Showing papers by "Mark Pimentel published in 1999"

Method of diagnosing irritable bowel syndrome and other disorders caused by small intestinal bacterial overgrowth by detecting the presence of anti-saccharomyces cerivisiae antibodies (asca) in human serum

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of diagnosing small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, depression, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or an autoimmune disease by sampling serum from a human subject having a suspected diagnosis of any of these conditions and analyzing the serum for the presence of ASCA, which corroborates the suspected diagnosis. A method of determining a predisposition for developing Crohn's, in a human subject who does not present a set of symptoms characteristic of the disease and who has small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, involves sampling serum from the subject and analyzing the serum for the presence of ASCA. The presence of ASCA in the serum indicates a predisposition for developing Crohn's disease. Also disclosed is a kit for diagnosing and treating small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, depression, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or an autoimmune disease, such as multiple sclerosis or systemic lupus erythematosus. The kit is useful to improve symptoms, including hyperalgesia related to SIBO and disorders caused by SIBO.

Use of 5-aminosalicylates as antimicrobial agents

Abstract: A method of inhibiting the growth of a bacterial species in a human or non-human vertebrate employs the antimicrobial (i.e., antibiotic) properties of 5-aminosalicylates. These antimicrobial properties are also employed in an antimicrobial method of inhibiting the growth of a bacterial species in a foodstuff and in foodstuffs containing a 5-aminosalicylate compound. Pharmaceutical compositions, foodstuffs, food containers, food-handling implements, cleansers, polishes, paints, sprays, soaps, or detergents comprise 5-aminosalicylate compounds, such as mesalamine, sulphasalazine, olsalazine, ipsalazine, salicylazobenzoic acid, balsalazide, or conjugated bile acids, including ursodeoxycholic acid-5-aminosalicylic acid. The present pharmaceutical compositions can be formulated for ingestive, colonic, or topical non-systemic delivery systems or for any systemic delivery systems. Formulation can be for human or veterinary administration. Using the method and pharmaceutical preparations the growth of bacterial species, such as Clostridium perfringens, Clostridium difficile, Clostridium botulinum, and Clostridium tetani can be inhibited.

Clinical Approach to Non-Ulcer Dyspepsia

Abstract: The first modern description of dyspepsia (1), described it as an “episodic or persistent” abdominal pain in the absence of bleeding or jaundice. Since then, various descriptions have been used (2, 3). These definitions include symptoms of peptic ulcer disease in a subject without an ulcer (2) and upper abdominal pain with a lack of identifiable cause (3). In 1989, Barbara, et al. once again tried to define NUD (dyspepsia) as episodic or persistent abdominal symptoms often related to feeding, which patients or physicians believe to be due to disorders of the proximal portion of the digestive tract (4). More recently, groups have tried to sub-categorize NUD into categories such as reflux-like, dysmotilitylike, ulcer-like (5,6) and even irritable bowel-like (7).