Search

Aim: Because gastric ulcer is a psychosomatic disease involving many psychological factors like assertiveness and cognitive beliefs, this study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of emotion regulation training on pain intensity and quality of life in patients with peptic ulcer disease. Background: Gastric ulcer, a recurrent and common disease worldwide, is associated with gastrointestinal symptoms and lower health-related quality of life. Psychological factors and stress have been recognized as important contributors to the onset and duration of gastric ulcer, highlighting the need for effective psychological interventions to improve pain intensity and quality of life in patients. Methods: The research method was semi-experimental and based on the pretest-posttest control group design, with follow-up after three months. The sample included 46 participants selected by a Purposive Sampling method and placed randomly in the experimental and control groups. At first, simultaneously, and under the same conditions, all the participants responded to the Chronic Pain Grade Questionnaire (CPG) and Quality of Life Questionnaire (SF-12). The emotion regulation training was performed on the experimental group. In the end, both groups were evaluated by posttests, and then they were tracked after three months. To analyze data, the ANCOVA test was applied through SPSS 22. Results: Findings showed that emotion regulation training was meaningfully effective in decreasing pain intensity and increasing life quality (p<0.01), but after three months interval, no significant changes were found in the results. Conclusion: Due to the results about emotion regulation training protocol that has successfully reduced pain intensity symptoms in PUD patients and increased life quality, it is suggested that this protocol can be added to other treatments for PUD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lymphangiomas are benign lymphatic system abnormalities that can appear anywhere on the skin and mucous membranes. Lymphangiomas are caused by congenital or acquired lymphatic system disorders. In the congenital form, although the cause is unknown it is said that it is formed by the incorrect attachment of lymphatic channels to the main lymphatic drainage duct before the age of 5 years. lymphangiectasia as a subgroup of lymphangioma occurs seldom in the small bowel, especially in adults. If that happens, protein-losing enteropathy will be the most common presenting sign. In the present study, we introduce a case of a 40-year-old man without a history of any congenital or acquired diseases who was admitted to the emergency room due to long-lasting obscure overt gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding. Normal upper and lower GI endoscopies were suggestive of GI bleeding originating from the small intestine. Despite receiving iron supplements, he continued to have melena and remained anemic. Further evaluation of the small intestine by deep enteroscopy revealed multiple white spots histologically consistent with dilated lymphatics. Intestinal lymphangiectasia was eventually introduced to be the final diagnosis of the patient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today, COVID-19 pneumonia causes global concern. The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported many mortalities from this disease all around the world. Therefore, recognizing new cases of COVID-19 is crucial during this pandemic. Many studies have shown that COVID-19 has a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms, including GI and cutaneous manifestations. Previous studies have reported liver enzyme changes as well as diarrhea as a common GI manifestation of COVID-19. However, there are few reports about COVID-19 synchronous cutaneous and liver involvement. Additionally, there are few reports about intrahepatic cholestasis in COVID-19 patients. In this article, a confirmed case of COVID-19 with vasculopathy-related cutaneous manifestation and liver cholestasis is reported. A 67-year-old Iranian woman was admitted to Taleghani Hospital with epigastric pain, vomiting, anosmia, rising liver enzyme levels, fever, itching, and skin rashes. Skin and liver biopsies were performed during the patient's admission; the results suggested vasculopathy-related cutaneous lesion and liver cholestasis. Plasmapheresis was initiated and all manifestations disappeared after treatment. All atypical presentations, including cutaneous lesions and liver manifestations, should be considered as COVID-19 and evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 is a new contagious viral pneumonia with various signs and symptoms, including loss of consciousness, liver injury, and cerebrovascular accident; however, there is little data on the manifestation and outcome of COVID-19 in liver transplant patients. Moreover, because transplant units in Iran were closed from the first day of the COVID-19 pandemic, accurate data about nosocomial COVID-19 and the liver transplant setting is not available. In this article, we introduce a liver transplant recipient with a final fatal outcome, who had had neurological manifestations, and whose COVID-19 manifestations began in the hospital within 2 days of transplant surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gut microbiota play critical roles in maintaining the human health in several aspects. Bile acids (BAs) are endogenous cholesterolderived molecules that can be modified by the gut microbiota and act as signaling molecules in the regulation of host metabolic and physiology processes. Gut microbiota release many enzymes that are capable to perform considerable modifications on BAs such as bile salt hydrolases (BSH), 7α-dehydroxylase (CYP7A), and hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (HSDH). These enzymatic roles can change in the gut microbiota composition, cause alteration in BAs profile and metabolism and even gallstone formation. Patients with 15 years of asymptomatic gallstone have increased risk for colorectal cancer (CRC), which may be related to altered gut microbiota, changes in bile metabolism, as well as cellular and molecular effects in the proximal colon. In gallstone-associated CRC patients, the association between consensus molecular subtypes of CRC should be clarified to identify if specific pathways are related. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), and Fibromyalgia (FM) may have underlying non-diagnosed celiac disease (CD). Background: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of CD in patients with these underlying diseases in Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed among 300 consecutive patients with SLE, RA, and FM (each group 100 patients) since 2015 to 2017. The blood samples were collected and serum IgA anti-tissue trans-glutaminase (Anti-tTG) level was assessed for all patients. The seropositive patients underwent endoscopy and duodenal/jejunal biopsy according to the Marsh classification. Results: Out of 300 investigated patients with mean age of 41.2 years old, 92% of patients with SLE, RA and fibromyalgia were women. Among 100 patients with SLE, only 1 subject (1%), out of 100 patients with RA 3 subjects (3%), and none of the patients with fibromyalgia were seropositive for CD (with overall prevalence 1.4). All four patients were female and categorized as Marsh III. Conclusion: The results of the study indicated that patients with lupus have the same prevalence, but subjects with RA had three times higher prevalence rate than normal population for CD. Therefore, CD investigation in these individuals can improve their quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cronkhite- Canada syndrome (CCS) considered as a rare and non-hereditary disorder. Gastrointestinal polyposis and diarrhea along with some extra signs and symptoms such as hypoproteinemia, and epidermal manifestations are recognized in this syndrome. The pathophysiology of this syndrome is not completely understood and it seems that inflammatory processes may be involved. We present a 50 year-old man with hamartomatous polyps throughout the colon and long-lasting diarrhea not responding to typical therapies during three years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Constipation is the most common digestive complaint in the general population. It is associated with considerable adverse effect on quality of life and substantial economic costs and often has no underlying pathology. Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity (NCGS) has been described as a cause of constipation in a few studies. We present a 62-year-old male with long standing constipation without any underlying cause during extensive surveys and not responding to any conservative treatment but significant response with gluten free diet (GFD). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Eosinophilic esophagitis is among the causes of refractory reflux disease. Biopsy of esophagus is the gold standard for diagnosis. In this study we determined the frequency of eosinophilic esophagitis (EE) in refractory reflux cases referred to Motility Department of Shahid Beheshti Research Center of Gastroenterology and Liver Disease, Tehran, Iran.Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 68 cases with refractory reflux disease underwent endoscopy and had biopsies taken. Specimens were stained by hematoxylin and eosin and two independent pathologists confirmed the diagnosis of eosinophilic esophagitis.Results: Mean (standard deviation, SD) age at diagnosis was 41.8 (10.94) years. All had allergy or atopy, and unknown dysphagia was noted for 66%. Endoscopic findings were as follows: esophagitis (33.3%), rings (33.3%), and whitish plaques (33.3%). Prevalence of eosinophilic esophagitis was 8.8% (N = 6; one man and five women). No statistical difference in demographic variables was found between eosinophilic esophagitis cases and others, except for history of atopy, food impaction, and endoscopic features (P value <0.005).Conclusion: Eosinophilic esophagitis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of any cases with refractory reflux who complain of chronic unexplained dysphagia, with history of recurrent food impaction, and atopy or abnormal endoscopic features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]