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Clostridium difficileinfection (CDI) is a global health-care problem and represents an important infection in both health-care facilities and the wider community. Here, the authors describe advances in understanding of CDI epidemiology, transmission and diagnosis, which are all key factors in the management of CDI.
The circadian clock plays a central part in the regulation of liver function. In this Review, Tahara and Shibata discuss the mechanisms by which the circadian clock controls hepatic metabolism and the processing of xenobiotics, and how clock dysfunction can influence liver disease.
NAFLD is a leading cause of chronic liver disease worldwide. This Review discusses the diagnosis and stratification of patients with NAFLD by disease stage, and provides a stage-based approach to treatment. Pharmaceuticals in advanced development and potential future therapeutics are also addressed.
The use of laparoscopic techniques to treat benign and malignant pancreatic disease is becoming more common, but the benefits or limitations in comparison with conventional surgery are not fully clear as yet. Here, an overview of all the high-quality data to date on laparascopic is comprehensively assessed with a focus on laparoscopic Whipple and laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy.
Clostridium difficileinfection (CDI) is one of the most common health-care-associated infections. Here, Kociolek and Gerding discuss the latest advances in the treatment and prevention of CDI, describing developments in antibiotic therapy, biotherapeutic approaches such as faecal microbiota transplantation or nontoxigenicC. difficile, and immunological approaches such as antibodies or vaccines.
Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) is a distinct clinical entity with a serious risk of death. However, much debate surrounds the pathogenesis and definitions of this disease. Sarin and Choudhury describe the differences and similarities between Eastern and Western definitions of ACLF and present a common approach to manage these patients for better clinical outcomes.
The intestinal brush border consists of an array of densely packed microvilli that regulate absorption of nutrients. In this Review, the authors provide an overview of the many components that form the highly organized brush border domain and discuss pathological causes and consequences of a loss of brush border integrity.
Cystic fibrosis is caused by different mutations in theCFTRgene and can vary in severity and manifestation. Besides the well-known pulmonary consequences, the hepatobiliary and gastrointestinal tracts are also involved and will be the focus of this Review. In addition, the effect of new therapies on the gastrointestinal system will be examined, including potential benefits of using intestinal endpoints in clinical trials.
Tremendous progress has been made in understanding the immune responses in the liver. Here, Heymann and Tacke provide a comprehensive overview of liver immunology, from homeostasis to disease. The cellular mediators of immune responses in the liver and triggers of hepatic inflammation are described.
The pathophysiology of IBS is multifactorial with a substantial genetic component. Although a variety of genetic and epigenetic changes have been associated with different IBS subtypes, reproducible validation of these results is still outstanding and pharmacogenetic strategies have yet to be devised. Here, the COST Action BM1106 GENIEUR (epi)genetic working group gives insights into the situation to date, advances and challenges that still need addressing.
