Anticarbohydrate antibodies as markers of inflammatory bowel disease in a Central European cohort.

Background: The study discusses the role of antichitobioside carbohydrate antibody (ACCA), antilaminaribioside carbohydrate antibodies (ALCA), and antimannobioside carbohydrate antibodies (AMCA) in Central European patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Patients And Methods: Twohundred and seventy-two serum samples were used - 116 Crohn's disease (CD), 84 ulcerative colitis, and 72 healthy control samples. All samples were evaluated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the following four anticarbohydrate assays: ACCA, ALCA, AMCA, and anti-Saccharomyces cerevisiae antibodies (gASCA).

The leading sense: supramodal control of neurophysiological context by attention.

Attending to a stimulus enhances its neuronal representation, even at the level of primary sensory cortex. Cross-modal modulation can similarly enhance a neuronal representation, and this process can also operate at the primary cortical level. Phase reset of ongoing neuronal oscillatory activity has been shown to be an important element of the underlying modulation of local cortical excitability in both cases.

The candidate oncogene CYP24A1: A potential biomarker for colorectal tumorigenesis.

The main autocrine/paracrine role of the active metabolite of vitamin D(3), 1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) (1,25-D(3)), is inhibition of cell growth and induction of cell differentiation and/or apoptosis. Synthesis and degradation of the secosteroid occurs not only in the kidney but also in normal tissue or malignant extrarenal tissues such as the colon. Because 25-hydroxyvitamin D(3) 24-hydroxylase (CYP24A1) is considered to be the main enzyme determining the biological half-life of 1,25-D(3), we have examined expression of the CYP24A1 mRNA (by real-time RT-PCR) and protein (by immunohistochemistry) in normal human colon mucosa, colorectal adenomas, and adenocarcinomas in 111 patients.

Projection from visual areas V2 and prostriata to caudal auditory cortex in the monkey.

Studies in humans and monkeys report widespread multisensory interactions at or near primary visual and auditory areas of neocortex. The range and scale of these effects has prompted increased interest in interconnectivity between the putatively "unisensory" cortices at lower hierarchical levels. Recent anatomical tract-tracing studies have revealed direct projections from auditory cortex to primary visual area (V1) and secondary visual area (V2) that could serve as a substrate for auditory influences over low-level visual processing.

Environmental factors affecting inflammatory bowel disease: have we made progress?

The pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is only partially understood; various environmental and host (e.g. genetic, epithelial, immune, and nonimmune) factors are involved.

Prevalence, predictors, and clinical consequences of medical adherence in IBD: how to improve it?

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are chronic diseases with a relapsing-remitting disease course necessitating lifelong treatment. However, non-adherence has been reported in over 40% of patients, especially those in remission taking maintenance therapies for IBD. The economical impact of non-adherence to medical therapy including absenteeism, hospitalization risk, and the health care costs in chronic conditions, is enormous.

Efficacy and safety of infliximab induction therapy in Crohn's Disease in Central Europe--a Hungarian nationwide observational study.

Background: Infliximab (IFX) has proven to be an effective addition to the therapeutic arsenal for refractory, fistulizing, and steroid dependent Crohn's disease (CD), with efficacy in the induction and maintenance of clinical remission of CD. Our objective in this study is to report the nationwide, multicenter experience with IFX induction therapy for CD in Hungary.

Methods: During a 6-year-period, beginning in 2000, a total of 363 CD patients were treated with IFX as induction therapy (5 mg/kg IFX infusions given at week 0, 2 and 6) at eleven centers in Hungary in this observational study.

Anti-microbial antibodies in celiac disease: trick or treat?

Aim: To determine the prevalence of a new set of anti-glycan and anti-outer membrane protein (anti-OMP) antibodies in a Hungarian cohort of adult Celiac disease (CD) patients.

Methods: 190 consecutive CD patients [M/F: 71/119, age:39.9 (SD:14.

Abnormal glucose tolerance is associated with diminished postload change in leptin levels in women.

Background: It is generally accepted that the metabolic effects of leptin are diminished in the obese due to leptin resistance. Hormone resistance may develop if diurnal (including meal-related) changes in hormone levels are disrupted. We sought to describe leptin changes after a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in women with a prior diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus (a high risk group for the metabolic syndrome) compared to that in healthy controls.

Postmenopausal expression changes of immune system-related genes in human bone tissue.

Introduction: The molecular and cellular interactions between the immune system and bone tissue have been established. Sex hormone deficiency after menopause has multifunctional role by influencing growth, differentiation, and metabolism of the skeletal and the immune system.

Discussion: We have used nonparametric and multidimensional expression pattern analyses to determine significantly changed mRNA profile of immune system-associated genes in postmenopausal (POST) and premenopausal (PRE) nonosteoporotic bone.

Early azathioprine/biological therapy is associated with decreased risk for first surgery and delays time to surgery but not reoperation in both smokers and nonsmokers with Crohn's disease, while smoking decreases the risk of colectomy in ulcerative colitis.

Background/aims: Smoking may alter the natural course of Crohn's disease (CD). Smokers are more likely to develop complications, relapses and have a greater risk for surgery. In contrast, in ulcerative colitis (UC), smoking might improve the disease course.

Perianal disease, small bowel disease, smoking, prior steroid or early azathioprine/biological therapy are predictors of disease behavior change in patients with Crohn's disease.

Aim: To assess the combined effect of disease phenotype, smoking and medical therapy [steroid, azathioprine (AZA), AZA/biological therapy] on the probability of disease behavior change in a Caucasian cohort of patients with Crohn's disease (CD).

Methods: Three hundred and forty well-characterized, unrelated, consecutive CD patients were analyzed (M/F: 155/185, duration: 9.4 +/- 7.

Chronic hepatitis C virus infection associated with autonomic dysfunction.

Background: Impaired autonomic function has been described in patients with chronic liver diseases from different aetiologies, and has proven to be a poor prognostic indicator. To date, it is not known how chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection affects the autonomic nervous system.

Aims: In the present study, we compared cardiovagal autonomic function in patients with chronic HCV infection and healthy controls and examined the relation between autonomic function and serum levels of aminotransferases, HCV RNA, cryoglobulins, albumin and glucose.

Combination immunomodulator and antibiotic treatment in patients with inflammatory bowel disease and clostridium difficile infection.

Background & Aims: Management of Clostridium difficile infection in patients with flaring inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has not been optimized. We investigated the effects of combination therapy with antibiotics and immunomodulators in patients with IBD and C difficile infection.

Methods: We analyzed data from 155 patients (59% with ulcerative colitis [UC]) from a retrospective, European Crohn's and Colitis organization, multi-center study comparing outcome of hospitalized IBD patients with C difficile infection who were treated with antibiotics (n = 51) or antibiotics and immunomodulators (n = 104).

Effect of menopause on gene expression pattern in bone tissue of nonosteoporotic women.

Objective: Menopausal changes influence the growth, differentiation, and metabolism of bone tissue. Hormonal deficiency at the time of menopause results in marked increases in bone resorption and formation, leading to rapid bone loss. The aim of our investigation was to determine genes characterized by significantly changed mRNA expression rates in postmenopausal versus premenopausal nonosteoporotic bone tissue and to describe the interrelationships among these genes using multivariate data analysis.

Comparison of the effects of 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D and 25 hydroxyvitamin D on bone pathology and disease activity in Crohn's disease patients.

Background: Vitamin D is essential for osteopenia therapy in Crohn's disease (CD). The active form of vitamin-D (aVD) is the 1,25(OH)2D. There are no data available whether aVD or plain vitamin-D (pVD) has any advantage in managing osteoporosis in CD or has any effect on the activity of the disease itself.

Use of new once-daily 5-aminosalicylic acid preparations in the treatment of ulcerative colitis: Is there anything new under the sun?

5-aminosalicylate (5-ASA) agents remain the mainstay treatment in ulcerative colitis (UC). A number of oral 5-ASA agents are commercially available, including azobond pro-drugs, as well as delayed- and controlled-release forms of mesalazine. However, poor adherence due to frequent daily dosing and a large number of tablets has been shown to be an important barrier to successful management of patients with UC.

Transcriptional profiling of immune system-related genes in postmenopausal osteoporotic versus non-osteoporotic human bone tissue.

The functional interaction between the immune system and bone metabolism has been established at both molecular and cellular levels. We have used non-parametric and multidimensional expression pattern analyses to determine significantly changed mRNA profile of immune system-associated genes in postmenopausal osteoporotic (OP) vs. non-osteoporotic (NOP) bone tissue.

[Effectiveness of new, once-daily 5-aminosalicylic acid in the treatment of ulcerative colitis].

5-aminosalicylate (5-ASA) agents remain the mainstay treatment in ulcerative colitis (UC). A number of oral 5-ASA agents is commercially available, including azo-bond pro-drugs such as sulfasalazine, olsalazine and balsalazide, and delayed- and controlled-release forms of mesalazine. In addition, the effectiveness of oral therapy relies on good compliance, which may be adversely affected by frequent daily dosing and a large number of tablets.

[Ibandronate in the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis].

Postmenopausal osteoporosis affects 7-10% of the population of developed countries. During the past decade, a number of new therapeutical modalities have been made available. Among these, bisphosphonates mean the mainstay of medical treatment.

The gamma oscillation: master or slave?

The idea that gamma enhancement reflects a state of high neuronal excitability and synchrony, critical for active brain operations, sets gamma up as a "master" or executor process that determines whether an input is effectively integrated and an effective output is generated. However, gamma amplitude is often coupled to the phase of lower frequency delta or theta oscillations, which would make gamma a "slave" to lower frequency activity. Gamma enslavement is productive and typical during rhythmic mode brain operations; when a predictable rhythm is in play, low and mid-frequency oscillations can be entrained and their excitability fluctuations of put to work in sensory and motor functions.

Evaluation of the combined application of ethanol-fixed and formaldehyde-fixed neutrophil substrates for identifying atypical perinuclear antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies in inflammatory bowel disease.

No clear guidelines for indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) detection and interpretation of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) have been proposed for inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). We evaluated the reliability of the combined use of ethanol- and formalin-fixed neutrophil substrates to identify atypical perinuclear ANCA (P-ANCA) by IIF under routine laboratory circumstances. A total of 204 IBD patients were assessed with four different fluorescent substrates in two distinct laboratories.

Identifying novel genes involved in both deer physiological and human pathological osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis attacks 10% of the population worldwide. Humans or even the model animals of the disease cannot recover from porous bone. Regeneration in skeletal elements is the unique feature of our newly investigated osteoporosis model, the red deer (Cervus elaphus) stag.

Low-frequency neuronal oscillations as instruments of sensory selection.

Neuroelectric oscillations reflect rhythmic shifting of neuronal ensembles between high and low excitability states. In natural settings, important stimuli often occur in rhythmic streams, and when oscillations entrain to an input rhythm their high excitability phases coincide with events in the stream, effectively amplifying neuronal input responses. When operating in a 'rhythmic mode', attention can use these differential excitability states as a mechanism of selection by simply enforcing oscillatory entrainment to a task-relevant input stream.