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Objective: to evaluate the type, frequency, and severity of macroscopic small bowel mucosal injury after chronic NSAID intake as assessed by capsule endoscopy (CE), as well as to correlate the severity of gastroduodenal and intestinal damage in these patients. Material and methods:a prospective, endoscopist-blind, controlled trial. Sixteen patients (14F/2M; age: 57.06 ± 10.16 yrs) with osteoarthritis (OA) on chronic therapy with NSAIDs underwent CE and upper gastrointestinal endoscopy (UGE). Seventeen patients with OA (9F/2M; age: 57.47 ± 9.82 yrs) who did not take NSAIDs were included as a control group. A scale ranging from 0 to 2 (0 = no lesions, 1-minor = red spots or petechiae, denuded areas and/or 1-5 mucosal breaks; 2-major = > 5 mucosal breaks and/or strictures, or hemorrhage) was designed to assess the severity of small bowel mucosal injuries. Results: CE found intestinal lesions in 75% (12/16) of patients in the study group and in 11.76% (2/17) of controls (p < 0.01). Seven out of 16 NSAID consumers (43.75%) and none in the control group (0%) had a major small bowel mucosal injury (p < 0.01). The percentages of patients with grade 1 and 2 gastroduodenopathy in the study group, as assessed by UGE, were 37.14 and 23.81%, respectively. There was no significant difference in the rate of major enteropathy between patients with none or minor gastroduodenal injury, and those with major gastroduodenopathy (43.75 vs. 40%; p = N.S.). Conclusions: chronic NSAID intake is associated with a high rate of small bowel mucosal injuries. Our data have failed to demonstrate a relationship between the severity of gastroduodenal and intestinal injury.

Objectives a) To determine the rate of H. pylori reinfection after successful eradication in a 4-year follow-up study; and b) To evaluate the contribution of different factors in the infection relapse. Patients and methods A total of 208 patients (age range 18-81 years; average 50 years; 87 women) who had been successfully treated for H. pylori infection were included. Annually, urea breath test was assessed to determine H. pylori status after eradication. Age, sex, rural/urban environment, smoking habit, treatment regimens against H. pylori and urea breath test values were evaluated. Results reinfection occurred in 9,6% of patients observed, 6,7% (14/208) in the first year, 1,9% (4/208) in the second year, 1% (2/208) in the third and 0% in the forth. Risk factors for infection recurrence were younger age and higher values of urea breath test in the multivariante analysis. Conclusions annual reinfection rate was 2,4 pacients-year. Younger patients and higher values of urea breath test were factors associated with a higher rate of reinfection relapse. Annually, urea breath test should be performed to detect reinfection in order to avoid ulcer complications.

Aim: to study the usefulness and safety of capsule endoscopy as a diagnostic tool in various small bowel disorders. Design: a retrospective analysis of a series of cases. Material and methods: between August 2001 and August 2002, 92 capsule endoscopy procedures were performed in 88 patients (53M/39F, age: 43.87 ± 16.78). Indications included: chronic diarrhea (n = 33); unknown abdominal pain (n = 29); occult gastrointestinal bleeding or iron-deficiency anemia (n = 13); abdominal discomfort in NSAID takers (n = 7); staging of gastrointestinal tumors (n = 4), and asymptomatic controls (n = 2). Previously performed gastroscopy, colonoscopy, and small-bowel follow-through were not conclusive in all patients. Results: most frequently relevant findings included: jejuno-ileal apthas and ulcerations (29 patients), vascular malformations (13 patients), and intestinal neoplasm (6 patients). The groups with a higher rate of findings related to this indication were occult gastrointestinal bleeding (76.92%) and chronic diarrhea (67.85%), with the lowest rate in the abdominal pain group (34.48%). Therapeutic strategy was directly changed in 36 of 88 patients (40.90%) because of capsule-endoscopic findings. The only observed complication was the failed excretion of one of the capsules because of an unknown ulcerated intestinal stricture. Conclusions: capsule endoscopy is a safe procedure which can study the entire small bowel, meaning a valuable tool for the management of patients with suggestive signs and symptoms of intestinal disorders.

Colonic transit time can define three types of delay: right colon (colonic inertial), left colon and recto sigmoid. The aim of this study is to compare clinic characteristics and manometric results among the different groups with segmental colonic transit disorder.61 subjects were included in our study (5 men and 56 women) with and average age of 47.5 years (range: 17-84 years). We carried our a study of segmental and total colonic transit time, with the use of radio-opaque markers and sequential abdominal X-rays. We considered that transit time was prolonged when it was longer than 72 hours, and segmental transit time, when right colon was longer than 22 hours, left colon 37.2 hours and recto-sigmoid 37.2 hours. We included different clinic data: age, sex, place of residence stool frequency, abdominal pain, painful evacuation, incomplete evacuation, evacuation desire, dietary fibre intake, use of laxatives. We practised anorectal manometry in 20 patients.The average total colonic transit time was 38.2 hours in normal transit and 103 hours with disorder. The frequency in the three colonic segments, when there was a long total colonic transit time, was: 40% in the left colon, 33% in the recto-sigmoid and 27% in the right colon. We analysed the clinical characteristics of these three groups, finding more frequency of painful evacuation and defecation desire and lower dietary fibre intake in recto sigmoid. The most important abnormality in anorectal manometry was the hiposensitivity in the anorectal area, that only appeared in subjects with long segmental transit time in the right colon (colonic inertia), statistically significant.The measurement of colonic transit time with radio-opaque markers is a simple technique that allows for the objective detection of the different groups of patients with chronic idiopathic constipation. The exact typification of the abnormality is important for the individualization of each treatment.

The discovery of, at least, two isoforms of the enzyme cyclooxygenase, named by the numbers 1 and 2, has updated our knowledge about the NSAID. This has led investigators to reconsider what we can expect from this kind of drugs. The two isoforms share enzymatic and structural properties, although they are regulated differently, at molecular level and can be distinguished from their functions, although an overlap of roles between them do exist. The main goal of the development of highly selective inhibitors is to improve gastric tolerability. The classical NSAID inhibit preferentially the isoform 1 of the cyclooxygenase, in vitro, which appears to be dangerous, according to gastrointestinal safety profile. The new compounds with high selectivity for the isoform 2 of the cyclooxygenase could be better tolerated at gastrointestinal level. Meanwhile these compounds also could have a potential use in several diseases such as colorectal cancer and neurodegenerative processes. The potential occurrence of side effects, perhaps related with renal function, should be noted. Finally large controlled clinical trials are needed to estimate the therapeutic advantages which can be offered by the new highly selective NSAID, and the potential consequences which can result from the isoform 2 of the cyclooxygenase prolonged inhibition