Mechanical colon cleansing for screening colonoscopy: A randomized controlled trial.

Objective: Effective screening colonoscopy depends on the quality of colon preparation. This study aimed to compare pulsed irrigation evacuation (PIE), polyethylene glycol (PEG) and sodium phosphate colon preparations.

Methods: Outpatients at a VA hospital were randomized using sealed envelopes.

Treatment of chronic radiation proctitis with cryoablation.

Background: Chronic radiation proctitis (CRP) is a common problem in patients receiving pelvic radiation. Current therapies have the potential for deep tissue injury with ulcerations, perforation, and fistula formation. Cryospray ablation therapy offers superficial ablation of mucosa and is a potential method to endoscopically treat CRP safely and effectively.

Dual proton pump inhibitor plus amoxicillin as an empiric anti-H. pylori therapy: studies from the United States.

Background: Studies with CYP2C19 slow metabolizers have shown that the combination of a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) plus amoxicillin (dual therapy) can reliably cure more than 90% of Helicobacter pylori infections. Theoretically, the use of a PPI dose that provides equivalent acid suppression with fast metabolizers and slow metabolizers would achieve high cure rates irrespective of the CYP2C19 genotype.

Aim: To evaluate high-dose PPI plus amoxicillin dual therapy for H.

CpG methylation and reduced expression of O6-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase is associated with Helicobacter pylori infection.

Background & Aims: The gastric epithelium genome undergoes extensive epigenetic alterations during Helicobacter pylori-induced gastritis. Expression of the gene encoding the DNA repair protein O6-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) might be reduced via hypermethylation of its promoter in patients with H pylori gastritis. We characterized expression of MGMT and its epigenetic regulation via CpG methylation in gastric tissue from patients with H pylori gastritis and investigated the effects of H pylori infection eradication on MGMT expression.

Polyomavirus shedding in the stool of healthy adults.

We recently reported the frequent detection of polyomaviruses (BK virus [BKV] or simian virus 40 [SV40]) in 46% of stool samples from hospitalized children. In order to determine if adults exhibit fecal shedding of polyomavirus, single stool specimens from healthy adults were evaluated by PCR. Overall, 20 (18.

Unreliability of results of PCR detection of Helicobacter pylori in clinical or environmental samples.

The aim of this study was to compare published Helicobacter pylori primer pairs for their ability to reliably detect H. pylori in gastric biopsy specimens and salivary samples. Detection limits of the 26 PCR primer pairs previously described for detection of H.

Obesity and gastroesophageal reflux disease and gastroesophageal reflux symptoms in children.

Background: The association between body mass index (BMI) and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) has been extensively studied among adults but few studies have examined such association in children.

Aims: 1) to determine the relationship between BMI in children and GERD, and 2) to use the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) values for BMI as a valid source for comparison.

Methods: We identified two cohorts of children aged between two and 17 years who were seen at Texas Children's Hospital (TCH).

Multidimensional measure for gastroesophageal reflux disease (MM-GERD) symptoms in children: a population-based study.

Background: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) symptoms are very common in children with major presenting symptoms of abdominal pain, heartburn and regurgitation. The presence of GERD symptoms often result in an impaired health-related quality of life for both the patients and their parents. Evaluation of children with GERD symptoms continues to challenge physicians due to the lack of a validated measure for GERD symptoms.

Capsule endoscopy for screening for short-segment Barrett's esophagus.

Background: The rise in the incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma has led to the development of new methods to screen for the precursor lesion, Barrett's esophagus.

Aim: To evaluate the potential role of esophageal capsule endoscopy in identifying the presence of short-segment Barrett's esophagus.

Methods: Patients with biopsy-proven short-segment Barrett's esophagus underwent esophageal capsule endoscopy.

Failures in a proton pump inhibitor therapeutic substitution program: lessons learned.

The pathogenesis of patient dissatisfaction following involuntary therapeutic substitutions involving proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) is poorly understood. The aim of this study was to describe the patient population experiencing therapeutic failure and investigate whether failure was related to individual differences in response to the different PPIs. Treatment failures in a lansoprazole-rabeprazole therapeutic substitution program were compared to switch successes.

Recurrent abdominal pain in school children: effect of obesity and diet.

Aims: To study the epidemiology and some of the risk factors of childhood recurrent abdominal pain (RAP) in school age children.

Methods: We used a questionnaire concerning socioeconomic parameters, intensity, frequency, duration, nature of RAP and anthropometric measures. We used several criteria to identify RAP and the Wong-Baker FACES scale for pain intensity and calculated the gender/age-specific body mass index (BMI) Z-score using NCHS standards.

A prospective study for the association of Helicobacter pylori infection to a multidimensional measure for recurrent abdominal pain in children.

Background: There is a controversial association between Helicobacter pylori infection and recurrent abdominal pain (RAP) in childhood and inconsistent information on specific symptomatology of the infection.

Aims: To examine the prevalence of H. pylori infection among children with RAP compared to asymptomatic children.

Development of a multidimensional measure for recurrent abdominal pain in children: population-based studies in three settings.

Objective: Recurrent abdominal pain (RAP) is a common problem in children and adolescents. Evaluation and treatment of children with RAP continue to challenge physicians because of the lack of a psychometrically sound measure for RAP. A major obstacle to progress in research on RAP has been the lack of a biological marker for RAP and the lack of a reliable and valid clinical measure for RAP.

Enterococcus gastritis.

Helicobacter pylori infection is the most common cause of gastritis with its associated sequelae. Gastritis secondary to other bacteria is rare. This report describes Enterococcus-associated gastritis in a 59-year-old diabetic man.

Preoperative evaluation of hepatic lesions for the staging of hepatocellular and metastatic liver carcinoma using endoscopic ultrasonography.

Background: Noninvasive imaging techniques, such as dynamic computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging and transabdominal ultrasonography are limited in their ability to detect hepatic lesions less than one cm. Intraoperative ultrasonography (IOUS) is currently the most sensitive modality for the detection of small hepatic lesions. However, IOUS is invasive requiring laparoscopy or formal laparotomy.