Gastrointestinal Health News and Research

Latest Gastrointestinal Health News and Research

Cause and clinical outcome of portal vein thrombosis

Among the 118 patients with portal vein thrombosis, noncirrhotic and nontumoral extrahepatic portal vein obstruction are young and present with well tolerated bleed.

15 Oct 2007

Efficiency and safety of endoscopic treatment of gastrointestinal smooth muscle tumors

Gastrointestinal smooth muscle tumors (SMTs, including leiomyoma and leiomyosarcoma) represent relatively common lesions that are thought to originate from a muscular layer of the gastrointestinal tract.

10 Oct 2007

Electroacupuncture on the anterior forearm may help gastroesophageal reflux disease symptoms

The First Hospital of Peking University, China-Research, has shown that electroacupuncture at Pericardium Meridian Point 6 (PC6 or Nei Guan - Pericardium Meridian) may decrease the frequency of transient lower esophageal sphincter relaxation (TLESR), which is the main mechanism underlying gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

10 Oct 2007

18F-DG PET/CT can highly increase the detection of colorectal cancer

Combined positron emission tomography and computed tomography (PET/CT) is currently widely used in the clinical diagnosis of cancer to provide functional and morphological imaging.

10 Oct 2007

Transcutaneous cervical esophageal ultrasound can not substitute for 24-h pH monitoring or manometry

24-h pH monitoring and esophageal manometry are the gold standards of methods used for diagnosing GER and esophageal motor disorders, respectively.

10 Oct 2007

Interleukin-8, key marker for colorectal cancer treatment

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is currently one of the three most frequent malignancies in Western industrial nations.

10 Oct 2007

Specific immune deficiency pinpointed as likely cause of ulcerative colitis

In a series of mouse experiments, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) have pinpointed a specific immune deficiency as the likely fundamental cause of ulcerative colitis, a chronic, sometimes severe inflammatory disease of the colon or large intestine that afflicts half a million Americans.

4 Oct 2007

Individually tailored herbal concoctions possibly harmful

Scientists in Britain are warning that there is no evidence to suggest herbal medicines "tailored" to the individual do actually work; they also say such concoctions may even be harmful.

4 Oct 2007

Gastric progenitor cells in stomach may provide cancer insights

Scientists have identified and described stem cells specific to several tissues and organs of the body - key master cells that give rise to the specialized cell types characteristic of that organ.

4 Oct 2007

Key to colon cancer prevention is regular screenings

More than 100,000 people will develop colon cancer in 2007, according to the American Cancer Society; the disease currently causes more than 55,000 U.S. deaths annually.

4 Oct 2007

Indian bug is the ancestor of Crohn's disease pathogen

An Indian team of researchers led by Seyed E. Hasnain of the Institute of Life Sciences (ILS), University of Hyderabad, India has found that a seemingly unknown mycobacterial organism Mycobacterium indicus pranii (MIP) could be the earliest ancestor of the 'generalist' branch of mycobacterial pathogens.

3 Oct 2007

Fighting the spread of food poisoning

A Queensland University of Technology researcher has developed a new technique that can help scientists and clinicians quickly and cheaply diagnose the bacteria which causes the most common bout of food poisoning in Australia.

3 Oct 2007

Insights into colorectal cancer screening

Two studies in the October issue of the journal Gastroenterology may help in refining recommendations for the use of colonoscopy to screen for colorectal cancer.

2 Oct 2007

Noninvasive tests for cirrhosis may help to avoid liver biopsy

Newer ultrasound and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging tests yield encouraging initial results in diagnosing fibrosis (scarring) and cirrhosis of the liver, according to three studies in the October issue of the journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

2 Oct 2007

FDA approves new adjustable gastric band for morbid obesity

Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. has announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved for marketing the REALIZE Adjustable Gastric Band, a surgical implant for weight reduction and improvement in obesity-related health conditions, such as type-2 diabetes, in individuals suffering from morbid obesity.

29 Sep 2007

Clostridium difficile infection is four times more likely to kill patients with inflammatory bowel disease

C difficile is an important cause of diarrhoea among inpatients, and the numbers of new cases of the infection have been steadily increasing in recent years.

27 Sep 2007

Capsule endoscopy best for diagnosing Crohn's disease

Research from La Fe University Hospital in Valencia, Spain shows that capsule endoscopy diagnoses more Crohn's disease recurrence after surgery than colonoscopy.

27 Sep 2007

Nerve growth factor positively related with liver cancer - potential therapy target

Nerve growth factor (NGF), as the name says, is an essential peptide factor for the growth and differentiation of neuronal cells.

20 Sep 2007

Common abdominal pain may be due to a potentially treatable newly recognized inflammatory reaction

As many as one in four people in westernized countries experience pain or discomfort in their upper abdomen, and physicians have almost nothing to offer except anti-acid medicines, which usually don't work.

20 Sep 2007

FDA accepts Sucampo's sNDA for Lubiprostone for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome

Sucampo Pharmaceuticals, Inc., has announced that the supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) for lubiprostone (8 mcg, oral gel capsules, twice daily) for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C) has been accepted for review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

18 Sep 2007