The HLA-DQβ1 insertion is a strong achalasia risk factor and displays a geospatial north-south gradient among Europeans.

Idiopathic achalasia is a severe motility disorder of the esophagus and is characterized by a failure of the lower esophageal sphincter to relax due to a loss of neurons in the myenteric plexus. Most recently, we identified an eight-amino-acid insertion in the cytoplasmic tail of HLA-DQβ1 as strong achalasia risk factor in a sample set from Central Europe, Italy and Spain. Here, we tested whether the HLA-DQβ1 insertion also confers achalasia risk in the Polish and Swedish population.

The dynamics of the oxidant-antioxidant balance in the early phase of human acute biliary pancreatitis.

Background/aim: Reactive oxygen species play an important role in the pathogenesis of acute pancreatitis (AP) in animal models. Data on the oxidant-antioxidant balance in humans are scanty. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the dynamics of changes in the oxidant-antioxidant balance in the early phase of human AP.

Multivariate analysis of risk factors for development of duodenal ulcer in Helicobacter pylori-infected patients.

Background: Although Helicobacter pylori is a significant etiologic factor of peptic ulcer disease, it remains unknown why ulcers develop only in the minority of infected individuals.

Aim: The aim of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate the association between the presence of duodenal ulcer in H. pylori-infected patients and different risk factors.

Randomized comparison of 1-hour topical method vs. amoxycillin plus omeprazole for eradication of Helicobacter pylori in duodenal ulcer patients.

Background: A novel 1-h topical method eradicated Helicobacter pylori in 96% of dyspeptic patients. The eradication rate of amoxycillin/omeprazole therapy varies from 0 to 93%.

Aim: To compare both methods in patients with endoscopically proven duodenal ulcer.

The role of nitric oxide in portal hypertensive systemic and portal vascular pathology.

Hypotension, low systemic vascular resistance and reduced sensitivity to vasoconstrictor are features of hyperdynamic syndrome in portal hypertension (PH) and are pathogenetic factors triggering most serious clinical complications of liver cirrhosis. Nitric oxide (NO) is a powerful vasodilating agent, released from vascular endothelium cell and effecting relaxation of vascular smooth muscle. An increased release of NO has been proposed to play a role in the pathogenesis of vasodilation and vascular hypocontractility associated with PH.

[Isotope methods in diagnosis of portal vein occlusion].

The dynamic intravenous hepato-scintigraphy with pertechnetate Tc-99m enables a quantitative evaluation of portal and arterial blood flow in the liver. A case is presented of thrombotic occlusion of the portal vein with rapidly growing oesophageal varices in which hepato-scintigraphy showed the absence of portal blood flow in the liver, being the decisive diagnostic method. Using the dynamic transrectal porto-scintigraphy an evaluation was done of the degree of collateral circulation development in the area of the inferior mesenteric vein, obtaining indirect information about localization and duration of portal vein occlusion.