The relationship between motility and inflammatory gastrointestinal disorders is at the same time complex and intriguing since these conditions might share some genetic,environmental,immunological and microbial predis...The relationship between motility and inflammatory gastrointestinal disorders is at the same time complex and intriguing since these conditions might share some genetic,environmental,immunological and microbial predisposing factors.In addition,significant symptom overlapping may occur,muddling the waters within the clinical context.Although on one hand this represents a challenge for the clinician for a potential under-or over-treatment and diagnostic delay,on the other hand it possibly represents an opportunity for the researcher to better disclose the intimate relationship between chronic(often low-grade)inflammation,motor disorders and deranged sensory function.The best example is probably represented by Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.In fact,a number of gastrointestinal motor disorders have been described in association with these diseases,disorders which span from the esophagus to the anorectum,and which will be extensively covered in this review.It is conceivable that at least part of this derangement is strictly related to inflammatory cytokine trafficking and neuromuscular changes;however,given the high prevalence of functional gastrointestinal disorders in the general population,this overlap might also be serendipitous.However,it is worth noting that literature data on this topic are relatively scarce,sometimes quite outdated,and mostly focused on the interplay between irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease.Nevertheless,both researchers and clinicians must be aware that symptoms related to gastrointestinal motility disorders may be highly prevalent in both active and inactive inflammatory bowel disease,correlate with greater psychological comorbidity and poorer quality of life,and may negatively influence the therapeutic approaches.展开更多
In recent years, the improvement of technology and the increase in knowledge have shifted several strongly held paradigms. This is particularly true in gastroenterology, and specifically in the field of the so-called ...In recent years, the improvement of technology and the increase in knowledge have shifted several strongly held paradigms. This is particularly true in gastroenterology, and specifically in the field of the so-called "functional" or "idiopathic" disease, where conditions thought for decades to be based mainly on alterations of visceral perception or aberrant psychosomatic mechanisms have, in fact, be reconducted to an organic basis (or, at the very least, have shown one or more demonstrable abnormalities). This is particularly true, for instance, for irritable bowel syndrome, the prototype entity of "functional" gastrointestinal disorders, where low-grade inflammation of both mucosa and myenteric plexus has been repeatedly demonstrated. Thus, researchers have also investigated other functional/idiopathic gastrointestinal disorders, and found that some organic ground is present, such as abnormal neurotransmission and myenteric plexitis in esophageal achalasia and mucosal immune activation and mild eosinophilia in functional dyspepsia. Here we show evidence, based on our own and other authors' work, that chronic constipation has several abnormalities reconductable to alterations in the enteric nervous system, abnormalities mainly characterized by a constant decrease of enteric glial cells and interstitial cells of Cajal (and, sometimes, of enteric neurons). Thus, we feel that (at least some forms of) chronic constipation should no more be considered as a functional/idiopathic gastrointestinal disorder, but instead as a true enteric neuropathic abnormality.展开更多
文摘The relationship between motility and inflammatory gastrointestinal disorders is at the same time complex and intriguing since these conditions might share some genetic,environmental,immunological and microbial predisposing factors.In addition,significant symptom overlapping may occur,muddling the waters within the clinical context.Although on one hand this represents a challenge for the clinician for a potential under-or over-treatment and diagnostic delay,on the other hand it possibly represents an opportunity for the researcher to better disclose the intimate relationship between chronic(often low-grade)inflammation,motor disorders and deranged sensory function.The best example is probably represented by Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.In fact,a number of gastrointestinal motor disorders have been described in association with these diseases,disorders which span from the esophagus to the anorectum,and which will be extensively covered in this review.It is conceivable that at least part of this derangement is strictly related to inflammatory cytokine trafficking and neuromuscular changes;however,given the high prevalence of functional gastrointestinal disorders in the general population,this overlap might also be serendipitous.However,it is worth noting that literature data on this topic are relatively scarce,sometimes quite outdated,and mostly focused on the interplay between irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease.Nevertheless,both researchers and clinicians must be aware that symptoms related to gastrointestinal motility disorders may be highly prevalent in both active and inactive inflammatory bowel disease,correlate with greater psychological comorbidity and poorer quality of life,and may negatively influence the therapeutic approaches.
文摘In recent years, the improvement of technology and the increase in knowledge have shifted several strongly held paradigms. This is particularly true in gastroenterology, and specifically in the field of the so-called "functional" or "idiopathic" disease, where conditions thought for decades to be based mainly on alterations of visceral perception or aberrant psychosomatic mechanisms have, in fact, be reconducted to an organic basis (or, at the very least, have shown one or more demonstrable abnormalities). This is particularly true, for instance, for irritable bowel syndrome, the prototype entity of "functional" gastrointestinal disorders, where low-grade inflammation of both mucosa and myenteric plexus has been repeatedly demonstrated. Thus, researchers have also investigated other functional/idiopathic gastrointestinal disorders, and found that some organic ground is present, such as abnormal neurotransmission and myenteric plexitis in esophageal achalasia and mucosal immune activation and mild eosinophilia in functional dyspepsia. Here we show evidence, based on our own and other authors' work, that chronic constipation has several abnormalities reconductable to alterations in the enteric nervous system, abnormalities mainly characterized by a constant decrease of enteric glial cells and interstitial cells of Cajal (and, sometimes, of enteric neurons). Thus, we feel that (at least some forms of) chronic constipation should no more be considered as a functional/idiopathic gastrointestinal disorder, but instead as a true enteric neuropathic abnormality.
