Objectives: Functional constipation (FC), a common functional gastrointestinal disorder, is usually overlapping with upper gastrointestinal symptoms (UGS). We aimed to explore the clinical characteristics of patients with FC overlapping UGS along with the related risk factors. Methods: The differences in the severity of constipation symptoms, psychological state, quality of life (QoL), anorectal motility and perception function, autonomic function, and the effect of biofeedback therapy (BFT) among patients with FC in different groups were analyzed, along with the risk factors of overlapping UGS. Results: Compared with patients with FC alone, those with FC overlapping UGS had higher scores in the Patient Assessment of Constipation Symptoms and Self-Rating Anxiety Scale and lower scores in the Short Form-36 health survey (P < 0.05). Patients with FC overlapping UGS also had lower rectal propulsion, more negative autonomic nervous function, and worse BFT efficacy (P < 0.05). Overlapping UGS, especially overlapping functional dyspepsia, considerably affected the severity of FC. Logistic regression model showed that age, body mass index (BMI), anxiety, exercise, and sleep quality were independent factors influencing overlapping UGS in patients with FC. Conclusions: Overlapping UGS reduces the physical and mental health and the QoL of patients with FC. It also increases the difficulty in the treatment of FC. Patient's age, BMI, anxiety, physical exercise, and sleep quality might be predictors for FC overlapping UGS.

Objective:To explore the clinical application value of salivary pepsin test (Peptest) in the diagnosis of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).Methods:From April to October 2022, at the Department of Gastroenterology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, a total of 81 patients with typical reflux and (or) heartburn symptoms for more than 1 month, who were diagnosed with GERD and completed 24-hour esophageal pH impedance monitoring (24 h MII-pH) and high-resolution esophageal manometry were enrolled. Salivary samples were collected after lunch, at the onset of symptoms, and at random time point on the day of intubation, and all patients received standard dose of proton pump inhibitor (PPI) for 2 weeks. The 24 h MII-pH results were taken as the gold standard for diagnosing GERD. The optimal time point of Peptest and the diagnostic value of combination of Peptest and PPI test in GERD diagnosis were analyzed. The 24 h MII-pH negative patients were further divided into Peptest-positive group and Peptest-negative group. The heartbrun scores, gastroesophageal reflux disease questionnaire (GERD-Q), reflux characteristics, and esophageal motility between the 2 groups were compared and to investigate the differential diagnostic value of Peptest in 24 h MII-pH negative patients. Chi-square test and non-parametric test were used for statistical analysis.Results:The results of 24 h MII-pH indicated that 21 patients (25.9%, 21/81) were diagnosed GERD and 60 patients were negative for 24 h MII-pH. The onset of symptoms was the optimal time point for Peptest, with a sensitivity of 80.9%, a specificity of 50.0%, and an accuracy of 58.0%. The specificity and accuracy of Peptest at the onset of symptoms combined with PPI test in GERD diagnosis were higher than those of Peptest at the onset of symptoms alone (75.0% vs. 50.0%, 74.1% vs. 58.0%), and the differences were statistically significant ( χ2=8.00 and 4.65, P=0.005 and 0.031). Among 60 cases of 24 h MII-pH negative patients, 30 were positive for Peptest at the onset of symptoms and 30 were negative for Peptest at the onset of symptoms. The heartburn scores and GERD-Q scores of Peptest-positive group were both higher than those of Peptest-negative group (3.0 (2.0, 3.0) vs. 1.0 (0.0, 2.3), 12.0 (9.8, 13.0) vs. 9.0 (6.0, 11.0) ); the clearance time of acid reflux of Peptest-positive group was longer than that of Peptest-negative group (57.0 s (22.3 s, 88.0 s) vs. 18.3 s (9.6 s, 32.1 s) ); the lower esophageal sphincter resting pressure and integrated relaxation pressure were lower than those of Peptest-negative group (10.40 mmHg (5.75 mmHg, 18.95 mmHg) vs. 21.45 mmHg (10.65 mmHg, 31.70 mmHg), 3.90 mmHg (2.05 mmHg, 5.35 mmHg) vs. 4.90 mmHg (3.76 mmHg, 8.25 mmHg); 1 mmHg=0.133 kPa); the distal mean nocturnal baseline impedance, the distal contractile integral and esophagogastric junction contractile integral were all lower than those of Peptest-negative group ( 1 783 Ω (1 660 Ω, 2 157 Ω) vs. 2 300 Ω(1 805 Ω, 2 370 Ω), 1 416 mmHg·s·cm (919 mmHg·s·cm, 2 176 mmHg·s·cm) vs. 1 858 mmHg·s·cm (1 395 mmHg·s·cm, 2 880 mmHg·s·cm), 27.7 mmHg·cm (19.8 mmHg·cm, 39.5 mmHg·cm) vs. 52.6 mmHg·cm (27.7 mmHg·cm, 74.6 mmHg·cm) ), and the differences were statistically significant ( Z=-4.00, -3.53, -3.31, -2.34, -2.13, -2.75, -2.14 and -2.43; P<0.001, <0.001, =0.001, =0.019, =0.033, =0.006, =0.032 and =0.015). Conclusions:Peptest may be better at diagnosing GERD at the onset of symptoms compared to postprandial, random time points, and the accuracy of diagnosing GERD further improves when combined with PPI test. Peptest at the onset of symptoms may have differential diagnostic value for GERD patients in 24 h MII-pH negative patients.

BACKGROUND:Peptest is a noninvasive and convenient diagnostic kit for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). We aimed to explore the application value of Peptest in the diagnosis of GERD.METHODS:Patients suspected of GERD all completed 24 h pH-impedance monitoring (24 h MII-pH) and then took proton pump inhibitor (PPI) 2 weeks. The postprandial, post-symptom and random salivary samples were taken. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was used to identify the best cutoff value of Peptest, to differentiate GERD patients from non-GERD patients and the optimal sampling time of Peptest was analyzed. Reflux characteristics and esophageal motility between Peptest (+) group and Peptest (-) group were compared in negative 24 h MII-pH patients. Peptest concentration were compared among non-reflux, distal reflux, and proximal reflux groups according to 24 h MII-pH curve.RESULTS:The area under the curve of post-symptom Peptest was highest in three time points and the diagnostic specificity was 81.0% and sensitivity was 53.3% with the diagnostic value of 86 ng/mL. Compared with negative Peptest group, distal mean nocturnal baseline impedance was significantly lower, gastroesophageal junction contractile integral was substantially lower in positive Peptest group in negative 24 h MII-pH patients. The concentration of post-symptom and postprandial Peptest increased gradually in the non-reflux, distal reflux, and proximal reflux groups.CONCLUSIONS & INFERENCES:Peptest has a relatively low diagnostic value for GERD. Post-symptom Peptset is the best sampling time with the optimal value of 86 ng/mL and may have auxiliary diagnostic value for negative 24 h MII-pH patients. Peptest may assist 24 h MII-pH in monitoring proximal reflux.

ObjectivesThe impact of ineffective esophageal motility (IEM) on gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) remains unknown, and abnormal esophageal motility often coexists with abnormal gastric motility. We aimed to investigate the role of IEM in GERD and its relationship with gastric electrical activity.MethodsPatients diagnosed as GERD based on GERD‐questionnaire score ≥8 in our hospital from January 2020 to June 2022 were included. All patients underwent 24‐h multichannel intraluminal impedance‐pH monitoring, high‐resolution manometry, and electrogastrogram and were categorized into the normal esophageal motility (NEM) and IEM groups, respectively. Reflux characteristics and gastric electric activity were compared between the two groups, and the correlation between gastric electric activity and reflux was analyzed.ResultsAcid exposure time, total reflux episodes, and DeMeester score in the IEM group were higher than those in the NEM group. Distal mean nocturnal baseline impedance was significantly lower in the IEM group. Compared with the NEM group, the power ratio (PR) of fundus, antrum and pylorus and premeal and postmeal normal wave ratio of antrum were significantly lower in IEM. The total reflux episodes were negatively correlated with the PR of fundus and pylorus, and the DeMeester score was negatively correlated with the PR of corpus and pylorus.ConclusionsIEM may lead to increased reflux, resulting in esophageal mucosal damage. There may be consistency between abnormal esophageal motility and gastric motility.

目前多数研究认为食物不耐受(FI)是肠易激综合征(IBS)发病和症状加重的重要因素之一,IBS患者的FI与肠道低度炎症反应有关.可发酵的低聚糖、双糖、单糖和多元醇(FODMAPs)饮食可改善IBS症状,为探寻IBS的发病机制和治疗方案提供了新方向.本文就FI在IBS发病中作用的研究进展作一综述.