Background-The epidemiology of the gastroparesis is unknown. We aimed to determine the incidence, prevalence and outcome of gastroparesis in the community.

SUMMARY The human gut is colonized by a large number of microorganisms (~1013 bacteria) that support various physiologic functions. A perturbation in healthy gut microbiome might leads to the development of inflammatory diseases including multiple sclerosis (MS). Therefore, gut commensals can provide promising therapeutic options for treating autoimmune diseases such as MS. We report identification of human gut–derived commensal bacteria, Prevotella histicola, which can suppress an autoimmune disease in HLA class-II transgenic model of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE); an animal model of MS. P. histicola suppresses disease through modulation of systemic immune responses. P. histicola challenge led to a decrease in pro-inflammatory Th1 and Th17 cells, and increase in the frequencies of CD4+FoxP3+ regulatory T cells, tolerogenic dendritic cells, and suppressive macrophage. Our study provides evidence that administration of gut commensals may regulate a systemic immune response and may, therefore, have a possible role in the treatment strategies for MS.

Background In patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) and upper GI symptoms, a diagnosis of diabetic gastroparesis is often considered, but population-based data on the epidemiology of diabetic gastroparesis are lacking. We aimed to estimate the frequency of and risk factors for gastroparesis among community subjects with DM Methods In this population-based, historical cohort study, the medical records linkage system of the Rochester Epidemiology Project was used to identify 227 Olmsted County, MN residents with type 1 DM in 1995, a random sample of 360 residents with type 2 DM, and an age- and sex-stratified random sample of 639 non-diabetic residents. Using defined diagnostic criteria, we estimated the subsequent risk of developing gastroparesis in each group through 2006. The risk in DM, compared to frequency matched community controls, was assessed by Cox proportional hazards modelling. Results The cumulative proportions developing gastroparesis over a 10-year time period were 5.2% in type 1 DM, 1.0% in type 2 DM, and 0.2% in controls. The age- and gender-adjusted hazard ratios (HR) for gastroparesis (relative to controls) was 33 (95% CI: 4.0–274) in type 1 DM and 7.5 (95% CI: 0.8–68) in type 2 DM. The risk of gastroparesis in type 1 DM was significantly greater than in type 2 DM (HR: 4.4 [1.1, 17]). Heartburn (HR: 6.6 [1.7, 25]) at baseline was associated with diabetic gastroparesis in type 1 DM. Conclusions Gastroparesis is relatively uncommon in patients with DM, although an increased risk for gastroparesis was observed in type 1 DM.

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Background-Abdominal bloating and visible distention are common yet poorly understood symptoms. Epidemiological data distinguishing visible distention from bloating are not available. We aimed to evaluate the prevalence and potential risk factors for abdominal bloating and visible distention separately in a representative US population, and their association with other functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs).

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