New insights into food protein-induced enterocolitis in children.

Food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES) represents a non-IgE-mediated food allergic disorder with delayed gastrointestinal symptoms that may evolve in a medical emergency. Clinically, FPIES can be distinguished into acute and chronic phenotypes. FPIES is mainly diagnosed in infancy however the onset at older ages is being progressively described. The pathogenetic mechanism underlying FPIES remains mainly unexplained, but an alteration of food-specific T-cell response has been proposed. The diagnosis of FPIES is primarily clinical, since there are not available specific biomarkers. Oral food challenge (OFC) is the gold standard for diagnosing FPIES or excluding the onset of tolerance to the triggering food. Management of FPIES includes an acute phase treatment and a maintenance therapy with the strict food avoidance until challenge, in order to prevent new attacks and avoid nutritional alterations. Acute management requires hydration that can be performed orally or intravenously according to clinical status. Long-term management of FPIES is based on the avoidance of the culprit food(s) and supervised introduction of other high-risk foods if never taken before among infants before 12 months of age. There is a compelling need of future achievements in FPIES research for the definition of underlying disease pathogenesis and potential therapeutic point of care.

Pan-Colonic Pressurizations Associated With Relaxation of the Anal Sphincter in Health and Disease: A New Colonic Motor Pattern Identified Using High-Resolution Manometry.

OBJECTIVES: Only a few studies have applied high-resolution manometry (HRM) to the study of colonic motility in adults and none of them have concurrently evaluated colonic and anal motor activity. The aim of the study was to evaluate colonic and anal motor activity by means of HRM in healthy subjects. As the present study revealed the presence of a new colonic motor pattern (pan-colonic pressurizations) in healthy subjects, three additional studies were conducted: the first and the second to exclude that this motor event results from an artifact due to abdominal wall contraction and to confirm its modulation by cholinergic stimulation, and the third, as pilot study, to test the hypothesis that this colonic pattern is defective in patients with chronic constipation refractory to current pharmacological treatments. METHODS: In both volunteers and patients the HRM catheter was advanced proximally during colonoscopy. RESULTS: In all subjects, pressure increases of 15±3 mm Hg and 24±4 s simultaneously occurring in all colonic sensors (pan-colonic pressurizations) and associated with anal sphincter relaxation were identified. Subjects had 85±38 pan-colonic pressurizations, which increased significantly during meal (P=0.007) and decreased afterward (P=0.01), and were correlated with feelings of and desire to evacuate gas. The mean number of propagating sequences was 47±39, and only retrograde increased significantly postprandially (P=0.01). Pan-colonic pressurizations differed from strain artifacts and significantly increased after prostigmine. In patients pan-colonic pressurizations were significantly reduced as compared with volunteers. CONCLUSIONS: Pan-colonic pressurizations associated with relaxations of the anal sphincter represent a new colonic motor pattern that seems to be defective in patients with treatment-refractory chronic constipation and may have a role in the transport of colonic gas and in the facilitation of the propagating sequence-induced colonic transport.

High-resolution manometry reveals different effect of polyethylene glycol, bisacodyl, and prucalopride on colonic motility in healthy subjects: An acute, open label, randomized, crossover, reader-blinded study with potential clinical implications.

BACKGROUND: Polyethylene glycol (PEG), bisacodyl, and prucalopride have been reported to be more effective than placebo in treating patients with constipation but about 50% of the patients still do not respond to these medications. Only bisacodyl and prucalopride are expected to directly stimulate the colonic motility in humans in vivo. As no previous study has done this, the aim of the study was to investigate the effect of PEG, bisacodyl, and prucalopride as compared to placebo on colonic motility assessed by means of the high-resolution manometry (HRM) in healthy subjects. METHODS: Ten healthy subjects have been enrolled in an acute, open label, randomized, reader-blinded, crossover study and requested to undergo a colonoscopy-assisted HRM measuring their colonic motility before and after oral administration of 13.8 g (two doses) PEG, 10 mg bisacodyl, 2 mg prucalopride, and placebo. KEY RESULTS: In the human prepared colon, oral administration of PEG significantly increases the number of low-amplitude long distance propagating contractions (p = 0.007 vs placebo) while bisacodyl significantly increases the number of high-amplitude propagating contractions (HAPCs) (all p < 0.01 vs PEG, prucalopride, and placebo). Prucalopride has no major effect on the number of propagating contractions but increases HAPCs amplitude (p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS & INFERENCES: In humans, PEG, prucalopride, and bisacodyl have distinct effects on colonic motility. This information has clinical implication, as it indicates that the combination of prucalopride and bisacodyl, normally not considered in clinical practice, could be effective in treating patients with constipation refractory to single medications.

Eosinophilic Esophagitis in Children: Clinical Findings and Diagnostic Approach.

Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is an emerging chronic immune and antigen-mediated clinicopathologic disease. During the last 2 decades, the incidence of this condition in children has increased significantly, thanks to practitioners for creating the awareness and higher use of diagnostic endoscopy. We have analysed paediatric literature on EoE focusing on the epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical findings and diagnostic approach. EoE is pathogenically related to a Th2 inflammation characterized by a mixed IgE and non-IgEmediated reaction to food and/or environmental agents. This leads to esophageal dysfunction and remodeling accompanied by subepithelial fibrosis. EoE can be presented with several range of gastrointestinal symptoms, including regurgitation, vomiting, feeding difficulties or feeding refusal in infants and toddlers, as well as heartburn, dysphagia and food bolus impaction in older children and adults. The diagnostic suspicion is based on the presence of chronic symptoms of esophgeal dysfunction and esophageal eosinophilia characterised histologically by a significant eosinophilic infiltration of the oesophageal mucosa (>15 eosinophils per high powered field). In this review, we will provide an update on clinical presentation and diagnostic approach to EoE in children. We emphasized on the relevant aspects of the new clinical condition termed "PPI responsive esophageal eosinophilia", as entities distinct from EoE and the role of PPI trial in the diagnostic workup, therefore we proposed a new diagnostic algorithm.

Enteroscopy in children.

INTRODUCTION: Device-assisted enteroscopy is a new endoscopic technique for the evaluation of small bowel in adults and children. Data in pediatric population are limited. This review aims to identify diagnostic and therapeutic benefits of enteroscopy in children. METHODS: We have analysed paediatric literature on device-assisted enteroscopy focusing on indications, technical aspects and complications, with attention given to adult publications that may be applicable to the paediatric population. RESULTS: Obscure gastrointestinal bleeding, Crohn's disease and small bowel polyps are the main indications of enteroscopy in children. Device-assisted enteroscopy has high diagnostic yield for the main paediatric indications, but MR-enterography and capsule endoscopy should be used beforehand in diagnostic work-up to better identify candidates for enteroscopy and to improve its diagnostic and therapeutic yield. Major complications are rare and mostly related to therapeutic procedures. CONCLUSION: Despite limited data in the paediatric population, device-assisted enteroscopy represents a useful and safe endoscopic technique in children. Its use, combined with MR-enterography and capsule endoscopy, allows identification and treatment of many of the small bowel paediatric diseases with a low risk of complications.

Managing paediatric acute severe ulcerative colitis according to the 2011 ECCO-ESPGHAN guidelines: Efficacy of infliximab as a rescue therapy.

BACKGROUND: The effectiveness of medical therapy in paediatric acute severe colitis is scarcely described. We aimed to assess the efficacy of infliximab in children prospectively enrolled at Sapienza University of Rome between May 2010 and 2012. METHODS: Clinical assessment and laboratory data were recorded at admission and at day 3 and 5. All patients received corticosteroids; infliximab was administered in refractory patients. Colectomy rate was assessed at 2-year follow-up. RESULTS: Thirty-one patients (mean age 10.6±4.9 years, 52% females) were included: 21 responded to corticosteroids (68%), 10 were refractory and received infliximab (32%). Among the latter, 2 required urgent colectomy (20%); 80% responded, however 50% of these required elective colectomy during follow-up. Patients refractory to corticosteroids showed a significantly shorter interval from ulcerative colitis diagnosis to acute severe colitis compared to responders (7.4±9.6 vs. 23.1±21.6 months, respectively; p=0.01), and a higher rate of colectomy at follow-up (50% vs. 14%, respectively; p=0.007). More than 2 courses of corticosteroids before acute severe colitis were predictive of surgical need (OR 4.4). CONCLUSION: Despite its short-term efficacy, infliximab did not modify the long-term surgical rate of paediatric acute severe colitis in our cohort. Children with an early severe colitis commonly need a second-line therapy, whilst frequent courses of corticosteroids are predictive of a poor outcome.

Small bowel cleansing for capsule endoscopy in paediatric patients: a prospective randomized single-blind study.

BACKGROUND: Small bowel cleansing by capsule endoscopy has never been addressed in children. METHODS: Randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effect of five bowel preparation regimens on the mucosal visibility surface (as percentage of visualized surface area). Group A: a clear liquid diet for 12 h on the day before; Group B: high volume polyethylene glycol (50 mL/kg, up to 2Lt/die); Group C: low volume polyethylene glycol (25 mL/kg up to 1Lt/die); Group D: 20 mL (376 mg) of oral simethicone; Group E: 25 mL/kg (up to 1Lt/die) of polyethylene glycol solution plus 20 mL (376 mg) of oral simethicone. RESULTS: Overall, 198 patients (53% male, median age 13 years) were enrolled. Preparation regimen visualization scores were 14.1 ± 4.2, 18.9 ± 5.1, 17.8 ± 5.5, 14.9 ± 4.8 and 20.9 ± 4.6 in groups A, B, C, D and E, respectively (P < 0.01). Positive findings were found in 172 cases (87%), but no significant differences were observed in the diagnostic yield and tolerability. Interobserver agreement, k = 0.89 (95% CI 0.83 ± 0.71). CONCLUSION: This is the first report in children that supports the use of 25 mL/kg (up to 1Lt/die) of polyethylene glycol solution plus 20 mL (376 mg) of oral simethicone as the preparation of choice for capsule endoscopy.