Prevalence of thiopurine S-methyltransferase gene polymorphisms in patients with inflammatory bowel disease from the island of Crete, Greece.

Background: There is evidence that genotyping for the thiopurine S-methyltransferase (TPMT) gene variants is useful for the prediction of response to thiopurine analogs (azathioprine and 6-mercaptopurine) in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of TPMT gene polymorphisms in a genetic homogenous population of IBD patients in Crete and to correlate the results with adverse reactions to thiopurine drugs.

Patients And Methods: Genotyping for the most common TPMT variants TPMT*2, TPMT*3A, TPMT3*C, and TPMT*3B was performed using the PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism method in 223 consecutive IBD patients and 119 age-matched and sex-matched healthy controls.

Clinical outcomes of compensated and decompensated cirrhosis: A long term study.

Aim: To study these characteristics and prognostic patterns in a Greek patient population.

Methods: We analyzed a large cohort of cirrhotic patients referred to the department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology and the outpatient clinics of this tertiary hospital, between 1991 and 2008. We included patients with established cirrhosis, either compensated or decompensated, and further decompensation episodes were registered.

Plasma thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 levels in inflammatory bowel disease.

Background: Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have an increased risk of thromboembolic events. Imbalance of fibrinolysis has been suggested as one of the possible pathogenetic mechanisms. As plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) and thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI) are inhibitors of fibrinolysis, we studied TAFI as well as PAI-1 plasma levels in IBD patients compared with healthy controls.