2 Recent Scientific Articles connecting CD, IBS & MC

[Rosie]

I periodically check the scientific literature for articles on MC. I was pleasantly astounded to see two recent articles that support what we've already come to know. Hopefully this will help in our struggles to get proper treatment from doctors.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20575599

This first paper is a study of patents diagnosed with MC. They performed duodenal biopsies and found small intestine damage in 10% of them. We already highly suspect that MC is throughout the intestinal tract, not just the colon, and this proves it! And the association between CD and MC was striking!

Moreover, in over 10% of patients who underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy, duodenal biopsies showed villi alterations classified as Marsh I damage, without clinical and serological data for diagnosis of CD.

Since the association between CD and LC exists, additional tests should be performed in patients not responding to gluten-free diet or to LC specific therapy to exclude the other condition.

The second paper looked at patients with IBS-like symptoms, and they performed duodenal biopsies and colonoscopy. Once again, biopsies showed MC- and CD- like damage. As a matter of fact, 28% of those diagnosed with IBS actually had MC!
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20562801

Microscopic damage was observed in 212 of 262 patients (81%) with normal mucosa. Mild to moderate and severe duodenitis or villi atrophy was histologically confirmed in 65%, 26% and 8% of 212 patients respectively. The negative predictive value of a normal appearing duodenal mucosa was 19%. Additional tests confirmed celiac disease in 12 patients. Lactose malabsorption was present in 42%, bacterial overgrowth in 14%, and H. pylori infection in 28%. Colonoscopy performed in 92 patients revealed non specific colitis (25%), microscopic colitis (28%), Crohn's disease (1%), and diverticulosis (15%). CONCLUSION. Duodenal biopsies revealed abnormalities in the majority of adults with chronic diarrhea and/or abdominal pain despite macroscopically normal gross findings. These results suggest that duodenal biopsies could be helpful in patients with chronic diarrhea and/or abdominal pain for the following work up.

The research is finally catching up, but we all know that it takes a long time for this to actually make it to the doctors. However, we have increasing ammunition in support of what we have all learned through experience.

Rosie

[harma]

Thank you rosie, interesting articles!

[Gloria]

These papers confirm what we've already suspected - many IBS patients would be diagnosed with MC if they had the biopsy.

Thank you for sharing this.

Gloria

[tex]

Rosie,

Excellent articles. That's some very substantial information.

Thanks,
Tex