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Ectopic pancreas is the most common type of ectopic tissue in gastrointestinal tract. It is typically asymptomatic, presenting as a small submucosal lesion in prepyloric region of stomach. The diagnosis is usually incidental, during gastroscopy. The patient with symptomatic heterotropic pancreas, mimicking gastric malignancy was described.

Unlabelled: Mutation of the p53 gene belongs to the most common genetic alteration in human cancer. Prognostic significance of serum anti-p53 antibodies in patients with gastric cancer is still a matter of controversy. The aim of the study was to estimate the presence of anti-p53 antibodies in serum of gastric cancer patients and relationship between anti-p53 antibodies and chosen clinical and pathomorphological data age, sex, localization of cancer, histology, stage of disease, metastases to lymph nodes and the time of survival., Material and Method: Serum samples from 71 patients with gastric cancer were analyzed by specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to determine the presence of serum anti-p53 antibodies. The results were statistically compared with clinical and pathological features and postoperative survival., Results: Anti-p53 antibodies were detected in 16 (23%) gastric cancer patients. The presence of p53 antibodies was connected with intestinal tumor type (p < 0.05) and older age (p = 0.0035). There were no association between anti-p53 antibodies, stage and the time of survival., Conclusion: These results suggest that in gastric cancer patients serum anti-p53 antibodies detected by ELISA are not predictor of prognosis.

Unlabelled: The Zenker's diverticulum is the pathology of pharyngo-esophageal region with its neck proximal to the cricopharyngeal muscle. The Zenker's diverticulum is the rare finding in upper endoscopy, but choice of treatment may bring some problems. Nowadays, the flexible endoscopy has been in focus of interest for treatment of Zenker's diverticulum., Methods: Our first experience in management of Zenker's diverticulum include 40 patients, age 67-82 years old. All patients had symptoms such as dysphagia, aspiration pneumonia or sputum at night. The procedure consist of endoscopic incision of septum between esophageal lumen and diverticulum using argon beamer until its high was less than 0.5 cm., Results: all patients became free of symptoms. Each patient complained of sore throat after treatment. No serious complications were observed. Only one case of retropharyngeal space emphysema and two cases of perforation were observed, both of them were treated with antybiotics and nasogastric tube feeding., Conclusion: It seems that this method is save and efficacious for treatment of Zenker's diverticulum.

Unlabelled: Colorectal cancer is a quite common neoplasm. Screening colonoscopies and polypectomies can decrease the incidence of that neoplasm by 75%. Discovering the most frequent reasons and most convincing sources of information about the examinations is important for success of screening programme., Objectives: The aim of this study was to find the connection between some demographic factors, the source of information about the examination and the consent for colonoscopy., Material and Methods: Two groups of subjects, aged 40-65, were included: 1000 subjects, who gave their consent for colonoscopy and 200 subjects, who refused the examination. The sources of information were two kinds of questionnaires: fulfilled before colonoscopy and in case of lack of consent for the examination, which included demographic data, the reason of undergoing or refusal of colonoscopy and the source of information about the examination., Results: The higher educated were the subjects, the more often they agreed for the examination; among subjects after university 87%, and among subjects with elementary education 71% gave their consent for colonoscopy. The most convincing sources of information were the medial sources; 100% of subjects, who found out about the examination from television and radio, gave their consent for colonoscopy. The most frequent reason of undergoing the examination was prophylaxis (54.6%), and the most frequent reasons of refusal was fear of pain (33.5%)., Conclusions: Educational level and the source of information about the examination are the factors that have an important influence on undergoing screening colonoscopy. Identifying the influence of some demographic factors on the consent for colonoscopy and the efficacy of each source of information seems to be very important for the success of screening colonoscopy programme and therefore for discovering adenomatous polyps and colorectal cancer.

Aim: The expression of p53 protein was compared in primary gastric carcinomas and coexisting regional and distant metastases. The purpose of the study was to evaluate whether p53 staining in regional lymph-node metastases might improve the value of p53 as a prognostic marker and determine the behaviour of its protein during gastric cancer progression., Material and Methods: 60 gastric cancer patients were included into the study. In all patients the expression of p53 was assessed in primary tumours and in regional lymph-node metastases. Additionally in 12 patients the p53 expression was determinated in distant metastases. The number of all secondary tumours studied was 153. Formalin fixed, paraffin embedded material and three-stage immunohistochemical methods were used., Results: p53 accumulation was detected in 24 (40%) of primary gastric carcinomas. In each patient p53 expression in primary regional and distant metastatic tumours was identical., Conclusions: Our results show that assessment of p53 in lymphnode metastases does not improve prognostic value of p53 in gastric carcinoma and support the view that p53 alterations occur before and maintain during metastatic spread.

The aim of the study was a screening assessment of the nutritional status of patients admitted to hospitals and discharged from hospitals. The study was carried out in 4 university hospitals, 4 woivodeship hospitals and 4 district hospitals. In randomly selected 3310 patients (every 10th patient admitted to hospital) anthropometric parameters were assessed: body height, body mass, body mass index (BMI), waist-hip ratio (WHR), arm circumference, blood morphological and biochemical parameters were determined (erythrocyte, white blood cell and lymphocyte count in blood, albumin and haemoglobin concentration in serum). The mean values of the assessed parameters in the whole studied population of patients admitted to various types of hospitals were not different from the normative values for adults, however, a gradual decrease of the values of certain parameters in the over 70 years age group was observed. Although, the mean values of the studied parameters of the nutritional status were within the accepted normal range, 10.43% of the studied patients had BMI below 20 kg/m2, and 20.7% of the patients the serum albumin level was below 3.5 g/dl on admission, which could suggest protein-energy malnutrition. In a yet higher proportion of patients (21%) lymphocyte count was below 1500/mm3. During hospital stay tendency became even more pronounced. On discharge from hospital the proportion of patients with BMI below 20 kg/m2 rose to 11.21%, and with serum albumin level below 3.5 g/dl rose to 28.6%. Only the proportion of patients with low lymphocyte count remained unchanged during hospital stay and was 21.1% on discharge. In the studied population 42.29% of the patients reported receiving of additional food beyond hospital diet.

The purpose of the study was a more thorough assessment of the nutrition state of patients admitted to hospitals in Poland. The study was carried out in four hospitals at teaching centre level, in four hospitals at province level, and in four county hospitals. The patients for the study were selected randomly from 3310 adult patients (every 10th patient admitted to these hospitals). For the study 210 patients (122 women and 88 men) were qualified. Their mean age was 54 +/- 16 years (range 15-82 years). The patients were subjected to various biochemical tests including determination of antioxidant vitamins (vitamins A, E and C), vitamin B12, folic acid, ferritin, and homocysteine and blood lipids. Vitamin deficiency accepted as vitamin malnutrition was found in the case of vitamin C in 51.8% of the patients, folic acid in 32%, vitamin E in 10%, vitamin B12 in 6.8%, vitamin A in 1.4%. Vitamin deficiency was equally frequent in patients with malnutrition, overweight or with obesity. Lipid profile disturbances were found in 51% and high homocysteine level in 63% of the studied patients.

Colorectal cancer is one of the most common neoplasms that often occurs in several members of family. In this communication we present the case of synchronous colorectal cancers with similar localization and similar clinical course in monozygotic twins.

To characterize the toxicity of phosphorothioate antisense oligodeoxynucleotides ([S]ODNs) in vivo, the mice received intravenously 26-mer bcr-abl antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (1 mg/mice/day) for 9 consecutive days. The organs and tissues were removed on the indicated days (+1, +7, +30) after the treatment. Our investigation revealed middle elevation of aminotransferases activity, lactate dehydrogenase level, total protein level and globulin level, decrease of glucose, albumin and blood urea nitrogen level in the peripheral blood. The mild anaemia and thrombocytopenia were observed too. The most significant treatment-related findings in the antisense treated mice were splenomegaly, reactive hepatitis and atrocytosis of kidney. These findings together with previous results demonstrate little and temporary toxicity effects mainly in organs known from cumulating of [S]ODNs.

Argon plasma coagulation (APC) has been introduced for the local endoscopic treatment of gastrointestinal malignancy recently. It is mainly used as a palliative therapy, especially in case of stenosis. Despite a lot of publications concerning APC the clinical usefulness of this method in a small malignant tumors remains unclear. The patient with early diagnosed carcinoma of gastric, efficiently treated using argon plasma coagulation is described.

Multicentre study was carried out in three regions of Poland aimed to assess cholecystolithiasis incidence in urban population and some potential risk factors of the disease. 10133 persons in five age groups, from 16 to 70 (6071 women and 4062 men) were examined. The examination consisted of questionnaire considered sex, age, weight, dietary habits, complaints, chronic drugs use, family history and in women number of pregnancies and deliveries as well as hormone therapy. The results obtained were analysed statistically with Chi 2 test. Cholecystolithiasis was found in 1411 persons (10.7%), among them 18% women (1083 women) and 8.2% men (328 men). Incidence rate was 180.5/1000 women and 82.0/1000 men. The obtained increase in percentage of cholecystolithiasis cases with age was statistically significant. No relation were found between the number of stones and sex of the examined persons. In 1480 persons (43.5%0 the disease was asymptotic. The studies did not prove the correlation between cholecystolithiasis in women and sex of the first child or oral contraception. Positive correlation was found between cholecystolithiasis in women, obesity, number of pregnancies and family history. In men age was most significant risk factor. Incidence of cholecystolithiasis in Poland, Western Europe and USA is similar.

The purpose of the work was an evaluation of duodenal ulcer recurrence rate in patients with a history of at least two years of ulcer treated during one year with the preparation Ulfamid (famotidine) Krka in a maintenance dose of 20 mg before sleep. The study involved 30 patients of either sex in whom complete healing of the ulcer niche was obtained in the first phase. Control endoscopy was carried out after 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. In the first phase of the study, complete healing of the ulcer niche after the treatment with Ulfamid in a therapeutic dose of 40 mg for six weeks was obtained in 94.9%. In the second phase of the study, after three months on Ulfamid in a maintenance dose, the recurrence rate was 13.3%, after six months 26.6%, after nine months another 6.1%. After 12 months the recurrence rate of duodenal ulcer reached jointly 46.7%. Of interest is the observation of a large number of the so called asymptomatic ulcers which accounted for 50% of the observed recurrencies.