Role of deletion located between the intermediate and middle regions of the Helicobacter pylori vacA gene in cases of gastroduodenal diseases.

The vacuolating cytotoxin gene of Helicobacter pylori, vacA, induces cytoplasmic vacuolation in gastric epithelial cells. Recently, the vacA intermediate (i) region, which is located between the signal (s) and middle (m) regions, was identified as a third polymorphic determinant of vacA activity. In vacA, there are approximately 81-bp deletions between the vacA i and m regions (denoted the d region).

Epidemiology of Helicobacter pylori infection.

Helicobacter pylori infection is now recognised as a worldwide problem. It is the most common cause of chronic gastritis, and is strongly linked to peptic ulcer disease and gastric cancer. While the infection is usually acquired in childhood, there is typically a long period of latency with disease manifestations not appearing until adulthood.

Treatment of Helicobacter pylori.

Overwhelming evidence implicates Helicobacter pylori as a significant causative factor in many gastroduodenal diseases. Effective multidrug antimicrobial regimens are available for cure of the infection, so investigative efforts are focusing on cost-effectiveness and treatment outcome in various populations. Potential associations between H.

Helicobacter pylori outer membrane proteins and gastroduodenal disease.

Background And Aims: A number of Helicobacter pylori outer membrane proteins (OMPs) undergo phase variations. This study examined the relation between OMP phase variations and clinical outcome.

Methods: Expression of H pylori BabA, BabB, SabA, and OipA proteins was determined by immunoblot.

Natural history of gastric mucosal cytokine expression in Helicobacter pylori gastritis in Mongolian gerbils.

Data regarding the chronological changes in gastric mucosal cytokines in the different phases of Helicobacter pylori infection are unavailable. We examined Mongolian gerbils for up to 52 weeks after H. pylori (ATCC 43504) inoculation.

Nonmelanoma skin cancer mortality (1988-2000): the Rhode Island follow-back study.

Objectives: To estimate (1) the magnitude of and the components and factors associated with nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) mortality and (2) the proportion of deaths misclassified as NMSC.

Design: Population-based follow-back study.

Setting And Patients: All Rhode Island residents whose deaths between 1988 and 2000 were attributed to NMSC.

New technology in the endoscopy center.

The boundaries of endoscopy will continue to expand. Imaging modalities, such as high-resolution and high magnification endoscopy, tissue spectroscopy, optical coherence tomography, and wireless endoscopy, will continue to evolve. New therapeutic modalities, such as endoscopic antireflux procedures, are making endoscopic surgery a reality.

Patient and referring provider satisfaction with teledermatology.

Background: Teledermatology has become more widely used, but its impact has not been clearly elucidated. We developed a teledermatology program in response to clinical need, based on the store-and-forward approach.

Objective And Methods: Our purpose was to evaluate the satisfaction of patient and referring physician by using telephone interview.

Rescue Therapy for Helicobacter pylori.

Up to 35% of patients infected with Helicobacter pylori fail to respond to standard anti-H. pylori therapy. With the rising prevalence antimicrobial resistance, the failure rates of conventional proton pump inhibitor-containing triple therapy are expected to increase.

Ulcer prevention in long-term users of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: results of a double-blind, randomized, multicenter, active- and placebo-controlled study of misoprostol vs lansoprazole.

Background: Studies that report prevention of ulcer recurrence among long-term users of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) that do not stratify for Helicobacter pylori status may not be generalizable to the large population of individuals without H pylori.

Methods: This was a prospective, double-blind, multicenter, active- and placebo-controlled study among 537 patients without H pylori who were long-term users of NSAIDs and who had a history of endoscopically documented gastric ulcer. Patients were randomized to receive placebo, 200 microg of misoprostol 4 times a day, or 15 or 30 mg of lansoprazole once daily for 12 weeks.

Reliability of counting actinic keratoses before and after brief consensus discussion: the VA topical tretinoin chemoprevention (VATTC) trial.

Objective: To assess the reliability of counts of actinic keratoses (AKs) and the effect of a brief joint discussion of discrepancies on that reliability.

Design And Intervention: Seven dermatologists independently counted AKs on the face and ears before and after a brief joint discussion of discrepancies.

Setting And Patients: A volunteer sample of 9 patients from the ongoing VA (Department of Veterans Affairs) Topical Tretinoin Chemoprevention (VATTC) Trial.

Alendronate and naproxen are synergistic for development of gastric ulcers.

Background: Both alendronate sodium use and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use are associated with gastric ulcers. The aim of this study was to investigate whether alendronate and naproxen are synergistic as causes of gastric ulcers.

Methods: We performed an endoscopist-blind, randomized, crossover, single-center comparison of 10 mg/d of alendronate sodium, 500 mg of naproxen sodium twice daily, or the combination taken orally for 10 days in volunteers aged 30 years or older.

Identification of cell wall deficient forms of M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis in paraffin embedded tissues from animals with Johne's disease by in situ hybridization.

M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis (M.

Helicobacter pylori infection is the primary cause of gastric cancer.

Helicobacter pylori causes gastric cancer in human and in experimental animals. The link between gastritis and H. pylori is causal.

Antibody against Helicobacter pylori CagA and VacA and the risk for gastric cancer.

Aim: Helicobacter pylori is associated with gastric cancer. Our aim was to investigate whether CagA or VacA seropositivity provides additional risk for gastric cancer.

Methods: Sera from 110 gastric cancer patients were sex and aged matched with asymptomatic controls.

Serologic detection of Helicobacter pylori infection with cagA-positive strains in duodenal ulcer, gastric cancer, and asymptomatic gastritis.

CagA has been suggested as a marker for more virulent strains of Helicobacter pylori. Studies using purified proteins and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method for serological detection of antibodies against CagA reported considerable discordance between the results of the ELISA and molecular detection of the cagA gene, with a tendency for estimation of the prevalence of cagA-positive H. Pylori to be higher by ELISA than by colony hybridization.