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BackgroundPatients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) have significantly reduced quality of life (QOL). Although intestinal and extraintestinal symptoms, as well as comorbid psychological disorders, may reduce the QOL of IBS patients, the primary determinant of QOL in these patients remains unclear. This study aimed to identify the main factors affecting QOL in patients with IBS with diarrhea (IBS-D).MethodsConsecutive patients meeting the Rome III Diagnostic Criteria for IBS-D were enrolled in this study. Patients with organic diseases were excluded. The intestinal symptoms, psychological states and QOL of these patients were evaluated using IBS-specific symptom questionnaires, the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD), the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA), and the Chinese version of the IBS-QOL instrument. Overall scores for intestinal symptoms were calculated by frequency and degree.ResultsThis study enrolled 227 IBS-D patients, of mean age 44.68 ± 10.81 years. Their mean overall IBS-QOL score was 71.68 ± 18.54, with the lowest score being for food avoidance (53.71 ± 26.92). Overall IBS-QOL score correlated negatively with overall scores of intestinal symptoms and HAMD and HAMA scores (p < 0.001 each). Overall intestinal symptoms scores correlated negatively with HAMD and HAMA scores (p < 0.001 each). Scores of HAMD, HAMA and structural factors (i.e., anxiety/somatization, cognitive disorder, psychomotor retardation, psychic anxiety, and somatic anxiety) were significantly higher in female than in male patients (p < 0.01). Food avoidance and social reaction scores of female patients were significantly lower than those of male patients (p < 0.05 each). The degree of defecation urgency, frequency of passing mucus and psychomotor retardation were independent factors predicting reduced QOL in IBS-D patients.ConclusionIntestinal symptoms and psychological factors jointly reduce the QOL of IBS-D patients, with gender differences in the impact of both factors on QOL.

4. Xu D, Kyriakis JM. Phosphatidylinositol 3 0 -kinase-dependent activation of renal mesangial cell Ki-Ras and ERK by advanced glycation end products.

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IDF-defined MetS was more predictive of CVEs than AHA/NHLBI-defined MetS. Of the MetS components, abdominal obesity was the single most significant predictor of CVEs in chronic HD patients.

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by motor deficits and marked neuroinflammation in various brain regions. The pathophysiology of PD is complex and mounting evidence has suggested an association with the dysregulation of microRNAs (miRNAs) and gut dysbiosis. Using a rotenone-induced PD mouse model, we observed that administration of Lactobacillus plantarum PS128 (PS128) significantly improved motor deficits in PD-like mice, accompanied by an increased level of dopamine, reduced dopaminergic neuron loss, reduced microglial activation, reduced levels of inflammatory factors, and enhanced expression of neurotrophic factor in the brain. Notably, the inflammation-related expression of miR-155-5p was significantly upregulated in the proximal colon, midbrain, and striatum of PD-like mice. PS128 reduced the level of miR-155-5p, whereas it increased the expression of suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 (SOCS1), a direct target of miR-155-5p and a critical inhibitor of the inflammatory response in the brain. Alteration of the fecal microbiota in PD-like mice was partially restored by PS128 administration. Among them, Bifidobacterium, Ruminiclostridium_6, Bacteroides, and Alistipes were statistically correlated with the improvement of rotenone-induced motor deficits and the expression of miR-155-5p and SOCS1. Our findings suggested that PS128 ameliorates motor deficits and exerts neuroprotective effects by regulating the gut microbiota and miR-155-5p/SOCS1 pathway in rotenone-induced PD-like mice.

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ObjectiveTo investigate the agreement between Rome III and Rome II criteria for diagnosing functional constipation (FC) and to evaluate the accuracy of each constipation symptom for FC diagnosis.MethodsPatients with chronic constipation underwent rigorous biochemical and endoscopic/imaging tests to exclude organic and metabolic diseases. The questionnaires including general information, constipation symptoms, and the most troublesome constipation symptoms were completed in a face-to-face survey. The accuracy of constipation symptoms for FC diagnosis was examined using the likelihood ratio.ResultsAmong 184 patients (43 males and 141 females) with chronic constipation, 166 (90.2%) met Rome II criteria and 174 (94.6%) met Rome III criteria for FC, while 166 met both criteria. There was a good diagnostic agreement between the two sets of criteria, with a kappa value of 0.69 and the overall agreement rate was 95.7% (P < 0.001). Based on Rome III criteria, the most accurate symptom for FC diagnosis was sensation of anorectal blockage, followed by straining during defecation and infrequent bowel movements. The most troublesome symptoms reported by patients were lumpy or hard stools, straining during defecation, sensation of incomplete evacuation. More patients indicated that ‘the symptoms in the past 3 months’ was better than ‘those within the past one year’ to reflect their constipation (36.7% vs 6.0%, P < 0.001).ConclusionsThere is good agreement between Rome III and Rome II criteria for FC diagnosis. Rome III criteria are more practical than Rome II criteria for Chinese patients.