Gastrointestinal Tract News and Research

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Rifaximin is effective in preventing attacks of diarrhea

An antibiotic can be safely used to prevent attacks of diarrhea that plague millions of globe-trotting vacationers and business travelers, a Houston research team reports this week in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

17 May 2005

Vitamin A's paradoxical role in influencing symmetry during embryonic development revealed

In this week's journal Nature, scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies report that they have solved one of the "holy grail" puzzles of developmental biology: the existence of a mechanism that insures that the exterior of our bodies is symmetrical while inner organs are arranged asymmetrically.

11 May 2005

Why different tissues in the human body vary in their susceptibility to "amyloid" diseases

Researchers at The Scripps Research Institute are reporting the results of a recent study that addresses why different tissues in the human body vary in their susceptibility to "amyloid" diseases, which include Alzheimer's disease and a cluster of ailments called the familial amyloidoses.

7 Apr 2005

Autistic children found to have abnormal metabolic profile

Autism, a neurodevelopment disorder which has increased tenfold over the last 15 years, now affects 30 of every 10,000 children in the United States.

4 Apr 2005

Children with autism have a severely abnormal metabolic profile

Chronic biochemical imbalance is often a primary factor in the development of many complex diseases but a possible metabolic basis for autism has not been well explored. Now Arkansas Children's Hospital Research Institute researchers report for the first time that children with autism have a severely abnormal metabolic profile indicating increased vulnerability to oxidative stress.

3 Apr 2005

Live laparoscopic banding surgery to be broadcast over the World Wide Web

The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) will broadcast its first real-time live surgery over the World Wide Web on April 5, 2005 at 12:00pm (CDT) 1:00pm (EDT). The surgery, called laparoscopic banding, is a relatively new treatment for obesity. The Webcast is part of UAB's continuing effort to familiarize doctors with the latest surgical techniques, and allows the public a real-time look at medical advances.

29 Mar 2005

Small is beautiful in the medical world

Small is beautiful in the medical world. And being able to give European industry the edge in a nearly €200 billion worldwide biomedical market is what drives a consortium of EU-backed partners to make and market smaller, cheaper and better biomedical devices and innovative new applications.

19 Jan 2005

Diagnosis of tuberculosis in young children can be confirmed by a straightforward sputum test

Diagnosis of tuberculosis is difficult in infants and young children and can be complicated by HIV infection. Heather Zar (School of Child and Adolescent Health, University of Cape Town, South Africa) and colleagues studied 250 children aged 1 month to 5 years who were admitted for suspected pulmonary tuberculosis in Cape Town. Sputum induction and gastric lavage were done on three consecutive days according to a standard procedure.

7 Jan 2005

New findings clarify the role of NOD2, a key molecular player in Crohn's Disease

This week, researchers report new findings that clarify the role of NOD2, a key molecular player in Crohn's Disease, in the cellular signaling pathways that control inflammatory responses. NOD2's clinical relevance is clear from the fact that it is encoded by a Crohn's Disease susceptibility gene.

28 Dec 2004

Evidence suggests that changes in the bacteria and fungi in the gastrointestinal tract can intensify the immune system's reaction to common allergens

If you want to avoid allergies or asthma, scientists at the University of Michigan Medical School suggest you start paying more attention to what's in your gut.

23 Dec 2004

Detrol LA significantly reduces symptoms of overactive bladder

Pfizer today announced results of a comprehensive six-year review of efficacy and safety data for Detrol LA (tolterodine tartrate extended release capsules) indicating that Detrol LA significantly reduces symptoms of overactive bladder (OAB) with a low occurrence of side effects, and should be considered first-line therapy.

13 Dec 2004

Use of the drug etodolac instead of drugs like Celebrex or Bextra could save $40 million annually

People in search of pain relief who take the generic anti-inflammatory etodolac suffer 60 percent fewer gastrointestinal complications than those who take similar drugs, according to researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas and the Dallas Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

14 Nov 2004

New studies demonstrate efficacy of novel Lipoxin analog in laboratory models of Crohn's disease

Berlex announced today that new laboratory results demonstrate that its modified version of the naturally occurring lipoxin molecule exerts potent anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects in Crohn's disease in vivo models and may provide a promising new oral treatment.

9 Nov 2004

Analysis shows Remicade reduces pain associated with Crohn's disease

According to a new sub-analysis from the ACCENT I (A Crohn's disease Clinical trial Evaluating infliximab in a New long-term Treatment regimen) trial patients who received a three-dose induction regimen of Remicade experienced a significantly greater reduction in pain as assessed by four different pain questions after ten weeks, compared with patients who received a single dose of Remicade.

2 Nov 2004

Gastric acid-suppressive medications may increase risk of developing pneumonia

Individuals who use gastric acid-suppressive medications may be at an elevated risk of developing community-acquired pneumonia, according to an article in the October 27 issue of JAMA.

28 Oct 2004

Children who swallow more than one magnet need immediate medical care

As well as avoiding metal toilet seats, children who swallow more than one magnet need immediate medical care, according to Alan E. Oestreich, M.D., pediatric radiologist at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC).

26 Oct 2004

The prevalence of Helicobacter pylori is high among patients about to undergo weight loss surgery

The prevalence of Helicobacter pylori (a type of bacteria associated with gastrointestinal disorders) is high among patients about to undergo weight loss surgery, and treatment to eradicate the bacterial infection before surgery may be beneficial, according to an article in the October issue of The Archives of Surgery.

18 Oct 2004