Monthly Archives: May 2015

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has seen a dramatic increase in incidence over the last 4 decades.1 This increase in incidence has mirrored an increase in end-stage hepatitis C infection, and has also mirrored worsening of the obesity epidemic that has … Continue reading →

Little is known about the pathogenic mechanisms of chronic pancreatitis. We investigated the roles of complement component 5 (C5) in pancreatic fibrogenesis in mice and patients. Continue reading →

The mechanisms of tissue destruction during progression of celiac disease are poorly defined. It is not clear how tissue stress and adaptive immunity contribute to the activation of intraepithelial cytotoxic T cells and the development of villous atrop… Continue reading →

Patients with cirrhosis and variceal hemorrhage have a high risk of rebleeding. We performed a prospective randomized trial to compare the prevention of rebleeding in patients given a small-diameter covered stent vs those given hepatic venous pressure … Continue reading →

There are no effective and safe treatments for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection of patients who have advanced liver disease. Continue reading →

The community of microorganisms within the human gut (or microbiota) is critical to health and functions with a level of complexity comparable to that of an organ system. Alterations of this ecology (or dysbiosis) have been implicated in a number of di… Continue reading →

Autoimmune polyendocrinopathy candidiasis ectodermal dystrophy (APECED) is an autoimmune disorder characterized by chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis, hypoparathyroidism, and adrenal insufficiency, but patients also develop intestinal disorders. APECED … Continue reading →

Esophageal squamous cell neoplasia has a high mortality rate as a result of late detection. In high-risk regions such as China, screening is performed by Lugol’s chromoendoscopy (LCE). LCE has low specificity, resulting in unnecessary tissue biopsy w… Continue reading →

Radiocontrast agents are required for radiographic procedures, but these agents can injure tissues by unknown mechanisms. We investigated whether exposure of pancreatic tissues to radiocontrast agents during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatograp… Continue reading →

Levels of the Golgi protein 73 (GP73) increase during development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); GP73 now is used as a serum marker for HCC. However, little is known about the mechanisms or effects of GP73 during hepatic carcinogenesis. Continue reading →