Colonoscopy has emerged as the preferred screening test for colorectal cancer. However, there is an increased chance for missing the lesions due to increased difficulty in detecting them if located in the proximal part of folds or flexures, using a forward-viewing colonoscope. Now, five studies presented at the recent Digestive Disease Week® 2010 conference (DDW) held at New Orleans, further substantiate the efficacy of Third Eye® Retroscope® (TER) developed by Avantis Medical Systems in detecting adenomas of varying sizes in both young and adult population. Continue Reading

Hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery (HALS) has demonstrated its value as a versatile therapeutic alternative to laparoscopic (LAP) colorectal resection for complex intestinal diseases such as ulcerative colitis and diverticulitis. However, its efficacy in patients undergoing technically demanding subtotal or total colectomy for Crohn’s colitis has not been ascertained as yet. Now, a recent study reports the safety, viability, and the prognostic benefits of this procedure in treating extensive Crohn’s colitis, owing to reduced operating time and its minimally invasive nature. The findings of the study are published in the recent issue of the journal Surgical Endoscopy. Continue Reading

Proximal gastrectomy (PG) with jejunal interposition has been found to be a beneficial modality for patients with early gastric cancer (EGC), with regard to function preservation and good postoperative quality of life. The results of a recent study published in the British Journal of Surgery, further substantiates the effectiveness and tolerability of PG in providing exceptional long-term clinical outcomes in patients suspected with EGC in the proximal third of the stomach. Continue Reading

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection continues to be an important cause of chronic liver infection, sometimes progressing to more serious conditions like cirrhosis of the liver, liver failure, liver cancer, and death. While marked reduction in mortality is achievable through early detection, individualized prognosis depends largely on the stage of the disease. The lack of sensitivity and reliability of currently available biomarkers in clinical diagnosis emphasizes the need to identify and design better predictors of recognizing liver failure. Now, a recent study published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology reports serum thymosin beta 4 (TB4) concentrations as a valuable predictor for liver failure associated with chronic HBV infection. Continue Reading

Numerous studies have documented increased incidence of constipation in patients suffering from Parkinson disease (PD) due to the impairment of central or peripheral nervous system or both; however, fewer studies have investigated the occurrence of constipation preceding the onset of the disease. Now, a recent case-control study reports that constipation occurring ≥20 years prior to the onset of motor symptoms is linked to an elevated risk of PD. The findings of the study are published in the recent issue of the journal, Neurology. Continue Reading

A collaborative study by an international group including researchers from the National Institutes of Health, Hannover Medical School, and University College London, has identified mutations in two genes, interleukin-10 receptor 1 (IL10R1) and interleukin-10 receptor 2 (IL10R2), that cause inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in children. The discovery enabled researchers to bring about disease remission in one of the patient participants by allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The findings are published in the recent issue of The New England Journal of Medicine. Continue Reading

The aberrant expression of several microRNA (miRNA) molecules, which play a crucial role in the regulation of gene expression, has been associated with hepatocarcinogenesis. Now, researchers at the National Cancer Institute, in collaboration with Fudan University, University of Hong Kong, and Ohio State University, have identified a miRNA molecule that could help predict the survival of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and also their response to interferon alpha adjuvant treatment, post-surgery. The findings of the study are published in the recent issue of The New England Journal of Medicine. Continue Reading

Patients with severely impaired liver function often require a transplant, but due to a scarcity of donor livers, fail to receive timely treatment. Now in a breakthrough, a recent research has been successful in producing patient-specific hepatocytes from skin cells. The study results have been published in the journal Hepatology. Continue Reading

Food borne infections are known to increase the risk of certain conditions, for instance, Guillain-Barre Syndrome may occur after campylobacter enteritis, and reactive arthritis after yersinia enteritis. Now, a recent study by Danish researchers has confirmed on an earlier finding, which reports that salmonella and campylobacter gastroenteritis increase the short-term and long-term risk of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The study was published in the latest issue of Gastroenterology. Continue Reading

PillCam Colon Capsule Endoscopy (PCCE), utilizing an ingestible capsule with a video camera, is considered as a safe and less invasive method and an alternative strategy for endoscopic visualization of the colon. Now, a recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine reports that the sensitivity of the capsule endoscopy is lower than the more invasive optical colonoscopy for the detection of colorectal lesions and cancer. Continue Reading