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Antibiotic rifaximin is safest drug treatment for irritable bowel syndrome |
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Written by Matthew Hogg BSc (Hons)
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Tuesday, 08 November 2011 13:15 |
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A study reviewing clinical trials of common pharmaceuticals used to treat irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) has found that the gut-specific antibiotic drug rifaximin was associated with far fewer side-effects than other alternatives.
Researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, analysed the results of 26 large-scale clinical trials and found that rifaximin was by far the safest treatment when compared to other drugs including tricyclic antidepressants and alosetron, all typically used in the treatment of diarrhoea-predominant IBS (IBS-D).
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The study, whose results are to be presented at the American College of Gastroenterology annual meeting in Washington, D.C., was led by Dr. Mark Pimentel, MD, director of the G.I. Motility Program at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and investigated drug interventions deemed to have previously shown their effectiveness in treating IBS.
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 08 November 2011 14:05 |
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Rituximab trial in chronic fatigue syndrome points to autoimmune component |
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Written by Matthew Hogg BSc (Hons)
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Tuesday, 01 November 2011 12:39 |
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A new study has found that chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) patients treated with the anti-cancer drug Rituximab experienced significant relief from their symptoms. Based on the drug's mode of action this suggests immune system dysfunction, and possibly autoimmunity, are important in this debilitating illness.
Rituximab is tradtitionally used as a chemotherapy drug in the treatment of certain cancers. One of its actions is to deplete the number of B-lymphocytes in the body. Also known simply as B-cells, these white blood cells produced by the immune system are associated with allergies and some autoimmune diseases.
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Norwegian researchers first noticed the beneficial effects of Rituximab when using the drug to treat a patient with Hodgkin's lymphoma, who also suffered from ME/CFS. While undergoing chemotherapy with Rituximab the patient reported siognificant relief from their chronic fatigue syndrome symptoms. The investigators reasoned that the effect could be mediated through B-lymphocyte depletion and decided to investigate further, culminating in a recent double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, the results of which are published in the journal PLoS ONE.
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 01 November 2011 13:57 |
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Studies find Gulf War Illness involves chronic altered brain blood flow while causes differ by deployment region |
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Written by Matthew Hogg BSc (Hons)
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Tuesday, 18 October 2011 11:50 |
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Two important new studies recently published move knowledge of Gulf War Illness forward. The first finds altered blood flow to the brains of affected veterans while the second suggests the cause(s) of their illness vary depending on the region in which they were delpoyed.
The brain blood flow study was performed by researchers at the University of Texas (UT) Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas and shows that abnormal blood flow has persisted in veterans for 20 years. Meanwhile, researchers from Baylor University, Waco, Texas, conclude that Gulf War Illness (GWI) resulted from several factors, which differed in importance depending upon a soldier's area of operation.
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The studies provide further confirmation of what many veterans and researchers have long suspected - that GWI is a physical illness with measureable abnormalities (e.g. altered brain blood flow) and that it is complex with multiple triggers or causes, often compounding each other. It is ineresting to note that sufferers of similarly complex environmental illnesses including chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) also show significantly altered blood flow to the brain and their illnesses can also be initiated by a variety of factors.
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 18 October 2011 13:19 |
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Proton pump inhibitors exacerbate NSAID induced intestinal damage by inducing microbial dysbiosis |
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Written by Matthew Hogg BSc (Hons)
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Wednesday, 12 October 2011 12:02 |
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Researchers have found that the combination of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) causes more severe intestinal injury as a side-effect than the latter alone due to changes in microbial populations in the gut - referred to as dysbiosis.
It is well established that over-the-counter NSAIDs like ibuprofen can cause injury to the lining of the gut (the gastrointestinal mucosa) and increase gut permeability - so-called "leaky gut". Proton pump inhibitors are used to reduce the secretion of stomach acid and are typically used to treat conditions such as gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD).
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Researchers at Farncombe Family Digestive Health Research Institute, McMaster University, Ontario, Canada, wanted to look at the combined effects of NSAIDs and PPIs on the integrity and health of the gastrointestinal (GI) mucosa since these drugs are frequently prescribed together. The reason for this being that PPIs may protect the upper GI tract (stomach and duodenum) from the damage caused by the combined effects of NSAIDS and gastric acid - however, the researchers hypothesised that such protection would not extend to the rest of the small intestine and may even cause additional problems.
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Last Updated on Wednesday, 12 October 2011 13:34 |
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