Aim. To review the main mechanisms of functional disorders of the gastrointestinal tract and to present the materials of an Expert Council, which was held on 10 December 2021 in Moscow.

Key points. The pathogenesis of the most common functional diseases of the gastrointestinal tract — functional dyspepsia (FD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is multifactorial and includes motor disorders of various parts of the gastrointestinal tract, visceral hypersensitivity, changes in the intestinal microbiome, impairment of the permeability of the protective barrier, low-grade inflammation of the gastrointestinal mucosa, etc. This often leads to the prescription of a complex of various medications to such patients, which increases the risk of undesirable drug interactions and side effects. Multitargeted therapy involves the use of drugs that simultaneously affect different pathogenetic links. One of these drugs is Iberogast®, which normalizes gastrointestinal motility and visceral sensitivity, has an anti-inflammatory action and is highly effective in treatment of FD and IBS.

Conclusion. In the treatment of functional gastrointestinal diseases characterized by multifactorial pathogenesis, preference should be given to multi-targeted therapy with the use of drugs that have an effect on its various links.

Aim. Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of laparoscopic and robot-assisted anti-reflux operations.

General findings. Reflux esophagitis in the association with hiatal hernia on the third place in the structure of gastroenterological diseases. The development of minimally invasive surgical technologies has led to an increase in the number of laparoscopic and robot-assisted anti-reflux operations. The literature review includes 12 studies, the results of which were published from 2002 to 2020, with a total number of patients 1633. In most of them, when comparing laparoscopic and robot-assisted anti-reflux operations, the advantages of one or another technique were not revealed. In some studies, the high cost and duration of the operation were noted when using the da Vinci robotic surgical complex. Other studies have reported possible improvements in the treatment outcomes of patients with large or recurrent hiatal hernias due to the high precision of movement and improved visualization characteristic of therobot-assisted surgeries.

Conclusion. It is necessary to conduct more researches on this problem to develop indications for the choice of a particular surgical approach, as well as to create a single transparent algorithm for the surgical treatment of patients with reflux esophagitis and hiatal hernia.

Aim of the study. To investigate the esophageal dysmotility, changes in the esophageal mucosa and the immune response depending on the type of refluxate in gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) patients.

Material and methods. 68 patients with GERD were recruited: 28 (14 men; mean age, 45.74 ± 2.23 years) nonerosive reflux disease (NERD), 22 (15 men; mean age, 45.0 ± 3.24 years) erosive reflux disease (EE), 18 (13 men; mean age, 47.22 ± 2.95) Barrett’s Esophagus (BE). GERD patients underwent esophageal high-resolution manometry (HRM) with a 22-channel water-perfused catheter and Solar GI system (Medical Measurements Systems, Enschede, the Netherlands), 24-hour impedance and pH monitoring using the Ohmega Ambulatory Impedance pH Recorder (Medical Measurements Systems). We analyzed receptor characteristics of monocyte-derived macrophages in all groups of patients.

Results. On HRM examination, we showed that DCI (distal contractile integral) in NERD patients was higher than in EE (p = 0.088) and BE (p = 0.076), also LES RP (lower esophageal sphincter resting pressure) in NERD patients was higher than in EE (p = 0.039) and BE (p = 0.012). The analysis of reflux characteristics showed that the total reflux time with pH < 4 for BE patients was longer than that for NERD and EE patients. An analysis of receptor characteristics of monocyte-derived macrophages showed the prevalence of CD25 and CD80 expression in all groups of patients.

Conclusion. An analysis of the phenotype of macrophages derived from blood monocytes of GERD patients revealed a prevalence of М1 macrophages that was typical for the Th1 type of immune response. The degree of esophageal dysmotility was correlated with GERD severity and type.

Background. Diagnosis of celiac disease depends on the patient’s history and serological tests, and is confirmed by biopsies from the duodenum. Biopsies from the small intestine could be dispensable regarding the verification of celiac disease with the presence of high levels of atissue-transglutaminase antibody.

Aim. The objective of this investigation is to substantiate the correlation between titers of anti-tissue transglutaminase type IgA (anti-tTG IgA) and the severity of histological alterations in Syrian patients with celiac disease and to determine the diagnostic level of anti-tTG to previse celiac disease in adults and children without the necessity of a biopsy sampling.

Materials and methods. The study was conducted as a prospective cohort study with the participation of 100 symptomatic patients between the age group of 6–65 years. All participants underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Two samples were taken from the duodenum and were evaluated by an expert pathologist according to Marsh grading. Serum anti-tTG IgA levels were measured as well to determine any association between the levels of serum anti-tTG IgA and Marsh grading.

Results. The mean age of the patients was (18.55 ± 12.92). Anemia was the most frequent non-gastrointestinal finding as it was found among 35% of the participant, but no remarkable association was found between Marsh grading and hemoglobin levels (r = 0.36, p > 0.05). However, serum tTGA levels were positively correlated with Marsh grading (r = 0.718, p < 0.001). Receiver-operator curve (ROC) analysis cut-off value of serum anti-tTGA for speculating villous atrophy was 270 IU/ml of cut-off value with a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 89%.

Conclusion. Duodenal biopsies could be foregone during the diagnosis of susceptible patients for celiac diseasewith high anti-tTG IgA.

Aim. To study the effectiveness of Kolofort® (affinally purified antibodies to tumor necrosis factor α, to the brain-specific protein S-100 and to histamine) in patients with various variants of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) that developed after a new coronavirus infection (COVID-19).

Materials and methods. Clinical and laboratory data of 32 patients with IBS who had a history of COVID-19 pneumonia were analyzed. Course therapy with Kolofort® is prescribed according to the standard scheme for 3 months. Before and after treatment, the dynamics of the symptoms of IBS was assessed according to the questionnaire, the dynamics of anxiety was assessed according to the Hamilton scale.

Results. There were a statistically significant decrease in the severity of IBS symptoms (normalization of the consistency of the stool, cessation of flatulence, a decrease in abdominal  pain; p < 0.05) and a decrease in anxiety after the end of treatment.

Conclusions. Kolofort® may be effective in eliminating the symptoms of post-infectious  IBS and anxiety that developed after COVID-19.

Aim. This review will demonstrate possibilities of using metabolomic profiling to identify biomarkers of various internal organs diseases.

Key points. A new diagnostic direction is associated with high-sensitive spectral analysis of biomarker molecules. This review will discuss some of the latest advances with an emphasis on the use of metabolomics to identify major metabolic changes in various diseases. The possibility of finding diagnostic markers in diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, respiratory and cardiovascular systems, in oncology, endocrinology, neurology are discussed. These results define new potential therapeutic strategies, making metabolomics useful for a wide range of biomedical and pharmaceutical research.

Conclusion. Metabolomic profile changes in different types of diseases will help to improve understanding of the pathogenesis. New therapeutic approaches may be developed. They will take into account individual characteristics of the patient, identified by using current molecular technologies. The results of metabolomic studies can be used to monitor treatment outcomes.

The purpose of presenting a clinical observation. Description of a clinical observation of a successful atypical resection of focal nodular hyperplasia of the segment II of the liver to a relative donor, followed by transplantation of the left lateral sector of the liver to a one-year-old child with cirrhosis of the liver in the outcome of biliary atresia.

General provisions. Patient Z., 29 years old, was examined as donor for related liver sector transplantation. The oval structure with fairly smooth contours, hyperechoic in the central parts and hypoechoic in the periphery, was found in the segment II during the ultrasound examination; assessment of blood flow was difficult due to acoustic interference. According to computed tomography, it was a weak hypervascular formation with fuzzy contours, accumulating contrast medium unevenly in the arterial phase, with visualization of a small hypodense area around, also accumulating contrast medium in the venous phase. According to magnetic resonance imaging, there is a zone of increased MR signal, with contrast enhancement uniformly accumulating contrast in the arterial phase. It was assumed that the patient had focal nodular liver hyperplasia. The patient underwent surgery, during which the left lateral sector of the liver was removed and a single-step atypical resection of the segment II was performed. Histological examination of the surgical material confirmed the presence of FNH. After excision and suturing of vascular structures in conditions of continued blood circulation, the left lateral sector was removed from the wound and implanted into the recipient in an orthotopic position. The postoperative period passed without complications. The donor and recipient were discharged from the hospital in a satisfactory condition on the planned date.

Conclusion. This observation demonstrates the possibility of using a liver fragment as a transplant after resection of focal nodular hyperplasia.

Aim. Current clinical recommendations address the epidemiology, causes, clinical manifestations and pathogenesis of possible immediate and long-term complications, as well as the problematic issues related to treatment and rehabilitation of adult short bowel syndrome patients.

Key points. Short bowel syndrome (SBS) is a symptom complex of impaired digestion caused by the reduction of small intestine absorptive surface and manifested by intestinal failure (IF) of various severity (maldigestion and malabsorption) developing into malnutrition and systemic somatogenic disorders. The vital strategic aspects of its treatment are the personalisation of liquid, macro- and micronutrients consumption as well as avoidance of intestinal failure- and parenteral nutrition-associated complications. Various nutritional support regimes and the indications for infusion therapy and maintenance parenteral nutrition are considered in this patient category, also in outpatient settings. To mitigate the dependence on intravenous fluid- and nutrient administration and attain enteral autonomy in SBS-IF patients, the use of recombinant glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2) is justified as exerting a pronounced trophic effect on the epithelial regenerative potential as well as structural and functional adaptation of intestinal mucosa. The SBS-IF patients prescribed with home parenteral nutrition and/or their caregivers should be trained in a special programme that covers the catheter care, preparation of infusion solutions and nutrient mixture container, infusion pump operation as well as the prevention, recognition and management of complications. The main referral indications for small bowel transplantation (SBT) are: fast-progressing cholestatic liver disease-complicated irreversible intestinal failure; thrombosis of two or more central venous conduits used for parenteral nutrition; recurrent catheter-associated bloodstream infection.

Conclusion. Current recommendations on diagnosis and treatment as well as the developed criteria of medical aid quality assessment are applicable at different levels of healthcare.