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SUMMARYBackground: Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth and sugar malabsorption (lactose, fructose, sorbitol) may play a role in irritable bowel syndrome. The lactulose breath test is a reliable and non-invasive test for the diagnosis of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. The lactose, fructose and sorbitol hydrogen breath tests are widely used to detect specific sugar malabsorption. Aim: To assess the extent to which small intestinal bacterial overgrowth may influence the results of hydrogen sugar breath tests in irritable bowel syndrome patients. Methods: We enrolled 98 consecutive irritable bowel syndrome patients. All subjects underwent hydrogen lactulose, lactose, fructose and sorbitol hydrogen breath tests. Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth patients were treated with 1-week course of antibiotics. All tests were repeated 1 month after the end of therapy.

Background and Purpose-Proinflammatory genetic profiles, resulting from the combination of single nucleotide polymorphisms in genes encoding inflammatory molecules, may contribute to the development and progression of cardiovascular diseases. We evaluated the association between history of ischemic stroke and genetic profiles determined by the synergistic effects of polymorphisms in genes encoding prototypical inflammatory proteins. Methods-The study included 237 individuals with history of ischemic stroke and 223 age-matched and gender-matched controls. The polymorphisms of the C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), E-selectin (E-sel), and matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3) genes were studied. Results-IL-6 GG, IL-6 GC, MCP-1 GG, ICAM-1 EE, E-sel AA, and MMP-3 5A5A genotypes were significantly and independently associated with stroke history. The odds of stroke increased with the number of high-risk genotypes: carrying 1 proinflammatory gene variant conferred a risk of 3.3 (1.6 to 6.9), whereas individuals concomitantly carrying 2 and 3 proinflammatory gene variants had adjusted odds ratios of 21.0 (7.6 to 57.5) and 50.3 (10.2 to 248.1), respectively. Conclusions-Proinflammatory genetic profiles are significantly more common in subjects with stroke history. Synergistic effects between proinflammatory genotypes might be potential markers for cerebrovascular diseases.

SUMMARYBackground: Studies assessing the prevalence of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth in irritable bowel syndrome gave contrasting results. Differences in criteria to define irritable bowel syndrome patients and methods to assess small intestinal bacterial overgrowth may explain different results. Moreover, no data exist on small intestinal bacterial overgrowth prevalence in a significant population of healthy non-irritable bowel syndrome subjects. Aim: To assess the prevalence of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth by glucose breath test in patients with irritable bowel syndrome symptoms with respect to a consistent control group. Methods: Consecutive patients with irritable bowel syndrome according to Rome II criteria were enrolled. The control population consisted of 102 sex-and age-matched healthy subjects without irritable bowel

SUMMARYBackground: Patients with inflammatory bowel disease have an increased risk of thrombotic complications; moreover, mesenteric microvascular thrombosis has been hypothesized as a contributing factor in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease. Aim: To assess the extent of subclinical atherosclerosis in inflammatory bowel disease by measuring the intima-media thickness of the common carotid artery. Methods: Fifty-two patients were enrolled in the study. Patients aged >45 years, with a history of cardiovascular disease and known risk factors for atherosclerosis were excluded from the study. Twenty healthy subjects were studied as controls. Carotid ultrasonography was performed in all patients and controls. intima-media thickness was measured proximal to the carotid bifurcation