Satiety Hormone LEAP2 After Low-Calorie Diet With/Without Endobarrier Insertion in Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Context: The liver/foregut satiety hormone liver-expressed antimicrobial peptide 2 (LEAP2) is an inverse agonist at the acyl ghrelin receptor (GHSR), increasing after food intake and decreasing after bariatric surgery and short-term nonsurgical weight loss, but effects of long-term dietary weight loss are unknown.

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine and compare the effects of these interventions on fasting and postprandial plasma LEAP2 and investigate potential metabolic mediators of changes in plasma LEAP2.

Methods: Plasma LEAP2 was measured in a previously published 2-year trial comparing standard medical management (SMM) (including 600-kcal/day deficit) with duodenal-jejunal bypass liner (DJBL, Endobarrier) insertion (explanted after 1 year) in adults with obesity and inadequately controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Impact of an educational intervention on water, sanitation and hygiene knowledge, attitudes, and practices in early childhood development centres in low-socio-economic areas in the Nelson Mandela Bay, South Africa.

Good water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) enhance healthy living and safe environments for child development. The study aimed to evaluate the impact of an educational intervention on WASH status, knowledge, attitudes and practices in early child development (ECD) centres in low socio-economic areas in the Nelson Mandela Bay in 2021. This quasi-experimental, one group, pre-post-test study elicited responses from 51 ECD practitioners (1 per ECD centre).

Antibody Responses to Influenza Vaccination are Diminished in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease on Infliximab or Tofacitinib.

Background And Aims: We sought to determine whether six commonly used immunosuppressive regimens were associated with lower antibody responses after seasonal influenza vaccination in patients with inflammatory bowel disease [IBD].

Methods: We conducted a prospective study including 213 IBD patients and 53 healthy controls: 165 who had received seasonal influenza vaccine and 101 who had not. IBD medications included infliximab, thiopurines, infliximab and thiopurine combination therapy, ustekinumab, vedolizumab, or tofacitinib.

Neutralising antibody responses against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.4/5 and wild-type virus in patients with inflammatory bowel disease following three doses of COVID-19 vaccine (VIP): a prospective, multicentre, cohort study.

Background: Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) receiving anti-TNF and JAK-inhibitor therapy have attenuated responses to COVID-19 vaccination. We aimed to determine how IBD treatments affect neutralising antibody responses against the Omicron BA.4/5 variant.

Pathobionts in the tumour microbiota predict survival following resection for colorectal cancer.

Background And Aims: The gut microbiota is implicated in the pathogenesis of colorectal cancer (CRC). We aimed to map the CRC mucosal microbiota and metabolome and define the influence of the tumoral microbiota on oncological outcomes.

Methods: A multicentre, prospective observational study was conducted of CRC patients undergoing primary surgical resection in the UK (n = 74) and Czech Republic (n = 61).

Flock size and structure influence reproductive success in four species of flamingo in 540 captive populations worldwide.

As global wildlife populations continue to decline, the health and sustainability of ex situ populations in zoos and aquariums have become increasingly important. However, the majority of managed ex situ populations are not meeting sustainability criteria and are not viable in the long term. Historically, ex situ flamingo (Phoenicopteriformes) populations have shown low rates of reproductive success and improvements are needed for long-term viability.

Oral beclomethasone dipropionate is an effective treatment for immune checkpoint inhibitor induced colitis.

Introduction: Systemic corticosteroids are the mainstay of treatment for immune checkpoint inhibitor induced (CPI) colitis but are associated with complications including life-threatening infection. The topically acting oral corticosteroid beclomethasone dipropionate (BD) is an effective treatment for mild to moderate flares of ulcerative colitis, and has fewer side effects than systemic corticosteroids. We hypothesized that BD would be an effective treatment for CPI-induced colitis.

COVID-19 vaccine-induced antibody and T-cell responses in immunosuppressed patients with inflammatory bowel disease after the third vaccine dose (VIP): a multicentre, prospective, case-control study.

Background: COVID-19 vaccine-induced antibody responses are reduced in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) taking anti-TNF or tofacitinib after two vaccine doses. We sought to assess whether immunosuppressive treatments were associated with reduced antibody and T-cell responses in patients with IBD after a third vaccine dose.

Methods: VIP was a multicentre, prospective, case-control study done in nine centres in the UK.

CT-001 is a rapid clearing factor VIIa with enhanced clearance and hemostatic activity for the treatment of acute bleeding in non-hemophilia settings.

Introduction: Acute bleeding leads to significant morbidity and mortality. Recombinant wildtype Factor VIIa (WT FVIIa) had been reported to have some therapeutic effects in some clinical trials, however, its use was associated with thromboembolic events. We sought to develop a novel FVIIa molecule (CT-001) with enhanced activity and lowered thrombogenicity risk.

Does Bypass of the Proximal Small Intestine Impact Food Intake, Preference, and Taste Function in Humans? An Experimental Medicine Study Using the Duodenal-Jejunal Bypass Liner.

The duodenal-jejunal bypass liner (Endobarrier) is an endoscopic treatment for obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). It creates exclusion of the proximal small intestine similar to that after Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass (RYGB) surgery. The objective of this study was to employ a reductionist approach to determine whether bypass of the proximal intestine is the component conferring the effects of RYGB on food intake and sweet taste preference using the Endobarrier as a research tool.

COVID-19 vaccine-induced antibody responses in immunosuppressed patients with inflammatory bowel disease (VIP): a multicentre, prospective, case-control study.

Background: The effects that therapies for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have on immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination are not yet fully known. Therefore, we sought to determine whether COVID-19 vaccine-induced antibody responses were altered in patients with IBD on commonly used immunosuppressive drugs.

Methods: In this multicentre, prospective, case-control study (VIP), we recruited adults with IBD treated with one of six different immunosuppressive treatment regimens (thiopurines, infliximab, a thiopurine plus infliximab, ustekinumab, vedolizumab, or tofacitinib) and healthy control participants from nine centres in the UK.

Duodenal-Jejunal Bypass Liner for the management of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Obesity: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the clinical efficacy and safety of the duodenal-jejunal bypass liner (DJBL) while in situ for 12 months and for 12 months after explantation.

Summary Background Data: This is the largest randomized controlled trial (RCT) of the DJBL, a medical device used for the treatment of people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and obesity. Endoscopic interventions have been developed as potential alternatives to those not eligible or fearful of the risks of metabolic surgery.

Assessment of status by examination of gastric mucosal patterns: diagnostic accuracy of white-light endoscopy and narrow-band imaging.

Objectives: infection is a common cause of chronic gastritis worldwide and an established risk factor for developing gastric malignancy. The endoscopic appearances predicting status are an ongoing area of research, as are their diagnostic accuracies. This study aimed to establish the diagnostic accuracy of several mucosal features predictive of negative status and formulate a simple prediction model for use at the time of endoscopy.

In vitro characterization of CT-001-a short-acting factor VIIa with enhanced prohemostatic activity.

Background: Traumatic injury and the associated acute bleeding are leading causes of death in people aged 1 to 44 years. Acute bleeding in pathological and surgical settings also represents a significant burden to the society. Yet there are no approved hemostatic drugs currently available.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Artificial Intelligence and Computer-Aided Diagnosis for the Detection and Characterization of Colorectal Polyps: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Background: Colonoscopy reduces the incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) by allowing detection and resection of neoplastic polyps. Evidence shows that many small polyps are missed on a single colonoscopy. There has been a successful adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to tackle the issues around missed polyps and as tools to increase the adenoma detection rate (ADR).

Clinical outcomes of patients with corticosteroid refractory immune checkpoint inhibitor-induced enterocolitis treated with infliximab.

Introduction: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (CPIs) have changed the treatment landscape for many cancers, but also cause severe inflammatory side effects including enterocolitis. CPI-induced enterocolitis is treated empirically with corticosteroids, and infliximab (IFX) is used in corticosteroid-refractory cases. However, robust outcome data for these patients are scarce.

Malignant Melanoma of the Gastrointestinal Tract: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Current Treatment Options.

Malignant melanoma (MM) has become the fifth most frequent cancer in the UK. It is the most common carcinoma to metastasize to the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. MM particularly has an affinity to spread to the small bowel, which is followed by the involvement of the stomach and large intestine.

Living conditions and respiratory health in Walmer Township and Wells Estate, Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

Background: Many impoverished communities in South Africa (SA) simultaneously face multiple preventable socioenvironmental hazards associated with elevated burdens of ill health. One such hazard is failure to institute effective buffer zones between human settlements and point sources of pollution such as airports and industrial zones.

Objectives: To gather information on living conditions, housing quality and health status in two poor communities in the SA coastal industrial city of Port Elizabeth.

The endoscopic predictors of status: a meta-analysis of diagnostic performance.

Objective: The endoscopic findings associated with -naïve status, current infection or past infection are an area of ongoing interest. Previous studies have investigated parameters with a potential diagnostic value. The aim of this study was to perform meta-analysis of the available literature to validate the diagnostic accuracy of mucosal features proposed in the Kyoto classification.

The effect of a duodenal-jejunal bypass liner on lipid profile and blood concentrations of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Background & Aims: Duodenal-jejunal bypass liners (DJBLs) prevent absorption in the proximal small intestine, the site of fatty acid absorption. We sought to investigate the effects of a DJBL on blood concentrations of essential fatty acids (EFAs) and bioactive polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs).

Methods: Sub-study of a multicentre, randomised, controlled trial with two treatment groups.