Confocal endomicroscopy in diagnosis of intestinal chronic graft-versus-host disease.

Graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) is a major complication of allogeneic stem cell transplantation. High-resolution in vivo histology of the intestine by confocal endomicroscopy (CEM) detects acute GvHD (aGvHD) with high sensitivity. This pilot study aims to evaluate the diagnostic value of CEM for intestinal chronic GvHD (cGvHD).

EndoClot Polysaccharide Hemostatic System in Nonvariceal Gastrointestinal Bleeding: Results of a Prospective Multicenter Observational Pilot Study.

Background And Study Aims: Hemostatic powders have been introduced to improve the management of gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding and to extend the variety of tools available for emergency endoscopy. The aim of the present pilot study was to evaluate the indication profiles and the short-term outcome of EndoClot.

Patients, Materials And Methods: In a prospective observational pilot study patients with acute nonvariceal GI bleeding were included.

Gastrointestinal diagnosis of classical Whipple disease: clinical, endoscopic, and histopathologic features in 191 patients.

Classic Whipple disease (CWD) is a systemic infection caused by Tropheryma whipplei. Different diagnostic tools have been developed over the last decades: periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining, T whipplei-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and T whipplei-specific immunohistochemistry (IHC). Despite all these advances, CWD is still difficult to diagnose because of a variety of clinical symptoms and possibly a long time span between first unspecific symptoms and the full-blown clinical picture of the disease.

Capsule endoscopy: comparison of two different reading modes.

Purpose: Capsule endoscopy (CE) is a very useful tool for the evaluation of the small intestine, but it is time consuming. The aim of this study was to compare evaluation times and detection rates in two different reading modes (single view at a speed of 10 frames per second (fps) and four images simultaneously, i.e.

Surveillance colonoscopy in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: comparison of random biopsy vs. targeted biopsy protocols.

Background: Endoscopic surveillance in patients with long-standing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) improves early detection of intraepithelial neoplasia (IEN). We aimed to compare three different endoscopic surveillance strategies in the detection of IEN.

Methods: One hundred fifty surveillance colonoscopies (ulcerative colitis, UC n = 141; Crohn's disease, CD n = 9) were carried out.

Connective tissue growth factor expression is increased in collagenous colitis and coeliac disease.

Aims: Subepithelial collagen deposition is a classical feature of collagenous colitis (CC), but is also seen in untreated coeliac disease. The end-stage mediator of excess cellular collagen production is connective tissue growth factor (CTGF). The aim of this study was to investigate CTGF expression by in situ hybridization (ISH) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in CC and coeliac disease as well as lymphocytic colitis (LC), Crohn's colitis and ulcerative colitis (UC).

Capsule endoscopy in small-bowel surveillance of patients with hereditary polyposis syndromes.

Purpose: Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) and Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (PJS) are hereditary polyposis syndromes with a high risk for benign small-bowel polyps and cancer. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of small-bowel polyps beyond the duodenum in patients with FAP and PJS and to examine the clinical value and the optimal interval of capsule endoscopy (CE) for the surveillance of small-bowel polyps in patients with FAP.

Methods: Between 2002 and 2009, standard gastroscopy, duodenoscopy, and CE were performed on 19 consecutive patients with hereditary polyposis syndromes (FAP n=15; PJS n=4).

Phenotypic characterization of CD3-7+ cells in developing human intestine and an analysis of their ability to differentiate into T cells.

We have identified a large population of CD3(-)7(+) cells in human fetal gut. Three- and four-color flow cytometry revealed a distinct surface Ag profile on this population; the majority were negative for CD4 and CD8, whereas most of the remainder expressed the CD8alphaalpha homodimer. In contrast about half of CD3(+) cells expressed CD4 and half expressed CD8alpha.

Matrix metalloproteinases in necrotising enterocolitis.

Elevated cytokines, especially TNF-alpha, have been implicated in the pathogenesis of necrotising enterocolitis (NEC). We have previously shown that TNF-alpha drives the production of matrix degrading enzymes, the matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), in the gut wall. In this study we have therefore investigated the role of MMPs in the pathogenesis of NEC in neonates.