Esophageal Surveillance Practices in Esophageal Atresia Patients: A Survey by the Eastern Pediatric Surgery Network

IntroductionEndoscopic surveillance guidelines for patients with repaired esophageal atresia (EA) rely primarily on expert opinion. Prior to embarking on a prospective EA surveillance registry, we sought to understand EA surveillance practices within the Eastern Pediatric Surgery Network (EPSN).MethodsAn anonymous, 23-question Qualtrics survey was emailed to 181 physicians (surgeons and gastroenterologists) at 19 member institutions. Likert scale questions gauged agreement with international EA surveillance guideline-derived statements. Multiple-choice questions assessed individual and institutional practices.ResultsThe response rate was 77%. Most respondents (80%) strongly agree or agree that EA surveillance endoscopy should follow a set schedule, while only 36% claimed to perform routine upper GI endoscopy regardless of symptoms. Many institutions (77%) have an aerodigestive clinic, even if some lack a multi-disciplinary EA team. Most physicians (72%) expressed strong interest in helping develop evidence-based guidelines.ConclusionsOur survey reveals physician agreement with current guidelines but weak adherence. Surveillance methods vary greatly, underscoring the lack of evidence-based data to guide EA care. Aerodigestive clinics may help implement surveillance schedules. Respondents support evidence-based protocols, which bodes well for care standardization. Results will inform the first multi-institutional EA databases in the United States (US), which will be essential for evidence-based care.Level of EvidenceThis is a prognosis study with level 4 evidence.     

中国科技期刊如何进入国际信息检索系统

以被多种国际著名信息检索系统收录的World Journal of Gastroenterology（WJG）杂志的发展历程为样例。探讨如何提高中国出版的科技期刊被国际信息系统收录的命中率，提高期刊的国际地位和知名度，更好地促进与国际的学术交流。     

Distinct histopathological phenotypes of severe alcoholic hepatitis suggest different mechanisms driving liver injury and failure

Intrahepatic neutrophil infiltration has been implicated in severe alcoholic hepatitis (SAH) pathogenesis; however, the mechanism underlying neutrophil-induced injury in SAH remains obscure. This translational study aims to describe the patterns of intrahepatic neutrophil infiltration and its involvement in SAH pathogenesis. Immunohistochemistry analyses of explanted livers identified two SAH phenotypes despite a similar clinical presentation, one with high intrahepatic neutrophils (Neu^hi), but low levels of CD8⁺ T cells, and vice versa. RNA-Seq analyses demonstrated that neutrophil cytosolic factor 1 (NCF1), a key factor in controlling neutrophilic ROS production, was upregulated and correlated with hepatic inflammation and disease progression. To study specifically the mechanisms related to Neu^hi in AH patients and liver injury, we used the mouse model of chronic-plus-binge ethanol feeding and found that myeloid-specific deletion of the Ncf1 gene abolished ethanol-induced hepatic inflammation and steatosis. RNA-Seq analysis and the data from experimental models revealed that neutrophilic NCF1-dependent ROS promoted alcoholic hepatitis (AH) by inhibiting AMP-activated protein kinase (a key regulator of lipid metabolism) and microRNA-223 (a key antiinflammatory and antifibrotic microRNA). In conclusion, two distinct histopathological phenotypes based on liver immune phenotyping are observed in SAH patients, suggesting a separate mechanism driving liver injury and/or failure in these patients.     

消化系统疾病的研究进展

上海交通大学医学院附属仁济医院消化学科在“211”二期项目建设成果的基础上,经过5年三期建设的努力,除在原有优势项目如对消化系肿瘤发生与诊治和慢性肝病诊治的研究取得了诸多成效外,还开辟了小肠疾病诊治研究的新领域.建设期间,系统研究了消化系肿瘤(胃癌和大肠癌)发生的分子机制、早期诊断和综合预防,特别是表观遗传修饰(DNA甲基化、组蛋白修饰、micro RNA等)与信号通路在消化系肿瘤发生和发展中的作用；建立胶囊内镜和双气囊内镜在小肠疾病诊断中的关键技术,从而提高小肠疾病的诊断率,探索并开拓了小肠内镜诊断应用的新途径,使小肠内镜在我国得到普及和推广,并对血管发育不良所致不明原因消化道出血进行临床创新性治疗及其机制探索；建立了慢性乙型病毒性肝炎肝纤维化非创诊断模型,同时系统阐述并证实了核苷类抗病毒药及氧化苦参碱等在抑制纤维化及减缓疾病进展中的作用和机制.以上研究成果获得两项国家科技进步二等奖,并进入“国家临床重点专科(消化内科)”和“国家临床重点专科(卫生部重点实验室)”建设行列,学科总体水平得以显著提高.     

Human stem-cell research in gastroenterology: Experimental treatment,tourism and biobanking

The growing interest in the possibility of applying stem-cell therapies to gastroenterological diseases is outlined. Some promising results have been reported, but more research is needed in view of the uncertainties and knowledge gaps that still exist. The ethical issues raised by this kind of research are then indicated and classified. Three problematic kinds of situation are outlined: experimental treatments, stem-cell tourism and biobanking. A four-question approach – which is not to be confused with the well-known four-principle approach introduced by Beauchamp and Childress – is described and applied to these three challenging situations. In conclusion, it is pointed out that the analysis of these situations illustrates the interplay between definitions, empirical research and ethics. They are interrelated and need to be integrated.