PURPOSE OF REVIEW In the rapidly progressing world of inflammatory bowel disease, this review discusses and summarizes new drug targets and results from major clinical trials in order to provide an update to physicians treating patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). RECENT FINDINGS Multiple new mechanisms in the treatment of IBD are being developed and many are showing promising results in both ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease patients. In addition to efficacy, some of these trea...
PURPOSE OF REVIEW The purpose of this review is to provide the current understanding of the role of allergens/antigens, the use of allergy testing, and to elucidate the role of the allergist in the management of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). RECENT FINDINGS EoE is a T2 immune disorder that is part of the atopic march. EoE patients commonly have multiple concurrent allergic disorders. Recent studies demonstrate that, like other allergic diseases, epithelial barrier dysfunction plays a key role ...
PURPOSE OF REVIEW The purpose of this review is to delineate risk factors for the development of diabetes in patients with chronic pancreatitis. The natural history including progression to diabetes and complications that develop once diabetes occurs in chronic pancreatitis is also reviewed. RECENT FINDINGS Studies have found that predictors of diabetes in chronic pancreatitis include both risk factors for type 2 diabetes (e.g., obesity, genetic variants) as well as pancreas-specific factors (e....
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Diseases of the pancreas are a broad spectrum of conditions resulting from metabolic, inflammatory, and neoplastic processes (pancreatitis, pancreatogenic diabetes, and pancreatic cancers). Pancreatic diseases cause significant morbidity, mortality, and cost. RECENT FINDINGS Research progress in diseases of the exocrine pancreas (chronic pancreatitis [CP], pancreatogenic diabetes mellitus, and pancreatic cancer) has been hampered by the disorders' heterogeneity, the limitations...
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Given the growing concerns about infection transmission from use of contaminated reusable duodenoscopes, technological advancements have been made that vary from modifications of existing designs to development of single-use devices. RECENT FINDINGS To circumvent mechanical limitations that preclude access to critical areas of a duodenoscope to perform thorough cleaning and disinfection, single-use disposable duodenoscopes have been developed. A thorough assessment of this tech...
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Esophagogastric junction outflow obstruction (EGJOO), defined as elevated integrated residual pressure (IRP) with preservation of esophageal peristalsis, is a common finding on high-resolution esophageal manometry. RECENT FINDINGS The recent Chicago classification version 4.0 proposes changes to the criteria for diagnosing EGJOO, making this diagnosis more restrictive to now include elevated IRP in both supine and upright positions (with preservation of esophageal peristalsis),...
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Peutz-Jeghers syndrome is a rare, autosomal dominant, hereditary polyposis syndrome defined by gastrointestinal hamartomas and mucocutaneous pigmentations, caused by a germline mutation in the serine/ threonine kinase 11 or liver kinase B1 (STK11/LKB1) genes. Hamartomatous polyps located throughout the gastrointestinal tract can be complicated by bleeding and small bowel intussusception, potentially leading to the need for emergency surgery. Individuals suffering from Peutz-Jeg...
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Statins are a class of lipid lower medications used primarily in patients with high-risk cardiovascular disease. Since their development, statins have been considered to be harmful in patients with liver disease, and many of the prescribing information labels consider them to be contraindicated in patients with active liver disease. However, recent studies have shown the contrary, warranting further investigation and discussion. This review aims to describe the latest literatur...
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Liver transplantation is the gold standard for the treatment of end-stage liver disease. However, a shortage of donor organs, high cost, and surgical complications limit the use of this treatment. Cellular therapies using hepatocytes, hematopoietic stem cells, bone marrow mononuclear cells, and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are being investigated as alternative treatments to liver transplantation. The purpose of this review is to describe studies using MSC transplantation for l...
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the leading cause of chronic liver disease in the United States and increasing globally. The progressive form of NAFLD, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), can lead to cirrhosis and complications of end-stage liver disease. No FDA-approved therapy for NAFLD/NASH exists. Treatment of NAFLD/NASH includes effective and sustained life-style modification and weight loss. This review reports on the recent findings of bariatric surgery in t...