Your browser does not fully support modern features. Please upgrade for a smoother experience.
Subject:
All Disciplines Arts & Humanities Biology & Life Sciences Business & Economics Chemistry & Materials Science Computer Science & Mathematics Engineering Environmental & Earth Sciences Medicine & Pharmacology Physical Sciences Public Health & Healthcare Social Sciences
Sort by:
Most Viewed Latest Alphabetical (A-Z) Alphabetical (Z-A)
Filter:
All Topic Review Biography Peer Reviewed Entry Video Entry
Topic Review
Diagnostic Methods for Evaluation of Gastric Motility
Gastric motility abnormalities are common in patients with disorders of gut-brain interaction such as functional dyspepsia and gastroparesis. Accurate assessment of the gastric motility in these common disorders can help understand the underlying pathophysiology and guide effective treatment. A variety of clinically applicable diagnostic methods have been developed to objectively evaluate for presence of gastric dysmotility, including tests of gastric accommodation, antroduodenal motility, gastric emptying, and gastric myoelectrical activity. The advances in clinically available diagnostic methods for evaluation of gastric motility are discussed and the advantages and disadvantages of each test are described.
  • 987
  • 15 Mar 2023
Topic Review
Colonic Mucosal TNF-α Levels in Diverticular Disease
Diverticular disease (DD) is the most frequent condition in the Western world that affects the colon. Although chronic mild inflammatory processes have recently been proposed as a central factor in DD, limited information is currently available regarding the role of inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α). 
  • 987
  • 07 Jul 2023
Topic Review
Metabolism-Associated Epigenetic and Immunoepigenetic Re-programming in Liver Cancer
Metabolic reprogramming and epigenetic changes have been characterized as hallmarks of liver cancer. Metabolic intermediates serve as crucial substrates for various epigenetic modulations, from post-translational modification of histones to DNA methylation. In turn, epigenetic changes can alter the expression of metabolic genes supporting on the one hand, the increased energetic demand of cancer cells and, on the other hand, influence the activity of tumor-associated immune cell populations. In this review, we will illustrate the most recent findings about metabolic reprogramming in liver cancer. We will focus on the metabolic changes characterizing the tumor microenvironment and on how these alterations impact on epigenetic mechanisms involved in the malignant progression. Furthermore, we will report our current knowledge about the influence of cancer-specific metabolites on epigenetic reprogramming of immune cells. Finally, we will review the current strategies to target metabolic and epigenetic pathways and their therapeutic potential in liver cancer, alone or in combinatorial approaches.
  • 986
  • 13 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Role of Interleukins in Hepatitis B Virus Infection
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a worldwide medical issue with significant morbidity and mortality, as it is the main cause of chronic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Both innate and adaptive immune responses play a key role in HBV replication and suppression. The pathophysiological function of interleukins (IL) in the natural course of HBV has gained much attention as a result of the broad use of anti-interleukin agents for a variety of autoimmune diseases and the accompanying risk of HBV reactivation.
  • 986
  • 05 Dec 2023
Topic Review
Clinical Presentation of Wilson’s Disease
Wilson’s disease can appear at any age, although it is most prevalent in patients before the age of 40. Most cases are diagnosed between 5 and 35 years of age. Clinical signs and symptoms of the disease may vary considerably but the most common are hepatic (including cirrhosis), neurologic, and psychiatric disorders; ophthalmic signs (Kayser–Fleischer rings); and episodes of hemolysis coexisting with acute liver failure. Due to its heterogeneous presentation, Wilson’s disease has been referred to as “the great masquerader”
  • 979
  • 01 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Obesity and Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Inflammatory colon diseases, which are a global health concern, include a variety of gastrointestinal tract disorders, such as inflammatory bowel disease and colon cancer. The pathogenesis of these colon disorders involves immune alterations with the pronounced infiltration of innate and adaptive immune cells into the intestines and the augmented expression of mucosal pro-inflammatory cytokines stimulated by commensal microbiota. Epidemiological studies during the past half century have shown that the proportion of obese people in a population is associated with the incidence and pathogenesis of gastrointestinal tract disorders. The advancement of understanding of the immunological basis of colon disease has shown that adipocyte-derived biologically active substances (adipokines) modulate the role of innate and adaptive immune cells in the progress of intestinal inflammation. 
  • 978
  • 30 Mar 2021
Topic Review
Pathophysiology of Nitrergic Enteric Neurons
Nitrergic enteric neurons are key players of the descending inhibitory reflex of intestinal peristalsis, therefore loss or damage of these neurons can contribute to developing gastrointestinal motility disturbances suffered by patients worldwide. There is accumulating evidence that the vulnerability of nitrergic enteric neurons to neuropathy is strictly region-specific and that the two main enteric plexuses display different nitrergic neuronal damage. Alterations both in the proportion of the nitrergic subpopulation and in the total number of enteric neurons suggest that modification of the neurochemical character or neuronal death occurs in the investigated gut segments. 
  • 977
  • 23 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Artificial Intelligence for Gastrointestinal Diseases
The development of convolutional neural networks has achieved impressive advances of machine learning in recent years, leading to an increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the field of gastrointestinal (GI) diseases. AI networks have been trained to differentiate benign from malignant lesions, analyze endoscopic and radiological GI images, and assess histological diagnoses, obtaining excellent results and high overall diagnostic accuracy. Nevertheless, there data are lacking on side effects of AI in the gastroenterology field, and high-quality studies comparing the performance of AI networks to health care professionals are still limited.
  • 974
  • 24 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Artificial Intelligence
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) has a global prevalence of around 4.1% and is associated with a low quality of life and increased healthcare costs. Current guidelines recommend that IBS is diagnosed using the symptom-based Rome IV criteria. Despite this, when patients seek medical attention, they are usually over-investigated. This issue might be resolved by novel technologies in medicine, such as the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI). 
  • 972
  • 07 Nov 2023
Topic Review
Effect of COVID-19 on Liver
The gastrointestinal tract plays an important role in the pathogenesis of COVID-19. Most patients present with gastrointestinal symptoms and/or abnormal liver function tests, both of which have been associated with adverse outcomes. The mechanisms of liver damage are currently under investigation, but the damage is usually transient and nonsevere. Liver transplantation is the only definitive treatment for acute liver failure and end-stage liver disease, and unfortunately, because of the need for ventilators during the COVID-19 pandemic, most liver transplant programs were temporarily suspended. 
  • 970
  • 26 Sep 2022
Topic Review
Diagnostic Methods in H. pylori Infection
Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) develops potentially life-threatening conditions in adults if not appropriately treated. Helicobacter pylori is a common human pathogen that was first described in the stomach many years ago. 
  • 969
  • 11 Jan 2023
Topic Review
Tumor Microenvironment in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
The interaction of the cellular environment surrounding the tumor plays a relevant role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) pathogenesis. The tumor microenvironment is directly implicated in the modulation of liver fibrosis, the process of hepatocarcinogenesis, the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), invasion, and metastasis. Besides liver cancer cells, several cell types participate in the tumor progression in the liver. 
  • 968
  • 25 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Nutritional Support Techniques
Gastrointestinal cancers represent a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. A significant issue regarding the therapeutic management of these patients consists of metabolic disturbances and malnutrition. Nutritional deficiencies have a negative impact on both the death rates of these patients and the results of surgical or oncological treatments. Thus, current guidelines recommend the inclusion of a nutritional profile in the therapeutic management of patients with gastrointestinal cancers. The development of digestive endoscopy techniques has led to the possibility of ensuring the enteral nutrition of cancer patients without oral feeding through minimally invasive techniques and the avoidance of surgeries, which involve more risks. The enteral nutrition modalities consist of endoscopy-guided nasoenteric tube (ENET), percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG), percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy with jejunal tube extension (PEG-J), direct percutaneous endoscopic jejunostomy (DPEJ) or endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided gastroenterostomy.
  • 968
  • 15 Aug 2022
Topic Review
Genetics in Familial Intrahepatic Cholestasis
The family of inherited intrahepatic cholestasis includes autosomal recessive cholestatic rare diseases of childhood involved in bile acids secretion or bile transport defects. Specific genetic pathways potentially cause many otherwise unexplained cholestasis or hepatobiliary tumours in a healthy liver. Next-generation sequencing and whole-exome sequencing have improved the diagnostic procedures of familial intrahepatic cholestasis (FIC), as well as the discovery of several genes responsible for FIC.
  • 966
  • 24 Feb 2023
Topic Review
Her-2 in Gastrointestinal Tumours
Gastrointestinal (GI) tumors account for a quarter of all the cancer burden and a third of the global cancer-related mortality. Among them, some cancers retain a dismal prognosis; therefore, newer and innovative therapies are urgently needed in priority disease areas of high-unmet medical need. In this context, HER2 could be a relevant prognostic and predictive biomarker acting as a target for specific drugs. However, if the role of HER2 has been object of investigation for several years in gastric cancer, it is not well established in other GI malignancies. The aim of this narrative review was to portray the current landscape of the potential role of HER2 as a predictive biomarker for GI tumors beyond gastric cancer. In colon cancer, the benefit from anti-HER2 therapies is less clear than in gastric neoplasms for the lack of controlled studies. Pancreatic, biliary tract adenocarcinomas and hepatocarcinoma may derive a less clear clinical benefit by using anti-HER2 agents in HER2 positive tumors. Overall, the results are promising and seem to suggest that the integration of multiple modalities of therapies can optimize the cancer care. However, further prospective trials are needed to validate the use of personalized targeted therapies in this field.
  • 964
  • 11 Jan 2021
Topic Review
Cirrhotic Cardiomyopathy
Cirrhotic cardiomyopathy (CCM), cardiac dysfunction in end-stage liver disease in the absence of prior heart disease, is an important clinical entity that contributes significantly to morbidity and mortality. The original definition for CCM, established in 2005 at the World Congress of Gastroenterology (WCG), was based upon known echocardiographic parameters to identify subclinical cardiac dysfunction in the absence of overt structural abnormalities. Subsequent advances in cardiovascular imaging and in particular myocardial deformation imaging have rendered the WCG criteria outdated. A number of investigations have explored other factors relevant to CCM, including serum markers, electrocardiography, and magnetic resonance imaging. CCM characteristics include a hyperdynamic circulatory state, impaired contractility, altered diastolic relaxation, and electrophysiological abnormalities, particularly QT interval prolongation. It is now known that cardiac dysfunction worsens with the progression of cirrhosis. Treatment for CCM has traditionally been limited to supportive efforts, but new pharmacological studies appear promising. Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in CCM can be improved by targeted heart rate reduction. Ivabradine combined with carvedilol improves left ventricular diastolic dysfunction through targeted heart rate reduction, and this regimen can improve survival in patients with cirrhosis. Orthotopic liver transplantation also appears to improve CCM. 
  • 964
  • 12 Oct 2021
Topic Review
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
This entry describes the actual knowledge on diagnosis and management of extra-esophageal manifestations of gastro-esophageal reflux disease. The 2006 Montreal consensus defined GERD as a condition that develops when the reflux of the stomach contents causes troublesome symptoms and/or complications into the esophagus. Tissue damage related to GERD range from esophagitis to Barrett’s esophagus and esophageal adenocarcinoma; troublesome symptoms attributable to reflux can be esophageal (heartburn, regurgitation) or extra-esophageal (EE). GERD can be further classified by the presence of erosions on endoscopic examination (Erosive Reflux Disease [ERD] and Nonerosive Reflux Disease [NERD]).
  • 964
  • 23 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Drug Targeting of IBD
Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are disabling, noncommunicable, progressive and incurable immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs). Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) constitute the most prevalent forms of IBD. These diseases are highly prevalent worldwide, particularly in Europe and North America, and are spreading globally at an accelerated rate.
  • 963
  • 18 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Sarcopenic Obesity
Sarcopenia was first termed in 1989 by Rosenberg et al. as a muscle loss in the aging population [19]. Although several definitions coexist, sarcopenia’s well-adopted description is an age-related process characterized by progressive loss of skeletal muscle mass and function.
  • 957
  • 18 Mar 2021
Topic Review
Impact of Sex Hormones on Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Several chronic liver diseases are characterized by a clear gender disparity. Among them, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) shows significantly higher incidence rates in men than in women. The different epidemiological distribution of risk factors for liver disease and HCC only partially accounts for these gender differences. In fact, the liver is an organ with recognized sexual dysmorphism and is extremely sensitive to the action of androgens and estrogens. Sex hormones act by modulating the risk of developing HCC and influencing its aggressiveness, response to treatments, and prognosis. Furthermore, androgens and estrogens are able to modulate the action of other factors and cofactors of liver damage (e.g., chronic HBV infection, obesity), significantly influencing their carcinogenic power.
  • 957
  • 21 Jul 2023
  • Page
  • of
  • 33
Featured Entry Collections
>>

Featured Reprints

>>
Encyclopedia of Digital Society, Industry 5.0 and Smart City
Encyclopedia of Engineering
Encyclopedia of Social Sciences
Encyclopedia of Medieval Royal Iconography
Academic Video Service
Feedback

Quick Survey

Encyclopedia MDPI is conducting a targeted survey to identify the specific barriers hindering efficient research. We invite you to spend 3 minutes defining the priorities for our next generation of structured knowledge tools.
Take Survey