A novel prolyl endoprotease from Aspergillus niger efficiently degrades gluten in a gastrointestinal model, according to a report in the January issue of Gut. If clinical trials bear out the findings, adding the enzyme to gluten-containing meals "might eliminate gluten toxicity, thus offering patients the possibility of abandoning (occasionally) their strict gluten-free diet," write the authors. Reuters Health Information
Bile acids are detectable in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid of newborns with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) who are delivered from pregnancies affected by intrahepatic cholestasis, Italian researchers report in the January issue of Pediatrics. Reuters Health Information
Patients with pancreatic cancer diagnosed when the tumor is 20 mm or less have a dramatically better prognosis than those whose tumors are larger; unfortunately, few pancreatic tumors are found when they are still this small. Medscape Medical News
Proteomic profiling using surface enhanced laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF-MS) can accurately identify liver cancer, Boston-based researchers report in the January issue of Clinical Cancer Research. Reuters Health Information
The exogenous application of midkine, an endogenous heparin-binding growth inhibitor, may protect hepatocytes from cadmium-induced liver toxicity, according to a new study. Reuters Health Information
What updates were made to the 2002 algorithm that has made it more applicable to pharmacists as well as doctors? Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics
The use of imatinib mesylate after surgery for primary gastrointestinal stromal tumors can significantly increase both overall and recurrence-free survival. Medscape Medical News
A 10-year-old white girl presented for investigation of mildly elevated liver transaminases found incidentally while being evaluated for urticaria. Read the case report and make the diagnosis. The Medscape Journal of Medicine
With the advent of modern screening tests and increased awareness of celiac disease, the clinical profile of newly diagnosed pediatric patients has changed, physicians in Milwaukee report. Most are school-age and asymptomatic, having been referred for screening on the basis of their high-risk status. Reuters Health Information
