[The relationship of gastrointestinal symptoms and menstrual cycle phase in young healthy women]. / Tengsl meltingarfaeraeinkenna vid hluta tídahrings hjá ungum, hraustum konum.

BACKGROUND: Abdominal discomfort is a common complaint by women and may vary with the menstrual cycle. The aim of this study was to investigate abdominal symptoms and general well being of women in relation to different phases of the menstrual cycle as well as gastrointestinal transit time. METHODS: Fourteen young women who were not using any contraceptive medications were recruited. Questionnaire was used to exclude functional gastrointestinal problems. Questionnaires on abdominal symptoms and general well being were used. Gastric emptying time, small intestinal transit time and colonic transit time were measured and serum sex hormone concentrations were measured at three points in the menstrual cycle. RESULTS: Abdominal symptoms were significantly more pronounced at the beginning of the follicular phase. Gastric emptying and colonic transit times were not significantly different between the follicular and the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. Small bowel transit was faster in the luteal phase (75,7 min) compared with the follicular phase (99,3 min). There was no correlation between the transit times, symptoms or hormone concentrations. CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate that women experience more abdominal symptoms at the beginning of the follicular phase compared to the early luteal phase. Small bowel transit appears to be faster in the luteal phase than in the follicular phase. Further studies on the relationship of gastrointestinal symptoms and the menstrual cycle are needed.

Subclinical intestinal inflammation: an inherited abnormality in Crohn's disease relatives?

BACKGROUND & AIMS: One approach to unraveling the genetics of complex inherited disease, such as Crohn's disease, is to search for subclinical disease markers among unaffected family members. We assessed the possible presence, prevalence, and inheritance pattern of subclinical intestinal inflammation in apparently healthy relatives of patients with Crohn's disease. METHODS: A total of 49 patients with Crohn's disease, 16 spouses, and 151 (58%) of 260 available first-degree relatives underwent a test for intestinal inflammation (fecal calprotectin concentration). The mode of inheritance was assessed from 36 index patients (by variance component analysis) when more than 50% of relatives were studied. RESULTS: Fecal calprotectin concentrations in patients with Crohn's disease (47 mg/L; confidence interval [CI], 27-95 mg/L) and relatives (11 mg/L; CI, 9-14 mg/L) differed significantly (P < 0.0001) from controls (4 mg/L; CI, 3-5 mg/L), whereas that of the spouses did not (4 mg/L; CI, 3-6 mg/L; P > 0.5). Fecal calprotectin concentration was increased in 49% of all relatives studied. The increased fecal calprotectin concentration among the relatives of the 36 index patients had an inheritance pattern that was most consistent with an additive inheritance pattern. CONCLUSIONS: There is a high prevalence of subclinical intestinal inflammation in first-degree relatives of patients with Crohn's disease that conforms best to an additive inheritance pattern. The genetic basis for this abnormality may represent a risk factor for Crohn's disease.

[Effect of Pentavac and MMR vaccination on the intestine.].

OBJECTIVE: The safety of infant vaccination has been questioned in recent years. In particular it has been suggested that the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination leads to brain damage manifesting as autism consequent to the development of an "enterocolitis" in the immediate post-vaccination period. AIM: To assess if MMR vaccination is associated with sub-clinical intestinal inflammation which is central to the autistic "enterocolitis" theory. The study was not designed to test directly the association of autism to MMR vaccination. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We studied 109/20 infants, before and two and four weeks after immunization with Pentavac and MMR vaccines, for the presence of intestinal inflammation (faecal calprotectin). RESULTS: Neither vaccination was associated with any significant increase in faecal calprotectin concentrations. CONCLUSIONS: The failure of the MMR vaccination to cause an intestinal inflammatory response provides evidence against the proposed gut-brain interaction that is central to the autistic "enterocolitis" hypothesis.