[Predominance of constipation in subjects with hydrogen-consuming intestinal flora]. / Tendencia al estreñimiento en sujetos que presentan predominio de microorganismos intestinales consumidores de hidrógeno.

INTRODUCTION: There is growing evidence that a disorder in intestinal microbiota would contribute to the development of symptoms in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) patients. In a subgroup, a remarkably low hydrogen production in lactulose breath test (LBT) is observed. We presume in these patients a predominance of hydrogen consuming gut flora. OBJECTIVE: [corrected] Describe the clinical presentation of lBS patients with low hydrogen production and to compare their cathartic pattern against those with high hydrogen excretion. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A case-control study was designed. IBS outpatients were included. A validated questionnaire was delivered (IBSSS) in order to assess their symptoms and a LBT was performed. The cathartic pattern was compared between those with low and high hydrogen production on LBT. RESULTS: One hundred and ten patients were included and 15 of them (13.6%) had low hydrogen production on LBT, which would be compatible with the presence of hydrogen-consuming gut flora. In this group, 11 patients (73.33%) were constipated In contrast, only 30 patients (31.58%) in the high or normal hydrogen production group were constipated [OR 5.95 (95% confidence interval 1.75-20.25; P = 0.03)]. CONCLUSION: IBS patients with low hydrogen production on lactulose breath test were 6 times more frequently constipated.

[Variation of intestinal fermentative profile after sequential therapy with rifaximin/probiotics]. / Variaciones del perfil fermentativo intestinal frente al uso de un esquema terapéutico secuencial: rifaximina/probiótico.

INTRODUCTION: There is evidence suggesting that intestinal microbiota plays a role in the development of irritable bowel syndrome. Its activity can be indirectly assessed using the lactulose breath test. Antibiotics like rifaximin or probiotics can be used as therapeutic options for patients with irritable bowel syndrome. Our purpose was to evaluate the efficacy of a sequential treatment with rifaximin and probiotics in these patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We prospectively evaluated patients with diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome according to Rome III criteria. Included patients had to fill in a questionnaire in order to assess their symptoms severity. A lactulose breath test was also performed in each case and a curve with the results of hydrogen concentration and time was elaborated. Then, the area under the curve was calculated After initial evaluation, patients received a seven-day treatment with rifaximin, followed by a ten-day course of probiotics. Thirty days after completion of treatment a new lactulose breath test along with a questionnaire were performed. RESULTS: We included 15 patients and 93% experienced a significant improvement of their symptoms as well as a significant reduction of the lactulose breath test values. CONCLUSION: Sequential treatment with rifaximin/probiotics seems to be effective for symptom and fermentative profile improvement in irritable bowel syndrome patients.

[Frequency of bacterial overgrowth in patients with clinical lactose intolerance]. / Frecuencia de sobrecrecimiento bacteriano en pacientes con intolerancia clínica a la lactosa.

INTRODUCTION: Some patients complain of digestive symptoms related to diary products intake. This intolerance could be associated with an intestinal bacterial overgrowth or an increased fermentative intestinal profile and not due to lactose malabsorption. OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of bacterial overgrowth in subjects with digestive symptoms related to diary products intolerance. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Patients who had performed hydrogen breath test due to chronic functional distension syndrome (Rome III) were analyzed. Thirty of them (22 female, average age 52 years) complained of symptoms related to diary products intake. All subjects completed a nutritional survey that allowed to assess the degree of tolerance to milk products and performed the hydrogen breath test with lactulose as substrate. Bacterial overgrowth was considered when baseline values were over 15 parts per million (ppm), values before 80 minutes were greater than 20 ppm or values of area under the curve were greater than 3,000 ppm/min in the 180 studied minutes. RESULTS: Fifty four patients were analyzed. Thirty of them showed moderate, important or severe clinical milk intolerance. Of these patients, 23 (77%), had a positive breath hydrogen test according to used criteria. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of small bowel bacterial overgrowth or an increased fermentative intestinal profile among individuals who complain of symptoms related to diary products is high and this fact should be considered in order to avoid empirical restrictive diets.

[Comparative clinical efficacy of a probiotic vs. an antibiotic in the treatment of patients with intestinal bacterial overgrowth and chronic abdominal functional distension: a pilot study]. / Eficacia comparativa de un probiótico vs un antibiótico en la respuesta clínica de pacientes con sobrecrecimiento bacteriano del intestino y distensión abdominal crónica funcional: un estudio piloto.

INTRODUCTION: Patients with intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) are usually treated with different antibiotics. Certain probiotics have proved to be clinically effective in patients with abdominal distension. OBJECTIVE: To compare the short-term clinical efficacy of metronidazol vs. a probiotic in patients with SIBO and functional chronic abdominal distension. Patients and methods. This was a randomized prospective pilot study. The study population consisted of 50 patients with chronic abdominal distension (Rome III criteria) and diagnosis of SIBO made by a lactulose H2 breath test. Patients were consecutively randomized to receive either metronidazol or a probiotic. The metronidazol group consisted of 25 subjects (23 women, median age 49 +/- 19 years old), who received metronidazol (Flagyl), 500 mg bid for 5 days. The probiotic group consisted of 25 subjects (20 women, median age 58 +/- 19 years old). The probiotic administered to the latter group contained Lactobacillus casei (3.3 x 10(7) UFC), Lactobacillus plantarum (3.3 x 10(7) UFC), Streptococcus faecalis (3.3 x 10(7) UFC) and Bifidobacterium brevis (1.0 x 10(6) UFC) (Bioflora) and 5 ml bid were administered for 5 days. Both groups went on the same diet, which consisted in reduced consumption of alcohol, legumes, dairy products and leafy green vegetables. Response to treatment was assessed by an independent questioner 15 days post treatment. A five-level overall response questionnaire was used. Responses included much better, better, the same, worse, and much worse. Better and much better were considered positive responses. RESULTS: Thirteen (52%) subjects receiving metronidazol and 20 (82%) receiving the probiotic referred clinical improvement after the treatment. A statistically significant difference favoured the use of the probiotic (P = 0.036). All the study patients completed treatment. No adverse events leading to treatment discontinuation were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Based on this pilot study results, we can suggest that the probiotic herein used has a higher efficacy than metronidazol in the early clinical response of patients with chronic abdominal distension and SIBO.

[Breath hydrogen levels do not predict fiber intolerance in irritable bowel syndrome with constipation]. / El incremento del hidrógeno en el aire espirado no predice la intolerancia a la fibra en la dieta en el síndrome del intestino irritable con constipación. Estudio piloto.

BACKGROUND: Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is characterized by the worsening of symptoms with a high fiber diet. This intolerance could be related to an increase in colonic bacterial fermentation. The hydrogen breath test (HBT) is a marker of the intestinal micro flora fermentative capacity. AIM: To assess if there is an association between hydrogen (H2) levels and clinical changes between diets with and without bran. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 10 women with predominantly constipated irritable bowel syndrome (Rome II criteria) received a lowfiber diet during one week. This phase was followed by a second 7 day period with the same diet but supplemented with 12 g of crude dietary fiber. At the end of both periods, patients completed a symptom scale (Lickert type) and performed a HBT. RESULTS: Comparing both periods with a different diet the median difference in the clinical scale score (-2.5) shows a tendency favorable to the diet without bran, p = 0.048. In the fiber period the median increase of 2 ppm in H2 values was not significant deferent. Neither was possible to establish an association between breath H2 and the clinical response to a fiber diet. CONCLUSIONS: In this pilot study we could not detect ary association between breath H2 levels and the clinical response to dietary fiber.

[Clinical-phmetric variants in gastroesophageal reflux disease]. / Variantes clínico-phmétricas en la enfermedad por reflujo gastroesofágico.

BACKGROUND: Ambulatory pH monitoring, that defines acid reflux episodes as a fall in pH below 4, fail to diagnose weakly acidic reflux, which sometimes is related to the occurrence of symptoms. AIM: To establish the incidence of clinical-phmetric variables that allow to confirm or discard the presence of gastroesophageal reflux and its symptomatic correlation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: [corrected] During a period of 12 months, 100 patients (58 males and 42 females) were consecutively included for 24 hour esophageal ambulatory phmetry. The variables considered were: number of symptomatic episodes during the study, number of episodes with positive symptomatic correlation for pH drop greater than 4, number of episodes with positive symptomatic correlation for pH drop lower than 4 and Demeester score. For operative reasons we divided the patients in six groups: without evidence of acidic reflux (WAR), hypoalgesic pathologic acid reflux (HPAR), normoalgesic pathologic acid reflux (NPAR), hyperalgesic pathologic acid reflux (HyPAR), allodinic pathologic reflux (APR), hyperalgesic physiologic acid reflux (HyPhAR) and allodynic physiologic acid reflux (APhAR). RESULTS: 18% presented WAR, 7% HPAR, 36% NPAR, 14% HyPAR, 18% HyPhAR and 7% APhAR. The patients with pathologic acid reflux presented more episodes with positive symptomatic correlation than patients without pathologic reflux (P = 0.0008). Based on acid reflux intensity and presence or absence of symptomatic correlation, six groups of patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease were differentiated, and probably they should be evaluated and treated in a different way.

Variantes clínico-phmétricas en la enfermedad por reflujo gastroesofágico / Clinical-phmetric variants in gastroesophageal reflux disease

En los estudios ambulatorios de pH esofágico, al considerer solo las caídas de pH por debajo de 4, no se detectan los episodios de reflujo débilmente ácidos que coinciden, a veces, con la ocurrencia de síntomas. Objetivo: Establecer la incidencia de las variantes clínico-phmétricas que permiten confirmar o descartar la presencia de reflujo astroesofágico ácido y su correlación sintomática. Pacientes y método: Durante 12 meses, 100 pacientes (58 hombres y 42 mujeres) fueron incluidos en forma consecutiva para estudio prolongado del pH esofágico. Las variables consideradas fueron: número de episodios sintomáticos durante elestudio, número de episodios con correlación sintomática positiva para caídas de pH mayor de 4, número de episodios con correlación sintomática positiva para episodios con caída de pH menor de 4 y puntaje de Demeester. Los pacientes se clasificaron operativamente en seis grupos: Sin evidencias de reflujo ácido (SRGE), reflujo ácido patológico hipoalgésico (RPHO), reflujo ácido patológico normoalgésico (RPNO), reflujo acido patológico hiperalgésico (RPHP), reflujo acido fisiológico hiperalgésico (RFHP) y reflujo acido fisiológico alodínico (RFAL). Resultados: 18% presentaron SRGE, 7% RPHO, 36% RPNO, 14% RPHP, 18% RFHP y 7% RFAL. Los pacientes con reflujo ácido patológico presentaron mayor número de episodios con correlación sintomática positiva que los pacientes con ausencia de reflujo patológico(P=0,0008). En base a la intensidad del reflujo ácido y a la presencia o ausencia de correlación sintomática, se diferenciaron seis grupos de pacientes con enfermedad por reflujo que posiblemente deban ser tratados y seguidos de modo diferente.

Background: Ambulatory pH monitoring, that defines acid reflux episodes as a fall in pH below 4, fail to diagnose weakly acidic reflux, which sometimes is related to the occurrence of symptoms. Aim: To establish the incidence of clinical-phmetric variables that allow to confirm or discard the presence of gastroesophageal reflux and its symptomatic correlation. Patents and methods: During a period of 12 months, 100 patients (58 males and 42 females) were consecutively included for 24 hour esophageal ambulatory phmetry. The variables considered were: number of symptomatic episodes during the study, number of episodes with positive symptomatic correlation for pH drop greater than 4, number of episodes with positive symptomatic correlation for pH drop lower than 4 and Demeester score. For operative reasons we divided the patients in six groups: without evidence of acidic reflux (WAR), hypoalgesic pathologic acid reflux (HPAR), normoalgesic pathologic acid reflux (NPAR), hyperalgesic pathologicacid reflux (HyPAR), allodinic pathologic reflux (APR), hyperalgesic physiologic acid reflux (HyPhAR) and allodynic physiologic acid reflux (APhAR). Results: 18% presented WAR, 7% HPAR, 36% NPAR, 14% HyPAR, 18% HyPhAR and 7% APhAR. The patients with pathologic acid reflux presented more episodes with positive symptomatic correlation than patients without pathologic reflux (P=0,0008). Based on acid reflux intensity and presence or absence of symptomatic correlation, six groups of patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease were differentiated, and pbably they should be evaluated and treated in a different way.

Variantes clínico-phmétricas en la enfermedad por reflujo gastroesofágico / Clinical-phmetric variants in gastroesophageal reflux disease

En los estudios ambulatorios de pH esofágico, al considerer solo las caídas de pH por debajo de 4, no se detectan los episodios de reflujo débilmente ácidos que coinciden, a veces, con la ocurrencia de síntomas. Objetivo: Establecer la incidencia de las variantes clínico-phmétricas que permiten confirmar o descartar la presencia de reflujo astroesofágico ácido y su correlación sintomática. Pacientes y método: Durante 12 meses, 100 pacientes (58 hombres y 42 mujeres) fueron incluidos en forma consecutiva para estudio prolongado del pH esofágico. Las variables consideradas fueron: número de episodios sintomáticos durante elestudio, número de episodios con correlación sintomática positiva para caídas de pH mayor de 4, número de episodios con correlación sintomática positiva para episodios con caída de pH menor de 4 y puntaje de Demeester. Los pacientes se clasificaron operativamente en seis grupos: Sin evidencias de reflujo ácido (SRGE), reflujo ácido patológico hipoalgésico (RPHO), reflujo ácido patológico normoalgésico (RPNO), reflujo acido patológico hiperalgésico (RPHP), reflujo acido fisiológico hiperalgésico (RFHP) y reflujo acido fisiológico alodínico (RFAL). Resultados: 18% presentaron SRGE, 7% RPHO, 36% RPNO, 14% RPHP, 18% RFHP y 7% RFAL. Los pacientes con reflujo ácido patológico presentaron mayor número de episodios con correlación sintomática positiva que los pacientes con ausencia de reflujo patológico(P=0,0008). En base a la intensidad del reflujo ácido y a la presencia o ausencia de correlación sintomática, se diferenciaron seis grupos de pacientes con enfermedad por reflujo que posiblemente deban ser tratados y seguidos de modo diferente.(AU)

Background: Ambulatory pH monitoring, that defines acid reflux episodes as a fall in pH below 4, fail to diagnose weakly acidic reflux, which sometimes is related to the occurrence of symptoms. Aim: To establish the incidence of clinical-phmetric variables that allow to confirm or discard the presence of gastroesophageal reflux and its symptomatic correlation. Patents and methods: During a period of 12 months, 100 patients (58 males and 42 females) were consecutively included for 24 hour esophageal ambulatory phmetry. The variables considered were: number of symptomatic episodes during the study, number of episodes with positive symptomatic correlation for pH drop greater than 4, number of episodes with positive symptomatic correlation for pH drop lower than 4 and Demeester score. For operative reasons we divided the patients in six groups: without evidence of acidic reflux (WAR), hypoalgesic pathologic acid reflux (HPAR), normoalgesic pathologic acid reflux (NPAR), hyperalgesic pathologicacid reflux (HyPAR), allodinic pathologic reflux (APR), hyperalgesic physiologic acid reflux (HyPhAR) and allodynic physiologic acid reflux (APhAR). Results: 18% presented WAR, 7% HPAR, 36% NPAR, 14% HyPAR, 18% HyPhAR and 7% APhAR. The patients with pathologic acid reflux presented more episodes with positive symptomatic correlation than patients without pathologic reflux (P=0,0008). Based on acid reflux intensity and presence or absence of symptomatic correlation, six groups of patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease were differentiated, and pbably they should be evaluated and treated in a different way. (AU)

Variantes clínico-phmétricas en la enfermedad por reflujo gastroesofágico / Clinical-phmetric variants in gastroesophageal reflux disease

En los estudios ambulatorios de pH esofágico, al considerer solo las caídas de pH por debajo de 4, no se detectan los episodios de reflujo débilmente ácidos que coinciden, a veces, con la ocurrencia de síntomas. Objetivo: Establecer la incidencia de las variantes clínico-phmétricas que permiten confirmar o descartar la presencia de reflujo astroesofágico ácido y su correlación sintomática. Pacientes y método: Durante 12 meses, 100 pacientes (58 hombres y 42 mujeres) fueron incluidos en forma consecutiva para estudio prolongado del pH esofágico. Las variables consideradas fueron: número de episodios sintomáticos durante elestudio, número de episodios con correlación sintomática positiva para caídas de pH mayor de 4, número de episodios con correlación sintomática positiva para episodios con caída de pH menor de 4 y puntaje de Demeester. Los pacientes se clasificaron operativamente en seis grupos: Sin evidencias de reflujo ácido (SRGE), reflujo ácido patológico hipoalgésico (RPHO), reflujo ácido patológico normoalgésico (RPNO), reflujo acido patológico hiperalgésico (RPHP), reflujo acido fisiológico hiperalgésico (RFHP) y reflujo acido fisiológico alodínico (RFAL). Resultados: 18% presentaron SRGE, 7% RPHO, 36% RPNO, 14% RPHP, 18% RFHP y 7% RFAL. Los pacientes con reflujo ácido patológico presentaron mayor número de episodios con correlación sintomática positiva que los pacientes con ausencia de reflujo patológico(P=0,0008). En base a la intensidad del reflujo ácido y a la presencia o ausencia de correlación sintomática, se diferenciaron seis grupos de pacientes con enfermedad por reflujo que posiblemente deban ser tratados y seguidos de modo diferente.(AU)

Background: Ambulatory pH monitoring, that defines acid reflux episodes as a fall in pH below 4, fail to diagnose weakly acidic reflux, which sometimes is related to the occurrence of symptoms. Aim: To establish the incidence of clinical-phmetric variables that allow to confirm or discard the presence of gastroesophageal reflux and its symptomatic correlation. Patents and methods: During a period of 12 months, 100 patients (58 males and 42 females) were consecutively included for 24 hour esophageal ambulatory phmetry. The variables considered were: number of symptomatic episodes during the study, number of episodes with positive symptomatic correlation for pH drop greater than 4, number of episodes with positive symptomatic correlation for pH drop lower than 4 and Demeester score. For operative reasons we divided the patients in six groups: without evidence of acidic reflux (WAR), hypoalgesic pathologic acid reflux (HPAR), normoalgesic pathologic acid reflux (NPAR), hyperalgesic pathologicacid reflux (HyPAR), allodinic pathologic reflux (APR), hyperalgesic physiologic acid reflux (HyPhAR) and allodynic physiologic acid reflux (APhAR). Results: 18% presented WAR, 7% HPAR, 36% NPAR, 14% HyPAR, 18% HyPhAR and 7% APhAR. The patients with pathologic acid reflux presented more episodes with positive symptomatic correlation than patients without pathologic reflux (P=0,0008). Based on acid reflux intensity and presence or absence of symptomatic correlation, six groups of patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease were differentiated, and pbably they should be evaluated and treated in a different way. (AU)