Showing posts with label London. Show all posts
Showing posts with label London. Show all posts

Monday, February 25, 2013

Researchers Report - 200 Genes Have a Connection to Crohn's Disease

Wish there was more to be said about these 200 genes they found that point to Crohn's.  Nice to know.  

Crohn's Disease, from what I read on a regular basis, is one of the most complex diseases to understand.  Scientists seem to always discover a relationship with "A" ("A" could be any of the following, I'm only listing a few:  impaired  immune response, an increased level of a serine protease, an antigen/toxin, introduced into the body,  a pathogen {a bacteria(especially MAP), virus, fungus} are associated with Crohn's, genetic factors... 200 of them apparently, drugs ( Accutane is the one I hear about the most), environmental factors such as hormonal therapy, ex. birth control.  Not enough exposure to parasites, microorganisms and infectious agents in early childhood- See: Hygiene Hypothesis.     OK that's enough.    You get the point.  

Crohn's can be associated with so many factors, but the progression to determine more components about that factor "A", may lead to other discoveries that bring understanding about how "A" and "B", but not enough to progress with more research studies. 

Then ... That's it!  Scientists reach dead ends. It seems as if the findings discovered do not provide enough concrete information to bring more understanding about the disease which halts additional  research You never hear  much more about the relationship between A & B again. This happens so much with so many of the studies that seek to understand the disease and they all seem to reach a dead end at some point during the research.  There's  a few factors that have a pretty good progression that continue to lead to more connections; & its MAP.  It is the only information that I have read  and continue to read that discover  new findings and links to Crohn's.  Scientists are able to get somewhere with their findings that allow them to be able to do more studies and they gain more  understanding about the disease. 

The other factor that stands out is the Hygiene Hypothesis.  Read about it, it makes sense. 

Of all the conditions we would have to have is one as complicated as the Crohn.    I associate the Crohn's with a nightmare person that is sorta like a stalker/rude/unpredictable/enjoys messing up my day(s) and overstays their welcome ... but they were never welocome to begin with ... The nightmare just comes right in and makes itself at home.   

Anyway... enough of my babble.  Feel free to comment on your thoughts on what research seems to stand and  make progress toward an effective treatment and maybe even a cure.  I'd love to hear what you've found .




WEDNESDAY, Dec. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Using a new technique, researchers have pinpointed a large number of additional genes associated with Crohn's disease, bringing the total to 200.
The scientists at University College London, in England, created a new method to identify and map the locations of genes associated with complex inherited diseases such as Crohn's.
Crohn's disease, a type of inflammatory bowel disease, affects about 100 to 150 people out of every 100,000. Understanding more about the genes associated with the disease may lead to improved treatments, the researchers said.
HealthDay news imageThe 200 genes so far linked to Crohn's are more than have been found for any other disease, according to the researchers. For example, just 66 gene regions are known for type 2 diabetes.
"The discovery of so many gene locations for Crohn's disease is an important step forward in understanding the disease, which has a very complicated genetic basis," study senior author Dr. Nikolas Maniatis said in a university news release. "We hope that the method we have used here can be used to identify the genes involved in other diseases which are similarly complex -- for example different cancers and diabetes."
The new research was published Dec. 13 in the American Journal of Human Genetics.
SOURCE: University College London, news release, Dec. 13, 2012
HealthDay

Saturday, May 7, 2011

IBS - More common among women than men


Dr Parul R Sheth
Posted On Monday, May 02, 2011   


Rekha Naik, 35 years old is suffering from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) for the past ten years. “I have been having digestive problems for so long; almost life-long! Every time I eat, I get heartburn, abdominal distension and cramps. I am so tired and I feel miserable,” states Rekha. Like Rekha there are many people who may be inflicted with IBS. For some the signs and symptoms of IBS may be mild but could be disabling for others.
According to Dr OP Kapoor, Hon Visiting Physician, Jaslok Hospital and Bombay Hospital, Mumbai and Dr Sharad Shah, Hon Gastroenterologist, Sir HN Hospital, Mumbai, IBS when properly diagnosed affects 15-20% of our population and people with IBS form nearly 50% of the cases seen in gastrointestinal clinics all over the world.
The good part is that even though the effects of IBS are uncomfortable and can be hard to live with, the disorder will not permanently harm the intestines or lead to a more-serious disease as reported by The National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, US.
More common in women
According to the National Institutes of Health, IBS is two times more common in women than in men and people with IBS seem to have colons that are more sensitive and reactive than usual, so they respond to triggers that would not bother most people. Genetics and heredity plays a role. You may be at a higher risk of IBS if it runs in the family although you cannot predict whether a child of an affected parent will develop the disease. But the chances are about one in twenty that a blood relative also has IBS; either Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis.
For many women IBS worsens during or around the menstrual period suggesting the role of hormonal changes in causing IBS. A research team from London and Japan led by Professor Qasim Aziz, of the Wingate Institute for Neurogastroenterology, Queen Mary University of London found that women have more intense responses to pain of chronic conditions such as IBS than men.
Dr Philip Abraham, consultant gastroenterologist and hepatologist, PD Hinduja National Hospital, Professor, Department of gastroenterology, KEM Hospital, Mumbai puts up his views that there is a notable difference in India; it occurs more frequently in men as compared to women, which is the opposite of what is reported from elsewhere in the world. This may be either because men are truly more commonly affected or that they report to doctors with a lower threshold.
Signs of IBS
  • Abdominal pain or cramping
  • Diarrhoea or constipation, at times alternating bouts of constipation and diarrhoea
  • Gas, flatulence, a bloated feeling
  • Mucus in the stool
What happens and why?Wrong diet habits, certain foods, medications, anxiety, overwork and stress - all can trigger IBS. Up to 40% of people with IBS may have lactose intolerance; inability to digest the sugars found in milk and milk products. Sometimes other illnesses, such as an acute gastroenteritis can act as a trigger. A weak immune system may be responsible in triggering IBS.
The causes of IBS are not known. It affects the large intestine or colon causing irregular bowel movements. The walls of the intestines are lined with muscle layers. As the food that you eat moves from your stomach to the intestines and into your rectum, these muscles contract and relax in co-ordination.  With IBS the muscle contractions become stronger and last longer than normal causing the food to be forced through your intestines more quickly resulting in gas, bloating and diarrhoea.
At times with IBS, the opposite occurs when the food passage slows, stools become hard and dry giving rise to constipation. Problems with your nervous system or colon also may make you experience more discomfort.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Interesting article - IBD patients and the dangers of C diff


I thought this article was worth reading.  This info was found by London researchers.   

Bug linked to bowel disease deaths
A common hospital bug increases the risk of death for patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) six-fold, research has shown.
Scientists called for all IBD patients to be screened on admission to hospital to protect them against Clostridium difficile (C diff).
IBD, which includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, affects about 240,000 people in the UK.
The autoimmune conditions cause symptoms of abdominal pain and diarrhoea, which can be severe enough to warrant admission to hospital.
Researchers in London looked at NHS admission records from 2002 to 2008 and found a strong link between IBD, C diff, and death in hospital.
IBD patients infected with C diff were six times more likely to die than those who escaped the bug. After 30 days, their mortality rate was as high as 25%.
The findings, reported in the journal Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics, also showed that IBD patients with C diff had longer stays in hospital and were almost twice as likely to need gastrointestinal surgery.
Typically, they remained in hospital for 26 days, compared with five days for patients without C diff.
Dr Sonia Saxena, one of the researchers from the School of Public Health at Imperial College London, said: "Hospitals must do everything they can to control infections such as C difficile. We are asking for these high-risk patients to be screened for C difficile proactively on admission to hospital so that if they are exposed, they can be diagnosed and treated more quickly."
Co-author Dr Richard Pollok, from St George's Healthcare NHS Trust, said: "At St George's Hospital, we have seen a 70% reduction in hospital-acquired infections after implementing a range of control measures, such as careful handwashing and reduced use of broad spectrum antibiotics. But we need to do more to protect vulnerable patients such as those with IBD."