Microbiota and Digestive Metabolites Alterations in Functional Dyspepsia.

Functional dyspepsia (FD), a widespread and debilitating digestive disease, is thought to originate from disrupted gut-brain communication. The cause of FD is not completely understood, but recent evidence suggests it could be due to multiple factors and can vary among different patient groups. Factors like gut motility changes, increased sensitivity to pain in the gut, ongoing low-level inflammation, and increased gut permeability have all been linked to the development of FD. Additionally, changes in the gut microbiome have been suggested to play a significant role in the disease. The gut microbiota in the duodenum could either be a cause or a result of the immune and nervous system issues seen in FD, but the ways in which the gut flora in the small intestine affects gut function, digestive metabolites and symptoms are not yet clear, more studies being needed in order to completely assess the relationship between gastrointestinal microbiota and development and progression of FD. This review summarizes the available research on the relationship between FD and the microbiota and examines the various treatments, including probiotics, that have been shown to relieve symptoms. Finally, suggestions for improving diagnosis and treatment for those with FD are presented.

Changing trends in the epidemiology of gastric cancer.

Currently being the seventh most prevalent form of cancer worldwide, and the fifth most common cause of cancer-related death, based on GLOBOCAN 2020 data, gastric cancer is still an important public health problem, despite its dropping incidence. Regions around the world are still at high-risk, mostly in populations with a high prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection or a carcinogenic favorable diet. Gastric cardia cancer incidence is on the rise in some areas. Great steps were made in the last decades in understanding the pathogenesis of gastric cancer and its risk factors. Host genetic polymorphisms play a quintessential role in disease outcome. Helicobacter pylori eradication and endoscopic surveillance are the most effective options to further decrease gastric cancer incidence. Surgery is required for a curative treatment in most cases. This review summarizes the latest worldwide epidemiological data of gastric cancer and aims to provide an accessible and credible source of evidence for physicians who assess risk factors for gastric cancer.

Value of GastroPanel in the diagnosis of atrophic gastritis.

Analysis of serum biomarkers for the assessment of atrophic gastritis (AG), considered as precursor of the intestinal type of gastric cancer, is of growing interest. The combination of pepsinogen (PG), gastrin-17 (G17) and anti-Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) antibody serological assays (panel test) is a non-invasive tool for the diagnosis of atrophic gastritis. However, the diagnostic reliability of this test remains uncertain. The aim of our study was to assess the diagnostic performance of the serum panel test (GastroPanel) for the diagnosis of atrophic gastritis. From dyspeptic patients, endoscopic biopsy samples (two from the gastric corpus and two from the antrum) and blood samples were collected. The determination of sPGI, sPGII, sG17 and IgG antibodies to H. pylori (H.p IgG) was performed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (GastroPanel; Biohit Oyj). Histopathology results were compared with GastroPanel values. Sixty patients were included: 35 (58.3%) females and 25 (41.66%) males; mean age 67.63±9.36 years; 45% H. pylori-positive. A total of 65% of patients had atrophic gastritis. There were no significant differences between the levels of biomarkers and localization of atrophy. The ratio PG1/PG2 was lower in patients with multifocal atrophy; the difference being close to the threshold of statistical significance. In cases of intestinal metaplasia the values of G17, PG1, PG2, H.p IgG were not statistically altered compared to those without intestinal metaplasia; only the ratio PG1/PG2 was lower in intestinal metaplasia; the difference being almost of statistical significance. Our results revealed that, GastroPanel values did not differ depending on the severity of the atrophy. Biomarkers used by GastroPanel do not have enough accuracy for use in the diagnosis of atrophy in the population studied. A low accuracy only for the ratio PG1/PG2 in patients with multifocal atrophy was found. However, our data revealed a correlation in detecting intestinal metaplasia.

Heart rate variability and heart rate recovery as prognostic factors.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Heart rate (HR) can appear static and regular at rest, during exercise or recovery after exercise. However, HR is constantly adjusted due to factors such as breathing, blood pressure control, thermoregulation and the renin-angiotensin system, leading to a more dynamic response that can be quantified using HRV (heart rate variability). HRV is defined as the deviation in time between successive normal heart beat and is a noninvasive method to measure the total variation in a number of HR interval. HRV can serve as measure of autonomic activity of sino-atrial node. The aim of the study was to determine the influence of certain clinical and paraclinical parameters on heart rate recovery after exercise in patients with ischemic heart disease and the relation with HRV using 24 h Holter monitoring. METHODS: The study included 46 patients who were submitted to cardiovascular exercise stress test and also to 24 h Holter EKG monitoring. Subjects had a mean age of 56.2±11.2 years, with a minimum of 25 and a maximum of 79 years. The study included 22 (47.8%) men and 24 (52.2%) women. Statistical analysis was performed using MedCalc software version 14.8.1. Multivariate analysis consisted of the construction of several multiple linear regression models. A p value of 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The HRV values (time domain) were all lower in the IHD compared with the group without coronary heart disease, even if the difference is not statistically significant. Also rest and maximal HR values were similar but during the test varies in the sense that those with IHD had higher values of rest and maximal HR and lower HRR, but not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: HRV is a very easy and safe method if there is an available device and it is used for evaluation of the autonomic nervous system in many cardiovascular diseases, but also in other pathologies. In uncomplicated ischemic heart disease HRV is depressed, but not significant. HRR, which is also considered an indicator of the parasympathetic activity after exercise termination, is also non-significantlly decreased in ischemic patients and the correlation between them is weak. Both HRV and HRR parameters can be easily measured, but the best algorithm of this issue requires further studies, conducted in larger patient populations. Although HRR and HRV are tools to measure the autonomic nervous system activity the relation between them need more studies to be able to quantify the arrhythmogenic risk.

Heart Rate Recovery in Patients with Ischemic Heart Disease - Risk Factors.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Central nervous system dysfunction is associated with mortality and morbidity in patients with cardiovascular disease, post-workout recovery and faster heart rate being mediated by the dynamic interaction between the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), as components of the autonomic nervous system. Heart rate recovery is the decline in heart rate after exercise. The aim of the study was to determine the influence of certain clinical and paraclinical parameters on heart rate recovery after exercise in patients with ischemic heart disease. METHODS: The study included 260 patients who were subjected to cardiovascular stress test. The following parameters were measured in each patient: blood pressure and pulse rate prior to exercise, during exercise and at protocol-established time intervals, as well as 1 and 3 minutes after the end of the stress test. Statistical analysis was performed using MedCalc software version 14.8.1. RESULTS: Elderly patients had slower heart rate recovery at 1 minute after effort. Female patients have recovered significantly better the heart rate, at 1 minute and 3 minutes after effort compared to the males. This difference was maintained in multivariate analysis, independent of age or comorbidities of patients. The presence of ischemic heart disease was the most important factor independently associated with HRR1. Triglyceride values were negatively correlated with both HRR3 and HRR1 and independent of other factors present in the multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Autonomic dysfunction is involved in the development of cardiovascular risk factors like hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia and was directly correlated with morbidity and mortality caused by coronary heart disease.

Thrombotic complications of pancreatic cancer: classical knowledge revisited.

This paper is an updated review of a classical clinical subject: the association between deep vein thrombosis and pancreatic cancer. Recent epidemiological data support the empirical observation of Trousseau that digestive cancer may induce deep vein thrombosis. Pancreatic cancer is among the most common malignancies associated with thrombosis, due to the fact that cancer may induce the activation of the coagulation. There are genetic factors linked to this association. Cancer patients carrying the factor V Leiden mutation and the prothrombin 20210A mutation have increased risk to develop thrombosis. Reciprocally, it has been speculated that deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism could represent a warning sign for a latent cancer. The practical question about this association is: shall we recommend searching for pancreatic and other cancers in all patients with thrombosis? Present data show that the strategy to look for such malignancies in patients with thrombosis on a routine base is not cost-effective. Oncological screening should be limited to patients at risk to develop cancer. Patients with pancreatic cancer, as with other visceral cancers, should be submitted to a prophylactic strategy to prevent thrombosis: therapy with low-molecular-weight heparin for several weeks was beneficial in several trials.