Use of stool molecular panel in hospitalized patients with diarrhea. Experience in a tertiary care center.

Infectious diarrhea is a common health issue that affects a large number of individuals each year. It causes significant morbidity and mortality, greatly impacting healthcare system costs. Rapid detection of the causative organism and timely treatment alters the management and outcome of the condition.

Impact of Smoking Cessation on the Clinical Course of Crohn's Disease Under Current Therapeutic Algorithms: A Multicenter Prospective Study.

Objectives: Given the importance of tobacco smoking (TS) as the only environmental factor repeatedly linked to the development of the Crohn's disease (CD), it is surprising that very few prospective studies have assessed whether TS is associated with an increased frequency of clinical relapse. Our aim was to evaluate the current impact of TS on disease relapse and the clinical benefit of quitting smoking in the present era of widespread use of anti-TNF drugs and immunosuppressants.

Methods: This was a multicenter prospective cohort study, which included 573 CD patients in clinical remission with various smoking habits.

Pancreatitis-associated protein does not predict disease relapse in inflammatory bowel disease patients.

Background: The pancreatitis-associated protein (PAP) is increased in the serum of active inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients and its levels seem to be correlated with disease activity. Our aim was to evaluate the usefulness of serum and fecal PAP measurements to predict relapse in patients with inactive IBD.

Materials And Methods: We undertook a 12-month prospective study that included 66 Crohn's disease (CD) and 74 ulcerative colitis (UC) patients.

Assessment of anti-prothrombin antibodies in thrombosis complicating inflammatory bowel diseases.

Purpose: In inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), risk of thrombosis and production of antibodies are increased. In autoimmune and inflammatory disorders, a role of anti-prothrombin (aPT) antibodies in developing thrombosis has been hypothesised. The aim of the study is to evaluate the prevalence of aPT antibodies in IBD patients, with and without thrombosis.

Diagnostic accuracy of magnetic resonance colonography for the evaluation of disease activity and severity in ulcerative colitis: a prospective study.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the diagnostic accuracy of magnetic resonance colonography (MRC) for the evaluation of disease activity and severity in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) using endoscopy as the reference standard.

Methods: Fifty patients with UC underwent colonoscopy and MRC for the evaluation of disease activity. All patients were prospectively and consecutively included.

High smoking cessation rate in Crohn's disease patients after physician advice--the TABACROHN Study.

Introduction: Tobacco smoking has a significant impact on the development of Crohn's disease (CD) and its clinical course, making smoking cessation one of the main goals in CD therapeutic strategy.

Aims: To evaluate the effectiveness of an advice-based smoking cessation strategy among CD patients.

Methods: We have performed a prospective multicenter study which enrolled 408 CD smokers.

Does smoking influence Crohn's disease in the biologic era? The TABACROHN study.

Background: While most studies have found a negative effect of smoking on Crohn's disease (CD) phenotype, more recent data have failed to reproduce this association, which might be due to a current wider use of thiopurines and biologic therapy. The TABACROHN study aimed at defining the impact of smoking on CD in the largest published series.

Methods: This multicenter cross-sectional study included 1170 CD patients.

Optimizing the use of tumour necrosis factor inhibitors in Crohn's disease: a practical approach.

Crohn's disease is a chronic, disabling, inflammatory condition of the gastrointestinal tract that has a segmental distribution and can affect the entire gastrointestinal tract. Treatment of patients with Crohn's disease represents a difficult challenge to physicians. Conventional therapy includes corticosteroids and immunosuppressants.

[Smoking and Crohn's disease: cessation strategies].

Smoking is a chronic disease that causes a wide variety of health problems, especially respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Tobacco smoking is the main environmental factor linked to the pathogenesis and clinical course of Crohn's disease. However, smoking cessation is often not included as part of the treatment of this disease.

Risk factors and characteristics of extent progression in ulcerative colitis.

Background: The main objective was to identify risk factors for extent progression in distal ulcerative colitis. The secondary objective was to determine clinical characteristics of disease at the time of progression.

Methods: Data were obtained from a prospective database.

Are we giving azathioprine too late? The case for early immunomodulation in inflammatory bowel disease.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) includes two entities, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Both are chronic conditions with frequent complications and surgical procedures and a great impact on patient's quality of life. The thiopurine antimetabolites azathioprine and 6-mercaptopurine are widely used in IBD patients.