Pharmacokinetics, the Immunological Impact, and the Effect on HIV Infectivity of Maraviroc, Raltegravir, and Lopinavir in Men Who Have Sex with Men Using Postexposure Prophylaxis.

Most of the studies using the colorectal tissue explants challenge model have been conducted after one single dose and before reaching a steady state. We consider that longer exposure as in 28-day postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) course and in an setting, such as after a sexual risk exposure to HIV could give us valuable information about these drugs. In a substudy we assessed pharmacokinetics, changes on immune system and rectal mucosal susceptibility to HIV-1 infection after taking maraviroc (MVC), raltegravir (RAL), and ritonavir-boosted lopinavir (LPV/r) PEP-based regimens in 30 men who have sex with men.

Fecal Calprotectin for Small Bowel Crohn's Disease: Is It a Cutoff Issue?

(1) Background: Fecal calprotectin (FC) correlates well with colonic inflammatory activity of Crohn’s disease (CD); data about relation of FC and small bowel (SB) lesions are still contradictory. The main aim was to analyze the relationship between FC levels and SB inflammatory activity in patients with established or suspected Crohn’s disease, assessed by small bowel capsule endoscopy (SBCE) or magnetic resonance enterography (MRE). (2) Methods: Two cohorts of patients were included: 1.

Colon capsule endoscopy versus CT colonography in FIT-positive colorectal cancer screening subjects: a prospective randomised trial-the VICOCA study.

Background: Colon capsule endoscopy (CCE) and CT colonography (CTC) are minimally invasive techniques for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening. Our objective is to compare CCE and CTC for the identification of patients with colorectal neoplasia among participants in a CRC screening programme with positive faecal immunochemical test (FIT). Primary outcome was to compare the performance of CCE and CTC in detecting patients with neoplastic lesions.

Polyp fingerprint: automatic recognition of colorectal polyps' unique features.

Background: Content-based image retrieval (CBIR) is an application of machine learning used to retrieve images by similarity on the basis of features. Our objective was to develop a CBIR system that could identify images containing the same polyp ('polyp fingerprint').

Methods: A machine learning technique called Bag of Words was used to describe each endoscopic image containing a polyp in a unique way.

Antibiotic Prophylaxis Is Not Required for Endoscopic Ultrasonography-Guided Fine-Needle Aspiration of Pancreatic Cystic Lesions, Based on a Randomized Trial.

Background & Aims: Guidelines recommend routine antibiotic prophylaxis for patients undergoing endoscopic ultrasonography-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) of pancreatic cysts, but there is conflicting evidence for its necessity. We investigated whether performing the procedure without antimicrobial prophylaxis increases the incidence of infection.

Methods: We performed a multicenter, randomized, noninferiority trial to compare prophylaxis with ciprofloxacin vs placebo in patients with a pancreatic cyst requiring EUS-FNA at multiple centers in Spain.

White-Light Endoscopy Is Adequate for Lynch Syndrome Surveillance in a Randomized and Noninferiority Study.

Background & Aims: Dye-based pancolonic chromoendoscopy is recommended for colorectal cancer surveillance in patients with Lynch syndrome. However, there is scarce evidence to support its superiority to high-definition white-light endoscopy. We performed a prospective study assess whether in the hands of high detecting colonoscopists, high-definition, white-light endoscopy is noninferior to pancolonic chromoendoscopy for detection of adenomas in patients with Lynch syndrome.

Endocuff-assisted colonoscopy for surveillance of serrated polyposis syndrome: a multicenter randomized controlled trial.

Background And Study Aims: Serrated polyposis syndrome (SPS) is a condition with high risk for colorectal cancer. The Endocuff device has been shown to increase adenoma detection in the general and screening population. We aimed to ascertain whether Endocuff-assisted colonoscopy increases detection of serrated lesions in comparison with standard colonoscopy during the surveillance of patients with SPS.

Rectal Aberrant Crypt Foci in Humans Are Not Surrogate Markers for Colorectal Cancer Risk.

Introduction: Over the past 20 years, aberrant crypt foci (ACF) have emerged as potential precursors and biomarkers for colorectal cancer (CRC). However, data regarding their molecular pathogenesis, as well as their endoscopic and histological identification, remain inconsistent.

Methods: A wide cohort of ACF from 100 control subjects and 100 case patients, including patients with adenoma and CRC, were characterized for endoscopic, morphologic, and molecular features.

Successful outcomes of a new combined solution of hyaluronic acid, chondroitin sulfate and poloxamer 407 for submucosal injection: animal survival study.

 Endoscopic resection requires use of submucosal injection. This study was conducted to assess efficacy and impact on early healing of hyaluronic acid combined with chondroitin sulfate and poloxamer 407 (Ziverel) when used as a solution for submucosal injection.  Prospective and comparative study of gastric endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) with three groups of two Yorkshire pigs.

Computer-aided prediction of polyp histology on white light colonoscopy using surface pattern analysis.

Background: This study aimed to evaluate a new computational histology prediction system based on colorectal polyp textural surface patterns using high definition white light images.

Methods: Textural elements (textons) were characterized according to their contrast with respect to the surface, shape, and number of bifurcations, assuming that dysplastic polyps are associated with highly contrasted, large tubular patterns with some degree of bifurcation. Computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) was compared with pathological diagnosis and the diagnosis made by endoscopists using Kudo and Narrow-Band Imaging International Colorectal Endoscopic classifications.

GTCreator: a flexible annotation tool for image-based datasets.

Purpose: Methodology evaluation for decision support systems for health is a time-consuming task. To assess performance of polyp detection methods in colonoscopy videos, clinicians have to deal with the annotation of thousands of images. Current existing tools could be improved in terms of flexibility and ease of use.

Adverse Events and Acute Chronic Liver Failure in Patients With Cirrhosis Undergoing Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography: A Multicenter Matched-Cohort Study.

Background: Data on the outcome of adverse events (AEs) and the risk of developing acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) after ERCP in patients with cirrhosis are unknown. We examined the incidence and risk factors of post-ERCP AEs in patients with cirrhosis and the appearance of ACLF after ERCP.

Methods: In this multicenter, retrospective, matched-cohort study, we evaluated ERCPs performed from January 2002 to 2015.

Comparison of Capsule Endoscopy and Magnetic Resonance Enterography for the Assessment of Small Bowel Lesions in Crohn's Disease.

Background And Aims: Diagnostic yield of Small Bowel Capsule Endoscopy (SBCE) for the assessment of small bowel (SB) lesions is higher than radiologic imaging techniques. However, magnetic resonance enterography (MRE) data are scarce and inconclusive. Colon Capsule Endoscopy (CCE) is a new capsule modality.

Development and validation of a scoring index to predict the presence of lesions in capsule endoscopy in patients with suspected Crohn's disease of the small bowel: a Spanish multicenter study.

Background: Capsule endoscopy (CE) is the first-line investigation in cases of suspected Crohn's disease (CD) of the small bowel, but the factors associated with a higher diagnostic yield remain unclear.

Objective: Our aim is to develop and validate a scoring index to assess the risk of the patients in this setting on the basis of biomarkers.

Patients And Methods: Data on fecal calprotectin, C-reactive protein, and other biomarkers from a population of 124 patients with suspected CD of the small bowel studied by CE and included in a PhD study were used to build a scoring index.

Endoscopic management of bile leaks after liver transplantation: An analysis of two high-volume transplant centers.

Background: Bile leak after liver transplantation (LT) is commonly treated with endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP); however, there are limited data regarding the optimal treatment strategy.

Objective: We aimed to examine the role of ERCP in LT recipients with bile leaks at two large institutions.

Methods: We reviewed all ERCPs performed in LT recipients with bile leak and duct-to-duct biliary anastomosis at two high-volume transplant centers.

Accuracy of Colon Capsule Endoscopy in Detecting Colorectal Polyps in Individuals with Familial Colorectal Cancer: Could We Avoid Colonoscopies?

. Individuals with a family history of colorectal cancer (CRC) have an increased risk of CRC. We evaluated the diagnostic yield of CCE in the detection of lesions and also two different colon preparations.

Exploring the clinical potential of an automatic colonic polyp detection method based on the creation of energy maps.

Background And Aims: Polyp miss-rate is a drawback of colonoscopy that increases significantly for small polyps. We explored the efficacy of an automatic computer-vision method for polyp detection.

Methods: Our method relies on a model that defines polyp boundaries as valleys of image intensity.

Adverse events of NOTES mediastinoscopy compared to conventional video-assisted mediastinoscopy: a randomized survival study in a porcine model.

Background: Safety is a concern in natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) mediastinoscopy. The objective of this study was to compare the safety of NOTES mediastinoscopy with video-assisted mediastinoscopy (VAM).

Methods: Twenty-four pigs were randomly assigned to NOTES or VAM.

Adverse events of EUS-guided FNA of pancreatic cystic and solid lesions by using the lexicon proposed in an ASGE workshop: a prospective and comparative study.

Background And Aims: Pancreatic cysts and solid lesions are routinely examined by EUS-guided FNA (EUS-FNA). The aim of this study was to compare the incidence of adverse events (AEs) of this procedure by using the lexicon recommended by the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE).

Methods: This was a prospective and comparative study of patients who underwent EUS-FNA in which a 22-gauge needle was used.

Accuracy of advanced endoscopy and fecal calprotectin for prediction of relapse in ulcerative colitis: a prospective study.

Background: The aim of this study was to determine the accuracy of advanced endoscopy for prediction of relapse in ulcerative colitis, in comparison with serum and fecal biomarkers.

Methods: Patients with ulcerative colitis with sustained clinical remission defined as absence of blood in stool for a minimum of 3 months and Mayo endoscopic subscore of 0 were included. High-resolution rectosigmoidoscopy was performed at baseline and at the end of study (week 52 or relapse), assessing mucosal pit pattern by chromoendoscopy and narrow band imaging as well as vascular pattern by narrow band imaging.

Cardiorespiratory impact of transesophageal endoscopic mediastinoscopy compared with cervical mediastinoscopy: a randomized experimental study.

Background: Transesophageal natural-orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) mediastinoscopy has been described as a feasible, less-invasive alternative to video-assisted mediastinoscopy (VAM). We aimed to investigate hemodynamic and respiratory effects during transesophageal NOTES mediastinoscopy compared with VAM.

Patients And Methods: This was a short-survival experiment in 20 female pigs randomized to NOTES (n = 10) or VAM (n = 10) mediastinoscopy.

Prospective evaluation of single-operator peroral cholangioscopy in liver transplant recipients requiring an evaluation of the biliary tract.

In this descriptive study, we examined the role of single-operator cholangioscopy (SOC) in the evaluation of biliary complications after liver transplantation (LT). We prospectively included adult recipients of deceased donor LT who were referred for endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography between June 2009 and July 2011. All patients underwent SOC with biopsy of the biliary anastomosis.

Comparative study of NOTES alone versus NOTES guided by a new image registration system for navigation in the mediastinum: a study in a porcine model.

Background: Natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) mediastinoscopy (MED) through the esophagus has proved to be feasible in the animal model. However, injury of the adjacent pleura and pneumothorax has been reported as a frequent adverse event when using a blind access.

Objective: To assess the utility and safety of a CT-based image registration system (IRS) for navigation in the mediastinum.

On-demand endoscopic CO2 insufflation with feedback pressure regulation during natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) peritoneoscopy induces minimal hemodynamic and respiratory changes.

Background: Endoscopic insufflation has been associated with marked increase in intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) and hemodynamic and respiratory changes during transgastric surgery.

Objective: To investigate the hemodynamic and respiratory effects during intraperitoneal cavity exploration through 3 different natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) access locations compared with laparoscopy.

Design And Setting: Survival experiments using 40 female pigs randomized to transgastric, transcolonic, transvaginal, and laparoscopic peritoneoscopy.