World Journal of Gastroenterology : WJG

BACKGROUND: Regenerating gene 4 (REG4) has been proved to be carcinogenic in some cancers, but its manifestation and possible carcinogenic mechanisms in colorectal cancer (CRC) have not yet been elucidated. Our previous study found that the drug resistance of CRC cells may be closely linked to their fat metabolism. AIM: To explore the role of REG4 in CRC and its association with lipid droplet formation and chemoresistance. METHODS: We conducted a meta-analysis and bioinformatics and pathological analyses of REG4 expression in CRC...

BACKGROUND: Biliary microlithiasis/sludge is detected in approximately 30% of patients with idiopathic acute pancreatitis (IAP). As recurrent biliary pancreatitis can be prevented, the underlying aetiology of IAP should be established. AIM: To develop a machine learning (ML) based decision tool for the use of endosonography (EUS) in pancreatitis patients to detect sludge and microlithiasis. METHODS: We retrospectively used routinely recorded clinical and laboratory parameters of 218 consecutive patients with confirmed AP admitted to our tertiary care hospital between 2015 and 2020...

BACKGROUND: Autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) has been linked with elevated immunoglobulin (Ig) G4 levels. The characteristics and outcomes of AIP based on serum markers have not been fully evaluated. AIM: To compare clinical features, treatment efficacy, and outcome of AIP based on serum IgG4 levels and analyze predictors of relapse. METHODS: A total of 213 patients with AIP were consecutively reviewed in our hospital from 2006 to 2021. According to the serum IgG4 level, all patients were divided into two groups, the abnormal group ( n = 148) with a high level of IgG4 [> 2 × upper limit of normal (ULN)] and the normal group ( n = 65)...

BACKGROUND: Patients with sepsis are at high risk for acute gastrointestinal injury (AGI), but the diagnosis and treatment of AGI due to sepsis are unsatisfactory. Heparanase (HPA) plays an important role in septic AGI (S-AGI), but its specific mechanism is not completely understood, and few clinical reports are available. AIM: To explore the effect and mechanism of HPA inhibition in S-AGI patients. METHODS: In our prospective clinical trial, 48 patients with S-AGI were randomly assigned to a control group to receive conventional treatment, whereas 47 patients were randomly assigned to an intervention group to receive conventional treatment combined with low molecular weight heparin...

BACKGROUND: The clinical and histological features of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients who fall into the "grey zone (GZ)" and do not fit into conventional natural phases are unclear. AIM: To explore the impact of varying the threshold of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels in identifying significant liver injury among GZ patients. METHODS: This retrospective analysis involved a cohort of 1617 adult patients diagnosed with CHB who underwent liver biopsy...

[This corrects the article on p. 2078 in vol. 29, PMID: 37122604.].

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains a significant public health challenge and is currently the fourth leading cause of cancer-related mortality in developed countries. Despite advances in cancer treatment, the 5-year survival rate for patients with PDAC remains less than 5%. In recent years, neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) has emerged as a promising treatment option for many cancer types, including locally advanced PDAC, with the potential to improve patient outcomes. To analyze the role of NAT in the setting of locally advanced PDAC over the past decade, a systematic literature search was conducted using PubMed and Web of Science...

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common clinical condition with a poor prognosis and few effective treatment options. Potent anticancer agents for treating HCC must be identified. Epigenetics plays an essential role in HCC tumorigenesis. Suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA), the most common histone deacetylase inhibitor agent, triggers many forms of cell death in HCC. However, the underlying mechanism of action remains unclear. Family with sequence similarity 134 member B (FAM134B)-induced reticulophagy, a selective autophagic pathway, participates in the decision of cell fate and exhibits anticancer activity...

BACKGROUND: Di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is a common plasticizer known to cause liver injury. Green tea is reported to exert therapeutic effects on heavy metal exposure-induced organ damage. However, limited studies have examined the therapeutic effects of green tea polyphenols (GTPs) on DEHP-induced liver damage. AIM: To evaluate the molecular mechanism underlying the therapeutic effects of GTPs on DEHP-induced liver damage. METHODS: C57BL/6J mice were divided into the following five groups: Control, model [DEHP (1500 mg/kg bodyweight)], treatment [DEHP (1500 mg/kg bodyweight) + GTP (70 mg/kg bodyweight), oil, and GTP (70 mg/kg bodyweight)] groups...

Dan and colleagues recently published research suggesting that the gastrointestinal microbiome (microorganisms and metabolites) in cholelithiasis. They reviewed gallbladder stones, choledocholithiasis, and asymptomatic gallstones. Finally, their discussion was on the gastrointestinal. We focused on complementing the effect of the S1 protein and neuroinflammatory changes caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Our contribution was about to involve the microbiota and the nervous system. They can have similar functions because they have similar pathways and advantages, bearing in mind γ-aminobutyric acid in schizophrenia and serotonin in Parkinson's disease...

BACKGROUND: Neuroendocrine tumors (NET) are rare heterogeneous tumors that arise from neuroendocrine cells throughout the body. Acromegaly, a rare and slowly progressive disorder, usually results from a growth hormone (GH)-secreting pituitary adenoma. CASE SUMMARY: We herein describe a 38-year-old patient who was initially diagnosed with diabetes. During colonoscopy, two bulges were identified and subsequently removed through endoscopic submucosal dissection. Following the surgical intervention, the excised tissue samples were examined and confirmed to be grade 2 NET...

Esophageal cancer (EC) ranks among the most prevalent malignant tumors affecting the digestive tract. Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) stands as the prevailing pathological subtype, encompassing approximately 90% of all EC patients. In clinical stage II-IVA locally advanced ESCC cases, the primary approach to treatment involves a combination of neoadjuvant therapy and surgical resection. Despite concerted efforts, the long-term outcomes for ESCC patients remain unsatisfactory, with dismal prognoses...

BACKGROUND: Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is a chronic progressive autoimmune cholestatic disease. The main target organ of PBC is the liver, and nonsuppurative inflammation of the small intrahepatic bile ducts may eventually develop into cirrhosis or liver fibrosis. AIM: To explore the clinical characteristics of early-stage PBC, identify PBC in the early clinical stage, and promptly treat and monitor PBC. METHODS: The data of 82 patients with PBC confirmed by pathology at Tianjin Second People's Hospital from January 2013 to November 2021 were collected, and the patients were divided into stage I, stage II, stage III, and stage IV according to the pathological stage...

BACKGROUND: Liver fibrosis is the common pathological process associated with the occurrence and development of various chronic liver diseases. At present, there is still a lack of effective prevention and treatment methods in clinical practice. Hepatic stellate cell (HSC) plays a key role in liver fibrogenesis. In recent years, the study of liver fibrosis targeting HSC autophagy has become a hot spot in this research field. Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is a key negative regulator of renin-angiotensin system, and its specific molecular mechanism on autophagy and liver fibrosis needs to be further explored...

Hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury (HIRI) is the major complication of liver surgery and liver transplantation, that may increase the postoperative morbidity, mortality, tumor progression, and metastasis. The underlying mechanisms have been extensively investigated in recent years. Among these, oxidative stress, inflammatory responses, immunoreactions, and cell death are the most studied. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are defined as the RNAs that do not encode proteins, but can regulate gene expressions. In recent years, ncRNAs have emerged as research hotspots for various diseases...

Delayed passage of meconium or constipation during the perinatal period is traditionally regarded as a signal to initiate further work up to evaluate for serious diagnoses such as Hirschsprung's disease (HD), meconium ileus due to Cystic Fibrosis, etc. The diagnosis of HD particularly warrants invasive testing to confirm the diagnosis, such as anorectal manometry or rectal suction biopsy. What if there was another etiology of perinatal constipation, that is far lesser known? Cow's milk protein allergy (CMPA) is often diagnosed in infants within the first few weeks of life, however, there are studies that show that the CMPA allergen can be passed from mother to an infant in-utero, therefore allowing symptoms to show as early as day one of life...

BACKGROUND: The increased prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) among patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes suggests a causal link between these diseases, potentially involving the effect of hyperglycemia to disrupt intestinal barrier integrity. AIM: To investigate whether the deleterious impact of diabetes on the intestinal barrier is associated with increased IBD severity in a murine model of colitis in mice with and without diet-induced obesity. METHODS: Mice were fed chow or a high-fat diet and subsequently received streptozotocin to induce diabetic-range hyperglycemia...

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary carcinoids are rare, low-grade malignant tumors characterized by neuroendocrine differentiation and relatively indolent clinical behavior. Most cases present as a slow-growing polypoidal mass in the major bronchi leading to hemoptysis and pulmonary infection due to blockage of the distal bronchi. Carcinoid syndrome is a paraneoplastic syndrome caused by the systemic release of vasoactive substances that presents in 5% of patients with neuroendocrine tumors. Due to such nonspecific presentation, most patients are misdiagnosed or diagnosed late and may receive several courses of antibiotics to treat recurrent pneumonia before the tumor is diagnosed...

Hepatitis due to hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation can be serious and potentially fatal, but is preventable. HBV reactivation is most commonly reported in patients receiving chemotherapy, especially rituximab-containing therapy for hematological malignancies and those receiving stem cell transplantation. Patients with inactive and even resolved HBV infection still have persistence of HBV genomes in the liver. The expression of these silent genomes is controlled by the immune system. Suppression or ablation of immune cells, most importantly B cells, may lead to reactivation of seemingly resolved HBV infection...

Splanchnic vein thrombosis (SVT) is a manifestation of venous thromboembolism in an unusual site. Portal, mesenteric, and splenic veins are the most common vessels involved in SVT which occurs mainly in patients with liver cirrhosis, although non-cirrhotic patients could be affected as well. Thrombosis of hepatic veins, also known as Budd-Chiari syndrome, is another manifestation of SVT. Prompt diagnosis and intervention are mandatory in order to increase the recalization rate and reduce the risk of thrombus progression and hypertensive complications...