The Digestion Blog » IBD

David Archuleta & Casey Abrams Talk Crohn’s & Ulcerative Colitis

Gabriel — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 01:54:48 +0000

American Idol fan favorites David Archuleta & Casey Abrams raising awareness of Crohn’s Disease & Ulcerative Colitis in recent videos.

David Archuleta was a fan favorite & the runner-up to the seventh season of American Idol. He’s spent his time since American Idol traveling around the country & the world performing on tours & for different events. He recently updated his Youtube channel to discuss what he’s currently been up to. One of the topics he discusses in the video is the recent diagnosis of his older sister’s Crohn’s Disease. He thanked many of the fans who wrote to him regarding the condition as well as the CCFA. It sounds as though his sister is doing better, but as those dealing with Crohn’s Disease know, there is no easy fix & David states he is still trying to learn more about the disease & how he can best help his sister.

Casey Abrams was another fan favorite during the tenth season of American Idol. I’ve previously discussed Casey Abram’s struggles with Ulcerative Colitis while performing on American Idol as well as his IBD Idols project. He was recently featured on CNN’s “Human Factor” series which profiles people overcoming challenges in their life. The video & article discuss Casey Abrams life & the challenges he faced with Ulcerative Colitis. The video also includes some interview footage of him discussing the disease as well.

It’s great to see these two in the public eye bringing more attention to serious digestive diseases like Crohn’s Disease & Ulcerative colitis.

Singer Casey Abrams Raising Awareness With IBD Icons Project

Gabriel — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 09:07:42 +0000

The American Idol “Top 6″ finalist, Casey Abrams, looks to highlight inspiring stories of those who have pushed beyond the limitations Inflammatory Bowel Disease imposes on their life.

Casey Abrams’ battle with Ulcerative Colitis came to light earlier this spring while competing on American Idol. Despite trying to put on a strong face & not bring attention to himself due to his illness, he eventually became so ill that he had to be hospitalized & receive blood transfusions. Since the news of his health problems became known, he has received an outpouring of support from his fans & those who have Inflammatory Bowel Diseases like Crohn’s Disease & Ulcerative Colitis. Mr. Abrams recently spoke with FOX’s Beth Galvin about the struggles he faced during American Idol & beyond.

IBD Icons is Casey Abrams new project which is asking patients who have either Crohn’s Disease or Ulcerative Colitis to share their story about following their dreams despite their disease. Two IBD Icons will be selected, one with Crohn’s Disease & one with Ulcerative Colitis. The IBD Icons will receive an expense paid trip to Las Vegas where they’ll be able to attend the largest nighttime running event in the world along with a concert & a meet and greet with Casey Abrams himself.

I think it’s great that Casey is participating in this project, the only issues I have are that some of the requirements for entry sound a little strange. For example:

Your Story Should Not Include

Mentions of the specific brand(s) of UC or Crohn’s treatments you have taken in the past or names of treatments you are currently taking. Please do not include specifics on how often or how you take your UC or Crohn’s treatment.

At first glance I thought they probably don’t want people rehashing their entire treatment history in their story & they’re aiming for some brevity as they have a 1,000 word limit per entry. However the conspiracy theorist in me is looking at Janssen Biotech who is the manufacturer of Remicade which is one of the most expensive IBD drugs on the market. The optimist in me is suggesting that perhaps this is just a protection against accusations of bias if someone who is taking Remicade wins. It’s probably not a big deal as the winners of the IBD Icons project could take the publicity gained to promote whatever healing method they feel worked for them. Probably best to give the benefit of the doubt in this situation & not rain on what is overall a positive project for those with Crohn’s Disease or Ulcerative Colitis.

Want to know some great “IBD Icons”? Check out Wanted: Crohn’s End, Crohn’s Adventure Foundation & The Purple Dress Project.

BioLineRX’s TLR-9 Immunotherapy For Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Gabriel — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 08:11:37 +0000

BioLineRx announced that it has licensed an experimental immunotherapy drug from Yissum Research Development Company Ltd which is the business side of Hebrew University of Jerusalem(Israel).

The drug is currently known as “BL-7040″ & BioLineRx has plans to further develop & commercialize the drug worldwide. BL-7040 is an experimental drug that is still in testing, but it has already passed Phase Ib & Phase IIa clinical trials. Officially it won’t be known how well BL-7040 works until it’s subjected to Phase IIb clinical trials. However, Prof. Hermona Soreq sounds optimistic on the drug’s efficacy:

The efficacy of BL-7040 in these [earlier] studies was shown to be highly significant and comparable to that of dexamethasone, a steroid used routinely for IBD that has multiple side effects.

While BL-7040 was originally developed for “Myasthenia gravis” which is a neuromuscular disease, it was found that the drug’s immunomodulatory & anti-inflammatory effects could be of benefit for those with Inflammatory Bowel Disease as well. Given that Inflammatory Bowel Disease is a larger market, the drug has pivoted in that direction.

BL-7040 works by encouraging activation of the Toll-like receptor #9 protein (TLR9). TLR9 helps activate the immune system’s response to pathogens, but at the same time it’s job is also to help regulate that response. Meanwhile BL-7040 is also increasing cholinergic & anti-inflammatory pathways throughout the body.

The TLR9 protein is under research as an immunomodulator in a variety of other immune system related diseases, such as allergies & asthma. These new immunotherapies involving stem cells or specific protein activation may give those with Inflammatory Bowel Disease safer & more effective treatment options.

Sources

Inflammatory Bowel Disease Can Affect Cats & Dogs

Gabriel — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 10:56:58 +0000

Inflammatory Bowel Diseases can affect not just your family members, but also your family pet.

Mississippi State University is reporting that, “TaTonka Gold”, their living dog mascot had to be euthanized due to a number of health problems, one of which was Inflammatory Bowel Disease. This reminded me of an article I saw a few weeks back: “Treating inflammatory bowel disease in dogs” from the Washington Post’s website. That article involved a pet owner writing in about their dog’s digestive problems, the answer they received back was too look into the possibility that their dog has IBD.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease in a pet mainly manifests itself as chronic vomiting, chronic diarrhea or both along with gas and/or a bloated appearance. An endoscopy with biopsies is usually required to confirm the diagnosis. The endoscopy may also reveal lesions or ulcers along the pet’s lower digestive system similar to Ulcerative Colitis. While gender, sex & age don’t often play a part in the diagnosis, the mean age for IBD in dogs is 6.3 years while in cats it’s 6.7 years. There is a chance that German Shepherds, Yorkshire Terriers, Cocker Spaniels, and purebred cats have a higher incident rate, but any dog or cat breed can develop IBD at any age. Often the cause of the IBD is unknown & may be related to autoimmune disorders.

Initial treatment is often a change in the pet’s dietary habits. The pet is often given food with a new & more pure protein source. This may involve the pet owner making the food for the pet out of something other than chicken or beef, e.g. lamb or venison. If the pet has a known food allergy to the available alternative protein sources, changing protein source may not help, but finding a purer form of the meat they are used to eating may help.

One thing I am going to rant about here is the horrible quality of most brand name pet food. For a long time I was using Pet Promise which was a product that had no byproducts & sourced it’s meats from local farms. Unfortunately Pet Promise closed it’s doors in January 2010. It’s a real shame because they produced a quality pet food that was only a few dollars more than the stuff full of chicken feathers & corn flour. The best alternative available now is Blue Buffalo which is considerably more expensive & may not be available locally. But you can find it on Amazon, Blue Buffalo for Cats – Blue Buffalo for Dogs.

If dietary changes do not help, the same medications available for humans with IBD are available for pets as well. These drugs are mainly corticosteroids, anti-inflammatory & antibiotic drugs. Caution should be taken when dealing with corticosteroid drugs as they work by suppressing the immune system. There are also probiotics available for pets, which could provide a benefit similar to that seen in humans.

Like with humans, there is no cure for pet IBD, but diet management, use of drugs when appropriate & lots of loves, usually allows the pet to continue to live a good quality life.

Clostridium difficile Recurrence Higher For IBD Patients Treated With Vancomycin

Gabriel — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 09:02:46 +0000

Those who develop Clostridium difficile along with their Inflammatory Bowel Disease may have a harder time treating it with Vancomycin.

A review study of 101 patients who had an Inflammatory Bowel Disease of one kind or another found that Clostridium difficile was more likely to occur in those treated with the antibiotic vancomycin compared to those treated with another antibiotic, metronidazole or a combination of both. Vancomycin goes by the brand name Vancocin while metronidazole is also known as Flagyl.

The review study showed a recurrence rate of almost 40%(39.4%) in those who took vancomycin compared to 14.5% in those who took metronidazole & 13.3% in those who took a combination of both. No obvious differences were found between patients & the vast majority(89%) were on immunosupressive drugs of some sort. Steroid use does seem to play a role as reinfection rates were approximately twice as high, 32% vs 15.7%, for those receiving a steroidal treatment.

Vancomycin & metronidazole are both considered to be the “last line of defense” antibiotics used only to treat the toughest infections. Clostridium difficile has proved extremely difficult to treat over the years. The study suggests that those with an Inflammatory Bowel Disease like Crohn’s Disease or Ulcerative Colitis should opt for metronidazole or a combination of metronidazole & vancomycin. If you’re looking for a non-drug treatment option, bacteriotherapy is starting to gain traction as a treatment for C. diff.

Story Link

Yogurt Protein Could Be Helpful For Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

Gabriel — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 07:00:47 +0000

Research led by Fang Yang at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center has uncovered some interesting information which could lead to new treatments for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases like Crohn’s Disease or Ulcerative Colitis.

The researchers focused in on proteins that are secreted by the Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG bacteria. This bacteria is commonly found in yogurts. The proteins they isolated were given generic names such as p75 & p40. Researchers narrowed their focus to protein ‘p40′. P40 was found to activate the epidermal growth factor receptor which is responsible for sustaining living cells & growing new ones. Activation of this receptor appears to have helped prevent both cell death & inflammation caused by weakening of the intestinal tracts “tight junctions” which prevent microbes & toxins escaping into the bloodstream.

One of the main benefits of the research is that the researchers were able to isolate P40 by itself, meaning that future treatments could deliver the helpful protein directly, without having to rely on yogurt or the Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG bacteria surviving a trip through bacteria destroying stomach. This research might also lead to further studies of how probiotics works, perhaps uncovering more proteins or substances secreted by these bacteria which may be helpful for treating various digestion disorders.

Vanderbuilt University News Release

Kids With IBD: Medication, CCFA Webcast & Alternatives

Gabriel — Sat, 14 May 2011 07:01:03 +0000

A recent study suggests kids & teens may not be properly taking medication prescribed to them for Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

The study indicates that kids & teens prescribed 5-ASA(Mesalazine) or 6-MP(Mercaptopurine) only adhered to the regimen about 53% of the time. To find this out, researchers found this out by fitting an electronic sensor to the bottle caps and measuring how often they were opened. About 20% of those taking 5-ASA & 35% for 6-MP had an adherence rate of 20% or lower.

Obviously this test isn’t fool proof as the researchers didn’t know how many pills were taken out each time & I am sure there was probably some little brat out there who probably cut a hole in the bottom of the container so as not to trigger the sensor. ;) It does lead a person to the question of why someone would not want to take their medication? Well there are probably numerous reasons. For starters, pills often remind patients they are sick. It’s kind of a downer & a reminder that you’re “not normal”. Second, it might not make you feel very good. If you have an adverse reaction to the medication, then you’re probably not going to want to keep taking it. Thirdly, rebellion. Kids & adults will rebel out of anger or frustration with the situation, even at things that are suppose to help.

Probably the best course of action is to talk to your child & their doctors to try & find out why they do not want to take the medication. There may be a very valid reason someone does not want to take the medication they are given. Keep in mind there may also be alternatives out there other than medication, that are worth researching. The work Reid Bryant Kimball is doing over a Crohn’s End may be an informative look at other things you could be trying. Some of it is may seem a little out there. Depending on the kind of kid you have they might find it very cool or very gross. Though with a lot of diseases nothing is surefire & you must weigh the risks of all treatment options, then take the path you feel most comfortable with.

The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America will be have a webcast on May 19th, with pediatric gastroenterologist Dr. Sandra Kim along with Janis Arnold, a clinical social worker. They will be answering questions about children’s needs when dealing with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases from the audience in a Q & A session. This would be a great opportunity for parents to ask questions regarding the physical & psychological needs their child might need. You need to register in advance to participate.

Study Shows Overactive Inflammatory Response For Those With Crohn’s Disease

Gabriel — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 13:49:42 +0000

A recent study looking at the the cytokine(signaling protein) IL-23(Interleukin 23), from Tongji University in Shanghai, China has found that those with Crohn’s Disease have higher levels of the IL-23 signaling protein in the inflamed mucosa lining of their bowel.The body uses various types of cytokines to communicate between cells within the body. IL-23 plays an important part in starting the inflammation process. This study doesn’t really explain why IL-23 is higher, but it at least adds to evidence that the bodies inflammation process may be overactive or it’s communication mechanism may be faulty. Interestingly, those with Ulcerative Colitis did not see as high a level of IL-23 as those specifically with Crohn’s Disease. This actually isn’t the first time IL-23 has been linked to Inflammatory Bowel Disease, studies and research on IL-23 have been going on for years.

The study concludes that “Anti-TNF(Tumor necrosis factors)” drugs may be of use for treating Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. “Tumor necrosis factors” are yet another group of cytokines. Their main purpose is to help cause cell destruction. Currently Anti-TNF drugs aren’t in wide use and their effectiveness for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases has yet to be established. You can read an interview with Dr. David A Schwartz on Anti-TNF drugs & Crohn’s Disease at Medscape. However it also appears there are risks associated with Anti-TNF drugs.

Review: DigestActiv Digestive Enzymes From Source Naturals

Gabriel — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 00:53:50 +0000

Review: DigestActiv Digestive Enzymes From Source Naturals

Digestive enzymes are an essential part of the digestive process. They are one of the three main things(enzymes,acid & muscle contractions) your stomach uses to breakdown foods into things like sugars and peptides which your small intestine can then absorb. Some are born with digestive enzymes up the wazoo while others may be deficient or as they age become deficient. Signs of enzyme deficiency are rather generic and may mimic many others issues. Usually the symptoms are bloating, belching, heartburn, nausea or indigestion. Digestive enzymes are used mainly in the stomach & don’t normally affect the intestinal tract, however upper digestive issues can manifest new or worsen existing problems in the intestinal tract.

Today I am reviewing DigestActiv by Source Naturals which is a multiple vegetarian digestive enzyme pill. It’s pretty much a standard mix of enzymes such as Amylase, Lactase, Protease, Pancreatin(vegetable based), Bromelain along with some herbs such as ginger root, peppermint & black pepper extract. They also throw in some Betaine Hydrochloric Acid(stomach acid) for good measure.

DigestActiv is a good starting point when trying out digestive enzymes because it contains lower doses of these enzymes than some of the other brands. Taking too many digestive enzymes may have the opposite effect of what you’re trying to achieve. The pill size, while not small, is about the same size as a quality multi-vitamin capsule. The serving size on the nutrition info is 2 capsules, but I usually only take one.

Source Natural’s touts that DigestActiv is “Bio-Aligned™” what this means is pretty unclear, it has something to do with their other buzzwordy “SystemiCare” system which seems to be filled with foo-foo words about bodily harmony. Ultimately “Bio-Aligned” & “SystemiCare” seem more like marketing mumbo-jumbo than anything of real value added to the product. I am not going to knock the product on the marketing though as the contents of the pills seems to be of quality.

The pills do have a funky odor to them, but this is kind of normal for digestive enzymes or hydrochloric acid pills. The stomach doesn’t smell pretty, neither should the pills.

My personal experience with these pills is that they do help from time to time & don’t have the overwhelming effect like some of the other digestive enzyme pills I’ve taken in the past. I’d suggest these for anyone who has never tried digestive enzyme pills or who has but experienced a mild-worsening of symptoms(heartburn & or nausea, etc..), which might have been a symptom of taking too many enzymes. If you’re dealing with Gastroparesis, heartburn, indigestion or Irritable Bowel Syndrome, these are definitely worth a shot.

Buy DigestActiv by Source Naturals from Amazon.com

Genetically Altered Probiotic May Help Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Gabriel — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 23:07:11 +0000

Inflammatory Bowel Disease is an autoimmune disease that causes chronic inflammation of the bowel. Usually Inflammatory Bowel Disease shows up as either Ulcerative Colitis or the potentially more serious Crohn’s Disease(neither is a cakewalk though). A new study by Northwestern University took a common probiotic(L. Acidophilus) & genetically modified it so that it lacked the gene “phosphoglycerol esterase” which normally causes inflammation in the gut. The probiotic was given to mice who had two different types of colitis. After a 13-day treatment the mice were almost completely free of inflammation and their disease was halted by up to 95%. The modified probiotic apparently works by acting as a calming agent on the autoimmune system so that it stops attacking the gut.Associate Professor of Medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Mansour Mohamadzadeh had this to say about the findings:

This opens brand new avenues to treat various autoimmune diseases of the gut, including inflammatory bowel disease and colon cancer, all which can be triggered by imbalanced inflammatory immune responses[.]

The results have not been tested on humans yet and some people may be hesitant about taking a genetically modified organism, though I am sure those who have dealt with an Inflammatory Bowel Disease for long enough probably wouldn’t care where it came from, so long as it worked. This may also open doors for those with other kinds of digestive problems such as those with Irritable Bowel Syndrome or even Colon Cancer.

Unfortunately there is no word on when a human study may take place or when we might see this modified probiotic on store shelves.