Selective activity of Tabebuia avellanedae against Giardia duodenalis infecting organoid-derived human gastrointestinal epithelia.

Giardia duodenalis is a widespread intestinal protozoan that affects mammals, including humans. Symptoms can range from being subclinical to causing severe abdominal pain and diarrhoea. Giardiasis often requires repeated treatment with synthetic drugs like metronidazole.

Biomarkers and Social Determinants in atherosclerotic Arterial Diseases: A Scoping Review.

Background: Arterial diseases like coronary artery disease, carotid stenosis, peripheral artery disease, and abdominal aortic aneurysm have high morbidity and mortality, making them key research areas. Their multifactorial nature complicates patient treatment and prevention. Biomarkers offer insights into the biochemical and molecular processes, while social factors also significantly impact patients' health and quality of life.

Ultrasound Features of -Related Gastritis.

Abdominal ultrasound (US) is a reliable method for visualizing gastric wall layers and measuring their thickness. The objective of this study is to characterize the ultrasound features of -induced gastritis and assess its predictive potential role for this condition. A cohort of 119 patients underwent gastroscopy with biopsy and abdominal US to evaluate antral wall thickness (AWT), submucosal wall thickness (SLT), mucosal wall thickness (MLT), gastric motility, and the presence of ingested material.

Chronic intestinal spirochaetosis and Giardia lamblia infection mimicking eosinophilic enterocolitis.

Human intestinal spirochaetosis is caused by the colonisation of the luminal membrane of the colon and rectum by anaerobic spirochaetes belonging to the genus Brachyspira. The common method used for its diagnosis is routine haematoxylin and eosin staining of colonic and rectal biopsy samples. The clinical spectrum of human intestinal spirochaetosis is heterogeneous, ranging from asymptomatic colonisation to symptoms such as chronic mucosal diarrhoea, rectal bleeding, and abdominal pain.

Comparison of ultrasound to MR and histological methods for liver fat quantification.

Purpose: This prospective pilot study aims to evaluate the capabilities of novel quantitative ultrasound (QUS) methods based on attenuation (Att.PLUS) and sound speed (SSp.PLUS) for detecting liver fat.

Transperitoneal versus low anterior access single-port pyeloplasty: surgical and functional outcomes from a tertiary referral center.

Background: Transperitoneal approach to robot-assisted pyeloplasty (RAP) have been preferred in the last decades because of the use of multi-port robotic platforms. However, this approach is linked to notable issues, such as pneumoperitoneum and lateral decubitus position, which is associated with potential soft tissues injuries, and it is a time-consuming procedure. Single-port (SP) platform was introduced to potentially address these issues.

Bile acid diarrhea in patients with chronic diarrhea. Current appraisal and recommendations for clinical practice.

Bile Acid Diarrhea (BAD) is a common cause of chronic diarrhea, often accompanied by urgency, occasional fecal incontinence, abdominal pain, and fatigue. A nationwide survey has shown limited awareness of BAD within the Italian medical community, prompting a panel of experts to develop a Position Paper that outlines the most practical and cost-saving diagnostic investigations and treatments for this frequently overlooked condition. The document provides an overview of the epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, and classification of the different types of Bile Acid Diarrhea (BAD).

Return to Sport After Partum in Patients With Diastasis of the Rectus Abdominis Muscles: Ultrasound Evaluation and Rehabilitation Protocol.

Background: Diastasis rectus abdominis is a condition in which the rectus abdominis muscles separate and move laterally, causing stretching of the linea alba tissue with weakness of the abdominal wall. Although it can lead to hernia of the abdominal viscera, diastasis rectus abdominis is not a hernia in itself. This condition is common among women during pregnancy and the postpartum period and can significantly affect their quality of life and their return to sports activity.

The impact of neoadjuvant therapy in patients with left-sided resectable pancreatic cancer: an international multicenter study.

Purpose: To assess the association between neoadjuvant therapy and overall survival (OS) in patients with left-sided resectable pancreatic cancer (RPC) compared to upfront surgery.

Background: Left-sided pancreatic cancer is associated with worse OS compared to right-sided pancreatic cancer. Although neoadjuvant therapy is currently seen as not effective in patients with RPC, current randomized trials included mostly patients with right-sided RPC.

An Ascaris lumbricoides infection diagnosed by colonoscopy: A case report and a brief literature review.

Background: Ascaris lumbricoides is a nematode that parasitizes the human gastrointestinal tract, and it is the cause of the most common helminthic infections worldwide. It predominates in areas of poor sanitation. Early diagnosis of this intestinal infection is pivotal to avoid its severe and lethal complications such as gut obstruction, volvulus, and perforation.

Efficacy and Satisfaction of a Chemically Characterized L. Extract-Based Food Supplement for Functional Constipation in Healthy Consumers: Preliminary Results of a Questionnaire-Based Survey.

Background/objectives: L. is rich in mucilage and is traditionally used for the management of numerous ailments including gastrointestinal disorders. Functional constipation (FC) is a gastrointestinal condition characterized by defecation anomalies such as infrequent stools, difficulty in stool passage, or both in the absence of pathological abnormalities.

Clinical and genetic drivers of oligo-metastatic disease in colon cancer.

Background: Oligo-metastatic disease (OMD) in colon cancer patients exhibits distinct clinical behavior compared to poly-metastatic disease (PMD), with a more responsive and indolent course. This study aims to identify clinical and biological factors uniquely associated with oligo-metastatic behavior.

Methods: Metastatic colon cancer patients from an academic center underwent genetic characterization.

Casual detection of an abdominal aortic aneurysm thanks to a trainee-made ultrasound with two subsequent "domino" diagnoses: case report and insights on the role of ultrasound courses.

Early detection of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is crucial as untreated lesions can be life-threatening. We describe the case of a fortuitous ultrasound (US) detection of AAA by a trainee which allowed two subsequent "domino" diagnoses. A 69 y.

The Clinical Relevance of Prior Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery in Alcohol-Related Liver Disease in a Nationwide Belgian Liver Transplant Population.

Background And Aims: Patients with a history of metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS) are susceptible to developing alcohol use disorder. Outcome after transplantation for alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) has not been studied in-depth.

Methods: We included adult patients who underwent a liver transplantation (LT) in Belgium between 1 January 2013 and 31 December 2022 for ALD.

Addressing Inflammaging and Disease-Related Malnutrition: Adequacy of Oral Nutritional Supplements in Clinical Care.

Background: Disease-related malnutrition, with or without inflammation, in older adults is currently emerging as a public health priority. The use of Foods for Special Medical Purposes, including Oral Nutritional Supplements, and supplements is crucial to support patients in achieving their nutritional needs. Therefore, this article aims to comprehensively provide an analysis of the adequacy of FSMPs in meeting the nutritional requirements of different age-related diseases and takes into account the emerging role of inflammation.

Checkpoint based immunotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer: a real-world retrospective study.

Introduction: Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-based immunotherapy targeting programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) or its ligand 1 (PD-L1) has radically changed the management of many types of solid tumors including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Many clinical trials have demonstrated that ICIs improve the survival and the quality of life of patients with advanced non oncogene NSCLC as compared to standard therapies. However, not all patients achieve a clinical benefit from this immunotherapeutic approach.

Partitioned polygenic risk scores identify distinct types of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is characterized by an excess of lipids, mainly triglycerides, in the liver and components of the metabolic syndrome, which can lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer. While there is solid epidemiological evidence that MASLD clusters with cardiometabolic disease, several leading genetic risk factors for MASLD do not increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, suggesting no causal relationship between MASLD and cardiometabolic derangement. In this work, we leveraged measurements of visceral adiposity identifying 27 previously unknown genetic loci associated with MASLD (n = 36,394), six replicated in four independent cohorts (n = 3,903).

Diagnosis and Treatment of Choledochal Cysts: A Comprehensive Review with a Focus on Choledochocele.

Choledochal cysts (CCs) are cystic dilations of intrahepatic and/or extrahepatic bile ducts. Around 80% of CCs are diagnosed within the first decade of life. These complex clinical entities are extremely rare, especially in the Western population.

Intermittent or Continuous Panitumumab Plus Fluorouracil, Leucovorin, and Irinotecan for First-Line Treatment of RAS and BRAF Wild-Type Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: The IMPROVE Trial.

Purpose: To investigate whether intermittent treatment after an induction phase of first-line schedule of fluorouracil, leucovorin, and irinotecan (FOLFIRI) plus panitumumab (PAN) prevents or delays the onset of resistance and improves safety and compliance with treatment in patients with unresectable / wild-type (wt) metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC).

Patients And Methods: IMPROVE (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04425239) was an open-label, multicenter, randomized phase II noncomparative trial.

Feasibility and Safety of Using Carbon Dioxide Exclusively in Regular Endovascular Aortic Aneurysm Repair: Results of a Multicentre, Prospective, Zero Iodine Contrast Endovascular Aneurysm Repair Study.

Objective: Carbon dioxide (CO) angiography has emerged as a viable alternative to regular iodinated contrast medium (ICM) for guiding endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) procedures. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and safety of a standardised EVAR procedure using only CO angiography.

Methods: A prospective, multicentre, national study enrolled consecutive patients between January 2023 and January 2024 with asymptomatic abdominal aortic aneurysms measuring ≥ 55 mm and for whom a standard endovascular graft (instructions for use) was anatomically feasible.

Impact of Geometric Attributes on Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Rupture Risk: An In Vivo FSI-Based Study.

Reported in this paper is a cutting-edge computational investigation into the influence of geometric characteristics on abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) rupture risk, beyond the traditional measure of maximum aneurysm diameter. A Comprehensive fluid-structure interaction (FSI) analysis was employed to assess risk factors in a range of patient scenarios, with the use of three-dimensional (3D) AAA models reconstructed from patient-specific aortic data and finite element method. Wall shear stress (WSS), and its derivatives such as time-averaged WSS (TAWSS), oscillatory shear index (OSI), relative residence time (RRT) and transverse WSS (transWSS) offer insights into the force dynamics acting on the AAA wall.

Probiotics and Prebiotics for the Treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome-A Narrative Review.

Gastrointestinal functional disorders (GFDs), including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), are imbalances in the gut-brain axis characterized by persistence of symptoms in the abdominal area. Probiotics are live microorganisms that provide benefits to the health of their hosts when administered in adequate amounts, while prebiotics are a substrate that is selectively used by host microorganisms. This narrative review aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of prebiotics and probiotics mostly in irritable bowel syndrome, particularly on issues such as the interaction between these products and the gut microbiota, the duration of supplementation and long-term effects, the definition of ideal dosages, and the regulation and quality control of these products.