Background: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infects approximately 50% of the world population. Its infection is associated with gastropathies, extra-gastric digestive diseases, and diseases of other systems. There is a canonical process from acute-on-chronic inflammation, chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG), intestinal metaplasia (IM), dysplasia, and intraepithelial neoplasia, eventually to gastric cancer (GC). H. pylori eradication abolishes the inflammatory response and early treatment prevents the progression to preneoplastic lesions. Methods: the test-and-treat strategy, endoscopy-based strategy, and screen-and-treat strategy are recommended to prevent GC based on risk stratification, prevalence, and patients’ clinical manifestations and conditions. Challenges contain false-negative results, increasing antibiotic resistance, decreasing eradication rate, and poor retesting rate. Present diagnosis methods are mainly based on invasive endoscopy and noninvasive laboratory testing. Results: to improve the accuracy and effectiveness and reduce the missed diagnosis, some advances were achieved including newer imaging techniques (such as image-enhanced endoscopy (IEE), artificial intelligence (AI) technology, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and digital PCR (dPCR). Conclusion: in the article, we summarized the diagnosis methods of H. pylori infection and recent advances, further finding out the opportunities in challenges.

Background: The gut microbiome has been developing and making adaption all the time, which is consistent with their host from the initial colonization at birth or earlier. Emerging evidence is showing that dysbiosis is involved in various diseases associated with immune, metabolism, infection, nervous system, social behaviors, and psychopathology, etc., maybe via modulating gut barrier, microbiome-gut-brain axis, or some metabolites like short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Summary: In the review, we will conclude the recent researches related to the influence of microbiome on local structure, function, regulation, metabolism of gut, and systematic modulation to the host, as well as some affective factors such as diet or antibiotics. Key Messages: It is a reasonable hypothesis that the balance of bioactive factors or cells and the opposites such as the regulatory T/helper T17 balance and interleukin (IL)-10/IL-17 balance plays a vital role in homeostasis of immunity system. Meanwhile, the link between gut microbiome and immune system via microbiota-derived metabolite SCFAs involved in multi-function of the host locally and systematically has been revealed. We hope to contribute to the microbiome-targeted treatment and prevention of some diseases.

Globus pharyngeus is common and has a low cure rate. Its etiology is complex and reported to be associated with laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR). However, some patients with globus do not exhibit any reflux symptoms or respond to proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) treatments. The purpose of this study was to clarify the related risk factors of these patients with a final objective of improving the curative effect. Forty two patients afflicted with globus pharyngeus (G group) and 38 patients without globus pharyngeus (NG group) were included in this study. According to the laryngopharyngeal Reflux Symptom Index and the response to PPIs treatments, the patients were further divided into reflux groups (G-R, NG-R) and non-reflux groups (G-NR, NG-NR). High Resolution Manometry (HRM) was performed to assess esophageal motility. Questionnaires, including categories such as life exposure factors, were conducted. a) The average resting and residual pressures of the upper esophageal sphincter (UES) in the G-NR group was higher than in the NG-NR and NG-R groups (P < 0.05). b) The average resting and residual pressures of the lower esophageal sphincter showed no differences between the G-NR group and the NG-NR group (P > 0.05). c) The esophageal distal contractile integral score of the G-NR group was not different from the NG-NR group (P > 0.05). d) Compared to the NG-NR group, the G-NR group showed higher incidence of stress, smoking, drinking, high salt and anxiety (P < 0.05). Globus pharyngeus without LPR may occur due to high UES pressure. Stress, smoking, alcoholic drinking, high salt and anxiety may be its risk factors.

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is chronic and etiologically linked to gastric cancer (GC) derived from gastric epithelium. The potential mechanism is complex, covering chronic inflammation, epithelial senescence, NF-κB activation, the cytotoxin-associated gene A protein translocation, and related abnormal signaling pathways. In clinical practice, the test-and-treat strategy, endoscopy-based strategy, and (family-based) screen-and-treat strategy are recommended to detect H. pylori and prevent GC. It has been demonstrated that the decreasing annual incidence of GC is largely attributable to the management of H. pylori. This study reviews the current clinical practice of H. pylori on the detection and eradication, alternative treatment strategies, and related problems and advances, and hopes to contribute to the better clinical management of H. pylori.

This study aims to investigate the role of transcutaneous neuromodulation (TN) on the regulation of gastrointestinal hormones and bile acids in patients with functional constipation (FC). Twenty FC patients were treated with TN for four weeks. The effects of TN on symptoms were evaluated by questionnaires. Plasma levels of serotonin (5‐HT), motilin, somatostatin, and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) were measured by ELISA and 12 individual bile acids assayed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Results were as follows. (1) TN treatment increased the frequency of spontaneous bowel movement, improved the Bristol Stool Score, and reduced Patient Assessment of Constipation Symptom score and Patient Assessment of Constipation Quality of Life score. (2) FC patients showed decreased plasma levels of 5‐HT, motilin, and VIP and an increased plasma level of somatostatin (P < 0.05). Four‐week TN treatment increased plasma levels of 5‐HT and motilin and decreased the plasma level of somatostatin in the FC patients (P < 0.05). (3) Taurocholic deoxycholate, taurocholic acid, and taurocholic lithocholic acid were increased in the FC patients (P < 0.005) but reduced by TN treatment (P < 0.05). This study has suggested that the therapy may improve the symptoms of FC by alleviating the disorders of gastrointestinal hormones and bile acids.