Risk factors for symptom relapse in collagenous colitis after withdrawal of short-term budesonide therapy.

Background: Oral budesonide has been proven effective in short- and long-term treatment of collagenous colitis; however, symptom relapse frequently occurs after drug withdrawal. The aim of this study was to identify the risk factors for symptom relapse in patients with collagenous colitis after withdrawal of short-term budesonide therapy.

Methods: One hundred twenty-three patients from 4 randomized controlled studies who achieved clinical remission after short-term treatment with budesonide (9 mg/d) were analyzed, including 40 patients receiving subsequent budesonide maintenance therapy (6 mg/d) for 6 months and 83 patients without active maintenance treatment.

Size and separability of the calcaneal and the medial and lateral plantar nerves in the distal tibial nerve.

The tibial nerve (TN) has three main terminal branches: the medial and lateral plantar nerves and the calcaneal branch (CB), which innervates the foot sole. The design and implantation of nerve cuff electrodes with separate channels for each of these three terminal branches would provide significant sensory information, which can be used in functional electrical stimulation systems to assist standing or to correct foot drop. Detailed quantitative anatomical data about fascicular size and separability of the terminal branches of TN are needed for the design and implantation of such cuff electrodes.

Budesonide treatment and expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase mRNA in colonic mucosa in collagenous colitis.

Objective: In collagenous colitis, the production of nitric oxide in the colon is found to be 50 to 100-fold higher than in healthy controls. The role of nitric oxide in collagenous colitis is debated and it has been suggested that nitric oxide has a causative role in diarrhoea. The aim of this study was to examine the possible effect of budesonide treatment on the level of inducible nitric oxide synthase mRNA.

[Quality control of pathological examination in colorectal cancer].

Pathological assessment of colorectal cancer resection specimens is the most significant prognostic indicator. This includes determination of TNM stage, tumour type and grade, status of resection margins, extramural vascular and perineural invasion, and molecular features such as defects in the mismatch repair system. The pathological assessment contributes significantly to the quality control of surgery and preoperative staging.

Mapping of hereditary trichilemmal cyst (TRICY1) to chromosome 3p24-p21.2 and exclusion of beta-CATENIN and MLH1.

Trichilemmal cysts (also named pilar cyst) derived from the outer root sheath of the deeper parts of the hair follicle can segregate dominantly, and are caused by a yet unknown gene. In order to identify candidate genes for this trait we have ascertained a Danish family with 38 persons (11 affected), and carried out a genome wide scan with 580 DNA micro-satellite markers to identify the locus for a gene, which we termed TRICY1 (for trichilemmal cysts). We found tight linkage to D3S1277 (Z = 4.

Demonstration of Brachyspira aalborgi lineages 2 and 3 in human colonic biopsies with intestinal spirochaetosis by specific fluorescent in situ hybridization.

Sequences of known 16S rRNA genes, derived from sequence analysis of cloned 16S rDNA, were used to design a specific oligonucleotide probe targeting spirochaetes of Brachyspira aalborgi lineages 2 and 3. The probe was used with fluorescent in situ hybridization to study the involvement of these organisms in human intestinal spirochaetosis. Seventeen human colonic biopsies from Norway and Denmark with intestinal spirochaetosis caused by Brachyspira-like organisms different from the type strain of B.

Occupational risk factors for small bowel carcinoid tumor: a European population-based case-control study.

Small bowel carcinoid tumor (SBC) is a rare disease of unknown etiology but with an age-, sex-, and place-specific occurrence that may indicate an occupational origin. A European multicenter population-based case-control study was conducted from 1995 through 1997. Incident SBC cases between 35 and 69 years of age (n = 101) were identified, together with 3335 controls sampled from the catchment area of the cases.

The importance of smoking and medical history for development of small bowel carcinoid tumor: a European population-based case-control study.

Objective: Little is known about the etiology of small bowel carcinoid tumor (SBC), but a few studies have pointed to certain medical and lifestyle factors as potential risk factors. This study aims to evaluate these findings and to identify new associations.

Methods: A population-based European multicenter case-control study was conducted from 1995 through 1997.