The Association Between a Mediterranean Diet and Symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Low adherence to Mediterranean diet (MD) has been shown to be associated with a higher prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), but its association with IBS symptoms is not established. We aim to assess the association between MD and IBS symptoms, identify components of MD associated with IBS symptoms, and determine if a symptom-modified MD is associated with changes in the gut microbiome. METHODS: One hundred and six Rome +IBS and 108 health control participants completed diet history and gastrointestinal symptom questionnaires. Adherence to MD was measured using Alternate Mediterranean Diet and Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener. Sparse partial least squares analysis identified MD food items associated with IBS symptoms. Stool samples were collected for 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing and microbial composition analysis in IBS subjects. RESULTS: Alternate Mediterranean Diet and Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener scores were similar between IBS and health control subjects and did not correlate with Irritable Bowel Syndrome Severity Scoring System, abdominal pain, or bloating. Among IBS participants, a higher consumption of fruits, vegetables, sugar, and butter was associated with a greater severity of IBS symptoms. Multivariate analysis identified several MD foods to be associated with increased IBS symptoms. A higher adherence to symptom-modified MD was associated with a lower abundance of potentially harmful Faecalitalea, Streptococcus, and Intestinibacter, and higher abundance of potentially beneficial Holdemanella from the Firmicutes phylum. CONCLUSIONS: A standard MD was not associated with IBS symptom severity, although certain MD foods were associated with increased IBS symptoms. Our study suggests that standard MD may not be suitable for all patients with IBS and likely needs to be personalized in those with increased symptoms.

Endoscopy for the diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal bleeding caused by malignancy.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding secondary to malignancy can be challenging. Endoscopy is the gold standard to diagnose and treat gastrointestinal bleeding but clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with malignancy-related bleeding are not well understood. This study aims to look at clinical characteristics, endoscopic findings, safety and clinical outcomes of endoscopic interventions for GI malignancy-related bleeding. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed outcomes of patients with confirmed GI malignancies who underwent endoscopy for GI bleeding at MD Anderson Cancer Center between 2010 and 2019. Cox hazard analysis was conducted to identify factors associated with survival. RESULTS: A total of 313 patients were included, with median age of 59 years; 74.8% were male. The stomach (30.0%) was the most common tumor location. Active bleeding was evident endoscopically in 47.3% of patients. Most patients (77.3%) did not receive endoscopic treatment. Of the patients who received endoscopic treatment, 57.7% had hemostasis. No endoscopy-related adverse events were recorded. Endoscopic treatment was associated with hemostasis (P < 0.001), but not decreased recurrent bleeding or mortality. Absence of active bleeding on endoscopy, stable hemodynamic status at presentation, lower cancer stage, and surgical intervention were associated with improved survival. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that endoscopy is a safe diagnostic tool in this patient population; while endoscopic treatments may help achieve hemostasis, it may not decrease the risk of recurrent bleeding or improve survival.

Ethnicity Is an Important Consideration in Screening for Gastric Intestinal Metaplasia.

BACKGROUND: Gastric intestinal metaplasia (GIM) is a precursor to gastric adenocarcinoma, making it an attractive target for early detection by endoscopy. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence, risk factors, and associated histologic findings of GIM among patients undergoing endoscopy in a diverse US population. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective, cross-sectional study of patients undergoing elective endoscopy with gastric biopsies at 6 academic and community centers in Houston, Texas. GIM prevalence was estimated with a 95% confidence interval (CI), and patient demographic and clinical characteristics were summarized using mean with standard deviation, or frequency with percentage. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) were used to compare characteristics between those with and without GIM. RESULTS: Our final cohort consisted of 2685 patients, including 216 cases with GIM and 2469 controls. The prevalence of GIM in our cohort was 8.04% (95% CI 7.07%, 9.14%). The mean age of GIM cases was higher than in the control group (59.8 vs 54.7 years, p < 0.0001). The prevalence of GIM in Asians, Hispanic, Black and Non-Hispanic Whites (NHW) was 14.7%, 11.7%, 9.8% and 5.8%, respectively. On multivariable analysis, factors associated with GIM include age (adj. OR 1.32 per 10 year increase, p < 0.0001), habitual smoking (adj. OR 1.68, p < 0.0001), and race (compared to NHW: Asian, adj. OR 2.34, p = 0.010; Hispanic, adj. OR 2.15, p < 0.001; Black, adj. OR 1.61, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Asians, Hispanics, and African Americans have higher rates of GIM than NHW. Ethnicity should be an important consideration on determining who to screen for GIM in the US.

Alcohol use alters the colonic mucosa-associated gut microbiota in humans.

Alcohol misuse is a risk factor for many adverse health outcomes. Alcohol misuse has been associated with an imbalance of gut microbiota in preclinical models and alcoholic diseases. We hypothesized that daily alcohol use would change the community composition and structure of the human colonic gut microbiota. Thirty-four polyp-free individuals donated 97 snap-frozen colonic biopsies. Microbial DNA was sequenced for the 16S ribosomal RNA gene hypervariable region 4. The SILVA database was used for operational taxonomic unit classification. Alcohol use was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire. We compared the biodiversity and relative abundance of the taxa among never drinkers (ND, n = 9), former drinkers (FD, n = 10), current light drinkers (LD, <2 drinks daily, n = 9), and current heavy drinkers (HD, ≥2 drinks daily, n = 6). False discovery rate-adjusted P values (q values) < .05 indicated statistical significance. HD had the lowest α diversity (Shannon index q value < 0.001), and HD's microbial composition differed the most from the other groups (P value = .002). LD had the highest relative abundance of Akkermansia (q values < 0.001). HD had the lowest relative abundance of Subdoligranulum, Roseburia, and Lachnospiraceaeunc91005 but the highest relative abundance of Lachnospiraceaeunc8895 (all q values < 0.05). The multivariable negative binomial regression model supported these observations. ND and FD had a similar microbial profile. Heavy alcohol use was associated with impaired gut microbiota that may partially mediate its effect on health outcomes.

Gastrointestinal toxic effects in patients with cancer receiving platinum-based therapy.

Background: Platinum-based therapy (PBT) can be limited by gastrointestinal adverse events, particularly PBT-related colitis and diarrhea (PCD). We studied clinical features, treatments, and outcomes of PCD. Methods: This was a retrospective study of cancer patients who received PBT and colonoscopic evaluation for PCD symptoms from 2009 to 2018. Results: Of 36,595 patients who received PBT, 86 (0.2%) met inclusion criteria. Median time from PBT initiation to PCD was 66 days. Regarding PBT type, 47% of the patients received carboplatin, 31% cisplatin, and 22% oxaliplatin. Median duration of PCD symptoms was 20 days. Colonoscopy revealed mucosal ulceration in 34% of the patients and nonulcerative inflammation in 33%. Half of the cohort needed hospitalization for PCD (49%). The majority received treatment for PCD (59%): immunosuppressive therapy in 21%, antibiotics in 27%, antimotility agents in 22%, and intravenous fluids in 51%. Eight patients (9%) were admitted to the intensive care unit for PCD management. Six patients (7%) experienced colonic perforation that required surgical intervention; two of them had gastrointestinal tumors. Physicians restarted PBT in 37 (43%) patients; 8 (22%) of them had PCD recurrence that was managed expectantly. Colonic perforation occurred more frequently with use of oxaliplatin and cisplatin than carboplatin (P=0.05). The median duration of PCD symptoms was longer in patients receiving carboplatin or cisplatin than in those receiving oxaliplatin (P=0.182). Conclusions: PCD is rare, but in a small subset of patients, it can lead to serious complications. Treatment of PCD is mainly supportive, but immunosuppressive therapy may be required.

Clinical characteristics of colitis induced by taxane-based chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Limited data are available concerning the clinical features of toxic gastrointestinal (GI) effects of taxane-based therapy. We describe the clinical, endoscopic and histologic features of taxane-induced colitis. METHODS: This retrospective study included cancer patients who received taxane therapy and underwent colonoscopy for GI symptoms from 2000-2018. RESULTS: Of the 45,527 patients who received taxane therapy during the study period, 76 (0.2%) met the inclusion criteria. Most patients (54%) received paclitaxel, 37% docetaxel, and 9% nab-paclitaxel. The median time from taxane therapy initiation to colitis symptom onset was 31 days. The median duration of colitis symptoms was 30 days. Colitis treatment comprised immunosuppressive therapy in 8 patients (11%), antibiotics in 17 (22%), antimotility agents in 18 (24%), and octreotide or somatostatin in 2 (3%). Thirty-five patients (46%) required hospitalization and seven (9%) required admission to the intensive care unit (ICU). Endoscopy revealed mucosal ulceration in 19 patients (25%), nonulcerative inflammation in 32 (42%), and normal findings in 25 (33%). Seventeen patients (22%) had features of lymphocytic colitis. One patient had spontaneous colonic perforation that required surgical intervention. Colitis symptoms recurred in 7 patients (9%) after initial improvement. Patients who received nab-paclitaxel developed GI toxicity earlier (P=0.003), required colitis-related hospitalization more frequently (P=0.005), and received intravenous fluids more frequently (P=0.025), compared with patients who received other taxanes. CONCLUSIONS: Taxane-related colitis can present with significant inflammation on colonoscopy, and in a minority of patients as microscopic colitis. Taxane-induced colitis, although uncommon, can lead to ICU admission and colonic perforation.

Neutropenic Enterocolitis: Clinical Features and Outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Patients undergoing chemotherapy are at risk for mucosal injury and neutropenia, which facilitate colonic mucosal invasion by the bowel flora and subsequent neutropenic enterocolitis, which has a poor prognosis. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the clinical features and outcomes of neutropenic enterocolitis in patients at a comprehensive cancer center. DESIGN: This is a retrospective cohort study. SETTING: The study was conducted at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. PATIENTS: Neutropenic enterocolitis was defined by the presence of an absolute neutrophil count <1000/mm, compatible abdominal symptoms, and either mucosal thickening on abdominal imaging or mucosal injury on colon biopsy. Patients who had been diagnosed between 2010 and 2018 were included. MAIN OUTCOMES: Complication and survival rates were analyzed using logistic regression and Cox regression analyses, respectively. RESULTS: Of the 49,244 patients who had neutropenia during the study period, 134 (2.7%) were included. The median time from neutropenia onset to neutropenic enterocolitis was 2 days (interquartile range, 1-10 days). Neutropenic enterocolitis symptoms lasted for a median of 11 days (interquartile range, 6-22 days). Most patients received antibiotics (88%) and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (68%). Complications included sepsis (11%), colonic perforation (2%), pneumatosis intestinalis (2%), and abscess formation (2%). The risks associated with complications included immunosuppressive therapy use within 1 month before neutropenic enterocolitis onset (OR, 3.92; 95% CI, 1.04-14.76) and delayed imaging (OR, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.03-1.17). Older age, severe neutropenia, prolonged neutropenia before and after neutropenic enterocolitis diagnosis, and other concomitant systemic infections were associated with lower survival rates. LIMITATIONS: The performance of this study at a single center and its retrospective nature are limitations of the study. CONCLUSION: The prompt diagnosis and management of neutropenic enterocolitis are critical to prevent complications. The use of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor can be beneficial to shorten the duration of neutropenia. See Video Abstract at http://links.lww.com/DCR/B116. ENTEROCOLITIS NEUTROPÉNICA: CARACTERÍSTICAS CLÍNICAS Y RESULTADOS: Los pacientes sometidos a quimioterapia, están en riesgo de lesión de la mucosa y neutropenia, lo que facilita la invasión de la mucosa colónica por la flora intestinal y la subsecuente enterocolitis neutropénica, con un mal pronóstico.Evaluar las características clínicas y los resultados de la enterocolitis neutropénica de pacientes en un centro integral de cáncer.Estudio de cohorte retrospectivo.El estudio se realizó en el MD Anderson Cancer Center de la Universidad de Texas.Se definió la enterocolitis neutropénica, como la presencia de un recuento absoluto de neutrófilos <1000 / mm3, con síntomas compatibles abdominales y engrosamiento de la mucosa en imagen abdominal o lesión de la mucosa en biopsia de colon. Se incluyeron pacientes diagnosticados entre 2010 y 2018.Se analizaron las tasas de complicaciones y supervivencia mediante análisis de regresión logística y regresión de Cox.De 49,244 pacientes que tuvieron neutropenia durante el período de estudio, 134 (2.7%) fueron incluidos. La media del tiempo desde el inicio de la neutropenia hasta la enterocolitis neutropénica, fue de 2 días (RIC, 1-10 días). Los síntomas de enterocolitis neutropénica duraron una media de 11 días (RIC, 6-22 días). La mayoría de los pacientes recibieron antibióticos (88%) y factor estimulante de colonias de granulocitos (68%). Las complicaciones incluyeron sepsis (11%), perforación colónica (2%), neumatosis intestinal (2%) y formación de abscesos (2%). Los riesgos asociados con las complicaciones incluyeron, uso de terapia inmunosupresora dentro de 1 mes antes del inicio de la enterocolitis neutropénica (razón de probabilidades 3.92; intervalo de confianza del 95% 1.04-14.76) y demora en la obtención de imágenes (razón de probabilidades 1.10; intervalo de confianza del 95% 1.03-1.17), edad avanzada, neutropenia grave, neutropenia prolongada antes y después del diagnóstico de enterocolitis neutropénica y de otras infecciones sistémicas concomitantes, se asociaron con bajas tasas de supervivencia.Centro único y estudio retrospectivo.El rápidodiagnóstico y manejo de la enterocolitis neutropénica, es crítico para prevenir complicaciones. El uso del factor estimulante de colonias de granulocitos puede ser beneficioso para acortar la duración de la neutropenia. Consulte Video Resumen en http://links.lww.com/DCR/B116.

Clinical Features of Rituximab-associated Gastrointestinal Toxicities.

BACKGROUND: Rituximab is effective in treating several cancers. Little is known about gastrointestinal adverse events associated with rituximab. We describe the clinical, endoscopic, and histologic features of rituximab-associated colitis (RC) at a tertiary care cancer center. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of cancer patients who had received rituximab and had undergone a colonoscopy between 2000 and 2018. Patients with competing etiologies for colitis were excluded. RESULTS: Of the 13,717 patients who had received rituximab during the study period, 1660 had undergone colonoscopy. Among them, 70 (4%) had RC. Median time from rituximab treatment to RC onset was 181 days. Fifty-three patients had clinical gastrointestinal symptoms: 39 had diarrhea, 19 had abdominal pain, 11 had blood per rectum, and 5 had a concurrent fever. The median duration of symptoms was 21 days. Fifty patients (71%) received treatment for RC: immunosuppressive therapy in 12, antimicrobial agents in 21, antimotility agents in 42, and supportive care in 42. Nine patients had mucosal ulceration on endoscopy, and 52 had features of active inflammation on histology. Thirty-nine patients needed hospital admission, and 2 needed intensive care unit admission. One patient had colonic perforation that required surgical intervention. Patients who had abnormal endoscopic findings needed more frequent hospitalization (P=0.024) and more treatment for RC (P=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: RC is usually a mild disease requiring supportive care only. Nonetheless, on rare occasions, it can be severe enough to lead to colonic perforation and intensive care unit admission. Steroids used with the chemotherapeutic regimen can hamper RC severity.

Patients with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma Are at Risk of Adenomatous Colon Polyps.

BACKGROUND: Patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) are frequently referred for colonoscopy to evaluate gastrointestinal symptoms during their treatment course. Here, we described the rate of colonic adenomas in patients with NHL. METHODS: This was a retrospective study of patients with NHL who underwent colonoscopy after being diagnosed with NHL between January 2000 and December 2017. RESULTS: Of the 17,938 patients who had been diagnosed with NHL in the study period, 2176 met the inclusion criteria. The mean age at the time of colonoscopy was 61 years. Most patients were male (61%). Overall, 1273 polyps were detected in 811 patients (37%). Sessile serrated adenomas were detected in 102 (5%) patients. The overall ADR was 12% in patients younger than 40 years of age (n = 103), 26% in patients aged 40-50 (n = 251), 34% in patients aged 51-60 (n = 630), and 43% in patients older than 60 (n = 1212). Most polyps were located in the right colon (63%), and 101 (8%) were larger than 1 cm. Villous adenomatous features were present in 1% of polyps, while high-grade dysplasia was detected in 22%. Invasive adenocarcinoma was identified in 4%. The median interval from lymphoma diagnosis to adenoma detection was 1.4 years (interquartile range 0.5-3.8 years). A repeat colonoscopy was performed in 343 patients. The overall ADR on repeat colonoscopy was 30%. Cox regression analysis revealed that age (hazards ratio 1.04; 95% confidence interval 1.03-1.05; P < 0.001) and male sex (hazards ratio 1.35; 95% confidence interval 1.13-1.60; P = 0.001) were independent factors associated with worse overall survival. By contrast, screening colonoscopy was associated with longer survival duration (hazards ratio 0.48; 95% confidence interval 0.36-0.63; P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The ADR in NHL patients aged 40-50 years was equivalent to that reported in the literature in non-cancer patients aged 50-70 years. Early screening colonoscopy may be warranted in NHL patients younger than 50 years. Screening colonoscopy significantly improved the overall survival of patients with NHL.

Early introduction of selective immunosuppressive therapy associated with favorable clinical outcomes in patients with immune checkpoint inhibitor-induced colitis.

BACKGROUND: Current treatment guidelines for immune-mediated colitis (IMC) recommend 4 to 6 weeks of steroids as first-line therapy, followed by selective immunosuppressive therapy (SIT) (infliximab or vedolizumab) in patients who do not respond to steroids. We assessed the effect of early SIT introduction and number of SIT infusions on clinical outcomes. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of patients with IMC who received SIT at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center between January and December 2018. Logistic regression analyses were used to assess associations between clinical outcomes and features of IMC. RESULTS: Of the 1459 patients who received immune checkpoint inhibitors, 179 developed IMC of any grade; 84 of these 179 patients received SIT. Of the 84 patients who received SIT, 79% were males, and the mean age was 60 years (standard deviation, 14). Compared with patients who received SIT > 10 days after IMC onset, patients who received early SIT (≤10 days) required fewer hospitalizations (P = 0.03), experienced steroid taper failure less frequently (P = 0.03), had fewer steroid tapering attempts (P < 0.01), had a shorter course of steroid treatment (P = 0.09), and had a shorter duration of symptoms (P < 0.01). Patients who received one or two infusions of SIT achieved histologic remission less frequently (P = 0.09) and had higher fecal calprotectin levels after SIT (P = 0.01) compared with patients who received three or more infusions. Risk factors for IMC recurrence after weaning off steroids included: 1) needing multiple hospitalizations, 2) experiencing steroid taper failure after SIT, 3) receiving infliximab rather than vedolizumab, 4) receiving fewer than three infusions of SIT, 5) having higher fecal calprotectin levels after SIT, and 6) receiving a longer course of steroids, hospitalization and IMC symptoms. Unsuccessful weaning from steroids after SIT was associated with high IMC grades; multiple hospitalizations; steroid-resistant IMC; long interval from IMC to SIT initiation; and long duration of steroids, IMC symptoms, and hospitalization. CONCLUSION: SIT should be introduced early in the disease course of IMC instead of waiting until failure of steroid therapy or steroid taper. Patients who received three or more infusions of SIT had more favorable clinical outcomes.

One-year Surgical Outcomes and Costs for Medicaid Versus Non-Medicaid Patients Undergoing Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass: A Single-Center Study.

PURPOSE: To compare 1-year outcomes and costs between severely obese Medicaid and non-Medicaid patients who underwent laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery. METHODS: This is a single-institution retrospective review comparing 33 Medicaid patients to 99 randomly selected non-Medicaid patients (1:3 case-control). Ninety-day and 1-year outcomes were extracted from the electronic health record. Costs were obtained from the UW information technology division. Bivariate analyses were used to compare study variables. RESULTS: Emergency department visits (48.2% vs. 27.4%; P=0.06) and readmissions (37.0% vs. 14.7%; P=0.01) were more common for Medicaid patients. Medicaid patients had less excess body weight loss (50.7% vs. 65.6%; P=0.001) but similar comorbidity resolution and complication rates. One-year median costs were similar between Medicaid and non-Medicaid patients ($21,160 vs. $24,215; P=0.92). CONCLUSIONS: One-year comorbidity resolution, complications, and costs following laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass were similar between Medicaid and non-Medicaid patients. Focusing on reducing emergency department presentations and readmissions would be a high-impact area for future quality improvement initiatives.

Dietary and psych predictors of weight loss after gastric bypass.

BACKGROUND: Identifying severely obese patients who will succeed after bariatric surgery remains challenging. Although numerous studies have attempted to identify preoperative patient characteristics associated with weight loss, the roles of many dietary and psychological characteristics are unclear. The purpose of this study was to examine preoperative dietary and psychological predictors of successful weight loss after bariatric surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included all patients who underwent laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass from September 2011-June 2013 at a single institution (n = 124). Patient demographics, comorbidities, dietary and psychological factors, and weight loss outcomes were extracted from the electronic medical record. Bivariate associations between these factors and successful weight loss (≥50% excess body weight) were examined. Factors significant at P ≤ 0.1 were included in a multivariate logistic regression model. RESULTS: On bivariate analysis, absence of either type 2 diabetes or hypertension, preoperative weight <270 lbs, no intentional past weight loss >50 lbs, no previous purging or family history of obesity, and no soda consumption preoperatively were associated with successful weight loss (P < 0.1). On multivariate analysis, successful weight loss was inversely associated with the presence of type 2 diabetes (odds ratio [OR], 0.22, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.06-0.73), maximum intentional past weight loss >50 lbs (OR, 0.12 [95% CI, 0.04-0.43]), and decreasing soda consumption by >50% (OR, 0.27 [95% CI, 0.08-0.99]). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, significant previous weight loss, and poor soda consumption habits are more likely to experience suboptimal weight loss after bariatric surgery. Additional preoperative counseling and close postoperative follow-up is warranted for these patients.