Evaluation of the impact of overlapping upper gastrointestinal symptoms on the clinical characteristics of patients with functional constipation, along with risk factor analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Functional constipation (FC), a common functional gastrointestinal disorder, is usually overlapping with upper gastrointestinal symptoms (UGS). We aimed to explore the clinical characteristics of patients with FC overlapping UGS along with the related risk factors. METHODS: The differences in the severity of constipation symptoms, psychological state, quality of life (QoL), anorectal motility and perception function, autonomic function, and the effect of biofeedback therapy (BFT) among patients with FC in different groups were analyzed, along with the risk factors of overlapping UGS. RESULTS: Compared with patients with FC alone, those with FC overlapping UGS had higher scores in the Patient Assessment of Constipation Symptoms and Self-Rating Anxiety Scale and lower scores in the Short Form-36 health survey (P < 0.05). Patients with FC overlapping UGS also had lower rectal propulsion, more negative autonomic nervous function, and worse BFT efficacy (P < 0.05). Overlapping UGS, especially overlapping functional dyspepsia, considerably affected the severity of FC. Logistic regression model showed that age, body mass index (BMI), anxiety, exercise, and sleep quality were independent factors influencing overlapping UGS in patients with FC. CONCLUSIONS: Overlapping UGS reduces the physical and mental health and the QoL of patients with FC. It also increases the difficulty in the treatment of FC. Patient's age, BMI, anxiety, physical exercise, and sleep quality might be predictors for FC overlapping UGS.

Rapid Detection of Bacterial Pathogens Causing Lower Respiratory Tract Infections via Microfluidic-Chip-Based Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification.

Respiratory tract infections (RTIs) are among the most common problems in clinical settings. Rapid and accurate identification of bacterial pathogens will provide practical guidelines for managing and treating RTIs. This study describes a method for rapidly detecting bacterial pathogens that cause respiratory tract infections via multi-channel loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP). LAMP is a sensitive and specific diagnostic tool that rapidly detects bacterial nucleic acids with high accuracy and reliability. The proposed method offers a significant advantage over traditional bacterial culturing methods, which are time-consuming and often require greater sensitivity for detecting low levels of bacterial nucleic acids. This article presents representative results of K. pneumoniae infection and its multiple co-infections using LAMP to detect samples (sputum, bronchial lavage fluid, and alveolar lavage fluid) from the lower respiratory tract. In summary, the multi-channel LAMP method provides a rapid and efficient means of identifying single and multiple bacterial pathogens in clinical samples, which can help prevent the spread of bacterial pathogens and aid in the appropriate treatment of RTIs.

Rapid discrimination of four Salmonella enterica serovars: A performance comparison between benchtop and handheld Raman spectrometers.

Foodborne illnesses, particularly those caused by Salmonella enterica with its extensive array of over 2600 serovars, present a significant public health challenge. Therefore, prompt and precise identification of S. enterica serovars is essential for clinical relevance, which facilitates the understanding of S. enterica transmission routes and the determination of outbreak sources. Classical serotyping methods via molecular subtyping and genomic markers currently suffer from various limitations, such as labour intensiveness, time consumption, etc. Therefore, there is a pressing need to develop new diagnostic techniques. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a non-invasive diagnostic technique that can generate Raman spectra, based on which rapid and accurate discrimination of bacterial pathogens could be achieved. To generate SERS spectra, a Raman spectrometer is needed to detect and collect signals, which are divided into two types: the expensive benchtop spectrometer and the inexpensive handheld spectrometer. In this study, we compared the performance of two Raman spectrometers to discriminate four closely associated S. enterica serovars, that is, S. enterica subsp. enterica serovar dublin, enteritidis, typhi and typhimurium. Six machine learning algorithms were applied to analyse these SERS spectra. The support vector machine (SVM) model showed the highest accuracy for both handheld (99.97%) and benchtop (99.38%) Raman spectrometers. This study demonstrated that handheld Raman spectrometers achieved similar prediction accuracy as benchtop spectrometers when combined with machine learning models, providing an effective solution for rapid, accurate and cost-effective identification of closely associated S. enterica serovars.

A Case of Invasive Fungal Infection Due to Scedosporium apiospermum in a Patient with Psoriasis.

Scedosporium apiospermum (S. apiospermum) is typically reported to be involved in superficial and subcutaneous fungal infections but overlooked in invasive infections, which is associated with a high mortality rate. It poses a diagnostic challenge due to its confusable characteristics to other hyaline hyphomycetes. Here, we reported a psoriasis patient with an invasive S. apiospermum infection. The patient presents an abscess at the intermuscular space of the left hip and an increased C-reactive protein level. Pus culture showed white-greyish, cottonlike colonies with aerial mycelium and terminal oval conidia, suggesting S. apiospermum. This rare fungus was rapidly confirmed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry and RNA sequencing. The patient was successfully treated with voriconazole with no recurrence of the abscesses despite delayed treatment. This is the first such case infection report from China that described an unusual case of intermuscular space abscesses due to S. apiospermum. This report highlights the possibility of fungal infections in deeper tissue, as well as the necessity of thorough evaluation and microbiological diagnosis for invasive infections, particularly in immunocompromised patients.

Case Report: Double trouble: a rare case of successfully treated Mycoplasma hominis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa co-infection.

Background: Extra-urogenital infections due to Mycoplasma hominis (M. hominis) are rare, particularly co-infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa). Herein, we report on a patient who was co-infected and successfully treated despite delayed treatment. Case presentation: We reported the case of a 43-year-old man with M. hominis and P. aeruginosa co-infection after a traffic accident. The patient developed a fever and severe infection despite postoperative antimicrobial therapies. The blood culture of wound tissues was positive for P. aeruginosa. Meanwhile, culturing of blood and wound samples showed pinpoint-sized colonies on blood agar plates and fried-egg-type colonies on mycoplasma medium, which were identified as M. hominis by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) and 16S rRNA sequencing. Based on antibiotic susceptibility and symptoms, ceftazidime-avibactam and moxifloxacin were administered for P. aeruginosa infection. Meanwhile, after the failure of a series of anti-infective agents, M. hominis and P. aeruginosa co-infection was successfully treated with a minocycline-based regimen and polymyxin B. Conclusion: The co-infection with M. hominis and P. aeruginosa was successfully treated with anti-infective agents despite delayed treatment, providing information for the management of double infection.

Catheter-related infections caused by Mycobacterium abscessus in a patient with motor neurone disease: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Mycobacterium abscessus (M. abscessus) is a rapidly growing mycobacterium and ubiquitous in the environment, which infrequently causes disease in humans. However, it can cause cutaneous or respiratory infections among immunocompromised hosts. Due to the resistance to most antibiotics, the pathogen is formidable and difficult-to-treat. CASE SUMMARY: Here, we present a case of catheter-related M. abscessus infections in a patient with motor neurone disease. Catheter and peripheral blood cultures of the patient showed positive results during Gram staining and acid-fast staining. The alarm time of catheter blood culture was 10.6 h earlier than that of peripheral blood. After removal of the peripherally inserted central catheter, secretion and catheter blood culture were positive. M. abscessus was identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry and 16S rDNA sequencing. CONCLUSION: For catheter-related M. abscessus infection, rapid diagnosis and timely and adequate antimicrobial therapy are crucial.

Sex differences in symptoms, high-resolution manometry values and efficacy of peroral endoscopic myotomy in Chinese patients with achalasia.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to identify the differences in symptoms, high-resolution manometry (HRM) characteristics, and the efficacy of peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) regarding patients' sex in achalasia. METHODS: All patients diagnosed with achalasia by HRM who underwent POEM and were followed up for more than 6 months were included. The individual characteristics, symptoms and signs, POEM findings, HRM results and potentially related complications in male and female patients were reviewed. RESULTS: Prior to POEM, dysphagia was more severe in female than male patients (P = 0.044), while regurgitation was more severe (P = 0.013) and heartburn was more common in male patients (P = 0.003). Regarding HRM characteristics, the lower esophageal sphincter pressure (LESP) was higher (P = 0.01) and length of esophagus was shorter in female patients than in male patients. Eckardt scores, LESP and integrated relaxation pressure were significantly improved after the POEM procedure (P < 0.001). No significant difference was observed between the sexes regarding the efficacy of POEM, reflux symptoms, HRM data and complications after POEM. CONCLUSIONS: Before they seek treatment, female patients with achalasia may experience severe dysphagia and male patients are more likely to experience heartburn and more severe regurgitation. POEM is a safe and effective option for treating both male and female patients with achalasia.

Reference intervals for thyroid-stimulating hormone and thyroid hormones using the access TSH 3rd IS method in China.

BACKGROUND: To calculate the reference intervals for thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and thyroid hormones using the Access TSH 3rd IS method and evaluate the differences between age and genders in Chinese populations. METHODS: This study collected 349 serum samples of healthy subjects were from Shengli Oilfield Central Hospital in China. Subjects who tested positive for thyroid peroxidase antibody or thyroglobulin antibody were excluded. Accordingly, 313 subjects were included for establishing reference intervals for the thyroid hormones. The serum concentrations of TSH, total and free thyroxine (TT4 and FT4), and total and free triiodothyronine (TT3 and FT3) were measured using the Access TSH 3rd IS method. The 2.5th and 97.5th percentiles or mean with standard deviation were calculated as the reference interval as appropriate. RESULTS: The reference intervals for TSH, FT4, FT3, TT4, and TT3 calculated in present study were 0.61-4.16 mIU/L, 0.67-1.11 ng/dL, 2.63-4.33 pg/mL, 5.56-11.33 µg/dL, and 0.72-1.32 ng/mL, respectively. The FT3, TT4, and TT3 levels in males were significantly higher than in females (P < .05), while TSH levels in males were significantly lower than in females (P < .05). The levels of FT3 in subjects with the age of less than 30 years were significantly higher than other groups (P < .05). CONCLUSION: The present study provided a valid basis for the reference intervals for TSH, FT4, FT3, TT4, and TT3 in Chinese populations. In addition, this present study indicated that age and gender should be considered in diagnostic evaluation of thyroid diseases.

Risk factors for flat anterior chamber after glaucoma filtration surgery.

AIM: To investigate the incidence rate and risk factors for grade III flat anterior chamber (FAC) after glaucoma filtration surgery based on 5-year data. METHODS: Patients who underwent glaucoma filtration surgery in Daping hospital from January 2009 to December 2013 were enrolled in this retrospective study. The incidence of grade III FAC following glaucoma filtration surgery was determined. Regression analysis was performed to investigate the influence of glaucoma type, surgical approach, age, and preoperative intraocular pressure (IOP) on the risk of postoperative FAC. RESULTS: A total of 2179 eyes receiving anti-glaucoma surgery were included. Ninety-one eyes suffered from postoperative FAC, with an overall incidence rate of 4.18%. Of 471 eyes with primary open angle glaucoma (POAG), grade III FAC occurred in only 3 eyes (0.64%). Primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG) was diagnosed in 1076 eyes, 39 (3.62%) of which developed grade III FAC, including 12 eyes (12/300, 4%) with acute PACG (aPACG) and 27 eyes (27/776, 3.48%) with chronic PACG (cPACG). Six of 259 eyes (2.32%) with secondary glaucoma, 28 of 186 eyes (15.05%) with neovasular glaucoma, 1 of 66 eyes (1.52%) with congenital glaucoma, and 14 of 115 eyes (12.17%) with remnant glaucoma suffered from grade III FAC. Of 6 eyes with mixed glaucoma, none developed grade III FAC after surgery. When stratified by surgical approach, 24 of 766 eyes (3.13%) undergoing trabeculectomy, 21 of 924 eyes (2.27%) treated by trabeculectomy plus mitomycin C (MMC), 18 of 109 eyes (16.51%) undergoing Ahmed glaucoma valve implantation, 23 of 201 eyes (11.44%) managed by Ahmed implantation plus MMC, and 5 of 133 eyes (3.76%) treated by Ahmed implantation plus lens extraction or vitrectomy developed grade III FAC. Logistic regression analysis revealed that factors including neovasular glaucoma, remnant glaucoma, glaucoma valve implantation, glaucoma valve implantation+MMC, glaucoma valve implantation+vitrectomy, age>60y, and IOP at admission >50 mm Hg were significantly associated with an increased risk for grade III FAC. CONCLUSION: The overall incidence of grade III FAC after glaucoma filtration surgery is 4.18%. Patients with neovasular glaucoma and remnant glaucoma are at a higher risk of developing FAC. Ahmed glaucoma valve implantation is associated with a higher risk for grade III FAC compared with trabeculectomy. No significant correlation was observed between the use of MMC in glaucoma filtration surgery and the risk of postoperative FAC. Higher IOP at admission (>50 mm Hg) and old age (>60y) are risk factors for grade III FAC.

Analysis of the Effect of 60Co-γ Irradiation Sterilization Technology on the Chemical Composition of Saffron Using UPLC and UPLC/Q-TOF-MS.

To evaluate the effect of 60Co-γ irradiation sterilization technology on the chemical composition of saffron, we collected 10 batches of saffron samples and treated them with different irradiation doses. UPLC characteristic chromatogram showed that there was no significant effect of irradiation on 13 common peak areas. The results of cluster analysis and principal component analysis showed that there were no differences in the chemical composition in nonirradiated and irradiated samples. UPLC/Q-TOF-MS identified 40 characteristic components of saffron, and the results showed that all of these were detected in the saffron samples both with and without irradiation. Irradiation doses at or below 10 kGy had no significant effect on the chemical components of saffron. This provides a sound basis for the use of 60Co-γ ray irradiation sterilization technology during the preparation of original powder saffron as a medicinal herb, for the effective destruction of mycotoxin contamination.

A feasibility study of using biodegradable magnesium alloy in glaucoma drainage device.

Technological advances in glaucoma have challenged the traditional treatment paradigm. Historically incisional surgery has been used in cases of advanced disease and/or uncontrolled intraocular pressures resistant to medical or laser interventions. More recently, perhaps due to advancements in imaging, surgery has been suggested to be beneficial earlier in the treatment paradigm. Despite these trends, surgical manipulation of the tissues and unpredictability of wound healing continue to result in surgical failure. Magnesium is an essential element for human body and plays a critically important role in maintaining the functional and structural integrity of several tissues, including the eye. Due to several of its advantageous properties such as non-toxicity, biodegradability, and high biological compatibility, magnesium alloy has attracted great attention as a novel biomaterial. Biodegradable cardiovascular stents made of magnesium alloy have already been introduced into clinical practice. The purpose of this review is to determine if bioabsorbable magnesium alloys can be utilized as a promising candidate for the development of a new generation of glaucoma surgical assistive devices.

Influence of sleep disorders on somatic symptoms, mental health, and quality of life in patients with chronic constipation.

BACKGROUND: Sleep disturbance is a common symptom in CC patients, and it is positively related to greater somatic and psychiatric symptoms. METHODS: The participants were 126 adult outpatients with CC. The measures were: constipation-Constipation Scoring System (CSS) and Patient Assessment of Constipation-Symptoms (PAC-SYM); sleep-Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI); anxiety-General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7); depression-Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9); and QOL-Patient Assessment of Constipation Quality of Life (PAC-QOL) and SF-36. Patients were divided into sleep-disorder and normal-sleep groups by their PSQI scores. RESULTS: The sleep-disorder group had significantly higher rates of incomplete defecation and blockage and higher CSS scores, PAC-SYM total scores, and PAC-SYM rectal-item scores than the normal-sleep group. GAD-7 and PHQ-9 scores were significantly higher in patients with poor sleep. Furthermore, sleep disorders, depression, and anxiety were all positively correlated with constipation severity. "Worry/anxiety" score of PAC-QOL scale was significantly higher and scores for seven SF-36 subscales were significantly lower in patients with poor sleep. In addition, correlation analyses showed significant negative relations between QOL and constipation, sleep disturbance, anxiety as well as depression. However, multiple regression revealed that PAC-QOL was positively associated with severe constipation and SF-36 was negatively associated with anxiety and depression. But sleep disturbance was not the independent risk factor for QOL of CC patients. CONCLUSION: Sleep disorders may worsen the physical- and mental health of CC patients. Sleep disturbance may lower CC patients' QOL indirectly through the combined effects of anxiety, depression, and constipation.

Estrogen regulates the expression of small-conductance Ca-activated K+ channels in colonic smooth muscle cells.

AIM: This study aimed to determine the effects of small-conductance Ca(2+)-activated K(+) (SK) channels in colonic relaxation and the regulation of SK channels by estrogen. METHODS: The contractile activity of muscle strips from male rats was estimated, and drugs including vehicle (DMSO), 17ß-estradiol (E2), or apamin (SK blocker) were added, respectively. In a further experiment, muscle strips were preincubated with apamin before exposure to E2. The levels of the SK2 and SK3 protein expression in the colonic smooth muscle cells (SMCs) were detected. SMCs were treated with ICI 182780 (estrogen receptor [ER] antagonist) plus E2, BSA-E2, PPT (ERα agonist), or DPN (ERß agonist). SK3 mRNA and protein expression levels were detected. RESULTS: The muscle strips responded to E2 with a decrease and to apamin with a transient increase in tension. Preincubation with apamin partially prevented E2-induced relaxation. Two SK channel subtypes, SK2 and SK3, were coexpressed with α-actin in colonic SMCs. The quantitative ratio of the SK transcriptional expression in colonic SMCs was SK3 > SK2. The SK3 expression was upregulated by E2, and was downregulated by ICI 182780, but was not influenced by BSA-E2. Furthermore, the effect of PPT on the expression of SK3 was almost the same as that of E2, while DPN did not influence the protein expression of SK3. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that SK3 is involved in the E2-induced relaxing effect on rat colonic smooth muscle. Furthermore, E2 upregulates the expression of SK3 in rat SMCs, and that this effect is mediated via the ERα receptor.

[Estradiol regulates the expression of small conductance Ca(2)+ activated K(+) channel 3 in rat colonic smooth muscle cells in an estrogen receptor α-dependent manner].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects and possible mechanism of 17ß-estradiol on the expression of small conductance Ca(2+) activated K(+) channel 3 (SK3) in rat colonic smooth muscle cells (SMC). METHODS: The SMC isolated from male SD rats by enzymolysis were cultured. And double immunofluorescence staining was used to detect the co-expression of SK3 and α-actin. Colonic SMC were cultured with different concentrations of 17ß-estradiol for 24 h or with 50 nmol/L 17ß-estradiol at different time points respectively. The expressions of SK3 in colonic SMC were measured by real-time quantitative reverse transcription (qRT)-PCR and Western blotting. The effects of estrogen receptor (ER) inhibitor ICI 182780, albumin bovine serum-17ß-estradiol (BSA-E2), ERα selective agonist propyl pyrazole triol (PPT) and ERß selective agonist diarylpropionitrile (DPN) on SK3 expression were observed. RESULTS: Double immunofluorescence staining showed that SK3 and α-actin co-expressed in cultured colonic SMC. The expression of SK3 of 17ß-estradiol at different concentration (10, 50 nmol/L) significantly higher than the control group (protein: 0.217 ± 0.030 and 0.321 ± 0.077 vs 0.103 ± 0.063, mRNA: 1.872 ± 0.606 and 2.967 ± 0.659 vs 0.813 ± 0.202, all P < 0.05). And 50 nmol/L was the most effective in vitro concentration. The peak expression of SK3 appeared at 12 and 24 hour (2.91 and 3.30-fold in protein vs 3.46 and 3.37-fold in mRNA respectively, all P < 0.05). The protein levels of SK3 in ICI 182780 plus 17ß-estradiol group was less than 17ß-estradiol group (0.111 ± 0.050 vs 0.351 ± 0.084, P < 0.05). But it was not influenced by BSA-E2. The expressions of SK3 in PPT and E2 groups were both higher than control group (0.270 ± 0.071, 0.309 ± 0.052 vs 0.087 ± 0.018, both P < 0.05) . However DPN had no effect on SK3 protein levels. CONCLUSIONS: SK3 is localized in rat colonic SMC. And 17ß-estradiol increases its expression in an ERα-dependent manner.

Effect of endogenous insulin-like growth factor and stem cell factor on diabetic colonic dysmotility.

AIM: To investigate whether the reduction of stem cell factor (SCF) is mediated by decreased endogenous insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 in diabetic rat colon smooth muscle. METHODS: Sixteen Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into two groups: control group and streptozotocin-induced diabetic group. After 8 wk of streptozotocin administration, colonic motility function and contractility of circular muscle strips were measured. The expression of endogenous IGF-1 and SCF was tested in colonic tissues. Colonic smooth muscle cells were cultured from normal adult rats. IGF-1 siRNA transfection was used to investigate whether SCF expression was affected by endogenous IGF-1 expression in smooth muscle cells, and IGF-1 induced SCF expression effects were studied. The effect of high glucose on the expression of endogenous IGF-1 and SCF was also investigated. RESULTS: Diabetic rats showed prolonged colonic transit time (252 ± 16 min vs 168 ± 9 min, P < 0.01) and weakness of circular muscle contraction (0.81 ± 0.09 g vs 2.48 ± 0.23 g, P < 0.01) compared with the control group. Endogenous IGF-1 and SCF protein expression was significantly reduced in the diabetic colonic muscle tissues. IGF-1 and SCF mRNA expression also showed a paralleled reduction in diabetic rats. In the IGF-1 siRNA transfected smooth muscle cells, SCF mRNA and protein expression was significantly decreased. IGF-1 could induce SCF expression in a concentration and time-dependent manner, mainly through the extracellular-signal-regulated kinase 1/2 signal pathway. High glucose inhibited endogenous IGF-1 and SCF expression and the addition of IGF-1 to the medium reversed the SCF expression. CONCLUSION: Myopathy may resolve in colonic motility dysfunction in diabetic rats. Deficiency of endogenous IGF-1 in colonic smooth muscle cells leads to reduction of SCF expression.

Five-year follow-up of 263 cases of functional bowel disorder.

AIM: To determine the mortality associated with functional bowel disorders (FBDs) and their possible relationship with organic bowel disease. METHODS: Patients who satisfied the Rome III criteria for FBD (retrospective diagnosis) were followed up by telephone interview and/or outpatient review at 5 years after their first attendance. The patients were divided into the following groups: irritable bowel syndrome, functional abdominal bloating, functional constipation, functional diarrhea and unspecified FBD. The survival of the FBD patients overall and of those with each FBD were compared with data obtained from the Guangzhou population in 2005. The incidences of colonic cancer overall and for each FBD were compared with data from the Chinese population obtained from 56 cancer registries in 19 provinces of the country in 2008. RESULTS: Two hundred and sixty-three patients were followed-up. Five patients died, which was not significantly different from the expected survival rate. No differences in mortality among the FBDs were found. There were nine cases of organic bowel disease: three colonic cancers and six colonic polyps. The incidence of colonic cancer in FBD patients was higher than that in the general Chinese population (0.23% vs 0.03%, P < 0.05). There were significant differences in the incidence of colonic cancer among the FBDs (0/134, 0/24, 2/29, 1/66, 0/10, respectively, P < 0.05); functional constipation was the most common. The incidence of colonic polyps was similar among the FBDs. The baseline age of patients who died was greater than that of those who survived (66.60 ± 6.84 years vs 45.14 ± 10.34 years, P < 0.05). The baseline age of patients who had colonic cancer or polyps during follow-up was greater than that of those without colonic cancer or polyps (60.33 ± 1.53 years vs 45.38 ± 10.62 years; 54.50 ± 6.47 years vs 45.34 ± 10.68 years, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: FBDs do not increase the risk of death. The incidence of colonic cancer in patients with FBDs may be increased, especially in those with functional constipation and in the elderly.

Sex differences in the symptoms and psychological factors that influence quality of life in patients with irritable bowel syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between gender and symptomatology, psychological factors, and quality of life (QOL) in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). METHODS: The diagnosis of IBS was made on the basis of the Rome III Criteria. A physician obtained demographic and symptom data, Zung Self-Rated Anxiety and Depression Scale scores (SAS/SDS), and IBS-specific quality-of-life ratings (IBS-QOL). RESULTS: Of the 4015 patients approached, 452 patients were diagnosed with IBS. Age ranged from 14 to 79 years (44.05 ± 14.89 years) and the male to female ratio was 1 : 1.3. The gender composition between the four IBS subtypes differed significantly (P<0.01). Male and female patients differed in their rating of abdominal pain/discomfort in terms of severity and time (P<0.01). Groups did not differ with regard to attack frequency. Female patients more frequently reported headache, dizziness, backache, muscular soreness, inappetence, insomnia, and fatigue (P<0.01). In comparison with men, anxiety and depression scores were significantly higher in women (P<0.01). Severity, duration, and frequency of abdominal pain/discomfort did not correlate with IBS-QOL scores. Insomnia/fatigue was negatively correlated with IBS-QOL scores (P<0.01). SAS and SDS scores were negatively correlated with IBS-QOL (total score and each subscale; P<0.01). CONCLUSION: There are significant gender differences in the symptoms, psychological rating, and QOL scores in IBS. Somatic symptoms, anxiety, and depression all contribute to the negative impact of IBS. Our findings suggest that gender differences should be recognized in IBS treatment.

Age-related symptom and life quality changes in women with irritable bowel syndrome.

AIM: To explore age-related changes in symptoms and quality of life (QoL) of women with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). METHODS: Two-hundred and fifty-four female adult outpatients with IBS attending the Department of Gastroenterology at the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University between January, 2008 and October, 2008 were approached. Patients with a history of abdominal surgery, mental illness or those who had recently taken psychotropic drugs were excluded. A physician obtained demographic and abdominal symptom data. All patients were asked to complete the Zung Self-Rated Anxiety and Depression Scale (SDS/SAS) and the IBS-specific QoL questionnaire. The patients were divided into six groups according to age, in 10-year increments: 18-27 years, 28-37 years, 38-47 years, 48-57 years, 58-67 years and 68-75 years (maximum 75 years). Age-related differences of abdominal pain or discomfort were analyzed using rank-sum tests. Differences in SDS/SAS and IBS-QoL scores between age groups were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance. Pearson's correlations evaluated potential associations between IBS symptoms, psychological factors and QoL in each age group. RESULTS: There were no differences in the distribution of IBS subtypes between age groups (χ(2) = 20.516, P = 0.153). Differences in the severity of abdominal pain/discomfort with age were statistically significant (χ(2) = 25.638, P < 0.001); patients aged 48-57 years, 58-67 years or 68-75 years had milder abdominal pain/discomfort than those in the younger age groups. The severity of anxiety or depressive symptoms did not differ between age groups (SDS, χ(2) = 390.845, P = 0.110; SAS, χ(2) = 360.071, P = 0.220). Differences of IBS-QoL scores were statistically significant between age groups (χ(2) = 1098.458, P = 0.011). The scores of patients in the 48-57-year group were lower than those in the 18-27-year and 28-37-year groups (48-57-year group vs 18-27-year group, 74.88 ± 8.76 vs 79.76 ± 8.63, P = 0.021; 48-57-year group vs 28-37-year group, 74.88 ± 8.76 vs 79.04 ± 8.32, P = 0.014). The scores in the 68-75-year group were lower than those in the 18-27-year, 28-37-year and 38-47-year groups (68-75-year group vs 18-27-year group, 71.98 ± 9.83 vs 79.76 ± 8.63, P = 0.003; 68-75-year group vs 28-37-year group, 71.98 ± 9.83 vs 79.04 ± 8.32, P = 0.002; 68-75-year group vs 38-47-year group,71.98 ± 9.83 vs 76.44 ± 8.15, P = 0.039). Anxiety and depression were negatively correlated with QoL in all age groups (SDS and QoL: 18-27-year group, r = -0.562, P = 0.005; 28-37-year group, r = -0.540, P < 0.001; 38-47-year group, r = -0.775, P < 0.001; 48-57-year group, r = -0.445, P = 0.001; 58-67-year group, r = -0.692, P < 0.001; 68-75-year group, r = -0.732, P < 0.001. SAS and QoL: 18-27-year group, r = -0.600, P = 0.002; 28-37-year group, r = -0.511, P < 0.001; 38-47-year group, r = -0.675, P < 0.001; 48-57-year group, r = -0.558, 58-67-year group, P = 0.001; r = -0.588, P < 0.001; 68-75-year group, r = -0.811, P < 0.001). A negative correlation between abdominal pain severity and QoL was found in patients aged more than 58 years (58-67-year group, r = -0.366, P = 0.017; 68-75-year group, r = -0.448, P = 0.048 ), but not in younger patients (18-27-year group, r = 0.080, P = 0.716; 28-37-year group, r = -0.063, P = 0.679; 38-47-year group, r = -0.029, P = 0.812; 48-57-year group, r = -0.022, P = 0.876). CONCLUSION: Factors affecting QoL should always be treated in IBS, especially emotional problems in young adults. Even mild abdominal pain should be controlled in elderly patients.

Roles of stem cell factor on the depletion of interstitial cells of Cajal in the colon of diabetic mice.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of stem cell factor (SCF) on interstitial cell of Cajal (ICC) depletion in the colon of diabetic mice. Male C57/BL6 mice were treated by a single intraperitoneally injected dose of streptozotocin, and those displaying sustained high blood glucose were selected as diabetes mellitus models. Six groups of mice were used: three groups of normal nondiabetic mice (untreated and treated with IgG or SCF antibody), and three groups of diabetic mice (untreated and treated with vehicle or SCF). Changes of the ICC quantities were analyzed by immunohistochemistry. ICC morphologies were observed with transmission electron microscopy. The SCF levels in sera and colon tissues were detected by ELISA and Western blot, respectively. The nondiabetic mice treated with SCF antibody and the untreated diabetic mice showed decreased SCF levels in the sera and colonic tissues, reduced numbers of ICC, and pathological changes of the ICC ultrastructures, whereas the nondiabetic mice treated with mouse IgG showed no significant changes compared with the nondiabetic mice. The diabetic mice treated with exogenous SCF showed restored SCF levels in both sera and colon tissues and improvement in the numbers of ICC and the damages of ICC ultrastructures, whereas the vehicle control of diabetic mice showed no significant changes compared with the diabetic mice. The blood glucose remained high and unchanged with the treatment of SCF or vehicle in the diabetic mice. These results indicate that diabetic mice show a decline in the number of ICC and impairment in the ultrastructures of ICC, and these abnormalities are attributed to a deficiency in the endogenous SCF but are not related to hyperglycemia. Exogenous SCF partially reverses the pathological changes of ICC in diabetic mice.

Evaluation of protein phosphorylation site predictors.

A series of elegant phosphorylation site prediction methods have been developed, which are playing an increasingly important role in accelerating the experimental characterization of phosphorylation sites in phosphoproteins. In this study, we selected six recently published methods (DISPHOS, NetPhosK, PPSP, KinasePhos, Scansite and PredPhospho) to evaluate their performance. First, we compiled three testing datasets containing experimentally verified phosphorylation sites for mammalian, Arabidopsis and rice proteins. Then, we present the prediction performance of the tested methods on these three independent datasets. Rather than quantitatively ranking the performance of these methods, we focused on providing an understanding of the overall performance of the predictors. Based on this evaluation, we found the following results: i) current phosphorylation site predictors are not effective for practical use and there is substantial need to improve phosphorylation site prediction; ii) current predictors perform poorly when used to predict phosphorylation sites in plant phosphoproteins, suggesting that a rice-specific predictor will be required to obtain confident computational annotation of phosphorylation sites in rice proteomics research; and iii) the tested predictors are complementary to some extent, implying that establishment of a meta-server might be a promising approach to developing an improved prediction system.