Gut articles from December 2001

Gut archives from December 2001

The putative role of inflammation in the irritable bowel syndrome. (Leading Article).
December 1, 2001... The irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) may be defined as a painful chronic abdominal symptom complex which is usually associated with altered bowel habit, and for which there is no discernible underlying structural abnormality. It is generally...

The continuing tale of cytokeratins in Barrett's mucosa: As you like it. (Commentary).
December 1, 2001... Barrett's adenocarcinoma (BA) has seen a rapid increase in incidence throughout the Western world. The diagnosis of BA is often at an advanced stage and is generally associated with a poor prognosis and a mean survival of less than one year....

Monocytes or T cells in Crohn's disease: does IL-16 allow both to play at that game? (Commentory).(interleukin-16)
December 1, 2001... Interleukin (IL)-16 was first described in 1982 under the name "lymphocyte chemoattractant factor". (1) Since its cloning in 1994, (2) the complex structure and biological function of this cytokine has been extensively explored. In 1999, the...

Sodium in preascitic cirrhosis: please pass the salt. (Commentary).
December 1, 2001... The relationship between sodium retention, hyperactivity of the neurohumoral vasoactive systems, and ascites formation in cirrhosis is intriguing and still remains a subject of interest and debate. According to the most widely accepted...

Heavy drinking greatly increases the risk of cirrhosis in patients with HCV hepatitis. (Clinical @lert).
December 1, 2001... Harris DR, Gonin G, Alter HJ, et al. The relationship of acute transfusion-associated hepatitis to the development of cirrhosis in the presence of alcohol abuse. Ann Intern Med 2001;134:120-4. Aims To quantify the relationship...

NOD2 (CARD15), the first susceptibility gene for Crohn's disease. (Science @lert).
December 1, 2001... "This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning." Sir Winston Churchill, 1942. Hugot JP, Chamaillard M, Zouali H, et al. Association of NOD2 leucine-rich repeat variants with...

Protagonist: Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis is a cause of Crohn's disease. (Debate).
December 1, 2001... Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) belongs to the M avium complex (MAC). MAC occur widely in the environment and inhabit normal animal and human intestine. MAC do not usually cause disease unless the host is debilitated....

Antagonist: Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis is a cause of Crohn's disease. (Debate).
December 1, 2001... The hypothesis that Mycobacterium paratuberculosis is the cause of Crohn's disease has been with us for over 80 years. (1) Yet the hypothesis remains controversial and unproved. (2-5) In spite of advances in molecular techniques such as...

Cytokeratin immunoreactivity of intestinal metaplasia at normal oesophagogastric junction indicates its aetiology. (Papers).
December 1, 2001... J-F Flejou (*) Abstract Background and aims--Gytokeratin (CK) 7 and 20 patterns are specific for long and short segments of Barrett's oesophagus but their use has not been assessed in intestinal metaplasia arising in macrosCopicallY...

Temporal associations between coughing or wheezing and acid reflux in asthmatics. (Gastro-oesophageal reflux).
December 1, 2001... Abstract Background and aims--The pulmonary symptoms of patients with lung disease may be ascribed to gastro-oesophageal reflux although a causal relationship between acid reflux and coughing or wheezing has not been proved. Does cough...

Diagnostic misclassification reduces the ability to detect linkage in inflammatory bowel disease genetic studies. (Inflammation and inflammnatory bowel disease).
December 1, 2001... Abstract Background--Linkage data have now identified several inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) susceptibility loci but these data have not been consistently replicated in independent studies. One potential explanation for this is the...

Behaviour of Crohn's disease according to the Vienna classification: changing pattern over the course of the disease. (Information and inflammatory bowel disease).
December 1, 2001... Abstract Background--Crohn's disease is a heterogeneous disorder with both a genetic and environmental aetiology. Clinical classifications of the disease, such as the newly proposed Vienna classification, may help to define subgroups of...

Low dose balsalazide (1.5 g twice daily) and mesalazine (0.5 g three times daily) maintained remission of ulcerative colitis but high dose balsalazide (3.0 g twice daily) was superior in preventing relapses. (Information and Inflammatory bowel disease).
December 1, 2001... Abstract Background--Balsalazide is a new 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) containing prodrug. Its efficacy in comparison with standard mesalazine therapy and the optimum dose for maintaining remission of ulcerative colitis are still...

A randomised controlled trial of high versus low long chain triglyceride whole protein feed in active Crohn's disease. (Inflammation and inflammatory bowel disease).
December 1, 2001... Abstract Background--Polymeric feeds have shown variable efficacy in active Crohn's disease (CD) with remission rates from 36% to 82%. Meta-analyses of elemental, peptide, and whole protein feeds have shown a strong negative correlation...

Interleukin 16 expression and phenotype of interleukin 16 producing cells in Crohn's disease. (Inflammation and inflammatory bowel disease).
December 1, 2001... Abstract Background--The mechanisms involved in the initiation and maintenance of Crohn's disease are poorly understood. Previous studies have demonstrated an increased number of infiltrating CD4+ T cells within the inflammatory affected...

Frequency of clonal intraepithelial T lymphocyte proliferations in enteropathy-type intestinal T cell lymphoma, coeliac disease, and refractory sprue. (Immunology).
December 1, 2001... Abstract D Weiss Background--Clonal T cell receptor (TCR) gene rearrangements and loss of T cell antigens such as CD8 and TCR-[beta] in intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs) may indicate the development of an enteropathy-type...

Prolonged manometric recordings of oesophagus and lower oesophageal sphincter in achalasia patients. (Motility and visceral sensation).
December 1, 2001... Abstract Background and aims---Conventional short term manometry is a valuable tool in the diagnosis of achalasia but the technique may fail to detect intermittent motor events. The aim of this study was to investigate the pattern of...

Intestinal inflammation and activation of sensory nerve pathways: a functional and morphological study in the nematode infected rat. (Motility and Viscaral Sensation).
December 1, 2001... Abstract Background--In the rat, gastric distension elicits an intensity dependent pseudoaffective bradycardia mediated via capsaicin sensitive afferent and cholinergic efferent vagal pathways. Inflammation alters visceral perception...

Effects of cisapride on gall bladder emptying, intestinal transit, and serum deoxycholate: a prospective, randomised, double blind, placebo controlled trial. (Motility and Visceral Sensation).
December 1, 2001... Abstract Background--Octreotide inhibits gall bladder emptying and prolongs intestinal transit. This leads to increases in the proportion of deoxycholic acid in, and cholesterol saturation of, gall bladder bile, factors that contribute...

Bile acid metabolism by fresh human colonic contents: a comparison of caecal versus faecal samples. (Cancer).
December 1, 2001... Abstract Background--Deoxycholic acid (DCA), implicated in the pathogenesis of gall stones and colorectal cancer, is mainly formed by bacterial deconjugation (cholylglycine hydrolase (CGH)) and 7[alpha]-dehydroxylation...

Effect of somatostatin on the sphincter of Oddi in patients with acute non-biliary pancreatitis. (pancreatitis.).
December 1, 2001... Abstract Background--Somatostatin has been used to prevent pancreatitis after endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography but its effect on acute non-biliary pancreatitis is still unclear. Aim--The purpose of this study was to...

Sodium homeostasis with chronic sodium loading in preascitic cirrhosis.
December 1, 2001... Abstract Background--Preascitic cirrhotic patients receiving 200 mmol of sodium daily for seven days remain in positive sodium balance. Thereafter, sodium handling is unknown. Aim--To assess renal sodium handling in preascitic...

Antiphospholipid antibodies associated with alcoholic liver disease specifically recognise oxidised phospholipids.
December 1, 2001... Abstract Background--Circulating antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) are often detected in patients with alcoholic liver disease (ALD) but little is known about the causes of their formation. Aims--We have evaluated whether ethanol...

Acute liver graft failure due to emergence of lamivudine resistant hepatitis B virus: rapid resolution during treatment with adefovir. (Case Report).
December 1, 2001... Abstract Background--Strategies for prevention of liver graft reinfection by hepatitis B virus (HBV) have been developed during recent years. Initially, passive immunoprophylaxis with high titre HBV immunoglobulin (HBIg), followed by...

Dengue virus induced hepatitis with chronic calcific changes.
December 1, 2001... History--A 15 year old patient from Guadeloupe (French Indies) was assessed for liver transplantation, having developed acute liver insufficiency after a week of flu-like illness and jaundice. Investigations--Viral hepatitis serology...

Portal hypertensive gastropathy and gastric antral vascular ectasia (GAVE) syndrome. (Review).
December 1, 2001... Portal hypertensive gastropathy (PHG) and gastric antral vascular ectasia (GAVE) syndrome are recently characterised entities that can be associated with gastrointestinal blood loss in patients with and without cirrhosis. Up to 65% of...

Liver biopsy evaluation. Histological diagnosis and clinical correlations. (Book Reviews).
December 1, 2001... Liver Biopsy Evaluation. Histological Diagnosis and Clinical Correlations. GC Kanel, J Korula (Pp 255; illustrated).Philadelphia: WB Saunders Company. Interpretation of liver biopsy findings depends very much on clinicopathological...

Review on upper digestive Surgery--Oesophagus, stomach and small intestine. (Book Reviews).
December 1, 2001... Review on Upper Digestive Surgery--Oesophagus, Stomach and Small Intestine. Edited by TV Taylor, A Watson, RCN Williamson (Pp 1112; illustrated; ([pounds sterling]180.00). Philadelphia: WB Saunders, 1999. ISBN 0702 014346. This is a new...

Sir Francis Avery Jones British Society of Gastroenterology Research Award 2002. (Notes).
December 1, 2001... Applications are invited by the Education Committee of the British Society of Gastroenterology who will recommend to Council the recipient of the 2002 Award. Applications (TWENTY COPIES) should include: * A manuscript (2 A4 pages ONLY)...

Hopkins Endscopy Prize 2002. (Notes).
December 1, 2001... Applications are invited by the Endoscopy Committee of the British Society of Gastroenterology who will recommend to Council the recipient of the 2002 Award. Applications (TEN COPIES) should include: * A manuscript (2 A4 pages ONLY)...

Gastrointestinal fistulae.(Editorial)
December 1, 2001... Gastrointestinal fistulae most frequently develop after surgical interventions but they can also evolve spontaneously (for example in patients with inflammatory bowel disease) or following irradiation. Their impact on morbidity and mortality...

The relevance of gastrointestinal fistulae in clinical practice: a review.
December 1, 2001... Summary Gastrointestinal fistulae most frequently occur as complications after abdominal surgery (75--85%) although they can also occur spontaneously--for example, in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) such as diverticulitis...

Role of somatostatin-14 and its analogues in the management of gastrointestinal fistulae: clinical data.
December 1, 2001... Summary Somatostatin-14 and its analogue octreotide both exert inhibitory effects on gastrointestinal secretions and may therefore be beneficial in the treatment of gastrointestinal fistulae. There are no studies that have compared these...

Optimising the treatment of upper gastrointestinal fistulae.
December 1, 2001... Summary A three stage strategy is generally employed in the management of gastrointestinal fistulae which can form due to surgery, disease, or trauma. The condition is investigated leading to diagnosis, conservative treatment is...

Pancreatic surgical complications--the case for prophylaxis.
December 1, 2001... Summary Pancreaticoduodenectomy (Whipple's procedure) represents a considerable surgical challenge. Postoperative complications are common and typically related to leakage of pancreatic exocrine secretions following anastomosis failure....