Caecal pH is a biomarker of excessive colonic fermentation
Adam D Farmer, Sahar D Mohammed, George E Dukes, S Mark Scott, Anthony R Hobson, Adam D Farmer, Sahar D Mohammed, George E Dukes, S Mark Scott, Anthony R Hobson
Abstract
Aim: To ascertain whether caecal pH is different in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), whose primary symptoms are bloating and distension, to healthy controls.
Methods: Motility and pH data were reviewed from 16 patients with Rome III defined IBS and 16 healthy controls, who had undergone a wireless motility capsule (WMC) study using a standardized protocol. Motility measures were anchored around known anatomical landmarks as identified by compartmental pH changes. Sixty-minute epochs were used to quantify antral, duodenal, ileal, caecal and distal colonic contractility. The maximum and minimum pH was measured either side of the ileo-caecal junction.
Results: No differences were seen in motility parameters, compartmental transit times or maximal ileal pH between the two groups. Caecal pH was significantly lower in patients compared to controls (5.12 ± 0.05 vs 6.16 ± 0.15, P < 0.0001). The ileal:caecal Δchange was greater in patients than controls (-2.63 ± 0.08 vs -1.42 ± 0.11, P < 0.0001). There was a significant correlation between caecal pH and right colonic contractility (r = 0.54, P = 0.002).
Conclusion: Patients with bloating and distension have a lower caecal pH compared to controls. The measurement of caecal pH using the WMC provides a quantifiable biomarker of fermentation potentially identifying those patients that may preferentially benefit from antibiotic or dietary interventions.
Keywords: Bloating; Caecal pH; Caecoparesis; Colonic microbiota; Fermentation.
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Source: PubMed