Gut articles from May 2001

Gut archives from May 2001

Some of the challenges in drug development for irritable bowel syndrome.
May 1, 2001... If one accepts the concept that enhanced perception of visceral stimuli plays an important role in the pathophysiology of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and other functional gastrointestinal disorders (and not everybody does! [1 2]),...

Dietary fibre and the risk of colorectal cancer.
May 1, 2001... It has long been accepted that a high fibre diet is a "good thing" and protects against colon cancer: however, recently there has been a spate of extensive, studies, published in prestigious journals, which have not supported this claim. This...

Helicobacter pylori, harmful to the brain?
May 1, 2001... Traditional views of the pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy (HE) have emphasised the role of neurotoxins arising from the gut. These compounds gain access to the systemic circulation as a result of the combined effects of hepatocellular...

Rational dosing of azathioprine an-d 6-mercaptopurine.
May 1, 2001... Metabolism-of 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP) and azathioprine (AZA) is complex. Azathioprine is a prodrug that is non-enzymatically converted to 6-MP.- 6-MP is then either inactivated by thiopurine methyinransferase (TPMT) to 6-methylmercaptopurine,...

New pouches for old?(breakthough in ileostomy techniques)
May 1, 2001... It is now 25 years since the ileal pouch procedure was introduced for patients with ulcerative colitis and familial adenomatous polyposis, holding out the promise of life without a permanent ileostomy. As time has gone by the procedure has...

Serotonin receptor modulation in irritable bowel syndrome: one step forwards and one step backwards.
May 1, 2001... Camilleri M, Northcutt AR, Kong S, et al. Efficacy and safety of alosetron in women with irritable bowel syndrome a randomised, placebo-controlled trial. Lancer 2000;355: 1035-40. Question Does alosetron, 5-[HT.sub.3], receptor...

Helicobacter pylori infection induced alteration of gene expression in human gastric cells.
May 1, 2001... Abstract Background-Helicobacter pylori, a human pathogen responsible for many digestive disorders, induces complex changes in patterns of gene expression in infected tissues. cDNA expression arrays provide a useful tool for studying...

Helicobacter pylori infection induces hyperammonaemia in Mongolian gerbils with liver cirrhosis.
May 1, 2001... Abstract Background and aims-We previously reported the effect of Helicobacter pylori eradication on hyperammonaemia in patients with liver cirrhosis. However, the role of H pylori as a cause of hyperammonaemia is controversial. We...

Probiotics in inflamatory bowel disease.
May 1, 2001... Probiotics are live micro-organisms that alter the enteric microflora and have a beneficial effect on health. Bacteria associated with probiotic activity have frequently been lactobacilli or bifidobacteria, but Escherichia coli and...

Absence of endogenous interleukin 10 enhances early stress response during post-ischaemic injury in mice intestine.
May 1, 2001... Abstract Background--Interleukin 10 (IL-10) exerts a wide spectrum of regulatory activities in immune and inflammatory responses. Aims--The aim of this study was to investigate the role of endogenous IL-10 on modulation of the early...

Upregulation of Reg 1 [alpha] and GW 112 in the epithelium of inflamed colonic mucosa.
May 1, 2001... Abstract Background and aims--Colonic epithelium is involved in the regulation of intestinal function and mucosal immune responses, and its function is altered in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, a comprehensive analysis of the...

Role of mast cells in chronic stress induced colonic epithelial barrier dysfunction in the rat.
May 1, 2001... Abstract Background and aims--Stress may be an important factor in exacerbating inflammatory bowel disease but the underlying mechanism is unclear. Defective epithelial barrier function may allow uptake of luminal antigens that stimulate...

No evidence of persistent mumps virus infection in inflammatory bowel disease.
May 1, 2001... Abstract Background and aim-There is controversy regarding whether paramyxovirus infection is causally associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The latest cohort study claimed that atypical measles and mumps infections in...

Utilisation of erythrocyte 6-thioguanine metabolite levels to optimise azathioprine therapy in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.
May 1, 2001... Abstract Background and aim--The immunosuppressive properties of 6-mercaptopurine and its parent compound azathioprine are mediated by their intracellular metabolism into active 6-thioguanine (6-TG) metabolites. Measurement of...

Antibiotics in Crohn's disease.
May 1, 2001... There have been several reviews recently on the efficacy of antibiotics in Crohn's disease, and no text on inflammatory bowel disease is complete without a chapter that addresses this issue. This is perhaps an unanticipated sequel to the...

Dramatic diurnal variation in the concentration of the human trefoil peptide TFF2 in gastric juice.
May 1, 2001... Abstract Background--TFF2, a member of the trefoil factor family of proteins, is a glycosylated protein of 106 amino acids. It is secreted by gastric antral and pyloric glands and by Brunner's glands of the duodenum. TFF2 is found in...

Genetic alterations and growth pattern in biliary duct carcinomas: loss of heterozygosity at chromosome 5q bears a close relation with polypoid growth.
May 1, 2001... Abstract Biliary duct carcinomas (BDCs) are relatively rare and the carcinogenic mechanisms underlying their induction are poorly understood. There are two growth patterns, polypoid and non-polypoid infiltrative type, but little...

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs with activity against either cyclooxygenase 1 or cyclooxygenase 2 inhibit colorectal cancer in a DMH rodent model by inducing apoptosis and inhibiting cell proliferation.
May 1, 2001... Abstract Background--Standard non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) reduce the risk of colorectal cancer by 40-60% but the mechanism by which this occurs is uncertain. Selective...

Circumferential resection margin involvement: an independent predictor of survival following surgery for oesophageal cancer.
May 1, 2001... Abstract Background--For rectal carcinoma, the presence of tumour within 1 mm of the circumferential margin is an important independent prognostic factor for both local recurrence and survival. Similar prospective data have not been...

Analysis of the RET, GDNF, EDN3, and EDNRB genes in patients with intestinal neuronal dysplasia and Hirschsprung disease.
May 1, 2001... Abstract Background--Hirschsprung disease (HSCR) is a frequent congenital disorder with an incidence of 1 in 5000 live births, characterised by the absence of parasym-pathetic intramural ganglion cells in the hindgut resulting in...

Effects of octreotide on responses to colorectal distension in the rat.
May 1, 2001... Abstract Background and aims--It has been suggested that the analgesic effect of the somatostatin analogue octreotide in visceral pain involves peripheral mechanisms. We evaluated the effect of octreotide on responses to noxious...

Functional results and visceral perception after ileo neo-rectal anastomosis in patients: a pilot study.
May 1, 2001... Abstract Introduction--To reduce pouch related complications after restorative proctocolectomy, an alternative procedure was developed, the ileo neo-rectal anastomosis (INRA). This technique consists of rectal mucosa replacement by ileal...

Modification of small bowel mechanosensitivity by intestinal fat.
May 1, 2001... Abstract Background--Lipids may exacerbate symptoms induced by gut stimuli. Aim--To determine the mechanism whereby fat exerts this effect. Subjects--Twenty four healthy subjects were studied during fasting. Methods--We...

Candidate gene regions and genetic heterogeneity in gluten sensitivity.
May 1, 2001... Abstract Background--Gluten sensitivity is a common multifactorial disorder, manifested in the small intestine or on the skin as typical coeliac disease or dermatitis herpetiformis, respectively. The only established genetic risk factor...

Biliary lipid composition in cholesterol microlithiasis.
May 1, 2001... Abstract Background--Little information is available on the pathogenesis of cholesterol microlithiasis, and it is not clear if biliary lipid composition in these patients is similar to changes seen in cholesterol gall stone patients. ...

The epidemiology of hepatitis C in a UK health regional population of 5.12 million.
May 1, 2001... Abstract Background--The epidemiology and natural history of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in the UK are uncertain. Previous reports are from small or selected populations such as blood donors or: tertiary referral centres. ...

Low frequency of HLA-DRB1*11 in hepatitis C virus induced end stage liver disease.
May 1, 2001... Abstract Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection becomes chronic in more than 70% of patients, leading to end stage liver disease in about 20-30% of these patients. Apart from the virus itself, host factors that modulate the immune response...

Heterotopic gastric mucosa together with intestinal metaplasia and moderate dysplasia in the gall bladder: report of two clinically unusual cases with literature review.
May 1, 2001... Abstract We report the clinicopathological findings of two patients with ectopic gastric mucosa within the gall ladder. The first patient, a 78 year old man, was asymptomatic. He was admitted to hospital for a colon adenocarcinoma....

Distinct outcomes of chloride diarrhoea in two siblings with identical genetic background of the disease: implications for early diagnosis and treatment.
May 1, 2001... Abstract Background--Congenital chloride diarrhoea (CLD, OMIM 214700) is a serious inherited defect of intestinal electrolyte absorption transmitted in an autosomal recessive fashion. The major clinical manifestation is diarrhoea with...

A winking anus may signify spinal injury.
May 1, 2001... Case report--A 41 year old woman was referred for assessment of worsening bladder and bowel dysfunction. At the age of 17 years she had suffered a traumatic fracture-subluxation of T12-L1 following a trampoline accident in which she fell...

Persistent low prevalence of Western digestive diseases in Africa: confounding aetiological factors.
May 1, 2001... Hypothesis In the context of poverty in infancy, an adverse environmental situation conditions the gut and, paradoxically, acts as a protective factor against subsequent digestive diseases in adulthood. Introduction One of the...

The promise and potential hazards of adenovirus gene therapy.
May 1, 2001... Gene therapy has been heralded as the "medicine of the 21st century". With this has come an expectation which has yet to be met by experience. Thus the past decade has seen some 4000 patients entered into a variety of gene therapy trials with...

Comprehensive Clinical Hepatology.(Review)
May 1, 2001... Comprehensive Clinical Hepatology. Edited, by JG O'Grady, JR Lakes PD Howdell (illustrated; [pound]129.00). UK: Harcourt Publishers, 2000. ISBN 0-7234-3106-X. The rapid and exciting developments in hepatology in recent years make an...

Atlas of Gastroenterology, 2d ed.(Review)
May 1, 2001... Atlas of Gastroenterology, 2nd edn. Edited by T Yamada, DH Alpers, L Laine, et al (Pp 928; illustrated; [pound]130.00). USA: Lipincott Williams and Wilkins, 1999. 0-397-58767-8. "A picture is worth a thousand words" is as applicable to...

Endoscopic Gastric Surgery.(Review)
May 1, 2001... Endoscopic Gastric Surgery. Edited by E Hanisch, M Kitajima, T Wehrmann, et al (Pp 134; illustrated; [pound]51.50/DM 149.00). Germany: Springer Verlag, 2000. ISBN 3540653333. This is a small textbook which looks at specific aspects of...

CORRECTION.(to abstract supplement in 200;48(suppl I):A68)(Correction Notice)
May 1, 2001... An error occurred in the abstracts supplement Gut 2000;48(suppl I):A68. For abstract 254, PC Hayes was the senior author.