ArticleInflammatory intestinal diseases2020
Cohort Profile: The Christchurch IBS cOhort to investigate Mechanisms FOr gut Relief and improved Transit (COMFORT).
Article in Inflammatory intestinal diseases, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 10 citations in OpenAlex.
- Two Gold Kiwifruit Daily for Effective Treatment of Constipation in Adults-A Randomized Clinical Trial.Nutrients · 2022Trial
- Integrated multi-omic and symptom clustering reveals lower-gastrointestinal disorders of gut-brain interaction heterogeneity.Gut microbes · 2026Article
- Myeloperoxidase Enzyme Activity in Feces Reflects Endoscopic Severity in Inflammatory Bowel Disease.Inflammatory bowel diseases · 2025Article
- Characterisation of the Plasma and Faecal Metabolomes in Participants with Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders.International journal of molecular sciences · 2024Article
- Concentrations of Plasma Amino Acids and Neurotransmitters in Participants with Functional Gut Disorders and Healthy Controls.Metabolites · 2023Article
- The relationship between fermentable carbohydrates and post-prandial bowel symptoms in patients with functional bowel disorders.Frontiers in nutrition · 2023Article
- Economic living standard and abdominal pain mediate the association between functional gastrointestinal disorders and depression or anxiety.Neurogastroenterology and motility · 2023Article
- Faecal Myeloperoxidase as a Biomarker of Endoscopic Activity in Inflammatory Bowel Disease.Journal of Crohn's & colitis · 2022Article
- Nutrigenomics and Nutrigenetics Research in New Zealand, and Its Relevance and Application to Gastrointestinal Health.Nutrients · 2022Review
- Concentrations of Fecal Bile Acids in Participants with Functional Gut Disorders and Healthy Controls.Metabolites · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
13 authors at 6 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND
aimsThis cross-sectional observational case-control study was initiated in July 2016 with the aim of increasing an understanding of the underlying disease mechanisms in functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), functional diarrhoea (FD), and functional constipation (FC). Specific areas of interest include the effect of food, microbiome, host and microbial genetics, metabolome, and psychological variables on unexplained chronic gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms.
methodsThis study recruited consecutive patients who were attending one of two endoscopy centres in Christchurch, New Zealand, for colonoscopy and a subgroup of participants from the general public who did not undergo colonoscopy. Participants with known GI disease other than an FGID were excluded. Those with symptoms were recruited as cases, whilst those without symptoms were recruited as controls. In the days prior to preparation for colonoscopy, or an agreeable time for those not undergoing colonoscopy, demographic, symptom, psychological, dietary, and health data were collected in addition to biological samples (breath, faeces, blood, and urine). Colonic biopsies were taken at the time of colonoscopy from participants in the colonoscopy subgroup.
resultsBetween July 2016 and December 2018, 349 participants were recruited, 315 of whom completed the study, 220 participants were from the colonoscopy subgroup, and 95 from the non-colonoscopy subgroup. This included 129 controls and 186 cases (57 IBS-diarrhoea predominant, 30 IBS-constipation predominant, 41 IBS-mixed, 42 FC, and 16 FD). The mean age of FGID cases was 53.4 years and controls 54.4 years. Cases (149/186, 80.1%) and controls (57/72, 55.8%) were predominantly female. Education levels were similar across the cohort. Smoking and alcohol rates were also similar. Biological samples were collected as planned from participants.
conclusionsThe COMFORT cohort is a unique clinical cohort of FGID cases and controls with a wide range of demographic, dietary, clinical, psychological, and health data in addition to biological samples. Future research will aim to use a systems biology approach to establish the potential role of diet, host-microbiome interactions, and other factors in the pathogenesis of FGIDs.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.