In up to half of patients seen by gastroenterologists, routine examinations fail to find an underlying organic, systemic, or metabolic disease that readily explains the symptoms. These patients are referred to as patients with disorders of gastrointestinal function, of which functional dyspepsia (FD) is one of the most common. Despite intensive research to investigate various pathophysiological mechanisms of this disease, the pathogenesis remains obscure. The investigators recently demonstrated increased duodenal permeability in FD patients, as assessed by mounting routine endoscopic duodenal biopsy specimens into Ussing chambers to measure transepithelial electrical resistance and passage of a paracellular fluorescent probe. Impaired intestinal barrier function can lead to increased uptake of luminal substances which can induce an immunological response in the mucosa. Interestingly, using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) in duodenal biopsies, the investigators recently observed the presence of a yet to be identified microorganism inside the epithelium and the lamina propria of a subset of FD patients (unpublished observations), suggesting increased translocation of microorganisms. The aim of the project is to investigate whether FD patients display increased translocation of microorganisms in duodenal biopsies. The investigators will also test the effect of bile acid on translocation of microorganisms and therefore include 20 FD patients and 20 age- and gender-matched healthy volunteers in this study.
Age range
18 Years – 60 Years
Sex
ALL
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Bacterial uptake in the duodenal biopsy measured by fluorescent intensity at the basolateral side of the ussing chamber setup.
Timeframe: 120 minutes