Publications by authors named "Marcis Leja"

Gastric cancer remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality, requiring the urgent development of innovative diagnostic tools for early detection. This study presents an integrated infrared spectroscopic electronic nose system, a novel device that combines infrared (IR) spectroscopy and electronic nose (eNose) concepts for analyzing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in exhaled breath. This system was calibrated using relevant gas mixtures and then tested during a feasibility study involving 26 gastric cancer patients and 32 healthy controls using chemometric analyses to distinguish between exhaled breath profiles.

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  • Bismuth quadruple therapies (BQTs) have been effective in treating Helicobacter pylori infections in Europe, particularly in the face of antibiotic resistance, with notable use increasing from 8.6% in 2013 to 39% in 2021.
  • An analysis of data from nearly 50,000 patients indicated that the single-capsule BQT was the most common regimen and achieved over 90% effectiveness with certain combinations.
  • Key factors that improved treatment success included adherence to the regimen, use of high-dose proton pump inhibitors, and implementing the therapy as a first-line treatment.
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  • The integration of artificial intelligence in medical diagnostics significantly enhances the management of upper gastrointestinal cancer, particularly gastric cancer, where early detection is crucial.
  • Foundation models (FMs) are advanced machine learning tools that improve the accuracy of endoscopic procedures and pathology image analysis.
  • This review discusses the principles, emerging trends, and challenges in implementing FMs in clinical practice, aiming to guide researchers and healthcare professionals in improving patient outcomes related to gastric cancer.
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The absolute number of annual cases of gastric cancer in Europe is rising. The Council of the European Union has recommended implementation of gastric cancer screening for countries or regions with a high gastric cancer incidence and death rates. However, as of 2024 no organised gastric cancer screening programme has been launched in Europe.

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  • A study examined how different reasons for testing for Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) affect treatment prescriptions and their success rates across Europe from 2013 to 2023.
  • Out of 53,636 cases, the most common reasons for testing included dyspepsia with normal endoscopy and various types of ulcers, with treatment effectiveness ranging from 87% to 91% based on the indication.
  • Patients with ulcers and preneoplastic lesions experienced higher treatment success and compliance, while those tested for dyspepsia had higher rates of adverse effects.
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Background: Adherence to Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication treatment is a cornerstone for achieving adequate treatment efficacy.

Objective: To determine which factors influence compliance with treatment.

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Background: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is the most prevalent type of bacterial infection. Current guidelines from different regions of the world neglect specific African conditions and requirements.

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Volatilomics is a powerful tool capable of providing novel biomarkers for the diagnosis of gastric cancer. The main objective of this study was to characterize the volatilomic signatures of gastric juice in order to identify potential alterations induced by gastric cancer. Gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection, coupled with headspace solid phase microextraction as the pre-concentration technique, was used to identify volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released by gastric juice samples collected from 78 gastric cancer patients and two cohorts of controls (80 and 96 subjects) from four different locations (Latvia, Ukraine, Brazil, and Colombia).

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Background: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is the most extensively studied risk factor for gastric cancer. As with any bacteria, H.

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The human body emits a multitude of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) via tissues and various bodily fluids or exhaled breath. These compounds collectively create a distinctive chemical profile, which can potentially be employed to identify changes in human metabolism associated with colorectal cancer (CRC) and, consequently, facilitate the diagnosis of this disease. The main goal of this study was to investigate and characterize the VOCs' chemical patterns associated with the breath of CRC patients and controls and identify potential expiratory markers of this disease.

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The role of autoimmunity in the pathogenesis of gastric cancer remains controversial. We studied antiparietal cell antibody (anti-PCA) and anti-intrinsic factor antibody (anti-IFA) levels and their associations with pepsinogen I/pepsinogen II levels in patients with gastric adenocarcinoma compared to a control group with mild or no atrophy of the stomach mucosa. Plasma levels of anti-PCA and anti-IFA were measured by ELISA (Inova Diagnostics Inc, San Diego, California, USA).

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Article Synopsis
  • Antibiotic resistance significantly affects the treatment success rates for Helicobacter pylori infections, with noted resistance levels in Europe.
  • A study analyzed 2,852 naive patients and found that the 3-in-1 single capsule with bismuth, metronidazole, and tetracycline, as well as a quadruple therapy with bismuth, had the highest effectiveness against H. pylori, even with existing resistances.
  • For non-naive patients, resistance was even higher, but the same 3-in-1 capsule and triple therapy with levofloxacin showed promising results, highlighting the need for effective treatment options based on resistance patterns.
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Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common malignancy and the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. While CRC screening is already part of organized programs in many countries, there remains a need for improved screening tools. In recent years, a potential approach for cancer diagnosis has emerged via the analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) using sensor technologies.

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Background: Standard triple therapy is commonly prescribed Helicobacter pylori eradication regimen in Europe. However, the world is witnessing declines in eradication success. It is crucial to find better treatment options.

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Despite rapid improvements in the accessibility of whole-genome sequencing (WGS), understanding the extent of human genetic variation is limited by the scarce availability of genome sequences from underrepresented populations. Developing the population-scale reference database of Latvian genetic variation may fill the gap in European genomes and improve human genomics research. In this study, we analysed a high-coverage WGS dataset comprising 502 individuals selected from the Genome Database of the Latvian Population.

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The prevalence of Helicobacter pylori remains high in the older population. Specific age-related peculiarities may impact the outcomes of H. pylori treatment.

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The segmentation of patients into homogeneous groups could help to improve eradication therapy effectiveness. Our aim was to determine the most important treatment strategies used in Europe, to evaluate first-line treatment effectiveness according to year and country. : All first-line empirical treatments registered at AEGREDCap in the European Registry on management (Hp-EuReg) from June 2013 to November 2022.

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  • The human body releases volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can reveal metabolic changes linked to colorectal cancer (CRC), potentially aiding in its diagnosis.
  • This study used advanced techniques to analyze VOCs from CRC tissue, identifying 163 compounds where both cancerous and non-cancerous tissues shared 138 common VOCs.
  • Certain compounds were found to be released more or less from cancer tissues compared to normal tissues, highlighting the unique VOC signatures that could serve as biomarkers for CRC and support the creation of better detection technologies.
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The spread of extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) in nosocomial and community-acquired enterobacteria is an important challenge for clinicians due to the limited therapeutic options for infections that are caused by these organisms. Here, we developed a panel of ESBL coding genes, evaluated the abundance and prevalence of ESBL encoding genes in patients undergoing H. pylori eradication therapy, and summarized the effects of eradication therapy on functional profiles of the gut microbiome.

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  • Scientists are finding new ways to test for colorectal cancer that are easier and less invasive than traditional methods.
  • A group of experts updated the rules for how to evaluate these new tests to make sure they're effective.
  • The new tests should be compared to the existing reliable tests and go through several phases of research to ensure they're safe and useful in real-world situations.
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Background And Aims: Several methods are available to diagnose infection. Our objective was to evaluate the tests used for both the initial diagnosis and the confirmation of eradication after treatment in Europe.

Methods: The European Registry on the management of infection is an international, multicentre, prospective, non-interventional registry aiming to evaluate the management of -infected patients in Europe.

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