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Dietary Fibre Intake Is Associated with Serum Levels of Uraemic Toxins in Children with Chronic Kidney Disease.
El Amouri, A, Snauwaert, E, Foulon, A, Vande Moortel, C, Van Dyck, M, Van Hoeck, K, Godefroid, N, Glorieux, G, Van Biesen, W, Vande Walle, J, et al
Toxins. 2021;(3)
Abstract
Imbalanced colonic microbial metabolism plays a pivotal role in generating protein-bound uraemic toxins (PBUTs), which accumulate with deteriorating kidney function and contribute to the uraemic burden of children with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Dietary choices impact the gut microbiome and metabolism. The aim of this study was to investigate the relation between dietary fibre and gut-derived PBUTs in paediatric CKD. Sixty-one (44 male) CKD children (9 ± 5 years) were prospectively followed for two years. Dietary fibre intake was evaluated by either 24-h recalls (73%) or 3-day food records (27%) at the same time of blood sampling for assessment of total and free serum levels of different PBUTs using liquid chromatography. We used linear mixed models to assess associations between fibre intake and PBUT levels. We found an inverse association between increase in fibre consumption (g/day) and serum concentrations of free indoxyl sulfate (-3.1% (-5.9%; -0.3%) (p = 0.035)), free p-cresyl sulfate (-2.5% (-4.7%; -0.3%) (p = 0.034)), total indole acetic acid (IAA) (-1.6% (-3.0%; -0.3%) (p = 0.020)), free IAA (-6.6% (-9.3%; -3.7%) (p < 0.001)), total serum p-cresyl glucuronide (pCG) (-3.0% (-5.6%; -0.5%) (p = 0.021)) and free pCG levels (-3.3% (-5.8%; -0.8%) (p = 0.010)). The observed associations between dietary fibre intake and the investigated PBUTs highlight potential benefits of fibre intake for the paediatric CKD population. The present observational findings should inform and guide adaptations of dietary prescriptions in children with CKD.
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Effects of Prebiotics vs a Diet Low in FODMAPs in Patients With Functional Gut Disorders.
Huaman, JW, Mego, M, Manichanh, C, Cañellas, N, Cañueto, D, Segurola, H, Jansana, M, Malagelada, C, Accarino, A, Vulevic, J, et al
Gastroenterology. 2018;(4):1004-1007
Abstract
Prebiotics and diets low in fermentable oligo-, di-, mono-saccharides and polyols (low-FODMAP diet) might reduce symptoms in patients with functional gastrointestinal disorders, despite reports that some nonabsorbable, fermentable meal products (prebiotics) provide substrates for colonic bacteria and thereby increase gas production. We performed a randomized, parallel, double-blind study of patients with functional gastrointestinal disorders with flatulence. We compared the effects of a prebiotic supplement (2.8 g/d Bimuno containing 1.37 g beta-galactooligosaccharide) plus a placebo (Mediterranean-type diet (prebiotic group, n = 19) vs a placebo supplement (2.8 g xylose) plus a diet low in FODMAP (low-FODMAP group, n = 21) for 4 weeks; patients were then followed for 2 weeks. The primary outcome was effects on composition of the fecal microbiota, analyzed by 16S sequencing. Secondary outcomes were intestinal gas production and digestive sensations. After 4 weeks, we observed opposite effects on microbiota in each group, particularly in relation to the abundance of Bifidobacterium sequences (increase in the prebiotic group and decrease in the low-FODMAP group; P = .042), and Bilophila wadsworthia (decrease in the prebiotic group and increase in the low-FODMAP group; P = .050). After 4 weeks, both groups had statistically significant reductions in all symptom scores, except reductions in flatulence and borborygmi were not significant in the prebiotic group. Although the decrease in symptoms persisted for 2 weeks after patients discontinued prebiotic supplementation, symptoms reappeared immediately after patients discontinued the low-FODMAP diet. Intermittent prebiotic administration might therefore be an alternative to dietary restrictions for patients with functional gut symptoms. ClinicalTrials.gov no.: NCT02210572.
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Effects of surgical and dietary weight loss therapy for obesity on gut microbiota composition and nutrient absorption.
Damms-Machado, A, Mitra, S, Schollenberger, AE, Kramer, KM, Meile, T, Königsrainer, A, Huson, DH, Bischoff, SC
BioMed research international. 2015;:806248
Abstract
Evidence suggests a correlation between the gut microbiota composition and weight loss caused by caloric restriction. Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG), a surgical intervention for obesity, is classified as predominantly restrictive procedure. In this study we investigated functional weight loss mechanisms with regard to gut microbial changes and energy harvest induced by LSG and a very low calorie diet in ten obese subjects (n = 5 per group) demonstrating identical weight loss during a follow-up period of six months. For gut microbiome analysis next generation sequencing was performed and faeces were analyzed for targeted metabolomics. The energy-reabsorbing potential of the gut microbiota decreased following LSG, indicated by the Bacteroidetes/Firmicutes ratio, but increased during diet. Changes in butyrate-producing bacterial species were responsible for the Firmicutes changes in both groups. No alteration of faecal butyrate was observed, but the microbial capacity for butyrate fermentation decreased following LSG and increased following dietetic intervention. LSG resulted in enhanced faecal excretion of nonesterified fatty acids and bile acids. LSG, but not dietetic restriction, improved the obesity-associated gut microbiota composition towards a lean microbiome phenotype. Moreover, LSG increased malabsorption due to loss in energy-rich faecal substrates and impairment of bile acid circulation. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01344525.
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Mitigating aflatoxin exposure to improve child growth in Eastern Kenya: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.
Hoffmann, V, Jones, K, Leroy, J
Trials. 2015;:552
Abstract
BACKGROUND While the few studies that have looked at the association between stunting and aflatoxin exposure have found surprisingly large effects, the results remain inconclusive due to a lack of randomized controlled studies. This protocol describes a non-blinded, cluster-randomized controlled trial with the specific objective of testing the impact of reduced aflatoxin exposure on (individual) child linear growth. METHODS/DESIGN Participants were recruited from among households containing women in the last 5 months of pregnancy in 28 maize-growing villages within Meru and Tharaka-Nithi Counties in Kenya. Households in villages assigned to the intervention group are offered rapid testing of their stored maize for the presence of aflatoxin each month; any maize found to contain more than 10 ppb aflatoxin is replaced with an equal amount of maize that contains less than this concentration of the toxin. They are also offered the opportunity to buy maize that has been tested and found to contain less than 10 ppb aflatoxin at local shops. Clusters (villages) were allocated to the intervention group (28 villages containing 687 participating households) or control group (28 villages containing 536 participating households) using a random number generator. The trial, which is funded by United Kingdom (UK) aid from the UK government, the Global Food Security Portal, and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, is currently ongoing. DISCUSSION This study is the first randomized controlled trial (RCT) to test for a causal impact of aflatoxin exposure on child growth. Whether or not this relationship is found, its results will have implications for the prioritization of aflatoxin control efforts by governments in affected regions, as well as international donors. TRIAL REGISTRATION American Economic Association RCT Registry # 0000105 . Initial registration date: 6 November 2013, last updated 30 December 2014.
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Diagnostic Accuracy of Procalcitonin for Predicting Blood Culture Results in Patients With Suspected Bloodstream Infection: An Observational Study of 35,343 Consecutive Patients (A STROBE-Compliant Article).
Oussalah, A, Ferrand, J, Filhine-Tresarrieu, P, Aissa, N, Aimone-Gastin, I, Namour, F, Garcia, M, Lozniewski, A, Guéant, JL
Medicine. 2015;(44):e1774
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Abstract
Previous studies have suggested that procalcitonin is a reliable marker for predicting bacteremia. However, these studies have had relatively small sample sizes or focused on a single clinical entity. The primary endpoint of this study was to investigate the diagnostic accuracy of procalcitonin for predicting or excluding clinically relevant pathogen categories in patients with suspected bloodstream infections. The secondary endpoint was to look for organisms significantly associated with internationally validated procalcitonin intervals. We performed a cross-sectional study that included 35,343 consecutive patients who underwent concomitant procalcitonin assays and blood cultures for suspected bloodstream infections. Biochemical and microbiological data were systematically collected in an electronic database and extracted for purposes of this study. Depending on blood culture results, patients were classified into 1 of the 5 following groups: negative blood culture, Gram-positive bacteremia, Gram-negative bacteremia, fungi, and potential contaminants found in blood cultures (PCBCs). The highest procalcitonin concentration was observed in patients with blood cultures growing Gram-negative bacteria (median 2.2 ng/mL [IQR 0.6-12.2]), and the lowest procalcitonin concentration was observed in patients with negative blood cultures (median 0.3 ng/mL [IQR 0.1-1.1]). With optimal thresholds ranging from ≤0.4 to ≤0.75 ng/mL, procalcitonin had a high diagnostic accuracy for excluding all pathogen categories with the following negative predictive values: Gram-negative bacteria (98.9%) (including enterobacteria [99.2%], nonfermenting Gram-negative bacilli [99.7%], and anaerobic bacteria [99.9%]), Gram-positive bacteria (98.4%), and fungi (99.6%). A procalcitonin concentration ≥10 ng/mL was associated with a high risk of Gram-negative (odds ratio 5.98; 95% CI, 5.20-6.88) or Gram-positive (odds ratio 3.64; 95% CI, 3.11-4.26) bacteremia but dramatically reduced the risk of PCBCs or fungemia. In this large real-life setting experience with more than 35,000 patients, procalcitonin was highly effective at excluding bloodstream infections regardless of pathogen categories. The results from our study are limited by its cross-sectional design and deserve to be validated in prospective longitudinal studies.
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UVA-riboflavin photochemical therapy of bacterial keratitis: a pilot study.
Makdoumi, K, Mortensen, J, Sorkhabi, O, Malmvall, BE, Crafoord, S
Graefe's archive for clinical and experimental ophthalmology = Albrecht von Graefes Archiv fur klinische und experimentelle Ophthalmologie. 2012;(1):95-102
Abstract
BACKGROUND The aim of this work as to investigate the photochemical interaction used in corneal crosslinking (CXL) as the primary therapy for bacterial keratitis. METHODS A prospective non-randomized study was conducted including 16 patients with a clinical diagnosis of bacterial keratitis. No patient had any prior antibiotic treatment for the current infection. Photography and microbial culturing of the infected cornea were performed. Riboflavin was topically administered for 20 min and ultraviolet light (UVA) exposure settings for treatment of keratoconus were used. After the procedure, clinical examinations were done at least once daily until signs of improvement had been established. The frequency of examinations was thereafter reduced. Antibiotic therapy was initiated if infectious progression was suspected. The trial was registered at ISCRTN.org (no: 21432643). RESULTS All eyes responded to the photochemical treatment with improvement in symptoms and signs of reduced inflammation. Epithelial healing was achieved in all cases. Antibiotic administration was necessary in two cases. One patient required a human amniotic membrane transplant. CONCLUSIONS This trial illustrates that photosensitization of riboflavin using UVA at 365 nm has the potential to induce healing in patients with microbial keratitis. The results from the treatment of these 16 patients with corneal ulcers indicate that UVA-riboflavin photochemical therapy merits a controlled study in order to assess its efficacy and safety compared to antibiotics.