Thioguanine Therapy in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. A Practical Guide.

Thiopurine-derivates azathioprine and mercaptopurine are frequently used to maintain remission in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). Despite their efficacy, more than 50% of patients discontinue therapy, mainly due to the development of adverse events. Thioguanine is an alternative thiopurine and has been conditionally licensed in The Netherlands as IBD treatment for patients after conventional thiopurine therapy failure.

Faecal microbiota transplantation for infection: Four years' experience of the Netherlands Donor Feces Bank.

Background: The Netherlands Donor Feces Bank provides standardized ready-to-use donor faecal suspensions for faecal microbiota transplantation treatment of patients with recurrent infection.

Objective: The purpose of this study was evaluation of safety, feasibility and outcome of faecal microbiota transplantation facilitated by a national stool bank.

Methods: The methods used included: observational cohort study of donors and recipients of faecal suspensions; assessment of donor screening and patient selection performed by an expert panel of medical microbiologists, gastroenterologists and infectious disease specialists; and patient outcome evaluated at different timepoints after faecal microbiota transplantation.

Proteins in stool as biomarkers for non-invasive detection of colorectal adenomas with high risk of progression.

Screening to detect colorectal cancer (CRC) in an early or premalignant state is an effective method to reduce CRC mortality rates. Current stool-based screening tests, e.g.

Risks for lymphoma and gastrointestinal carcinoma in patients with newly diagnosed adult-onset celiac disease: Consequences for follow-up: Celiac disease, lymphoma and GI carcinoma.

Background: The association between celiac disease (CD) and the development of lymphoid and gastrointestinal (GI) malignancies have been reported. However, data are scarce yet needed to develop evidence-based follow-up programs.

Objective: The objective of this article is to assess relative (RR) and absolute risks of lymphoma and GI carcinoma for newly diagnosed patients.

NKp46 is a diagnostic biomarker and may be a therapeutic target in gastrointestinal T-cell lymphoproliferative diseases: a CELAC study.

Objectives: Primary GI T-cell lymphoproliferative diseases (T-LPD) are heterogeneous entities, which raise difficult diagnosis and therapeutic challenges. We have recently provided evidences that lymphomas complicating coeliac disease (CD) arise from innate-like lymphocytes, which may carry NK receptors (NKRs).

Design: NKRs expression was compared by flow cytometry in intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL) from CD, type I or type II refractory CD (RCD).

High inter-individual variability of serum xanthine oxidoreductase activity in IBD patients.

Objectives: Thiopurines play an essential role in the management of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD, i.e. Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis).

Nodular regenerative hyperplasia rarely leads to liver transplantation: A 20-year cohort study in all Dutch liver transplant units.

Background: Nodular regenerative hyperplasia is an uncommon liver condition associated with several autoimmune disorders and drugs. The clinical symptoms of nodular regenerative hyperplasia vary from asymptomatic to severe complications of portal hypertension (nodular regenerative hyperplasia-syndrome).

Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify the prognosis and optimal management, as well as the role of liver transplantation, in nodular regenerative hyperplasia.

Splenic volume differentiates complicated and non-complicated celiac disease.

Background: Studies in small groups of patients indicated that splenic volume (SV) may be decreased in patients with celiac disease (CD), refractory CD (RCD) type II and enteropathy-associated T-cell lymphoma (EATL).

Objective: The objective of this article is to evaluate SV in a large cohort of uncomplicated CD, RCD II and EATL patients and healthy controls.

Methods: The retrospective cohort consisted of 77 uncomplicated CD (of whom 39 in remission), 29 RCD II, 24 EATL and 12 patients with both RCD II and EATL.

How I treat my inflammatory bowel disease-patients with thiopurines?

Thiopurines are essential drugs to maintain remission in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Thiopurines used in IBD are azathioprine (2.0-2.

Efficacy of thioguanine treatment in inflammatory bowel disease: A systematic review.

Aim: To critically assess the available literature regarding the efficacy of thioguanine treatment in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients, irrespective of the (hepato-) toxicity profile.

Methods: A systematic literature search of the MEDLINE database using PubMed was performed using the keywords "thioguanine", "6-TG", "thioguanine", "inflammatory bowel disease", "IBD", "Crohn's disease", "Ulcerative colitis" and "effectiveness" in order to identify relevant articles published in English starting from 2000. Reference lists of the included articles were cross-checked for missing articles.

Auto immune hepatitis.

To provide an update of the latest trends in epidemiology, clinical course, diagnostics, complications and treatment of auto immune hepatitis (AIH). A search of the MEDLINE database was performed using the search terms: "auto immune hepatitis", "clinical presentation", "symptoms", "signs", "diagnosis", "auto antibodies", "laboratory values", "serology", "histopathology", "histology", "genetics", "HLA genes", "non-HLA genes", "environment", "epidemiology", "prevalence", "incidence", "demographics", "complications", "HCC", "PBC", "PSC", "corticosteroid", "therapy", "treatment", "alternative treatment". English-language full-text articles and abstracts were considered.

Video capsule endoscopy in celiac disease: current clinical practice.

Objective: A complete examination of the small intestine is possible by video capsule endoscopy (VCE). The aim of this study was to evaluate current indications for performing VCE in celiac disease.

Methods: In all 84 celiac disease patients on a gluten-free diet who had undergone VCE were enrolled at five centers in Europe.

Differences in taste between three polyethylene glycol preparations: a randomized double-blind study.

Background And Aim: Patients suffering from chronic constipation require long-term, regular therapy with laxatives. Literature regarding patient preference and acceptance in polyethylene glycol preparations is scarce. Therefore, this research aimed to identify preference between the three polyethylene glycol 3350, namely Molaxole(®), Movicol(®), and Laxtra Orange(®).

Indian task force for celiac disease: current status.

There are limited data on celiac disease (CD) from India. The limited knowledge about CD in India might be attributed to several factors. The first meeting of the Indian Task Force for Celiac Disease was held in the Asian Institute of Gastroenterology, Hyderabad, India in December 2008.

Anal plugs and retrograde colonic irrigation are helpful in fecal incontinence or constipation.

Aim: To evaluate the feasibility, clinical effect and predicting factors for favorable outcome of treatment with anal plugs in fecal incontinence and retrograde colonic irrigation (RCI) in patients with fecal incontinence or constipation.

Methods: Patients who received treatment with an anal plug or RCI between 1980 and 2005 were investigated with a questionnaire.

Results: Of the 201 patients (93 adults, 108 children), 101 (50%) responded.