Copyright 2009 Medical News Today Latest GastroIntestinal / Gastroenterology News From Medical News Today. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/sections/gastrointestinal/ admin@medicalnewstoday.com (MNT Admin) editors@medicalnewstoday.com (MNT Editors) en-us Fri, 03 Jul 2009 07:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/156401.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/156401.php US researchers said that undiagnosed cases of celiac disease, where the immune system has a strong adverse reaction to the protein found in wheat and other grains, appear to have increased dramatically in the last 50 years. They also found, over a 45 year follow up, that people with undiagnosed celiac disease have a nearly four-fold increased risk of premature death from any cause. GastroIntestinal / Gastroenterology Fri, 03 Jul 2009 01:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/156237.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/156237.php Celiac disease, an immune system reaction to gluten in the diet, is over four times more common today than it was 50 years ago, according to findings of a Mayo Clinic study published this month in the journal Gastroenterology. The study also found that subjects who did not know they had celiac disease were nearly four times more likely than celiac-free subjects to have died during the 45 years of follow-up. GastroIntestinal / Gastroenterology Thu, 02 Jul 2009 06:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/156196.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/156196.php Sucampo Pharma Americas, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Sucampo Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:SCMP), today reported top-line results from its phase 2 clinical trial of orally administered cobiprostone for the prevention of gastric ulcers and other gastrointestinal injuries in patients treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). A total of 124 patients with osteoarthritis and/or rheumatoid arthritis at 12 sites in the U.S. GastroIntestinal / Gastroenterology Wed, 01 Jul 2009 05:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/156004.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/156004.php A recent study carried out by the Health Protection Agency and LACORS (Local Authorities Co-ordinators of Regulatory Services) has revealed the presence of Salmonella and E. coli bacteria in a small number of samples of ready-to-eat shelled nuts. Consumption of nuts has gone up, reflecting a growing preference for snacks that are both healthy and convenient. Infectious Diseases / Bacteria / Viruses Wed, 01 Jul 2009 05:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/156023.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/156023.php Celiac disease, an immune system reaction to gluten in the diet, is over four times more common today than it was 50 years ago, according to findings of a Mayo Clinic study published this month in the journal Gastroenterology. GastroIntestinal / Gastroenterology Wed, 01 Jul 2009 04:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/156005.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/156005.php An unusual study at the Department of Surgery at Heidelberg University Hospital examined for the first time whether the incision technique used in major abdominal surgery had an effect on the results. Neither physician nor patient knew what kind of incision had been made. The study of 200 patients showed that pain perception and the healing process were unrelated to the technique used to open the abdominal cavity. GastroIntestinal / Gastroenterology Wed, 01 Jul 2009 01:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155904.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155904.php Helicobacter pylori survives in the body by manipulating important immune system cells. This is shown in a thesis from the Sahlgrenska Academy. The discovery may lead to new treatments against the common peptic ulcer bacterium. About half of the world's population carries Helicobacter pylori, mainly in the stomach. Most infected individuals never experience any symptoms, but around 10% get peptic ulcers and around 1% develop stomach cancer. GastroIntestinal / Gastroenterology Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155886.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155886.php Polyp detection rates at screening colonoscopy; EUS-based criteria for the diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis In the June issue of GIE: Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, the monthly peer-reviewed scientific journal of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE), a GastroIntestinal / Gastroenterology Tue, 30 Jun 2009 06:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155869.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155869.php Pancreatitis is often a fatal condition, in which the pancreas digests itself and surrounding tissue. Scientists have previously found that alcohol can trigger the condition by combining with fatty acids in the pancreas, which leads to an excessive release of stored calcium ions. Once calcium ions enter cell fluid in the pancreas it activates digestive enzymes and damages the cells. GastroIntestinal / Gastroenterology Tue, 30 Jun 2009 05:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155837.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155837.php Every cell lining the small intestine bristles with thousands of tightly packed microvilli that project into the gut lumen, forming a brush border that absorbs nutrients and protects the body from intestinal bacteria. GastroIntestinal / Gastroenterology Tue, 30 Jun 2009 05:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155843.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155843.php Scientists at Queen Mary, University of London have discovered that an ingredient in human breast milk protects and repairs the delicate intestines of newborn babies. The ingredient called pancreatic secretory trypsin inhibitor, or PSTI, is found at its highest levels in colostrum - the milk produced in the first few days after birth. The lining of a newborn's gut is particularly vulnerable to damage as it has never been exposed to food or drink. GastroIntestinal / Gastroenterology Tue, 30 Jun 2009 01:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155732.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155732.php A research article published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology addresses this question. This is believed to be the first study to investigate the effect of PBD in ampullary cancer. A team of gastroenterologists led by Dr Steven Joseph Mesenas and hepatobiliary surgeons at Singapore General Hospital divided 82 patients with ampullary cancer planned for surgical resection into those with PBD (n = 35) and those without (n = 47). GastroIntestinal / Gastroenterology Tue, 30 Jun 2009 01:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155733.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155733.php A research article published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology refers. The research team lead by Dr. Gabriela Beatriz Acosta, observed that the activity of GS was increased in the hippocampus in PH rats. There was a significant decrease in glutamate uptake in both brain areas, which was more marked in the hippocampus. The decrease in glutamate uptake might be caused by deficient transport function and persistent glutamate activity, which is not metabolized. Neurology / Neuroscience Tue, 30 Jun 2009 01:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155734.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155734.php A research article published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology refers. The research team led by Professor Yan Li from Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University studied the growth inhibitory effects of Alisol B acetat and determined its mechanism of antitumor activity in human gastric cancer cell line SGC7901. Professor Li and his colleagues found that Alisol B acetat could inhibit the proliferation of SGC7901 cell in a time and dose dependent manner. GastroIntestinal / Gastroenterology Tue, 30 Jun 2009 01:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155740.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155740.php DOR BioPharma, Inc. Transplants / Organ Donations Tue, 30 Jun 2009 01:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155792.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155792.php The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday, June 29, that it had found E. coli O157:H7 in a sample of prepackaged Nestlé Toll House refrigerated cookie dough that had been collected at the Nestlé factory in Danville, Virginia four days earlier. Infectious Diseases / Bacteria / Viruses Mon, 29 Jun 2009 03:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155684.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155684.php Over the last five days, the Middlesex-London Health Unit has received reports of three children with E. coli O157:H7. To receive three laboratory confirmed cases of E. coli O157:H7 in such a short timeframe is unusual. In two of these cases, the common food consumed was kofta (spiced ground beef) purchased on June 14 and 15 from the Westmount Halal Food Store located at 490 Wonderland Road South. The source of the third child's infection is currently unknown. Infectious Diseases / Bacteria / Viruses Sat, 27 Jun 2009 01:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155594.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155594.php The stomach ulcer bacterium Helicobacter pylori is not transmitted through drinking water as previously thought, but rather through vomit and possibly faeces. This is shown in a thesis at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden. It is therefore possible to prevent the spread of the bacterium in developing countries through some fairly simple measures. 'Taking some cheap but powerful measures may prevent the spread of the bacterium. GastroIntestinal / Gastroenterology Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155598.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155598.php Any cancer - a growth, lump, tumor - of the colon and the rectum is a type of colorectal cancer. Colorectal cancer is also known as bowel cancer. The UK National Health Service says colorectal cancer is the most common cancer globally today. However, the World Health Organization says it is the second most common cancer, after lung cancer. Colorectal Cancer Fri, 26 Jun 2009 01:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155389.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155389.php Current research suggests that levels of gastrin play a key role in the development of Helicobacter-induced stomach cancer. The related report by Takaishi et al, "Gastrin is an essential cofactor for Helicobacter-associated gastric corpus carcinogenesis in C57BL/6 mice," appears in the July 2009 issue of The American Journal of Pathology. GastroIntestinal / Gastroenterology Fri, 26 Jun 2009 01:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155396.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155396.php Two NYU Langone Medical Center researchers have received $1,560,000 in grant support for their first year of studies focused on microbiome and psoriasis and on microbiome and esophageal cancer from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The studies being conducted at NYU Langone Medical Center are two of several projects being conducted through the NIH Roadmap for Medical Research as part of the Human Microbiome Project (HMP) taking place at institutions across the country. Eczema / Psoriasis Fri, 26 Jun 2009 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155377.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155377.php There is minimal data evaluating the prevalence of GERD complications in any United States general population, other than non-Hispanic whites. Presently, it is thought that such complications occur less frequently in African-Americans than in non-Hispanic whites. A research group in Jacksonville, FL investigated the prevalence of reflux esophagitis between non-Hispanic whites and African-Americans. Acid Reflux / GERD Thu, 25 Jun 2009 04:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155295.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155295.php The British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG) is hosting a meeting at Number 11, Downing Street today to raise awareness of how more than half of Britain's hospitals are providing patients with inadequate services. A UK-wide audit shows that 60% of acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding episodes occurred out of 'normal' working hours yet 45% of hospitals do not provide out of hours endoscopy. GastroIntestinal / Gastroenterology Thu, 25 Jun 2009 04:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155297.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155297.php Latest Erbitux® (cetuximab) data presented today at the World Congress on Gastrointestinal Cancer (WCGIC) reinforce the value of the targeted therapy in the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients with KRAS wild-type (wt) tumors. Results from the CRYSTALa and CELIMb trials have provided further evidence that KRAS mutation status is the current accepted standard predictive biomarker for Erbitux efficacy in patients with mCRC. Colorectal Cancer Thu, 25 Jun 2009 03:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155261.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155261.php A group led by Columbia University Medical Center's Timothy Wang, M.D., has studied the role of Helicobacter infection in the development of stomach cancer and found that the hormone gastrin, which stimulates secretion of gastric acid, plays a key role in the development of Helicobacter-induced stomach cancer, and may have distinct effects on carcinogenesis in different parts of the stomach. Cancer / Oncology