Bloating and functional gastro-intestinal disorders: Where are we and where are we going?

Bloating is one of the most common and bothersome symptoms complained by a large proportion of patients. This symptom has been described with various definitions, such as sensation of a distended abdomen or an abdominal tension or even excessive gas in the abdomen, although bloating should probably be defined as the feeling(e.g. a subjective sensation) of increased pressure within the abdomen. It is usually associated with functional gastrointestinal disorders, like irritable bowel syndrome, but when bloating is not part of another functional bowel or gastrointestinal disorder it is included as an independent entity in Rome Ⅲ criteria named functional bloating. In terms of diagnosis, major difficulties are due to the lack of measurable parameters to assess and grade this symptom. In addition, it is still unclear to what extent the individual patient complaint of subjective bloating correlates with the objective evidence of abdominal distension. In fact, despite its clinical, social and economic relevance, bloating lacks a clear pathophysiology explanation, and an effective management endorsement, turning this common symptom into a true challenge for both patients and clinicians. Different theories on bloating etiology call into questions an increased luminal contents(gas, stools, liquid or fat) and/or an impaired abdominal empting and/or an altered intra-abdominal volume displacement(abdomino-phrenic theory) and/or an increased perception of intestinal stimuli with a subsequent use of empirical treatments(diet modifications, antibiotics and/or probiotics, prokinetic drugs, antispasmodics, gas reducing agents and tricyclic antidepressants). In this review, our aim was to review the latest knowledge on bloating physiopathology and therapeutic options trying to shed lights on those processes where a clinician could intervene to modify disease course.

Prevalence of functional dyspepsia and its subgroups in patients with eating disorders

AIM:To study the prevalence of functional dyspepsia(FD)(Rome Ⅲ criteria) across eating disorders(ED),obese patients,constitutional thinner and healthy volunteers.METHODS:Twenty patients affected by anorexia nervosa,6 affected by bulimia nervosa,10 affected by ED not otherwise specified according to diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders,4th edition,nine constitutional thinner subjects and,thirtytwo obese patients were recruited from an outpatients clinic devoted to eating behavior disorders.Twentytwo healthy volunteers matched for age and gender were enrolled as healthy controls.All participants underwent a careful clinical examination.Demographic and anthropometric characteristics were obtained from a structured questionnaires.The presence of FD and,its subgroups,epigastric pain syndrome and postprandial distress syndrome(PDS) were diagnosed according to Rome Ⅲ criteria.The intensity-frequency score of broader dyspeptic symptoms such as early satiety,epigastric fullness,epigastric pain,epigastric burning,epigastric pressure,belching,nausea and vomiting were studied by a standardized questionnaire(0-6).Analysis of variance and post-hoc Sheffè tests were used for comparisons.RESULTS:90% of patients affected by anorexia nervosa,83.3% of patients affected by bulimia nervosa,90% of patients affected by ED not otherwise specified,55.6% of constitutionally thin subjects and 18.2% healthy volunteers met the Postprandial Distress Syndrome Criteria(χ 2,P < 0.001).Only one bulimic patient met the epigastric pain syndrome diagnosis.Postprandial fullness intensity-frequency score was significantly higher in anorexia nervosa,bulimia nervosa and ED not otherwise specified groups compared to the score calculated in the constitutional thinner group(4.15 ± 2.08 vs 1.44 ± 2.35,P = 0.003;5.00 ± 2.45vs 1.44 ± 2.35,P = 0.003;4.10 ± 2.23vs 1.44 ± 2.35,P = 0.002,respectively),the obese group(4.15 ± 2.08vs 0.00 ± 0.00,P < 0.001;5.00 ± 2.45vs 0.00 ± 0.00,P < 0.001;4.10 ± 2.23 vs 0.00 ± 0.00,P < 0.001,respectively) and healthy volunteers(4.15 ± 2.08 vs 0.36 ± 0.79,P < 0.001;5.00 ± 2.45 vs 0.36 ± 0.79,P < 0.001;4.10 ± 2.23 vs 0.36 ± 0.79,P < 0.001,respectively).Early satiety intensity-frequency score was prominent in anorectic patients compared to bulimic patients(3.85 ± 2.23 vs 1.17 ± 1.83,P = 0.015),obese patients(3.85 ± 2.23 vs 0.00 ± 0.00,P < 0.001) and healthy volunteers(3.85 ± 2.23 vs 0.05 ± 0.21,P < 0.001).Nausea and epigastric pressure were increased in bulimic and ED not otherwise specified patients.Specifically,nausea intensity-frequencyscore was significantly higher in bulimia nervosa and ED not otherwise specified patients compared to anorectic patients(3.17 ± 2.56 vs 0.89 ± 1.66,P = 0.04;2.70 ± 2.91 vs 0.89 ± 1.66,P = 0.05,respectively),constitutional thinner subjects(3.17 ± 2.56 vs 0.00 ± 0.00,P = 0.004;2.70 ± 2.91 vs 0.00 ± 0.00,P = 0.005,respectively),obese patients(3.17 ± 2.56 vs 0.00 ± 0.00,P < 0.001;3.17 ± 2.56 vs 0.00 ± 0.00,P < 0.001 respectively) and,healthy volunteers(3.17 ± 2.56 vs 0.17 ± 0.71,P = 0.002;3.17 ± 2.56 vs 0.17 ± 0.71,P = 0.001,respectively).Epigastric pressure intensityfrequency score was significantly higher in bulimic and ED not otherwise specified patients compared to constitutional thin subjects(4.67 ± 2.42 vs 1.22 ± 1.72,P = 0.03;4.20 ± 2.21 vs 1.22 ± 1.72,P = 0.03,respectively),obese patients(4.67 ± 2.42 vs 0.75 ± 1.32,P = 0.001;4.20 ± 2.21vs 0.75 ± 1.32,P < 0.001,respectively) and,healthy volunteers(4.67 ± 2.42 vs 0.67 ± 1.46,P = 0.001;4.20 ± 2.21vs 0.67 ± 1.46,P = 0.001,respectively).Vomiting was referred in 100% of bulimia nervosa patients,in 20% of ED not otherwise specified patients,in 15% of anorexia nervosa patients,in 22% of constitutional thinner subjects,and,in 5.6% healthy volunteers(χ 2,P < 0.001).CONCLUSION:PDS is common in eating disorders.Is it mandatory in outpatient gastroenterological clinics to investigate eating disorders in patients with PDS?

Assessment of proximal gastric accommodation in patients with functional dyspepsia

Impaired gastric accommodation is one of the most important etiologic factors in the pathophysiology of functional dyspepsia.Ultrasound is a potential alternative method to study changes in gastric volume as a reflection of gastric accommodation.Ultrasound is suitable for patients because it is a non-invasive,easily repeated and non-radioactive procedure,and a previous study has demonstrated the feasibility of 3-dimensional ultrasound in examining functional dyspepsia.The brief article by Fan et al demonstrated that both the proximal gastric area and volume,measured by 2-and 3-dimensional ultrasound respectively,were significantly smaller in patients with functional dyspepsia than in healthy controls.These results are very interesting,but we raise the relevant point that it should have been mandatory to study both changes in gastric volume and their relationship with upper gastrointestinal symptoms in functional dyspepsia.In fact,the relationship between cardinal symptoms and several pathophysiologic mechanisms in functional dyspepsia remains a matter of debate.Moreover,further evaluation of distal gastric volume that has been previously implicated in the origin of functional dyspeptic symptoms is advisable.Therefore,impaired gastric accommodation does not serve as a clear marker of the cardinal symptoms experienced by patients with functional dyspepsia in daily life.

Human leukocyte antigen DQ2/8 prevalence in non-celiac patients with gastrointestinal diseases

AIM: To investigate the prevalence of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) DQ2/8 alleles in Southern Italians with liver and gastrointestinal (GI) diseases outside of celiac disease. METHODS: HLA DQ2/8 status was assessed in 443 patients from three ambulatory gastroenterology clinics in Southern Italy (University of Federico Ⅱ, Naples, Loreto Crispi Hospital, Ruggi D'Aragona Hospital, Salerno). Patients were grouped based on disease status [pre-post transplant liver disease, esophageal/gastric organic and functional diseases, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)] and DQ2/8 alleles, which correspond to a celiac disease genetic risk gradient. Subject allele frequencies were compared to healthy Italian controls. RESULTS: One hundred and ninety-six out of four hundred and forty-three (44.2%) subjects, median age 56 years and 42.6% female, were DQ2/8 positive. When stratifying by disease we found that 86/188 (45.7%) patients with liver disease were HLA DQ2/8 positive, 39/73 (53.4%) with functional upper GI diseases and 19/41 (46.3%) with organic upper GI diseases were positive. Furthermore, 38/105 (36.2%) patients with IBS and 14/36 (38.9%) with IBD were HLA DQ2/8 positive (P = 0.21). Compared to healthy controls those with functional upper GI diseases disorders had a 1.8 times higher odds of DQ2/8 positivity. Those with liver disease had 1.3 times the odds, albeit not statistically significant, ofDQ2/8 positivity. Both those with IBS and IBD had a lower odds of DQ2/8 positivity compared to healthy controls. CONCLUSION: The proportion of individuals HLA DQ2/8 positive is higher in those with liver/upper functional GI disease and lower in IBS/IBD as compared to general population estimates.

Anhedonia and functional dyspepsia in obese patients:Relationship with binge eating behaviour

BACKGROUND Obese patients(Ob)with a binge eating disorders(BED)behavior pattern have a higher prevalence of postprandial distress syndrome(PDS)compared to Ob without a BED behavior pattern,while an increase of PDS has been described in Ob after sleeve gastrectomy(SG).Hedonic response to a meal is dissociable from satiation in healthy subjects.Anhedonia is the lowered ability to experience pleasure.There are no studies investigating the presence of anhedonia in Ob with and without SG and its relationship to PDS symptoms.AIM To assess the relationship among anhedonia,BED and upper gastrointestinal symptoms in two group of morbidly Ob with and without SG.METHODS Eighty-one Ob without SG,45 Ob with SG and 55 healthy controls(HC)were studied.All subjects fulfilled the binge eating scale(BES)to investigate BED,the validated 14 items Snaith-Hamilton pleasure scale(SHAPS)to assess Anhedonia as well as the Beck Depression Inventory-II(BDI II)and State Trait Anxiety Inventory(STAI)questionnaires to screen for depression and anxiety.All patients underwent a standardized questionnaire investigating the intensity-frequency scores(0-6)of upper gastrointestinal symptoms and were diagnosed for the presence of functional dyspepsia(FD)and its subtypes according to ROME IV criteria.RESULTS Ob without SG who were positive for BED had a 4.7 higher risk of FD compared to Ob without SG who were negative for BED(OR:4.7;95.0%CI 1.23-18.24;P=0.02).STAI-Y2 scores were significantly higher in Ob without SG positive for BED(42.2±1.5 vs Ob negative for BED:39.6±1.0,P=0.04),while SHAPS scores and BDI II did not differ in the two groups(1.16±1.30 vs 0.89±1.02,P=0.49).A lower prevalence of BED(BES>17:11.4%vs 40.7%,P=0.001)and BDI-II(6.8±1.2 vs 13.8±1.9,P=0.005)was reported in Ob with SG than Ob without SG,on the contrary total mean scores of STAI-Y1 and STAI-Y2 were significantly higher in Ob with SG than Ob without SG.Thirty-five percent of Ob with SG fulfilled the diagnosis of FD.SHAPS mean scores and the prevalence of anhedonia did not differ among the two groups(18.2 vs 8.1%,P=0.2).Fifty-four percent of Ob with SG achieved surgical success excess weight loss>50%.Excess weight loss was negatively related to SHAPS total mean scores[adjusted B:-7.099(95%CI:-13.91 to-0.29),P=0.04].CONCLUSION Ob without SG showed a higher prevalence of PDS,mood disorders and anxiety when positive for BE behavior compared to those negative for BE behavior,whereas no differences were found in SHAPS score.Ob with SG showed a higher prevalence of PDS compared to Ob without SG.Concerning psychological aspect,BED and depression are less frequent in the Ob with SG,while both state and trait anxiety are significantly higher.Moreover,the more an Ob with SG is anhedonic,less surgical success was achieved.