Mast cell tryptase levels in gut mucosa in patients with gastrointestinal symptoms caused by food allergy.

Background And Aims: Mast cells, which are important effector cells in food allergy, require a special histologic treatment for quantification in endoscopic gastrointestinal samples. The objective of this study was to investigate whether mast cell tryptase (T), a typical mast cell-associated marker, may help to detect patients with food allergy.

Methods: Mast cell T was investigated from 289 colorectal samples of 73 controls, 302 samples from 43 patients with food allergy and gastrointestinal symptoms, and 72 samples from 12 patients with partial or complete remission of allergic symptoms.

Modern enteroscopic interventions and characterization of nonmalignant postsurgical biliary anastomosis by double-balloon endoscopy.

Background: Endoscopic access to strictured biliodigestive anastomoses often is difficult and may require percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage or reoperation.

Methods: Push- or push-and-pull enteroscopy was used to diagnose disease and treat 24 postsurgical patients with suspected strictured biliodigestive anastomosis. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiography and biliary interventional procedures were used.