Publications by authors named "Alberto Espino"

Liver transplantation (LT) is a cost-effective therapy for advanced liver disease. Although LT significantly improves long-term survival, it requires strict control of immunosuppressants and their potential complications. Several available immunosuppressive drugs include glucocorticoids, calcineurin inhibitors, mycophenolate, mTOR inhibitors, and anti-CD25 antibodies.

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Polyps are defined as luminal lesions that project into the mucosal surface of the gastrointestinal tract and are characterized according to their morphological and histological features [...

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Barrett's esophagus (BE) is the condition in which a metaplastic columnar mucosa predisposed to neoplasia replaces the squamous mucosa of the distal esophagus. The current guidelines recommends that diagnosis requires the finding of intestinal metaplasia (IM) with goblet cells of at least 1 cm in length. BE affects approximately 1% of the general population and up to 14% of patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

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Unlabelled: Latin America presents a high prevalence of Helicobacter pylori(Hp) infection. Between1996-2003, the prevalence in Santiago, Chile, was 70%; recent studies indicate a decreasein this infection. Updating the frequency of Hp is crucial due to its associated health impact.

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Background: Small bowel tumors (SBT) are infrequent and represent a small proportion of digestive neoplasms. There is scarce information about SBT in Latin America.

Aim: To describe the epidemiology, clinical characteristics, diagnostic methods, and survival of malignant SBTs.

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Background And Aims: Latin American populations remain underrepresented in genetic studies of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs). Most genetic association studies of IBD rely on Caucasian, African, and Asian individuals. These associations have yet to be evaluated in detail in the Andean region of South America.

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Background: The updated Sydney system biopsy protocol (USSBP) standardizes the sampling of gastric biopsies for the detection of preneoplastic conditions (e.g., gastric intestinal metaplasia [GIM]), but the real-world diagnostic yield is not well-described.

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Pancreatic cystic neoplasms (PCN) are frequently detected on abdominal images performed for non-pancreatic indications. Their prevalence in asymptomatic population ranges from 2.7 to 24.

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Background: Adenocarcinoma is preceded by chronic atrophic gastritis, gastric intestinal metaplasia and dysplasia. Trefoil factor 3 (TFF3) is a peptide secreted by goblet cells, which is abundantly present in intestinal metaplasia.

Aim: To evaluate the utility of serum TFF3 as a non-invasive biomarker for the diagnosis of intestinal metaplasia and gastric cancer.

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Objectives: To: 1. Describe the frequency of viral RNA detection in stools in a cohort of patients infected with SARS-CoV-2, and 2. Perform a systematic review to assess the clearance time in stools of SARS-CoV-2.

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Introduction: Helicobacter pylori infection affects approximately 70% of the Chilean population. It is a public health problem whose eradication treatment is part of the explicit health guarantees in Chile.

Objectives: Characterize the most widely used H.

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Introduction: Autoimmune gastritis (AIG) is associated with nutritional deficiencies, autoimmune diseases, and gastric malignancies. The aims of the study were to test the hypothesis that mucocutaneous (MC) manifestations occur more often in patients with vs without AIG and to delineate patterns of MC manifestations in AIG.

Methods: A single-center, prospective 2:1 case-control study was conducted.

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Article Synopsis
  • Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a chronic immune disorder primarily triggered by food allergens, leading to symptoms like dysphagia, food impaction, and abdominal pain, and has increasing prevalence among both children and adults.
  • Diagnosis involves endoscopic biopsies showing greater than 15 eosinophils per high power field, and the disease is often associated with other allergic conditions like asthma and eczema.
  • Treatment options include dietary changes, medications such as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), and esophageal dilation, with early diagnosis and intervention being crucial to prevent complications like esophageal stenosis.
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Introduction: a gluten-free diet (GFD) is the treatment for celiac disease (CD), with adherence oscillating between 42 % and 91 %. The purpose of this study was to assess adherence to GFD and its relation to quality of life in Chilean celiac patients.

Methods: three surveys were performed on-line: sociodemographic-health status, adherence to GFD and quality of life.

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Background: The management of ampullary lesions has shifted from surgical approach to endoscopic resection. Previous reports were limited by small numbers of patients and short follow-up. The aim of this study is to describe short- and long-term outcomes in a large cohort of patients undergoing endoscopic ampullectomy.

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Background And Aims: Nodular gastropathy (NG) is an inflammatory condition of the gastric mucosa characterized by the endoscopic detection of multiple millimeter protrusions. A strong association between NG and Helicobacter pylori and a possible role of NG as a risk factor for undifferentiated gastric cancer have been described. The aim of this study was to characterize the pathogenic and inflammatory profile of patients with NG.

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Background And Aim: Upper GI endoscopy (UGE) is essential for the diagnosis of gastrointestinal diseases. Mucus and bubbles may decrease mucosal visibility. The use of mucolytics could improve visualization.

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