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Common yeasts could worsen IBD symptoms, study finds
A study conducted by University of Utah Health Sciences has shown how types of yeast commonly found in the environment and within certain foods and drinks could worsen the symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Doctors regularly use the presence of yeast antibodies to differentiate between Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, two variations of IBD. However, there is limited understanding of the precise role of yeast in relation to the disease.
University of Utah researchers focused on two common forms of yeast – Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Rhodotorula aurantiaca.
Each type was given to mice that had been treated with chemicals to induce IBD-like symptoms, such as weight loss and diarrhoea. The symptoms worsened in mice given S. cerevisiae, but not in those fed R. aurantiaca.
One of the suggested reasons for this is that S. cerevisiae cannot break down nitrogen-rich compounds, called purines, which gather in the intestinal tract and turn into uric acid. Uric acid can exacerbate IBD symptoms by causing inflammation.
Allopurinol, a generic drug already used to prevent uric acid production in patients with gout, could offer a possible solution to this problem.
June Round Ph.D, associate professor in pathology at the University of Utah School of Medicine, said: "Our work suggests that if we can block the mechanism leading to the production of uric acid, perhaps with allopurinol, IBD patients with a high concentration of S. cerevisiae antibodies may have a new treatment option to reduce inflammation, which could allow the intestine time to heal."
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