by Kevin Bobeck  , Sarah Ordway  , Brett Sadowski  , Adam Tritsch  and Manish Singla

Received: 31 January 2019;  Published: 28 June 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.hg.1902025

Diseases of the liver are commonly encountered in patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). While the differential for IBD patients with elevated liver associated enzymes is broad, it is similar to that of the general population. This differential includes including non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), the most common liver disease in North America. When initial work-up for elevated liver associated enzymes is negative and patients have steatosis on ultrasound, we counsel IBD patient [...]

by Richell Booijink  and Ruchi Bansal

Received: 27 March 2019;  Published: 21 June 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.hg.1902024

Chronic liver diseases affects millions of people worldwide each year. Upon chronic liver injury, a wound healing process ensues, leading to the accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. If the injury persists, this leads to liver fibrosis with excessive scarring of the liver and loss of liver function. Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), a signaling molecule has shown to be involved in various biological processes, including wound healing process. Elevated plasma levels of LPA and its catal [...]

by Kurt Grüngreiff  , Thomas Gottstein  and Dirk Reinhold

Received: 15 March 2019;  Published: 13 June 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.hg.1902023

Acute and in particular chronic liver disease of viral, alcoholic and non-alcoholic genesis is a large, often unnoticed health hazard around the world. It can lead to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in the course of decades. Liver fibrosis, conversion of functional parenchyma to connective tissue (scar tissue) as a consequence of chronic liver damage, is a connecting pathogenic process in all chronic liver diseases. Zinc is an essential micronutrient in human health, playing a funda [...]

by Michal Kawka  , Tamara MH Gall  and Long R Jiao

Received: 25 February 2019;  Published: 05 June 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.hg.1902022

Background: Severe necrotising pancreatitis (SNP) is characterised by high mortality, severe complications and bad prognosis despite progress in understanding of aetiology and progression of the disease. Traditionally, necrotic changes were removed by open necrosectomy but the paradigm has shifted towards more conservative management and minimally-invasive surgical procedures. However, there is still no consensus on the best management pathway. Minimally-invasive procedures percutaneous drainag [...]

by Gilles R. G. Monif

Received: 06 January 2019;  Published: 04 June 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.hg.1902021

Using the therapeutic intervention points identified by the Hruska Postulate, the probability of curing Crohn’s disease through destroying the anti-MAP template is discussed.

by Athina Chasapi  , Konstantinos Balampanis  , Anna Tanoglidi  , Eleni Kourea  , George I. Lambrou  , Vaia Lambadiari  , Fotios Kalfarentzos  , Erifili Hatziagelaki  , Maria Melachrinou  and Georgia Sotiropoulou-Bonikou

Received: 28 January 2019;  Published: 22 May 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.hg.1902020

(1) Background: A great number of inflammatory mediators and metabolic biomarkers have been shown to contribute to the development and progression of obesity-induced pathologies, including insulin resistance and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Many of those mediators are either targets or activators of nuclear factor-κappa B (NF-κB), which is a key transcription factor and plays a pivotal role in the homeostasis and the regulation of inflammatory signaling pathways in the liver. (2) M [...]

by Charles E. Carraher  , Michael R. Roner  , Jessica Frank  , Paul Slawek  , Francesca Mosca  , Kimberly Shahi  , Alisa Moric-Johnson  and Lindsey Miller

Received: 31 January 2019;  Published: 14 May 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.hg.1902019

Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of death in the USA. Treatment is seldom successful. A wide variety of organotin polymers exhibit good inhibition of human pancreatic cancer cell lines AsPC-1 and PANC-1. The AsPC-1 is an adenocarcinoma pancreatic cell line and PANC-1 which is an epithelioid carcinoma pancreatic cell line. Synthesis is rapid employing commercially available reactants and the interfacial polymerization that is employed in the commercial synthesis of aramids and pol [...]

by Masaaki Takamura  and Shuji Terai

Received: 04 February 2019;  Published: 25 April 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.hg.1902018

In cirrhosis, portal hypertension and hypoalbuminemia due to decreased albumin synthetic capacity and hormonal imbalance due to increased renin-angiotensin-aldosterone and vasopressin systems cause fluid retention and electrolyte abnormalities. Diuretics are indispensable for the control of body fluid volume in liver cirrhosis, and aldosterone antagonists and loop diuretics have been widely used until now. In Japan, tolvaptan, a vasopressin V2 receptor antagonists, became available in September [...]

by Raffaele Pezzilli

Received: 07 February 2019;  Published: 10 April 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.hg.1902017

Acute pancreatitis still represents a challenge for physicians; it ranges from mild self-limiting forms Walled-off necrosis (WON), previously called by other names, such as organized pancreatic necrosis, necroma, pancreatic sequestration, pseudocyst associated with necrosis and subacute pancreatic necrosis is a new entity of complications of acute pancreatitis. It is defined as a mature, encapsulated collection of pancreatic and/or peripancreatic necrosis which has developed a well-defined infla [...]

by Yumiko Nagao  , Shinji Nishioka  and Keizo Koresawa

Received: 12 January 2019;  Published: 02 April 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.hg.1902016

Background: The association between hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and oral lichen planus (OLP), an extrahepatic manifestation, is well known. There are still patients with viral liver disease in this country who are not receiving appropriate treatment. This prospective study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of OLP and untreated hepatitis virus infection in patients who visited dental clinics in Ehime prefecture, in western Japan. Methods: Patients who visited 35 dental clinics in Japan from [...]