Copper biosorption by Auricularia polytricha.

Aims: The objective of the present study was to determine the optimum conditions for copper (Cu) biosorption by Auricularia polytricha mycelium in view of its immobilization in polyvinyl alcohol (PVA).

Methods And Results: The adsorption of Cu(II) onto A. polytricha was studied in batch with respect to initial pH, temperature, adsorption time, initial metal ion and biomass concentration.

NSAID and aspirin use by the elderly in general practice: effect on gastrointestinal symptoms and therapies.

Background: The relationship between NSAID use and gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms and their treatment in elderly patients is not well defined.

Objectives: To identify the prevalence of specific drug use in elderly outpatients and to identify the relationship between NSAID use and GI disturbances and treatments in elderly subjects treated by their general practitioner (GP).

Setting And Participants: The study was carried out by 63 GPs in north-eastern Italy; 3154 elderly subjects were included in the study over a 2-week period.

Rabeprazole in a one-week eradication therapy of Helicobacter pylori: comparison of different dosages.

Aim: Many data regarding omeprazole-, lanzoprazole- and pantoprazole-based triple therapy for Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication have been reported, but there is few data present regarding rabeprazole (R). We report the efficacy and tolerability of rabeprazole in different dosages in association with clarithromycin (C)and tinidazole (T) in H.

Association of HLA-DRB1*0401 allele with chronic pancreatitis.

Introduction: Chronic pancreatitis (CP) is characterized by irreversible morphologic and functional alterations of the pancreas, clinically presenting with upper abdominal pain as well as exocrine and endocrine insufficiencies. According to a more recent hypothesis, the pathogenesis may involve genetic and immunologic factors.

Aim: To investigate the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes as a genetic background of chronic pancreatitis.

Use of lactoferrin for Helicobacter pylori eradication. Preliminary results.

Background: One-week triple therapy is the most frequently recommended treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection. The associated eradication rate is satisfactory; nevertheless, it is advisable to look for more effective therapies. Our aim was to test the efficacy of a standard triple therapy plus bovine lactoferrin for the eradication of H.

Lactoferrin: mechanism of action, clinical significance and therapeutic relevance.

Lactoferrin is an iron binding protein involved in a large spectrum of biological actions including antimicrobial actions. Lactoferrin plays a central role in ferrokinetics: it binds free iron with great affinity limiting the amount of ions available for microorganism's metabolism. Its role in the host defence mechanisms consists in bacteriostatic and bactericidal effects; moreover it inhibits the proliferation of other microbes such as fungi and viruses.

Helicobacter pylori infection in children and adults: a single pathogen but a different pathology.

Background: The aims of this retrospective study were to ascertain in large series of children and adults: the relationship of the infecting strain to gastric mucosal lesions; and the relationship of the infecting strain to its duodenal localization.

Materials And Methods: We studied 307 and 604 consecutive children and adults. In gastric mucosal samples H.

Progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis.

Progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis (PFIC) is a heterogeneous group of autosomal recessive childhood cholestasis of hepatocellular origin. PFIC 1, also known as Byler disease, was first described in Amish kindred. It is characterized by cholestasis often arising in the neonatal period and it leads to death due to liver failure.

Hypercalcemia due to ectopic secretion of parathyroid related protein from pancreatic carcinoma: a case report.

This case is a report of a male, 52 year old, heavy smoker, with a history of about 10 years of alcohol abuse (he quitted in 1993), gastric resection for ulcer (Billroth II 1970), hypoparathyroidism and macroamylasemia, died for undiagnosed pancreatic carcinoma revealed at necroscopy. The only clinical evidence of carcinoma were pulmonary metastasis and paraneoplastic syndrome characterized from hyponatriemia due to inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone and elevation of seric calcium caused by parathyroid hormone related protein. In patients without endocrine abnormalities, such unusual paraneoplastic syndrome could cause hypercalcemia, but in our patient, the increased calcemia did not reach abnormal levels due to the previous hypoparathyroidism.

Helicobacter pylori virulence genes and host IL-1RN and IL-1beta genes interplay in favouring the development of peptic ulcer and intestinal metaplasia.

Helicobacter pylori infection outcome might depend on genotypic polymorphisms of both the bacterium and the host. We ascertained: (1) the functionality of H. pylori oipA gene; (2) the polymorphism of the hostinterleukin (IL-1beta) gene (-31 C/T) and of the IL-1RN gene (intron 2 VNTR); (3) the association between the above genes and the histological and pathological outcome of H.

Influence of Helicobacter pylori infection on severity of oesophagitis and response to therapy in the elderly.

Background: The prevalence both of Helicobacter pylori infection and oesophagitis is higher in the elderly, than in adult and young populations. However the relationship between Helicobacter pylori infection and the clinical behaviour of oesophagitis has not yet been clarified.

Aim: To evaluate the influence of Helicobacter pylori infection on the severity and clinical outcome after treatment of oesophagitis in elderly patients.

Long-term clinical outcome of elderly patients with reflux esophagitis: a six-month to three-year follow-up study.

Although the prevalence of reflux esophagitis is known to increase with age, data on the long-term outcome of esophagitis in elderly patients are scarce. We sought to evaluate the clinical outcome of elderly patients with esophagitis 6 months to 3 years after diagnosis and to identify specific prognostic indicators of a poor outcome. This was a long-term (6 months to 3 years) follow-up study.

Prevention of acute NSAID-related gastroduodenal damage: a meta-analysis of controlled clinical trials.

No consensus exists as to whether cotherapy is effective in the short-term prevention of severe NSAID-related gastroduodenal damage. The aim of this study was to provide a quantitative systematic review of the efficacy of gastroprotective drugs, such as misoprostol, H2-blockers, and proton pump inhibitors (PPI) in preventing the severe acute NSAID-related gastroduodenal damage. Placebo-controlled randomized clinical trials on the use of misoprostol, H2-blockers, and PPIs as preventative agents published between January 1986 and May 1999 were identified through Medline and reference lists from clinical reviews.

Prevalence of intestinal metaplasia in the distal oesophagus, oesophagogastric junction and gastric cardia in symptomatic patients in north-east Italy: a prospective, descriptive survey. The Italian Ulcer Study Group "GISU".

Background: Incidence of adenocarcinoma of distal oesophagus and gastric cardia, probably arising from areas of intestinal metaplasia, has been increasing rapidly.

Aims: To define prevalence of intestinal metaplasia of distal oesophagus, oesophagogastric junction and gastric cardia and to evaluate potential associated factors, by means of a prospective multicentre study including University and teaching hospitals, and primary and tertiary care centres.

Patients: Each of 24 institutions involved in study enrolled 10 consecutive patients undergoing first-time routine endoscopy for dyspeptic symptoms.

Cure of Helicobacter pylori infection in elderly patients: comparison of low versus high doses of clarithromycin in combination with amoxicillin and pantoprazole.

Background: Advancing age may influence clarithromycin's pharmacokinetics. No studies have yet compared the effects of different dosages of clarithromycin in combination with a proton pump inhibitor and amoxicillin in elderly patients.

Aim: To compare the efficacy and tolerability of clarithromycin 250 mg vs.

[Diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection: comparison of techniques].

Unlabelled: Several diagnostic assays are available for evaluating Helicobacter pylori infection: histological examination, culture of gastric biopsies, urea breath test and serology. Recently a new enzyme immunoassay has been introduced for the detection of H. pylori antigens in stool samples (HpSA).

The phenotype of gastric mucosa coexisting with Barrett's oesophagus.

Background/aims: Barrett's oesophagus complicates the gastro-oesophageal acid reflux. Helicobacter pylori infection, particularly with cagA positive strains, induces inflammatory/atrophic lesions of the gastric mucosa, which may impair acid output. No systematic study has investigated the phenotype of the gastric mucosa coexisting with Barrett's oesophagus.

Different effects of H. pylori water extracts on cytokines, pepsinogen C and gastrin mucosal release in patients with or without duodenal ulcer.

In the present study we ascertained whether cagA positive and negative H. pylori strains release water soluble products that can influence the production of gastric mucosal cytokines and endocrine (gastrin) or exocrine (pepsinogen C) secretion in 23 H. pylori positive and 19 H.

Antigastric autoantibodies in Helicobacter pylori infection: role in gastric mucosal inflammation.

Unlabelled: The aim of the study was to ascertain whether there is an association between the presence of serum parietal cell autoantibodies (PCA) and: (1) Helicobacter pylori infection; (2) the presence and degree of gastritis and intestinal metaplasia; and (3) the H. pylori infecting strain. Gastric mucosal biopsies were obtained from 49 consecutive patients in order to assess and grade gastritis, make a histological diagnosis, and culture and genotype H.

Prevalence of Helicobacter pylori resistance to antibiotics in Northeast Italy: a multicentre study. GISU. Interdisciplinary Group for the Study of Ulcer.

Aims: To evaluate prevalence of primary Helicobacter pylori antibiotic resistances in Northeast Italy and to identify risk factors associated with this resistance.

Materials And Methods: A total of 248 patients undergoing upper gastrointestinal endoscopy were enrolled from 19 Endoscopy Units over a 6-month period. From each patient, 4 gastric biopsies were taken for histology and 2 were sent to the Central Referral Microbiological Laboratory for culture and determination of antibiotic activity against Helicobacter pylori by means of E-test.

Incidence of secondary Helicobacter pylori resistance to antibiotics in treatment failures after 1-week proton pump inhibitor-based triple therapies: a prospective study.

Background: Antibiotic-resistant Helicobacter pylori strains are becoming increasingly prevalent, although it is not clear to what extent the new resistant organisms will spread.

Aim: To evaluate the incidence of secondary Helicobacter pylori resistance to metronidazole, clarithromycin and/or amoxycillin after one-week proton pump inhibitor based triple therapy failure in patients who were, before therapy infected with Helicobacter pylori strains susceptible to these antibiotics.

Patients And Methods: Enrolled in the study were 97 consecutive Helicobacter pylori-positive subjects infected by Helicobacter pylori strains susceptible to metronidazole, clarithromycin and amoxycillin.

Cure of Helicobacter pylori-positive active duodenal ulcer patients: a double-blind, multicentre, 12-month study comparing a two-week dual vs a one-week triple therapy. GISU (Interdisciplinary Group for Ulcer Study).

Aims: To compare a two-week dual therapy to a one-week triple therapy for the healing of duodenal ulcer and the eradication of the Helicobacter pylori infection.

Patients And Methods: A total of 165 patients with active duodenal ulcer were enrolled in the study. At entry, endoscopy, clinical examination and laboratory tests were performed.