Clinical Outcomes of Pediatric Chronic Intestinal Pseudo-Obstruction

Time is Gut. Approaching Intestinal Leiomyositis: Case Presentation and Literature Review

T-lymphocytic intestinal leiomyositis is a rare cause of "pediatric intestinal pseudo-obstructions." Diagnosis may be difficult and requires full-thickness bowel biopsies during laparotomy or laparoscopy with possible enterostomy. Currently, immunosuppressive therapy is the only available treatment. A delay in diagnosis and therapy may negatively affect the prognosis because of ongoing fibrotic alterations; therefore, early diagnosis and consequent treatment are crucial. This review summarizes the available information on the nosology, diagnostic steps, and treatment modalities. Here, we report the youngest case of enteric leiomyositis reported in the last two decades and analyze its management by reviewing previous cases.

The Clinical Utility of Antroduodenal Manometry in the Evaluation of Children with Upper Gastrointestinal Symptoms

OBJECTIVES

Antroduodenal manometry (ADM) measures antral and small bowel motility and is clinically used to evaluate upper gastrointestinal (UGI) symptoms. We aimed to evaluate its utility in guiding treatment, predicting response, and association with clinical findings.

METHODS

Retrospective review of 200 children undergoing ADM. ADM interpretation and parameters were compared to outcomes (response to first therapy after ADM and overall response), predominant symptom (group A, abdominal distention and/or vomiting and group B, abdominal pain and/or nausea), etiology (idiopathic or with known comorbidity), and ADM indication [suspected chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction (CIPO) or unexplained UGI symptoms].

RESULTS

We found an association between a normal intestinal phase III of the migrating motor complex (MMC) and idiopathic etiology, group B symptoms and unexplained UGI symptoms. No variable was associated with initial successful response. However, normal small bowel phase III of the MMC and idiopathic etiology were associated with overall successful response to treatment (including feeding tolerance and weaning of parenteral nutrition). No antral ADM parameter was associated with outcomes or other comparisons. The time to overall successful treatment response was significantly shorter in patients with a normal ADM and presence of a normal phase III of the MMC.

CONCLUSIONS

The presence of the phase III of the MMC was the single ADM parameter predictive of overall treatment response, also associated to group B symptoms and idiopathic etiology. Our findings suggest that small bowel ADM parameters are more useful to predict outcomes and ADM should be performed primarily in patients presenting with abdominal distention and/or vomiting and those being evaluated for CIPO.

Multi-disciplinary Insights from the First European Forum on Visceral Myopathy 2022 Meeting

Visceral myopathy is a rare, life-threatening disease linked to identified genetic mutations in 60% of cases. Mostly due to the dearth of knowledge regarding its pathogenesis, effective treatments are lacking. The disease is most commonly diagnosed in children with recurrent or persistent disabling episodes of functional intestinal obstruction, which can be life threatening, often requiring long-term parenteral or specialized enteral nutritional support. Although these interventions are undisputedly life-saving as they allow affected individuals to avoid malnutrition and related complications, they also seriously compromise their quality of life and can carry the risk of sepsis and thrombosis. Animal models for visceral myopathy, which could be crucial for advancing the scientific knowledge of this condition, are scarce. Clearly, a collaborative network is needed to develop research plans to clarify genotype-phenotype correlations and unravel molecular mechanisms to provide targeted therapeutic strategies. This paper represents a summary report of the first 'European Forum on Visceral Myopathy'. This forum was attended by an international interdisciplinary working group that met to better understand visceral myopathy and foster interaction among scientists actively involved in the field and clinicians who specialize in care of people with visceral myopathy.

The Potential Role of Microorganisms on Enteric Nervous System Development and Disease

The enteric nervous system (ENS), the inherent nervous system of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is a vast nervous system that controls key GI functions, including motility. It functions at a critical interface between the gut luminal contents, including the diverse population of microorganisms deemed the microbiota, as well as the autonomic and central nervous systems. Critical development of this axis of interaction, a key determinant of human health and disease, appears to occur most significantly during early life and childhood, from the pre-natal through to the post-natal period. These factors that enable the ENS to function as a master regulator also make it vulnerable to damage and, in turn, a number of GI motility disorders. Increasing attention is now being paid to the potential of disruption of the microbiota and pathogenic microorganisms in the potential aetiopathogeneis of GI motility disorders in children. This article explores the evidence regarding the relationship between the development and integrity of the ENS and the potential for such factors, notably dysbiosis and pathogenic bacteria, viruses and parasites, to impact upon them in early life.

Long‐term follow‐up for pediatric intestinal pseudo‐obstruction patients in China

BACKGROUND

Pediatric intestinal pseudo-obstruction (PIPO) is a heterogeneous and severe group of disorders with a high mortality rate. Patients with PIPO often develop malnutrition and need long-term nutrition support. This study aimed to determine the nutrition status, particularly micronutrients, during the long-term follow-up of patients with PIPO.

METHODS

Fifty-eight patients with PIPO were followed up for at least 6 months between January 2008 and December 2020 in our hospital. PIPO was diagnosed based on the European society for pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology, and nutrition consensus. Data on clinical characteristics, medical and surgical management, nutrition support, serum vitamins, and mineral concentrations were collected. The patients were divided into the early-onset PIPO (EO-PIPO; neonatal-onset) and late-onset PIPO (LO-PIPO; infant- or child-onset) groups.

RESULTS

The mean follow-up was 29.5 months (6-153 months). The overall survival rate was 63.8% (37 out of 58 participants) (EO-PIPO, 48.6% [17 out of 35 participants]; LO-PIPO, 87.0% [20 out of 23 participants]). Mortality in the EO-PIPO group was higher than in the LO-PIPO group (P = 0.002). Twenty-one patients died, of which 18 (85.7%) patients had EO-PIPO and 14 (66.7%) patients died under 1 year of age. Infection was the major cause of death. Severe malnutrition was observed at baseline and during follow-up in 25 (43.1%) and 6 (16.2%) patients, respectively. At baseline and during follow-up, the zinc deficiency rates were 29.6% and 26.3%, and those of vitamin D were 26.9% and 52.6%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Zinc and vitamin D deficiencies are common in patients with PIPO during follow-up. Therefore, additional supplements should be recommended.

Enhancing the utility of antroduodenal manometry in pediatric intestinal pseudo-obstruction

BACKGROUND

Antroduodenal manometry (ADM) and histopathology are currently employed to aid the diagnosis of pediatric intestinal pseudo-obstruction (PIPO). Limited data are available on the reliability of ADM analysis and its correlation with histopathology. We aimed to develop a protocol for enhanced analysis of ADM contractile patterns, including a scoring system, and explore whether this provided better correlation with histopathology.

METHODS

Children referred with suspected PIPO between April 2012-December 2019 who underwent both ADM and full-thickness biopsies were included. ADM tracings were analyzed using both standard (conventional ADM) and novel (enhanced ADM) motility parameters. A novel ADM score (GLASS score) was generated based on the enhanced ADM analysis. Conventional and enhanced ADM analyses were then correlated with histopathology.

RESULTS

Forty patients were included. Using conventional clinical criteria, 29 of these were diagnosed with PIPO and the other 11 with non-PIPO diagnoses. Twenty-three of the PIPO patients had abnormal histopathology: 6 myopathy, 4 neuropathy, 3 neuro-myopathy, and 10 non-specific changes. No agreement in diagnosis was found between conventional ADM analysis and histopathology (ϰ = 0.068; p = 0.197), whereas the latter significantly correlated with enhanced ADM analysis (ϰ = 0.191; p = 0.003). The enhanced ADM score was significantly higher in PIPO versus non-PIPO (16.0 vs. 8.0; p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

As opposed to conventional analysis protocols, the newly developed enhanced ADM analysis and associated score is not only able to discriminate between PIPO and non-PIPO patients, but also between distinct histopathological pathologies. Further studies are required to assess the utility of enhanced ADM analysis in larger populations.

Changes in the intestinal expression of drug metabolism-related genes in a piglet model of parenteral nutrition

Background

Parenteral nutrition (PN) may serve as a nutritional supportive therapy accompanied by oral medication, but the effect of PN on intestinal expression of drug metabolism-related genes remains unknown.

Methods

Twelve Bama piglets receiving PN for 14 days were used as in vivo model. Changes in intestinal drug metabolism-related genes were examined by proteomic analysis. Serum levels of fibroblast growth factor 19 (FGF19) were determined by ELISA, and the effect of FGF19 on the expression of drug metabolism-related genes was examined using murine ileum organoids.

Results

A total of 1063 differentially expressed proteins were identified in PN group. Of note, two drug transporters (Abcb1 and Abcc2) were significantly decreased in PN group, along with two glutathione-related drug-metabolizing enzymes, glutathione peroxidase (Gpx2) and glutathione S-transferase (Gsta1). Serum FGF19 levels were dramatically reduced in PN group. Treatment with recombinant FGF19 in vitro dose-dependently up-regulated the expression of Abcb1, Abcc2, Gpx2 and Gsta1 in organoids.

Conclusion

Our data indicated that intestinal drug metabolism-related genes were significantly dysregulated under PN, and some of the changed genes were attributed to gut-derived FGF19.

Special Issue "Clinical Advances in Chronic Intestinal Diseases Treatment"

During the last decades, the management of patients with chronic intestinal diseases has experienced remarkable progress from both diagnostic and therapeutic point of view [...].

Hirschsprung disease and Paediatric Intestinal Pseudo-obstruction

Hirschsprung disease (HSCR) and Paediatric Intestinal Pseudo-obstruction (PIPO) comprise two of the most recognized and severe disorders of gastrointestinal (GI) motility. HSCR is a developmental disorder of the enteric nervous system invariably affecting the large intestine, whereas the majority of PIPO conditions represent congenital disorders of one or more components of the neuromusculature and more diffusely affect the GI tract. Histopathology is deemed the gold standard for the diagnosis of HSCR and, arguably, of PIPO, but, other diagnostic modalities such as manometric and genetic studies have seen recent advances that may increase their utility. Especially for PIPO, management is multidisciplinary and best performed in specialist referral centres. Surgery remains the only viable treatment for HSCR and appears essential to optimize and sustain feeding and viability of intestinal function in PIPO patients. Novel therapies such as neural stem cell transplants show promise for the future.