Helicobacter pylori infection: New pathogenetic and clinical aspects

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infects more than half of the world’s human population, but only 1% to 3% of infected people consequently develop gastric adenocarcinomas. The clinical outcome of the infection is determined by host genetic predisposition, bacterial virulence factors, and environmental factors. The association between H. pylori infection and chronic active gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, gastric cell carcinoma, and B cell mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma has been well established. With the exception of unexplained iron deficiency anemia and idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, H. pylori infection has no proven role in extraintestinal diseases. On the other hand, there is data showing that H. pylori infection could be beneficial for some human diseases. The unpredictability of the long-term consequences of H. pylori infection and the economic challenge in eradicating it is why identification of high-risk individuals is crucial

A májsejtrák célzott kezelésének újabb lehetőségei a molekuláris biológiai adatok ismeretében = New possibilities of targeted therapy in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma in view of molecular biology

A hepatocellularis carcinoma kórjóslata rossz. A felismeréskor a betegek 85%-a nem alkalmas a kuratív kezelésre, ezekben az esetekben a palliatív módozatok, a transarterialis kemoembolisatio, a rádiófrekvenciás ablatio és a szisztémás kemoterápia alkalmazhatóak. A szisztémás kemoterápia eredményei kiábrándítóak. Molekuláris biológiai ismereteink a célzott kezelési lehetőségek tárát bővíthetik a jövőben. Jelenleg a multikinázgátló sorafenib van csak törzskönyvezve hazánkban, de ígéretesek lehetnek még a VEGF-gátlók (bevacizumab, sunitinib), az EGFR-útvonal gátlása (erlotinib), valamint az mTOR-gátlók (rapamycin és származékai). Előnyös lehet a sorafenib vagy más érképződést gátló együttes adása helyi ablatív eljárásokkal (transarterialis kemoembolisatio, rádiófrekvenciás ablatio) vagy kuratív hepatectomiával. A jövő további lehetőségei közé tartoznak a Wnt-útvonalat módosítók, a retinoid vegyületek, a sejtciklusgátlók, a proteoszómagátlók és az epigenetikus kezelés. Orv. Hetil., 2010, 43, 1763–1768. | Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has a poor prognosis. Approximately 85% of patients are not candidates for curative treatments at the time of diagnosis; hence palliative modalities (transcatheter arterial chemoembolisation, radiofrequency ablation, systemic chemotherapy) are used. Systemic chemotherapies have disappointing results. The increasing knowledge in the molecular biology of HCC will increase the possibilities of targeted therapy. The multi-tyrosine kinase inhibitor sorafenib is the only drug which has approved. The VEGF-inhibitors (bevacizumab, sunitinib), EGFR-blocker agents (erlotinib), as well as the inhibition of mTOR (rapamycin) are promising. Combination of sorafenib or other anti-angiogenic agents with local ablative procedure (transcatheter arterial chemoembolisation, radiofrequency ablation), or with curative hepatectomy also can be favorable. Alteration of Wnt pathway, retinoid compounds, inhibition of the cell cycle as well as the proteosome, and epigenetic therapy can be other potential promising targets in HCC. Orv. Hetil., 2010, 43, 1763–1768

Statinok és az emésztőrendszeri daganatok

The antitumour effect of statins has already been proven in animal experiments and human cancer cell lines in several gastrointestinal cancers. The chemopreventive mechanism is not completely clarified but the enhancement of oxidative stress, increased autophagy, altered expression of pro- and antiproliferative proteins and their influence on intracellular signaling pathways may play a role. Randomized studies, however, failed to confirme the expected results obtained from experimental studies. The goal of this review is to summarize the data available in the literature regarding the chemopreventive effects of statins on several gastrointestinal cancers. Results of clinical trials suggest that 10-20 mg statin daily has no or minimal antitumour effect. Chemopreventive effect of hydrophilic statins could not be detected but it seems to be significant in the case of hydrophobic statins. There are only few data available on the long-term daily use of 30-40 mg statins. Further long-term evaluation of the effect of statins regarding gastrointestinal cancers is needed, and an analysis of compound- and dose-related subgroups would be beneficial. Chemoprevention with statins cannot yet be accepted as standard medical practice. Use of statins as chemopreventive agents cannot be a substitute for regular oncological screening or surveillance. Orv. Hetil., 2014, 155(18), 687-693

A kolonoszkópia a vastagbélszűrés elsődleges módszere = Colonoscopy, the primary tool for colonic screening

A szerzők a vastagbélszűrés módszereinek áttekintése során a kolonoszkópia szerepét mutatják be. Ez a módszer kiemelten érzékeny és fajlagos a colorectalis rákok és adenomák kimutatásában. Lehetőséget ad arra is, hogy a vizsgálat során a rákelőző állapotnak megfelelő adenomát eltávolíthassák, ezáltal a rák kialakulásának alapját szüntetik meg. A kolonoszkópia a vastagbélszűrés elsődleges egylépcsős költséghatékony módszere. | Through an overview of the colonic screening methods, the authors study colonoscopy with high emphasis. Taking into consideration its high sensitivity and specificity in the detection of colorectal carcinomas and adenomas, as well as the possibility of adenoma removal through examination, colonoscopy is recommended to be applied as the primary colonic screening within the scope of a national screening program

Eosinophil oesophagitis = Eosinophilic esophagitis

Az eosinophil oesophagitis (EO) olyan, többnyire orális antigénmediált, idült, reverzíbilis, eosinophil granulocyták okozta nyelőcsőgyulladás, amely dysphagiához, fokozódó nyelőcsőszűkülethez és falatelakadáshoz vezethet. A tünetek gyakran emlékeztetnek a gastrooesophagealis refluxbetegségre (GORB). A betegség főként a fiatal férfiakat érinti, gyakran társul atópiás kórképekkel és orális antigénekkel szembeni érzékenységgel. Az EO kialakulásában szerepe van a környezeti (például: ételallergének) és genetikai tényezőknek (például: eotaxin-3) egyaránt. A megfelelő ételallergének kiküszöbölése, illetve gyulladáscsökkentő kezelés mellett a tünetek és a szövettani kép reverzíbilisek. A remisszió fenntartására gyakran hosszan tartó kezelés szükséges. A panaszt okozó szűkületek ballonos tágítást igényelnek. | Eosinophilic esophagitis (EE) is a chronic esophageal inflammatory disease mediated by oral antigens with the infiltration of eosinophilic granulocytes. EE can lead to various reflux-like symptoms including dysphagia, progressive strictures and bolus obstruction. EE mostly affects young male population and is associated with atopic disorders and sensitization to oral antigens. Environmental (antigens) and genetic factors (eotaxin-3) have been reported to play role in the pathogenesis of the disease. Symptoms and histological changes are reversible by the elimination of the allergens and the use of anti-inflammatory agents. Remission requires long-term treatment. Strictures with severe symptoms require mechanical balloon dilatation

Carcinoid daganatok

The authors review the most important clinical aspects of carcinoid tumors. Carcinoid tumors originating in neuroendocrine cells are rare, usually slowly-growing neoplasms, however, they may present as aggressive and rapidly progressing tumors. Epidemiologic data indicates that their prevalence is gradually increasing, which may be explained, at least in part, by the development and wider use of advanced diagnostic methods. A considerable proportion of patients with neuroendocrine tumors are symptom-free, whereas others may have carcinoid syndrome or symptoms of other endocrine syndromes. Early diagnosis may be established by the measurement of biochemical markers (serum chromogranin A, urinary 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid) and advanced localization methods. A considerable number of patients are diagnosed at the late stages of the disease; in these cases surgical cure is not possible but surgical and/or interventional radiologic procedures which reduce tumoral mass should be still considered. The most effective drugs for symptomatic treatment of carcinoid tumors are somatostatin analogues; in addition to their beneficial effect on clinical symptoms they may stabilize tumor growth for many years and, less frequently, may produce tumor regression. The use of chemotherapeutic agents is considered in patients with aggressive, rapidly growing and advanced tumors; initial findings with temozolomide and thalidomide in clinical trials raise the possibility that these chemotherapeutic agents may prove to be new therapeutic options. Radioisotope-labeled peptide receptor therapy with 131 I-MIBG, 90 Y-DOTA-TOC or 177 Lu-DOTA-TOC may offer a highly effective option for patients with progressive and advanced stage of neuroendocrine tumors. Initial observations obtained in clinical trials with some tyrosine kinase inhibitors, antibodies against tyrosine kinases, and with inhibitors of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) support the possibility that at least some of these new agents may have a role in future treatment options in patients with advanced neuroendocrine tumors

High frequency of ulcers, not associated with Helicobacter pylori, in the stomach in the first year after kidney transplantation

BACKGROUND: Although gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms are very frequent in organ transplant patients, there is a paucity of data about the endoscopic findings of kidney recipients. METHODS: Two thousand one hundred and thirty-five kidney transplants were performed between 1994 and 2007. During that period, 672 gastroscopies were performed in 543 of those patients. Their mean age was 49.5 years and 56.9% were male. Immunosuppressive combinations included cyclosporine-mycophenolate-steroids, cyclosporine-steroids and tacrolimus-mycophenolate mofetil-steroids. Ninety-eight percent of the patients received acid suppression therapy. RESULTS: The rate of clinically significant endoscopic findings was 84%. Macroscopic findings included inflammation in 46.7%, oesophagitis in 24.7%, ulcer in 16.9% and erosions in 14.8% of cases. Twenty-nine percent of endoscopies showed ulcer disease more frequently in the first 3 months (P=0.0014) after transplantation than later, and 45.7% of all ulcers developed in the first year. The presence of Helicobacter pylori was verified in 20.9% of cases, less than in the general, and also in the uraemic population (P<0.0001). There was no association between the presence of H. pylori and ulcers (P=0.28). Steroid pulse treatment for rejection was not associated with more ulcers (P=0.11); the use of mycophenolate mofetil increased the risk of erosions by 1.8-fold. CONCLUSION: More than 25% of all kidney recipients required upper endoscopy in their 'post-transplant life'; the prevalence of 'positive findings' and ulcer disease was higher than in the general population (P<0.0001). The most vulnerable period is the first 3 months. Mycophenolate mofetil had an impact on GI complications, whilst the presence of H. pylori in the transplant population is not associated with the presence of ulcers