Causes of Persistently Elevated Alanine Aminotransferase Levels in Patients who Presented to Two Referral Hospitals in Mashhad, Iran during 2011.

BACKGROUND Worldwide, chronic liver disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Causes of elevated serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels vary depending on the population under study. The aim of this study is to evaluate the frequency and causes of persistently elevated ALT levels in patients of the Gastroenterology (GI) Clinics in Ghaem and Emam Reza Hospitals in Mashhad, Iran.

Evaluation of methylation of MGMT (O⁶-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase) gene promoter in sporadic colorectal cancer.

The DNA repair gene O⁶-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) is frequently methylated in colorectal cancer (CRC). The aim of this study was to demonstrate that MGMT methylation may be one of the candidate mediators of field cancerization in the colon mucosa. Therefore, quantitative methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction was performed on tumor itself and additional samples of 5 and 10 cm away from the tumor in 40 CRC patients.

Endoscopic resection of large colonic lipomas assisted by a prototype single-use endoloop device.

Colonic lipomas are benign adipose tumors that do not usually cause symptoms. Giant colonic lipoma (GCL) is an uncommon finding at endoscopy which may lead to iron deficiency anemia (IDA) with or without macroscopic ulceration. The choice of therapeutic procedure to treat symptomatic GCLs has been controversial.