Dietary elimination therapy is an effective option for adults with eosinophilic esophagitis.

Background & Aims: Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is an immune-mediated disorder. Food elimination is an established treatment for children, but data in adults are limited. We aimed to determine the response of adults with EoE to dietary therapy.

Sitagliptin might be a favorable antiobesity drug for new onset diabetes after a renal transplant.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of sitagliptin, alone or in combination with metformin, in kidney transplant patients with newly diagnosed new-onset diabetes mellitus after transplant who had inadequate glycemic control, compared with a group of patients receiving insulin glargine with special emphasis on weight gain.

Materials And Methods: Newly diagnosed renal transplant patients with new-onset diabetes mellitus after a transplant was defined by a blood glucose ≥ 11.1 mmol/L after an oral glucose tolerance test were examined.

A phenotypic analysis shows that eosinophilic esophagitis is a progressive fibrostenotic disease.

Background: Phenotypes of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) are not well-characterized.

Objective: To describe clinical features of patients with EoE with predefined phenotypes, determine predictors of these phenotypes, and make inferences about the natural history of EoE.

Design: Retrospective study.

Metastatic melanoma in an esophagus demonstrating Barrett esophagus with high grade dysplasia.

Background: Metastatic melanoma involving the esophagus is rare; the occurrence of metastatic melanoma in a background of Barrett esophagus is rarer still. We report a case of an 80 year-old male who presented to our institution for workup of Barrett esophagus with high-grade dysplasia and who proved to have metastatic melanoma occurring in the background of Barrett esophagus, the first report of this kind, to our knowledge, in the English literature.

Case Presentation: An 80 year-old Caucasian male was diagnosed at an outside institution with Barrett's esophagus with high grade dysplasia and presented to our institution for therapy.

Administrative coding is specific, but not sensitive, for identifying eosinophilic esophagitis.

The use of administrative databases to conduct population-based studies of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) in the United States is limited because it is unknown whether the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) code for EoE, 530.13, accurately identifies those who truly have the disease. The aim of this retrospective study was to validate the ICD-9 code for identifying cases of EoE in administrative data.

Diabetes mellitus as predictor of patient and graft survival after kidney transplantation.

Background: In this study, we used a single-center database to examine the risks of renal transplantation in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). We aimed to compare 1-year outcomes of survival and morbidity after renal transplantation among recipients with and without DM.

Methods: We reviewed retrospectively 1211 adult patients who underwent renal transplantation from January 2001 to December 2010.

Germline genetic contributions to risk for esophageal adenocarcinoma, Barrett's esophagus, and gastroesophageal reflux.

Background: Esophageal adenocarcinoma (EA) is an increasingly common cancer with poor survival. Barrett's esophagus (BE) is the main precursor to EA, and every year 0.12% to 0.

Clinical and endoscopic characteristics do not reliably differentiate PPI-responsive esophageal eosinophilia and eosinophilic esophagitis in patients undergoing upper endoscopy: a prospective cohort study.

Objectives: Proton-pump inhibitor-responsive esophageal eosinophilia (PPI-REE) is a newly recognized entity that must be differentiated from eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). Little is known about this condition. We aimed to determine the prevalence of PPI-REE and EoE in patients undergoing upper endoscopy and determine features that distinguish the two groups.

Practical aspects of telehealth: set-up and preparation for video consultations.

The third in a series of articles about the practical aspects of telehealth, this paper gives guidance on suitable setup for video consultations, including layout of rooms, managing sound and image quality, scheduling, testing and best practice in telehealth videoconferencing.

Sirolimus conversion may suppress viral replication in hepatitis C virus-positive renal transplant candidates.

Objectives: Hepatitis C virus in renal transplant recipients is an independent risk factor for sickness and death. It has been shown that one might limit hepatitis C virus progression in liver transplant recipients with sirolimus-based immunosuppression. The mammalian target of rapamycin is an influential molecule for the anti-hepatitis C virus action of interferon.

A genome-wide association study identifies new susceptibility loci for esophageal adenocarcinoma and Barrett's esophagus.

Esophageal adenocarcinoma is a cancer with rising incidence and poor survival. Most such cancers arise in a specialized intestinal metaplastic epithelium, which is diagnostic of Barrett's esophagus. In a genome-wide association study, we compared esophageal adenocarcinoma cases (n = 2,390) and individuals with precancerous Barrett's esophagus (n = 3,175) with 10,120 controls in 2 phases.

Prevalence of eosinophilic esophagitis in the United States.

Background & Aims: Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) has become a major cause of upper gastrointestinal morbidity in children and adults. However, there are few data on the nationwide prevalence of EoE. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of EoE in the United States.

Differential penetration of raltegravir throughout gastrointestinal tissue: implications for eradication and cure.

Objective: To investigate the concentration of the integrase strand inhibitor raltegravir (RAL) throughout gastrointestinal (GI) tissue, especially gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT), as an adjunct to current prevention and cure strategies.

Design: Open-label pharmacokinetic (PK) study.

Methods: HIV-negative men received RAL 400 mg twice daily for 7 days.

Dolutegravir pharmacokinetics in the genital tract and colorectum of HIV-negative men after single and multiple dosing.

Objectives: To describe first-dose and steady state pharmacokinetics (PKs) of dolutegravir (DTG) in blood plasma (BP), seminal fluid (SF), colorectal tissue (RT), and rectal mucosal fluid (RF) of healthy HIV-negative men.

Design: A phase 1, open-label, PK study that enrolled 12 healthy men taking 50 mg DTG daily for 8 days.

Methods: Eleven paired BP samples and 3 SF and RF samples were collected over 24 hours after first (PK1) and multiple (PK2) dosing.

MicroRNA expression differentiates squamous epithelium from Barrett's esophagus and esophageal cancer.

Background: Current strategies fail to identify most patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) before the disease becomes advanced and incurable. Given the dismal prognosis associated with EAC, improvements in detection of early-stage esophageal neoplasia are needed.

Aim: We sought to assess whether differential expression of microRNAs could discriminate between squamous epithelium, Barrett's esophagus (BE), and EAC.

Single nucleotide polymorphisms of caudal type homeobox 1 and 2 are associated with Barrett's esophagus.

Background: Barrett's esophagus (BE), the premalignant lesion of esophageal adenocarcinoma, is believed to develop as a result of chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Approximately 10 % of subjects with GERD progress to BE. Genetic, epigenetic and other risk factors may contribute to this inter-individual variability.

Practical aspects of telehealth: financial considerations.

The second in a series of articles about the practical aspects of telehealth, this paper includes information and a case history on the cost-benefits for patients and practitioners using telehealth. The case history demonstrates that telehealth can save travel time for patients, carers and specialists, and can reduce out-of-pocket expenses. The practical aspects of telehealth article series considers the contextual, clinical, technical and ethical components of online video consultations.

A cross-sectional analysis of the prevalence of Barrett esophagus in otolaryngology patients with laryngeal symptoms.

Background: Populations at risk for esophageal adenocarcinoma remain poorly defined. Laryngeal symptoms can be secondary to laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) and can occur without associated gastroesophageal reflux symptoms such as heartburn and regurgitation.

Goal: We sought to determine the prevalence of Barrett esophagus (BE) in otolaryngology patients with laryngeal symptoms±typical gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) symptoms.

Distance from treatment facility and risk of death from cardiovascular and infectious causes in renal transplant patients.

We investigated whether patients receiving RTx who live farther from their attending nephrologist are more likely to die than those who live closer. A random sample of 167 patients who undergone RTx between 1996 and 2004 was examined. We calculated the distance between each patient's residence and the practice location of their attending nephrologist.

Nrf2 deficiency impairs the barrier function of mouse oesophageal epithelium.

Objective: As a major cellular defence mechanism, the Nrf2/Keap1 pathway regulates expression of genes involved in detoxification and stress response. Here we hypothesise that Nrf2 is involved in oesophageal barrier function and plays a protective role against gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

Design: Human oesophageal biopsy samples, mouse surgical models and Nrf2(-/-) mice were used to assess the role of the Nrf2/Keap1 pathway in oesophageal barrier function.

Practical aspects of telehealth: are my patients suited to telehealth?

The first in a series of articles that demonstrate the practical aspects of telehealth, this paper provides three case studies that examine the suitability of telehealth for patients living in rural and remote areas who require ongoing specialist care.