1,720,992 research outputs found
STUDY OF THE CLINICAL AND MOLECULAR PHENOTYPE AND NATURAL HISTORY OF ENTEROPATHIES WITH VILLOUS ATROPHY OF UNKNOWN ORIGIN AND THERAPEUTIC POTENTIAL OF BONE MARROW DERIVED MESENCHYMAL STEM CELLS
This PhD project started in 2016 and aimed firstly to define the clinical and molecular phenotype and natural history of enteropathies with villous atrophy of undefined etiology, that need to be clearly distinguished from both coeliac disease, its complications and other non-coeliac enteropathies with villous atrophy due to a known cause. Secondly, we aimed to evaluate the therapeutic potential of mesenchymal stem cell infusions for the treatment of these rare conditions.
The main clinical part of this PhD project (February 2018-August 2019) has been carried out in collaboration with the NHS England National Centre for coeliac disease and rare diseases, Sheffield, UK.
The results outlined in the thesis show that non-coeliac enteropathies are extremely heterogeneous conditions characterised by different prognoses. More specifically, we have described the largest cohort of patients affected by enteropathies with villous atrophy of unknown origin and we have shown for the first time that they consist of three groups with distinct clinical phenotype and natural history. Mortality in these enteropathies of undefined origin is mainly due to the development of lymphoproliferative complications. Hypoalbuminaemia and age at diagnosis may be useful predictors to identify patients at greatest risk of poor prognosis, therefore needing more aggressive and targeted therapies, such as mesenchymal stem cells
Seronegative coeliac disease: clearing the diagnostic dilemma
Seronegative coeliac disease is a poorly defined form of coeliac disease that poses an important challenge to clinicians particularly with regards to the differential diagnosis. This is probably because of lack of a consensus on its definition and incorrect use of specific coeliac serology. Seronegative coeliac disease (SCD) is uncommon and epidemiological data are scarce and contrasting. Therefore, the aim of this review is to provide a critical summary of the most recent work on this topic and a definition of SCD
Efficacy of a Low-FODMAP Diet for Coeliac Patients with Persistent IBS-like Symptoms despite a Gluten-Free Diet: A Systematic Review
: Background: Persistent symptoms in coeliac disease (CD) can be due to not only poor gluten-free diet (GFD) adherence and complications of CD, but also functional gastrointestinal disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Although the role of a low fermentable oligo-, di-, and monosaccharides and polyols (FODMAP) diet is well-established in IBS, little data are available on its role in coeliac patients with persistent IBS-like symptoms despite a GFD. Methods: We systematically reviewed the literature in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines for studies evaluating the role of FODMAPs and/or a low-FODMAP diet in coeliac patients with persistent symptoms. PubMed and Embase were searched from inception to 16 January 2024 for eligible full-text papers. The study protocol was registered on Open Science Framework. Results: A total of 239 records were identified, and six papers were included. Of these, four were interventional studies comparing a low-FODMAP GFD to a regular GFD for persistent symptoms in 115 total coeliac patients (two randomized controlled trials and two open-label studies). A low-FODMAP GFD for a minimum of 4 weeks was significantly more effective than a regular GFD in reducing symptoms (p < 0.05 in 3/4 studies). Dietary FODMAP content of a conventional GFD was significantly lower than that of non-coeliac patients on a gluten-containing diet (both p < 0.05), especially regarding high-FODMAP grain products. However, coeliac patients consumed more servings of fruits/vegetables high in FODMAP. No relationship between FODMAP intake and persistence of symptoms was reported. Conclusions: A low-FODMAP diet may be beneficial for uncomplicated celiac patients with persistent IBS-like symptoms despite strict adherence to a GFD
Inadvertent and minimal gluten intake has a negligible role in the onset of symptoms in patients with coeliac disease on a gluten-free diet
Is it time to rethink the burden of non-coeliac gluten sensitivity? A systematic review
Non-coeliac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) is still a poorly defined clinical condition. This review aims to describe the clinical features of subjects with a symptomatic response to gluten intake, and to estimate the prevalence of NCGS
Musculoskeletal Ultrasound to Identify Subclinical Joint and Periarticular Involvement in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Systematic Literature Review
BACKGROUND: Musculoskeletal ultrasonography identifies subclinical joint and entheseal inflammation, and it might be of value in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), which are at higher risk of inflammatory arthropathy and disability. Our aim was to retrieve the evidence on the applications of ultrasound in patients with non-arthropathic IBD. METHODS: Studies enrolling patients with IBD without arthritis, undergoing ultrasound of joints, tendons or entheses were eligible. The outcomes of interest encompassed the frequency of ultrasound-detected lesions, their accuracy in diagnosing arthritis, their prognostic role and sensitivity to change. All study types, excluding case reports, case series and narrative reviews, were included. Search strategies were applied in PubMed and Embase. Abstract and full-texts were evaluated by pairs of reviewers. The risk of bias was evaluated through the Newcastle-Ottawa scale or the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (QUADAS) 2. The protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42021264972). RESULTS: Out of 2,304 records, eight studies were included, all reporting the frequency of lesions, while only three evaluated also the diagnostic accuracy. All studies had a cross-sectional design, with no evidence on prediction or follow-up. All studies evaluated the entheses, while only three the joints. The most common chronic lesions were entheseal thickening (up to 81.5%) and enthesophytes (67.9%), while entheseal erosions were present in 16%−17% of patients. Among inflammatory lesions, power Doppler was reported in 14%−67% of patients. There were no differences among Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis and depending on disease activity, while there were contrasting results on different disease durations. When evaluating the diagnostic performance, the best specificity for a diagnosis if IBD was 0.88 (95%CI, 0.8–0.94) for joint abnormalities. Also, the best sensitivity was 0.88 (95%CI, 0.76–0.95) for entheseal lesions. No studies assessed of the combination of lesions. Due to the limited number of studies, meta-analyses were not performed. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the possible value of ultrasound in IBD, there is limited evidence deriving from cross-sectional studies. Longitudinal studies are needed to clarify the role of this technique, while its current placement might be that of complementing clinical assessment, in particular in early intestinal disease
A small bowel adenocarcinoma harboring a DDR2 mutation in a celiac patient
We present the case of a 62-year-old man with a history of celiac disease and IgA deficiency, following a strict gluten-free diet that was admitted to our hospital for recurrent abdominal pain, fatigue and melena. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy and colonoscopy with biopsies were normal. A video-capsule endoscopy was performed and revealed a sub-stenosing, vegetating, and bleeding lesion in the first jejunal loop. He underwent laparotomic surgery with resection of the involved segment with loco-regional lymphadenectomy. The pathological report described a poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma of the jejunum, stage IIIA (pT3pN1). Analysis of next-generation sequencing (NGS) of DNA on the surgical sample revealed a likely pathogenetic variant in exon 15 of the DDR2 gene (c.2003G > A) and a TP53 non-frame-shift deletion (c.585_602del). Considering the risk of recurrence, he was candidate to 6 months of adjuvant chemotherapy with platinum salt and fluoropyrimidine. Thirty-eight months after the diagnosis, the patient is still disease free and in good clinical condition. This is the first described case of SBA with DDR2 mutation. Considering the limited therapeutic options beyond surgery for SBA, molecular analyses could become promising for the search for potential targetable alterations for treatments with new available drugs
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