Geographic diversity in inflammatory bowel disease genetics and microbiome.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is characterized by dysregulation of the immune response to gut microbiota, a phenomenon that intertwines with environmental influences and manifests as intestinal inflammation in genetically susceptible hosts. While core pathogenic factors contributing to IBD susceptibility are largely consistent across populations, substantial variations in genetic predispositions, environmental exposures, and gut microbial compositions shaped by geographical diversity may play a profound role in influencing disease risk, progression, and therapeutic responses. This critical dimension has often been overlooked in IBD-related basic and clinical research.

Gastrointestinal health and nutritional strategies in autism spectrum disorder.

Beyond the hallmark social and sensory difficulties in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the comorbid gastrointestinal (GI) conditions and their potential link to the severity of core symptoms require clinical attention. Although evidence indicates that autistic children face a greater risk of GI disorders and require more intensive nutritional management compared to neurotypical peers, standard guidelines for managing GI symptoms in this population remain lacking. This review seeks to pinpoint critical considerations for the implementation of nutrition-based strategies aimed at addressing GI dysfunction in individuals with ASD.

Early life factors, diet and microbiome, and risk of inflammatory bowel disease.

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), including Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), result from a loss of immune tolerance to gut microbiota, leading to inflammation. Their incidence is increasing, especially in newly industrialized countries. The etiology is multifactorial, involving genetic, immune, microbiota, and environmental factors.

Early-life antibiotic exposure aggravates hepatic steatosis through enhanced endotoxemia and lipotoxic effects driven by gut .

Compelling evidence supports a link between early-life gut microbiota and the metabolic outcomes in later life. Using an early-life antibiotic exposure model in BALB/c mice, we investigated the life-course impact of prenatal and/or postnatal antibiotic exposures on the gut microbiome of offspring and the development of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). Compared to prenatal antibiotic exposure alone, postnatal antibiotic exposure more profoundly affected gut microbiota development and succession, which led to aggravated endotoxemia and metabolic dysfunctions.

A metagenome-assembled genome inventory for children reveals early-life gut bacteriome and virome dynamics.

Existing microbiota databases are biased toward adult samples, hampering accurate profiling of the infant gut microbiome. Here, we generated a metagenome-assembled genome inventory for children (MAGIC) from a large collection of bulk and viral-like particle-enriched metagenomes from 0 to 7 years of age, encompassing 3,299 prokaryotic and 139,624 viral species-level genomes, 8.5% and 63.

A novel infant microbiome formula (SIM03) improved eczema severity and quality of life in preschool children.

Altered gut microbiome composition has been reported in children with eczema and interventions that restore beneficial bacteria in the gut may improve eczema. This open-label pilot study aimed to investigate the efficacy of a novel infant microbiome formula (SIM03) in young children with eczema. Pre-school Chinese children aged 1-5 years old with eczema received SIM03 twice daily for three months.

IBD barriers across the continents - East Asia.

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) are chronic illnesses with significant morbidities and impact on patients' quality of life. There has been a rapid increase in the incidence of IBD in East Asia in recent decades. However, there is a huge unmet need in the diagnosis and management of IBD in this region.

Long-Term Safety Outcomes of Fecal Microbiota Transplantation: Real-World Data Over 8 Years From the Hong Kong FMT Registry.

Background And Aims: Prospective long-term real-world safety data after fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) remain limited. We reported long-term outcomes of FMT from a population-based FMT registry in Hong Kong.

Methods: We recruited patients undergoing FMT for recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) and non-CDI indications from clinical trials, from June 2013 to April 2022 in Hong Kong.

Treatment of inflammatory bowel disease-Asian perspectives: the results of a multinational web-based survey in the 8th Asian Organization for Crohn's and Colitis meeting.

Background/aims: As the characteristics of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) differ between Asians and Westerners, it is necessary to determine adequate therapeutic strategy for Asian IBD patients. We evaluated the current treatment of IBD in Asian countries/regions using a web-based survey.

Methods: The Korean Association for the Study of Intestinal Diseases conducted a multinational web-based survey for current IBD care in Asia between September 16, 2020, and November 13, 2020.

Geography Influences Susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 Serological Response in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Multinational Analysis From the ICARUS-IBD Consortium.

Background: Beyond systematic reviews and meta-analyses, there have been no direct studies of serological response to COVID-19 in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) across continents. In particular, there has been limited data from Asia, with no data reported from India. The ICARUS-IBD (International study of COVID-19 Antibody Response Under Sustained immunosuppression in IBD) consortium assessed serological response to SARS-CoV-2 in patients with IBD in North America, Europe, and Asia.

A Probiotic Formula for Modulation of Colorectal Cancer Risk via Reducing CRC-Associated Bacteria.

Gut microbiota dysbiosis with increased pathogenic bacteria and decreased beneficial bacteria is associated with colorectal cancer (CRC) development. This study examined the effect of a newly developed probiotic formula in modulating CRC-related bacteria. We developed a probiotic formula containing three bifidobacteria (, , and ) based on the identification of bacterial species that showed significant correlations with CRC-related bacteria including (), , (), and ().

Combing fecal microbial community data to identify consistent obesity-specific microbial signatures and shared metabolic pathways.

Obesity is associated with altered gut microbiome composition but data across different populations remain inconsistent. We meta-analyzed publicly available 16S-rRNA sequence datasets from 18 different studies and identified differentially abundant taxa and functional pathways of the obese gut microbiome. Most differentially abundant genera (, , , and ) were depleted in obesity, indicating a deficiency of commensal microbes in the obese gut microbiome.

Epidemiology, Symptomatology, and Risk Factors for Long COVID Symptoms: Population-Based, Multicenter Study.

Background: Long COVID induces a substantial global burden of disease. The pathogenesis, complications, and epidemiological and clinical characteristics of patients with COVID-19 in the acute phase have been evaluated, while few studies have characterized the epidemiology, symptomatology, and risk factors of long COVID symptoms. Its characteristics among patients with COVID-19 in the general population remain unaddressed.

Novel microbiome signatures for non-invasive diagnosis of adenoma recurrence after colonoscopic polypectomy.

Background: We previously reported a panel of novel faecal microbiome gene markers for diagnosis of colorectal adenoma and cancer.

Aim: To evaluate whether these markers are useful in detecting adenoma recurrence after polypectomy.

Methods: Subjects were enrolled in a polyp surveillance study from 2009 to 2019.

SARS-CoV-2 non-structural protein 6 triggers NLRP3-dependent pyroptosis by targeting ATP6AP1.

A recent mutation analysis suggested that Non-Structural Protein 6 (NSP6) of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a key determinant of the viral pathogenicity. Here, by transcriptome analysis, we demonstrated that the inflammasome-related NOD-like receptor signaling was activated in SARS-CoV-2-infected lung epithelial cells and Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients' lung tissues. The induction of inflammasomes/pyroptosis in patients with severe COVID-19 was confirmed by serological markers.

High prevalence of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase organisms and the COVID-19 pandemic impact on donor recruitment for fecal microbiota transplantation in Hong Kong.

Background: With increasing number of clinical trials relating to fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), it is crucial to identify and recruit long-term, healthy, and regular fecal donors.

Objective: We aimed to report the outcomes of screening and recruitment of fecal donors for FMT.

Methods: Potential donors were recruited via advertisement through internal mass emails at a university.

Use of thiopurines in inflammatory bowel disease: an update.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), once considered a disease of the Western hemisphere, has emerged as a global disease. As the disease prevalence is on a steady rise, management of IBD has come under the spotlight. 5-Aminosalicylates, corticosteroids, immunosuppressive agents and biologics are the backbone of treatment of IBD.

Lysosome activation in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and prognostic significance of circulating LC3B in COVID-19.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread rapidly worldwide, causing significant mortality. There is a mechanistic relationship between intracellular coronavirus replication and deregulated autophagosome-lysosome system. We performed transcriptome analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from COVID-19 patients and identified the aberrant upregulation of genes in the lysosome pathway.

Epidemiology and Natural History of Elderly-onset Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Results From a Territory-wide Hong Kong IBD Registry.

Background: Elderly-onset inflammatory bowel disease [IBD], defined as age ≥60 at diagnosis, is increasing worldwide. We aimed to compare clinical characteristics and natural history of elderly-onset IBD patients with those of adult-onset IBD patients.

Methods: Patients with a confirmed diagnosis of IBD from 1981 to 2016 were identified from a territory-wide Hong Kong IBD registry involving 13 hospitals.

Asian Organization for Crohn's and Colitis and Asia Pacific Association of Gastroenterology practice recommendations for medical management and monitoring of inflammatory bowel disease in Asia.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has increased in incidence and prevalence in Asian countries since the end of the 20th century. Moreover, differences in the cause, phenotypes, and natural history of IBD between the East and West have been recognized. Therefore, the Asian Organization for Crohn's and Colitis and the Asia Pacific Association of Gastroenterology have established recommendations on medical management of IBD in Asia.