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Aim: to discuss current views on the clinical significance, diagnostic opportunities, and therapeutic approaches in the treatment of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) as an important component in the gut microbiota function assessment, to assess the awareness of physicians and the opportunities in the diagnosis and treatment of this disease in patients in the Federal districts of the Russian Federation, as well as to present the proceedings of the Expert Council held on December 16, 2023 in Moscow.Key points. SIBO is a common syndrome often associated with irritable bowel syndrome, liver cirrhosis, asthma, and congestive heart failure, being also a predictor of early death in the elderly. Today, in many regions of the Russian Federation, there are limitations for instrumental diagnosis of this disease — lack of awareness among doctors, unavailability of gas analyzers for diagnosing SIBO, lack of information about the need to diagnose SIBO in the standards of compulsory health insurance. Rifaximin is the first-line treatment due to the highest therapeutic efficacy. One of the ways to increase the efficacy of SIBO treatment is to include strain-specific probiotics in the treatment regimen. Saccharomyces boulardii CNCM I-745 is thought to be the most studied, promising probiotic. The review also presents statistical data on the issues in the diagnosis and treatment of SIBO in the regions of the Russian Federation.Conclusion. Optimization of approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of SIBO, the development of domestic gas analyzers, increasing the awareness of physicians in all regions of the Russian Federation, as well as the development and optimization of clinical recommendations appear to be necessary measures to increase the effectiveness of medical care, the duration and quality of life of the Russian population. These goals can be achieved within the framework of Federal programs under the supervision of specialized reference centers of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation.

Aim: to study the effectiveness and safety of using the drug Kolofort® in outpatients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) after a new coronavirus infection.Materials and methods. An observational non-interventional program was conducted in patients with exacerbation of IBS symptoms after a new coronavirus infection. One hundred forty-one patients took part in the study. The final efficacy analysis included data from 127 study participants. All patients complained of increased/appearing gastrointestinal symptoms that appeared within 1–6 months after the infection (all patients had a history of COVID-19 infection). To assess the presence and severity of symptoms of the disease, the “7 × 7” questionnaire was used before the start of treatment and three months after the start of treatment.Results. At the stage of inclusion in the program, the average total score on the “7 × 7” questionnaire was 17.36, which corresponded to a moderately severe disorder. During the treatment period, the average total score decreased to 6.14, which corresponded to borderline disorder. In addition, significant improvement was observed for each symptom separately. After three months of therapy, doctors rated the overall impression of the treatment on a 5-point Likert scale from “very effective” to “ineffective”. The average score was 4.24. In addition, no serious adverse events were identified while taking the drug.Conclusion. In real clinical practice, the drug Kolofort® demonstrated high clinical efficacy in the treatment of patients with IBS after COVID-19 infection.

Аim: the clinical practice guidelines intended for gastroenterologists, internal medicine specialists, infectious disease specialists, general practitioners (family doctors), coloproctologists, surgeons and endoscopists present modern methods of diagnosis, prevention and treatment of C. difficile-associated disease.Key points. C. difficile-associated disease is a disease that develops when the diversity of the intestinal microbiota decreases and C. difficile excessively colonizes the colon, the toxins of which damage the intestinal muco-epithelial barrier, followed by the development of inflammation in the colon wall, with diarrhea being a characteristic clinical manifestation. The clinical presentation of the disease can vary from asymptomatic carriage, mild to moderate diarrhea that resolves on its own, to profuse watery diarrhea and pseudomembranous colitis with development of life-threatening complications. The diagnosis of C. difficile-associated disease is based on an assessment of the clinical presentation, medical history, an objective examination of the patient and laboratory stool tests. The disease severity is determined by clinical symptoms and laboratory findings. Additional diagnostic methods that are used according to indications and contribute to the assessment of severity include endoscopy of the colon and abdominal cavity imaging methods. Treatment should be initiated in cases of characteristic clinical presentation of C. difficile-associated disease and positive laboratory stool testing. The choice of drug and treatment regimen depends on the severity of the episode, the presence of complications, and whether the episode is initial, recurrent, or reinfection.Conclusion. Determination of target groups of patients for the diagnosis of clostridial infection is important in preventing overdiagnosis and subsequent unnecessary treatment. Timely diagnosis and treatment of C. difficile-associated disease help avoiding the development of life-threatening complications and improve the prognosis and quality of life of patients.

Aim: to review the modern approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of C. difficile-associated disease in adults and present the resolution of the Expert Council held on March 25, 2023 in Moscow.General provisions. C. difficile is the most important nosocomial pathogen which spores are also commonly found in the environment. Microbiota impairment, primarily due to the use of antibacterial drugs, is a key stage in the development of C. difficile-associated disease. A search for an infection should be carried out only in patients with diarrhea, and it is advisable to use at least 2 laboratory methods. The drug of choice for first-line treatment is vancomycin. If drug treatment is ineffective or the patient has recurrent clostridial infection, fecal microbiota transplantation should be considered. The probiotic strain Saccharomyces boulardii CNCM I-745 has a direct inhibitory effect on C. difficile toxin A, promotes normalization of the intestinal microbiota composition, and decreases the inflammatory reaction in colonic mucosa colonized with a toxigenic strain of C. difficile.Conclusions. Addition of the probiotic strain Saccharomyces boulardii CNCM I-745 to antibacterial therapy promotes both primary and secondary prevention of C. difficile-associated disease.

Aim: to analyze current approaches to H. pylori eradication therapy in adults and present the materials of Experts Council held on December 9, 2022 in Moscow.General statements. H. pylori infection is the main etiological factor of gastritis, peptic ulcer, and gastric cancer. Eradication of H. pylori is recognized as a necessary measure to reduce the incidence of these diseases. The approaches to selecting an eradication regimen should be optimized to take into account epidemiological trends and achieve better treatment outcomes. The updated Maastricht VI Consensus Report presents the means to overcome the difficulties in selecting an approach to the treatment of H. pylori infection. However, eradication therapy remains challenging due to adverse events (primarily antibiotic-associated diarrhea), poor treatment tolerance and patient compliance. Eradication therapy can be optimized by supplementing treatment regimens with strain-specific probiotics that reduce adverse events, improve patient compliance and eradication rates, such as Saccharomyces boulardii CNCM I-745 strain with established efficacy.Conclusion. The inclusion of certain probiotics in eradication regimens improves treatment tolerance, reduces the risk of adverse events, improves patient compliance and eradication rates.

Aim: bring to the attention of practitioners indications for anti-Helicobacter therapy, methods and procedure for diagnostics and eradication therapy of Н. pylori infection.Key points. Chronic gastritis caused by Н. pylori infection, including asymptomatic persons, may be considered as an indication for eradication therapy of Н. pylori as etiological therapy and opportunistic screening for gastric cancer prevention. Indications, for obligatory anti-Helicobacter therapy include peptic ulcer, gastric MALT lymphoma, early gastric cancer (EGC) with endoscopic resection. H. pylori primary diagnostics methods include 13C-urea breath test, H. pylori stool antigen lab test, rapid urease test and serological method. The serological method cannot be used after anti-Helicobacter therapy.In Russia H. pylori strains' resistance to clarithromycin does not exceed 15 % in most regional studies. The first line therapy for Н. pylori infection eradication is the standard triple therapy including a proton pump inhibitor (PPI), clarithromycin and amoxicillin, enhanced with bismuthate tripotassium dicitrate. A classic four-component therapy based on bismuthate tripotassium dicitrate or quadrotherapy without bismuth drug products which includes PPI, amoxicillin, clarithromycin and metronidazole, may be used as alternative to the first line eradication therapy. The standard triple therapy may be prescribed for 14 days only in those regions, where it has been proven to be effective. Quadrotherapy with bismuthate tripotassium dicitrate is also used as main second line therapy in case of standard triple therapy, bismuth enhanced standard triple therapy or combined therapy failure. Another second line therapy includes PPI, levofloxacin and amoxicillin, to which a bismuth-containing drug product may be added. The third line therapy is selected individually based on previously used treatment settings.Conclusion. In each case of H. pylori infection the decision for eradication therapy should be made, which is especially relevant as eradication of H. pylori has been recognized as an effective measure for the prevention of gastric cancer.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by the progressive death of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra of the brain and the deposition of α-synuclein in the form of Lewy bodies in other parts of the brain. Characteristic manifestations of this disease, along with motor symptoms, are the gastrointestinal tract disorders, accompanied by a change in the cellular composition of the intestinal biocenosis. This made it possible to propose the so-called "intestinal" theory of the PD origin. According to this theory, degenerative changes begin in the nervous apparatus of the large intestine, and then spread to the brain. Changes in the intestinal microbiota composition can contribute to the development of the neurodegenerative process through neural, immune, endocrine mechanisms, as well as through biologically active substances.

Aim: to demonstrate the management of a patient with somatization disorder and irritable bowel syndrome.Key points. A 41-yo female patient was admitted with complains of spastic lower abdomen pain, hard stool once every 1–2 days under laxative treatment (macrogol), bloating, anxiety, waiting for confirmation of a life threatening illness, internal stress, difficulty in falling asleep, shallow sleep. Has a long history of disease, characterized by the appearance of a variety of somatic symptoms (headache, tachycardia, joint pain, stool disorders, abdominal pain, etc.) during periods of emotional tension, lack of data suggesting organic disease. No abnormal changes were detected in examination at the clinic (complete blood count, serum chemistry tests, urinalysis or fecal tests, hydrogen and methane breath tests with lactulose, abdominal ultrasound, esophagogastroduodenoscopy, colonoscopy). With the prior agreement of patient, she was consulted by a psychiatrist and diagnosed with somatization disorder and mild anxiety disorder. On discharge from hospital recommended cognitive-behavioral therapy, continue taking macrogol, as well as treatment with Kolofort. After 3 months of complex treatment, there was a significant decrease in the severity of both the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and anxiety disorder.Conclusion. For patients whose complaints meet the diagnostic criteria for IBS, a two-stage differential diagnosis may be justified: at the first stage, differentiation of IBS and organic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract is carried out; at the second stage - IBS and somatization disorder. Kolofort can be the drug of choice both in patients with IBS and the pharmacological part of therapy in patients with somatization disorder.

Aim. To optimize the choice of treatment strategies by physicians and gastroenterologists to improve treatment and prevention of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) in adults.Key points. SIBO is a condition characterized by an increased amount and/or abnormal composition of the microbiota in the small intestine. Clinically, the syndrome is manifested by nonspecific gastroenterological complaints and the development of malabsorption syndrome. Most often, SIBO is associated with various chronic non- infectious diseases (both diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, and the cardiovascular system and the neuromuscular apparatus) and can affect the severity of their symptoms. Specific methods for diagnosing SIBO are the culture method and breath tests. The main approaches to the treatment of SIBO include the elimination of the underlying cause of its occurrence, the use of antibacterial drugs and adherence to dietary recommendations (elemental diet).Conclusion. Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth is common in patients with various diseases, but has non-specific manifestations, so proper diagnosis of this condition is required. SIBO therapy involves prescription of antibacterial agents, the most studied of which is the non-absorbable antibiotic rifaximin-α.

Aim. To review the main indications for probiotics prescription in patients with irritable bowel syndrome and to present the materials of an Expert Council, which was held on 18 March 2022 in Moscow.Key points. Gut microbiota disturbance is an integral part of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) pathogenesis. Changes of colonic microbiota composition are associated with its functional potential modification, which leads to an increasing of the pro-inflammatory immune response, as well as to an exacerbation of the disease symptoms and quality of life decreasing in patients with IBS. The novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) is an independent risk factor for both exacerbation and onset of IBS, which predispose to increase IBS incidence. Correction of gut microbiota composition with probiotics seems to be a promising therapeutic target for IBS treatment optimizing. The optimal probiotic should be effective, safe, strain-specific, and its dose and duration of administration should be confirmed by the results of clinical studies. Some of the probiotics with proven efficacy in IBS are Alflorex® and Enterol®.Conclusion. Prescription of certain probiotics in IBS is advisable to normalize the frequency and consistency of stools, relieve abdominal pain and bloating, as well as improve patients’ quality of life.

Aim: evaluation of the effectiveness of the nutraceutical “Standard Zdorovia: Gastro” (“SZ Gastro”) in the treatment of patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).Materials and methods. 52 patients (62 % women) diagnosed with IBS and IBS in combination with functional dyspepsia (FD) were included in the study and divided into two groups. Both groups received basic therapy according to the guidelines. The experimental group received as add-on the nutraceutical “SZ Gastro” (containing a standardized amount of menthol, gingerol and D-limonene); patients in the control group — placebo. The duration of the study was 30 days. The severity of somatic symptoms was assessed with the 7×7 questionnaire. Emotional state was assessed with the Four Dimensional Distress, Depression, Anxiety, and Somatization Questionnaire (4DSQ).Results. Patients of the experimental and control groups did not differ from each other either in terms of demographics, basic treatment, or in the severity of symptoms at the beginning of the study.The effectiveness of the treatment in the patients, who received add-on “SZ Gastro” was significantly higher than in the patients of the control group: in the control group the percentage of improvement of somatic symptoms was 22.35 %, in the experimental group it amounted to 49.18 % (χ2 = 15.9; p = 0.0001). The percentage of patients with significant decrease of emotional disturbances was also higher in the experimental group: distress (χ2 = 18.7; p = 0.0000), anxiety (χ2 = 6.9; p = 0.0097) and somatization (χ2 = 14.99; p = 0.0001). No significant side effects were registered in any of the groups.Conclusions. Add-on of nutraceutical “SZ Gastro” to basic treatment is safe and significantly increases effectiveness of the therapy in the patients with IBS and IBS in combination with PD.

Aim: To review the main methods of intestinal microbiota studying.Key points. Currently, molecular genetic methods are used mainly for basic research and do not have a unified protocol for data analysis, which makes it difficult to implement them in clinical practice. Measurement of short chain fatty acids (SCFA) concentrations in plasma provides the data, which can serve as an indirect biomarker of the colonic microbiota composition. However, currently available evidence is insufficient to relate the obtained values (SCFA levels and ratio) to a particular disease with a high degree of certainty. Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) levels in the blood plasma and urine can also reflect the presence of specific bacterial clusters containing genes Cut, CntA/CntB and YeaW/YeaX. Therefore, further studies are required to reveal possible correlations between certain disorders and such parameters as the composition of gut microbiota, dietary patterns and TMAO concentration. Gas biomarkers, i.e. hydrogen, methane and hydrogen sulphide, have been studied in more detail and are better understood as compared to other biomarkers of the gut microbiome composition and functionality. The main advantage of gas biomarkers is that they can be measured multiple times using non-invasive techniques. These measurements provide information on the relative proportion of hydrogenic (i.e. hydrogen producing) and hydrogenotrophic (i.e. methanogenic and sulfate-reducing) microorganisms. In its turn, this opens up the possibility of developing new approaches to correction of individual microbiota components.Conclusions. Integration of the data obtained by gut microbiota studies at the genome, transcriptome and metabolome levels would allow a comprehensive analysis of microbial community function and its interaction with the human organism. This approach may increase our understanding of the pathogenesis of various diseases as well open up new opportunities for prevention and treatment.

Aim. Current clinical recommendations accentuate current methods for the diagnosis and treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).Key points. IBS is a functional bowel disorder manifested with recurrent, at least weekly, abdominal pain with the following attributes (any two leastwise): link to defecation, its frequency or stool shape. The symptoms are expected to persist for at minimum three months in a total six-month follow-up. Similar to other functional gastrointestinal (GI) disorders, IBS can be diagnosed basing on the patient symptoms compliance with Rome IV criteria, provided the absence of potentially symptom-causative organic GI diseases. Due to challenging differential diagnosis, IBS can be appropriately established per exclusionem, with pre-examination as follows: general and biochemical blood tests; tissue transglutaminase IgA/IgG antibody tests; thyroid hormones test; faecal occult blood test; hydrogen glucose/ lactulose breath test for bacterial overgrowth; stool test for enteric bacterial pathogens and Clostridium difficile A/B toxins; stool calprotectin test; abdominal ultrasound; OGDS, with biopsy as appropriate; colonoscopy with biopsy. The IBS sequence is typically wavelike, with alternating remissions and exacerbations often triggered by psychoemotional stress. Treatment of IBS patients includes dietary and lifestyle adjustments, various-class drug agents prescription and psychotherapeutic measures.Conclusion. Adherence to clinical recommendations can facilitate timely diagnosis and improve medical aid quality in patients with different clinical IBS variants.

Aim. A clinical observation to highlight the importance of detailed examination in patients with functional gastrointestinal symptoms.Key points. A 28-yo female patient was admitted with complains of left ileal pain, abdominal distention and up to 4-day stool delay. The complaints had long been interpreted as clinical manifestations of irritable bowel syndrome. No significant abnormalities were revealed in outpatient check-up (general and biochemical blood panels, stool test, abdominal ultrasound, oesophagogastroduodenoscopy). Colonoscopy was performed on admission, with diagnosis of rectal adenocarcinoma. The patient had a prompt surgical intervention, repeated courses of polychemotherapy and is currently followed by an oncologist and coloproctologist. No relapse signs have been reported.Conclusion. Patients with the complaints satisfying the Rome Criteria Revision IV for functional gastrointestinal diseases should have a thorough examination as per recommendations of the Russian Gastroenterological Association and Russian Association of Coloproctologists.

Aim. The practical guidelines are intended for primary care physicians, general practitioners, paediatricians, gastroenterologists and general internists to advance the treatment and prevention of gastroenterological diseases in adults and children in therapies with probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics and their enriched functional foods.Key points. Probiotics are live microorganisms that sustain health of the host when supplied in adequate amounts. Prebiotics include human-indigestible but accessible to gut microbiota substances expediting specific changes in the composition and/or activity of gastrointestinal microbiota that favour the host health. The mechanism of probiotic action comprises the quorum resistance maintenance, nutrient substrate metabolism and end metabolite recycling, macroorganism-sustaining substrate production, as well as the mediation of local and adaptive immune responses.The Russian Federation regulates market differently for biologically active food additives (BAFA), medicinal products (drugs) and functional food products (FFP). We overview the probiotic strains regulated in Russia as BAFAs, drugs and FFPs and provide recommendations on the use of these strains in treatment and prevention of gastroenterological diseases in children and adults.Conclusion. The clinical efficacy of probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics and fortified functional foods depends on the prebiotic and strain properties and is verified in appropriate comparative clinical trials. Not all probiotics registered in Russia as BAFAs, drugs and FFPs have a strain identity, which provides no warranty of the clinical effect expected. The FFP legislation demands improved regulation mechanisms and control for therapeutic efficacy.

Aim. Current clinical recommendations are intended to supply gastroenterologists, physicians and general practitioners with modern methods for the diagnosis and treatment of constipation.Key points. Constipation is defined as primary (functional) and secondary form, the latter comprising a manifestation of another illness. The causes of constipation are diagnosed with colonoscopy, especially in patients aged over 50 having “anxiety symptoms” and hereditary colorectal oncological predisposition. Indications may also include the bowel transit time estimation with radiopaque markers, balloon expulsion test, anorectal manometry, defecography and electromyography. Therapy for constipation should be comprehensive and concern lifestyle, diet recommendations and use of medications (psyllium, macrogol, lactulose, lactitol, contact laxatives, prucalopride). Patients with a less effective conservative therapy and largely reduced quality of life should be considered for surgical intervention.Conclusion. An effective therapy for constipation requires a correct diagnosis of its causes.

Aim of review. Description of intestinal mucosal barrier permeability disruption causes as morbid factors in gastrointestinal tract (GIT) functional disorders.General provisions. Intestinal mucosal barrier is composed of several elements: pre-epithelial barrier, a mucosal lining of epithelium; epithelial barrier that leverages tight junctional structures and high regenerative capacity of epithelium; post-epithelial barrier established by immune cells and blood vessels. Gut microbiota profile may also be constituent of the intestinal mucosal barrier. Functional dyspepsia (FD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) leave distinct morphological imprint. For instance, FD patients exhibit variant expression of cell junction proteins (claudin-1, zonula occludens, occludin, E-cadherin, β-catenin and desmoglein-2), and IBS patients — overexpression of claudin-2. Permeability disruption leads to inflammatory changes in intestinal wall resulting in visceral and central sensitisation, as well as intestinal motor dysfunctions causal of IBS and FD.Conclusion. Disruption of intestinal mucosal barrier may be considered a pathogenetic factor of PD and IBS progression.

Aim. The study reviews current evidence on digestive system lesions provoked by the new COVID-19 coronavirus infection.Key points. Alongside the destructive impact on respiratory system, COVID-19 manifests itself in gastrointestinal symptoms (nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea) that may precede respiratory signs and prevail in the clinical picture of infection. Patients with chronic inflammatory bowel diseases receiving immunosuppressive therapy are at elevated risk of severe COVID-19 progression. The new coronavirus infection may induce liver damage with increased transaminase activity.Conclusion. Association of digestive system lesions with COVID-19 remains understudied and requires further research.

Aim. To provide practical recommendations on the use of probiotics for the treatment and prevention of gastroenterological diseases in adults.General provisions. Probiotics are living microorganisms that benefit the health of the host when administered in adequate amounts. The main functions of probiotics include the support for colonisation resistance, the metabolism of food substrates and utilisation of end metabolites, the production of substrates necessary for the macro-organism, as well as the regulation of local and adaptive immune responses. Probiotics can be registered in the Russian Federation as biologically active food additives (BAFA) or as pharmaceutical products (drugs) in accordance with the microbiological standards and legislative requirements of the Russian Federation. The probiotics registered in the Russian Federation as BAFA for adults include bacteria of the Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Enterococcus, Pediococcus, Lactococcus, Streptococcus, Bacillus, and Escherichia genera, and fungi of the Saccharomyces genus; probiotics registered as drugs — bacteria of Lactobid, Lactobacid, Escherichia and Enterococcus genera and fungi of the Saccharomyces genus. Some probiotics registered in the Russian Federation include probiotic strains that have proved to be effective for the prevention and treatment of antibiotic-associated diarrhea, the prevention of C. difficile-associated disease, the eradication of H. pylori infection, as well as for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome and functional constipation.Conclusions. The clinical efficacy of probiotics depends on the probiotic strains included in their composition and is confirmed by a comparative analysis of the results of appropriate clinical studies. Not all probiotics registered in the Russian Federation as BAFA or drugs contain bacterial or fungal strains; as a result, the expected clinical effect may not be achieved.

Aim. To provide a definition and classification of nutraceutical products and to show their significane in modern integrative medicine.Background. Nutraceuticals are foodstuffs and their components, which have a positive effect on human health, including preventive maintenance and treatment of diseases. Nutraceuticals include healthy and functional foods, as well as biologically active food additives (BAFA). Healthy foods are nutritional foodstuffs without any artificial modification. These include organic, whole, and natural foods. Alongside a high nutritional value, functional food products have a positive effect on the human body due to functional food ingredients. BAFAs are food additives that contains one or several food ingredients (vitamins, mineral substances, plant components, amino acids and others). Specialists express conflicting viewpoints concerning nutraceuticals. Some nutraceuticals, such as probiotics, have confirmed their effectiveness in clinical trials, while the beneficial properties of others require further elucidation.Conclusions. The application of nutraceuticals, as well as their combined use with pharmaceuticals, in accordance with recommendations by scientific professional associations formulated on the basis of valid research studies can lead to an improvement in the quality of the life and longevity of the population. This position forms a basis for the development of integrative medicine — a contemporary approach to the treatment of diseases.

Aim. This observational (non-interventional) study was aimed at obtaining data on practitioners’ commitment to prescribing rifaximin-α therapy to patients with uncomplicated diverticular disease (UDD), to assess patients’ adherence to such prescriptions, as well as to assess physicians’ and patients’ satisfaction with this drug under the conditions of outpatient practice.Materials and methods. 27 research physicians in 22 research centres located in 15 Russian cities and 250 patients participated in an open, prospective multicentre observational study. The observation lasted for 6 months with an interim assessment after 3 months. Physicians’ prescription of rifaximin-α (dose, duration of administration, number of prescribed courses) was evaluated, as well as patients’ compliance expressed as the ratio of the actual number of taken pills to the number of prescribed pills during each course according to the MMAS-4 scale. Such symptoms, as abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea, flatulence and tenesmus were evaluated using a 4-score scale. At the end of the study, physicians’ and patients’ satisfaction with the treatment was evaluated using a 5-score scale.Results. One fifth — 52 patients (20.8%)—had received rifaximin-α therapy prior to inclusion in the study. Most frequently, rifaximin-α therapy was prescribed monthly at a dose of 400 mg 2 times a day for 7 days. 67.6% of patients received 6 courses of treatment during the study period. The proportion of patients who received more than one course of treatment over 6 months was 97.6%. During almost all treatment courses (97.5%), patients’ compliance was more than 80%. The total score of symptom intensity decreased from 5.6 at the inclusion visit, to 2.2 points at the second visit and to 0.9 points at the end of the observation. A statistically significant (p

Aim. To review data on the efficiency and safety of using Ustekinumab in patients with Crohn’s disease.Key findings. Ustekinumab is a fully human monoclonal antibody of the IgG1k class to the p40 subunit of IL-12 and IL-23. The drug interrupts the cascade of humoral and cellular reactions leading to transmural inflammation of the intestinal wall by blocking the interaction of the p40 subunit with the IL-12Rβ1 chain on the surface of T-lymphocytes and NK cells. A number of placebo-controlled studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of Ustekinumab in the induction and the maintenance of remission in those patients with Crohn’s disease who showed no response to conventional therapy (glucocorticosteroids and immunosuppressants) and therapy with TNF-α antagonists. In addition, the efficiency of Ustekinumab in maintaining a clinical response and clinical remission over two years of therapy has been shown. The drug has a favourable safety profile and a low immunogenicity.Conclusion. The reviewed studies show Ustekinumab to be an effective and safe drug for the induction and the maintenance of clinical remission in patients with Crohn’s disease.

Aim. The present guidelines intended for primary care physicians are aimed at facilitating early diagnosis of malignant tumours of the digestive system, which can significantly improve the immediate and long-term results of their treatment.General provisions. The guidelines comprise sections devoted to esophageal adenocarcinoma, esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma and extrahepatic bile duct and gall bladder cancer, as well as pancreatic cancer. Each section contains information on risk factors and precancerous diseases, which allows a physician to identify whether a particular patient falls into the risk group of digestive system neoplasms. It is shown how digestive system cancers can be suspected on the basis of patients’ complaints and past medical history, as well as data obtained both from a direct examination and laboratory instrumental studies. Each section offers practical algorithms in cases of suspected esophageal adenocarcinoma, esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma and extrahepatic bile duct and gallbladder cancer, as well as pancreatic cancer.Conclusion. The knowledge of clinical manifestations and risk factors in the development of digestive system neoplasms allows a physician to suspect cancer and devise a timely and adequate diagnostic strategy, including laboratory and instrumental studies at specialised clinical centres.

Aim. To assess the effect of rifaximin and a multi-strain probiotic on the intestinal microbiome and the indicators of cardiovascular risk in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD).Materials and methods. A study conducted during the 2016–2019 period included 120 people over 50 years old divided into 3 groups. Group 1 comprised patients with coronary heart disease receiving standard treatment. Group 2 comprised patients with coronary heart disease receiving additionally a probiotic (Bifidobacterium bifidum no less than 1x109 CFU; Bifidobacterium longum no less than 1x109 CFU; Bifidobacterium infantis no less than 1x109 CFU; Lactobacillus rhamnosus no less than 1x109 CFU) within 28 days. Group 3 comprised CHD patients receiving rifaximin for 7 days followed by addition of the multi-strain probiotic under test for 21 days. Group 4 consisted of healthy individuals, comparable in age and sex with the examined CHD patients. In group 4, blood and stool tests were performed once to provide a comparison with group 1. TMAO concentration was determined using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry. To study the composition of fecal microflora, 16S sequencing was used followed by a graphical representation of the results. The results were analysed using the IBM SPSS 22.0 statistical data processing software.Results. An additional administration of the probiotic (Bifidobacterium bifidum no less than 1x109 CFU; Bifidobacterium longum no less than 1x109 CFU; Bifidobacterium infantis no less than 1x109 CFU; Lactobacillus rhamnosus no less than 1x109 CFU) is found to have no effect on the lipid profile and the platelet aggregation rate. Rifaximin therapy reduced the amount of total cholesterol, low density lipoproteins (LDL), very low density (VLDL) lipoproteins and triglycerides (p 0.05) downward trend in all groups. The composition of the fecal microbiota, at the end of administration of the probiotic, showed an increase in the proportion of bacteria of the Streptococcaceae, Lactobacillaceae, Enterobacteriaceae families and a decrease in the Ruminococcaceae family (p>0.05). After rifaximin therapy, a decrease in the proportion of bacteria of the Clostridiaceae (p 0.05) family and a decrease in the Clostridium and Escherichia/Shigella (p > 0.05) genera was observed. The use of the probiotic after a course of treatment with rifaximin did not have a significant effect on the composition of the microflora. In general, the high variability of fecal microbiota between different patients (significantly superior to intergroup differences) does not allow us to draw unambiguous conclusions.Conclusions. The use of a multi-strain probiotic as an additional therapy in patients with coronary heart disease within 28 days did not have a significant effect on lipid metabolism, TMAO level and the composition of fecal microflora. The consecutive use of rifaximin and the probiotic had a beneficial effect on such factors as lipid metabolism (decrease in the level of total cholesterol, LDL, VLDL, triglycerides), but did not affect the concentration of TMAO and the composition of the intestinal microflora in patients with coronary heart disease.

The purpose of the first multidisciplinary Consensus: to comprehensively analyze the pathophysiological, clinical, and pharmacotherapeutic aspects of the syndrome of increased epithelial permeability (SPEP) as one of the basic mechanisms of the development of human pathology.The Consensus presents the structure of the three main levels of cytoprotection: preepithelial, epithelial and subepithelial, and the structure of intercellular tight contacts in epithelial tissues and endothelium is considered in detail. The clinical sections of the Consensus are devoted to the role of SPEP in diseases of the digestive system, cardio-cardio-vascular and other visceral systems. A separate section summarizes the materials illustrating the significant role of SPEP in mental disorders and diseases of the nervous system.A separate chapter of the Consensus is devoted to cytoprotective therapy in SPEP. Cytoprotective effects of such proton pump inhibitor as rabeprazole, bismuth preparations and probiotics have been shown. Special attention is paid to the clinical and pharmacological specialties of the cytoprotector of rebamipide. Clinical the effectiveness of re-bamipide shown as in functional, so in organic lesions of the digestive system. Its anti-cancer preventive effects are of practical importance.