Is duodenal biopsy always necessary for the diagnosis of coeliac disease in adult patients with high anti-tissue transglutaminase (TTG) antibody titres?

Objective: Avoiding duodenal biopsy in adults for coeliac disease (CD) diagnosis is controversial. Some retrospective and prospective studies have shown that CD can be reliably diagnosed in adults with serology rather than duodenal biopsies. This study aimed to check the accuracy of a cut-off value of ≥10 upper limit of normal of anti-tissue transglutaminase antibody (anti-TTG IgA) titres for CD diagnosis in adult patients.

Efficacy and safety of TC-325 (HemosprayTM) for non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding at Middlemore Hospital: the early New Zealand experience.

Aims: A case series to review early experiences with HemosprayTM for a variety of non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) at Middlemore Hospital.

Methods: HemosprayTM was administered therapeutically as first line or rescue at the discretion of the endoscopist. All cases of UGIB requiring HemosprayTM at Middlemore Hospital were identified to the investigator who undertook analysis of electronic and hard copy notes.

Type 2 diabetes: a risk factor for liver mortality and complications in hepatitis B cirrhosis patients.

Background And Aim: The effect of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) on morbidity and mortality among hepatitis B virus (HBV) cirrhosis patients is poorly defined. We assess the effect of DM on the HBV cirrhosis outcomes and survival.

Methods: A retrospective study of HBV cirrhosis patients who sought care at a sole public hospital in a geographically defined region, from year 2000 to 2012.

Hepatitis E in new zealand.

Background And Aim: Locally acquired hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection has been described in a number of developed countries and is thought to be zoonotic from pigs. Little is known about hepatitis E in humans in New Zealand (NZ) but 90% of NZ pigs show evidence of HEV infection. The aim of this study was to investigate the epidemiology of hepatitis E infection in NZ by documenting HEV immunoglobulin (Ig) G seroprevalence in NZ blood donors, testing patients with unexplained hepatitis for HEV, and comparing genetic sequences of human HEV with local porcine isolates.