Clostridium difficile infection is responsible for a wide spectrum of clinical presentations, ranging from mild diarrhoea to fatal toxic colitis. This article reviews factors which may identify individuals who are at high risk of severe C. difficile-associated disease, and aims to help clinicians predict patients at risk of severe disease.

The aim of the work was the presentation of one case with Acrodermatitis enteropathica. Acrodermatitis enteropathica is diagnosed based on the pedigree, typical clinical manifestations on the skin, laboratory results, small bowel biopsy, skin biopsy and kariotype. The patient was a two years old male toddler, hospitalized due to skin ...

Background: There is growing evidence that ergot dopamine agonists may induce cardiac valve regurgitation (CVR) in persons with Parkinson's disease. It is unclear whether the CVR risk is increased with ergot-dopamine agonist use in persons with hyperprolactinaemia, in whom the dose is much lower. Objective: The aim of the study ...

Aim  The aim of the study was to correlate the presence and pattern of distribution of granulomas in resected specimens to clinical characteristics and outcome in patients undergoing surgery for Crohn's disease. Method  Patients with Crohn's disease who underwent surgical resection between 2001 and 2007 were identified. Pathology slides were ...

Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) and its receptors TrkA and p75 are expressed in physiological states in the anterior and posterior segments of the human eye, where they exert several tissuespecific functions. The roles played by NGF in the homeostasis of the eye and in vision are, therefore, crucial and have ...

Introduction: Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is an angioproliferative disease that occurs in four clinical-epidemiological forms sharing the same immunological and histopathological features, suggesting common etiological and pathogenic factors. Infection with the human herpesvirus 8, cytokine- and angiogenic factor-induced growth together with an immuno-dysregulated state represent fundamental conditions for the development of ...

Crohn disease (CD) is a chronic and debilitating inflammatory condition of the gastrointestinal tract. ( 1) Prevalence in Western populations is 100-150/100,000 and somewhat higher in Ashkenazi Jews. Peak incidence is in early adult life, although any age can be affected and a majority of affected individuals progress to relapsing ...

Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) are inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) attributed to a dysregulated immune response towards intestinal microbiota. Although various susceptibility genes have been identified for CD and UC, the exact disease etiology is unclear and complicated by the influence of environmental factors. Metabolomic analysis enables high ...

Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer and its incidence has been increasing worldwide. The disease manifests itself as clinically and genetically distinct subgroups, indicating the need for patient-specific diagnostic and treatment tools. The discovery of activating mutations (V600E) in the BRAF kinase in approximately 50% of patients spurred ...

While advanced melanoma remains one of the most challenging cancers, recent developments in our understanding of the molecular drivers of this disease have uncovered exciting opportunities to guide personalized therapeutic decisions. Genetic analyses of melanoma have uncovered several key molecular pathways that are involved in disease onset and progression, as ...

the study is aimed to report neurologic manifestations in a population of patients with inflammatory bowel disease in order to address its clinical characteristics. we conducted a retrospective study based on a computer-guided search, of patients with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis diagnosed at three hospitals in Spain spanning from ...

We present a 23-year-old female with Glycogen storage disease Ib (GSD Ib) who was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis-like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) at 7 years of age. G-CSF therapy reversed the IBD, was required to maintain IBD remission and was well tolerated. Neutrophil functions at time of diagnosis showed impaired ...

The Fc receptors II and III (FcgR2a, and FcgR3a) play a crucial role in the regulation of the immune response. The FcgR2a*519GG and FcgR3a*559CC genotypes have been associated with several autoimmune diseases including systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, nephritis, and possibly to type I diabetes, and celiac disease. In a ...

The importance of fatigue in chronic disease has been increasingly recognized; however, little is known about fatigue in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence and severity of fatigue and the impact on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients included in ...

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which includes ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, and indeterminate colitis, is characterized by chronic inflammation of the digestive tract and has a significant impact on quality of life. Coupled with clinical history, physicians rely on invasive tests (e.g. endoscopy and radiologic examinations) to diagnose IBD. Patients with ...

Inflammatory bowel disease is an emerging problem in Asia including India. Clinical data on this disease from eastern India and on its temporal trends in India is scarce. Existing Indian data on inflammatory bowel disease were retrieved using PubMed and a comparison of earlier data (up to 1980s) was made ...

BACKGROUND:: Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are complex disorders with some shared and many unique predisposing genes. Accurate phenotype classification is essential in determining the utility of genotype-phenotype correlation. The Montreal Classification of IBD has several weaknesses with respect to classification of children. The dynamic features of pediatric disease phenotype ...

In the original description of Crohn's disease, the appendix was not believed to be involved in the inflammatory process. Later on, case reports started to appear in publications demonstrating that the appendix could be involved in the inflammatory changes of Crohn's disease, and it could also be the primary or ...

To optimize total bacterial 16S rRNA quantification in microdissected colonic crypts in healthy controls and patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) and to characterize the findings with disease activity. Microscopic and molecular techniques have recently converged to allow bacterial enumeration in remote anatomic locations [eg, crypt-associated mucous gel (CAMG)]. The aims ...

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn's Disease (CD) and Ulcerative Colitis (UC), is characterized by inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. In UC, inflammation is confined to the mucosa, initially involving the rectum, and may extend proximally to involve the entire colon. In CD, transmural inflammation may affect any portion of ...

Detailed cost studies of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) for Germany are limited. Aim of this study was to collect resource-use data related to IBD via a cross-sectional study, to quantify these from the perspective of the Statutory Health Insurance (SHI) and to identify cost-driving factors. Patients with Crohn's disease (CD) ...

Lin Z, Hegarty JP, Cappel JA, Yu W, Chen X, Faber P, Wang Y, Kelly AA, Poritz LS, Peterson BZ, Schreiber S, Fan J-B, Koltun WA. Identification of disease-associated DNA methylation in intestinal tissues from patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Overwhelming evidence supports the theory that inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) ...

The development of commensal flora in infants has been shown to be sensitive to antibiotic use. Altered intestinal flora is thought to contribute to the etiology of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), an idiopathic chronic condition. We aimed to determine if early use of antibiotics was associated with the development of ...

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is increasingly common among non-Caucasian populations, but interracial differences in disease characteristics and management are not well-characterized. We tested the hypothesis that disease characteristics and management vary by race among IBD patients in an ethnically diverse healthcare system. A retrospective study of the safety net healthcare ...

The composition of the gastrointestinal microbiota is thought to have an important role in the etiology of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) such as Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). Interindividual variation and an inability to detect less abundant bacteria have made it difficult to correlate specific bacteria with disease. ...

Ischemic colitis is the most common manifestation of ischemic injury to the gastrointestinal tract, and the variety of defined causes is increasing. Local hypoperfusion and reperfusion injury are both thought to contribute to the disease process, which manifests with a wide spectrum of injury including reversible colopathy (subepithelial hemorrhage and ...

Modern studies of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) pathogenesis have been pursued for about four decades, a period of time where the pace of progress has been steadily increasing. This progress has occurred in parallel with and is largely due to developments in multiple basic scientific disciplines that range from population ...

The thiopurines azathioprine and 6-mercaptopurine have been used in the treatment of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis for over 40 years. Randomized controlled trials have supported their use in the treatment of active disease, as well as for the maintenance of disease remission. Presently, the most debated issues surrounding the ...

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) has been increasing in incidence among those with underlying inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and is associated with substantial morbidity, the need for surgery and even mortality. The similar clinical presentation between CDI and a flare of underlying IBD makes prompt diagnosis essential to prevent deterioration which ...

We describe a case of necrotizing keratitis that developed after laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) in a 50-year-old woman with inflammatory bowel disease. The patient had not disclosed her history of a total colectomy for recurrent ulcerative colitis and developed bilateral stromal inflammation and corneal melting along the flap edge ...

Subjective physician assessment is the cornerstone of routine ulcerative colitis (UC) management. Endoscopic and histologic assessment of UC provides objective measures of inflammatory disease activity. The level of agreement between physician impression of UC activity and endoscopic disease activity has not been evaluated. The aim was to assess the level ...

The role of cytomegalovirus (CMV) in exacerbations of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) remains a topic of ongoing debate. Current data are conflicting as to whether CMV worsens inflammation in those with severe colitis, or is merely a surrogate marker for severe disease. The interpretation of existing results is limited by ...

The aim of our study was to evaluate the sensitivity, specificity and predictive values of isolated and combined ASCA and NANA assays in Tunisian inflammatory bowel diseases patients and to assess whether their presence is associated with particular clinical features of the disease. Methods: 128 patients (39 with ulcerative colitis, 25 with ...

Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) is an idiopathic, ulcerative, inflammatory dermatologic condition that occurs in patients with systemic diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This inflammatory skin disorder is presumably caused by an autoimmune mechanism and the diagnosis is one of exclusion. PG is not a common condition but it is ...

In the last 10 years, anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α therapy has become a cornerstone in the management of autoimmune diseases. Clinical trial data have consistently found that infliximab, adalimumab, and recently certolizumab pegol offer therapeutic benefits to patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis). Recent understanding on ...

Methotrexate (MTX) is one of the immunosuppressants commonly used in inflammatory bowel diseases. There is very good evidence for its use in patients with steroid-dependent or steroid-refractory Crohn's disease for induction as well as maintenance of remission. Optimal dose as well as mode of application is still a matter of ...

Previous studies have shown an association between isotretinoin and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The majority of patients prescribed isotretinoin for their acne are previously on an extended course of antibiotics. Therefore, it is important to consider antibiotic use as a confounding variable for the development of IBD. We performed a ...

Although it is known that extraintestinal manifestations (EIMs) commonly occur in pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), little research has examined rates of EIMs and their relation to other disease-related factors in this population. The purpose of this study was to determine the rates of EIMs in pediatric IBD and examine ...

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic, relapsing condition affecting the GI tract that can affect individuals of any age and results in lifelong treatment, frequently including the need for surgery. Historically, the lack of a single effective and sensitive test for IBD has posed a great challenge in assessing ...

Although endoscopy with biopsy is the gold standard for the diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), this procedure is invasive and its repetition is stressful, especially in children. The purpose of this study was to evaluate prospectively the role of (99m)Tc-HMPAO-labeled granulocyte scintigraphy in the diagnosis and follow-up of pediatric ...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) comprise a heterogeneous group of distinct intestinal disorders. Here, we discuss the concept of childhood-onset IBD as separate disease forms within a larger multifactorial disease category. RECENT FINDINGS: There are excellent epidemiological data indicating that the incidence of pediatric IBD, mainly Crohn's disease, ...

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is difficult to diagnose, and differentiating between ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) can be challenging. Overlapping symptoms of UC and CD often delay diagnosis, despite availability of endoscopic, radiologic, and histologic tools. This delay in diagnosis is quite common in clinical practice, which may ...

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was describe the frequency and characteristics of perianal surgical intervention (PSI) for Crohn's disease in a population-based cohort of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). METHODS: A total of 1421 patients with IBD were recruited, representing approximately 91 per cent of people with IBD ...

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) represents the heterogeneous group of disorders with a wide variety of clinical manifestations. The Montreal classification has been developed recently and its accuracy in categorizing of IBD phenotypes needs to be investigated. The aim of the study was to assess the usefulness of the Montreal classification ...

There is an increasing interest in the discovery of new inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) biomarkers able to predict the future patterns of disease and to help in diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis. A biomarker is a substance that can be measured biologically and is associated with an increased risk of the ...

Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis represent the two major forms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Recent research points out the role of uncontrolled intestinal inflammation in the pathogenesis of IBD. Therefore, there is a growing interest in developing novel biologic therapies targeting specific molecules of the inflammatory cascade. Among them, ...

BACKGROUND AND AIM: A significant proportion with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) exhibit an adverse clinical phenotype reflected in endpoints like surgery and hospitalizations. We sought to identify clinico-demographic factors associated with these adverse consequences that may be amenable to change. METHODS: Over 6 months IBD patients visiting a metropolitan center ...

The Digestive Disease Week 2010 conference, held in New Orleans, included topics covering new therapeutic developments in the field of gastroenterology, hepatology, endoscopy and gastrointestinal surgery. This conference report highlights selected presentations on the apolipoprotein E-mimetic peptide COG-112 (Cognosci Inc) for the potential treatment of Citrobacter rodentium-induced colitis; the inhibition ...

BACKGROUND: To date, a number of high-profile studies have yielded over 50 inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) disease genes/loci. The polymorphisms rs9858542 (BSN) and rs3197999 (MST1), on 3p21 locus, have been found associated with susceptibility to IBD. We aimed to replicate these associations in adult and early-onset cohorts of IBD Italian ...

Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are complex diseases that have required the use of multiple modalities to aid in treatment. With an increasing understanding of the underlying pathogenetic mechanisms and identification of specific therapeutic targets, monoclonal antibody treatment has been an ideal strategy for inducing and maintaining remission in these ...