Metabolomics in small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (MESIBO)

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    A prospective study to identify potential biomarkers indicative of small bowel bacterial overgrowth using metabolomics

  • IRAS ID

    255049

  • Contact name

    Jervoise Andreyev

  • Contact email

    jervoise.andreyev@ulh.nhs.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust

  • Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier

    NCT04057560

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    1 years, 5 months, 18 days

  • Research summary

    Research Summary

    Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is a condition where a person’s own good and useful germs, live in parts of the bowel where there should not be any germs. It may cause difficult tummy and bowel symptoms in a wide variety of patient groups. Increasing evidence suggests that sometimes small intestinal bacterial overgrowth can also trigger or worsen diseases which do not have any bowel symptoms at all.

    It is hugely under-diagnosed in clinical practice. Part of the reason for this is that current available diagnostic tests - culture of fluid sampled from the upper part of the gastrointestinal tract or breath testing, are complicated to do, difficult for the patient, and are not completely accurate. Therefore, the potential for a simple, more accurate test to revolutionise the diagnosis and aid with the treatment of this condition is immense.

    When it is accurately diagnosed, treatment with antibiotics can cure the patient of their tummy or bowel symptoms.

    Based on previous research we have conducted, we believe that it might be possible to diagnose this condition in a simpler and more accurate way by examining urine samples. We also want to see if we can diagnose the condition more accurately using a blood test, a different sort of breath test or using a mouth swab.

    The proposed study will be conducted at Lincoln County Hospital. In collaboration with Joseph Banks Laboratory at the University of Lincoln, we plan to take additional urine, blood, swab and breath samples from patients with and without small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, before and after antibiotic treatment to identify specific molecular markers in urine, blood and saliva samples which diagnosis small intestinal bacterial overgrowth accurately.

    Summary of Results

    Preliminary results show that there is no significant difference within the make-up of metabolites within the urine and blood samples between patients with functional diarrhoea and co-existing small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) and those with functional diarrhoea but no evidence of concurrent SIBO. In addition, antibiotic treatment did not seem to have an effect on the metabolic profiles in the urine and blood of those with functional diarrhoea and SIBO.

    Summary of Results

    Preliminary results show that there is no significant difference within the make-up of metabolites within the urine and blood samples between patients with functional diarrhoea and co-existing small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) and those with functional diarrhoea but no evidence of concurrent SIBO. In addition, antibiotic treatment did not seem to have an effect on the metabolic profiles in the urine and blood of those with functional diarrhoea and SIBO.

    Further analyses are ongoing.

  • REC name

    Yorkshire & The Humber - South Yorkshire Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    19/YH/0332

  • Date of REC Opinion

    15 Oct 2019

  • REC opinion

    Further Information Favourable Opinion