Inflammatory cell distribution in colon mucosa as a new tool for diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome: A promising pilot study.

Background: Currently, there are no histological criteria to diagnose irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Our aims were (i) to examine the distribution of inflammatory cells in the colon of healthy and IBS subjects and (ii) to find histological diagnosis criteria for IBS.

Methods: Colonic biopsies were taken from four distinct regions of the colon from 20 controls (HC) and 11 patients with IBS (4 with constipation (IBS-C) and 7 with diarrhea (IBS-D) and embedded in paraffin.

CD44 is a key player in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.

Background & Aims: Cluster of differentiation (CD)44 regulates adipose tissue inflammation in obesity and hepatic leukocyte recruitment in a lithogenic context. However, its role in hepatic inflammation in a mouse model of steatohepatitis and its relevance in humans have not yet been investigated. We aimed to evaluated the contribution of CD44 to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) development and liver injury in mouse models and in patients at various stages of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) progression.

Spatio-temporal genetic heterogeneity of CTNNB1 mutations in sporadic desmoid type fibromatosis lesions.

Desmoid type fibromatosis (DT) is a rare lesion of unclear pathogenesis that most often presents a mutation of the (β-catenin) gene. The natural history and clinical evolution are highly variable between patients and to date there is no consensus on optimal therapy. We report two cases of a patient with multiple DT lesions.

Immunoglobulin G4-associated autoimmune hepatitis may be found in Western countries.

Background: Immunoglobulin G4-related disease is a multi-systemic autoimmune disease. The sole involvement of the liver has been recently reported in Japanese patients and named "immunoglobulin G4-associated autoimmune hepatitis".

Aim: To examine the baseline and the 2-year follow-up characteristics of non-Asian patients with immunoglobulin G4-associated autoimmune hepatitis compared to patients with classical autoimmune hepatitis.

Inflammatory hepatocellular adenomas developed in the setting of chronic liver disease and cirrhosis.

Hepatocellular adenoma is considered to occur exclusively in non-fibrotic livers. It is a heterogeneous entity and a molecular classification is now widely accepted. The most frequent hepatocellular adenoma subtype, namely inflammatory adenoma, harbor somatic activating mutations of genes involved in the interleukin-6 pathway that lead to high C-reactive protein and serum amyloid A expression.

ER stress induces NLRP3 inflammasome activation and hepatocyte death.

The incidence of chronic liver disease is constantly increasing, owing to the obesity epidemic. However, the causes and mechanisms of inflammation-mediated liver damage remain poorly understood. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is an initiator of cell death and inflammatory mechanisms.

Severe Vitamin D Deficiency May be an Additional Cofactor for the Occurrence of Alcoholic Steatohepatitis.

Background: Among its pleiotropic effects, vitamin D may protect the liver from fibrosis and/or inflammation. However, the impact of vitamin D on liver pathology in hepatitis C remains unclear, and very few studies including alcoholic patients with liver pathologies have been performed. Here we compared the levels of 25-OH vitamin D in the blood of alcoholic patients with the occurrence of alcoholic steatohepatitis (ASH) or bridging fibrosis.

Core needle versus standard needle for endoscopic ultrasound-guided biopsy of solid pancreatic masses: a randomized crossover study.

Background And Study Aims: A new core biopsy needle for endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided sampling has recently been developed. The aim of this prospective multicenter study was to compare this needle with a standard needle in patients with solid pancreatic masses.

Patients And Methods: Consecutive patients with solid pancreatic masses referred to 17 centers for EUS-guided sampling were included.

Primary biliary cirrhosis: proposal for a new simple histological scoring system.

Background & Aims: A simple and reproducible evaluation of non diagnostic histological lesions related to prognosis remains crucial in primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). Presently there is no satisfactory simple scoring system analysing them reliably. We elaborated a semi-quantitative scoring system that assesses fibrosis, lymphocytic interface hepatitis (LIH) and ductopenia, separately.

Osteopontin deficiency aggravates hepatic injury induced by ischemia-reperfusion in mice.

Osteopontin (OPN) is a multifunctional protein involved in hepatic steatosis, inflammation, fibrosis and cancer progression. However, its role in hepatic injury induced by ischemia-reperfusion (I-R) has not yet been investigated. We show here that hepatic warm ischemia for 45 min followed by reperfusion for 4 h induced the upregulation of the hepatic and systemic level of OPN in mice.

Metastatic hepatic epithelioid hemangio-endothelioma: long-term response to sunitinib malate.

Background: Epithelioid hemangio-endothelioma (EHE) is a rare malignant tumor of vascular origin that electively metastasizes to lungs and liver.

Case Report: We report the case of a 51-year-old woman with metastatic and progressive EHE of the liver. She was successfully treated with daily administration of sunitinib malate, an oral multi-target tyrosine kinase inhibitor, which particularly targets vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptors.

Gastrojejunal Anastomosis Exclusively Using the "NOTES" Technique in Live Pigs: A Feasibility and Reliability Study.

Introduction: Natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) could reduce procedure-associated morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility of performing a simple model of gastrojejunal anastomosis in a living porcine model exclusively using NOTES.

Methods: It was a prospective experimental animal study concerning pigs weighing between 25 and 30 kg.

Functional bowel symptoms in quiescent inflammatory bowel diseases: role of epithelial barrier disruption and low-grade inflammation.

Objective: To determine the role of colonic barrier defects and low-grade inflammation in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)-like symptoms in quiescent inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Design: Caecal biopsies were collected from 51 IBS, 49 quiescent IBD (31 Crohn's disease (CD) and 18 ulcerative colitis (UC)) patients and 27 controls. IBS was assessed using the Rome III criteria and the IBS severity score.

Preventive cancer stem cell-based vaccination reduces liver metastasis development in a rat colon carcinoma syngeneic model.

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) represent a minor population of self-renewing cancer cells that fuel tumor growth. As CSCs are generally spared by conventional treatments, this population is likely to be responsible for relapses that are observed in most cancers. In this work, we analyzed the preventive efficiency of a CSC-based vaccine on the development of liver metastasis from colon cancer in a syngeneic rat model.

Immunohistochemical markers on needle biopsies are helpful for the diagnosis of focal nodular hyperplasia and hepatocellular adenoma subtypes.

Phenotypic identification of focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) and hepatocellular adenoma (HCA) subtypes using immunohistochemical markers has been developed from their molecular characteristics. Our objective was to evaluate the sensitivity of these markers in the definitive diagnosis of these lesions by core needle biopsies. A total of 239 needle biopsies paired with their surgical resection specimen (group A) or without an associated resection specimen (group B) were reviewed.

The pig as a preclinical model for intestinal ischemia-reperfusion and transplantation studies.

Small bowel transplantation has become an established procedure for treatment of irreversible intestinal failure. In this procedure, primary ischemia and reperfusion is inevitable and will lead to some level of tissue injury. Both clinical and experimental data demonstrate that events occurring at the time of transplantation, called ischemia reperfusion injury (IRI), may have deleterious short- and long-term effects, manifesting as increased episodes of acute rejection and chronic allograft dysfunction.

Regular coffee but not espresso drinking is protective against fibrosis in a cohort mainly composed of morbidly obese European women with NAFLD undergoing bariatric surgery.

Background & Aims: The aim of this study was to determine the influence of coffee and other caffeinated drinks on liver fibrosis of severely obese European patients.

Methods: A specific questionnaire exploring various types of coffee (regular filtrated coffee and espresso), caffeinated drinks, and chocolate was filled in by 195 severely obese patients. All patients had liver biopsies that were analyzed according to the NASH Clinical Research Network Scoring System.

The osteopontin level in liver, adipose tissue and serum is correlated with fibrosis in patients with alcoholic liver disease.

Background: Osteopontin (OPN) plays an important role in the progression of chronic liver diseases. We aimed to quantify the liver, adipose tissue and serum levels of OPN in heavy alcohol drinkers and to compare them with the histological severity of hepatic inflammation and fibrosis.

Methodology/principal Findings: OPN was evaluated in the serum of a retrospective and prospective group of 109 and 95 heavy alcohol drinkers, respectively, in the liver of 34 patients from the retrospective group, and in the liver and adipose tissue from an additional group of 38 heavy alcohol drinkers.

Combination of allergic factors can worsen diarrheic irritable bowel syndrome: role of barrier defects and mast cells.

Objectives: Recent evidence suggests a role for increased colonic permeability and mucosal mast cell (MC) mediators on symptoms related to the irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Whether allergic factors (AFs) are involved in the pathophysiology of IBS is unclear. We addressed the question of the possible influence of an allergic background on IBS symptoms.