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Background: Gastroenterological and rheumatological diseases often have a systemic character, with disease manifestations beyond the area affected by the disease. Common disease-relevant pathophysiological pathways, e.g. chronic inflammation, may present primarily as rheumatological or gastroenterological disease. Knowledge of disease-specific symptoms and signs beyond one's own area of expertise my lead to an earlier and more precise diagnosis, with the chance of a more focused therapy., Aim: The aim of this overview is to sensitize orthopedists as well as rheumatologists to gastroenterological signs and symptoms and give them a clinical guide to approaching an interdisciplinary patient. Targeted, clinically relevant questions are discussed and common disease entities are presented.

Decomposition of plant litter by the soil microbial community is an important process of controlling nutrient cycling and soil humus formation. Fungal laccases are key players in litter-associated polyphenol degradation, but little is known about the diversity and spatial distribution of fungal species with laccase genes in soils. Diversity of basidiomycete laccase genes was assessed in a cambisolic forest soil, and the spatial distribution of the sequences was mapped in a 100-m(2) plot by using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on soil DNA extracts. Diversity of laccase sequences was higher in the organic horizon and decreased with the depth. A total of 167 different sequences sharing 44-96% oligonucleotide similarity was found in 13 soil cores harvested in the 100-m(2) plot. Dissimilarity in laccase sequence content was 67% between adjacent cores; 45.5%, 35.5% and 19% of laccase sequences were attributed to ectomycorrhizal, unknown and saprotrophic basidiomycetes, respectively. Most dominant sequences were attributed to the extramatrical hyphae of known ectomycorrhizal taxa (e.g., Russulaceae) and restricted to small patches (<0.77 m(2)) in a specific soil horizon. Soil fungi with laccase genes occupied different niches and showed strikingly variable distribution patterns. The distribution of laccase sequences, and corresponding fungi, likely reflected a part of the oxidative potential in soils.