1.Navigating the Microbial Basis of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: Seeing the Light at the End of the Tunnel.
Laura E RAFFALS ; Eugene B CHANG
Gut and Liver 2016;10(4):502-508
Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, are chronic inflammatory conditions affecting the gastrointestinal tract with variable presentations and disease courses. The cause of IBD is unknown, but it is hypothesized that individuals with a genetic predisposition to disease develop an aberrant immune response to environmental triggers. Evidence suggests that microbiota residing in the gastrointestinal tract play an important role in the development and perpetuation of the disease. In this review, we discuss the role of microbes in the development of a healthy gut, their role in the development of diseases in general, and their role in the development of IBD. Advances in molecular technologies and bioinformatics will continue to further our insight into the structure of the microbial community, the function of the microbial community as a whole, and the interaction of this community with the host immune system. The latter two are crucial to understanding the role of microbes in IBD. The field has advanced significantly in recent years, and the future is very promising as we begin to elucidate the microbial basis of IBD.
Colitis, Ulcerative
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Computational Biology
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Crohn Disease
;
Gastrointestinal Tract
;
Genetic Predisposition to Disease
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Immune System
;
Inflammatory Bowel Diseases*
;
Microbiota
3.Combination of Pegylated Interferon and Nucleos(t)ide Therapy: Toward a Cure of Hepatitis B Virus Infection?.
Eun Ju CHO ; Jeong Hoon LEE ; Jung Hwan YOON
Gut and Liver 2016;10(4):497-498
No abstract available.
Hepatitis B virus*
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Hepatitis B*
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Hepatitis*
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Interferons*
4.Towards Steroid-Free Immunosuppression after Liver Transplantation.
Victor M ZAYDFUDIM ; Shawn J PELLETIER
Gut and Liver 2016;10(4):495-496
No abstract available.
Immunosuppression*
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Liver Transplantation*
;
Liver*
5.Proton Pump Inhibitors Should be Used with Caution in Critically Ill Patients to Prevent the Risk of Clostridium difficile Infection.
Gut and Liver 2016;10(4):493-494
No abstract available.
Clostridium difficile*
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Clostridium*
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Critical Illness*
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Humans
;
Proton Pump Inhibitors*
;
Proton Pumps*
;
Protons*
6.Serum Procalcitonin Is a Candidate Biomarker to Differentiate Bacteremia from Disease Flares in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease.
Gut and Liver 2016;10(4):491-492
No abstract available.
Bacteremia*
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Humans
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Inflammatory Bowel Diseases*
7.Is Elderly Age a Simple Predictive Factor for Inadequate Bowel Preparation before Colonoscopy?.
Gut and Liver 2016;10(4):489-490
No abstract available.
Aged*
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Colonoscopy*
;
Humans
8.The Efficiency of Intravenous Iron Therapy in Korean Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients.
Gut and Liver 2016;10(4):487-488
No abstract available.
Humans
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Inflammatory Bowel Diseases*
;
Iron*
9.Photodynamic Therapy Plus Chemotherapy Compared with Photodynamic Therapy Alone in Hilar Nonresectable Cholangiocarcinoma.
Robert WENTRUP ; Nicola WINKELMANN ; Andrey MITROSHKIN ; Matthias PRAGER ; Winfried VODERHOLZER ; Guido SCHACHSCHAL ; Christian JÜRGENSEN ; Carsten BÜNING
Gut and Liver 2016;10(3):470-475
BACKGROUND/AIMS: Standard treatments are not available for hilar nonresectable cholangiocarcinoma (NCC). It is unknown whether combination therapy of photodynamic therapy (PDT) plus systemic chemotherapy is superior to PDT alone. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 68 patients with hilar NCC treated with either PDT plus chemotherapy (PTD-C) or PDT monotherapy (PDT-M). The primary endpoint was the mean overall survival rate. Secondary endpoints included the 1-year survival rate, risk of cholangitic complications, and outcomes, which were evaluated according to the chemotherapy protocol. RESULTS: More than 90% of the study population had advanced hilar NCC Bismuth type III or IV. In the PDT-M group (n=35), the mean survival time was 374 days compared with 520 days in the PDT-C group (n=33, p=0.021). The 1-year survival rate was significantly higher in the PDT-C group compared with the PDT-M group (88% vs 58%, p=0.001) with a significant reduction of mortality (hazard ratio, 0.20; 95% confidence interval, 0.07 to 0.58; p=0.003). Gemcitabine monotherapy resulted in a shorter survival time compared with the gemcitabine combination therapy (mean, 395 days vs 566 days; p=0.09). Cholangitic complications were observed at a similar frequency in the PDT-C and PDT-M groups. CONCLUSIONS: Combining repeated PDT with a gemcitabine-based combination therapy might offer a significant survival benefit in patients with hilar NCC.
Bismuth
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Cholangiocarcinoma*
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Drug Therapy*
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Humans
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Mortality
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Photochemotherapy*
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Retrospective Studies
;
Survival Rate
10.Association between Smoking and the Progression of Computed Tomography Findings in Chronic Pancreatitis.
Jeong Woo LEE ; Ho Gak KIM ; Dong Wook LEE ; Jimin HAN ; Hyuk Yong KWON ; Chang Jin SEO ; Ji Hye OH ; Joo Hyoung LEE ; Jin Tae JUNG ; Joong Goo KWON ; Eun Young KIM
Gut and Liver 2016;10(3):464-469
BACKGROUND/AIMS: Smoking and alcohol intake are two well-known risk factors for chronic pancreatitis. However, there are few studies examining the association between smoking and changes in computed tomography (CT) findings in chronic pancreatitis. The authors evaluated associations between smoking, drinking and the progression of calcification on CT in chronic pancreatitis. METHODS: In this retrospective study, 59 patients with chronic pancreatitis who had undergone initial and follow-up CT between January 2002 and September 2010 were included. Progression of calcification among CT findings was compared according to the amount of alcohol intake and smoking. RESULTS: The median duration of follow-up was 51.6 months (range, 17.1 to 112.7 months). At initial CT findings, there was pancreatic calcification in 35 patients (59.3%). In the follow-up CT, progression of calcification was observed in 37 patients (62.7%). Progression of calcification was more common in smokers according to the multivariate analysis (odds ratio [OR], 9.987; p=0.006). The amount of smoking was a significant predictor for progression of calcification in the multivariate analysis (OR, 6.051 in less than 1 pack per day smokers; OR, 36.562 in more than 1 pack per day smokers; p=0.008). CONCLUSIONS: Continued smoking accelerates pancreatic calcification, and the amount of smoking is associated with the progression of calcification in chronic pancreatitis.
Drinking
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Follow-Up Studies
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Humans
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Multivariate Analysis
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Pancreatitis, Chronic*
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Retrospective Studies
;
Risk Factors
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Smoke*
;
Smoking*