Search results for "Digestive System"

Esophageal transmural potential difference in patients with symptomatic gastroesophageal reflux.

1980

Esophageal electrical potential difference (PD) was studied in 9 patients with symptomatic gastroesophageal reflux and in 9 healthy control subjects. None of the patients revealed gross mucosal damage by radiography or endoscopy, but all of them showed positive acid perfusion studies. In the stomach and across the lower esophageal sphincter PD profiles were remarkably similar in patients and controls. Throughout the lower esophagus however, PD values were slightly higher in patients with symptomatic reflux than in healthy volunteers. These data are in contrast to a previous investigation, in which patients with reflux-induced gross mucosal damage revealed a decreased PD in the lower esophag…

Duration of HCV infection as a predictor of nonresponse to interferon

1996

Duration of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a key feature in determining responsiveness to interferon (IFN). Studies assessing its value as a predictive factor in chronic HCV infection show that a long duration of infection reduces the likelihood of a sustained response to IFN (defined as ALT normalization and clearance of serum HCV-RNA). The effect of HCV infection duration is independent of the presence of cirrhosis and level of HCV viremia. Meta-analysis of IFN trials in acute HCV infection shows an obvious effect of the drug on long-term ALT normalization and HCV-RNA clearance. Treatment of HCV infection during the acute or early chronic phase could therefore maximize therapeutic e…

A 4-year study of the efficacy and tolerability of enzyme replacement therapy with agalsidase alfa in 36 women with Fabry disease

2009

Although Fabry disease is X linked and considered to affect primarily male hemizygotes, female heterozygotes may experience all the signs and symptoms of this metabolic disorder. This prospective, single-center, open-label, clinical trial was performed to evaluate the long-term response of female patients with Fabry disease to enzyme replacement therapy.Symptomatic women (average age = 47 years) enrolled in this 4-year study were treated with agalsidase alfa (Replagal, Shire HGT, Inc.) at a dose of 0.2 mg/kg, every other week for 4 years (N = 36). Clinical and biochemical assessments were conducted at 12-month intervals.The Mainz Severity Score Index, a measure of total disease burden, was …

Feasibility and safety of two different surgical routes for the eradication of recto-vaginal endometriosis with vaginal mucosa infiltration (Endo-Vag…

2020

Introduction: Recto-vaginal endometriosis surgical management needing partial colpectomy is a surgically challenging condition and has been associated with a notable risk of major postoperative complications. In the present study we sought to compare feasibility and safety of total laparoscopic (TL) and vaginal-assisted (VA) routes in women affected by symptomatic recto-vaginal endometriosis with vaginal mucosa infiltration scheduled for minimally invasive surgery. Material and methods: Multi-centric, retrospective cohort study on medical records of consecutive reproductive age women submitted to complete macroscopic eradication of symptomatic recto-vaginal endometriosis with vaginal mucosa…

Successful treatment of gallstone ileus (Bouveret's syndrome) by using extracorporal shock wave lithotripsy and argon plasma coagulation.

2006

The Transcription Factor T-bet Is Induced by IL-15 and Thymic Agonist Selection and Controls CD8αα+ Intraepithelial Lymphocyte Development

2014

Summary CD8αα + intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs) are instrumental in maintaining the epithelial barrier in the intestine. Similar to natural killer cells and other innate lymphoid cells, CD8αα + IELs constitutively express the T-box transcription factor T-bet. However, the precise role of T-bet for the differentiation or function of IELs is unknown. Here we show that mice genetically deficient for T-bet lacked both TCRαβ + and TCRγδ + CD8αα + IELs and thus are more susceptible to chemically induced colitis. Although T-bet was induced in thymic IEL precursors (IELPs) as a result of agonist selection and interleukin-15 (IL-15) receptor signaling, it was dispensable for the generation of IEL…

MicroRNAs as Novel Targets in Liver Cancer: Facing the Clinical Challenge

2014

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide with a rising incidence in the western world. HCCs are characterized by a phenotypic and molecular heterogeneity that limits therapeutic progress. MicroRNAs play a major role for the pathogenesis and progression of liver cancer. As an essential part of the RNA interference machinery, microRNAs contribute to the regulation of many pro-oncogenic processes in HCC, including proliferation, migration, and survival. Therefore, these epigenetically active small molecules advanced to attractive targets for both diagnosis and therapy of liver cancer. Here, we will try to delineate the role of microRNAs during liver de…

Association between the PNPLA3 (rs738409 C>G) variant and hepatocellular carcinoma: Evidence from a meta-analysis of individual participant data

2014

The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is increasing in Western countries. Although several clinical factors have been identified, many individuals never develop HCC, suggesting a genetic susceptibility. However, to date, only a few single-nucleotide polymorphisms have been reproducibly shown to be linked to HCC onset. A variant (rs738409 C>G, encoding for p.I148M) in the PNPLA3 gene is associated with liver damage in chronic liver diseases. Interestingly, several studies have reported that the minor rs738409[G] allele is more represented in HCC cases in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) and alcoholic liver disease (ALD). However, a significant association with HCC related to CHC has not b…

Change in expression of MGMT during maturation of human monocytes into dendritic cells.

2005

Dendritic cells (DCs) maturated from monocytes play an important role in the immune system, not only in defense against conventional infections but also in cancer rejection. Because of the central role of DCs in tumor host defense it is highly important that DCs as well as the progenitor cell population are protected during cancer therapy. Since most anticancer drugs target DNA, the DNA repair capacity is most importance for the response of DCs and their precursor cells. Here, we studied the expression of the DNA repair protein O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) in monocytes obtained from peripheral blood of healthy donors and DCs maturated from monocytes (moDCs). We show that MG…

MGMT: Key node in the battle against genotoxicity, carcinogenicity and apoptosis induced by alkylating agents

2007

O(6)-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) plays a crucial role in the defense against alkylating agents that generate, among other lesions, O(6)-alkylguanine in DNA (collectively termed O(6)-alkylating agents [O(6)AA]). The defense is highly important, since O(6)AA are common environmental carcinogens, are formed endogenously during normal cellular metabolism and possibly inflammation, and are being used in cancer therapy. O(6)AA induced DNA damage is subject to repair, which is executed by MGMT, AlkB homologous proteins (ABH) and base excision repair (BER). Although this review focuses on MGMT, the mechanism of repair by ABH and BER will also be discussed. Experimental systems, in wh…