The incidence of achalasia is at least twice as high as previously believed, 2 studies (one from Chicago, the other from Australia) show in the March issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Achalasia is characterized by dysphagia, regurgitation of undigested food, and chest pain. Patients lose weight due to the
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Sterile fecal filtrates—containing bacterial debris, proteins, antimicrobial compounds, metabolic products, and microbial DNA, rather than intact microorganisms—appear to be effective for treatment of recurrent Clostridium difficile infection (CDI), researchers report in the March issue of Gastroenterology. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is an effective therapy of recurrent CDI—a single treatment resolves
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Extracellular vesicles carry HBV DNA as cargo that can be transmitted to other hepatocytes, researchers report in the March issue of Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Their findings identify an antibody-neutralization–resistant route of HBV infection. Approximately 350 million people are chronically infected by HBV worldwide, and some of these
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Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) is more accurate than transient elastography (TE) in identifying liver fibrosis of stage 1 or more, researchers report in the February issue of Gastroenterology, using biopsy analysis as the standard. They also show that MRI-based proton density fat fraction (MRI-PDFF) analysis is more accurate than TE-based
Read moreEndoscopy during pregnancy is associated with slight increases in risk of preterm birth and small for gestational age, but not congenital malformation or stillbirth, researchers report in a nationwide population-based cohort study published in the February issue of Gastroenterology. However, the authors believe the small increase in risk to be
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Researchers can identify patients with Barrett’s esophagus (BE) based on profiles of exhaled volatile organic compounds measured with an electronic nose device. This tool, described in the January issue of Gastroenterology, provides a portable, accessible, and widely acceptable tool for screening and surveillance for BE in patients with gastroesophageal reflux
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Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG) delays gastric emptying, induces early satiation, and significantly reduces body weight, researchers report in the January issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. ESG could therefore be an alternative to bariatric surgery for some patients with obesity. Although bariatric surgery is the most effective therapy for obesity,
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Researchers have developed a mobile health index for remote monitoring of patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) that could be incorporated into a smartphone app. These findings are reported in the December issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. The shift from symptom-oriented to prevention-oriented care delivery has accelerated the development of
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In patients with recurrent acute pancreatitis, total pancreatectomy with islet autotransplantation (TPIAT) reduces pain and requirements for narcotic therapy, and increases quality of life, researchers report in the September issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. This treatment should be considered when medical and endoscopic therapies have failed. Recurrent acute pancreatitis, caused
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Dysbiosis contributes to the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) by altering colonic expression of genes that regulate inflammation and the immune response, researchers report in the July issue of Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology. An altered intestinal microbiota composition has been associated with IBD. However, it is not
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Dr. Kristine Novak is the science editor for Gastroenterology and Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. She has worked as an editor at biomedical research journals and as a science writer for 15 years, covering advances in gastroenterology, hepatology, cancer, immunology, biotechnology, molecular genetics, and clinical trials. She has a PhD in cell biology and an interest in all areas of medical research.
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