Women with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), especially those treated with immunosuppressants, are more likely than healthy controls to have abnormal Pap smears, according to a report in the March issue of the American Journal of Gastroenterology. Reuters Health Information
Once-weekly treatment with pegylated interferon alpha-2a is both more effective and safer than standard interferon alpha-2a three times a week for interferon-naive dialysis patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, according to a report by Taiwanese researchers published in the April issue of Gut. Reuters Health Information
Lower adiponectin levels are associated with a higher risk of liver steatosis and a lower rate of response to interferon (IFN)-alpha treatment in patients with chronic hepatitis C, according to a report in the March issue of the American Journal of Gastroenterology. Reuters Health Information
Fluconazole prophylaxis for extremely low birth weight (ELBW) newborns can reduce the incidence of invasive candidiasis and related mortality in NICUs without causing fluconazole-resistant Candida species, new research shows. Reuters Health Information
Chronic hepatitis C patients who respond to combination therapy with pegylated interferon and ribavirin show a different liver gene expression signature than nonresponders, according to a report in the April Gut. Reuters Health Information
The results of a study published in the March issue of Gastroenterology suggest that acute auditory stress can exacerbate symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease by enhancing the perception of the amount of acid in the esophagus. Reuters Health Information
Small bowel transplantation in children with intestinal failure allows for normal growth and height attainment in the majority of cases, according to a report in the April issue of Gut. Reuters Health Information
Elderly patients with metastatic colon cancer, those between 76 and 80 years of age, have response and survival rates similar to their younger counterparts when given a treatment approach that includes stop-and-go oxaliplatin. Reuters Health Information
Although HIV does not directly infect the liver, HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) co-infection is associated with more severe HCV-induced liver fibrosis than is HCV infection alone. Reuters Health Information
From 1995 to 2004, deaths related to infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) rose by 123% in the US, according to a report in the April issue of Hepatology. Reuters Health Information
