Updated European guidelines for clinical management of familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), MUTYH-associated polyposis (MAP), gastric adenocarcinoma, proximal polyposis of the stomach (GAPPS) and other rare adenomatous polyposis syndromes: a joint EHTG-ESCP revision.

Background: Hereditary adenomatous polyposis syndromes, including familial adenomatous polyposis and other rare adenomatous polyposis syndromes, increase the lifetime risk of colorectal and other cancers.

Methods: A team of 38 experts convened to update the 2008 European recommendations for the clinical management of patients with adenomatous polyposis syndromes. Additionally, other rare monogenic adenomatous polyposis syndromes were reviewed and added.

Comparison of acoustic radiation force impulse imaging with the convex probe 6C1 and linear probe 9L4.

Background: Acoustic radiation force impulse imaging (ARFI) is a noninvasive method to detect liver fibrosis. The aims of the study were to evaluate the difference between 2 different probes, 6 C1 and 9 L4, and to study inter- and intraobserver reproducibility for the probes.

Methods: We enrolled 100 patients in this cross-sectional comparative study.

Anal chromoendoscopy using gastroenterological video-endoscopes: A new method to perform high resolution anoscopy for diagnosing intraepithelial neoplasia and anal carcinoma in HIV-infected patients.

 Anal carcinoma represents an increasing problem in HIV-infected patients. Anal intraepithelial neoplasia (AIN), the precursor lesion, is currently diagnosed by high-resolution anoscopy (HRA) using optical magnification derived from gynecological colposcopy. This prospective study evaluates anal chromoendoscopy (ACE) using standard gastroenterological video-endoscopes in diagnosing AIN.

Transient Elastography for the Detection of Liver Damage in Patients with HIV.

Introduction: Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) is effective and well tolerated, but hepatotoxicity is relatively common. Different non-invasive methods are available for detecting liver fibrosis in patients with chronic liver disease.

Methods: Patients who were HIV positive and who had given their informed consent were included in this cross-sectional study.

Ambulatory care for HIV-infected patients: differences in outcomes between hospital-based units and private practices: analysis of the RESINA cohort.

Background: The efficacy of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in the treatment of HIV infection is influenced by factors such as potency of applied drugs, adherence of the patient, and resistance-associated mutations. Up to now, there is insufficient data on the impact of the therapeutic setting.

Methods: Since 2001, the prospective multicenter RESINA study has examined the epidemiology of transmitted HIV drug resistance in Nordrhein-Westfalen, the largest federal state of Germany by population.

Evaluation of acoustic radiation force impulse imaging for determination of liver stiffness using transient elastography as a reference.

Aim: To evaluate cut-off values and performance of acoustic radiation force impulse imaging (ARFI) using transient elastography [FibroScan© (FS)] as a reference.

Methods: Six hundred and six patients were enrolled in this study. All patients underwent liver stiffness measurement with FS (FS-LS) and ARFI (with shear wave velocity quantification; ARFI-SWV) and the performance of ARFI in comparison to FS was determined.

High prevalence of significant liver fibrosis and cirrhosis in chronic hepatitis B patients with normal ALT in central Europe.

The indication for antiviral treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis B is based on serum HBV DNA levels, transaminases, and histological grade and stage. The relation of liver fibrosis and inflammation to ALT activity in chronic hepatitis B infection was investigated in a nonendemic, European setting. A total of 253 patients with chronic hepatitis B who had undergone liver biopsy at the Clinic of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Infectious Diseases, Düsseldorf,Germany over the past 19 years (1990–2009) were evaluated.

Liver fibrosis in recessive multicystic kidney diseases: transient elastography for early detection.

Cystic renal diseases are characterized by intrarenal cysts of different size and number. Further important diagnostic criteria include, e.g.

Transient elastography is unreliable for detection of cirrhosis in patients with acute liver damage.

Unlabelled: Transient elastography [FibroScan (FS)] is a rapid, noninvasive, and reproducible method for measuring liver stiffness, which correlates with the degree of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis. Whether FS is useful in the detection of preexisting liver fibrosis/cirrhosis in patients presenting with acute liver damage is unclear. Patients with acute liver damage of different etiologies were analyzed.

Trends of prevalence of primary HIV drug resistance in Germany.

Background: Primary HIV drug resistance (PDR) is associated with poor treatment outcome of first-line highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). The aim of the study was to observe the trend of prevalence of PDR between 2001 and 2005.

Methods: In a prospective multicentre study in the state of Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany, 831 treatment-naive chronically HIV-infected patients underwent genotypic resistance testing.

Relapse to prior therapy is the most important factor for the retreatment response in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection.

Background: Treatment options for hepatitis C have developed rapidly in the past decade. The current treatment of choice is a combination of pegylated-interferon-alpha (PEG-IFN-alpha) and ribavirin. With the development of more therapy options, patients who failed in prior therapy hope to clear hepatitis C virus by undergoing a more effective retreatment regime.

Treatment of chronic hepatitis delta with pegylated interferon-alpha2b.

Background/aims: Chronic hepatitis D is difficult to treat. The present pilot study investigated the efficacy and tolerability of pegylated (PEG)-interferon (IFN)-alpha2b in chronic hepatitis D.

Patients And Methods: Twelve patients with chronic hepatitis D were prospectively treated with 1.

Predictors of short-term success of antiretroviral therapy in HIV infection.

Objectives: The success of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in HIV infection may be influenced by numerous host factors. There is a lack of data presenting a combined assessment of a variety of these parameters for treatment efficacy in clinical routine practice.

Methods: Different indices of therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) were evaluated prospectively in the context of self-reported adherence, health-related quality of life and social determinants, as measured by a questionnaire.

SEN virus has an adverse effect on the survival of HIV-positive patients.

Background: Patients infected with HIV are often coinfected with other viruses.

Objective: To investigate the effect of SEN virus (SENV) strains D and H on mortality in HIV-positive patients.

Methods: A total of 217 HIV-positive patients were analysed retrospectively after first presentation and blood sampling (January 1997 to July 1997) and the effect of coinfection with SENV-D and SENV-H on survival was examined.

SEN virus seroprevalence in HIV positive patients: association with immunosuppression and HIV-replication.

Background: Patients infected with HIV are often co-infected with other viruses. SEN virus (SENV) was isolated from a HIV positive patient with intravenous drug use and post-transfusion hepatitis. SENV strains D and H seem to be relevant for the development of post-transfusion hepatitis.

Acute syphilitic blindness in an HIV-positive patient.

This case report describes a rare manifestation of syphilis. An HIV-positive patient with severe immunosuppression presented with rapid loss of vision due to eye involvement of Treponema pallidum infection. The ophthalmologic examination on admittance showed a chorioretinitis, an uveitis, and a swollen optical disc of both eyes.

Is ultrasound a useful adjunct for assessing malaria patients?

The value of ultrasonography as an adjunct for diagnosis and monitoring malaria was investigated. In all, 118 patients (male/female 65/53; age 2-78 years, median 29 years) with malaria underwent a standardised abdominal ultrasound examination at baseline. In 62 out of 118 patients, ultrasonography was repeated 21 days later.

SEN virus does not affect treatment response in hepatitis C virus coinfected patients but SEN virus response depends on SEN virus DNA concentration.

Aim: To clarify the effect of SEN virus (SENV) infection on a combination therapy including interferon alfa (IFN-alpha) or pegylated-IFN with ribavirin in patients with chronic hepatitis and the effect of a combination therapy on SENV.

Methods: SENV DNA was determined by polymerase chain reaction in serum samples from 95 patients with chronic hepatitis C. Quantitative analysis was done for SENV H DNA.

SEN virus infection.

The SEN virus (SEN-V) belongs to a recently discovered group of DNA viruses whose members (SEN-V-D and SEN-V-H) are associated with post-transfusion hepatitis. It is a single-stranded circular, non-enveloped DNA virus of approximately 3600 to approximately 3800 nucleotides with at least three open reading frames (ORFs). Eight different strains of SEN-V have been identified and provisionally classified as members of the Circoviridae family, a group of small, single-stranded, non-enveloped circular DNA viruses that includes the TT virus (TTV), TUS01, SANBAN, PMV and YONBAN.

Lipodystrophy syndrome and self-assessment of well-being and physical appearance in HIV-positive patients.

The lipodystrophy syndrome (LDS) is a growing problem in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients treated with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). It is characterized by alterations of body composition and metabolic abnormalities. The goal of the study was to investigate attitudes toward health condition, well-being, and individual appearance in relation to LDS.