geoffrey modest medical blogs

one issue in current microbiome research is that there are often associations between certain microbial species found in the gut microbiome and certain disease or health states, but the direct cause/effect link is not clear. these researchers, looking at a colitis model in mice, derived an improved approach in assessing causality (see   doi:10.1038/nature25019 ​). Background: --they studied gnotobiotic mice (ie, mice with known gut microbiomes), some mice with mouse microbiota (MMb) and some with human microbiota (HMb); and also some specific-pathogen free (SPF) mice --these mice were exposed to DSS (dextran sodium sulfate), known to cause colitis in mice     ​--in MMb mice, the colitis was clinically associated with severe weight loss and 100% mortality     ​--in HMb mice, as well as SPF mice, they lose less weight and rarely die; but the degree of microscopic colonic inflam...

in an observational study, researchers found that there was a decrease in Crohn's disease flares in those on higher fiber diets (see  crohn's dz eat fiber clingastrohep2015  in dropbox, or  doi.org/10.1016/j.cgh.2015.12.029 ​). details: --1619 patients in the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America Partners Internet cohort (an online database of more than 14,000 people with inflammatory bowel disease, IBD) completed a 26-item dietary survey. the study was limited to those in remission at baseline, with a follow-up survey 6 months later --1130 patients had Crohn's disease-- CD (30% male, 46% had surgery, 53% had disease >10 years, mean fiber intake 16 g/d, 22% with flare at followup assessment, 6% on steroids, 65% on immunosupp ressants , 69% on aminosalicylates and 68% on biologicals), and 489 had ulcerative colitis -- UC  (31% male, 4% had surgery, 43% had disease >10 years, mean fiber intake...