Table of contents
July 2007 Volume 4 No 7
Editorial
Viewpoint
An integrated approach to the management of IBS
354The cause of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) remains a mystery and treatment continues to pose a real challenge. This Viewpoint examines the role of dietary, pharmaceutical and psychological therapies in IBS and the value of taking an integrated treatment approach to the management of patients with this condition.
Research Highlights
ESWL alone is an effective treatment for calcified chronic pancreatitis
356Positive correlation between abnormal upper endoscopy findings and increasing BMI
356Optimum dosing with residue-free sodium phosphate to cleanse the colon before colonoscopy
356Endoscopic stent placement for pain relief in patients with chronic pancreatitis
357Granulocytapheresis for ulcerative colitis shows early promise in a pilot study
357Bethanechol is an effective treatment for ineffective esophageal motility
358Obesity increases transient lower esophageal sphincter relaxation
358Ketamine improves sedation of difficult-to-sedate patients undergoing advanced endoscopy
359Acid suppression in patients with GERD declines after 2 years' continuous PPI treatment
359Limitations to the association between H. pylori infection and risk of esophageal cancer
359Nonmyeloablative stem cell therapy accelerates tissue repair in experimental mouse IBD
360Poor agreement among different methods of measuring creatinine levels
360Hydroxyzine improved sleep in patients with cirrhosis and minimal hepatic encephalopathy
361Practice Points
Should gemcitabine be used as adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with resectable pancreatic cancer?
362Is primary precut endoscopic biliary sphincterotomy safe and effective?
364Should all colonoscopies be performed in the morning?
366Do all patients with pancreatic cysts need to undergo resection or can some be monitored?
368Reviews
Technology Insight: the application of proteomics in gastrointestinal disease
372The large-scale study of protein expression and protein function by using molecular technologies—proteomics—has become increasingly attractive, because the proteome reflects the intrinsic genetic program of the cell and the impact of its immediate environment. This Review describes conventional proteomic technologies currently being used and their limitations, and demonstrates their clinical applicability, with specific reference to published data of relevance to the gastroenterology field.
doi:10.1038/ncpgasthep0872 | Full Text | PDF (671K)
Surgery Insight: natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery—an analysis of work to date
386With the advent of natural orifice translumimal endoscopic surgery (NOTES), a new dimension has been added to minimally invasive surgery. The authors of this Review examine the current status of NOTES, analyze the associated hazards and potential benefits of the technique, and consider the implications of NOTES for future surgical endoscopy.
doi:10.1038/ncpgasthep0867 | Full Text | PDF (281K)
Mechanisms of Disease: protease functions in intestinal mucosal pathobiology
393Our understanding of how proteases function and interact within the gastrointestinal tract has been largely restricted to their role in nutrient digestion; however, it has become clear that proteases are involved in regulating signaling processes that are important for intestinal epithelial cell function. In this Review, the authors discuss how proteases impact gastrointestinal pathophysiology, specifically mucosal permeability, immune defense mechanisms and pathogenic challenges.
doi:10.1038/ncpgasthep0846 | Full Text | PDF (378K)
Case Study
Drug-induced acute cholestatic liver damage in a patient with mutation of UGT1A1
403doi:10.1038/ncpgasthep0871 | Full Text | PDF (377K)
