurrent pain or discomfort centered in the upper abdomen, without evidence of organic disease or change in frequency of stools. Symptoms must be chronic, occurring at least weekly and over a period of at least 6 months. The goal of this article is to provide a narrative review of diagnosis and management of the FD in the pediatric population. A comprehensive search of published literature using the PubMed (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/) database was carried out to identify all articles published in English from 1998 to November 2015, using 3 key terms; "FD," "functional gastrointestinal disorders," and "children."

Functional Defecation Disorders and Excessive Body Weight: A Systematic Review

CONTEXT

Several studies have suggested an association between functional defecation disorders (FDDs) and overweight/obesity in children.

OBJECTIVE

To synthesize current evidence evaluating the association between FDDs and overweight/obesity in children.

DATA SOURCES

PubMed, Medline, and Embase were searched from inception until January 25, 2016.

STUDY SELECTION

Prospective and cross-sectional studies investigating the association between FDDs and overweight/obesity in children 0 to 18 years were included.

DATA EXTRACTION

Data generation was performed independently by 2 authors and quality was assessed by using quality assessment tools from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

RESULTS

Eight studies were included: 2 studies evaluating the prevalence of FDDs in obese children, 3 studies evaluating the prevalence of overweight/obesity in children with FDDs, and 3 population-based studies. Both studies in obesity clinics revealed a higher prevalence of functional constipation (21%-23%) compared with the general population (3%-16%). In 3 case-control studies, the prevalence of overweight (12%-33%) and obesity (17%-20%) was found to be higher in FDD patients compared with controls (13%-23% and 0%-12%, respectively), this difference was significant in 2/3 studies. One of 3 population-based studies revealed evidence for an association between FDDs and overweight/obesity. Quality of 7/8 studies was rated fair or poor.

LIMITATIONS

Due to heterogeneity of the study designs, we refrained from statistically pooling.

CONCLUSIONS

Although several studies have revealed the potential association between FDDs and excessive bodyweight in children, results across included studies in this review differ strongly and are conflicting. Therefore, this systematic review could not confirm or refute this association.

Childhood constipation as an emerging public health problem

Functional constipation (FC) is a significant health problem in children and contrary to common belief, has serious ramifications on the lives of children and their families. It is defined by the Rome criteria which encourage the use of multiple clinical features for diagnosis. FC in children has a high prevalence (0.7%-29%) worldwide, both in developed and developing countries. Biopsychosocial risk factors such as psychological stress, poor dietary habits, obesity and child maltreatment are commonly identified predisposing factors for FC. FC poses a significant healthcare burden on the already overstretched health budgets of many countries in terms of out-patient care, in-patient care, expenditure for investigations and prescriptions. Complications are common and range from minor psychological disturbances, to lower health-related quality of life. FC in children also has a significant impact on families. Many paediatric clinical trials have poor methodological quality, and drugs proved to be useful in adults, are not effective in relieving symptoms in children. A significant proportion of inadequately treated children have similar symptoms as adults. These factors show that constipation is an increasing public health problem across the world with a significant medical, social and economic impact. This article highlights the potential public health impact of FC and the possibility of overcoming this problem by concentrating on modifiable risk factors rather than expending resources on high cost investigations and therapeutic modalities.

Gastroesophageal Reflux Affects Sleep Quality in Snoring Obese Children

PURPOSE

This study was performed to evaluate the quality of sleep in snoring obese children without obstructive sleep apnea (OSA); and to study the possible relationship between sleep interruption and gastroesophageal reflux (GER) in snoring obese children.

METHODS

Study subjects included 13 snoring obese children who were referred to our sleep lab for possible sleep-disordered breathing. Patients underwent multichannel intraluminal impedance and esophageal pH monitoring with simultaneous polysomnography. Exclusion criteria included history of fundoplication, cystic fibrosis, and infants under the age of 2 years. Significant association between arousals and awakenings with previous reflux were defined by symptom-association probability using 2-minute intervals.

RESULTS

Sleep efficiency ranged from 67-97% (median 81%). A total of 111 reflux episodes (90% acidic) were detected during sleep, but there were more episodes per hour during awake periods after sleep onset than during sleep (median 2.3 vs. 0.6, p=0.04). There were 279 total awakenings during the sleep study; 56 (20.1%) of them in 9 patients (69.2%) were preceded by reflux episodes (55 acid, 1 non-acid). In 5 patients (38.5%), awakenings were significantly associated with reflux.

CONCLUSION

The data suggest that acid GER causes sleep interruptions in obese children who have symptoms of snoring or restless sleep and without evidence of OSA.

Obesity and Autism

OBJECTIVE

Overweight and obesity are increasingly prevalent in the general pediatric population. Evidence suggests that children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) may be at elevated risk for unhealthy weight. We identify the prevalence of overweight and obesity in a multisite clinical sample of children with ASDs and explore concurrent associations with variables identified as risk factors for unhealthy weight in the general population.

METHODS

Participants were 5053 children with confirmed diagnosis of ASD in the Autism Speaks Autism Treatment Network. Measured values for weight and height were used to calculate BMI percentiles; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria for BMI for gender and age were used to define overweight and obesity (≥85th and ≥95th percentiles, respectively).

RESULTS

In children age 2 to 17 years, 33.6% were overweight and 18% were obese. Compared with a general US population sample, rates of unhealthy weight were significantly higher among children with ASDs ages 2 to 5 years and among those of non-Hispanic white origin. Multivariate analyses revealed that older age, Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, lower parent education levels, and sleep and affective problems were all significant predictors of obesity.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results indicate that the prevalence of unhealthy weight is significantly greater among children with ASD compared with the general population, with differences present as early as ages 2 to 5 years. Because obesity is more prevalent among older children in the general population, these findings raise the question of whether there are different trajectories of weight gain among children with ASDs, possibly beginning in early childhood.

Abdominal pain symptoms are associated with anxiety and depression in young children

AIM

Abdominal pain symptoms and incontinence are common in childhood. The aim of this study was to analyse abdominal pain symptoms and their associations with incontinence and symptoms of anxiety and depression in young children.

METHODS

We examined 1130 children during the school entry check-up (mean age 6.2 years) and 951 participated in the study. Parents completed a questionnaire contained 11 items regarding Rome-III functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) and incontinence and 14 items from the anxious/depressed scale of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL).

RESULTS

Of the 951 children (55.6% boys) we recruited, 30.1% had experienced abdominal pain symptoms in the past two months and 14% had complained of them at least once a week. In addition, 2.6% had irritable bowel syndrome, 11.3% had childhood functional abdominal pain, 2.4% were affected by faecal incontinence, 2.1% were affected by daytime urinary incontinence, and 5.5% were affected by nocturnal enuresis. One in ten (10.6%) had symptoms of anxiety and depression, and these were significantly higher in the children with FGIDs, particularly if they were also incontinent.

CONCLUSION

Nearly a third of the children (30.1%) had abdominal pain symptoms, and FGIDs were associated with significantly higher symptoms of anxiety and depression, especially if children were also incontinent.

Childhood obesity and its physical and psychological co-morbidities: a systematic review of Australian children and adolescents

Australia is predicted to have the highest overweight/obesity rate in the world by 2022 outranking the USA and UK. The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate the associations between childhood obesity and physical and psychological health co-morbidities. Therefore, a systematic literature search was conducted from six databases (2004-2014). Studies were included if they investigated obesity-related co-morbidities with participants residing in Australia aged 0-18 years. Forty-seven studies fulfilled selection criteria. Evidence suggests that overweight/obese Australian children and adolescents, compared to normal-weight peers, had more cardio-metabolic risk factors and higher risk factors of non-alcohol fatty liver disease and were experiencing more negative psychological outcomes (depression, low self-esteem and lower scores of health-related quality of life). Many other health consequences have either not been investigated in Australia, or as frequently as in other countries.

CONCLUSIONS

Given Australia's current overweight/obesity prevalence and trajectory, Australia-based studies are needed to identify the suspected co-morbidities, understand the range of individual, social and environmental mechanisms driving obesity, and help identify policies, interventions and strategies that will change the future trajectory and 'disease burden' both in Australia and internationally.

WHAT IS KNOWN

• Trend analyses have shown that obesity prevalence in Australia is increasing and will outrank UK and the USA by 2022. • Every third Australian child/adolescent between 5 and 19 years old is predicted to be classified as overweight or obese by 2025. • Childhood obesity is associated with multiple immediate physical and psychological health co-morbidities as well as co-morbidities in adulthood. These have often been identified and examined individually. What is New: • This paper presents a holistic picture of childhood obesity and the associated multiple co-morbidities in Australia. • The extensive health-related outcomes from childhood obesity and those requiring further research are identified. • The findings of this paper will influence the development of local/regional, state and national strategies to change Australia's future trajectory.

Obesity and gastrointestinal disorders in children

Obesity in children has become a global pandemic during the last decade. Recent studies have reported an association between obesity and functional gastrointestinal (GI) disorders. In addition, obesity is also becoming increasingly recognized at diagnosis of organic GI diseases such as celiac disease and inflammatory bowel disease. An awareness of all possible complications and associations of obesity by the practicing physician is crucial to provide comprehensive care to obese children. This article reviews the present data on the association between obesity and various common GI disorders. The possible mechanisms and the clinical significance of this association are also discussed.

Eating behaviors and quality of life in preadolescents at risk for obesity with and without abdominal pain

OBJECTIVES

We evaluated eating behaviors and quality of life (QOL) in preadolescent children at risk for obesity, with and without abdominal pain (AP).

METHODS

Participants were parent-child dyads enrolled in a randomized, controlled obesity prevention trial. The children were between 5 and 10 years of age and at risk for obesity (70th-95th percentile of body mass index, n = 420). Parents completed measures of their child's eating behaviors, QOL, AP, and bowel function and their own depression status, concern about child weight, and feeding practices. Children's height and weight were also measured.

RESULTS

Children with frequent AP (≥2/month, n = 103) were compared with children reporting infrequent AP (<2/month, n = 312). Age and body mass index did not differ between groups, but AP was more prevalent in girls. Child emotional overeating and parental depression scores were higher in the frequent AP group (P < 0.01), and child QOL was lower (P < 0.01). In multivariable analysis, female gender (odds ratio [OR] 2.18, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.20-3.97), emotional overeating (OR 2.28, 95% CI 1.37-3.81), and parental depression (OR 1.23, 95% CI 1.12-1.35) were associated with more frequent AP. Secondary analyses were completed for children who met Rome III criteria for irritable bowel syndrome.

CONCLUSIONS

Clinicians working with children with AP at risk for obesity should consider assessing for and, when appropriate, addressing parent and child factors that could exacerbate AP.

Prevalence of functional gastrointestinal disorders in obese and overweight children

OBJECTIVE

To compare the prevalence of functional gastrointestinal disorders such as functional constipation (FC), functional abdominal pain (FAP), functional abdominal pain syndrome (FAPS) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) between a large cohort of healthy obese/overweight children and normal-weight children.

METHODS

Healthy children between the ages of 4 and 18 years were eligible for recruitment from the Yale Pediatric Primary Care clinic, Yale Adolescent clinic and a local private practice in Orange, CT, USA. Study subjects or their parents were interviewed using a questionnaire based on the ROME III standardized criteria for diagnosing functional gastrointestinal disorders. Medical records were reviewed to collect information about age, gender, height, weight, body mass index (BMI), ethnicity and chronic medical conditions. Children were classified into obese, overweight and normal-weight based on their BMI for age and gender. Data were analyzed to compare the prevalence of FC, FAP, FAPS and IBS between obese/overweight children and normal-weight children.

RESULTS

A total of 450 children (45% males) were recruited. There were 191 (42%) obese/overweight children and 259 (58%) normal-weight children. FAPS (odds ratio (OR) =2.1, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.21-3.64, P=0.007), FC (OR=1.83, 95% CI: 1.12-2.98, P=0.01), and IBS (OR=2.59, 95% CI: 1.40-4.79, P=0.003) were significantly more prevalent in the obese/overweight children than in the normal-weight children. Of the obese/overweight children, 47% had at least one functional gastrointestinal disorder compared with 27% of the normal-weight children (P⩽0.001). Only 36% of the children with functional gastrointestinal disorders sought medical attention for their symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

Obese/overweight children have a higher prevalence of functional gastrointestinal disorders than normal-weight children. Almost half of the obese/overweight children had at least one functional gastrointestinal disorder.

A descriptive study of colorectal function in adults with Prader-Willi Syndrome: high prevalence of constipation

BACKGROUND

Some patients with Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS) have symptoms of constipation, but bowel function in PWS has never been systematically evaluated. The aim of the present study was to describe colorectal function in PWS by means of validated techniques.

METHODS

Twenty-one patients with PWS (14 women, age 17-47 (median = 32)) were evaluated with the Rome III constipation criteria, stool diary, digital rectal examination, rectal diameter assessed from transabdominal ultrasound, and total gastrointestinal transit time (GITT) determined with radio-opaque markers. Results were compared with those of healthy controls.

RESULTS

Among PWS patients able to provide information for Rome III criteria, 8/20 (40%) fulfilled the criteria for constipation. Most commonly reported symptoms were a feeling of obstructed defecation (8/19, 42%), <3 defecations per week (8/17, 47%), straining during defecation (7/19, 37%) and lumpy or hard stools (6/19, 32%). Rectal diameter did not differ between PWS (median 3.56 centimeters, range 2.24-5.36) and healthy controls (median 3.42 centimeters, range 2.67-4.72) (p = 0.96), but more PWS patients (13/20; 65%) than healthy controls (3/25; 12%) (p < 0.001) had fecal mass in the rectum. Median GITT was 2.0 days (range 0.5-4.4) in PWS versus 1.6 (range 0.7-2.5) in the control group (p = 0.26). However, GITT was >3 days in 5/21 (24%) of PWS and none of the controls (p = 0.047).

CONCLUSION

Constipation is very common in PWS. Patients with PWS have an increased prevalence of prolonged GITT and palpable stools in the rectum at digital rectal examination.

Functional abdominal pain syndrome in morbidly obese patients following laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery

Background:

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery (RYGBP) is one of the most common bariatric surgeries, which is being performed using various techniques like gastrojejunostomy by hand swen, linear or circular stapler. Abdominal pain is a common complaint following laparoscopic gastric bypass procedure (LGBP), which has different aetiologies, such as overeating, adhesion, internal herniation, bile reflux and many more. In this study LGBP was performed in an ante-colic ante-gastric pattern in a double loop manner and the prevalence and distribution of pain in morbidly obese patients undergoing LGBP was assessed.

Objectives:

The aim of this study was to analyze the distribution and frequency of post LGBP pain in morbidly obese patients.

Patients and Methods:

This study was performed on 190 morbidly obese patients referred to Hazrat Rasoul Hospital in Tehran. After LGBP, pain was measured in the following intervals: 24 hours, one week and one month after the operation. Before the operation onset, 2 mg Keflin and 5000 IU subcutaneous heparin were administered as prophylaxis. LGBP was performed using five ports including: one 11 mm port was placed 15-20 cm far from the xiphoid, one 12-mm port in mid-clavicular line at the level of camera port, one 5-mm port in subcostal area in ante-axillary region in the left, another 5-mm port in the right mid-clavicular area and a 5-mm port in sub-xyphoid. All operations were done by the same team. Staple was used for all anastomoses and hand sewn technique to close the staple insertion site. The mesenteric defect was left open and no effort was made to repair it.

Results:

The results of this study showed that 99.94 % of the patients had complains of pain in the first 24 hours of post operation, about 60% after one week and 29.5 % still had pain after one month. In addition, left upper quadrant (LUQ) was found to be the most prevalent site for the pain in 53.7% of the patients in the first 24 hours, 59.6% after one week and 16.8% after one month (except for obscure pain) with a significance of < 0.05.

Conclusions:

In this study, the authors analyzed the location and disturbance level of pain after LGBP, which could serve as a cornerstone for further researches. The authors suggest that long-term follow-up (for more than a year after operation) should be considered in future studies and also the relationship between the drainage site and pain should be investigated.

Gastrointestinal morbidity in obesity

Obesity is a complex disease that results from increased energy intake and decreased energy expenditure. The gastrointestinal system plays a key role in the pathogenesis of obesity and facilitates caloric imbalance. Changes in gastrointestinal hormones and the inhibition of mechanisms that curtail caloric intake result in weight gain. It is not clear if the gastrointestinal role in obesity is a cause or an effect of this disease. Obesity is often associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Obesity is also associated with gastrointestinal disorders, which are more frequent and present earlier than T2DM and CVD. Diseases such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), cholelithiasis, or nonalcoholic steatohepatitis are directly related to body weight and abdominal adiposity. Our objective is to assess the role of each gastrointestinal organ in obesity and the gastrointestinal morbidity resulting in those organs from the effects of obesity.

Childhood obesity: a review of increased risk for physical and psychological comorbidities

BACKGROUND

Worldwide estimates of childhood overweight and obesity are as high as 43 million, and rates continue to increase each year. Researchers have taken interest in the childhood obesity epidemic and the impact of this condition across health domains. The consequences of childhood and adolescent obesity are extensive, including both medical and psychosocial comorbidities.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this review was to consolidate and highlight the recent literature on the comorbidities associated with childhood obesity, both nationally and internationally.

METHODS

PubMed and PsychINFO searches were conducted on childhood obesity and comorbidities.

RESULTS

The initial search of the terms obesity and comorbidity yielded >5000 published articles. Limits were set to include studies on children and adolescents that were published in peer-reviewed journals from 2002 to 2012. These limits narrowed the search to 938. Review of those articles resulted in 79 that are included in this review. The major medical comorbidities associated with childhood obesity in the current literature are metabolic risk factors, asthma, and dental health issues. Major psychological comorbidities include internalizing and externalizing disorders, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and sleep problems.

CONCLUSIONS

The high prevalence rates of childhood obesity have resulted in extensive research in this area. Limitations to the current childhood obesity literature include differential definitions of weight status and cut-off levels for metabolic risk factors across studies. Additionally, some results are based on self-report of diagnoses rather than chart reviews or physician diagnosis. Even so, there is substantial support for metabolic risk factors, internalizing disorders, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and decreased health-related quality of life as comorbidities to obesity in childhood. Additional investigations on other diseases and conditions that might be associated with childhood obesity are warranted and intervention research in this area is critical.

Functional abdominal pain in childhood: background studies and recent research trends

The present review summarizes many of the major research trends investigated in the past five years regarding pediatric functional abdominal pain, and also summarizes the primary related findings from the authors' research program. Specific areas discussed based on work within the authors' group include familial illness patterns, genetics, traits, and mechanisms or processes related to abdominal pain. Topics covered from research published in the past five years include prevalence and cost, longitudinal follow-up, overlap with other disorders, etiology and mechanisms behind functional abdominal pain and treatment studies. It is hoped that findings from this work in abdominal pain will be interpreted as a framework for understanding the processes by which other pain phenomena and, more broadly, reactions to any physical state, can be developed and maintained in children. The present article concludes with recommendations for clinical practice and research.

Childhood obesity for pediatric gastroenterologists

Obesity in childhood is one of the major health issues in pediatric health care today. As expected, the prevalence of obesity-related comorbidities has risen in parallel with that of obesity. Consultation regarding these concomitant diseases and subsequent management by subspecialists, including pediatric gastroenterologists, is now common and has resulted in obesity being recognized as a chronic disease requiring coordination of care. Although medications and even surgery may provide effective, though often temporary, treatments for obesity and its comorbidities, behavioral interventions addressing healthy dietary and physical activity habits remain a mainstay in the obesity treatment paradigm. Therefore, the issue of weight management must be addressed by both general practitioner and subspecialist alike. In this report, we review select aspects of pediatric obesity and obesity-related management issues because it relates in particular to the field of pediatric gastroenterology and hepatology.

Parental report of abdominal pain and abdominal pain-related functional gastrointestinal disorders from a community survey

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) are common in children. Abdominal pain (AP) is the most common gastrointestinal (GI) symptom in children. The severity of AP drives medical consultations and quality of life in adult patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Thirty-eight percent of 8- to 15-year-old schoolchildren report AP weekly with 24% of those children reporting persistence of AP >8 weeks. Despite the high prevalence of AP, only 2% of school children seek medical attention for AP. Lack of parental knowledge on their child's symptoms may constitute one of the factors affecting the low ratio of consultation in children reporting AP. The aim was to assess parental reports of AP symptoms in a population of healthy community children.

METHODS

Data of 5 studies with identical methodology to assess GI symptoms in children with celiac disease (CD), cow's milk allergy (CMA), pyloric stenosis (PS), Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP), and stem cell transplant (SC) and their healthy siblings were reviewed: a phone questionnaire on GI symptoms and Pediatric Gastrointestinal Symptoms Rome III version questionnaire (QPGS-RIII). Inclusion criteria were healthy children 4 to 18 years of age with a sibling previously diagnosed with CD, CMA, PS, HSP, or SC.

RESULTS

Data on 246 healthy children, mean age (9.8 years, range 3-24, 112 girls) were obtained. Parents reported presence of AP in the last 8 weeks before the telephone contact in 20 (8.1%) children (age range 4-18 years, 11 girls). There was no significant difference in AP prevalence between boys and girls (P = 0.64). Six children (2.4%) met QPGS-RIII diagnostic criteria for FGIDs: 3 functional abdominal pain (FAP) and 3 IBS.

CONCLUSIONS

AP was common in community children. FAP was the most common FGID among healthy community children. The prevalence of AP by parental report is lower than the previously published prevalence of AP reported by children. Lack of awareness of children's symptoms may play a role in the low ratio of consultation for AP in symptomatic children. Future prospective studies should confirm our findings and investigate the factors influencing the medical consultation decision including parental awareness of children's symptoms.

Potential mechanisms for the emerging link between obesity and increased intestinal permeability

Recently, increased attention has been paid to the link between gut microbial composition and obesity. Gut microbiota is a source of endotoxins whose increase in plasma is related to obesity and insulin resistance through increased intestinal permeability in animal models; however, this relationship still needs to be confirmed in humans. That intestinal permeability is subject to change and that it might be the interface between gut microbiota and endotoxins in the core of metabolic dysfunctions reinforce the need to understand the mechanisms involved in these aspects to direct more efficient therapeutic approaches. Therefore, in this review, we focus on the emerging link between obesity and increased intestinal permeability, including the possible factors that contribute to increased intestinal permeability in obese subjects. We address the concept of intestinal permeability, how it is measured, and the intestinal segments that may be affected. We then describe 3 factors that may have an influence on intestinal permeability in obesity: microbial dysbiosis, dietary pattern (high-fructose and high-fat diet), and nutritional deficiencies. Gaps in the current knowledge of the role of Toll-like receptors ligands to induce insulin resistance, the routes for lipopolysaccharide circulation, and the impact of altered intestinal microbiota in obesity, as well as the limitations of current permeability tests and other potential useful markers, are discussed. More studies are needed to reveal how changes occur in the microbiota. The factors such as changes in the dietary pattern and the improvement of nutritional deficiencies appear to influence intestinal permeability, and impact metabolism must be examined. Also, additional studies are necessary to better understand how probiotic supplements, prebiotics, and micronutrients can improve stress-induced gastrointestinal barrier dysfunction and the influence these factors have on host defense. Hence, the topics presented in this review may be beneficial in directing future studies that assess gut barrier function in obesity.

Gastrointestinal dysfunction in autism: parental report, clinical evaluation, and associated factors

The objectives of this study were to characterize gastrointestinal dysfunction (GID) in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), to examine parental reports of GID relative to evaluations by pediatric gastroenterologists, and to explore factors associated with GID in ASD. One hundred twenty-one children were recruited into three groups: co-occurring ASD and GID, ASD without GID, and GID without ASD. A pediatric gastroenterologist evaluated both GID groups. Parents in all three groups completed questionnaires about their child's behavior and GI symptoms, and a dietary journal. Functional constipation was the most common type of GID in children with ASD (85.0%). Parental report of any GID was highly concordant with a clinical diagnosis of any GID (92.1%). Presence of GID in children with ASD was not associated with distinct dietary habits or medication status. Odds of constipation were associated with younger age, increased social impairment, and lack of expressive language (adjusted odds ratio in nonverbal children: 11.98, 95% confidence interval 2.54-56.57). This study validates parental concerns for GID in children with ASD, as parents were sensitive to the existence, although not necessarily the nature, of GID. The strong association between constipation and language impairment highlights the need for vigilance by health-care providers to detect and treat GID in children with ASD. Medications and diet, commonly thought to contribute to GID in ASD, were not associated with GID status. These findings are consistent with a hypothesis that GID in ASD represents pleiotropic expression of genetic risk factors.

Prevalence and co-occurrence of upper and lower functional gastrointestinal symptoms in patients eligible for bariatric surgery

BACKGROUND

Obesity is considered as a risk factor for many functional digestive disorders. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence and the association of functional digestive symptoms affecting the upper and the lower digestive tract in patients eligible for bariatric surgery.

METHODS

Before surgery, 120 consecutive patients with normal upper endoscopy (7.5% males, mean BMI 44 ± 6 m/kg(2)) have filled a standard questionnaire in order to evaluate the presence of depressive symptoms and functional digestive disorders according to the Rome criteria. The major symptoms (esophageal, gastroduodenal, anorectal, and abdominal pain) were coded as dichotomous variables. Data analysis was performed using multivariate logistic regression with a backwards selection procedure adjusted only for the variables that were significant in univariate analysis (p < 0.05).

RESULTS

Functional symptoms were present in 89% of the subjects (2.5 functional digestive symptoms/subject). Depression symptoms were found in 43% of the patients. Esophageal symptoms were independent predictors for the presence of gastric, bowel, and anorectal symptoms. Functional abdominal pain and bowel symptoms were present, respectively, in 19% and 84% of the patients. Approximately half of the patients have specific functional bowel disorders (28.6% constipation, 18% irritable bowel syndrome, 18% diarrhea, 1% bloating) and 35.7% have non-specific bowel disorders. Anorectal symptoms were found in 40% of the patients: difficult defecation in 32% and fecal incontinence in 9.8% of the patients. Depression was an independent predictor for anorectal symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

This study shows the high prevalence of functional bowel symptoms in patients complaining of morbid obesity.

Role of dietary patterns, sedentary behaviour and overweight on the longitudinal development of childhood constipation: the Generation R study

The influence of childhood nutrition on the development of constipation beyond the period of weaning and breastfeeding is relatively understudied. In addition, eating patterns in childhood can be highly correlated with overweight and sedentary behaviour, which may also have an influence on constipation. The aim of this study was to assess whether common dietary patterns, sedentary behaviour and childhood overweight are associated with constipation in childhood. The study was embedded in a population-based prospective birth cohort. Information on dietary intake was obtained by a food frequency questionnaire at the child's age of 14 months (n = 2420). The adherence scores on a 'Health conscious' and 'Western-like' diet were extracted from principal component analysis. At the age of 24, 36 and 48 months, information on constipation and sedentary behaviour, and weight and height was obtained by parental-derived questionnaires and from the child health centres, respectively. Adherence to a 'Western-like' dietary pattern was associated with a higher prevalence of constipation up to 48 months [adjusted odds ratio (aOR); 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.39; 1.02-1.87], which was not mediated by overweight or sedentary behaviour. Adherence to a 'Health Conscious' dietary pattern was only associated at short term, with a lower prevalence of constipation at 24 months (aOR; 95%CI: 0.65; 0.44-0.96). No association was found between overweight, sedentary behaviour and constipation. Our results suggest that specific dietary patterns in early childhood could be associated with higher or lower risks for constipation, but these effects are time-dependent. Overweight and sedentary behaviour seem to not have a major role on constipation in childhood.

The expression and the cellular distribution of the tight junction proteins are altered in irritable bowel syndrome patients with differences according to the disease subtype

OBJECTIVES

Recent studies have suggested that an increased intestinal permeability is involved in the pathophysilogy of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). However, the differential expression of tight junctions (TJs) proteins according to IBS subtypes and symptoms remained unknown. The objective of this study was to study zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1), occludin, and claudin-1 in the colonic mucosa of patients with IBS.

METHODS

Fifty IBS patients fulfilling the Rome III criteria and 31 controls were included. All types of IBS patients participated with predominant diarrhea (IBS-D, n=19), predominant constipation (IBS-C, n=14), constipation alternating with diarrhea (IBS-A, n=15), or unclassified (IBS-U, n=2). IBS symptom intensity was quantified on 10-cm Visual Analog Scale (VAS). TJ proteins (claudin-1, ZO-1, occludin) were quantified by quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), western blot, while their localization was determined by immunofluorescence.

RESULTS

ZO-1 and occludin expression was lower in IBS patients compared with controls, whereas only a trend for a decrease of claudin-1 was observed. The mRNA levels remained unaffected. In the subgroup analyses, occludin and claudin-1 expression was decreased in IBS-D patients but not in IBS-C and IBS-A patients. The subcellular distribution of these three proteins was altered in IBS-C and IBS-D patients. Occludin (r=0.40, P<0.01) and claudin-1 (r=0.46, P<0.01) expression was correlated with the duration of symptoms. The expression of occludin was lower in patients with an abdominal pain intensity higher than 6 on the VAS (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Occludin and claudin-1 appeared markedly affected in IBS-D patients. In addition, our results suggest that alteration of TJ proteins may be involved in the initiation of IBS and contribute to visceral hypersensitivity.

Overweight and constipation in adolescents

Background

The association between overweight and gastrointestinal symptoms has been recently studied in the literature; however, few studies have evaluated the association between overweight and constipation in adolescents in a community-based sample. The aim of this study was to analyze the prevalence of constipation and its association with being overweight in a community-based survey with adolescents.

Methods

This cross-sectional study included 1,077 adolescents who were enrolled in five schools in the city of Sao José dos Campos, Brazil. Constipation was defined according to modified and combined Rome III criteria for adolescents and adults. Being overweight was defined as a body mass index (BMI) that was equal to or greater than that of the 85^th percentile for age and gender.

Results

Constipation was diagnosed in 18.2% (196/1077) of the included adolescents. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of constipation in males and females who were both younger and older than 14 years. Fecal incontinence was observed in 25 adolescents, 22 (88.0%) of whom were diagnosed as being constipated. The prevalence of being overweight was found in 13.5% (145/1077) of the study population. The prevalence of constipation was observed to be similar in adolescents who were (19.4%; 28/144) and were not (18.0%; 168/933) overweight (p = 0.764; OR = 1.10). Fecal incontinence that was associated with constipation was more frequent in adolescents who were overweight (37.0%; 8/28) than in adolescents who were not overweight (8.5%; 14/168; p = 0.005; OR = 4.40).

Conclusions

The prevalence of constipation was high among the investigated adolescents. There was no association between being overweight and constipation; however, an association between being overweight and fecal incontinence in constipated adolescents was confirmed.

Obesity and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome in children: a tale of inflammatory cascades

Obesity has emerged as one of the most prevalent diseases in the western hemisphere, and its prevalence continues to increase. Obese children are at increased risk for several disorders, particularly affecting the cardiovascular and metabolic systems. The mechanisms leading to obesity-related morbidities are likely multifactorial, and include activation of inflammatory pathways ultimately leading to end-organ injury. Furthermore, the concurrent presence of obesity and other diseases facilitated by increased fat deposition poses a theoretical risk of accentuating obesity-related complications. One of the conditions whose prevalence is increased by obesity in childhood is the obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). OSAS in non-obese children may lead to co-morbidities that are not only remarkably similar to those associated with obesity but recruit similar inflammatory mechanisms as those activated by obesity, suggesting that the two disorders may amplify each other and synergistically augment the magnitude of their respective adverse consequences. The objective of this review is to critically review the effects of both obesity and OSAS in inducing systemic inflammation in children and will examine the latest evidence pertaining to the up-regulation of specific inflammatory mediators.

A bi-directional assessment of the human brain-anorectal axis

BACKGROUND

Brain-gut dysfunction has been implicated in gastrointestinal disorders but a comprehensive test of brain-gut axis is lacking. We developed and tested a novel method for assessing both afferent anorectal-brain function using cortical evoked potentials (CEP), and efferent brain-anorectal function using motor evoked potentials (MEP).

METHODS

Cortical evoked potentials was assessed following electrical stimulations of anus and rectum with bipolar electrodes in 26 healthy subjects. Anorectal MEPs were recorded following transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) over paramedian motor cortices bilaterally. Anal and rectal latencies/amplitudes for CEP and MEP responses and thresholds for first sensation and pain (mA) were analyzed and compared. Reproducibility and interobserver agreement of responses were examined.

KEY RESULTS

Reproducible polyphasic rectal and anal CEPs were recorded in all subjects, without gender differences, and with negative correlation between BMI and CEP amplitude (r -0.66, P=0.001). Transcranial magnetic stimulation evoked triphasic rectal and anal MEPs, without gender differences. Reproducibility for CEP and MEP was excellent (CV <10%). The inter-rater CV for anal and rectal MEPs was excellent (ICC 97-99), although there was inter-subject variation.

CONCLUSIONS & INFERENCES

Combined CEP and MEP studies offer a simple, inexpensive and valid method of examining bidirectional brain-anorectal axes. This comprehensive method could provide mechanistic insights into lower gut disorders.

Abdominal pain after gastric bypass: suspects and solutions

BACKGROUND

Gastric bypass remains the mainstay of surgical therapy for obesity. Abdominal pain after gastric bypass is common and accounts for up to half of all postoperative complaints and emergency room visits. This article reviews the most important causes of abdominal pain specific to gastric bypass and discusses management considerations.

METHODS

The current surgical literature was reviewed using PubMed, with a focus on abdominal pain after gastric bypass and the known pathologies that underlie its pathogenesis.

RESULTS

The etiologies of abdominal pain after gastric bypass are diverse. A thorough understanding of their pathogenesis impacts favorably on clinical outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

The differential diagnosis for abdominal pain after gastric bypass is large and includes benign and life-threatening entities. Its diverse causes require a broad evaluation that should be directed by history and clinical presentation. In the absence of a clear diagnosis, the threshold for surgical exploration in patients with abdominal pain after gastric bypass should be low.

Metabolic effects of obesity causing disease in childhood

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Childhood obesity is rising to epidemic proportions throughout the world, and much emphasis has been placed on the long-term consequences that can result later, in adulthood. This article reviews the metabolic consequences of obesity that can manifest as disease during the childhood years.

RECENT FINDINGS

Obese children suffer from many disease processes once thought to affect only adults. They can have type 2 diabetes mellitus, and potentially early β cell failure with rapid progression to an insulin requirement. There is a high prevalence of fatty liver disease in obese children, and complications such as steatohepatitis and even cirrhosis can develop during childhood. Visceral fat has been shown to have many different properties than subcutaneous fat, and children with central adiposity can develop the metabolic syndrome with insulin resistance, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. Hyperandrogenism, sleep disturbances, and many types of orthopedic complications can also develop in young children.

SUMMARY

Physicians should not only warn obese children and their families about the long-term consequences of obesity for which they are at risk in adulthood, they should also screen for the many diseases that may already be present.

Can eating disorders cause functional gastrointestinal disorders?

Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) are very common (up to 98%) in patients with an eating disorder (ED). Boyd et al. discuss in this issue of Neurogastroenterology & Motility that FGIDs can persist independently on the outcome of the ED. Their findings leave room for speculation on the mechanisms underlying FGIDs in patients with an ED. FGIDs result from a complex interaction of biological, psychosocial and social factors. The altered eating behavior seen in EDs is strongly associated with disturbed gastrointestinal sensitivity and motor physiology. Moreover, psychiatric co-morbidities in ED patients are also frequently found in FGIDs. The motor and sensitivity disturbances together with psychiatric co-morbidities can lay the foundation of a FGID. Once established the psychological and physiological disturbances can perpetuate and strengthen each other resulting in a FGID that can persist independently of the ED that originally caused the motor and sensitivity disturbances.

Obesity predicts persistence of pain in children with functional gastrointestinal disorders

OBJECTIVE

The possible effect of obesity in the outcome of treated children with abdominal pain-related functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) has not yet been studied. We hypothesized that obesity is associated with a poor long-term prognosis in children with FGIDs.

STUDY DESIGN

Prospective cohort study in an outpatient clinic-based sample of patients diagnosed with abdominal pain-related FGIDs. Principal outcome measured was persistence of pain at long-term follow-up (12-15 months). Frequency of pain, intensity of pain, school absenteeism and disruption of daily activities were compared between obese and non-obese subjects.

RESULTS

The group mean age was 13.27±3.84 years, distribution of diagnosis was 32% (functional abdominal pain), 42.5% (irritable bowel syndrome) and 25.5% (functional dyspepsia). Overall, 20.2% of patients were obese. A total of 116 patients (61.7%) reported abdominal pain and 72 (38.3%) were asymptomatic at long-term follow-up. Obese patients were more likely to have abdominal pain (P<0.0001), higher intensity of pain (P=0.0002), higher frequency of pain (P=0.0032), school absenteeism (P<0.0001) and disruption of daily activities (P<0.0001) at follow-up than non-obese patients.

CONCLUSION

Obesity is associated with poor outcome and disability at long-term follow-up in children with abdominal pain-related FGIDs. Our novel findings could have important implications in the prognosis and management of FGIDs.