Genome-wide analysis of 944 133 individuals provides insights into the etiology of haemorrhoidal disease.

Objective: Haemorrhoidal disease (HEM) affects a large and silently suffering fraction of the population but its aetiology, including suspected genetic predisposition, is poorly understood. We report the first genome-wide association study (GWAS) meta-analysis to identify genetic risk factors for HEM to date.

Design: We conducted a GWAS meta-analysis of 218 920 patients with HEM and 725 213 controls of European ancestry.

Pathophysiology of internal hemorrhoids.

Hemorrhoidal disease is a fairly common and debilitating clinical entity. Despite centuries' of attempts to shed light on its pathophysiology, to cure those affected and to improve sufferers' quality of life, many aspects of the disease remain elusive. Individual beliefs and historical legends, accompanied by undocumented theories, have established and perpetuated the confusion regarding the mechanisms leading to the development of the disease and the rules governing its treatment.

K- Mutations as the Earliest Driving Force in a Subset of Colorectal Carcinomas.

K-ras oncogene is a key factor in colorectal cancer. Based on published and our data we propose that K-ras could be the oncogene responsible for the inactivation of the tumor-suppressor gene APC, currently considered as the initial step in colorectal tumorigenesis. K-ras fulfills the criteria of the oncogene-induced DNA damage model, as it can provoke well-established causes for inactivating tumor-suppressors, i.

Elevated intraesophageal pressure in patients with achalasia: a common and important manometric finding.

There is a subgroup of patients with achalasia in which manometry shows elevated intraesophageal pressure, expressed by elevation of esophageal baseline relative to gastric pressure. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of elevated intraesophageal pressure in patients with achalasia and its relationship to clinical, radiographic, endoscopic, and other manometric findings. Manometric studies of 62 patients with achalasia were analyzed and elevated intraesophageal pressure was considered any positive elevation of esophageal baseline relative to gastric pressure.