INTRODUCTION Direct oral microscopy constitutes a novel technique of in vivo oral mucosae examination. The basic principles of this method derive from colposcopy and dermoscopy. The main goal of direct oral microscopy is the earliest possible detection of oral precancerous lesions in order to implement their treatment as quickly as possible and prevent malignant transformation. AIM To establi...

Alpha2-adrenergic receptor activation plays an important role in the development of postoperative ileus. Alpha2-adrenergic receptors also regulate nitric oxide (NO) production by the mononuclear phagocyte system. We have previously shown that intestinal manipulation leads to a significant increase in NO production by infiltrating monocytes within the intestinal muscularis. The purpose of this s...

Gastric adenocarcinoma of the fundic gland type (GA-FG) is a rare entity that has only recently been described and defined. There is ongoing controversy regarding the malignant potential of this lesion. We report the case of a GA-FG in a 49-year-old Caucasian man who was referred to endoscopy for management of an incidentally found gastric polyp. Endoscopy showed a single polypoid lesion in the...

Intestinal damage in malnutrition constitutes a threat to the survival of many thousands of children globally. We studied children in Lusaka, Zambia, with severe acute malnutrition (SAM) and persistent diarrhea using endoscopy, biopsy and analysis of markers and protective proteins in blood and intestinal secretions. We carried out parallel investigations in apparently healthy adults, and analy...

One of the most important prognostic factors in esophageal carcinoma is lymph node metastasis, and in particular, the number of affected lymph nodes, which influences long-term outcomes. The esophageal lymphatic system is connected longitudinally and transversally; thus, the pattern of lymph node metastases is very complex. Early esophageal cancer frequently exhibits skipped metastasis, and min...

Immunoglobulin (Ig)-producing immunocytes were quantified by paired immunofluorescence staining in specimens of gastric antral (n = 52) and body (n = 117) mucosa obtained from 45 patients with various gastrointestinal disorders. Enumerations were carried out in a 500 micron wide zone from the muscularis mucosae to the lumen ('tissue unit'). The specimens were divided into three categories accor...

Indirect immunofluorescence studies of blood group A, H, I, and i antigens were performed on the gastric mucosae and tumor tissues of patients with gastric carcinoma, on the mucosae of patients with chronic benign gastric ulceration, and on the mucosae of infants who had died of causes other than gastrointestinal disease. The following findings were of particular interest: (1) Normal 'secretor'...

individuals with particular genetic backgrounds develop immune responses to wheat proteins and become ‘gluten-sensitised’. mucosal pathology arises through activated mucosal t lymphocytes, resulting in a graded, adverse e reaction between particular genes and wheat proteins. given these varied influences, the marsh classification broadly itemises those stages through which a normal mucosa (mars...