Image of the month: Target the bugs: hyperinfection.

A 74-year-old woman carrying the human T-lymphotropic virus type-1 (HTLV-1) presented with abdominal pain and vomiting. Computed tomography and microscopic analysis of the gastroduodenal drainage fluid made a diagnosis of paralytic ileus due to hyperinfection with underlying HTLV-1 infection. Strongyloidiasis should be included in the differential diagnosis for paralytic ileus in patients who have lived in or migrated from the endemic regions.

Possible diagnostic role of antibodies to Crohn's disease peptide (ACP): results of a multicenter study in a Japanese cohort.

Background: Various noninvasive tests have been studied to screen for patients with Crohn's disease (CD), and were found to have limited accuracy and sensitivity, particularly in Asian populations. The aim of our study was to explore the possible diagnostic utility of antibodies to the CD peptide (ACP) in patients with CD.

Methods: In a multicenter study using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, serum ACP levels were determined in 196 patients with CD, 210 with ulcerative colitis, 98 with other intestinal diseases, 132 with other inflammatory diseases, and 183 healthy controls.

Fucoidan enhances intestinal barrier function by upregulating the expression of claudin-1.

Aim: To evaluate the protective effects of fucoidan on oxidative stress-induced barrier disruption in human intestinal epithelial cells.

Methods: In Caco-2 cell monolayer models, the disruption of barrier function by oxidative stress is mediated by H₂O₂. The integrity of polarized Caco-2 cell monolayers was determined by measuring the transepithelial resistance (TER) and permeability was estimated by measuring the paracellular transport of FITC-labeled 4-kDa dextran (FD4).

Diagnosis of intestinal tuberculosis using a monoclonal antibody to Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Aim: To investigate the utility of immunohistochemical (IHC) staining with an antibody to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) for the diagnosis of intestinal tuberculosis (TB).

Methods: We retrospectively identified 10 patients (4 males and 6 females; mean age = 65.

Endoscopic and radiographic features of gastrointestinal involvement in vasculitis.

Vasculitis is an inflammation of vessel walls, followed by alteration of the blood flow and damage to the dependent organ. Vasculitis can cause local or diffuse pathologic changes in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The variety of GI lesions includes ulcer, submucosal edema, hemorrhage, paralytic ileus, mesenteric ischemia, bowel obstruction, and life-threatening perforation.

Systemic lupus erythematosus complicated with protein-losing enteropathy: a case report and review of the published works.

A 45-year-old man was referred to our hospital with a history of multiple erythematous skin lesions of several months' duration. Blood examination revealed extreme hypoproteinemia and hypoalbuminemia, as well as the presence of antinuclear antibodies. A skin biopsy specimen showed liquefaction degeneration at the dermoepidermal junction and dense lymphocyte and neutrophil infiltration around the vessels and appendages in the upper and middle dermis.

Endoscopic and histopathological features of gastrointestinal amyloidosis.

Amyloidosis is a rare disorder, characterized by the extracellular deposition of an abnormal fibrillar protein, which disrupts tissue structure and function. Amyloidosis can be acquired or hereditary, and systemic or localized to a single organ, such as the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Clinical manifestations may vary from asymptomatic to fatal forms.

Endoscopic clipping in the lower gastrointestinal tract.

Endoscopic clipping has been established as a safe and effective method for the treatment of nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding in numerous randomized studies. Recently, clipping has been applied to various lesions in the lower gastrointestinal tract, including diverticular bleeding, postpolypectomy bleeding, and repair of perforations with successful outcomes. We review the safety and efficacy of this maneuver for the management of diseases in the lower gastrointestinal tract.

Endoscopic and histopathological study on the duodenum of Strongyloides stercoralis hyperinfection.

Aim: To investigate endoscopic and histopathological findings in the duodenum of patients with Strongyloides stercoralis (S. stercoralis) hyperinfection.

Methods: Over a period of 23 years (1984-2006), we investigated 25 patients with S.