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Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) publications have advanced in 2010 at a pace paralleling the increased frequency and severity of clinical infection. Both toxins A and B are essential virulence factors, PCR diagnostic testing is rapid, sensitive and specific, and recurrent CDI can be prevented using monoclonal antibodies to toxins A and B.
Although several antiviral treatments for HBV infection have recently reached the market, no direct acting antiviral drugs to treat infection with HCV have been licensed in the 20 years since its identification. Excitingly, recent publications herald several small revolutions in antiviral treatment of HCV that have considerable relevance for prospective HCV therapies.
Pancreatic cancer is usually detected at an advanced stage and responds poorly to treatment. In 2010 new insights were gained into understanding the complex biology of pancreatic cancer. Importantly, these insights offer novel opportunities for early diagnosis and treatment of this disease.
The results of various studies from 2010 have underlined the importance of the careful diagnostic assessment of GERD. Recent studies have also provided further evidence of the complex pathogenesis of GERD, and promising agents targeting the underlying factors in the pathogenesis of this condition are in the pipeline, especially for treatment-refractory GERD.
The management of IBD remains a challenge, with the main issue being to combine therapeutic efficiency with minimal side effects and optimal quality of life. Efforts towards achieving this objective continued in 2010—we discuss some of the most relevant publications and their potential impact on daily practice in the future.
IBS is a chronic, fluctuating disorder that continues to be the subject of considerable research. 2010 saw some key advances across all aspects of IBS, including further advances in our understanding of the pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment of this condition.
AlthoughHelicobacter pylori infection is both a common and a serious bacterial infection, antimicrobial therapies have rarely been optimized, are prescribed empirically, and provide inferior results compared with antimicrobial therapies for other common infectious diseases. In this Review, Rimbara and colleagues consider the available therapies for H. pyloriinfection, the problem of antimicrobial resistance and the role of susceptibility testing. They also provide practical guidance on the selection of optimal therapy and outline future research goals.
This Review describes the mechanisms that regulate colonic stem cell behavior and highlights how disrupting these mechanisms could drive the development of colorectal cancer. The authors focus on the colonic processes of niche succession, monoclonal conversion and field cancerization and discuss the implications and limitations of the cancer stem cell theory.
Ambulatory 24 h esophageal pH monitoring is an important tool for assessing patients with suspected GERD. Analysis of pH monitoring is currently divided into upright and recumbent periods based on the patient's body position. In this Review, the authors discuss the value of analyzing pH monitoring data based on state of consciousness rather than body position.
Hepatic cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are the most common causes of death in patients with chronic liver disease. This Review discusses the contribution of NF-κB to chronic liver disease, with a particular focus on the role of NF-κB in different hepatic cell compartments and its effects on chronic inflammation and fibrosis as events that set the stage for the development of HCC.
