Daily Archives: October 6, 2017
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Viggars et al offer 3 reasons why they believe the results of our systematic review with meta-analysis assessing probiotic efficacy for prevention of Clostridium difficile infection should be downgraded from high to low or possibly very low quality of… Continue reading
An Unusual Cause of Elevated Liver Enzymes
Question: A 54-year-old Hispanic man presented to the hospital with several days of dizziness and nausea, associated with 2 months of fatigue and unintentional weight loss. His past medical history included hypertension, dyslipidemia, combined systolic… Continue reading
Risks of Saccharomyces boulardii-Containing Probiotics for the Prevention of Clostridium difficile Infection in the Elderly
In their recently published meta-analysis, Shen et al1 found that early administration of probiotics decreased the incidence of Clostridium difficile infection after antibiotic treatment. Shen et al wisely recall that the use of probiotics should be … Continue reading
Vedolizumab Concentrations in the Breast Milk of Nursing Mothers With Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Vedolizumab, a monoclonal immunoglobulin (Ig)G4 antibody, has a favorable safety profile in nonpregnant and nonlactating patients.1 The data on the safety of vedolizumab in reproduction is limited,2,3 with currently none available in lactating mothers. Continue reading
An Unusual Cause of Dysphagia in an Elderly Female
Question: A 66-year-old woman came to our hospital complaining of dysphagia for 1 month. She denied a family history of gastrointestinal carcinoma and a history of previous surgery. Remarkable previous history of bronchiectasis in the past years and oc… Continue reading
Use of Probiotics in Hospitalized Adults to Prevent Clostridium difficile Infection: DownGRADE the Quality of Evidence?
We read the paper by Shen et al with interest.1 The authors demonstrated, in a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), a significant effect of probiotics in terms of preventing Clostridium difficile infection in hospitalized adults takin… Continue reading
Gallstones and Colon Cancer: A Result of a Wrong Study Revived
We read with great interest the paper by Shabanzadeh et al1 in which the investigators conclude that screen-detected gallstones disease in the general population seems to be associated with the development of right-sided colon cancer. This is novel an… Continue reading
Interleukin 35 Expression Correlates with Microvessel Density in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma, Recruits Monocytes, and Promotes Growth and Angiogenesis of Xenograft Tumors in Mice
Cells of the monocyte lineage contribute to tumor angiogenesis. Interleukin 35 (IL35) is a member of the IL12 family produced by regulatory, but not effector, T cells. IL35 is a dimer comprising the IL12 alpha and IL27 beta chains, encoded by IL12A and… Continue reading
Covering the Cover
In a large cohort of an average-risk population undergoing colorectal cancer screening using fecal immunochemical testing, an increased fecal hemoglobin concentration was associated with a higher risk of subsequent colorectal advanced neoplasia. Continue reading