Liver histology and HBV DNA levels in chronically HBV infected patients with persistently normal alanine aminotransferase.

Background: Data on histological activity and HBV DNA levels in patients with chronic HBV infection and persistently normal alanine aminotransferase levels are sparse. We aimed to investigate the histological activity and HBV DNA levels in these patients.

Methods: There were 132 patients with HBeAg negative chronic HBV infection and persistently normal alanine aminotransferase levels that were included prospectively.

Expression of EGFRvIII in thyroid carcinoma: immunohistochemical study by camel antibodies.

Patients with poor prognosis in thyroid cancers resistant to currently available therapeutic modalities are often in search of a new treatment. The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) vIII, a ligand-independent, constitutively active, mutated form of EGFR has been shown to play a role in the pathogenesis of some cancers. Consequently, the immunohistochemical detection of EGFRvIII with novel camel antibodies, which are valuable for their ability to interact with less antigenic epitopes in contrast to the conventional antibodies, might be worthy in diagnostic techniques of thyroid neoplasms.

Gluten sensitive enteropathy in patients with iron deficiency anemia of unknown origin.

Aim: To determine the prevalence of gluten sensitive enteropathy (GSE) in a large group of patients with iron deficiency anemia (IDA) of obscure origin.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, patients with IDA of obscure origin were screened for GSE. Anti-endomysial antibody (EMA) and tissue transglutaminase antibody (tTG) levels were evaluated and duodenal biopsies were taken and scored according to the Marsh classification.

Immunohistochemical analysis of survivin expression in thyroid follicular adenoma and carcinoma.

Survivin is one of the 8 members of human inhibitor of apoptosis , which is differentially expressed in cancerous/transformed cells versus normal differentiated tissues. This retrospective study of thyroid histologic samples aimed to assess the clinical usefulness of survivin immunostaining for discrimination between follicular adenoma and carcinoma of thyroid. Immunohistochemical staining for survivin was performed on 41 lesions from patients who had undergone surgery for either follicular adenoma or carcinoma of thyroid.

Noninvasive markers of liver fibrosis and inflammation in chronic hepatitis B-virus related liver disease.

Background/aims: Noninvasive markers for predicting significant fibrosis and inflammation have not yet been validated in an unselected group of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) carriers. The aim of this study was to create noninvasive models to predict significant fibrosis and inflammation in chronic HBV carriers.

Methods: A total of 276 (229 HBeAg negative, 47 HBeAg positive) unselected consecutive treatment naïve patients chronically infected with HBV who attended our center over a 36-month period underwent liver biopsy.

Impact of immunosuppressive treatment on liver fibrosis in autoimmune hepatitis.

The impact of treatment on progression of fibrosis in autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is unknown. We assessed the changes in liver fibrosis before and after treatment among these patients. Nineteen AIH patients who had paired liver biopsies were studied.

Reversibility of cirrhosis in chronic hepatitis B.

Background & Aims: Hepatic fibrosis and cirrhosis are the consequences of many types of chronic liver disease, and, at its final stage when liver nodule and scarring develop, they are generally considered to be irreversible.

Methods: Here we describe 3 patients with chronic hepatitis B with clinical, biochemical, and histologic evidence of cirrhosis. They underwent treatment with interferon-alpha or lamivudine and had follow-up liver biopsy while in clinical, biochemical, and virologic remission.

Adenocarcinoma of the colon associated with sarcoidosis.

Lymph node swelling in the setting of malignancy generally suggests metastasis of the primary tumor. Here, we describe a patient with adenocarcinoma of the colon with regional and systemic lymph node enlargement that resulted from sarcoid reaction, not metastasis. Interestingly, sarcoidosis regressed after treatment of colon cancer.