British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG) and British Society of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (BSPGHAN) joint consensus guidelines on the diagnosis and management of eosinophilic oesophagitis in children and adults.

Background: Eosinophilic oesophagitis (EoE) is an increasingly common cause of dysphagia in both children and adults, as well as one of the most prevalent oesophageal diseases with a significant impact on physical health and quality of life. We have provided a single comprehensive guideline for both paediatric and adult gastroenterologists on current best practice for the evaluation and management of EoE.

Methods: The Oesophageal Section of the British Society of Gastroenterology was commissioned by the Clinical Standards Service Committee to develop these guidelines.

Eosinophilic oesophagitis.

Eosinophilic oesophagitis is a chronic immune-mediated inflammatory disorder of the oesophagus, characterized by symptoms of dysphagia or food bolus obstruction. Diagnosis is supported by typical histological findings. This article covers pertinent aspects of the disease, pathogenic explanations and treatment options.

Pepsin in saliva for the diagnosis of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease.

Objective: Current diagnostic methods for gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) have moderate sensitivity/specificity and can be invasive and expensive. Pepsin detection in saliva has been proposed as an 'office-based' method for GORD diagnosis. The aims of this study were to establish normal values of salivary pepsin in healthy asymptomatic subjects and to determine its value to discriminate patients with reflux-related symptoms (GORD, hypersensitive oesophagus (HO)) from functional heartburn (FH).

The effects of sleeve gastectomy on gastro-esophageal reflux and gastro-esophageal motility.

Sleeve gastrectomy is an increasingly performed bariatric procedure associated with low morbidity and good short to medium term effects on weight loss and comorbid conditions. Studies assessing the prevalence of post-operative gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD), show sleeve gastrectomy may provoke de novo GERD symptoms or worsening of pre-existing GERD. Pathophysiological mechanisms of GERD after sleeve gastrectomy include a hypotensive lower esophageal sphincter, increased gastro-esophageal pressure gradient and intra-thoracic migration of the remnant stomach.

Objective detection of esophagopharyngeal reflux in patients with hoarseness and endoscopic signs of laryngeal inflammation.

Goals: We aimed to quantify pharyngeal exposure to gastric contents in patients diagnosed with reflux-related hoarseness and healthy controls using new diagnostic techniques.

Background: Hoarseness with typical signs on laryngoscopy is commonly thought to be caused by esophagopharyngeal reflux. New methods are proposed to assess pharyngeal exposure to gastric contents.

Paediatric endoscopy performed by adult-service gastroenterologists.

Background: Children often travel from district hospitals to teaching centres for endoscopic procedures by paediatric gastroenterologists. A 10-year district hospital experience of 'adult-service' gastroenterologists endoscoping children is reported with the aim of quantifying the workload, indications, sedation/anaesthesia practices, findings and safety of paediatric endoscopy performed by adult-service gastroenterologists.

Methods: Data on endoscopic procedures in patients younger than 16 years of age between 1997 and 2006 were obtained from hospital case-notes and computerized endoscopy/histology databases and were analysed.

Calcium channel TRPV6 expression in human duodenum: different relationships to the vitamin D system and aging in men and women.

Unlabelled: Intestinal absorption of calcium affects bone mineralization and varies greatly. In human duodenum, expression of the calcium channel TRPV6 was directly related to blood 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D in men, but effects of age with lower median vitamin D receptor levels were more significant in women.

Introduction: The TRPV6 calcium channel/transporter is implicated in animal studies of intestinal calcium absorption, but in humans, its role and relationship to differences in mineral metabolism is unclear.