Journal of gastroenterology and hepatology
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J. Gastroenterol. Hepatol. · Feb 2015
Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 is independently associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease whereas leptin and adiponectin vary between genders.
Alterations of adipocytokine levels and clinical parameters in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are crucial for the prognosis and complications of the diseases. However, the key adipocytokines independently associated with NAFLD have not been identified, and we aimed to investigate them. ⋯ PAI-1 is independently associated with NAFLD after adjusting for other factors, including leptin and adiponectin. Male and female NAFLD patients show distinct patterns of leptin and adiponectin alterations; special attention is required when evaluating these alterations in female NAFLD patients < 45 years.
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J. Gastroenterol. Hepatol. · Jan 2015
Small intestinal contrast ultrasonography for the detection of small bowel complications in Crohn's disease: correlation with intraoperative findings and magnetic resonance enterography.
In evaluating small bowel Crohn's disease (CD), small intestine contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (SICUS) is emerging as an alternative to magnetic resonance enterography (MRE). This retrospective study compared the diagnostic accuracy of SICUS and MRE with surgical findings, and their level of agreement. ⋯ SICUS accurately identified small bowel complications and correlated well with MRE and intraoperative findings. SICUS offers an alternative in the preoperative assessment of CD.
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J. Gastroenterol. Hepatol. · Dec 2014
Single non-invasive model to diagnose non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).
Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is the progressive form of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). A liver biopsy is considered the "gold standard" for diagnosing/staging NASH. Identification of NAFLD/NASH using non-invasive tools is important for intervention. The study aims were to: develop/validate the predictive performance of a non-invasive model (index of NASH [ION]); assess the performance of a recognized non-invasive model (fatty liver index [FLI]) compared with ION for NAFLD diagnosis; determine which non-invasive model (FLI, ION, or NAFLD fibrosis score [NFS]) performed best in predicting age-adjusted mortality. ⋯ The ION model was superior in predicting NASH and mortality compared with the FLI model. Studies are needed to validate ION.
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J. Gastroenterol. Hepatol. · Dec 2014
ReviewAngiogenesis in gastric mucosa: an important component of gastric erosion and ulcer healing and its impairment in aging.
Angiogenesis (also referred to as neovascularization-formation of new blood vessels from existing vessels) is a fundamental process essential for healing of tissue injury and ulcers because regeneration of blood microvessels is a critical requirement for oxygen and nutrient delivery to the healing site. This review article updates the current views on angiogenesis in gastric mucosa following injury and during ulcer healing, its sequential events, the underlying mechanisms, and the impairment of angiogenesis in aging gastric mucosa. We focus on the time sequence and ultrastructural features of angiogenesis, hypoxia as a trigger, role of vascular endothelial growth factor signaling (VEGF), serum response factor, Cox2 and prostaglandins, nitric oxide, and importin. ⋯ Gastric mucosa of aging rats has increased susceptibility to injury by a variety of damaging agents such as ethanol, aspirin, and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs because of structural and functional abnormalities including: reduced gastric mucosal blood flow, hypoxia, reduced expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and survivin, and increased expression of early growth response protein 1 (egr-1) and phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN). Until recently, postnatal neovascularization was assumed to occur solely through angiogenesis sprouting of endothelial cells and formation of new blood vessels from pre-existing blood vessels. New studies in the last decade have challenged this paradigm and indicate that in some tissues, including gastric mucosa, the homing of bone marrow-derived endothelial progenitor cells to the site of injury can also contribute to neovascularization by a process termed vasculogenesis.