Table of contents
July 2005 Volume 2 No 7
Editorial
Viewpoints
Is population screening for colorectal cancer cost-effective?
288Screening for colorectal cancer is effective in preventing a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Before implementing organized screening programs, however, policymakers must consider its value relative to other health-related and nonhealth-related needs. One way of doing so is cost-effectiveness analysis. This Viewpoint highlights some key issues surrounding such analysis and suggests areas for further research.
Is a life-long gluten-free diet for patients with celiac disease successful?
290The ubiquity of gluten in foodstuffs, patient compliance, and variable patient susceptibility to gluten are all limiting factors of the gluten-free diet—the treatment of choice for celiac disease. New therapeutic strategies are emerging as a result of improved understanding of the molecular events underlying celiac disease; this Viewpoint considers whether a gluten-free diet is still adequate.
Research Highlights
Functional gastrointestinal disorders and domestic abuse
292Capsule endoscopy for small-bowel polyp detection
292Benefits of repeat capsule endoscopy for obscure gastrointestinal bleeding
292Celiac disease: timing of gluten introduction in the infant diet
294Analysis of a fish-protein supplement for intestinal health
294Carbohydrate intake and risk of gallstone disease
295Proton-pump inhibitors in non-cardiac chest pain
295Interleukin-1
gene polymorphisms in advanced gastric cancer
295OCFL combination for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer
296A new indicator of disease progression in gastrointestinal stromal tumors
296Mitochondrial mutations and colorectal cancer prognosis
297Practice Points
Is endoscopic balloon therapy an effective treatment for patients with Crohn's disease strictures?
298Does procedural volume matter in the efficacy of self-expanding stents in patients with esophageal cancer?
300Is radiofrequency ablation an effective long-term treatment for early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma?
302Is Bifidobacterium a more effective probiotic therapy than Lactobacillus for patients with irritable bowel syndrome?
304Reviews
Mechanisms of Disease: vitamin D and inflammatory bowel disease
308Until recently, the active form of vitamin D was thought to function primarily as a regulator of calcium and phosphate metabolism; discovery of the vitamin D receptor in tissues not involved in calcium and phosphate homeostasis has challenged this view. The authors of this Review discuss the immunomodulatory role of vitamin D and evidence for its involvement in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease.
doi:10.1038/ncpgasthep0215 | Full Text | PDF (177K)
Diagnosis and management of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasia
316Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasia (IPMN)—a spectrum of neoplastic changes in the epithelial lining of the pancreatic duct—is being increasingly recognized. There is controversy surrounding the natural history, evaluation, surgical management and surveillance of IPMN. The authors of this Review present pooled surgical data and future directions, and propose an algorithm for the management of patients with IPMN.
doi:10.1038/ncpgasthep0213 | Full Text | PDF (330K)
Technology Insight: ablative techniques for Barrett's esophagus—current and emerging trends
323This Review considers the endoscopic ablative techniques now available for use in the esophagus—photodynamic therapy, laser therapy, multi-polar electro-coagulation, argon plasma coagulation, endoscopic mucosal resection, radiofrequency ablation and cryotherapy. At present, photodynamic therapy is the only FDA-approved ablative modality for high-grade dysplasia in Barrett's esophagus, but, at this stage, it is not clear which technique will emerge as superior for the treatment of esophageal adencocarcinoma precursors.
doi:10.1038/ncpgasthep0214 | Full Text | PDF (267K)
Case Study
Diagnosis and treatment of a patient with gallstone ileus
331doi:10.1038/ncpgasthep0211 | Full Text | PDF (312K)
