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Abstract Background Infliximab (IFX) has proven to be an effective addition to the therapeutic arsenal for refractory, fistulizing, and steroid dependent Crohn's disease (CD), with efficacy in the induction and maintenance of clinical remission of CD. Our objective in this study is to report the nationwide, multicenter experience with IFX induction therapy for CD in Hungary. Methods During a 6-year-period, beginning in 2000, a total of 363 CD patients were treated with IFX as induction therapy (5 mg/kg IFX infusions given at week 0, 2 and 6) at eleven centers in Hungary in this observational study. Data analysis included patient demographics, important disease parameters and the outcome of IFX induction therapy. Results Three hundred and sixty three patients (183 women and 180 men) were treated with IFX since 2000. Mean age was 33.5 ± 11.2 years and the mean duration of disease was 6.7 ± 6.1 years. The population included 114 patients (31.4%) with therapy-refractory CD, 195 patients (53.7%) with fistulas, 16 patients (4.4%) with both therapy-refractory CD and fistulas, and 26 patients (7.2%) with steroid dependent CD. Overall response rate was 86.2% (313/363). A higher response rate was observed in patients with shorter disease duration (p = 0.05, OR:0.54, 95%CI:0.29-0.99) and concomitant immunosuppressant therapy (p = 0.05, OR: 2.03, 95%CI:0.165-0.596). Concomitant steroid treatment did not enhance the efficacy of IFX induction therapy. Adverse events included 34 allergic reactions (9.4%), 17 delayed type hypersensitivity (4.7%), 16 infections (4.4%), and 3 malignancies (0.8%). Conclusion IFX was safe and effective treatment in this cohort of Hungarian CD patients. Based on our experience co-administration of immunosuppressant therapy is suggested in patients receiving IFX induction therapy. However, concomitant steroid treatment did not enhanced the efficacy of IFX induction therapy.

Purpose: The EuroQol five-dimension questionnaire (EQ-5D) is the most commonly used instrument to obtain utility values for cost-effectiveness analyses of treatments for Crohn's disease (CD). We aimed to compare the measurement properties of the two adult versions of EQ-5D (EQ-5D-3L and EQ-5D-5L) in patients with CD. Methods: Between 2016 and 2017, a multicentre cross-sectional survey was carried out. Consecutive outpatients with CD completed the 3L, 5L and EQ visual analogue scale (VAS). Disease severity was graded by the Crohn's Disease Activity Index (CDAI) and Perianal Disease Activity Index (PDAI). The 3L and 5L were compared in terms of feasibility, agreement, ceiling effect, redistribution properties, discriminatory power, convergent and known-groups validity. Results: Two-hundred and six patients (54.9% male, mean age 35 ± 11 years) participated in the survey. For 3L, 25 unique health states were observed versus 59 for the 5L. The overall ceiling effect decreased from 29.6% (3L) to 25.5% (5L). Absolute discriminatory power improved (mean Shannon index 0.84 vs. 1.18). The 3L correlated stronger with EQ VAS and CDAI scores, whereas the 5L with PDAI. The 5L demonstrated a better known-groups validity on the basis of age, perianal fistulas, extraintestinal manifestations and disability. Conclusions: This is the first study to report the impact of CD on quality of life using the EQ-5D-5L questionnaire. The 5L seems to perform better than 3L in terms of feasibility, ceiling effect, discriminatory power and known-groups validity. Understanding the differences in psychometrics between the 3L and 5L is essential as they have substantial implications for financial decision-making about CD treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jejunal lactase and sucrase activities were demonstrated on endoscopically obtained biopsy specimens by a rapid test which had been developed earlier. The results were compared with enzyme activities found by Dahlquist's method. The data suggest that the rapid test is suitable for the semiquantitative determination of lactase and sucrase, and the results correlate with enzyme activities measured by the Dahlquist assay. The main advantage of the test is that it is rapid, simple, and cheap, and because no special equipment is necessary, it can be used in any endoscopic department. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a letter to the editor about anorectal inflammatory conditions.

Introduction: C. difficile causes 25 percent of the antibiotic associated infectious nosocomial diarrhoeas. C. difficile infection is a high-priority problem of public health in each country. The available literature of C. difficile infection's epidemiology and disease burden is limited., Aim: Review of the epidemiology, including seasonality and the risk of recurrences, of the disease burden and of the therapy of C. difficile infection., Method: Review of the international and Hungarian literature in MEDLINE database using PubMed up to and including 20th of March, 2012., Results: The incidence of nosocomial C. difficile associated diarrhoea is 4.1/10 000 patient day. The seasonality of C. difficile infection is unproved. 20 percent of the patients have recurrence after metronidazole or vancomycin treatment, and each recurrence increases the chance of a further one. The cost of C. difficile infection is between 130 and 500 thousand HUF (430 € and 1665 €) in Hungary., Conclusions: The importance of C. difficile infection in public health and the associated disease burden are significant. The available data in Hungary are limited, further studies in epidemiology and health economics are required.

Introduction: Clostridium difficile is the leading cause of antibiotic associated infectious nosocomial diarrhoea. Limited number of new pharmaceutical products have been developed and registered in the past decades for the treatment of Clostridium difficile infection. The available scientific evidence is limited and hardly comparable., Aim: To analyse the clinical efficacy and safety of metronidazole, vancomycin and fidaxomicin in the therapy of Clostridium difficile infection., Methods: Systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature data., Results: Meta-analysis of literature data showed no significant difference between these antibiotics in clinical cure endpoint (odss ratios: fidaxomicin vs. vancomycin 1.19; vancomycin vs. metronidazol 1.69 and fidaxomicin vs. metronidazol 2.00). However, fidaxomicin therapy was significantly more effective than vancomicin and metronidazol in endpoints of recurrence and global cure (odds ratios: fidaxomicin vs. vancomycin 0.47; vancomycin vs. metronidazol 0.91 és fidaxomicin vs. metronidazol 0.43). There was no significant difference between fidaxomicin, vancomycin and metronidazole in safety endpoints., Conclusions: Each antibiotic similarly improved clinical cure. Fidaxomicin was the most effective therapeutic alternative in lowering the rate of recurrent Clostridium difficile infections.

Background: Malignant oesophageal stenosis can be caused by cancer of the oesophagus, gastric cardia, lungs, mediastinum or, rarely, breast. Most of these cases are inoperable due to advanced stage of the disease, comorbidities or age of the patients; and palliative treatment can be applied only. The quality of life is mostly determined by the extent of dysphagia. Several methods are available to palliate dysphagia. Hereby, the authors review their results with palliation of malignant oesophageal obstruction applying self-expanding metal stents., Patients and Methods: 68 endoscopic stent implantations were performed in 64 patients (15 female and 49 male) with malignant dysphagia between 2003 and 2008. After radiological investigations, distally deployed covered stents with or without an antireflux valve were placed, depending on the localization of the tumour. In one patient with a stenosis localized in the upper third of the oesophagus a proximally deployed covered stent was used. The aim was to re-establish oral nutrition and cover possible fistulas., Results: Significant improvement of swallowing was detected in every patient. Average dysphagia score has improved from 3.2 to 1.7. Technical difficulties during stenting occurred in a relatively low percentage of patients only (2 in 68; i.e. 2.94%). Fistulas were covered in every case. Early stent migration (<7 days) happened in one case. One patient suffered non-fatal myocardial infarction two days after stent placement. In 5 cases tumour in- and overgrowth, in 4 cases bleeding was seen as late complications. Oesophago-tracheal fistula was noted in three patients after stent implantation. Late stent migration (>7 days) occurred in two patients. Re-stenting was necessary in four cases, while three patients needed an upper GI endoscopy for cleansing the stent caused by food obstruction., Conclusions: According to our data self-expanding metal stents are highly effective and safe for improving dysphagia. Stent-related complications are relatively rare. This method is highly recommended for palliation of malignant dysphagia.

We have tested the role and significance of histology combined with cytology in the diagnosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinomas. Biopsy specimens and samples for cytological smear were taken by a fiberoptic flexible endoscope. In order to minimise the loss of biological sample, the residue from the brush was removed with rinsing fluid. From 1973 to 2005 we examined 820 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus. Endoscopic biopsy yielded positive result in 97.2%. Cytology performed in 724 patients turned out to be positive in 90.3%. Both examinations were conducted in 648 patients (79%), and yielded positive result in 572 patients (88.3%). Negative biopsy result was obtained in 22 patients, however, 14 of them had positive cytological diagnosis. Both biopsy and cytology were negative in 8 cancer patients (1%). No complication was observed with either diagnostic technique. In our material cancer was diagnosed in 776 patients by histology. However, in a further 14 of 22 patients with negative histology, cancer was detected by cytology. This means that the presence of cancer was also confirmed on the basis of morphological features in 790 cases, i.e. in 96.3% of the patients. Our results show that the combined use of biopsy and cytology in malignant tumours yields high diagnostic accuracy. Since abrasion exfoliate cytology is a quick and useful diagnostic measure it should be a routine examination in the evaluation of abnormal changes in the esophageal mucosa. The examination of the rinsing fluid of the sampling brush, introduced by us, yielded additional diagnostic information.