Isolated nonspecific terminal ileitis: prevalence, clinical evolution and correlation with metachronous diagnosis of Crohn's disease: a retrospective study and review of the literature.

Background: The existing literature does not provide adequate guidance on the diagnosis and management of patients with nonspecific terminal ileitis, while data regarding the percentage of patients who ultimately develop Crohn's disease (CD) are scarce. We evaluated the prevalence and natural course of nonspecific terminal ileitis in patients who underwent colonoscopy during a 11-year period.

Methods: All patients with endoscopic findings of terminal ileitis and nonspecific histological findings were included.

Colonic mucosa barrier defects in collagenous and ischemic colitis.

Aims: The subepithelial myofibroblasts (SEMFs) and the subepithelial band of macrophages (SEBM) are major components of the colonic mucosa barrier. Although their role in homeostasis is widely recognized, their contribution to disease states is largely unknown. Our aim was to explore histological characteristics of SEMFs and SEBM in collagenous and ischemic colitis in order to identify specific changes in distinct mucosa backgrounds lacking significant inflammation.

Histological diversity of anti-PD1-induced colitis.

Aim: Histological data on anti-PD1-associated colitis are limited, while the colitis subtypes are still not clearly defined and different terms are being used. The aim of the study was to explore the histopathology of anti-PD1-induced colitis.

Methods And Results: Colonic biopsies from 9 patients under anti-PD1 agents presenting diarrhea were examined.

Liver stiffness measurements by 2-dimensional shear wave elastography compared to histological and ultrasound parameters in primary biliary cholangitis.

Background And Aims: Liver stiffness measurements (LSMs) by 2-dimensional-shear-wave elastography (LSM) are now widely used in hepatology. However, relevant information for primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is scant. We compare LSM with liver biopsy (LB) in a cohort of PBC patients in Greece.

Keratin 7 expression in hepatic cholestatic diseases.

We evaluated keratin 7 (K7) hepatocellular expression in 92 patients with common types of acute and chronic cholestatic diseases caused by bile duct obstruction/destruction or parenchymal lesions [acute hepatitis (n=20), mixed/pure cholestasis (n=16), primary biliary cholangitis-PBC (n=35), primary sclerosing cholangitis-PSC (n=10), vanishing bile duct syndrome (n=3), complete large bile duct obstruction due to space-occupying lesions (n=8)]. K7 immunohistochemical hepatocellular expression and ductular reaction (DR) were semi-quantitatively assessed. Results were correlated with liver enzyme serum levels, cholestasis type, histological features, hepatocellular Ki67 labelling index (LI) and HepPar1 expression.

Granulomatous colitis in a patient with metastatic melanoma under immunotherapy: a case report and literature review.

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICPIs) have changed the way advanced malignancies are currently confronted, improving cancer patients' outcomes but also generating distinct immune-related (ir) adverse events. ICPIs-induced colitis is a common complication showing different clinical and histological manifestations. In the literature review, 14 cases with ICPIs related colon granulomas have been reported in 5 studies with either limited or unavailable information regarding histology.

Celiac-like Enteropathy Associated With Mycophenolate Sodium in Renal Transplant Recipients.

Background: Although colonic injury is a well-known complication of mycophenolic acid (MPA), the involvement of the upper gastrointestinal tract is less extensively documented. We present the occurrence of celiac-like duodenopathy manifested as a severe diarrhea syndrome in 2 renal transplant recipients on enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium.

Methods: The patients belong to a setting of 16 renal transplant recipients under MPA suffering from chronic diarrhea in the absence of MPA-related colitis.

Hepatic progenitor cells in metastatic liver carcinomas.

Aims: Hepatic progenitor cells (HPCs) are activated in various liver diseases, but their role in the carcinomatous environment remains unknown. We aimed to identify the possible presence and topography of HPCs in liver metastases.

Methods And Results: We examined 14 liver resection specimens for colorectal adenocarcinoma (n = 13) and anal squamous cell carcinoma (n = 1) metastases.

IGF-IEc expression is increased in secondary compared to primary foci in neuroendocrine neoplasms.

Different Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) mRNA transcripts are produced by alternative splicing and particularly the IGF-IEc isoform has been implicated in the development and/or progression of various types of cancer. In the present study, we examined the potential role of IGF-IEc expression as a new immunohistochemical marker of aggressiveness in neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs). We utilized immunohistochemical analysis in tissue specimens of 47 patients with NENs, to evaluate the expression of IGF-IEc (%) and Ki-67 proliferation index (%).

Hepatitis B in renal transplant patients.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) poses a significant challenge for both dialysis patients and kidney transplant recipients despite its decreasing rates, especially in developed countries. The best preventive method is vaccination. Patients with chronic renal disease should ideally be vaccinated prior to dialysis, otherwise, reinforced vaccination practices and close antibody titer monitoring should be applied while on dialysis.

From diagnosis to treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma: An epidemic problem for both developed and developing world.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most frequent primary liver malignancy and the third cause of cancer-related death in the Western Countries. The well-established causes of HCC are chronic liver infections such as hepatitis B virus or chronic hepatitis C virus, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, consumption of aflatoxins and tobacco smocking. Clinical presentation varies widely; patients can be asymptomatic while symptomatology extends from right upper abdominal quadrant paint and weight loss to obstructive jaundice and lethargy.

Clinical significance of farnesoid X receptor expression in thyroid neoplasia.

Aim: To evaluate the clinical significance of farnesoid X receptor (FXR) in thyroid neoplasia.

Patients & Methods: FXR expression was assessed immunohistochemically on 88 thyroid neoplastic tissues (benign = 44, malignant = 44).

Results: Enhanced FXR was more frequently observed in papillary carcinomas compared with hyperplastic nodules (p = 0.

Immunological Characteristics of Colitis Associated with Anti-CTLA-4 Antibody Therapy.

Anti-CTL4-A therapy is associated with development of colitis. We characterized ipilimumab-associated colitis in nine melanoma patients (6 male, mean age: 55.3-yrs).

Non-Whipple Operations in the Management of Benign, Premalignant and Early Cancerous Duodenal Lesions.

Aim: We reviewed our 20-year experience with non-Whipple operations (pancreas-preserving duodenectomy and transduodenal ampullectomy) for the treatment of benign, premalignant or early-stage malignant duodenal lesions.

Patients And Methods: Twenty-four patients who underwent non-Whipple operations between January 1996 and December 2015 were identified from an institutional database and retrospectively analyzed.

Results: Between 1996 and 2015, 10 patients underwent pancreas-preserving duodenectomy and 14 patients underwent transduodenal ampullectomy.

Duodenal plexiform fibromyxoma as a cause of obscure upper gastrointestinal bleeding: A case report.

Rationale: We are reporting the first-to our knowledge-case of duodenal Plexiform Fibromyxoma causing obscure upper gastrointestinal bleeding.

Patient Concerns: Plexiform fibromyxoma triggered recurrent upper gastrointestinal bleeding episodes in a 63-year-old man who remained undiagnosed, despite multiple hospitalizations, extensive diagnostic workups and surgical interventions (including gastrectomies), for almost 17 years.

Diagnoses-interventions: During hospitalization for the last bleeding episode, an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed an intestinal hemorrhagic nodule.

Mucins in neoplasms of pancreas, ampulla of Vater and biliary system.

Tumors of the pancreas, the ampulla of Vater, and the extrahepatic and intrahepatic bile ducts have significant histological similarities due to the common embryonic origin of the pancreatobiliary system. This obviates the need for discovery of biomarkers with diagnostic and prognostic value for these tumors. Mucins, especially MUC-1, -2, -4 and -5AC, are important candidates for developing into such reliable biomarkers.

Atrophic hepatocytes express keratin 7 in ischemia-associated liver lesions.

Aim: To investigate atrophic parenchymal changes in ischemic liver conditions.

Design: We studied 18 cases of hepatic lesions with atrophic changes due to altered blood flow (hepatic venous congestion n=15 including 4 cases with additional nodular regenerative hyperplasia-NRH, NRH n=1, and antiphospholipid syndrome with patchy parenchymal atrophy n=2). Metaplastic hepatocellular changes, hepatocyte proliferation, hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation, and sinusoidal capillarization were examined immunohistochemically with antibodies to keratins (K) 7 and 19, Ki67, αSMA and CD34, respectively.

Vascular and ductal elastotic changes in pancreatic cancer.

This study aims to identify and define the type and frequency of elastotic alterations of vessels and ducts in pancreatic ductal carcinoma (PDAC) and evaluate its diagnostic significance. Representative tissue from 36 Whipple specimens, stained with Verhoeff's Van-Gieson, was studied focusing on the density and distribution of elastic fibers in walls of vessels and ducts, in perivascular and periductal tissue and in tumor stroma. Vessels and ducts within the carcinoma, at tumor periphery and in non-tumoral pancreas were grouped and examined separately.

Clinical Significance of Cannabinoid Receptors CB1 and CB2 Expression in Human Malignant and Benign Thyroid Lesions.

The endocannabinoid system is comprised of cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2), their endogenous ligands (endocannabinoids), and proteins responsible for their metabolism participate in many different functions indispensable to homeostatic regulation in several tissues, exerting also antitumorigenic effects. The present study aimed to evaluate the clinical significance of CB1 and CB2 expression in human benign and malignant thyroid lesions. CB1 and CB2 proteins' expression was assessed immunohistochemically on paraffin-embedded thyroid tissues obtained from 87 patients with benign (n = 43) and malignant (n = 44) lesions and was statistically analyzed with clinicopathological parameters, follicular cells' proliferative capacity, and risk of recurrence rate estimated according to the American Thyroid Association (ATA) staging system.

Clinical Significance of Hu-Antigen Receptor (HuR) and Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) Expression in Human Malignant and Benign Thyroid Lesions.

Hu-antigen R (HuR) is considered to play a crucial role in tumor formation and growth by binding to mRNAs encoding proteins such as Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and inducing their expression via mRNA stabilization and/or altered translation. The present study aimed to evaluate the clinical significance of HuR and COX-2 proteins’ expression in human benign and malignant thyroid lesions. HuR and COX-2 proteins’ expression was assessed immunohistochemically on paraffin-embedded thyroid tissues obtained from 98 patients with benign (n = 48) and malignant (n = 50) lesions and was statistically analyzed with clinicopathological parameters, follicular cells’ proliferative capacity and recurrence risk rate.

Clinical Significance of EphB4 and EphB6 Expression in Human Malignant and Benign Thyroid Lesions.

Ephrin receptors (Ephs) are frequently overexpressed in a wide variety of human malignant tumors, being associated with tumor growth, invasion, angiogenesis and metastasis. The present study aimed to evaluate the clinical significance of EphB4 and EphB6 protein expression in human malignant and benign thyroid lesions. EphB4 and EphB6 protein expression was assessed immunohistochemically on paraffin-embedded thyroid tissues obtained from 127 patients with benign (n = 71) and malignant (n = 56) thyroid lesions.