Longitudinal Copy-Number Alteration Analysis in Plasma Cell-Free DNA of Neuroendocrine Neoplasms is a Novel Specific Biomarker for Diagnosis, Prognosis, and Follow-up.

Purpose: As noninvasive biomarkers are an important unmet need for neuroendocrine neoplasms (NEN), biomarker potential of genome-wide molecular profiling of plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA) was prospectively studied in patients with NEN.

Experimental Design: Longitudinal plasma samples were collected from patients with well-differentiated, metastatic gastroenteropancreatic and lung NEN. cfDNA was subjected to shallow whole-genome sequencing to detect genome-wide copy-number alterations (CNA) and estimate circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) fraction, and correlated to clinicopathologic and survival data.

Health Literacy and Quality of Life in Young Adults From The Belgian Crohn's Disease Registry Compared to Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus.

The management of chronic inflammatory bowel diseases in youth is challenging. We aimed to determine health literacy (HL), quality of life (QoL) and clinical outcomes in young adults from the BELgian CROhn's disease registry (BELCRO) in comparison to type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM) as a control. In this prospective and observational study, young adults with Crohn's disease (CD) diagnosed < 18 years and with > 5 years disease duration and a comparable group of patients with DM completed validated HL, QoL and work productivity and activity impairment questionnaires (HLS-EU-Q16, EQ-5D-5L and WPAI).

Laboratory detection of macro-aspartate aminotransferase: case report and evaluation of the PEG-precipitation method.

Background: Chronic elevated AST without other signs of liver disease, cardiac or skeletal abnormalities, is suggestive for macro-AST. Laboratory detection can be performed by gel filtration chromatography, ultrafiltration or precipitation with polyethylene glycol (PEG).

Patient And Methods: A healthy 27 year-old female was referred because of chronic elevated AST (116-704U/L) without other abnormalities.

Contribution of genetic and environmental factors in the pathogenesis of Crohn's disease in a large family with multiple cases.

Background: A large family of Moroccan immigrants was investigated. In this family the father developed Crohn's disease (CD) after moving from Morocco to Belgium and successively 4 of his 8 children subsequently developed CD. There was no previous history of familial CD.

A randomized trial comparing injection therapy with hemoclip and with injection combined with hemoclip for bleeding ulcers.

Background: A randomized comparative study was conducted of injection therapy with epinephrine-polidocanol (1%) versus hemoclip application, versus injection combined with hemoclip for bleeding peptic ulcers.

Methods: One hundred five patients were randomized and 101 could be evaluated (46 had active spurting or oozing of blood; 55 a visible vessel). Patients were randomized to 1 of the 3 treatment modalities during endoscopy performed within 12 hours of admission.