Fecal calprotectin and endoscopic scores: The cornerstones in clinical practice for evaluating mucosal healing in inflammatory bowel disease.

Managing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is becoming increasingly complex and personalized, considering the advent of new advanced therapies with distinct mechanisms of action. Achieving mucosal healing (MH) is a pivotal therapeutic goal in IBD management and can prevent IBD progression and reduce flares, hospitalization, surgery, intestinal damage, and colorectal cancer. Employing proactive disease and therapy assessment is essential to achieve better control of intestinal inflammation, even if subclinical, to alter the natural course of IBD.

Interaction between diet and genetics in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

In this editorial, we comment on the article by Marangoni , published in the recent issue of the 2023; 29: 5618-5629, about "Diet as an epigenetic factor in inflammatory bowel disease". The authors emphasized the role of diet, especially the interaction with genetics, in promoting the inflammatory process in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients, focusing on DNA methylation, histone modifications, and the influence of microRNAs. In this editorial, we explore the interaction between genetics, gut microbiota, and diet, in an only way.

A Rare Presentation of a Solid Pseudopapillary Neoplasm of the Pancreas.

Solid pseudopapillary neoplasms (SPN) are rare and represent a minority of all pancreatic cystic tumors. Symptoms, if present, are generally nonspecific and upper gastrointestinal bleeding is extremely uncommon as an initial presentation. A 31-year-old woman with no prior medical history presented with a 3-week period of epigastric pain, which she reported as persistent, exacerbated by eating, and associated with progressive asthenia, fatigue, and exertional dyspnea.

Treatment of iron deficiency anemia with liposomal iron in inflammatory bowel disease: efficacy and impact on quality of life.

Background Anemia is a clinical condition frequently seen in patients with inflammatory bowel disease, which is responsible for a significant loss of quality of life. Objective To assess the efficacy and safety of using oral liposomal iron to treat iron deficiency anemia in inflammatory bowel disease patients, as well as assess the impact of this treatment on psychometric scores. Methods Patients with inactive/mildly active inflammatory bowel disease were screened for anemia in this interventional pilot study conducted from November 2016 to March 2018.

The Impact of Spirituality and Religiosity on Mental Health and Quality of Life of Patients with Active Crohn's Disease.

We aim to investigate the association among religious/spiritual coping (RSC), quality of life (QOL), and mental health in patients with active Crohn's disease (CD). This cross-sectional study included 102 patients with active CD. Religious and spiritual beliefs were common among patients, being positive RSC higher than negative RSC.

Comparing the Detection of Endogenous Psychedelics in Individuals With and Without Alleged Mediumistic Experiences.

Context: Mediumship is the alleged ability to communicate with deceased personalities. Previous studies have suggested that the endogenous psychotomimetic molecules bufotenine (BT) and dimethyltryptamine (DMT) may play a role in the pathogenesis of psychotic disorders. Distortion of perceptions observed during spiritual experiences could supposedly relate to these substances.

Impact of superimposed Clostridium difficile infection in Crohn's or ulcerative colitis flares in the outpatient setting.

Purpose: The prospective assessment of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) impact in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) flare in outpatient setting has been poorly investigated. We aimed to evaluate the prevalence and the associated factors with CDI in IBD outpatients presenting colitis flares as well as the outcomes following treatment.

Methods: In this prospective cohort study, conducted from October, 2014, to July, 2016, 120 IBD patients (55% presenting colitis flare) and 40 non-IBD controls were assessed for CDI.

Small-Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth is Associated With Concurrent Intestinal Inflammation But Not With Systemic Inflammation in Crohn's Disease Patients.

Goals: We studied the prevalence and predictors of small-intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) in Crohn's disease (CD) outpatients and the relationship between SIBO and intestinal and/or systemic inflammation.

Background: The relationship of SIBO with systemic and intestinal inflammation in CD patients is unclear.

Study: In this cross-sectional study, conducted between June, 2013 and January, 2015, 92 CD patients and 97 controls with nonchronic gastrointestinal complaints were assessed for the presence of SIBO using the H2/CH4 glucose breath test.

Cardiovascular Risk Assessment: A Systematic Review of Guidelines.

Background: Many guidelines exist for screening and risk assessment for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease in apparently healthy persons.

Purpose: To systematically review current primary prevention guidelines on adult cardiovascular risk assessment and highlight the similarities and differences to aid clinician decision making.

Data Sources: Publications in MEDLINE and CINAHL between 3 May 2009 and 30 June 2016 were identified.

Anemia in inflammatory bowel disease outpatients: prevalence, risk factors, and etiology.

Unlabelled: Anemia is common in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, epidemiological studies of nonwestern IBD populations are limited and may be confounded by demographic, socioeconomic, and disease-related influences. This study evaluated the prevalence, risk factors, and etiology of anemia in Brazilian outpatients with IBD.

Azathioprine is more effective than mesalazine at preventing recurrent bowel obstruction in patients with ileocecal Crohn's disease.

Background: Patients with subocclusive Crohn's disease (CD) who received azathioprine (AZA) therapy had lower re-hospitalization rates due to all causes and for surgical management of CD compared to those treated with mesalazine during a 3-year period. We investigated whether AZA also was effective for prevention of recurrent bowel obstruction.

Material/methods: Rates of recurrent bowel occlusion were compared between patients treated with AZA and those treated with mesalazine.

A full solid diet as the initial meal in mild acute pancreatitis is safe and result in a shorter length of hospitalization: results from a prospective, randomized, controlled, double-blind clinical trial.

Goals: To compare the safety and length of hospitalization (LOH) between a full solid diet as the initial meal for refeeding after mild acute pancreatitis (AP) as compared with 2 other diets.

Background: In mild AP, the need for fat restriction during refeeding has not been studied. It was hypothesized that the reintroduction of oral feeding with a full solid diet after mild AP was safe and might result in a shorter LOH.

Azathioprine maintains long-term steroid-free remission through 3 years in patients with steroid-dependent ulcerative colitis.

Background: Studies assessing the efficacy of azathioprine (AZA) in steroid-dependent ulcerative colitis (SD-UC) are scarce. The purpose of this trial was to explore the efficacy of AZA in maintaining steroid-free remission in SD-UC patients and the factors associated with sustained response.

Methods: In this observational cohort study, 42 subjects with SD-UC were recruited for AZA therapy during a 3-year period.

Psychological distress in Brazilian Crohn's disease patients: screening, prevalence, and risk factors.

Background: Psychological disturbances are frequent in Crohn's disease (CD) patients. However, epidemiological studies of non-western CD populations are limited and may be confounded by genetic and disease-related influences. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and risk factors for depression and symptoms of anxiety in Brazilian patients with CD.

Azathioprine therapy in steroid-dependent patients with Crohn disease: results of a 10-year longitudinal follow-up study.

Background: Studies assessing the efficacy of azathioprine in steroid-dependent patients with Crohn's disease are scarce. The aim of this study was to assess the long-term efficacy and safety of azathioprine, and factors associated with sustained response, in steroid-dependent patients with Crohn's disease.

Material/methods: In this prospective, observational study, adult steroid-dependent subjects with Crohn's disease receiving azathioprine therapy were assessed over a 10-year period.

Religiousness and spirituality in fibromyalgia and chronic pain patients.

The influence of psychosocial factors on pain experience and patient response has received increasing interest and recognition. Patients with chronic pain from several sources (eg, musculoskeletal, cancer, or sickle cell) usually report that religiousness and spirituality are important in their lives. Prayer is the most used complementary therapy; religious coping is among the most common strategies used to deal with pain.

Comparison of brazilian spiritist mediumship and dissociative identity disorder.

We studied the similarities and differences between Brazilian Spiritistic mediums and North American dissociative identity disorder (DID) patients. Twenty-four mediums selected among different Spiritistic organizations in São Paulo, Brazil, were interviewed using the Dissociative Disorder Interview Schedule, and their responses were compared with those of DID patients described in the literature. The results from Spiritistic mediums were similar to published data on DID patients only with respect to female prevalence and high frequency of Schneiderian first-rank symptoms.

Onychomycosis in inflammatory bowel diseases.

Background: As far as we have sought for in Medline and PubMed, not one study until now has evaluated the prevalence of onychomycosis in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). As there are great evidence of immunological disturbances linked to IBD, a possible relationship of this nail infection in association with those diseases and the possible risk factors might be relevant in IBD patients.

Methods: A case-control prospective study using combined direct smear and cultures for fungus was performed.