Freeze-drying: an alternative method for the analysis of volatile organic compounds in the headspace of urine samples using solid phase micro-extraction coupled to gas chromatography - mass spectrometry.

Background: Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can be intermediates of metabolic pathways and their levels in biological samples may provide a better understanding about diseases in addition to potential methods for diagnosis. Headspace analysis of VOCs in urine samples using solid phase micro extraction (SPME) coupled to gas chromatography - mass spectrometry (GC-MS) is one of the most used techniques. However, it generally produces a limited profile of VOCs if applied to fresh urine.

The use of a gas chromatography-sensor system combined with advanced statistical methods, towards the diagnosis of urological malignancies.

Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers. Serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is used to aid the selection of men undergoing biopsies. Its use remains controversial.

Identifying and quantifying metabolites by scoring peaks of GC-MS data.

Background: Metabolomics is one of most recent omics technologies. It has been applied on fields such as food science, nutrition, drug discovery and systems biology. For this, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) has been largely applied and many computational tools have been developed to support the analysis of metabolomics data.

Fecal volatile organic compounds: a novel, cheaper method of diagnosing inflammatory bowel disease?

The investigation of a novel, cheaper method of diagnosing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an area of active research. Recently, investigations into the metabolomic profile of IBD patients and animal models of colitis compared to healthy controls has begun to receive considerable attention and correlations between the fecal volatile organic compound (VOC) metabolome and IBD is merging. Patients and clinicians have often reported a change in odor of feces during relapse of IBD.

One-year investigator-blind randomized multicenter trial comparing Asacol 2.4 g once daily with 800 mg three times daily for maintenance of remission in ulcerative colitis.

Background: Mesalazine (Asacol) is still widely prescribed in divided doses for ulcerative colitis (UC), despite evidence that adherence is improved by once-daily (OD) prescribing. We aimed to investigate whether OD Asacol was as effective as three times (TDS) daily dosing, and to evaluate the role of treatment adherence.

Methods: An investigator-blind randomized trial was undertaken comparing OD Asacol (three 800 mg tablets) versus one 800 mg TDS in maintenance of remission of UC over 1 year.

Role of faecal gas analysis for the diagnosis of IBD.

The diagnosis of IBD (inflammatory bowel disease) is based on the clinical evaluation of symptoms and signs leading to a series of investigations. The investigations used are often unpleasant for patients; they are invasive, costly and potentially dangerous. Patients often report that the odour of flatus, or the gas emitted from faeces, is abnormal during a flare of their IBD.

The molecular biology of inflammatory bowel diseases.

IBDs (inflammatory bowel diseases) are a group of diseases affecting the gastrointestinal tract. The diseases are multifactorial and cover genetic aspects: susceptibility genes, innate and adaptive responses to inflammation, and structure and efficacy of the mucosal protective barrier. Animal models of IBD have been developed to gain further knowledge of the disease mechanisms.

Volatile organic compounds as diagnostic biomarkers in gastrointestinal and liver diseases.

The assessment of disease activity in various conditions may be performed using a range of different techniques. These include the use of non-invasive tests, such as acute phase inflammatory markers and simple radiological techniques, to more advanced invasive and complex modalities. Over the past two decades the analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in biological specimens has attracted a considerable amount of clinical interest.

An economic evaluation comparing concomitant oral and topical mesalazine versus oral mesalazine alone in mild-to-moderately active ulcerative colitis based on results from randomised controlled trial.

Introduction: A previous randomised controlled trial has demonstrated that oral plus topical mesalazine enema is more effective than oral mesalazine alone for achieving clinical remission in mild-to-moderately active extensive ulcerative colitis (UC). To evaluate whether this strategy is cost-effective we conducted an economic evaluation comparing 1 g topical mesalazine in combination with 4 g oral mesalazine compared to 4 g mesalazine monotherapy in mild-to-moderately active UC.

Methods: The economic evaluation was based on the ability to achieve remission using changes from baseline in the ulcerative colitis disease activity instrument (UCDAI).

Volatile organic compounds from feces and their potential for diagnosis of gastrointestinal disease.

Little is known about the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in feces and their potential health consequences. Patients and healthcare professionals have observed that feces often smell abnormal during gastrointestinal disease. The aim of this work was to define the volatiles emitted from the feces of healthy donors and patients with gastrointestinal disease.

Refractory coeliac disease: remission with infliximab and immunomodulators.

Coeliac disease is a T-cell-mediated enteropathy induced by gluten. A minority of patients who fail to respond to a gluten-free diet may require intervention with immunomodulating drugs. We report a case of refractory coeliac disease where remission was induced by the anti-tumour necrosis factor-alpha antibody infliximab and was maintained with prednisolone and azathioprine.

Incidence of inflammatory bowel disease is rising and abdominal tuberculosis is falling in Bangladeshis in East London, United Kingdom.

Objectives: Ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) were previously thought to be uncommon and abdominal tuberculosis (TB) common in patients from Bangladesh. We have reevaluated their incidence in Bangladeshis resident in East London.

Methods: Bangladeshis resident in Tower Hamlets presenting between 1997 and 2001 were identified from pathology, endoscopy, and medical records.