Serum levels of total bile acids are associated with an increased risk of HCC in patients with cirrhosis.

Background: Previous studies have reported higher circulating bile acid levels in patients with HCC compared to healthy controls. However, the association between prediagnostic bile acid levels and HCC risk among patients with cirrhosis is unclear.

Methods: We measured total BA (TBA) concentration in serum samples collected from a prospective cohort of patients with cirrhosis who were followed until the development of HCC, death, or last study date.

Differences in Prediagnostic Serum Metabolomic and Lipidomic Profiles Between Cirrhosis Patients with and without Incident Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Background: Early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is crucial for improving patient outcomes, but we lack robust clinical biomarkers. This study aimed to identify a metabolite and/or lipid panel for early HCC detection.

Methods: We developed a high-resolution liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS)-based profiling platform and evaluated differences in the global metabolome and lipidome between 28 pre-diagnostic serum samples from patients with cirrhosis who subsequently developed HCC (cases) and 30 samples from patients with cirrhosis and no HCC (controls).

HES V2.0 outperforms GALAD for detection of HCC: A phase 3 biomarker study in the United States.

Background And Aims: The original hepatocellular carcinoma early detection screening (HES) score, which combines alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) with age, alanine aminotransferase, and platelets, has better performance than AFP alone for early HCC detection. We have developed HES V2.0 by adding AFP-L3 and des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin to the score and compared its performance to GALAD and ASAP scores among patients with cirrhosis.

Serum biomarker signature is predictive of the risk of hepatocellular cancer in patients with cirrhosis.

Background: Inflammatory and metabolic biomarkers have been associated with hepatocellular cancer (HCC) risk in phases I and II biomarker studies. We developed and internally validated a robust metabolic biomarker panel predictive of HCC in a longitudinal phase III study.

Methods: We used data and banked serum from a prospective cohort of 2266 adult patients with cirrhosis who were followed until the development of HCC (n=126).

Bioimpedance analysis predicts the etiology of cirrhosis in a prospective cohort study.

Background: Obesity is associated with an increased risk of developing cirrhosis. However, body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) may not be indicative of body composition parameters that predispose to cirrhosis. Bioimpedance analysis (BIA) is a noninvasive cost-efficient method for more detailed estimation of body composition.

Risk Stratification Model for Hepatocellular Cancer in Patients With Cirrhosis.

Background & Aims: The available risk stratification indices for hepatocellular cancer (HCC) have limited applicability. We developed and externally validated an HCC risk stratification index in U.S.

Risk factors for HCC in contemporary cohorts of patients with cirrhosis.

Background And Aims: Etiological risk factors for cirrhosis have changed in the last decade. It remains unclear to what extent these trends in cirrhosis risk factors have changed HCC risk.

Approach And Results: We used data from two contemporary, prospective multiethnic cohorts of patients with cirrhosis: the Texas Hepatocellular Carcinoma Consortium Cohort and the Houston Veterans Administration Cirrhosis Surveillance Cohort.

The Performance of AFP, AFP-3, DCP as Biomarkers for Detection of Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC): A Phase 3 Biomarker Study in the United States.

Background & Aims: α-fetoprotein (AFP), AFP Lens culinaris agglutinin-reactive fraction of AFP (AFP-L3), and des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin (DCP) in combination or in GALAD (Gender, Age, AFP-L3, AFP, and DCP) were tested for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) surveillance in retrospective cohort and case-control studies. However, there is a paucity of prospective data and no phase III biomarker studies from North American populations.

Methods: We conducted a prospective specimen collection, retrospective blinded evaluation (PRoBE) cohort study in patients with cirrhosis enrolled in a 6-monthly surveillance with liver imaging and AFP.

Antibiotic Resistance of Helicobacter pylori Among Male United States Veterans.

Background & Aims: The most recent information published on resistance of Helicobacter pylori to antibiotics in a large population in the United States is more than 10 years old. We assessed the susceptibility of H pylori to antibiotics among patients in a large metropolitan hospital, as well as demographic, clinical, and lifestyle factors associated with antimicrobial resistance.

Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study of a random sample of 656 patients (90.

Esophageal COX-2 expression is increased in Barrett's esophagus, obesity, and smoking.

Background: Increased esophageal cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression has been associated with Barrett's esophagus (BE); however, it is unknown whether COX-2 expression varies among patient groups with different clinical or socio-demographic factors.

Methods: We conducted a case-control study among eligible patients scheduled for elective esophagogastroduodenoscopy and patients eligible for screening colonoscopy recruited from primary clinics. We compared 39 BE tissue samples and 47 squamous tissue samples from BE cases and 240 squamous tissue samples from controls.

Association between Helicobacter pylori and Barrett's esophagus: a case-control study.

Objectives: The estimated association between Helicobacter pylori and Barrett's esophagus (BE) has been heterogenous across previous studies. In this study, we aimed to examine the association between H. pylori and BE and to identify factors that may explain or modify this association.

Circulating inflammatory cytokines and adipokines are associated with increased risk of Barrett's esophagus: a case-control study.

Background & Aims: Obesity is associated with Barrett's esophagus (BE) and with changes in circulating levels of adipokines (leptin and adiponectin) and cytokines. Although studies have reported that adipokines and inflammatory cytokines are necessary for the development of BE, their role is controversial.

Methods: We performed a case-control study; cases (n = 141) were patients who underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy and were found to have BE, which was based on endoscopy and histology, and controls (n = 139) were primary care patients eligible for screening colonoscopies who agreed to undergo esophagogastroduodenoscopy.

Hepatocellular carcinoma screening practices in the Department of Veterans Affairs: findings from a national facility survey.

Background: Previous studies suggest low rates of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) screening in clinical practice. There is little information on the provider- and healthcare-facility-related factors that explain the use of HCC screening.

Aims: We used data from the 2007 Survey to Assess Hepatitis C Care in Veterans Health Administration that collected information regarding the care of patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) from 138 of 140 Veterans Administration healthcare facilities nationwide.

Oral bisphosphonates and the risk of Barrett's esophagus: case-control analysis of US veterans.

Objectives: This study examined Barrett's esophagus (BE) risk factors in veterans to determine the association between risk of BE and use of oral bisphosphonates.

Methods: We conducted a case-control study among eligible patients scheduled for an elective esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) and a sample of patients eligible for screening colonoscopy recruited from primary care clinics from a single VA Medical Center. Cases with definitive BE were compared with controls; all underwent study EGD.

Fat mass by bioelectrical impedance analysis is not associated with increased risk of Barrett esophagus.

Goal: To evaluate whether the association between obesity and Barrett esophagus (BE) is due to total body fatness, abdominal obesity, or both.

Background: BE risk seems to be more strongly related to central obesity than total obesity. However, no studies have investigated the association between total obesity and BE using direct measures of total body fatness.

Dietary intake of vegetables, folate, and antioxidants and the risk of Barrett's esophagus.

Purpose: Diet is a potentially modifiable risk factor for Barrett's esophagus (BE). We investigated the associations between intakes of fruits and vegetables and risk of BE.

Methods: We identified study subjects from 1,859 participants who underwent the endoscopy in a single VA Medical Center in the US between 2008 and 2011.

Visceral abdominal obesity measured by CT scan is associated with an increased risk of Barrett's oesophagus: a case-control study.

Objective: Abdominal obesity has been associated with increased risk of Barrett's oesophagus (BE) but the underlying mechanism is unclear. We examined the association between visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) and the risk of BE.

Design: A case-control study among eligible patients scheduled for elective oesophagastroduodenoscopy (EGD) and in a sample of patients eligible for screening colonoscopy recruited at the primary care clinic.

Waist-to-hip ratio, but not body mass index, is associated with an increased risk of Barrett's esophagus in white men.

Background & Aims: Abdominal obesity increases the risk of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and also might contribute to the development of Barrett's esophagus (BE), although results are inconsistent. We examined the effects of waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and body mass index (BMI) on the risk of BE and investigated whether race, GERD symptoms, or hiatus hernia were involved.

Methods: We conducted a case-control study using data from eligible patients who underwent elective esophagogastroduodenoscopy; 237 patients had BE and the other 1021 patients served as endoscopy controls.

Plasma soluble receptor for advanced glycation end-products and risk of colorectal adenoma.

Receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) plays an important role in promoting chronic inflammation with activation of NF-κB. Soluble form of RAGE (sRAGE) represents a naturally occurring competitive inhibitor of RAGE-mediated events. In a colonoscopy-based case-control study, we examined the associations of plasma levels of sRAGE, sTNF-αRI, sTNF-αRII, sIL-6R, EGF, IFNα2, G-CSF, MCP1, TNFβ, and VEGF with risk of colorectal adenoma.

Helicobacter pylori-negative gastritis: prevalence and risk factors.

Objectives: Recent studies using histology alone in select patients have suggested that Helicobacter pylori-negative gastritis may be common. The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence of H. pylori among individuals with histologic gastritis.

Prevalence of colorectal polyps in pediatric colonoscopy.

Background: The available data regarding the prevalence, types, and clinical determinants of colonic polyps in children is limited.

Aims: We aimed to estimate the prevalence of colorectal polyps in a large cohort of children.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study to determine the presence, number, and location of colorectal polyps reported in all children (0-20 years) who underwent colonoscopy at 14 pediatric facilities between January 2000 and December 2007 recorded in Pediatric Endoscopy Database System Clinical Outcomes Research Initiative (PEDS-CORI).