Each month, the CDI team rounds up some of the most prominent #GIcommunity research, news, and trends and highlights how they impact functional GI diagnostics and treatment of patients worldwide.
This month, we explore articles on the industry’s current and future state, including several new research reports on small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) that could have long-term effects on patient health.
Breath Testing in Gastrointestinal Health – Present Reality and Future Opportunities
In a recent blog post by Owlstone Medical, Sarah Bloor, Clinical GI Physiologist at CDI’s UK joint venture partner Functional Gut Diagnostics, explores the current state of and future opportunities for breath testing for functional GI disorders, also known as disorders of the gut-brain interaction (DGBI). Topics include current breath tests available in the market, the use of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the assessment of GI health, and the future of breath testing for gut health.
Research Report: The Effectiveness of Rotating Versus Single Course Antibiotics for Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth
Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) affects millions of people worldwide. Healthcare providers most often use antibiotics to treat SIBO, but there lacks international consensus on how best to treat it. In new research published in the United European Gastroenterology Journal, authors investigated the efficacy of different antibiotics to treat SIBO. During the 15 year study following 223 patients, the researchers found that treatment of SIBO using rotating antibiotics was more effective than treatment using a single course of antibiotics based on improvement in both quality of life (GIQLI) and gastrointestinal severity (IBS-SSS).
Low-FODMAP, gluten-free diet improves IBS symptoms
According to data published in BMC Gastroenterology, patients with IBS saw improved symptom severity and normalized gut microbiota following a 6-week low-FODMAP, gluten-free diet (LF-GFD). IBS symptom severity scores (IBS-SSS) decreased in 73.3% of patients, while approximately 52% experienced a 30% to 60% reduction in IBS-SSS. Since the uncontrolled, open-label clinical trial only followed 30 patients, the researchers recognize that future, more extensive studies are required. However, the data is promising.
Progress Made in Characterizing The Microbiome of Patients With SIBO
A sophisticated characterization of the small-bowel microbiome could aid the search for treatments for small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). Researchers from the ongoing REIMAGINE study, using several emerging technologies to sample and sequence the microbiome, have found that Klebsiella and Escherichia dominated the altered microbiome of SIBO patients. The data will provide a “basis for studying the impact of the small-bowel microbiome on SIBO and a path for understanding imbalances that drive this disease for considering treatments.”
