Digestive Diseases and Sciences

INTRODUCTION: Limited data exists on the effectiveness of organized outreach campaigns on CRC screening completion for patients who are newly eligible for such screening. METHODS: We conducted an analysis of an existing clinical trial dataset of a publicly funded safety-net health system serving low-income populations. RESULTS: A total of 619 patients aged 50-51 received the outreach intervention and 3108 patients aged greater than 51 years old who had no prior history of FIT testing similarly received the outreach intervention...

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Concepts regarding the status of the coagulation process in cirrhosis are rapidly changing. Instead of a disease defined by excessive bleeding risk, recent studies have shown cirrhosis to be associated with a fragile state of rebalanced hemostasis, easily swayed in either direction, thrombosis, or bleeding. These findings, combined with the ever-growing population of patients with cirrhosis with an indication for anticoagulation (AC) and the emergence of the non-alcoholic fatty liver disease epidemic, have prompted a reexamination of the use of AC in patients with cirrhosis, either as a treatment for a concurrent thrombotic disorder or even as a possible therapeutic option that could influence the natural course of the disease and its complications...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Acute esophageal necrosis (AEN) in the setting of gastric volvulus is a rare condition with only a handful of cases reported. Volvulus may contribute to AEN by limiting tissue perfusion and promoting massive reflux of gastric contents on compromised esophageal mucosa. METHODS: We reviewed 225 original articles, literature reviews, case series, brief reports, case reports, and discuss six total cases of co-occurring esophageal necrosis and gastric volvulus...

BACKGROUND: The incidence of gastric cancer has long been at a high level in China, seriously affecting the health of Chinese people. AIMS: This case‒control study was performed to identify gene methylation biomarkers of gastric cancer susceptibility. METHODS: A total of 393 gastric cancer cases and 397 controls were included in this study. Gene methylation in peripheral blood leukocytes was detected by a methylation-sensitive high-resolution melting method, and the Helicobacter pylori antibody presence was semi-quantified in serum by ELISA...

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BACKGROUND: Non-invasive tests are widely used to diagnose fibrosis in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), however, the optimal method remains unclear. We compared the accuracy of simple serum models, a serum model incorporating direct measures of fibrogenesis (Hepascore), and Fibroscan®, for detecting fibrosis in NAFLD. METHODS: NAFLD patients undergoing liver biopsy were evaluated with Hepascore, NAFLD Fibrosis Score (NFS), FIB-4 and AST-platelet ratio index (APRI), with a subset (n = 131) undergoing Fibroscan®...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The activation of pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) plays a key role in the occurrence and development of chronic pancreatitis (CP) and pancreatic fibrosis, which is related to the process of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). This study was designed to investigate the effect and mechanism of Tcf21 (one of tumor suppressor genes) on pancreatic inflammation and fibrosis in vivo and in vitro. METHODS: C57BL/6 male mice were intraperitoneally injected with caerulein for 6 weeks to establish CP animal model...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Over-The-Scope Clips (OTSC) use have shown promising results for first line treatment of non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding (NVUGIB). We conducted this meta-analysis to compare outcomes in patients treated with OTSC versus standard endoscopic intervention for first line endoscopic treatment of NVUGIB. METHODS: We reviewed several databases from inception to December 9, 2022 to identify studies comparing OTSC and standard treatments as the first line treatment for NVUGIB...

BACKGROUND: Inclusion of evidence-based behavior change techniques (e.g., self-monitoring) in mobile health apps has the potential to promote adherence to inflammatory bowel disease treatment. While inflammatory bowel disease management apps exist, the extent to which they incorporate behavior change techniques remains unknown. AIMS: The present study systematically evaluated the content and quality of free, commercially available inflammatory bowel disease management apps...

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BACKGROUND: Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG) is an emerging bariatric intervention with comparable safety and efficacy to surgical sleeve gastrectomy (SG). As ESG is utilized more commonly, postgraduate medical training in bariatric endoscopy has expanded to train physicians in this technically complex procedure. Prior studies have analyzed procedural outcomes of bariatric surgery assisted by medical trainees, but no such analysis has been performed with ESG. AIMS: This study aims to evaluate the short-term safety of ESG in cases assisted by postgraduate medical trainees...

BACKGROUND: Histone methylations are generally considered to play an important role in multiple cancers by regulating cancer-related genes. AIMS: This study aims to investigate the effects of H3K27me3-mediated inactivation of tumor suppressor gene SFRP1 and its function in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). METHODS: We performed ChIP-seq on H3K27me3-enriched genomic DNA fragments in ESCC cells to screen out tumor suppressor genes that may be regulated by H3K27me3...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: We conducted a systematic literature review to understand the evidence supporting treatment decisions for cholestatic pruritus associated with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). METHODS: Studies that enrolled ≥ 75% participants with PBC or PSC and reported ≥ 1 endpoint(s) related to efficacy, safety, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) or other patient-reported outcomes were included...

BACKGROUND: Bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4) is a reader of histone acetylation and is associated with a variety of diseases. AIM: To investigate the expression level of BRD4 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), its prognostic value and its relationship with immune infiltration. METHODS: The study included 94 ESCC patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and 179 ESCC patients from Affiliated Hospital 2 of Nantong University...

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BACKGROUND: There are little data on positioning biologics in Crohn's disease (CD). AIMS: We aimed to assess the comparative effectiveness and safety of ustekinumab vs tumour necrosis factor-alpha (anti-TNF) agents after first-line treatment with anti-TNF in CD. METHODS: We used Swedish nationwide registers to identify patients with CD, exposed to anti-TNF who initiated second-line biologic treatment with ustekinumab or second-line anti-TNF therapy...

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BACKGROUND: The clinical benefit of venesection in suspected iron overload can be unclear and serum ferritin may overestimate the degree of iron overload. AIMS: To help inform practice, we examined magnetic resonance liver iron concentration (MRLIC) in a cohort investigated for haemochromatosis. METHODS: One hundred and six subjects with suspected haemochromatosis underwent HFE genotyping and MRLIC with time-matched serum ferritin and transferrin saturation values...

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