A case of eosinophilic cholangitis: imaging findings of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography, cholangioscopy, and intraductal ultrasonography.

A 38-year-old woman was referred to our institution due to epigastralgia. She presented with obstructive jaundice and eosinophilia. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography showed diffuse narrowing from the distal common bile duct to the bifurcation of the hepatic ducts.

Expression of cyclo-oxygenase-2 in gastrointestinal carcinoid tumors.

Background: Cyclo-oxygenase (COX)-2 overexpression is observed in various neoplasms and COX-2 inhibition has been attempted as prevention and/or therapy in these neoplasms. Carcinoid tumors are thought to arise from neuroendocrine cells and originate mainly in the gastrointestinal tract. Cyclo-oxygenase-2 is reportedly expressed in neuroendocrine cells of normal colorectal mucosa.

Oral peppermint oil is a useful antispasmodic for double-contrast barium meal examination.

Background And Aim: Intraluminally administered peppermint oil (PO) is reportedly a safe and useful antispasmodic for gastroscopy, colonoscopy and double-contrast barium enema. The aim of this study was to examine the efficacy of oral PO for double-contrast barium meal examination (DCBM) without other antispasmodics.

Methods: Two hundred and five randomly chosen subjects (PO group) and 215 sex- and age-matched controls were enrolled.

Gene expression analysis in the stomachs of water immersion-restraint stress rats using high-density oligonucleotide array.

Background And Aim: Research on gastric lesions developing in response to stress is essential to elucidating the pathogenesis of these lesions as well as the interplay with other factors, including Helicobacter pylori infection and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug use. Genes expressed individually or in sets, such as heat shock proteins, growth factors, proto-oncogenes and cyclooxygenases, have been investigated in the stomach. However, gene expression in the stomach after stress exposure have not yet been comprehensively examined.

PBC-AIH overlap syndrome with concomitant ITP and Hashimoto's disease with positivity for anti-centromere antibody.

We report a case of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC)-autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) overlap syndrome with concurrent idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) and Hashimoto's disease with positivity for anticentromere antibody. The patient was a 64-year-old woman with symptoms of jaundice and general fatigue. About 30 years earlier, she had been diagnosed as having ITP and had undergone splenectomy.

Abnormal gastroesophageal flap valve is highly associated with endoscopic reflux esophagitis after Helicobacter pylori eradication.

Background: Whether or not eradicating Helicobacter pylori worsens reflux esophagitis remains controversial. We investigated the relationship between gastroesophageal flap valve grading and endoscopic reflux esophagitis (in patients with peptic ulcer and gastritis) before and after H. pylori eradication in a case controlled study.