Adenoma Detection Rate and Colorectal Cancer Risk in Fecal Immunochemical Test Screening Programs : An Observational Cohort Study.

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) screening programs based on fecal immunochemical tests (FITs) represent the standard of care for population-based interventions. Their benefit depends on the identification of neoplasia at colonoscopy after FIT positivity. Colonoscopy quality measured by adenoma detection rate (ADR) may affect screening program effectiveness.

Natural history of gallstones in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. A prospective 5-year follow-up.

This prospective study was undertaken to assess the natural history of gallstones in patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes. Four hundred forty outpatients with diabetes mellitus were studied; 81 of these had gallstones diagnosed by ultrasound. On the basis of the information they gave, they were divided into two groups: A, asymptomatic; and B, symptomatic (previous episode(s) of biliary pain) at recruitment.

Biochemical and histopathological aspects in duodenogastric reflux gastritis patients with or without prior cholecystectomy.

The aim of this study was to evaluate some biochemical and histopathological aspects in a group of patients with a view to identifying any differences depending on whether the pathology was associated with previous cholecystectomy or idiopathic. The study involved 23 patients (8 post-cholecystectomy cases and 15 ulcer-free dyspeptic patients) with the diagnosis of duodenogastric reflux gastritis confirmed by endoscopic histopathological evaluation. The following parameters were considered: 1.

Computed tomography in the identification of gallstones likely to respond to UDCA.

An unusual case of a patient with two biliary stones of different densities that responded differently to oral litholytic treatment with ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) is reported. The findings confirm, in an unusual experimental model, that CT is useful in the selection of those stones which have a high probability of dissolution under treatment with oral bile acids.

Computed tomography in predicting gall stone solubility: a prospective trial.

This prospective study was undertaken to evaluate the correlation between densitometric values of gall stones assessed by computed tomography and the success rate of litholytic therapy in 28 patients eligible for oral treatment. A densitometric study of the stones was performed in all patients before treatment. A cut off point of 60 Hounsfield units (HU) was chosen to divide the subjects into two groups--group 1, 14 patients with low density stones (less than 60 HU) and group 2, 14 patients with high density stones (greater than 60 HU).

[Cisapride and sucralfate in dyspepsia associated with duodenogastric reflux gastritis].

The present investigation was undertaken with the aim of evaluating the clinical efficacy on dyspeptic symptoms associated with duodenogastric reflux gastritis of two drugs belonging to two different groups: a prokinetic (cisapride) and a cytoprotective agent (sucralfate). A total of 18 patients with duodenogastric reflux gastritis diagnosed on the basis of symptoms, endoscopy and histology were studied. Nine were given 30 mg of cisapride/daily and 9 4 g of sucralfate/daily for two months according to a randomization list.

[Morpho-functional characteristics of reflux gastritis in patients after cholecystectomy and without cholecystectomy].

The aim of this study was to evaluate some biochemical and histopathological aspects in a group of patients with a view to identifying any differences depending on whether the pathology was associated with previous cholecystectomy or idiopathic. The study involved 23 patients (8 post-cholecystectomy cases and 15 ulcer-free dyspeptic patients) with the diagnosis of duodenogastric reflux gastritis confirmed by endoscopic histopathological evaluation. The following parameters were considered: 1) pH and bile salt concentration in gastric juice; 2) histological classification of antral biopsies (Niemela's criteria); 3) dyspeptic symptoms (dyspepsia, pyrosis and epigastric pain, sense of repletion, foul-tasting mouth) graded on a scale from 0 to 4.

[Value and limitations of neoplasm markers in the diagnosis of pancreatic carcinoma].

In the last decades several markers of pancreatic neoplasia have been proposed to obtain a diagnosis as earlier as possible. Prerequisites of a good tumor marker are high sensitivity and specificity. Among the various substances, serum determination of pancreatic enzymes has been found of no utility in early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, due to its lack in sensitivity and specificity.

Comparison of two newly identified tumor markers (CAR-3 and DU-PAN-2) with CA 19-9 in patients with pancreatic cancer.

We compared the diagnostic utility of DU-PAN-2 and CAR-3 with that of CA 19-9 in differentiating pancreatic cancer (23 patients) from chronic pancreatitis (16 patients) and various extra-pancreatic diseases (28 patients) mainly of the upper gastrointestinal and biliary tract. The influence of some pathophysiologic variables on the three markers was also assessed. The sensitivities of the three markers in detecting pancreatic cancer were: CA 19-9, 83%; DU-PAN-2, 56%; and CAR-3, 39%.

Does serum CAR-3 play a role in pancreatic cancer diagnosis?

A new tumour marker, CAR-3, was isolated using the monoclonal antibody technique and measured in the sera of 27 patients with pancreatic cancer, 25 chronic pancreatitis, 30 extra-pancreatic diseases and in that of 18 healthy controls in order (1) to evaluate the diagnostic role of CAR-3 in patients with pancreatic cancer and (2) to ascertain whether liver dysfunction influences CAR-3 serum levels. The increased levels were found in 12/27 patients with pancreatic cancer (sensitivity 44.4%).

Urinary kallikrein excretion in chronic pancreatic diseases.

Variations in urinary kallikrein in pancreatic diseases were ascertained, and possible influencing factors were investigated. Serum amylase and urinary excretion of glandular kallikrein, pancreatic ribonuclease (RNase), gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) and amylase were measured in 24 control subjects, 39 patients with pancreatic cancer, 49 with pancreatitis and 63 with extra-pancreatic diseases. Urinary kallikrein was found to be elevated in a substantial number of patients with pancreatitis.

Diagnostic utility of a new monoclonal antibody pancreatic isoamylase assay in chronic pancreatic diseases.

In order to evaluate the efficacy of a monoclonal pancreatic (P) isoamylase assay in the diagnosis of chronic pancreatic disease and to compare the behavior of this test with that of amylase and elastase 1, these three enzymes were measured in the sera of 39 healthy controls, 28 patients with pancreatic cancer, 50 with chronic pancreatitis and 60 with extra-pancreatic diseases. In patients with chronic relapsing pancreatitis, increased P-isoamylase and elastase 1 values were found in similar percentages (about 70%), whereas the percentage for elevated amylase values was lower (52%). Elastase 1 was increased in 52% of patients with pancreatic cancer, while the other two enzymes were only occasionally elevated.

CAR-3 and CA 19-9 serum levels in pancreatic cancer: any differences between two epitopes of the same mucin-like glycoprotein?

The aim of this study was to compare the utility of two recently identified tumour markers of pancreatic cancer, CA 19-9 and CAR-3, and to ascertain the roles of some factors influencing both antigens. CA 19-9 and CAR-3 were measured in sera of 18 control subjects, 27 patients with pancreatic cancer, 25 with chronic pancreatitis, and 29 with extra-pancreatic diseases. CA 19-9 and CAR-3 were, respectively, found to be increased in 85 per cent and 44 per cent of patients with pancreatic cancer, 28 per cent and 0 per cent with chronic pancreatitis and 72 per cent and 28 per cent with extra-pancreatic diseases.

[Changes in the pattern of serum biliary acids and lipoprotein picture during therapy with biliary acids in cholesterol lithiasis].

Several studies are present in the literature about the efficacy of medical treatment with biliary acid, orally administered, on the symptomatic gallstone patients. Both this drugs act, with different mechanisms, on the same pathophysiological pathway, represented by the supersaturated bile in cholesterol. Aim of the present investigation was to study the possible modifications of serum bile acids pattern and of lipoproteins in a large sample of gallstone patients under long-term treatment with biliary acids.

[X-ray diffraction study of biliary calculi. Morphological and composition correlations of calculi].

In this study, we examined the composition of crystallographic structure of biliary stones in 106 patients (27 male, 79 female). The material has been obtained following cholecystectomy. In 70 cases (66%), the monohydrate cholesterol was the main constituent, alone (33%) or in combination with calcium salts (32%).

Deoxyribonuclease I serum activity in pancreatic cancer.

In patients with pancreatic cancer deoxyribonuclease I (DNase I) serum levels were compared with those of other known pancreatic enzymes. Serum deoxyribonuclease I, elastase 1, immunoreactive trypsin, amylase and phospholipase A2 were determined in 40 healthy controls, 28 patients with pancreatic cancer, 49 with chronic pancreatitis and 40 with extra-pancreatic diseases. The analysis of variance showed a significant difference among groups for serum DNase I values.

[Role of serum markers and or various clinical parameters in the diagnosis of pancreatic carcinoma].

This study was performed to ascertain the role of serum markers and simple clinical data in detecting pancreatic cancer and in distinguishing this malignancy from chronic pancreatitis and other gastrointestinal diseases. Serum CA 19-9, tissue polypeptide antigen and carcinoembryonic antigen were measured in 38 control subjects, 37 patients with pancreatic cancer, 39 with chronic pancreatitis and 44 with extra-pancreatic diseases mainly of gastrointestinal origin. Clinical data recorded included age, sex, presence of pancreatic calcifications, weight loss, pain, jaundice, alcohol abuse, diabetes mellitus.

Acute phase proteins in chronic pancreatic disease.

In order to evaluate the behaviour of some acute phase proteins in chronic pancreatic disease and to correlate these reactants with different factors, C-reactive protein, ceruloplasmin and alpha-1-antitrypsin were assayed in the sera of 24 control subjects, 26 patients with pancreatic cancer, 22 patients with chronic pancreatitis and 22 patients with a variety of diseases not of pancreatic origin. Alpha-1-antitrypsin, C-reactive protein and ceruloplasmin concentrations were found to be increased in 63%, 50% and 42% of patients with chronic pancreatic disease, respectively. In patients with pancreatic cancer no difference was found between the values of each protein considering the presence or otherwise the absence of liver metastases.