Long-Term Outcomes of Early Surgery vs Endoscopy First in Chronic Pancreatitis: Follow-Up Analysis of the ESCAPE Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Patients with painful chronic pancreatitis and a dilated pancreatic duct can be treated by early surgery or an endoscopy-first approach.

Objective: To compare long-term clinical outcomes of early surgery vs an endoscopy-first approach using follow-up data from the ESCAPE randomized clinical trial.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Between April 2011 and September 2018, 88 patients with painful chronic pancreatitis were randomly assigned to early surgery or an endoscopy-first approach in 30 hospitals in the Netherlands collaborating in the Dutch Pancreatitis Study Group as part of the ESCAPE randomized clinical trial.

Increased risk of Barrett's oesophagus and related neoplasia in individuals with a positive family history.

Background: Considering the poor prognosis of oesophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC), it is important to identify individuals at increased risk of developing EAC who may benefit from early detection and prevention strategies. We aimed to determine whether individuals with a positive family history of Barrett's oesophagus (BE) and EAC are at an increased risk of oesophageal neoplasia.

Methods: In a multi-centre case-control study, BE patients with or without related oesophageal neoplasia and randomly selected population controls filled out a questionnaire to collect information on family history and other risk factors for BE and EAC.

Role of endoscopic ultrasonography in the diagnostic work-up of idiopathic acute pancreatitis (PICUS): study protocol for a nationwide prospective cohort study.

Introduction: Idiopathic acute pancreatitis (IAP) remains a dilemma for physicians as it is uncertain whether patients with IAP may actually have an occult aetiology. It is unclear to what extent additional diagnostic modalities such as endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) are warranted after a first episode of IAP in order to uncover this aetiology. Failure to timely determine treatable aetiologies delays appropriate treatment and might subsequently cause recurrence of acute pancreatitis.

Detection of Barrett's oesophagus through exhaled breath using an electronic nose device.

Timely detection of oesophageal adenocarcinoma (OAC) and even more so its precursor Barrett's oesophagus (BO) could contribute to decrease OAC incidence and mortality. An accurate, minimally-invasive screening method for BO for widespread use is currently not available. In a proof-of-principle study in 402 patients, we developed and cross-validated a BO prediction model using volatile organic compounds (VOCs) analysis with an electronic nose device.

Effect of Early Surgery vs Endoscopy-First Approach on Pain in Patients With Chronic Pancreatitis: The ESCAPE Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: For patients with painful chronic pancreatitis, surgical treatment is postponed until medical and endoscopic treatment have failed. Observational studies have suggested that earlier surgery could mitigate disease progression, providing better pain control and preserving pancreatic function.

Objective: To determine whether early surgery is more effective than the endoscopy-first approach in terms of clinical outcomes.

Common single nucleotide polymorphisms in transient receptor potential melastatin type 6 increase the risk for proton pump inhibitor-induced hypomagnesemia: a case-control study.

Objective: Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are effective drugs for the treatment of gastric acid-related disorders. Serious adverse events are rare for PPIs, but recent data suggest that PPIs cause hypomagnesemia. The aim of this study was to estimate the frequency of PPI-induced hypomagnesemia and to define the risk factors for its development.

Higher quality of life after metal stent placement compared with plastic stent placement for malignant extrahepatic bile duct obstruction: a randomized controlled trial.

Objective: For palliation of extrahepatic bile duct obstruction, self-expandable metal stents (SEMS) are superior to plastic stents in terms of stent patency and occurrence of stent dysfunction. We assessed health-related quality of life (HRQoL) after stent placement to investigate whether this also results in a difference in HRQoL between patients treated with a plastic stent or SEMS.

Patients And Methods: This randomized multicenter trial included 219 patients who were randomized to receive plastic stent (n=73) or SEMS [uncovered (n=75) and covered (n=71); n=146] placement.

Electromagnetic-Guided Bedside Placement of Nasoenteral Feeding Tubes by Nurses Is Non-Inferior to Endoscopic Placement by Gastroenterologists: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objectives: Electromagnetic (EM)-guided bedside placement of nasoenteral feeding tubes by nurses may improve efficiency and reduce patient discomfort and costs compared with endoscopic placement by gastroenterologists. However, evidence supporting this task shift from gastroenterologists to nurses is limited. We aimed to compare the effectiveness of EM-guided and endoscopic nasoenteral feeding tube placement.

Electromagnetic guided bedside or endoscopic placement of nasoenteral feeding tubes in surgical patients (CORE trial): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Gastroparesis is common in surgical patients and frequently leads to the need for enteral tube feeding. Nasoenteral feeding tubes are usually placed endoscopically by gastroenterologists, but this procedure is relatively cumbersome for patients and labor-intensive for hospital staff. Electromagnetic (EM) guided bedside placement of nasoenteral feeding tubes by nurses may reduce patient discomfort, workload and costs, but randomized studies are lacking, especially in surgical patients.

Cost Efficacy of Metal Stents for Palliation of Extrahepatic Bile Duct Obstruction in a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background & Aims: Endoscopic stents are placed for palliation of extrahepatic bile duct obstruction. Although self-expandable metal stents (SEMS) remain patent longer than plastic stents, they are more expensive. We aimed to evaluate which type of stent (plastic, uncovered SEMS [uSEMS], or partially covered SEMS [pcSEMS]) is the most effective and we assessed costs.

Polymorphisms in alcohol-metabolizing enzymes and esophageal carcinoma susceptibility: a Dutch Caucasian case-control study.

Esophageal cancer (EC), mainly consisting of squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) in the Eastern world and adenocarcinoma (EAC) in the Western world, is strongly associated with dietary factors such as alcohol use. We aimed to clarify the modifying role in EC etiology in Caucasians of functional genotypes in alcohol-metabolizing enzymes. In all, 351 Caucasian patients with EC and 430 matched controls were included and polymorphisms in CYP2E1, ADH and near ALDH2 genes were determined.

No role for glutathione S-transferase genotypes in Caucasian esophageal squamous cell or adenocarcinoma etiology: an European case-control study.

Background: Identifying and monitoring high-risk patients can aid the prevention of esophageal cancer (EC). The interaction of environmental risk factor exposure and genetic susceptibility may contribute to the etiology of EC. Biotransformation enzymes such as Glutathione S-Transferases (GSTs ) detoxify mutagenic and genotoxic compounds and therefore control the rate of detoxification of carcinogens.

Barrett associated MHC and FOXF1 variants also increase esophageal carcinoma risk.

Barrett's esophagus, with gastroesophageal reflux disease and obesity as risk factors, predisposes to esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). Recently a British genome wide association study identified two Barrett's esophagus susceptibility loci mapping within the major histocompatibility complex (MHC; rs9257809) and closely to the Forkhead-F1 (FOXF1; rs9936833) coding gene. An interesting issue is whether polymorphisms associated with Barrett's esophagus, are also implicated in esophageal carcinoma (EC), and more specifically EAC genesis.

GWAS-uncovered SNPs in PLCE1 and RFT2 genes are not implicated in Dutch esophageal adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma etiology.

Susceptibility to esophageal carcinoma (EC) is influenced by the interaction between genetic and environmental factors. To clarify the etiology of EC, several genome-wide association studies have identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in PCLE1 and RFT2 genes as esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) susceptibility loci in Asian populations. This study aimed to determine whether these SNPs also modify the risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) and ESCC in western populations of Caucasian ethnicity.

[Revision of the practical guideline 'Treatment of chronic viral hepatitis B infection'].

This article contains our comments on the practical guideline for treating chronic hepatitis B in the Netherlands, which was published in 2008. Revision of this guideline had already become necessary in 2011 due to rapidly changing therapeutic strategies. New second-generation drugs show minimal antiviral resistance and their use should be considered more frequently.

[Submucosal presentation of Whipple's disease: a variant that is easily missed].

Whipple's disease is a multisystem, and often chronic, disease caused by infection with the bacterium Tropheryma whipplei, and mainly occurs in middle-aged Caucasian men. In most cases, histological detection of large numbers of bacteria-laden macrophages in the mucosa of the small intestine confirms the diagnosis. Less commonly, these macrophages may be sparse and predominantly located beneath the mucosa.

Dietary supplement use is not associated with recurrence of colorectal adenomas: a prospective cohort study.

Diet and lifestyle influence colorectal adenoma recurrence. The role of dietary supplement use in colorectal adenoma recurrence remains controversial. In this prospective cohort study, we examined the association between dietary supplement use, total colorectal adenoma recurrence and advanced adenoma recurrence.

EPHX1 polymorphisms do not modify esophageal carcinoma susceptibility in Dutch Caucasians.

Esophageal cancer (EC) has a globally increasing incidence with poor curative treatment options and survival rates. Crucial risk factors are exposure to toxins or carcinogens. Microsomal epoxide hydrolase (mEH) is a biotransformation enzyme essential for the detoxification of xenobiotics.

High enzyme activity UGT1A1 or low activity UGT1A8 and UGT2B4 genotypes increase esophageal cancer risk.

Esophageal cancer (EC) has a globally increasing incidence with poor curative treatment options and survival rates. Environmental and dietary factors have crucial roles in esophageal carcinogenesis. Polymorphisms in the UGT genes, a superfamily of enzymes essential for the detoxification of carcinogens, may alter enzyme activity and subsequently may play a role in EC etiology.

Multicenter study evaluating factors for stent patency in patients with malignant biliary strictures: development of a simple score model.

Background: Self-expanding metal stents (SEMS) are known to have a significantly higher patency rate than plastic stents. We aimed to identify prognostic factors, besides stent type, for stent patency and to develop a score model that could further aid in guiding stent choice for the palliation of a malignant biliary stricture.

Methods: A retrospective multicenter study was conducted.

Erythromycin to promote bedside placement of a self-propelled nasojejunal feeding tube in non-critically ill patients having pancreatitis: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

Background: Postpyloric enteral feeding often requires endoscopic or fluoroscopic placement of a feeding tube. Self-propelled feeding tubes are designed to facilitate spontaneous migration into the jejunum. This study aimed to assess the rate of success and time to migrate a self-propelled feeding tube to jejunal position using erythromycin, a prokinetic agent.

The risk of inflammatory bowel disease-related colorectal carcinoma is limited: results from a nationwide nested case-control study.

Objectives: The risk for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)-related colorectal cancer (CRC) remains a matter of debate. Initial reports mainly originate from tertiary referral centers, and conflict with more recent studies. Overall, epidemiology of IBD-related CRC is relevant to strengthen the basis of surveillance guidelines.

Intestinal barrier dysfunction in a randomized trial of a specific probiotic composition in acute pancreatitis.

Objectives: To determine the relation between intestinal barrier dysfunction, bacterial translocation, and clinical outcome in patients with predicted severe acute pancreatitis and the influence of probiotics on these processes.

Summary Of Background Data: Randomized, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial on probiotic prophylaxis (Ecologic 641) in patients with predicted severe acute pancreatitis (PROPATRIA).

Methods: Excretion of intestinal fatty acid binding protein (IFABP, a parameter for enterocyte damage), recovery of polyethylene glycols (PEGs, a parameter for intestinal permeability), and excretion of nitric oxide (NOx, a parameter for bacterial translocation) were assessed in urine of 141 patients collected 24 to 48 h after start of probiotic or placebo treatment and 7 days thereafter.