Causes of Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency Other Than Chronic Pancreatitis.

Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI), an important cause of maldigestion and malnutrition, results from primary pancreatic disease or is secondary to impaired exocrine pancreatic function. Although chronic pancreatitis is the most common cause of EPI, several additional causes exist. These include pancreatic tumors, pancreatic resection procedures, and cystic fibrosis.

The Role of Circulating MicroRNAs in Patients with Early-Stage Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is increasing in incidence and is still associated with a high rate of mortality. Only a minority of patients are diagnosed in the early stage. Radical surgery is the only potential curative procedure.

Investigator Initiated Clinical Trials (IICTs): A Systematic Search in Registries to Compare the Czech Republic and Portugal in Terms of Funding Policies and Scientific Outcomes.

Objectives: Clinical trials provide one of the highest levels of evidence to support medical practice. Investigator initiated clinical trials (IICTs) answer relevant questions in clinical practice that may not be addressed by industry. For the first time, two European Countries are compared in terms of IICTs, respective funders and publications, envisaging to inspire others to use similar indicators to assess clinical research outcomes.

Risk factors of pancreatic cancer and their possible uses in diagnostics.

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is a form of malignancy of increasing incidence and poor prognosis, with an average of less than 10% of patients surviving 5 years after being diagnosed. The main reason for this unfavorable situation is the long asymptomatic course of the disease, and the absence of a simple screening method, typically leading to the late discovery of the disease. The development of the malignancy from the initial carcinogenesis into invasive pancreatic carcinoma takes approximately 10 years.

The Current Status of European and National Financial Sources for Clinical Research and Their Impact on Paediatric Non-commercial Clinical Trials: A Case Study of the Czech Republic.

Introduction: Paediatric non-commercial interventional clinical trials (NICTs) are crucial for healthcare provision. In spite of the fact that current regulations and initiatives try to enhance the quantity and quality of paediatric NICTs, there are still shortcomings that need to be addressed in order to accelerate the conduct of relevant clinical trials in children. To improve the current landscape of paediatric clinical research, it is necessary to identify and analyse the main trends and shortcomings, along with their impact on national performance in paediatric NICTs and this is the aim of this work.

Global epidemiology of gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GIST): A systematic review of population-based cohort studies.

Background: Gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GISTs) are rare, yet the most common mesenchymal tumour within the digestive tract. Lack of diagnostic criteria and no specific code in the ICD system has prevented epidemiological evaluation except from overt malignant cases in the past. A global estimate of incidence and disease patterns has thus not been available.

Various forms of (18)F-FDG PET and PET/CT findings in patients with polymyalgia rheumatica.

Aim: Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) is a disease presenting with pain and stiffness, mainly in shoulders, hip joints and neck. Laboratory markers of inflammation may bolster diagnosis. PMR afflicts patients over 50 years old, predominantly women, and may also accompany giant cell arteritis.

Genome-wide screening of DNA copy number alterations in cervical carcinoma patients with CGH+SNP microarrays and HPV-FISH.

Alterations in the genome that lead to changes in DNA sequence copy number are characteristic features of solid tumors. We used CGH+SNP microarray and HPV-FISH techniques for detailed screening of copy number alterations (CNAs) in a cohort of 26 patients with cervical carcinoma (CC). This approach identified CNAs in 96.

Immunoglobulin G4-related cholangitis: a variant of IgG4-related systemic disease.

IgG4-related sclerosing cholangitis as part of IgG4 systemic-related diseases is commonly associated with autoimmune pancreatitis. Major clinical manifestations of IgG4-related sclerosing diseases are apparent in the organs in which tissue fibrosis with obstructive phlebitis is pathologically induced. IgG4-related sclerosing cholangitis is included within the heterogeneous group of 'sclerosing cholangitis'.

Genetic and preventive services for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer in the czech republic.

The majority of hereditary breast and ovarian cancers can be accounted for by germline mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. Genetic counselling and testing in high-risk patients in the Czech Republic began in 1997 in two centres (Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute in Brno, MMCI, and the General University Hospital plus the First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, 1FMUK). Health insurance covers testing in MMCI, whereas testing at 1FMUK is covered by research grants.

Gemcitabine monotherapy in patients with locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer: a prospective observational study.

Pancreatic cancer has one of the worst prognosis of any malignant disease. Systemic therapy is often administered because the disease is usually detected at advanced stages. Gemcitabine (Gemzar trade mark, Eli Lilly & Co.