Detection of Human Y Chromosome and the Gene in Fecal Samples of Female Patients Following Fecal Microbiota Transplantation.

Background And Aims: We have postulated that fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is associated with transfer of microbiota from the donor and engraftment of intestinal epithelial cells in the recipient's colonic mucosa enabling the restoration of a stable microbial environment.

Methods: We analyzed the presence of human Y chromosome (ChrY) and sex-determining region Y (SRY) gene within total human DNA extracted from fecal samples collected from 30 donors and 22 recurrent Clostridium difficile infection (RCDI) patients before and up to 24 months after FMT. A next-generation sequencing data analysis pipeline was applied to quantify the percentage of reads aligning to human ChrY.

Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Treatments for Pancreatic Cancer: Understanding How Endoscopic Ultrasound Has Revolutionized Management of Pancreatic Cancer.

Pancreatic cancer is associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality. Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided biopsy has become the standard diagnostic modality per the guidelines. The use of EUS has been growing for providing various treatments in patients with pancreatic cancers: biliary and gallbladder drainage for those with malignant biliary obstruction, gastroenterostomy for malignant gastric outlet obstruction, celiac plexus/ganglia neurolysis for pain control, radiofrequency ablation, placement of fiducial markers, and injection of local chemotherapeutic agents.

Underwater versus conventional endoscopic submucosal dissection for colorectal lesions: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background And Aims: Effect of underwater endoscopic submucosal dissection (UESD) on clinical outcomes as compared with conventional ESD (CESD) remains unclear. We conducted a meta-analysis of the available data.

Methods: Online databases were searched for studies comparing UESD with CESD for colorectal lesions.

Indirect comparison of various lumen-apposing metal stents for EUS-guided biliary and gallbladder drainage: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background And Aims: Studies assessing EUS-guided biliary drainage (EUS-BD) or gallbladder drainage (EUS-GB) using lumen-apposing metal stents (LAMSs) have shown variable results based on the type of LAMS. We performed a meta-analysis of the available data.

Methods: Multiple online databases were searched for studies using LAMSs (Axios [Boston Scientific, Marlborough, Mass, USA] or Spaxus [Taewoong Medical Co, Gimpo, Korea]) for EUS-BD and EUS-GB.

Safety and efficacy of thalidomide in treatment of gastrointestinal bleeding secondary to angioectasias: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Thalidomide has been used for angioectasia-associated refractory gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB), with studies showing variable efficacy and side effects profile. We conducted a meta-analysis to reconcile the data.

Methods: Online databases were searched for studies evaluating thalidomide in patients with refractory/recurrent GIB due to angioectasias.

Meta-Analysis of Endoscopic Full-Thickness Resection Versus Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection for Complex Colorectal Lesions.

Background: Studies evaluating endoscopic full-thickness resection (EFTR) and endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for complex colorectal lesions have shown variable results. We conducted a meta-analysis of the available data.

Methods: Online databases were searched for studies comparing EFTR versus ESD for complex colorectal lesions.

Conventional Versus Traction Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection for Colorectal Tumors: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Introduction: Compared with conventional endoscopic submucosal dissection (C-ESD) for colorectal lesions, the traction method (T-ESD) allows the lesion to be stabilized with easier dissection. However, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have reported conflicting results on the clinical outcomes of T-ESD as compared with C-ESD. We conducted a meta-analysis to compile the data.

Metagenomic strain detection with SameStr: identification of a persisting core gut microbiota transferable by fecal transplantation.

Background: The understanding of how microbiomes assemble, function, and evolve requires metagenomic tools that can resolve microbiota compositions at the strain level. However, the identification and tracking of microbial strains in fecal metagenomes is challenging and available tools variably classify subspecies lineages, which affects their applicability to infer microbial persistence and transfer.

Results: We introduce SameStr, a bioinformatic tool that identifies shared strains in metagenomes by determining single-nucleotide variants (SNV) in species-specific marker genes, which are compared based on a maximum variant profile similarity.

Prevalence of Gastrointestinal Symptoms, Hepatic Dysfunction, and Outcomes in Hospitalized Patients With COVID-19 Infection: An Early Experience.

Background and objective Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was first reported in China two years ago as primarily a lung infection associated with cough and fever. It spread rapidly across the world and was declared a pandemic in early 2020, with 131 million people infected and 2.85 million deaths worldwide.

Magnesium Citrate Capsules in Colonoscopy Preparation: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Introduction: Screening colonoscopies are recommended for the detection and prevention of colon cancer. Liquid colonoscopy preparations may be poorly tolerated. We evaluated the adequacy and tolerability of a novel low-cost colonoscopy preparation consisting of magnesium citrate capsules and bisacodyl (MCCB).

Identification and engraftment of new bacterial strains by shotgun metagenomic sequence analysis in patients with recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection before and after fecal microbiota transplantation and in healthy human subjects.

Background: Recurrent Clostridioides diffícile infection (RCDI) is associated with major bacterial dysbiosis and colitis. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is a highly effective therapeutic modality for RCDI. While several studies have identified bacterial species associated with resolution of symptoms in patients, characterization of the fecal microbiome at the bacterial strain level in RCDI patients before and after FMT and healthy donors, has been lacking.

Superiority of Higher-Volume Fresh Feces Compared to Lower-Volume Frozen Feces in Fecal Microbiota Transplantation for Recurrent Clostridioides Difficile Colitis.

Goals: To compare the clinical outcomes of different protocols for fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) in two community hospitals with similar patient demographics.

Background: FMT is commonly performed for recurrent or refractory Clostridioides difficile infection (rCDI). The clinical efficacy of FMT for this indication has been well established.

Potential clinical application of an automated fluorescent microbial cell counter in the detection of urinary tract infection.

Background: Urinary tract infections (UTI) account for millions of office visits and approximately 400 000 hospital admissions every year in the United States; as a result, the cost burden of UTI in the USA is estimated at approximately $2.8 billion. There is a great deal of interest in finding newer, faster, and more reliable methods for diagnosing UTI as compared to the standard urine culture.

Parkinson's Disease: The Emerging Role of Gut Dysbiosis, Antibiotics, Probiotics, and Fecal Microbiota Transplantation.

The role of the microbiome in health and human disease has emerged at the forefront of medicine in the 21st century. Over the last 2 decades evidence has emerged to suggest that inflammation-derived oxidative damage and cytokine induced toxicity may play a significant role in the neuronal damage associated with Parkinson's disease (PD). Presence of pro-inflammatory cytokines and T cell infiltration has been observed in the brain parenchyma of patients with PD.

Uncommon Endoscopic Findings in a Tylosis Patient: A Case Report.

Palmoplantar tylosis is a focal non epidermolytic palmoplantar hyperkeratosis and is associated with a very high lifetime risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus (OSCC). It is generally inherited as an autosomal dominant trait with complete penetrance involving the RHBDF2 gene located on 17q25.1.

Safety and efficacy of fecal microbiota transplant in 9 critically ill patients with severe and complicated Clostridium difficile infection with impending colectomy.

Objective: Significant data support the efficacy and safety of fecal microbiota transplant (FMT) in recurrent Clostridium difficile infection (CDI). The objective of our study was to determine the success rate of FMT in patients diagnosed with severe and complicated CDI with impending colectomy in the intensive care setting.

Methods: This was a 2-center study of 9 patients who met the criteria for severe and complicated CDI and had an impending colectomy.

Unexplained Portal Gas in a Patient with an Esophageal Ulcer.

Emphysematous gastritis is the infection of gastric mucosa by gas producing microorganisms. It is a rare infection with less than 100 cases reported in the literature. The association of portal venous gas along with emphysematous gastritis is a rare entity.

Marked Inhibition of Cellular Proliferation in the Normal Human Esophageal Epithelial Cells and Human Esophageal Squamous Cancer Cells in Culture by Carotenoids: Role for Prevention and Early Treatment of Esophageal Cancer.

Background: Globally Esophageal cancer is a common cancer arising from human esophageal mucosal tissue. Epidemiological studies suggest inverse correlation between carotenoid intake and incident risk of this devastating malignancy. Methods: In an effort to examine the modulatory role of carotenoids in human esophageal carcinogenesis at a cellular level, we examined the effects of α-carotene and β-carotenes, on cell proliferation and DNA synthesis in human esophageal epithelial (HEE) cells and human esophageal squamous cancer (HESC) cells in in-vitro cultures.

Pancreatic Extramedullary Plasmacytoma Presenting as a Pancreatic Mass.

Extramedullary plasmacytomas (EMP) are a subcategory of plasma cell neoplasm that involves organs outside the bone marrow. Involvement of the pancreas is relatively rare, reported in only 2.3% of autopsies.

A Case of Acute Severe Hepatotoxicity and Mild Constriction of Common Bile Duct Associated With Ingestion of Green Tea Extract: A Clinical Challenge.

Consumption of herbal and dietary supplements (HDS) has increased worldwide as potential treatment for weight reduction and metabolic enhancement. However, it has been reported that HDS can cause liver injury which accounts for 20% of hepatotoxicity in the United States. Prevention of HDS induced liver injury remains a challenge due to difficulties in identifying the hepatotoxins in these preparations and lack of federal regulations for dietary supplements.

EUS-guided colo-enterostomy as a salvage drainage procedure in a high surgical risk patient with small bowel obstruction due to severe ileocolonic anastomotic stricture: a new application of lumen-apposing metal stent (LAMS).

We submit the first case report of a successful EUS-guided transmural LAMS placement to drain the small bowel directly into the transverse colon in a high surgical risk patient with obstruction due to severe anastomotic stricture. We describe our technique for endoscopic colo-enterostomy and are hopeful that this will become a viable option to manage non-operable high-grade distal small bowel obstruction.

Effect of Aging on the Composition of Fecal Microbiota in Donors for FMT and Its Impact on Clinical Outcomes.

Background: Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is emerging as an effective therapy for the treatment of recurrent Clostridium difficile infection (RCDI). Selecting an appropriate donor is vital to the success of FMT. However, the relationship between age of donors and the efficacy of FMT has not been examined to date.

Fecal Microbiota Transplantation for Recurrent Clostridium difficile Infection in the Elderly: Long-Term Outcomes and Microbiota Changes.

Background And Aims: Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has become the cornerstone in management of recurrent Clostridium difficile infection (RCDI) in adults. However, data on efficacy, safety, long-term outcomes, and microbiota alterations are limited in elderly patients (>65 years).

Methods: Twenty-nine consecutive elderly patients with RCDI underwent FMT with combined jejunal and colonic method and monitored for long-term outcomes.

Improved Bowel Preparation with Multimedia Education in a Predominantly African-American Population: A Randomized Study.

Background and Aim. Inadequate bowel preparation is a major impediment in colonoscopy quality outcomes. Aim of this study was to evaluate the role of multimedia education (MME) in improving bowel preparation quality and adenoma detection rate.