ER-beta expression in large bowel adenomas: implications in colon carcinogenesis.

BACKGROUND: A pivotal role of oestrogen receptor-beta has been suggested in colon carcinogenesis in humans. However, few data are available on oestrogen receptor-beta in colorectal pre-cancerous lesions. AIM: In the present study, we evaluated oestrogen receptor-beta expression and its possible correlation with proliferative activity and apoptosis in colorectal adenomas and normal colon tissue. PATIENTS/METHODS: Adenomatous tissue from 25 patients with colonic polyps, and normal tissue from 25 controls were used. Oestrogen receptor-beta expression, colonocyte proliferation (expressed as PCNA positivity) and apoptosis were evaluated. RESULTS: In adenomatous tissue, a significant reduction of oestrogen receptor-beta was observed compared to normal mucosa (10.1+/-5.5% vs. 44.2+/-13.7; p<0.03), while the expression of oestrogen receptor-alpha remained unvaried. Cell proliferative activity significantly increased in adenomatous tissue compared to normal mucosa (59.3+/-7.1 vs. 18.5+/-8.8; p<0.0001), doubling the PCNA/apoptosis ratio. An inverse correlation was found between oestrogen receptor-beta and PCNA expression in adenomas (r=-0.81), a datum confirmed by confocal microscopy evaluation. CONCLUSIONS: Our data demonstrate, for the first time, a significant reduction of oestrogen receptor-beta expression already in the pre-cancerous phase of colon carcinogenesis. This suggests a role of selective oestrogen receptor-beta agonists in the prevention of colorectal cancer.

Sequential treatment for Helicobacter pylori does not share the risk factors of triple therapy failure.

BACKGROUND: Predicting factors for the outcome of conventional Helicobacter pylori triple therapy have been identified. Of these, the presence of the CagA gene is a strong predictor of successful treatment. Our preliminary data show that this factor becomes irrelevant when sequential therapy is used. AIM: To identify predicting factors for the outcome of H. pylori eradication using two therapeutic schemes (triple and sequential) of equal duration (10 days). METHODS: Ninety-six patients with H. pylori infection were randomly assigned to receive one of the following therapeutic schemes: group A: rabeprazole (20 mg b.d.) plus amoxicillin (1 g b.d.) for 5 days, followed by rabeprazole (20 mg b.d.) plus tinidazole (500 mg b.d.) and clarithromycin (500 mg b.d.) for a further 5 days; group B: rabeprazole (20 mg b.d.) plus amoxicillin (1 g b.d.) and clarithromycin (500 mg b.d.) for 10 days. Age, sex, smoking, endoscopic and histological findings, and CagA and VacA status were considered as candidates for a model of multivariate analysis which used therapeutic outcome as the dependent variable. CagA and VacA status were assessed by polymerase chain reaction on DNA isolated from gastric antral specimens. RESULTS: The sequential scheme was significantly more effective than prolonged triple therapy (P < 0.05). Smoking (P < 0.001) and the absence of the CagA gene (P < 0.05) were significantly associated with the failure of triple therapy, but the effectiveness of sequential treatment was not predicted by these factors. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that sequential therapy is not affected by bacterial and host factors which have, until now, predicted the outcome of conventional eradication treatments.

Second harmonic imaging improves trans-abdominal ultrasound detection of biliary sludge in 'idiopathic' pancreatitis.

BACKGROUND: Recently, biliary sludge has been strongly correlated with 'idiopathic pancreatitis'. It is often diagnosed by trans-abdominal ultrasonography, despite the low sensitivity of this investigation. New scanners, using second harmonic imaging, may improve the quality of the echographic picture. AIM: To verify the impact of this methodology on the detection of biliary sludge in patients with 'idiopathic' pancreatitis. METHODS: Fifty patients with 'idiopathic' pancreatitis observed over a 18-month period entered the study. Exclusion criteria were gall-bladder stones, polyps, clinical conditions related to biliary sludge development and haemolytic disorders. Patients were assessed blind by two operators using either conventional ultrasonography or second harmonic imaging. The parameters of diagnostic quality of both examinations were evaluated using, as the gold standard, microscopic examination of the gall-bladder content collected at endoscopy after cholecystokinin infusion. RESULTS: An improvement in sensitivity, specificity, efficiency and negative predictive value was obtained by second harmonic imaging compared with conventional ultrasonography. CONCLUSIONS: Second harmonic imaging, in our experience, is a reliable non-invasive tool for the diagnosis and follow-up of biliary sludge in the course of 'idiopathic' pancreatitis.

Helicobacter heilmannii gastritis: a histological and immunohistochemical trait.

AIM: Biopsies of the gastric antrum were reviewed over a period of 10 years to determine the prevalence of Helicobacter heilmannii in symptomatic subjects from this geographical area and to relate its presence to distinctive histopathological and immunohistochemical features. METHODS: Biopsies from 7926 symptomatic patients were reviewed. Ten serial sections were stained with haematoxylin and eosin for conventional histology. Another 10 sections were stained with the Gram method for spiral bacteria. When H heilmannii was suspected, 10 additional serial sections were stained with methylene blue to obtain homogeneous colouring. An equal number of sections from patients affected by isolated H heilmannii or H pylori gastritis were analysed by immunohistochemistry to evaluate lymphoid aggregate/mucosal lymphocyte clonality (CD20 and CD3) and tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) in stromal cells. RESULTS: The prevalence of H heilmannii was 0.1% (eight of 7926), whereas H pylori was present in 60.7% of patients (4813 of 7926). In two of the eight H heilmannii positive patients both helicobacters were found. In all subjects infected by H heilmannii only, distinctive histology (lymphocyte exudation into gastric foveolae) was seen. Lymphoid aggregates, chronic mucosal inflammation with patchy activity, and the absence of epithelial mucus depletion were regular features of H heilmannii gastritis. Immunohistochemistry did not reveal different lymphocyte clonal patterns between H pylori and H heilmannii gastritis: CD20 positive cells were predominant in the centre of aggregates and mucosal infiltrates, whereas CD3 positive cells were prevalent at the periphery of follicles. Only H pylori gastritis showed a significant increase in TNF-alpha positive stromal cells. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that an unusual lymphocyte reaction, with the tendency to invade the foveolar lumen, is a distinctive histopathological aspect of H heilmannii chronic gastritis, although further studies in a larger series are necessary to confirm this fact. Nevertheless, lymphocyte clones do not differ qualitatively from those found in H pylori infection. Moreover, compared with H heilmannii, H pylori provokes a more intense release of TNF-alpha, suggesting that different inflammatory responses exist to these two organisms.

Lupus nephritis improvement after anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha monoclonal antibody (infliximab) treatment for Crohn's disease: a case report.

Association between Crohn's disease (CD) and lupus nephritis is very rare and, to the best of our knowledge, it has been described only once. We report here a clinical case of CD occurred in a young woman 8 years after a diagnosis of lupus nephritis according to clinical, laboratory and histological criteria. CD was unresponsive to steroids and immunosuppressants and, therefore, the patient was treated with anti-tumour necrosis factor alpha monoclonal antibody (Infliximab). This therapy led to the remission of both CD (50% of Crohn's Disease Activity Index--CDAI--decrease) and lupus nephritis (disappearance of pyuria in absence of infection, significant increase of serum albumin and improvement of renal function tests). The immunological background of both diseases has to be taken into account to explain either the association of the two disorders or the therapeutic response. Moreover, this clinical case confirms and extends the concept that in patients with CD a more accurate detection of autoimmune associated disorders is required.

Tumor necrosis factor alpha and apoptosis in Helicobacter pylori related progressive gastric damage: a possible mechanism of immune system involvement in epithelial turnover regulation.

Helicobacter pylori (HP) related inflammation is mediated by tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha), which "in vitro" increases epithelial apoptosis in response to infection. In the early stages of HP gastritis, a raised epithelial apoptosis occurs; this phenomenon becomes less evident with progression towards intestinal metaplasia. Aim of our study was to analyze "in vivo" mucosal TNFalpha in relation to epithelial apoptosis in the progression of HP related histological damage. Antral biopsies from 20 HP positive patients were retrospectively studied: 10 with and 10 without intestinal metaplasia (IM and CG group respectively); samples of 10 dyspeptics with normal HP negative stomach (N) were used as control. The following parameters were evaluated by immunohistochemistry: 85 kDa caspase-cleaved fragment (p85) of human poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) labelling index (LI) as marker of apoptosis and TNFalpha LI in stromal cells as marker of inflammatory response. Both epithelial apoptosis and mucosal TNFalpha expression were higher in chronic active gastritis compared to intestinal metaplasia and controls (PARP and TNFalpha LI: CG > IM > N; ANOVA & Student-Neumann-Keuls; p < 0.05 and p < 0.01, respectively). Pearson's coefficient showed a significant correlation between PARP and TNFalpha LI in IM and CG groups. Our data show that mucosal TNFalpha, similarly to what suggested "in vitro", may be related "in vivo" to epithelial apoptosis thus suggesting a possible mechanism for immune system involvement in the control of gastric epithelial turnover.