Copyright: ©Author(s) 2026. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license. No commercial re-use. See permissions. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.
World J Gastrointest Pharmacol Ther. Sep 5, 2026; 17(3): 123931
Published online Sep 5, 2026. doi: 10.4292/wjgpt.123931
Published online Sep 5, 2026. doi: 10.4292/wjgpt.123931
Letter to the Editor: From association to mechanism - advancing the understanding of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth in acute pancreatitis
Shree V Dhotre, Department of Microbiology, Ashwini Rural Medical College, Hospital and Research Centre, Solapur 413006, Maharashtra, India
Pradnya S Dhotre, Department of Biochemistry, Ashwini Rural Medical College, Hospital and Research Centre, Solapur 413006, Maharashtra, India
Basavraj S Nagoba, Department of Microbiology, Maharashtra Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (Medical College), Latur 413531, Maharashtra, India
Author contributions: Dhotre SV conceptualized the letter, critically appraised the index manuscript, and drafted the original text; Dhotre PS contributed to literature review, reference verification, and revision of the manuscript; Nagoba BS contributed to critical intellectual appraisal, scientific editing, and final approval of the manuscript; and all authors have read and approved the final version of the manuscript.
AI contribution statement: AI tools, specifically (ChatGPT & Grammarly), were used solely for language polishing and formatting assistance. No AI tool was used to generate research data, interpret results, or formulate conclusions.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors declare that they have no conflict of interest to disclose.
Corresponding author: Basavraj S Nagoba, PhD, Microbiology, Maharashtra Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (Medical College), Vishwanathpuram, Ambajogai Road, Latur 413531, Maharashtra, India. dr_bsnagba@yahoo.com
Received: June 2, 2026
Revised: July 20, 2026
Accepted: July 27, 2026
Published online: September 5, 2026
Processing time: 87 Days and 1.7 Hours
Revised: July 20, 2026
Accepted: July 27, 2026
Published online: September 5, 2026
Processing time: 87 Days and 1.7 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: The prospective study by Kumbar et al represents an important step toward understanding the relationship between small intestinal bacterial overgrowth and acute pancreatitis. Beyond confirming a high prevalence of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, the findings raise broader questions regarding host-microbiome interactions, intestinal methanogen overgrowth, microbial biomarkers of disease severity, and precision therapeutic strategies. Future studies integrating breath testing with microbiome sequencing, metabolomic profiling, and longitudinal clinical assessment may determine whether microbial alterations are merely markers of disease severity or active contributors to pancreatic inflammation and systemic complications.