Search

The aim of this study was to isolate Toxoplasma gondii from equids destined for slaughter in a Brazilian slaughterhouse. A total of 354 equids were analyzed, with blood samples collected from all the animals and samples of masseter muscle and brain tissue collected from 319 animals. A serological test was conducted to detect equids with specific antibodies for T. gondii . Molecular detection of T. gondii by nested PCR was performed on the tissue samples collected. Tissue samples were tested by murine bioassay in an attempt to isolate either the parasite or the parasite DNA. Real-time PCR was performed on the brain samples from 11 mice which seroconverted after inoculation, to quantify the parasitic DNA. Genotyping was performed in masseter tissues samples from positive horses or from tissues of mice inoculated with masseter. The seroprevalence of T. gondii infection was 19.2%. Nested PCR showed that 5.3% of the equines and 28.8% of the mice from the bioassays were positive for T. gondii . Nine masseter muscle samples were positive (either on nested-PCR or in bioassay). Genotyping by PCR-RFLP was attempeted on all 12 isolates and was successful in seven, revealing six recombinant and one atypical genotype. The detection of T. gondii DNA in masseter muscle tissue of horses destined for consumption clearly indicates a risk to human health., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestThe authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose., (© Indian Society for Parasitology 2024. Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.)

Competing Interests: Disclosure E. G. Hourneaux de Moura is a consultant for Boston Scientific and Olympus. All other authors disclosed no financial relationships relative to the content of this article. Commentary Fat transplantation, or fat grafting, was first described in Germany in the 19th century by Dr Neuber. He transferred fat from an extremity to the orbital area to correct a scar in a patient with osteomyelitis. Since then, fat transplantation has become a widely accepted and effective technique in plastic and reconstructive surgery. Fat cell transfer is thought to have therapeutic benefits that promote wound healing and reduce scarring. The authors describe a similar concept for treating a complex tracheoesophageal fistula, with remarkable resolution in its closure. We congratulate them on applying an old idea to a new necessity. Although harvesting fat cells will remain a limitation of this technique, the promising benefits of this method in treating complex GI fistulas are worth further investigation. Sergio A. Sánchez-Luna, MD, Co-Director, Bariatric and Surgical Endoscopy Program, Basil I. Hirschowitz Endoscopic Center of Excellence, The University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine, Birmingham, Alabama, USA Mohamed O. Othman, MD, GIE Senior Associate Editor

Background and Study Aims: Endoscopic Vacuum Therapy (EVT) is a well-established method for managing gastrointestinal perforations. During the COVID epidemic, case reports demonstrated the effective use of EVT in controlling COVID related diffuse duodenal bleeding. Due to its unique mechanism of action, this approach may also be effective for other types of Non-Variceal Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding (NVUGIB). This study aims to assess EVT in the treatment of NVUGIB., Patients and Methods: This retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected database includes patients who underwent EVT for the treatment of NVUGIB. The primary outcome was clinical success. Secondary outcomes included technical success and safety. Subgroup analysis comparing outcomes for patients with and without COVID was conducted., Results: A total of 19 patients underwent EVT for NVUGIB, with 57.9% having failed other therapies. Technical success occurred in all patients, and clinical success was achieved in 89.5%. There was no difference in clinical success rates between patients with or without COVID (88% versus 91%, respectively). No procedure-related adverse events occurred., Conclusion: EVT appears to be safe and effective in the management of NVUGIB. This approach could be particularly useful in refractory or diffuse bleeding. Larger studies are warranted to validate these findings., Competing Interests: Dr. Eduardo Guimaraes Hourneaux De Moura: Olympus - Consultant (Consulting fees) and Boston Scientific - Consultant (Consulting fees). These were not relevant to this study Christopher C. Thompson: Consultant for Apollo Endosurgery, Boston Scientific Corporation, Medtronic, Endoquest Robotics, Fractyl, FujiFilm, GI Dynamics, EnVision Endoscopy, Olympus/Spiration, Softac, USGI Medical, Xenter, Enterasense Ltd, and Lumendi; research support from Apollo Endosurgery, Boston Scientific Corporation, Endoquest Robotics, Erbe, Fractyl, FujiFilm, GI Dynamics, Olympus/Spiration, USGI Medical, and Lumendi; advisory board for Fractyl and USGI Medical; founder of Bariendo, BlueFlame Healthcare Venture Fund, ELLES, EnVision Endoscopy, GI Windows, Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Endoscopy Inc, and Enterasense Ltd, and GI Windows; board member for Bariendo, ELLES, EnVision Endoscopy, GI Windows, and Enterasense Ltd; ownership in Bariendo, ELLES, EnVision Endoscopy, GI Windows, Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Endoscopy Inc, Softac, Xenter, and Enterasense Ltd; partner in BlueFlame Healthcare Venture Fund; president of the Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Endoscopy Inc; Scientific Advisory Board for Xenter. This was not relevant to this study. Dr. Diogo Turiani Hourneaux De Moura: BariaTek Medical - Advisory Board Member (Consulting fees). This was not relevant to this study. The other authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (Thieme. All rights reserved.)

Background and study aims Recently, over-the-scope clips (OTSCs) have been extensively studied for hemostasis of nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding (NVUGIB). Our goal was to compare the efficacy of OTSCs with standard endoscopic interventions (SEIs) as first-line treatments. Patients and methods A comprehensive search of electronic databases was performed to identify randomized clinical trials (RCTs) comparing OTSCs with SEIs as first-line therapy for NVUGIB. This search was performed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Results Of 819 reviewed studies, five RCTs comprising 555 patients (277 OTSCs vs. 278 SEIs) were included. The OTSC group had a lower 30-day rebleeding rate (risk ratio [RR] 0.43; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.24-0.77; I² = 0%; P = 0.004) and a higher clinical success rate (RR 1.19; 95% CI 1.11-1.28; I² = 0%; P < 0.00001). There was no significant difference in technical success (RR 1.06; 95% CI 0.98-1.14; I² = 73%; P = 0.13), 30-day all-cause mortality (RR 0.50; 95% CI 0.22-1.14; I² = 0%; P = 0.10), need for further intervention (RR 1.22; 95% CI 0.43-3.47; I² = 0%; P = 0.71), or length of hospital stay (mean difference 0.31; 95% CI: -1.08- 1.70; I² = 0%; P = 0.66). Risk of bias, which was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2.0 tool, indicated some concerns about bias. Conclusions OTSCs are more efficient than SEIs as first-line treatment in terms of rebleeding within 30 days and clinical success rates., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest Dr. Eduardo Guimaraes Hourneaux De Moura: Olympus - Consultant (Consulting fees) and Boston Scientific - Consultant (Consulting fees). These were not relevant to this study. Dr. Marcos Eduardo Lera dos Santos: Olympus - Consultant (Consulting fees) and Boston Scientific - Consultant (Consulting fees). These were not relevant to this study. Dr. Vitor Ottoboni Brunaldi: received honoraria for lectures from Erbe Elektromidizin GHMB. These were not relevant to this study. Dr. Paulo Ferreira Mega, Dr. Alexandre Moraes Bestetti. Dr. Angelo So Taa Kum and Dr. Igor Valdeir Gomes de Sousa do not have any conflicts of interest to declare., (The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial-License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).)