Establishment of the first stool bank in an Eastern European country and the first series of successful fecal microbiota transplantations in Bulgaria.

Objective: For safe implementation and broader application of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), quality controlled stool banking is a must. Establishing a stool bank is a complex, time-consuming, and expensive process, making it a real challenge in an Eastern European country. We aimed to establish the first stool bank in Eastern Europe - in Bulgaria.

Common variable immune deficiency, central diabetes insipidus, and anemia.

Common variable immune deficiency (CVID) accounts for approximately 20% of all cases of primary immune deficiencies, and is characterized by low serum levels of IgG, IgA, and/or IgM. The diagnosis is usually made between 20 and 40 years of age, sometimes earlier. CVID patients are divided into two major groups based on complications observed: 1 group consists of patients with predominant infections, and 2 group includes patients with inflammatory and/or hematological complications, such as lymphadenopathy, splenomegaly, autoimmune cytopenia, enteropathy, and/or granulomatous conditions.

Intestinal barrier dysfunction in liver cirrhosis assessed by iohexol test.

Objective: To study gut barrier function in patients with liver cirrhosis (LC) by evaluating the intestinal permeability (IP) and its relationship with the severity and etiology of the disease.

Patients And Methods: The study included 31 patients with LC and 25 healthy controls. Child-Pugh score was used for evaluation of the LC severity.

Role of Fecal Calprotectin as a Noninvasive Indicator for Ulcerative Colitis Disease Activity.

Background: It is essential in clinical management to determine the disease activity in ulcerative colitis (UC) patients. At present, the most accurate way of evaluating the UC severity is endoscopy with biopsy. Fecal calprotectin (FCP) is a non-invasive biomarker that is frequently used for monitoring of intestinal inflammation.

Trefoil Factor 3 is Highly Predictive of Complete Mucosal Healing Independently and in Combination with C-Reactive Protein in Patients with Ulcerative Colitis.

Aim: In the current study we aimed to evaluate the role of trefoil factor 3 (TFF3) as a marker for complete mucosal healing (MH) in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC).

Methods: We enrolled 116 consecutive UC patients. Trefoil factor 3 levels were measured by ELISA and were compared to the clinical activity, assessed by Lichtiger Index, fecal calprotectin (FCP) and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels.

Endorectal power Doppler ultrasonography is a reliable method for evaluation of rectal cancer angiogenesis.

Objective: We aimed to assess the preoperative rectal cancer angiogenesis with Endorectal Power Doppler Ultrasonography by using the Power Doppler Vascularity Index (PDVI) calculated by imaging analysis software, and to compare it with the microvessel density (MVD) in surgical specimens PATIENTS AND METHODS: This study included 110 patients (39 females; mean age 61.5 years) with rectal cancer. Immunohistochemical staining of surgical specimens with anti-CD-31 antibody was used for MVD evaluation.

Serum trefoil factor 3 predicts disease activity in patients with ulcerative colitis.

Objective: In this study, we aimed to evaluate the role of serum trefoil factor 3 (TFF3) as a biomarker of disease activity in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and to compare TFF3 values with those of fecal calprotectin (FC).

Patients And Methods: 128 patients with IBD were divided into four groups: 1) active ulcerative colitis (UC); 2) quiescent UC; 3) active Crohn's disease (CD); 4) quiescent CD. The serum levels of TFF3 and FC levels were assessed in all patients and 16 controls.

Gastrointestinal metastases from breast cancer: report of two cases.

Metastatic involvement of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract secondary to breast cancer (BC) is rare and usually occurs in patients with lobular BC. We report 2 cases with GI presentations of metastatic BC. In the first case endoscopy and endoscopic ultrasonography because of abdominal discomfort, tenesmus and rectal bleeding demonstrated liver, gastric and rectal metastases with histological and immunohistological patterns of metastatic lobular BC.

Increased intestinal permeability in inflammatory bowel diseases assessed by iohexol test.

Aim: To study intestinal permeability (IP) and its relationship to the disease activity in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) - Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC).

Methods: Fifty-eight patients with active IBD (32 with CD and 26 with UC) and 25 healthy controls consented to participate in the study. The clinical activity of CD was estimated using the Crohn's Disease Activity Index (CDAI), and the endoscopic activity of UC using the Mayo scoring system.

[Polyposis of the colon and cancer].

Polyposis of the colon is a colon cancer predisposition syndrome. Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) accounts for 1% of the cases of inherited colorectal cancer (CRC). The National Register of inherited CRC and polyposis of the intestines keeps track of 18 patients from 14 families with FAP.