Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38223240›Full record

ArticleAnnals of gastroenterology

Chronic constipation in Parkinson's disease: clinical features and molecular insights on the intestinal epithelial barrier.

Alexandros Ioannou, Anna Costanzini, Fiorella Giancola, Luis Cabanillas, Lisa Lungaro, Francesca Manza, Matteo Guarino, Rosario Arena, Giacomo Caio, Francesco Torresan and 5 more

Open access · diamondAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Annals of gastroenterology. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
1.0field-weighted citation impact, top 21% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 5 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Review
  2. Probiotics and prebiotics in the treatment of functional constipation in the elderly individuals.World journal of gastrointestinal pharmacology and therapeutics · 2025
    Review
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

15 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Alexandros IoannouGastroenterology Department, "Alexandra" General Hospital of Athens, Greece (Alexandros Ioannou).
Anna CostanziniDepartment of Translational Medicine, University of Ferrara, Italy (Anna Costanzini, Lisa Lungaro, Francesca Manza, Matteo Guarino, Giacomo Caio, Roberto De Giorgio).
Fiorella GiancolaIRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna Policlinico di Sant'Orsola-Malpighi, Bologna, Italy (Fiorella Giancola).
Luis CabanillasDivision of Digestive Diseases, Departments Medicine and Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, USA (Luis Cabanillas, Catia Sternini).
Lisa LungaroDepartment of Translational Medicine, University of Ferrara, Italy (Anna Costanzini, Lisa Lungaro, Francesca Manza, Matteo Guarino, Giacomo Caio, Roberto De Giorgio).
Francesca ManzaDepartment of Translational Medicine, University of Ferrara, Italy (Anna Costanzini, Lisa Lungaro, Francesca Manza, Matteo Guarino, Giacomo Caio, Roberto De Giorgio).
Matteo GuarinoDepartment of Translational Medicine, University of Ferrara, Italy (Anna Costanzini, Lisa Lungaro, Francesca Manza, Matteo Guarino, Giacomo Caio, Roberto De Giorgio).
Rosario ArenaGastroenterology and Digestive Endoscopy O.U., Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Ferrara, Italy (Rosario Arena).
Giacomo CaioDepartment of Translational Medicine, University of Ferrara, Italy (Anna Costanzini, Lisa Lungaro, Francesca Manza, Matteo Guarino, Giacomo Caio, Roberto De Giorgio).
Francesco TorresanGastroenterology Unit, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna Policlinico di Sant'Orsola-Malpighi, Bologna, Italy (Francesco Torresan).
Andreas PolydorouDepartment of Surgery, Aretaieion University Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece (Andreas Polydorou, Antonios Vezakis).
Antonios VezakisDepartment of Surgery, Aretaieion University Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece (Andreas Polydorou, Antonios Vezakis).
George KaramanolisGastroenterology Unit, Second Department of Surgery, Aretaieion University Hospital, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece (George Karamanolis).
Catia SterniniDivision of Digestive Diseases, Departments Medicine and Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, USA (Luis Cabanillas, Catia Sternini).
Roberto De GiorgioDepartment of Translational Medicine, University of Ferrara, Italy (Anna Costanzini, Lisa Lungaro, Francesca Manza, Matteo Guarino, Giacomo Caio, Roberto De Giorgio).
Alexandra Hospital · GR

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Chronic constipation (CC) is a severe symptom in Parkinson's disease (PD), with an unclear pathogenesis. Abnormalities of the enteric nervous system (ENS) and/or intestinal epithelial barrier (IEB) may be pathophysiologically relevant in PD patients with CC. We investigated possible molecular changes of the IEB in PD/CCs compared with CCs and controls. Methods: Twelve PD/CCs (2 female, age range 51-80 years), 20 CCs (15 female, age range 27-78 years), and 23 controls (11 female, age range 32-74 years) were enrolled. Ten PD/CCs and 10 CCs were functionally characterized by anorectal manometry (AM) and transit time (TT). Colon biopsies were obtained and assessed for gene and protein expression, and localization of IEB tight junction markers claudin-4 (CLDN4), occludin-1 (OCCL-1), and zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) by RT-qPCR, immunoblot and immunofluorescence labeling. Results: PD/CCs were clustered in 2 functional categories: patients with delayed TT and altered AM (60%), and a second group showing only modifications in AM pattern (40%). Gene expression of CLDN4, OCCL-1 and ZO-1 was higher in PD/CCs than controls (P<0.05). Conversely, PD/CCs showed a trend to decrease (P>0.05) in CLDN4 and OCCL-1 protein levels than controls, whereas ZO-1 protein was comparable. In PD/CCs compared with controls, decreasing tendency of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide mRNA, protein and immunoreactive fiber density were observed, although the difference was not statistically significant. Conclusion: Transit and anorectal dysfunctions in PD/CCs are associated with difference in ZO-1, OCCL-1 and CLDN4 expression, thus supporting the role of an altered IEB as a contributory mechanism to possible neuronal abnormalities.

Indexed as

anorectal manometrychronic constipationenteric nervous systemintestinal epithelial barrierParkinson’s disease

Identifiers

PMID38223240
PMCPMC10785021
OpenAlexW4390322806

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-SA
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

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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.