The Gastrointestinal Pain Pointer: A Valid and Innovative Method to Assess Gastrointestinal Symptoms.

Abdominal pain is a chronic condition experienced by approximately 20% of individuals in the United States. The purpose of the study was to assess the validity of the Gastrointestinal Pain Pointer as a measure of abdominal pain intensity. A prospective longitudinal time-series study design was utilized. The sample included 93 outpatients (58.1% female). Participants met Rome III criteria for irritable bowel syndrome (n = 32) or were healthy controls (n = 61). The Gastrointestinal Pain Pointer, a new electronic pain assessment tool, was used to assess self-reported abdominal pain intensity among participants before and after ingestion of an intestinal permeability test solution across 11 time points over a 5-hour time period. The results were compared with the Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire. The Gastrointestinal Pain Pointer was found to be valid in the assessment of abdominal pain intensity. The tool is a novel and valid measure of abdominal pain intensity that enhances the ability for clinicians to better quantify, in real time, patient-related pain outcomes for both clinical care and research.

Perceived benefits and negative consequences of alcohol consumption in women living with HIV: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Women living with HIV have increased prevalence of medical and psychological comorbidities that could be adversely affected by alcohol consumption. Little is known about their unique motivations for drinking or perceptions of HIV-related consequences. In preparation for an alcohol intervention study, we sought to better understand reasons for drinking and perceived consequences of alcohol consumption among a sample of women living with HIV. METHODS: Four focus groups, with a total of 24 adult women (96% African-American, 88% HIV-positive), were conducted in Jacksonville, FL, Washington, DC and Chicago, IL. Focus group discussions were tape-recorded and transcribed verbatim; a conventional content analysis approach was used to identify themes, that were then grouped according to a biopsychosocial model. RESULTS: Regarding reasons for drinking, women described themes that included biological (addiction, to manage pain), psychological (coping, to escape bad experiences, to feel in control), and social (peer pressure, family). Themes related to consequences from alcohol included biological (damage to body, poor adherence to medications), psychological (risky or regrettable behavior, memory loss), and social (jail, loss of respect, poor choices). When discussing how their drinking impacted their health, women focused on broader issues, rather than HIV-specific issues. CONCLUSION: Many women living with HIV are drinking alcohol in order to self-manage pain or emotions, and their perceived consequences from drinking extend beyond HIV-specific medical issues. Most participants described themes related to psychological issues and situations that are common in women living with HIV. Interventions to address drinking should inquire more specifically about drinking to manage pain or emotion, and help women to recognize the potential adverse impact of alcohol on comorbid health issues, including their own HIV infection.

Elevated circulating miR-150 and miR-342-3p in patients with irritable bowel syndrome.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs, which regulate gene expression and are thus of interest as diagnostic markers, and as clues to etiology and targets of intervention. This pilot study examined whether circulating miRNAs are differentially expressed in patients with IBS. METHODS: miRNA microarrays (NanoString) were run on the whole blood of 43 participants. RESULTS: hsa-miR-150 and hsa-miR-342-3p were found to be significantly elevated (FDR adjusted p≤0.05, ≥1.6 fold change) in IBS patients compared to healthy controls. Neither of these miRNAs showed any relationship to race or sex. hsa-miR-150 is associated with inflammatory bowel disorders and pain, and interacts with a protein kinase (AKT2) through which it may affect inflammatory pathways. hsa-miR-342-3p is predicted to interact with mRNAs involved in pain signaling, colonic motility, and smooth muscle function. CONCLUSIONS: This preliminary study reports the association of two miRNAs, detected in whole blood, with IBS. These miRNAs link to pain and inflammatory pathways both of which are thought to be dysregulated in IBS. Larger sample sizes are needed to confirm their importance and potential as biomarkers.

Symptoms and Comorbidities Differ Based on Race and Weight Status in Persons with HIV in the Northern United States: a Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Persons with HIV (PWHIV) on highly active antiretroviral treatments (HAART) may require specialized care based on health and demographic indicators. This study investigated the association of comorbidities, race, weight status, and gastrointestinal (GI) and cardiovascular (CV) symptoms among PWHIV. METHODS: The Symptom Checklist, Co-Morbidity Questionnaire, and Sociodemographic Questionnaire were used to assess weight status and GI and CV symptoms among 283 PWHIV. Data were analyzed using latent class analysis on John's Macintosh Project 13 Platform. RESULTS: Participants were majority Black (50%), 69% male, and 35% AIDS diagnosed. Ages were 25 to 66. Clusters included least symptomatic status, weight gain, and weight loss by Black and non-Black participants. The non-Black weight gain cluster reported a higher incidence of AIDS (70.6% vs 38.2%), nausea (70.6% vs 17.6%), diarrhea (70.6% vs 26.5%), and shortness of breath (58.8% vs 20.6%) compared to the Black weight gain cluster. The Black weight loss cluster reported a higher incidence of CV symptoms such as chest palpitations (42.2% vs 2.7%), chest pain (44.4% vs 8.1%), and shortness of breath (73.3% vs 35.1%). Moreover, the Black weight loss cluster reported a higher incidence of all GI symptoms with the most prominent being diarrhea (71.1% vs 48.6%) compared to the non-Black weight loss cluster. CONCLUSIONS: The existing racial disparities in health-related quality of life for PWHIV may be improved through precision health and nutrition modifications. Continued research is needed investigating differential health outcomes among PWHIV on HAART. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT00222716. Registered 22 September 2005. Retrospectively registered, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00222716?term=NCT00222716&draw=2&rank=1.

A quantitative review of ethnic group differences in experimental pain response: do biology, psychology, and culture matter?

OBJECTIVE: Pain is a subjectively complex and universal experience. We examine research investigating ethnic group differences in experimental pain response and factors contributing to group differences. METHOD: We conducted a systematic literature review and analysis of studies using experimental pain stimuli to assess pain sensitivity across multiple ethnic groups. Our search covered the period from 1944 to 2011, and used the PubMed bibliographic database; a reference source containing over 17 million citations. We calculated effect sizes; identified ethnic/racial group categories, pain stimuli, and measures; and examined findings regarding biopsychosociocultural factors contributing to ethnic/racial group differences. RESULTS: We found 472 studies investigating ethnic group differences and pain. Twenty-six of these met our review inclusion criteria of investigating ethnic group differences in experimental pain. The majority of studies included comparisons between African Americans (AA) and non-Hispanic Whites (NHW). There were consistently moderate to large effect sizes for pain tolerance across multiple stimulus modalities; AA demonstrated lower pain tolerance. For pain threshold, findings were generally in the same direction, but effect sizes were small to moderate across ethnic groups. Limited data were available for suprathreshold pain ratings. A subset of studies comparing NHW and other ethnic groups showed a variable range of effect sizes for pain threshold and tolerance. CONCLUSION: There are potentially important ethnic/racial group differences in experimental pain perception. Elucidating ethnic group differences has translational merit for culturally competent clinical care and for addressing and reducing pain treatment disparities among ethnically/racially diverse groups.

Beliefs, behaviors, and modifications of type 2 diabetes self-management among African American women.

Among African Americans, behaviors and beliefs about management of disease constitute an important component of self-management of type 2 diabetes (diabetes mellitus). The purpose of this study was to explore and identify health beliefs and health behaviors affecting diabetes self-management among African American women with type 2 diabetes. Twenty-five African American women aged 46 to 87 years, participated in the study. Community-based women in Pinellas County, Florida, completed semistructured, in-depth interviews, a self-management questionnaire, and a demographic profile. Participant observation occurred at a cross-section of 5 diabetes self-management education classes. Participants were asked about nutritional changes, physical activity, medication use, blood glucose monitoring, physician-patient interaction, support systems, and patient education/knowledge. Findings indicated that a majority of participants used regular exercise, medications, and dietary modifications as a core components model of diabetes self-management. Successful self-management was affected by diabetes beliefs, types of behaviors initiated, and available support systems and resources. Difficulties experienced that affected behavioral outcomes included access to care, costs of medications, pain, testing supplies, and nutritional changes. Findings suggest that modifications to the recommended regimen support or impede participants' efficient self-management of clinically recommended behaviors. Thus, for African American women managing type 2 diabetes, the regimen may necessitate modification models of diabetes self-management, day-to-day behavioral lifestyle adjustments to the biomedically recommended self-management regimen.

Influences of adult-onset diabetes on orofacial pain and related health behaviors.

OBJECTIVES: This study tested the hypothesis that persons with orofacial pain and comorbid adult-onset diabetes will experience greater functional and emotional impact than persons experiencing orofacial pain without diabetes. METHODS: A random-digit dialing sampling procedure was used for a disproportionate probability sample of 10,341 persons who were screened for orofacial pain in the past 6 months and diabetes. This paper reports on 1,767 individuals reporting toothache pain and 877 reporting painful oral sores. A structured telephone interview assessed diabetes history, orofacial pain characteristics, oral health-care behaviors, and emotional and functional impacts of orofacial pain. RESULTS: The 6-month point prevalence was 16.8 percent for toothache pain, 8.9 percent for painful oral sores, and 9.6 percent for adult-onset diabetes. Individuals with comorbid orofacial pain and adult-onset diabetes differed significantly on many of the pain characteristics and health behaviors compared with nondiabetic sufferers of orofacial pain. Diabetics were more likely than nondiabetics to have pain every day, to suffer negative emotions associated with pain, to experience disruption of daily activities and sleep, to make an emergency room visit for orofacial pain, and to report the current need for a pain-related health-care visit. CONCLUSIONS: Although diabetes is well known to be associated with neuropathic pain, these results indicate that the experience of nociceptive pain is exacerbated by diabetes. Findings have significance for the subjective experience of oral pain, dental-care outcomes, and health-related quality of life associated with oral-health outcomes among individuals with diabetes.

The microbiome of the oral mucosa in irritable bowel syndrome.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a poorly understood disorder characterized by persistent symptoms, including visceral pain. Studies have demonstrated oral microbiome differences in inflammatory bowel diseases suggesting the potential of the oral microbiome in the study of non-oral conditions. In this exploratory study we examine whether differences exist in the oral microbiome of IBS participants and healthy controls, and whether the oral microbiome relates to symptom severity. The oral buccal mucosal microbiome of 38 participants was characterized using PhyloChip microarrays. The severity of visceral pain was assessed by orally administering a gastrointestinal test solution. Participants self-reported their induced visceral pain. Pain severity was highest in IBS participants (P = 0.0002), particularly IBS-overweight participants (P = 0.02), and was robustly correlated to the abundance of 60 OTUs, 4 genera, 5 families and 4 orders of bacteria (r2 > 0.4, P < 0.001). IBS-overweight participants showed decreased richness in the phylum Bacteroidetes (P = 0.007) and the genus Bacillus (P = 0.008). Analysis of ß-diversity found significant separation of the IBS-overweight group (P < 0.05). Our oral microbial results are concordant with described fecal and colonic microbiome-IBS and -weight associations. Having IBS and being overweight, rather than IBS-subtypes, was the most important factor in describing the severity of visceral pain and variation in the microbiome. Pain severity was strongly correlated to the abundance of many taxa, suggesting the potential of the oral microbiome in diagnosis and patient phenotyping. The oral microbiome has potential as a source of microbial information in IBS.

The effects of a culturally sensitive, empowerment-focused, community-based health promotion program on health outcomes of adults with type 2 diabetes.

The purpose of the present study was to test the effects of a culturally sensitive, health empowerment-focused, community-based health promotion program tailored to adult patients with type 2 diabetes on these patients' body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, and self-reported blood glucose levels, treatment adherence, and stress levels. Study participants (N = 130) consisted mostly of African Americans (70%) and Hispanic/Latinos (22.3%) who were divided almost evenly between an intervention group and wait-list control group. The tested health promotion program is informed by Health Self-Empowerment Theory. At post-test, program participants in the intervention group as compared to those in the control group demonstrated significantly lower levels of BMI, diastolic blood pressure, and physical stress. Implications of these study findings for future similar programs and research are discussed.

Sex, gender, and pain: a review of recent clinical and experimental findings.

UNLABELLED: Sex-related influences on pain and analgesia have become a topic of tremendous scientific and clinical interest, especially in the last 10 to 15 years. Members of our research group published reviews of this literature more than a decade ago, and the intervening time period has witnessed robust growth in research regarding sex, gender, and pain. Therefore, it seems timely to revisit this literature. Abundant evidence from recent epidemiologic studies clearly demonstrates that women are at substantially greater risk for many clinical pain conditions, and there is some suggestion that postoperative and procedural pain may be more severe among women than men. Consistent with our previous reviews, current human findings regarding sex differences in experimental pain indicate greater pain sensitivity among females compared with males for most pain modalities, including more recently implemented clinically relevant pain models such as temporal summation of pain and intramuscular injection of algesic substances. The evidence regarding sex differences in laboratory measures of endogenous pain modulation is mixed, as are findings from studies using functional brain imaging to ascertain sex differences in pain-related cerebral activation. Also inconsistent are findings regarding sex differences in responses to pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic pain treatments. The article concludes with a discussion of potential biopsychosocial mechanisms that may underlie sex differences in pain, and considerations for future research are discussed. PERSPECTIVE: This article reviews the recent literature regarding sex, gender, and pain. The growing body of evidence that has accumulated in the past 10 to 15 years continues to indicate substantial sex differences in clinical and experimental pain responses, and some evidence suggests that pain treatment responses may differ for women versus men.