Gastroenterology Commons^™

Comparative Analysis Of Health Outcomes In Gastric Cancer: Robotic Vs. Laparoscopic Gastrectomy, Maftuna Kurbonnazarova

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Exploring the most effective surgical approach for gastrectomy is crucial for determining superior health outcomes in patients. This research compares robotic and laparoscopic techniques with the aim of pinpointing the optimal method, offering valuable insights for improved postoperative well-being.

Gut Symbionts Alleviate Mash Through A Secondary Bile Acid Biosynthetic Pathway, Qixing Nie, Xi Luo, Kai Wang, Yong Ding, Shumi Jia, Qixiang Zhao, Meng Li, Jinxin Zhang, Yingying Zhuo, Jun Lin, Chenghao Guo, Zhiwei Zhang, Huiying Liu, Guangyi Zeng, Jie You, Lulu Sun, Hua Lu, Ming Ma, Yanxing Jia, Ming-Hua Zheng, Yanli Pang, Jie Qiao, Changtao Jiang

Journal Articles

The gut microbiota has been found to play an important role in the progression of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), but the mechanisms have not been established. Here, by developing a click-chemistry-based enrichment strategy, we identified several microbial-derived bile acids, including the previously uncharacterized 3-succinylated cholic acid (3-sucCA), which is negatively correlated with liver damage in patients with liver-tissue-biopsy-proven metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD). By screening human bacterial isolates, we identified Bacteroides uniformis strains as effective producers of 3-sucCA both in vitro and in vivo. By activity-based protein purification and identification, we identified an enzyme annotated as β-lactamase in B. …

Association Of Blast Exposure In Military Breaching With Intestinal Permeability Blood Biomarkers Associated With Leaky Gut, Qingkun Liu, Zhaoyu Wang, Shengnan Sun, Jeffrey Nemes, Lisa A. Brenner, Miciej Skotak, Christina R. Lavalle, Yongchao Ge, Walter Carr, Fatemeh Haghighi

Faculty Publications

Injuries and subclinical effects from exposure to blasts are of significant concern in military operational settings, including tactical training, and are associated with self-reported concussion-like symptomology and physiological changes such as increased intestinal permeability (IP), which was investigated in this study. Time-series gene expression and IP biomarker data were generated from “breachers” exposed to controlled, low-level explosive blast during training. Samples from 30 male participants at pre-, post-, and follow-up blast exposure the next day were assayed via RNA-seq and ELISA. A battery of symptom data was also collected at each of these time points that acutely showed elevated symptom …

Advancing School Nursing Practice: A Novel Approach To Screening For Gastrointestinal Disorders In Children, Ashley Bunting, Isabella Cavlan

Nursing | Student Research Posters

California schools currently only screen for vision and hearing, leaving many other health concerns unaddressed. Among these, gastrointestinal (GI) health is particularly significant, as digestive disorders can lead to severe consequences, like malnutrition and stunted growth. By incorporating routine GI screenings, school nurses can promote the early detection of disease, allowing for timely intervention and improved health outcomes in children.

Based on existing literature, we have developed a novel pediatric GI screening tool for school nurses to use in routine screenings, presented below.

Reducing Food Scarcity: The Benefits Of Urban Farming, S.A. Claudell, Emilio Mejia

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

Urban farming can enhance the lives of communities and help reduce food scarcity. This paper presents a conceptual prototype of an efficient urban farming community that can be scaled for a single apartment building or an entire community across all global geoeconomics regions, including densely populated cities and rural, developing towns and communities. When deployed in coordination with smart crop choices, local farm support, and efficient transportation then the result isn’t just sustainability, but also increasing fresh produce accessibility, optimizing nutritional value, eliminating the use of ‘forever chemicals’, reducing transportation costs, and fostering global environmental benefits.

Imagine Doris, who is …

Gut Microbiota Composition And Diversity Before, During, And Two Months After Rifamycin-Based Tuberculosis Preventive Therapy, Marie Nancy Séraphin, Julia Bellot, Emily Klann, Maria Ukhanova, Florence G Saulsberry, Charles A Peloquin, Volker Mai

Journal Articles

Tuberculosis (TB) preventive therapy (TPT) is an effective strategy to eliminate TB in low-incidence settings. Shorter TPT regimens incorporating the antimicrobial class of rifamycins are designed to improve adherence and completion rates but carry the risk of modifications to the gut microbiota. We enrolled six subjects diagnosed with latent TB infection (LTBI) who accepted to initiate TPT. We also enrolled six healthy volunteers unexposed to the rifamycins. We profiled the gut microbiota using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing (V1-V2 region) to document the immediate effect of rifamycin-based TPT on the gut microbiota composition and tracked recovery to baseline two months after …

Time To Endoscopy Or Colonoscopy Among Adults Younger Than 50 Years With Iron-Deficiency Anemia And/Or Hematochezia In The Vha, Joshua Demb, Lin Liu, Caitlin C Murphy, Chyke A Doubeni, Maria Elena Martinez, Samir Gupta

Journal Articles

IMPORTANCE: to date, the diagnostic test completion rate and the time to diagnostic endoscopy or colonoscopy among adults with iron-deficiency anemia (IDA) and/or hematochezia have not been well characterized.

OBJECTIVE: to evaluate the diagnostic test completion rate and the time to diagnostic testing among veterans younger than 50 years with IDA and/or hematochezia.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This cohort study was conducted within the Veterans Health Administration between October 1, 1999, and December 31, 2019, among US veterans aged 18 to 49 years from 2 separate cohorts: those with a diagnosis of IDA (n = 59 169) and those with …

Prevalence Of Liver Cirrhosis And Its Association With Obesity Among Mexican Americans: An Evidence Synthesis, Alexa Perlick, Abaigeal Thompson, Colton Wayne, Angel Rendon, Jose E. Campo Maldonado

Research Colloquium

Introduction: Chronic liver disease is the 6^th and 7^th leading cause of death in Hispanic men and Hispanics, respectively.¹ In contrast to other causes of liver disease, the prevalence of nonalcoholic liver disease has been growing as is diabetes and obesity.²

Objective: There is a paucity of data regarding the prevalence of cirrhosis for Mexican Americans in South Texas. The aim of this evidence synthesis is to investigate the prevalence of cirrhosis in Hispanic populations and its relationship with obesity.

Methods: PubMed was used to perform a thorough literature search on September10, 2020. The terms “liver …

Contact With Caregivers Is Associated With Composition Of The Infant Gastrointestinal Microbiome In The First 6 Months Of Life, Kyle S. Wiley, Andrew M. Gregg, Molly M. Fox, Venu Lagishetty, Curt A. Sandman, Jonathan P. Jacobs, Laura M. Glynn

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Objectives

Little is known about how physical contact at birth and early caregiving environments influence the colonization of the infant gastrointestinal microbiome. We investigated how infant contact with caregivers at birth and within the first 2 weeks of life relates to the composition of the gastrointestinal microbiome in a sample of U.S. infants (n = 60).

Methods

Skin-to-skin and physical contact with caregivers at birth and early caregiving environments were surveyed at 2 weeks postpartum. Stool samples were collected from infants at 2 weeks, 2, 6, and 12 months of age and underwent 16S rRNA sequencing as a proxy …

Oral Dosages Of The Nsaid Aspirin Decreased The Growth Rate Of Species Found In The Human Gut Microbiome Including Akkermansia Muciniphila, Bacteroides Fragilis, Clostridium Sordellii, And Clostridium Difficile, Wyatt H. Greenbaum, Garrett J. Greenbaum, Anna Spiezio

PANDION: The Osprey Journal of Research and Ideas

Over past few decades, new insight has been revealed in the scientific community about the importance of the human gut microbiome relating to general health. It is known that imbalances in the species that reside in the human gut can cause organism-wide problems in humans. When prescribing or injecting oral medications, the thought of the downstream effects on the gut microbiome are not always considered. By exposing known healthy members of the gut; Akkermansia muciniphila, Bacteroides fragilis, Clostridium sordellii, and Clostridium difficile to the Aspirin, this study attempted to provide insight into the effects of the drug on bacterial growth. …

Curated And Harmonized Gut Microbiome 16s Rrna Amplicon Data From Dietary Fiber Intervention Studies In Humans, Cynthia I Rodriguez, Ali Keshavarzian, Bruce R Hamaker, Feitong Liu, Genelle R Lunken, Heather Rasmussen, Hongwei Zhou, Julien Tap, Kelly S Swanson, Maria Ukhanova, Marion Leclerc, Martin Gotteland, Paola Navarrete, Petia Kovatcheva-Datchary, Wendy J Dahl, Jennifer B H Martiny

Journal Articles

Next generation amplicon sequencing has created a plethora of data from human microbiomes. The accessibility to this scientific data and its corresponding metadata is important for its reuse, to allow for new discoveries, verification of published results, and serving as path for reproducibility. Dietary fiber consumption has been associated with a variety of health benefits that are thought to be mediated by gut microbiota. To enable direct comparisons of the response of the gut microbiome to fiber, we obtained 16S rRNA sequencing data and its corresponding metadata from 11 fiber intervention studies for a total of 2,368 samples. We provide …

Stool-Based Tests Mitigate Impacts Of Covid-19 On Colorectal Cancer Screening, Po-Hong Liu, Amit G Singal, Caitlin C Murphy

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

Racial And Ethnic Disparities In Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer Survival, Timothy A Zaki, Peter S Liang, Folasade P May, Caitlin C Murphy

Journal Articles

BACKGROUND: Young adults diagnosed with colorectal cancer (CRC) comprise a growing, yet understudied, patient population. We estimated 5-year relative survival of early-onset CRC and examined disparities in survival by race-ethnicity in a population-based sample.

METHODS: We used the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program of cancer registries to identify patients diagnosed with early-onset CRC (20-49 years of age) between January 1, 1992, and December 31, 2013. For each racial-ethnic group, we estimated 5-year relative survival, overall and by sex, tumor site, and stage at diagnosis. to illustrate temporal trends, we compared 5-year relative survival in 1992-2002 vs …

Alternative Precautionary Measures Yielding Lower C. Diff Infection Rates In Healthcare Facilities, Matthew Kramer

Symposium of Student Scholars

Background: An international healthcare concern is the persistent spread of Clostridium difficile, a Gram-positive spore forming bacterium that is responsible for the most common hospital-acquired infection, amongst patients.

Objective: A systematic review was performed to summarize evidence that the interventions utilized in healthcare facilities which indicate a patient’s precautionary status are insufficient, outdated, and commonly lead to infection in neighboring patient rooms. Databases such as PubMed, NCBI, Google Scholar, and APHA’s Medical Care were searched, covering the period from 2017-2022. Studies were included if their focus concentrated on C. diff and the precautionary measures taken by employees at healthcare …

Cost Analysis Of Implementing An Exercise Program For Fall And Fracture Prevention In Older Adults On Proton Pump Inhibitor Therapy, Thomas Adam Wichelmann, Nhan Dang, David H. Kruchko, Sufyan Abdulmujeeb, Eli D. Ehrenpreis

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: Falls have significant financial impact. Proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy is associated with an increased risk of falls and fractures. Exercise programs have been shown to decrease risk of falls in the elderly population and are recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force for patients over age 65 to reduce falls. Our study aimed to explore the potential financial benefit of implementing three different Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-recommended exercise-based interventions for fall prevention (Tai Chi, Stepping On, and Otago Exercise Program) in ≥ 65-year-old patients on PPI therapy.

Methods: A Markov model was developed to predict …

External Validation Of A Model Determining Risk Of Neoplastic Progression Of Barrett's Esophagus In A Cohort Of Us Veterans, Theresa H Nguyen, Aaron P Thrift, Gyanprakash A Ketwaroo, Xianglin L Du, Luis Leon Novelo, Rollin George, Daniel G Rosen, Hashem B El-Serag

Journal Articles

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) in those with Barrett's esophagus (BE) is 11-fold greater than the general population. It remains unclear which BE patients are at highest risk of progression to EAC. We aimed to validate a predictive model risk-stratifying BE patients.

METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study at the Houston Veteran Affairs Medical Center of consecutive patients with a new diagnosis of BE from November 1990 to January 2019. Study follow-up was through February 2020. Patients were excluded if they had no follow-up EGD with esophageal biopsy sampling after the initial BE-diagnosing EGD or evidence …

Resistant Maltodextrin Consumption In A Double-Blind, Randomized, Crossover Clinical Trial Induces Specific Changes In Potentially Beneficial Gut Bacteria, Volker Mai, Alyssa M Burns, Rebecca J Solch, Jennifer C Dennis-Wall, Maria Ukhanova, Bobbi Langkamp-Henken

Journal Articles

Background: We have previously reported that the addition of resistant maltodextrin (RMD), a fermentable functional fiber, to the diet increases fecal weight as well as the amount of fecal bifidobacteria. Here, we report on the targeted analysis of changes in potentially beneficial gut bacteria associated with the intervention. Objective: The primary objective of this study was to determine the effect of adding 0, 15 and 25 g RMD to the diets of healthy free-living adults on potentially beneficial gut bacteria. Methods: We expanded on our previously reported microbiota analysis in a double-blind, placebo-controlled feeding study (NCT02733263) by performing additional qPCR …

Perforating Gastric/Duodenal Ulcer Development Following Roux-En-Y Gastric Bypass Surgery: A Case Series, Sugosh Anur, Michael A. Coscia Iii, Louis Balsama

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass is a well-studied procedure resulting in long term weight loss. Due to countless years of study, the morbidity and mortality associated with a Roux en Y gastric bypass has been greatly decreased. However, there are still several rare, yet serious, complications that may arise in the post-operative period. Anastomotic leaks and ulcers are just two of those complications. We describe a case of a 41 year old female developing postoperative perforated duodenal ulcer. A laparoscopic repair was performed using a Graham patch technique. This review aims to identify factors contributing to the ulcer development as well as …

Longitudinal Analysis Of The Impact Of Oral Contraceptive Use On The Gut Microbiome, Xinwei Hua, Yueming Cao, David M Morgan, Kaia Miller, Samantha M Chin, Danielle Bellavance, Hamed Khalili

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

Introduction. Evidence has linked exogenous and endogenous sex hormones with the human microbiome.Hypothesis/Gap statement. The longitudinal effects of oral contraceptives (OC) on the human gut microbiome have not previously been studied.Aim. We sought to examine the longitudinal impact of OC use on the taxonomic composition and metabolic functions of the gut microbiota and endogenous sex steroid hormones after initiation of OC use.Methodology. We recruited ten healthy women who provided blood and stool samples prior to OC use, 1 month and 6 months after starting OC. We measured serum levels of sex hormones, including estradiol, progesterone, sex hormone-binding …

Fungi: Friend Or Foe? A Mycobiome Evaluation In Children With Autism And Gastrointestinal Symptoms, Jane Alookaran, Yuying Liu, Thomas A Auchtung, Amirali Tahanan, Manouchehr Hessabi, Parisa Asgarisabet, Mohammad H Rahbar, Nicole Y Fatheree, Deborah A Pearson, Rosleen Mansour, Melissa R Van Arsdall, Fernando Navarro, J Marc Rhoads

Journal Articles

Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms often affect children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and GI symptoms have been associated with an abnormal fecal microbiome. There is limited evidence of Candida species being more prevalent in children with ASD. We enrolled 20 children with ASD and GI symptoms (ASD + GI), 10 children with ASD but no GI symptoms (ASD - GI), and 20 from typically developing (TD) children in this pilot study. Fecal mycobiome taxa were analyzed by Internal Transcribed Spacer sequencing. GI symptoms (GI Severity Index [GSI]), behavioral symptoms (Social Responsiveness Scale -2 [SRS-2]), inflammation and fungal immunity (fecal calprotectin and …

Impact Of Coronavirus Disease 2019 On Prevention And Elimination Strategies For Hepatitis B And Hepatitis C, Syed Tabish Rehman, Hareem Rehman, Shahab Abid

Section of Pulmonary & Critical Care

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in significant morbidity and mortality since its first case was discovered in December 2019. Since then, multiple countries have witnessed a healthcare system collapse due to the overwhelming demand for COVID-19 care. Drastic measures have been taken globally in order to curb the spread of the virus. However, those measures have led to the disruption of other aspects of healthcare, increasing the burden due to other medical conditions. We have also stepped back in achieving the ambitious goal set in place by World Health Organization to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public …

Frequency And Risk Factors Of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease In Helicobacter Pylori-Infected Dyspeptic Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study, Basit Siddiqui, Muhammad Kamran, Shiyam Sunder Tikmani, Rabeea Azmat, Zain Mushtaq, Saad Bin Zafar Mahmood, Muhammad Tahir Khan, Javed Yakoob, Zaigham Abbas

Section of Gastroenterology

Background: In dyspeptic patients with Helicobacter pylori contributes to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. However, little evidence available from Pakistan.
Objective: The study aims to determine the frequency and risk factors of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in dyspeptic patients with Helicobacter pylori.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between 22 November 2016 and 30 June 2018. Adults of age between 18 and 90 years who attended the out-patient department due to abdominal discomfort, pain, fullness, and bloating who underwent upper gastrointestinal tract endoscopy were enrolled after taking informed consent. Patients with celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, taking alcohol, pregnant women …

Development Of The Infant Gut Microbiome Predicts Temperament Across The First Year Of Life, Molly Fox, S. Melanie Lee, Kyle S. Wiley, Venu Lagishetty, Curt A. Sandman, Jonathan P. Jacobs, Laura M. Glynn

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Perturbations to the gut microbiome are implicated in altered neurodevelopmental trajectories that may shape life span risk for emotion dysregulation and affective disorders. However, the sensitive periods during which the microbiome may influence neurodevelopment remain understudied. We investigated relationships between gut microbiome composition across infancy and temperament at 12 months of age. In 67 infants, we examined if gut microbiome composition assessed at 1–3 weeks, 2, 6, and 12 months of age was associated with temperament at age 12 months. Stool samples were sequenced using the 16S Illumina MiSeq platform. Temperament was assessed using the Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised (IBQ-R). Beta …

Improving Identification Of Seniors At Risk Tool Adherence To Identify Emergency Department Readmissions In Older Adults, Joy Gao

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

The purpose of this evidence-based project (EBP) is to improve the emergency department (E.D.) staff adherence in completing the Identifying Seniors at Risk (ISAR) screening tool. The specific aim is to improve electronic health record (EHR) data collection to enhance the identification of older adults that are frequent utilizers of the E.D. at a local community hospital in Southern California. Based upon the most recent National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, patients ages 65 and older make up 32% of all E.D. admissions. These patients also represent 50% of the moderate to severely ill patients seen in the E.D. …

Gestational Weight Gain In 4 Low- And Middle-Income Countries And Associations With Birth Outcomes: A Secondary Analysis Of The Women First Trial, Melissa S. Bauserman, Carla M. Bann, K Michael Hambidge, Ana L. Garces, Lester Figueroa, Jamie L. Westcott, Jackie K. Patterson, Elizabeth M. Mcclure, Sumera Ali Aziz, Sarah Saleem

Community Health Sciences

Background: Adequate gestational weight gain (GWG) is essential for healthy fetal growth. However, in low- and middle-income countries, where malnutrition is prevalent, little information is available about GWG and how it might be modified by nutritional status and interventions.
Objective: We describe GWG and its associations with fetal growth and birth outcomes. We also examined the extent to which prepregnancy BMI, and preconception and early weight gain modify GWG, and its effects on fetal growth.
Methods: This was a secondary analysis of the Women First Trial, including 2331 women within the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Guatemala, India, and Pakistan, …

Effect Of Consumption Of Animal Milk Compared To Infant Formula For Non-Breastfed/Mixed-Fed Infants 6-11 Months Of Age: A Systematic Review (Protocol), Aamer Imdad, Julie Melissa Ehrlich, Joseph Catania, Emily Tanner-Smith, Abigail Smith, Olivia Tsistinas, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta

Woman and Child Health

Introduction: Prevalence rates of breastfeeding remain low even though the World Health Organization (WHO) and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend exclusive breast feeding for the first 6 months of life in combination with appropriate complementary feeding beyond six 6 months of age. There have been several studies that address the implication of drinking animal milk and/or infant formula on children's health and development when breast feeding is not offered during the first year of life. Vast improvements have been made in infant formula design, which may increase its benefits compared with animal's milk. The objective of this review is …

Mucosal Genomics Implicate Lymphocyte Activation And Lipid Metabolism In Refractory Environmental Enteric Dysfunction, Najeeha Talat Iqbal, Najeeb Rahman, Kamran Sadiq, Zubair Ahmad, Romana Idress, Junaid Iqbal, Sheraz Ahmed, Aneeta Hotwani, Fayyaz Umrani, Sana Syed, Syed Asad Ali

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Background & aims: Environmental enteric dysfunction (EED) limits the Sustainable Development Goals of improved childhood growth and survival. We applied mucosal genomics to advance our understanding of EED.
Methods: The Study of Environmental Enteropathy and Malnutrition (SEEM) followed 416 children from birth to 24 months in a rural district in Pakistan. Biomarkers were measured at 9 months and tested for association with growth at 24 months. The duodenal methylome and transcriptome was determined in 52 undernourished SEEM participants and 42 North American controls and celiac disease patients.
Results: After accounting for growth at study entry, circulating IGF-1 and ferritin predicted …

Association Of Presenting Symptoms With Abnormal Laboratory Values For Vector-Borne Illness — Experience In An Urban Gastroenterology Practice, Michael D. Erdman, Niloofar Kossari, Jessica Ye, Kristen H. Reynolds, Emily Blodget, B. Robert Mozayeni, Farshid Sam Rahbar

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Background: In the clinical setting, it is not common practice to consider a vector bite, such as from a tick or flea, to be a contributing factor to chronic digestive symptoms. This article investigates associations we have observed among symptomatic patients and positive blood tests for vector-borne illness (VBI).

Methods: Patients who visited an urban gastroenterology clinic over a 3-year period were retrospectively reviewed. A total of 270 patients presenting with a constellation of digestive symptoms — and who had no apparent digestive pathology and reported no prior diagnosis or treatments for VBI — were analyzed. Before the initial visit, …

Improved Tolerability And Efficaciousness Of Miralax-Gatorade When Compared To Golytely In The Outpatient Setting, Bassem Farah

Clinical Research in Practice: The Journal of Team Hippocrates

A clinical decision report using Gu P, Lew D, Jung OS, et al. Comparing the Real-World Effectiveness of Competing Colonoscopy Preparations: Results of a Prospective Trial. Am J Gastroenterol. 2019;114(2):305-314. https://doi.org/10.14309/ajg.0000000000000057 for a patient reluctant to undergo colonoscopy screening due to concerns about GoLYTLEY's tolerability.

Improving Colorectal Cancer Screening And Testing In A Primary Care Clinic, Leslie Michelle Dubois

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer and the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide (World Health Organization, 2019a). In the United States, CRC was the fourth most common cancer in 2016 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019a). The American Cancer Society (2020a) estimated that there will be 147,950 estimated new cases and 53,200 estimated deaths of CRC in the U.S. in 2020. The purpose of the project was to improve CRC screening completion rates and follow up referrals from 27.5% to 35% for adult patients, 50-75 years of age, within a family medicine clinic …