Association between Helicobacter pylori and Barrett's esophagus: a case-control study.

Objectives: The estimated association between Helicobacter pylori and Barrett's esophagus (BE) has been heterogenous across previous studies. In this study, we aimed to examine the association between H. pylori and BE and to identify factors that may explain or modify this association.

Phase III, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of modafinil for fatigue in patients treated with docetaxel-based chemotherapy.

Purpose: Modafinil has been reported to benefit a subgroup of patients suffering severe fatigue while undergoing chemotherapy. Docetaxel is associated with fatigue that may lead to premature therapy withdrawal. We investigated whether modafinil could reduce fatigue during docetaxel chemotherapy.

Dietary consumption of meat, fat, animal products and advanced glycation end-products and the risk of Barrett's oesophagus.

Background: Advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) are found in high quantity in high-fat foods and meat cooked at high temperature. AGEs have been shown to contribute to chronic inflammation and oxidative stress in humans.

Aim: To investigate the associations between consumption of meat, fat and AGEs, and the risk of Barrett's oesophagus (BO).

Oral bisphosphonates and the risk of Barrett's esophagus: case-control analysis of US veterans.

Objectives: This study examined Barrett's esophagus (BE) risk factors in veterans to determine the association between risk of BE and use of oral bisphosphonates.

Methods: We conducted a case-control study among eligible patients scheduled for an elective esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) and a sample of patients eligible for screening colonoscopy recruited from primary care clinics from a single VA Medical Center. Cases with definitive BE were compared with controls; all underwent study EGD.

Developing a national database for metastatic colorectal cancer management: perspectives and challenges.

Background: The changing treatment landscape for metastatic colorectal cancer creates multiple potential treatment strategies. An Australian-centric database capturing comprehensive information across a range of treatment locations would create a valuable resource enabling multiple important research questions to be addressed.

Aims: To establish a collection of a consensus dataset capturing treatment and outcomes at multiple public and private hospitals across Australia.

Human perforin mutations and susceptibility to multiple primary cancers.

Loss-of-function mutations in the gene coding for perforin () markedly reduce the ability of cytotoxic T lymphocytes and natural killer cells to kill target cells, causing immunosuppression and impairing immune regulation. In humans, nearly half of the cases of type 2 familial hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis are due to bi-allelic mutations. The partial inactivation of PRF1 due to mutations that promote protein misfolding or the common hypomorphic allele coding for the A91V substitution have been associated with lymphoid malignancies in childhood and adolescence.

Effect of highly dispersed yttria addition on thermal stability of hydroxyapatite.

The capability of the colloidal method to produce yttria (Y(2)O(3)) dispersed hydroxyapatite (HA) has been investigated as an alternative method to the conventional method of mechanical mixing and sintering for developing HA-based materials that could exhibit controllable and enhanced functional properties. A water based colloidal route to produce HA materials with highly dispersed Y(2)O(3) has been applied, and the effect of 10 wt.% Y(2)O(3) addition to HA investigated by thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.

The prevalence of oesophageal eosinophilia and eosinophilic oesophagitis: a prospective study in unselected patients presenting to endoscopy.

Background: Oesophageal eosinophilia (EE) is encountered in clinical practice as oesophageal biopsies are being obtained in patients with GI symptoms other than classical symptoms of eosinophilic oesophagitis (EoE). The prevalence, determinants and clinical relevance of EE identified irrespective of symptoms are unclear.

Aim: To determine the prevalence and risk factors of EE with or without EoE in a nonselected group of patients undergoing endoscopy and in primary care patients.

Dietary intake of vegetables, folate, and antioxidants and the risk of Barrett's esophagus.

Purpose: Diet is a potentially modifiable risk factor for Barrett's esophagus (BE). We investigated the associations between intakes of fruits and vegetables and risk of BE.

Methods: We identified study subjects from 1,859 participants who underwent the endoscopy in a single VA Medical Center in the US between 2008 and 2011.

Waist-to-hip ratio, but not body mass index, is associated with an increased risk of Barrett's esophagus in white men.

Background & Aims: Abdominal obesity increases the risk of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and also might contribute to the development of Barrett's esophagus (BE), although results are inconsistent. We examined the effects of waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and body mass index (BMI) on the risk of BE and investigated whether race, GERD symptoms, or hiatus hernia were involved.

Methods: We conducted a case-control study using data from eligible patients who underwent elective esophagogastroduodenoscopy; 237 patients had BE and the other 1021 patients served as endoscopy controls.

Functionalizing Ti-surfaces through the EPD of hydroxyapatite/nanoY2O3.

Ceramic materials for skeletal repair and reconstruction are expanding to a number of different applications. Present research is addressing new compositions and performances to promote osseo-integration through metal coatings. Nanotechnology plays a key role in this research because nanostructures can be introduced into implants to functionalize them and/or to enhance their properties, such as the thermal or mechanical response.

Barrett's esophagus and adenocarcinoma risk: the experience of the North-Eastern Italian Registry (EBRA).

Objective: To establish the incidence and risk factors for progression to high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia (HG-IEN) or Barrett's esophageal adenocarcinoma (BAc) in a prospective cohort of patients with esophageal intestinal metaplasia [(BE)].

Background: BE is associated with an increased risk of BAc unless cases are detected early by surveillance. No consistent data are available on the prevalence of BE-related cancer, the ideal surveillance schedule, or the risk factors for cancer.

Emerging and second line therapies for the management of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer: the Australian perspective.

Since the establishment of docetaxel as first-line chemotherapy for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer significant advancements have been made in the management of this disease. Clinical trials have investigated agents for use prior to docetaxel, in combination with docetaxel and agents for second-line treatment for patients who have progressed despite docetaxel. In addition, several new agents have been developed and clinically investigated in the fields of hormonal, cytotoxic, targeted and immune therapy, providing options either side of first-line chemotherapy.

Long-term follow-up of Barrett's epithelium: medical versus antireflux surgical therapy.

Background: Barrett's esophagus (BE) is the most serious complication of GERD. In BE patients, this observational study compares the effects of antireflux surgery versus antisecretory medical therapy.

Methods: Overall, 89 BE patients (long BE = 45; short BE = 44) were considered: 45 patients underwent antireflux surgery and 44 underwent medical therapy.

Microscopic esophagitis and Barrett's esophagus: the histology report.

Gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) is the most common digestive disease in industrialized countries (Europe and North America) and is associated with microscopic changes in the squamous epithelium. However, biopsy is not presently included in the routine diagnostic flow chart of GERD. In contrast, esophageal biopsy is mandatory when diagnosing Barrett's esophagus.

MicroRNA expression profiling in human Barrett's carcinogenesis.

Barrett's esophagus (BE) is characterized by the native stratified squamous epithelium (N) lining the esophagus being replaced by a columnar epithelium with intestinal differentiation (Barrett's mucosa; BM). BM is considered as the main risk factor for esophageal adenocarcinoma (Barrett's adenocarcinoma; BAc). MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small noncoding RNAs that control gene expression by targeting messenger RNAs and they are reportedly dysregulated in BM.

Diode laser treatment of Barrett's esophagus: long-term results.

Different ablation techniques have been utilized in the treatment of Barrett's esophagus (BE) to reduce the risk of degeneration. Treatment complications, risk of recurrence, and buried intestinal metaplasia (IM) are all major concerns. The effect of diode laser treatment on BE, studied in a group of patients over a long-term period, is presented here.

Programmed cell death 4 (PDCD4) expression during multistep Barrett's carcinogenesis.

Aim: To test the contribution of programmed cell death 4 (PDCD4) tumour suppressor gene in Barrett's carcinogenesis.

Methods: PDCD4 immunohistochemical expression was assessed in 88 biopsy samples obtained from histologically proven long-segment Barrett's mucosa (BM; 25 non-intestinal columnar metaplasia, 25 intestinal metaplasia (IM), 16 low-grade intraepithelial neoplasia (LG-IEN), 12 high-grade IEN (HG-IEN) and 10 Barrett's adenocarcinoma (BAc)). As controls, 25 additional samples of native oesophageal mucosa (N) were obtained from patients with dyspepsia.

Aurora kinase A in Barrett's carcinogenesis.

In Barrett's mucosa, both aneuploidy and TP53 mutations are consistently recognized as markers of an increased risk of Barrett's adenocarcinoma. Overexpression of the mitotic kinase encoding gene (AURKA) results in chromosome instability (assessed from the micronuclei count) and ultimately in aneuploidy. Eighty-seven esophageal biopsy samples representative of all the phenotypic lesions occurring in the multistep process of Barrett's carcinogenesis (gastric metaplasia in 25, intestinal metaplasia in 25, low-grade intraepithelial neoplasia in 16, high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia in 11, and Barrett's adenocarcinoma in 10) were obtained from long segments of Barrett's mucosa.

Large left ventricular metastasis causing left ventricular outflow tract obstruction and haemolysis.

Although post-mortem studies would suggest that cardiac metastases occur frequently, many of these metastases remain clinically silent. However, symptomatic lesions may also remain unrecognized due to overshadowing by other symptoms of the primary malignancy. Patients undergoing treatment for cancer are not routinely screened using echocardiography, unless their chemotherapeutic regimen includes cardiotoxic agents.