Gastric intestinal metaplasia: Prevalence in a large Australian center and nationwide survey of endoscopic practice.

Background And Aim: Atrophic gastritis (AG) and gastric intestinal metaplasia (GIM) are early changes in the stepwise progression to gastric adenocarcinoma. There is heterogeneity in international guidelines regarding the endoscopic diagnosis and surveillance of AG and GIM. This study aims to determine the prevalence of GIM in an Australian center and assess the approach of Australian endoscopists for these two conditions.

Assessing quality of magnetic resonance enterography and its impact on disease assessment of ileal Crohn's disease.

Background/aims: Assessment of quality of magnetic resonance enterography (MRE) in small bowel Crohn's disease (CD) activity evaluation has received little attention. We assessed the impact of bowel distention and motion artifact on MRE activity indices in ileal CD.

Methods: A cohort of patients who underwent contemporaneous MRE and colonoscopy for ileal CD assessment between 2014 and 2021 at 2 centers were audited.

Long-Term Outcomes in Patients on Life-Long Antibiotics: A Five-Year Cohort Study.

Background: Little is known about the impacts at an individual level of long-term antibiotic consumption. We explored health outcomes of long-term antibiotic therapy prescribed to a cohort of patients to suppress infections deemed incurable.

Methods: We conducted a 5-year longitudinal study of patients on long-term antibiotics at Monash Health, a metropolitan tertiary-level hospital network in Australia.

The Enhanced Liver Fibrosis test maintains its diagnostic and prognostic performance in alcohol-related liver disease: a cohort study.

Background: Alcohol is the main cause of chronic liver disease. The Enhanced Liver Fibrosis (ELF) test is a serological biomarker for fibrosis staging in chronic liver disease, however its utility in alcohol-related liver disease warrants further validation. We assessed the diagnostic and prognostic performance of ELF in alcohol-related liver disease.

Development of a Simple, Serum Biomarker-based Model Predictive of the Need for Early Biologic Therapy in Crohn's Disease.

Background: Early or first-line treatment with biologics, as opposed to conventional immunomodulators, is not always necessary to achieve remission in Crohn's disease [CD] and may not be cost-effective. This study aimed to develop a simple model to predict the need for early biologic therapy, in order to risk-stratify CD patients and guide initial treatment selection.

Methods: A model-building study using supervised statistical learning methods was conducted using a retrospective cohort across two tertiary centres.

Thiopurines vs methotrexate: Comparing tolerability and discontinuation rates in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease.

Background: There are safety concerns regarding immunomodulators (thiopurines and methotrexate) for treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Aim: To compare the long-term tolerability, and persistence of thiopurine and methotrexate therapy in IBD.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed at two hospitals between 1 January 2004 and 31 December 2016 for patients commenced on thiopurines or methotrexate for IBD.

Detection, stratification and treatment of hepatitis C-positive prisoners in the United Kingdom prison estate: Development of a pathway of care to facilitate the elimination of hepatitis C in a London prison.

The United Kingdom is committed to eliminating hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection by 2025. The prison estate provides an opportunity to identify and treat HCV-positive individuals in a high-prevalence environment. We designed and implemented a pathway of care within a London prison to diagnose, stratify and link HCV-positive prisoners into care.