Search results for "Digestive System"
showing 10 items of 1747 documents
Differential Effects of Antibiotic Therapy on the Structure and Function of Human Gut Microbiota
2013
The human intestinal microbiota performs many essential functions for the host. Antimicrobial agents, such as antibiotics (AB), are also known to disturb microbial community equilibrium, thereby having an impact on human physiology. While an increasing number of studies investigate the effects of AB usage on changes in human gut microbiota biodiversity, its functional effects are still poorly understood. We performed a follow-up study to explore the effect of ABs with different modes of action on human gut microbiota composition and function. Four individuals were treated with different antibiotics and samples were taken before, during and after the AB course for all of them. Changes in the…
Mucin 1 downregulation associates with corticosteroid resistance in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps
2013
Background A number of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) are resistant to oral corticosteroids. Mucin 1 (MUC1) shows anti-inflammatory properties, and its cytoplasmic tail (CT) interacts with transcription factors, facilitating their nuclear translocation. Because glucocorticoid receptor (GR) nuclear translocation is key to the anti-inflammatory effect of corticosteroids, we hypothesized that MUC1 is involved in the effectiveness of corticosteroids. Objective To analyze the role of MUC1 in corticosteroid effectiveness in different cohorts of patients with CRSwNP and elucidate the possible mechanisms involved. Methods Seventy-three patients with CRSwNP took oral…
Gut Microbiota Cannot Compensate the Impact of (quasi) Aposymbiosis in Blattella germanica
2021
Simple Summary The German cockroach Blattella germanica is a good model to study complex symbiotic relationships because the following two symbiotic systems coexist in a single individual: the endosymbiont Blattabacterium (living inside specialized cells called bacteriocytes) and the gut microbiota. Although the role of the endosymbiont has been fully elucidated, the function of the gut microbiota remains unclear. The study of the gut microbiota will benefit from the availability of insects deprived of Blattabacterium. Our goal is to determine the effect of the removal (or, at least, the reduction) of the endosymbiont population on the cockroach’s fitness, in a normal gut microbiota communi…
Is elimination of HCV in 2030 realistic in Central Europe.
2021
According to the recent data presented by Central-European HCV experts, the estimated prevalence of HCV is between 0.2% and 1.7% in certain countries in this region. There are no financial limitations to access to treatment in most countries. Patients in these countries have access to at least one pangenotypic regimen. The most common barriers to the elimination of HCV in Central Europe are a lack of established national screening programmes and limited political commitment to the elimination of HCV. Covid-19 has significantly affected the number of patients who have been diagnosed and treated, thus, delaying the potential elimination of HCV. These data suggest that the elimination of HCV e…
Performance of the PRO-C3 collagen neo-epitope biomarker in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
2019
Background & Aim There is an unmet need for non-invasive biomarkers in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) that can diagnose advanced disease and identify patients suitable for clinical trials. The PRO-C3 collagen neo-epitope is a putative direct marker of fibrogenesis. We assessed the performance of PRO-C3 in a large, well-characterised international NAFLD cohort and report the development and validation of 2 novel panels for the diagnosis of advanced fibrosis (F≥3) in NAFLD, including a simplified clinical score which eliminates the need for online calculators. Methods Plasma PRO-C3 levels were determined in a prospectively recruited international cohort of 449 patients with biopsy …
Surgical Treatment of Coledochal Cyst Associated with an Aberrant Posterior Hepatic Duct: Report of a Case and Brief Literature Review
2011
Choledochal cysts (CCs) are rare congenital cystic or fusiform dilatations of the biliary tree that can involve the extrahepatic and/or intrahepatic biliary tree. We report a case of huge type I CC associated with an aberrant posterior hepatic duct. A 52-year-old man presented with a 3-week history of upper right abdominal pain and jaundice and serologic sign of obstructive jaundice. Ultrasonography (US), magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography were performed with the diagnosis of CC type I according to the classification of Alonso-Lej and Todani-Watanabe. The indication for surgical resection was posed. The cyst was completely resected…
Endoscopic Resection of a Large Colonic Lipoma: Case Report and Review of Literature
2010
Colonic lipomas are uncommon, benign, submucosal adipose tumors that are usually asymptomatic. Large lipomas can cause symptoms such as constipation, abdominal pain, rectal bleeding and intussusception. We report the case of a 60-year-old man with a history of lower abdominal pain and pseudoobstructive symptoms. Colonoscopy revealed a large polypoid sessile lesion in the sigma. We used a standardized technique of polypectomy, preceded by submucosal injection of dilute 5 ml polygelin with epinephrine 1:10,000 solution, to fully resect large colonic lipomas. The lipoma size was 3.5 cm. No bleeding or perforation developed. Histology showed the polyp to be a submucosul lipoma. On follow-up, th…
Cytomegalovirus and inflammatory bowel disease: Is there a link?
2006
The objective of this report is to give an overall view of the epidemiological, clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic features of Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). A review of published reports on this topic was carried out, with particular attention paid to the selection of patients included in studies and the diagnostic methods employed. CMV is frequently associated with IBD. In some cases, CMV infection is associated with a poor outcome but it is not clear which patients are more likely to be affected and in which stage of the disease. The use of anti-viral therapy in IBD is controversial and an empirical study with controls is needed. The natural histor…
Endoluminal ultrasonic examination of sessile polyps and early carcinomas of the rectum
1989
The results of conventional endosonographic techniques in the assessment of early carcinomas and sessile polyps of the rectum have been unsatisfactory. We therefore developed a new technique in which the rectal cavity is filled directly with water. Using this technique, the anatomy of small rectal tumors is preserved and the layers of the rectal wall are easier to differentiate, especially with a 10-MHz scanner. The clinical results in 66 patients demonstrate that this new technique is very accurate in the preoperative staging of adenomas and T1-carcinomas of the rectum.