Inhibited postprandial retrograde cyclic motor pattern in the distal colon of patients with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome.

Patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) have recurrent lower abdominal pain, associated with altered bowel habit (diarrhea and/or constipation). As bowel habit is altered, abnormalities in colonic motility are likely to contribute; however, characterization of colonic motor patterns in patients with IBS remains poor. Utilizing fiber-optic manometry, we aimed to characterize distal colonic postprandial colon motility in diarrhea-predominant IBS.

Discriminatory Changes in Circulating Metabolites as a Predictor of Hepatocellular Cancer in Patients with Metabolic (Dysfunction) Associated Fatty Liver Disease.

Introduction: The burden of metabolic (dysfunction) associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is rising mirrored by an increase in hepatocellular cancer (HCC). MAFLD and its sequelae are characterized by perturbations in lipid handling, inflammation, and mitochondrial damage. The profile of circulating lipid and small molecule metabolites with the development of HCC is poorly characterized in MAFLD and could be used in future studies as a biomarker for HCC.

Comparison of phenomics and cfDNA in a large breast screening population: the Breast Screening and Monitoring Study (BSMS).

To assess their roles in breast cancer diagnostics, we aimed to compare plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA) levels with the circulating metabolome in a large breast screening cohort of women recalled for mammography, including healthy women and women with mammographically detected breast diseases, ductal carcinoma in situ and invasive breast cancer: the Breast Screening and Monitoring Study (BSMS). In 999 women, plasma was analyzed by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (UPLC-MS) and then processed to isolate and quantify total cfDNA. NMR and UPLC-MS results were compared with data for 186 healthy women derived from the AIRWAVE cohort.

High-resolution impedance manometry characterizes the functional role of distal colonic motility in gas transit.

Background: The colonic motor patterns associated with gas transit are poorly understood. This study describes the application of high-resolution impedance manometry (HRiM) in the human colon in vivo to characterize distal colonic motility and gas transit; (a) after a meal and (b) after intraluminal gas insufflation into the sigmoid colon.

Methods: HRiM recordings were performed in 19 healthy volunteers, with sensors positioned from the distal descending colon to the proximal rectum.

Altered cytochrome 2E1 and 3A P450-dependent drug metabolism in advanced ovarian cancer correlates to tumour-associated inflammation.

Background And Purpose: Previous work has focussed on changes in drug metabolism caused by altered activity of CYP3A in the presence of inflammation and, in particular, inflammation associated with malignancy. However, drug metabolism involves a number of other P450s, and therefore, we assessed the effect of cancer-related inflammation on multiple CYP enzymes using a validated drug cocktail.

Experimental Approach: Patients with advanced stage ovarian cancer and healthy volunteers were recruited.

Colonic motor abnormalities in slow transit constipation defined by high resolution, fibre-optic manometry.

Background: Slow transit constipation (STC) is associated with colonic motor abnormalities. The underlying cause(s) of the abnormalities remain poorly defined. In health, utilizing high resolution fiber-optic manometry, we have described a distal colonic propagating motor pattern with a slow wave frequency of 2-6 cycles per minute (cpm).

Quantification of in vivo colonic motor patterns in healthy humans before and after a meal revealed by high-resolution fiber-optic manometry.

Background: Until recently, investigations of the normal patterns of motility of the healthy human colon have been limited by the resolution of in vivo recording techniques.

Methods: We have used a new, high-resolution fiber-optic manometry system (72 sensors at 1-cm intervals) to record motor activity from colon in 10 healthy human subjects.

Key Results: In the fasted colon, on the basis of rate and extent of propagation, four types of propagating motor pattern could be identified: (i) cyclic motor patterns (at 2-6/min); (ii) short single motor patterns; (iii) long single motor patterns; and (iv) occasional retrograde, slow motor patterns.

Tissue biomarkers of prognostic significance in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Despite major advancements in the clinical management of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the natural history of this disease is characterized by an invariably poor prognosis. However, there are significant interindividual variations in the biologic behavior of this tumor and this combined with the confounding effect of liver function on patient survival makes prognostic prediction particularly difficult. Several studies have attempted to investigate the prognostic role of tissue biomarkers to better understand the molecular basis of HCC progression.

Spinal sonography and magnetic resonance imaging in patients with repaired myelomeningocele: comparison of modalities.

The goals of this study were to evaluate the feasibility of using ultrasonography of the spine in the follow-up evaluation of patients with repaired myelomeningocele at birth and to compare sonography with the accepted modality of magnetic resonance imaging. Over a period of 4 years we performed 165 sonographic studies in 101 patients; 107 sonographic studies had MR imaging results for comparison. We collected our data prospectively.