A 10-day course employing a sequential treatment schedule is effective in eradicating Helicobacter pylori infection in most patients, Spanish researchers report. Reuters Health Information
Detection of JC virus, an important cause of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) in immunosuppressed patients, is not a good predictor of PML risk and should not be used to screen patients before initiating natalizumab treatment, scientists in Europe report. Reuters Health Information
High levels of air pollution may increase the risk of adult-onset appendicitis, according to results of a study conducted in Canada and reported this week at the 73rd annual scientific meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology in Orlando, Florida. Reuters Health Information
A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in a major histocompatibility complex-linked gene appears to be associated with early liver transplant rejection in children, Pennsylvania-based researchers report in the September issue of Gastroenterology. Reuters Health Information
Linaclotide appears to significantly improve abdominal pain and to relieve constipation and other symptoms in adults with irritable bowel syndrome with constipation. Medscape Medical News
Rifaximin may significantly improve quality-of-life symptoms in patients with irritable bowel syndrome and diarrhea, according to a secondary-analysis study evaluating data from a large multicenter phase 2 trial. Medscape Medical News
Most people infected with Helicobacter pylori are asymptomatic, and a recent study by U.K.-based researchers suggests that in these individuals, the bacterium induces a regulatory T cell response that contributes to "a peaceful coexistence" with its human host. Peptic ulcer disease, on the other hand, seems to result when this regulatory response is inadequate. The study was published in the October issue of Gut. Reuters Health Information
The results of a study published in the September issue of Gastroenterology suggest that an extremely poor nutritional status from anorexia nervosa can result in acute and profound alterations in liver function. Reuters Health Information
In patients with colorectal cancer, knowledge of the K-Ras mutation status enables treatment to be tailored to the individual. Medscape Hematology-Oncology
