Gastric juice analysis in clinical practice: why, how, and when. The experience with EndoFaster.

Gastric juice analysis may be useful for clinical purposes, including the detection of H. pylori infection and diffuse atrophic gastritis on gastric mucosa. EndoFaster is a novel device which performs real-time analysis of gastric juice revealing the infection and hypochlorhydria by measuring ammonium concentrations and pH levels.

Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Quality in Italy: A Nationwide Study.

Background And Aims: International guidelines advise improving esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) quality in Western countries, where gastric cancer is still diagnosed in advanced stages. This nationwide study investigated some indicators for the quality of EGD performed in endoscopic centers in Italy.

Methods: Clinical, endoscopic, and procedural data of consecutive EGDs performed in one month in the participating centers were reviewed and collected in a specific database.

Can Gastric Juice Analysis with EndoFaster Reduce the Environmental Impact of Upper Endoscopy?

Gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy services are in third place as major contributors to CO emissions among healthcare facilities, especially due to their massive waste production. One of the measures suggested to reduce this environmental impact is a reduction in histological examinations performed on biopsy specimens taken during endoscopy. A reliable candidate to reduce the rate of biopsies and, consequently, the impact of CO emissions could be EndoFaster, an innovative medical device that allows one to suspect or rule out both infection and precancerous lesions on the gastric mucosa by analyzing a small amount of gastric juice aspirated during endoscopy in real time.

Small bowel lesions in patients with iron deficiency anaemia without overt bleeding: a multicentre study.

The diagnostic work-up in iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) patients can be challenging when bleedings or malabsorption are not clinically manifest. Lesions on the small bowel mucosa may cause IDA. We evaluated the prevalence of lesions on the small bowel mucosa detected at Videocapsule Endoscopy (VCE) in IDA patients following negative upper and lower endoscopies.

Stricturing Crohn's disease: what is the role of endoscopic stenting? A systematic review.

Background/aims: Endoscopic stenting for stricturing Crohn's disease (CD) is an emerging treatment that achieves more persistent dilatation of the stricture over time than endoscopic balloon dilatation (EBD). We aimed to explore the efficacy and safety of stenting for the treatment of CD strictures.

Methods: A systematic electronic literature search was performed (PROSPERO; no.

Efficacy of a gluten-free diet in reducing the widespread pain index and symptom severity scale in patients affected by fibromyalgia.

Objective: Dietary interventions to improve fibromyalgia (FM) symptoms reported conflicting results. This study aimed to treat FM patients with a gluten-free diet (GFD), alternated with a non-restricted gluten-containing diet, followed by a rechallenge of the GFD.

Methods: Twenty postmenopausal women with FM and no history of celiac disease participated.

Long-Term Retention Rate of Tofacitinib in Rheumatoid Arthritis: An Italian Multicenter Retrospective Cohort Study.

: Tofacitinib (TOFA) was the first Janus kinase inhibitor (JAKi) to be approved for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, data on the retention rate of TOFA therapy are still far from definitive. : The goal of this study is to add new real-world data on the TOFA retention rate in a cohort of RA patients followed for a long period of time.

Diverticular Inflammation and Complication Assessment classification, CODA score and fecal calprotectin in clinical assessment of patients with diverticular disease: A decision curve analysis.

Background And Aims: The Diverticular Inflammation and Complication Assessment (DICA) classification and the Combined Overview on Diverticular Assessment (CODA) were found to be effective in predicting the outcomes of Diverticular Disease (DD). We ascertain whether fecal calprotectin (FC) can further aid in improving risk stratification.

Methods: A three-year international, multicentre, prospective cohort study was conducted involving 43 Gastroenterology and Endoscopy centres.

Pathologic response and survival after neoadjuvant chemotherapy with or without pertuzumab in patients with HER2-positive breast cancer: the Neopearl nationwide collaborative study.

Purpose: Clinical trials have shown a significant increase in pathologic complete response (pCR) with the addition of pertuzumab to neoadjuvant chemotherapy for patients with early-stage HER-2 positive breast cancer. To date, limited studies have examined comparative outcomes of neoadjuvant pertuzumab in real-world setting. The Neopearl study aimed to assess comparative real-life efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant pertuzumab for these patients.

Therapeutic Effects of Apremilast on Enthesitis and Dactylitis in Real Clinical Setting: An Italian Multicenter Study.

Introduction: Enthesitis and dactylitis are difficult-to-treat features of psoriatic arthritis (PsA), leading to disability and affecting quality of life.

Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate enthesitis (using the Leed enthesitis index (LEI)) and dactylitis at 6 and 12 months in patients treated with apremilast.

Methods: Patients affected by PsA from fifteen Italian rheumatological referral centers were screened.

Use of tofacitinib as first or second-line therapy is associated with better outcomes in patients with ulcerative colitis: data from a real-world study.

Background: Data regarding the real-world (RW) use of tofacitinib (TOF) in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) are limited. We aimed to investigate TOF's RW efficacy and safety in Italian UC patients.

Research Design And Methods: A retrospective assessment of clinical and endoscopic activity was performed according to the Mayo score.

Has the Potential to Cause Neurodegeneration in the Midbrain via the Periodontal Route of Infection-Narrative Review.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease and the most common example of dementia. The neuropathological features of AD are the abnormal deposition of extracellular amyloid-β (Aβ) and intraneuronal neurofibrillary tangles with hyperphosphorylated tau protein. It is recognized that AD starts in the frontal cerebral cortex, and then it progresses to the entorhinal cortex, the hippocampus, and the rest of the brain.

Rapid on-site evaluation improves the sensitivity of endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) for solid pancreatic lesions irrespective of technique: A single-centre experience.

Objective: Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) is the first-line technique for the sampling of pancreatic lesions. Many factors can influence the diagnostic performance of this procedure, including the use of rapid on-site evaluation (ROSE). The primary aim of this study was to compare the adequacy, diagnostic yield, accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of EUS-FNA for solid pancreatic lesions before and after the introduction of ROSE.

Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection for Subepithelial Tumor Treatment in the Upper Digestive Tract: A Western, Multicenter Study.

Background/aims: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) has been proposed for removal of gastrointestinal subepithelial tumors (GI-SETs), but data are still scanty. This study aimed to report a case series from a western country.

Patients And Methods: Data of patients with upper GI-SETs suitable for ESD removal observed in 4 centers were retrospectively reviewed.

Over-the-scope Technique for Partially Covered Self-expandable Metal Stent Placement to Treat Duodenal Perforation during EUS.

Background And Aims: Although endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) is generally safe, duodenal perforation may occur during the procedure. When the iatrogenic break is wide, endoscopic positioning of a covered self- expandable metal stent is indicated to avoid a more invasive surgical approach. We evaluated the efficacy of the 'over-the-scope stenting' (OTSS) technique to treat iatrogenic duodenal perforations occurred during EUS.

The Third Dose of BNT162b2 COVID-19 Vaccine Does Not "Boost" Disease Flares and Adverse Events in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Data on the risk of adverse events (AEs) and disease flares in autoimmune rheumatic diseases (ARDs) after the third dose of COVID-19 vaccine are scarce. The aim of this multicenter, prospective study is to analyze the clinical and immunological safety of BNT162b2 vaccine in a cohort of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients followed-up from the first vaccine cycle to the third dose. The vaccine showed an overall good safety profile with no patient reporting serious AEs, and a low percentage of total AEs at both doses (40/78 (51.

Newly designed OTS Clip for preventing fully-covered self-expandable metal stent migration in the gastrointestinal tract.

Fully-covered self-expandable metal stents (FCSEMS) are frequently used for endoscopic management of gastrointestinal lesions. However, stent migration occurs in up to one-third of patients. Different tools are used to anchor stents to prevent migration.