increased level of aryl hydrocarbon receptor in patients with pancreatic cancer

Background: Aryl-carbon receptor [AhR], a ligand-activated transcription factor, is best known for its ability to mediate the effects of environmental toxins such as 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin. AhR is expressed in several tumor cells and regulates the expression of genes in the signal transduction pathways. In this study, we examined the soluble levels of AhR in patients with pancreatic cancer

Methods: 123 samples, including 59 [48%] samples of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma based on histological evidence and 64 [52%] healthy control samples, were evaluated to determine plasma levels of AhR by Enzyme-linked immunoassay

Results: The median of AhR among patients was 0.280 ng/mL, which differed considerably from 0.07 ng/mL in the control group [p < 0.001]. Significant differences of the AhR were observed between the plasma samples of the patients compared with the healthy group, with respect to male sex [p < 0.001], age groups [p = 0.001], diabetic status [p < 0.001], body mass index [BMI] categories [p = 0.035], and constantly smokers [p < 0.001]. We also observed significant differences between the level of AhR expression between men and women [p = 0.01] and ever to never smokers [p = 0.009] in the case group. In addition, the age of 65 and a BMI of 25 or less were significant factors in plasma AhR levels [[1.61 95%CI 1.08-2.38] and [1.84 95%CI 1.22-2.77], respectively]

Conclusion: The results of this study can add diagnostic information to pancreatic cancer involving AhR and the potential efficacy of this receptor in therapeutic strategies

[ association between dietary fat intake and pancreatic cancer risk: a large prospective study]

Pancreatic cancer [PC] is classified as one of the most deadly cancers. Since the role of diet in modifying the effects of known risk factors of PC has been well established, exploring the dietary intakes in relation to the etiology of PC can be useful for elucidating the mechanisms of the disease progression

Materials and Methods: This study was conducted within the Golestan prospective cohort study. The estimated intake of total fat and various dietary fat sources was calculated using a validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. The relationship between these dietary intakes and risk of PC was examined using Cox Regression and hazard ratio [HR] with 95% confidence interval [CI 95%] was reported

Results: During 383,630 person-years follow-up and after excluding subjects with incomplete baseline information, a total of 48,676 adults were studied. Until October 30, 2014, 54 cases of PC were confirmed by medical professionals, based on the medical records and the exact cause of death using the criteria of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 10 [ICD10]. After adjusting for potential confounders we did not observe any statistically significant relationship between the intake of total fat and various dietary fat sources and risk of PC. There was only a significant positive association between the risk of PC and daily intake of butter, cream, and solid vegetable oil in the age-adjusted regression models [HR=2.10; 95% CI=1.04-4.21; P for trend=0.03]. However, this relationship was not remained significant anymore in the fully adjusted models

Conclusion: Based on the results of the current research, after taking into account all of the potential confounding factors, dietary intake of total fat as well as various dietary fat sources had no significant association with the risk of PC. However, it is likely that consuming substantially less saturated and trans fat sources such as dairy fats as well as solid vegetable oils may be beneficial to reduce the risk of this cancer

[Higher intake of dietary fiber, but not fruits or vegetables is associated with lower risk of pancreatic cancer: a large prospective study]

Background: pancreatic cancer [PC] is classed as the 7th leading cause of cancer-related death in the world. Previous evidence indicates that hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, diabetes, and obesity are implicated in pancreatic carcinogenesis. Thus, evaluation of the dietary intakes in the etiology of PC can be useful to identify the risk factors of the disease

Materials and Methods: we examined the association between total intake of fruits, vegetables, and dietary fiber and the risk of PC in 50,045 participants aged 40-75 years within the Golestan Cohort Study. Dietary data were collected using a validated semi-quantitative food-frequency questionnaire, which was administered at baseline. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate multivariate hazard ratio with 95% confidence interval

Results: during 383,630 person-years of follow-up and after excluding the participants with incomplete baseline information, a total of 48,676 adults were evaluated. Until October 30, 2014, 54 cases of PC were confirmed based on the exact cause of death using ICD10 criteria. After considering all potential confounding factors, there was only a statistically significant inverse association between the risk of PC for the highest tertile of daily fiber intake compared with the lowest tertile [HR=0.41; 95% CI= 0.15-1.05; P for trend= 0.05]. However, the relationship between fruits and vegetables and PC risk was not statistically significant

Conclusion: in summary, based on the findings of this study, increased dietary fiber may reduce the risk of PC. This result highlights the importance of a diet rich in fiber in order to prevent PC progression. Finally, given the limited number of studies in this field and inconclusive results, there is still a need for new prospective studies with long follow-up

Menstrual and reproductive factors and risk of pancreatic cancer in women

Background: Pancreatic cancer [PC] is a deadly disease with a 5-year survival of less than 5%. Worldwide PC incidence rates are lower among women than men. While this suggests a protective role for steroid hormones in PC risk, results from epidemiological studies are not consistent

Methods: 153 new incident PC cases and 202 controls were recruited from a prospective case-control study, running in a referral center for endoscopic ultrasonography during 2011-2017. A structured valid and reliable questionnaire was used for data collection by a few trained interviewers. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for reproductive factors and PC were estimated using logistic regression methods

Results: Mean age [SD] of the cases and the controls were 63.18 [11.4] and 63.37 [12.0] years, respectively. Age at menarche, age at menopause, number of parity, gravidity, and abortion were not associated with PC risk

Conclusion: This study does not support the hypothesis that menstrual and reproductive factors are associated with PC risk

nail as a biomonitor of trace element status in Golestan cohort study

Background: In the Golestan Cohort Study that was launched to investigate the causes of esophageal cancer, a complete biospecimen bank was established for storage of collected blood, urine, hair, and nail samples. The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of nail samples as a biomarker of selected trace elements status

Methods: Thirty toenail samples were selected randomly from the participants of Golestan Cohort Study [GCS]. The samples were cleaned and analyzed for selenium, mercury, chromium, iron, zinc, and scandium by instrumental neutron activation analysis at the University of Missouri Research Reactor Center. Pearson correlation coefficients were computed for selected trace elements concentration versus scandium concentration to assess terrestrial contamination

Results: The selenium, zinc, and mercury were not correlated with scandium, suggesting they were free from substantial contamination. The high correlations of scandium with iron and chromium suggest that the iron and chromium levels may be compromised by terrestrial contamination. The coefficients of variation for duplicate samples for selenium and zinc were 2.6% and 7.2%, respectively

Conclusion: The nail samples from Golestan Cohort Study appears to be useable as a biomarker of selenium, zinc, and mercury and could be considered for use in future studies

review on the position of endoscopy techniques in obesity treatment

As the incidence of obesity increases, less invasive weight loss methods rather than bariatric surgery will be needed, This article reviews the advances in endoscopy, results, benefits and side effects of these techniques for treating obesity, The endoscopic options for weight loss could be broadly grouped under the following categories: restriction procedures, malabsorption procedures, and neuromodulation. With the most common options were related to restriction procedures, which include intragastric balloons [BioEntcrics Intragastric Balloon and Heliosphere BAG], endoluminal restriction gastroplasty by intermittent sutures or continuous sutures, and transluminal oral gastroplasty, Malabsorption procedures such as duodenojejunal sleeves arc effective particularly in obese patients with diabetes mcllitus. Electrical stimulation of stomach is effective on weight loss because of reduced gastric adaptation and a delay in gastric emptying. It is important to identify which endoscopic technique must be used, depending on the desirable outcomes. Currently, the most important issue is to develop an effective and standardized endoscopic procedure

Solid pseudopapillary neoplasm of pancreas; a case series and review literature

Background: Information regarding solid pseudopapillary neoplasm [SPN] of the pancreas is limited in Iran. We aimed to review the clinicocytopathological features and follow-up of patients with SPN of pancreas who were diagnosed in a single center in Iran

Method: Seven patients with SPN of the pancreas were diagnosed during January 2010 to March 2015 at the Digestive Disease Research Institute of Tehran University of Medical Sciences. The patients were reviewed prospectively

Results: Six out of the 7 patients were female and the mean age of all the patients was 29.4 years ranging from 15 to 61 years. The most common clinical presentation was nonspecific abdominal pain [N=6]. The tumors were located mostly in head and neck of the pancreas. SPN was diagnosed in all patients by fine needle aspiration through endosonography [EUS-FNA]. All patients underwent surgery. Histological findings of surgical tissues were consistent with EUS-FNA. The postoperative follow-up period of about 14 months was uneventful

Conclusion: SPN of the pancreas is a rare pancreatic tumor which affects primarily young women. EUS-guided FNA could play an important role in preoperative diagnosis of SPN of the pancreas

Inverse association of plasma level of glutathione peroxidase with liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B: potential role of iron

Background: Oxidative stress plays a major pathogenic role in liver injury following chronic hepatitis B. Glutathione peroxidase [Gpx] has a central role in regulating the oxidative state. Hepatitis B virus [HBV] results in down-regulation of Gpx. On the other hand, iron homeostasis is disrupted in HBV infected patients. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the interplay of Gpx and serum iron on clinical and virological characteristics of patients with chronic HBV infection

Method: One hundred and fifty adult, treatment-naïve, patients with chronic hepatitis B were randomly selected from an ongoing cohort of patients with HBV. Plasma Gpx1 concentration and HBV DNA quantity were measured. Liver stiffness was measured by transient elastography

Results: Serum iron had a positive association with HBV DNA count in the total population. Serum iron was not associated with liver stiffness. However, HBV DNA was significantly associated with liver stiffness only in male patients. Serum Gpx was inversely associated with liver stiffness. Serum iron and Gpx had indirect effects on liver stiffness via HBV DNA count. We observed distinct effects of serum iron on HBV DNA and Gpx on liver stiffness in male and female patients

Conclusion: We identified interplay of serum iron and Gpx1 in relation to level of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B. Our results suggest that oxidative stress and serum iron are differentially implicated in the progression of chronic hepatitis B in male and female patients

association between dietary carbohydrate intake and pancreatic cancer risk: a large prospective study

Background: Pancreatic cancer [PC] is ranked as the 7th leading cause of cancer death worldwide and is one of the most deadly cancers. Several lines of evidence indicate that insulin resistance, diabetes, and obesity are implicated in its carcinogenesis

Materials and Methods: We examined the association between the consumption of carbohydrate foods and risk of PC in 50,045 participants [21241 men and 28804 women aged 40 to 75 years] of the Golestan Cohort Study in northeastern Iran. Dietary data were collected using a validated semi-quantitative food-frequency questionnaire. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate multivariate hazard ratio with 95% confidence interval

Results: During 8.5 years [383,630 person-years] of follow-up and after excluding participants with incomplete data, a total of 48,676 adults [20,683 men and 27,993 women] were studied. Until October 30, 2014, 54 cases of pancreatic cancer were confirmed by a medical team, based on the medical records and the exact cause of death according to ICD10 criteria. After adjusting for age, total energy intake, history of diabetes, smoking status, education, opium consumption, body mass index, waist to hip ratio, ethnicity, sex, the metabolic equivalent of task [MET], residential area, and socioeconomic status, we did not observe any statistically significant relationship between consumption of total carbohydrate and carbohydrate foods including whole grains, refined grains, sugars, and potatoes and risk of PC

Conclusion: Based on the results of the present study, dietary intake of total carbohydrate as well as various carbohydrate food sources had no significant association with the risk of PC. Finally, given the limited number of studies in this field and their inconclusive results, there is still a need for new prospective studies with long follow-up

Direct sequencing of cyclooxygenase-2 [COX-2] Revealed an Intronic Variant rs20 1231411 in Iranian patients with pancreatic cancer

There are hoarding documents for the biological importance of cyclooxygenase-2 [COX-2] in pancreatic carcinogenesis. We aimed to thoroughly investigate the DNA sequence variations of whole COX-2 exons in a large case- control study of pancreatic cancer by direct sequencing. The entire exonic regions of COX-2 including 10 exons were sequenced in the germline DNA of 96 patients with pancreatic cancer. Selected variants within exons six to seven [E6E7] amplicon from the test panel were genotyped in 96 controls. The COX-2 gene was demonstrated to be genetically conserved. Four missense mutations were found in three cases. However the common variant c.724-10_724-7deIATTT [rs20123141 1] that is located in intron 6, showed significant difference between cases and controls [21 [21.9%] vs 11 [%11.5], p=0.05]. This study determined that COX-2 has a conservative sequence, which is required for its enzymatic activity and supports the important role of this enzyme's expression in pancreatic cancer rather than any changes in its activity. The effect of intronic variant rs201231411 on COX-2 expression could be analyzed in future studies

[Clinical findings of patients with pancreatic insulinoma in Shariati Hospital, Tehran, Iran [2010-2013]]

Insulinoma was a rare pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor. Insulinoma was more likely to present as one small size tumor in head of pancreas in middle age. Surgery was a curative treatment. The aim of this study was to present clinical characteristics of insulinoma tumors in pancreas and their outcomes after tumor resection from a referral endosonography center in Iran. This was cross sectional study from Nov 2010 to Nov 2013, all patients with clinical and biochemichal diagnosis of insulinoma entered to the study. Various characteristics likes, symptoms, laboratory and imaging findings, pathologic reports and their outcomes after surgery were recorded in a standard check list. Patients were followed for up to three years. All statistical analyses were performed SPSS software. A total of 42 patients [62% women: mean of age 40 years] were identified. All of patients reported Whipple's triad. Mean time from initiating of symptoms until diagnosis time was 14 months. The common blood type was 0 [n22, 52.3%].The mean tumor size was 2.7cm. 33.4% of endosonography reports show a solid tumor in the head of pancreas. Finding shows [n-36, 85%] of patients were treated surgically. Insulinoma tumor was confirmed in the pancreatic sample. Insulinoma recurrence have not report during the mean follow-up of 343 days in patients after tumor resection. In this study, insulinoma tumors of pancreas [non-familial] were single with tumor size of less than 3 cm. Most of them located in the head of pancreas. Outcomes following complete resection of tumor were satisfactory and have not report tumor recurrenceduring up to 3 years follow up. These results were the same as reports from other countries

Burden of gastrointestinal and liver diseases in middle east and north africa: results of global burden of diseases study from 1990 to 2010

Gastrointestinal and liver diseases [GILDs] are major causes of death and disability in Middle East and North Africa [MENA]. However, they have different patterns in countries with various geographical, cultural, and socio-economic status. We aimed to compare the burden of GILDs in Iran with its neighboring countries using the results of the Global Burden of Disease [GBD] Study in 2010. Classic metrics of GBD have been used including: age-standardized rates [ASRs] of death, years of life lost due to premature death [YLL], years of life lost due to disability [YLD], and disability adjusted life years [DALY]. All countries neighboring Iran have been selected. In addition, all other countries classified in the MENA region were included. Five major groups of gastrointestinal and hepatic diseases were studied including: infections of gastrointestinal tract, gastrointestinal and pancreatobilliary cancers, acute hepatitis, cirrhosis, and other digestive diseases. The overall burden of GILDs is highest in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Egypt. Diarrheal diseases have been replaced by gastrointestinal cancers and cirrhosis in most countries in the region. However, in a number of countries including Afghanistan, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Egypt, and Yemen, communicable GILDs are still among top causes of mortality and morbidity in addition to non-communicable GILDs and cancers. These countries are experiencing the double burden. In Iran, burden caused by cancers of stomach and esophagus are considerably higher than other countries. There is an overall overestima-tion of liver cancer and underestimation of other gastrointestinal and pancreatobilliary cancers. The diseases that are mainly diagnosed in outpatient settings have not been captured by GBD

[Review of the clinico-pathological features of pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms in Iran]

Pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms [PNENs] were increasing in the world. The annual incidence of PNETs was nearly 0.25 per 100 000 population. 1-2% of pancreatic neoplasms are PNENs. This article reviewed the available original and review literatures which had been published in Persian and English in websites of Google scholar, Iran doc and Pub Med with keywords neoplasm, pancreas, neuroendocrine and Iran since 1995 to 2014 year. The aim of this article was to compared the clinic co-pathological characteristics of Iranian studies [seven articles] with other studies. Prevalence of PNENs was among 30-60 year and there was not gender preference in some studies. Abdominal pain was the most common manifestation of PNENs.60-70% of PNENs was functional in Iran. In mostly of imaging procedures, neoplasm was reported in pancreatic head. These neoplasms were different rates of growth and aggressive behaviors. The clinical behavior of PNENs could be predicted according to clinical stage, grade and evidence of hormone syndromes. Neoplasm resection could be a cure for PNENs. Mean survival time depended on the extent of disease at diagnosis time and the differentiation of neoplasm. In one report of Iran, survival rate was 48% in non-functional PNENs versus nearly 100% in functional PNENs [Insulinoma] during 3 years follow up. A team of specialists is necessary for successful and efficient treatment in PNENs field. Mean survival time in non-functional PNENs is shorter than functional form. Different results in clinical characteristics and neoplasm behavior in several studies maybe due to PNENs heterogeneity in the world. It's unlikely that could present a prognostic model for PNENs

[Review of current anti-obesity drugs in obese adults]

Obesity was a dangerous chronic disease. Physicians recommended drug therapy just in a few of obese patients in spite of many health risks. Weight control can be improved comorbidities of obesity like hyperlipedemia, hyperinsulinoma, acanthosis nigricans and hypertension. This article reviewed the available original and review literatures which had been published in English in websites of Google scholar and Pub Med with keywords drug, obesity and adults during 2002 - 2014. Drug therapy could improve obesity treatment after an unsuccessful combination of diet, exercise, and behaviour modification. Choice of treatment was based on multiple factors including the degree of obesity and patient preference. Drug therapy should be selected for a BMI] Body Mass Index [greater than 30 kg/m[2], or a BMI of 27 kg/m[2] with comorbid conditions including diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidaemia and heart disease.Prescription of anti-obesity drugs should be monitored carefully. Orlistat was the only drug for the long-term treatment of obesity. The efficacy of lorcaserin appears more than orlistat. Phentermine and diethylpropion are only approved for the short term treatment of obesity. Some antidepressant, antiepileptic, and antidiabetic drugs could be caused weight loss. New generation of anti-obesity drugs were under developing and more focus on the safety and efficacy combination treatments. Weight loss > 12kg reported in few investigational drugs. Some of them were discussed in this article. Obesity treatment is selected based on the side effects risks. Mostly of the available drugs have few side effects which decrease with treatment. There isn't a cure drug treatment for obesity now

Gastroesophageal reflux disease and overall and cause-specific mortality: a prospective study of 50000 individuals

BACKGROUND Only a few studies in Western countries have investigated the association between gastroesophageal reflux disease [GERD] and mortality at the general population level and they have shown mixed results

This study investigated the association between GERD symptoms and overall and cause-specific mortality in a large prospective population-based study in Golestan Province, Iran

METHODS: Baseline data on frequency, onset time, and patient-perceived severity of GERD symptoms were available for 50001 participants in the Golestan Cohort Study [GCS]

We identified 3107 deaths [including 1146 circulatory and 470 cancer-related] with an average follow-up of 6.4 years and calculated hazard ratios [HR] and 95% confidence intervals [CI] adjusted for multiple potential confounders

RESULTS: Severe daily symptoms [defined as symptoms interfering with daily work or causing nighttime awakenings on a daily bases, reported by 4.3% of participants] were associated with cancer mortality [HR 1.48, 95% CI: 1.04-2.05]

This increase was too small to noticeably affect overall mortality

Mortality was not associated with onset time or frequency of GERD and was not increased with mild to moderate symptoms

CONCLUSION: We have observed an association with GERD and increased cancer mortality in a small group of individuals that had severe symptoms. Most patients with mild to moderate GERD can be re-assured that their symptoms are not associated with increased mortality

[Comparison of general psychological wellbeing schedule between patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease and healthy controls]

Gastroesophageal reflux disease [GERD] is one of the most common gastrointestinal diseases related to the psychological status of the patient. The aim of this study is to assess the relation of GERD with general psychological wellbeing [GPWB]. This population study was performed among adult residents of Tehran, Iran in 2013. We invited high school and university educated healthy appearing subjects who were members of a health surveillance study in district number 11 of Tehran to reply to the GPWB query. Participants were divided into two groups, GERD patients and controls. We compared the dimensions of GPWB among these two groups. A total of 135 persons with a mean age of 35.5 +/- 13 years were recruited for study participation. Approximately 30% of men and 23% of women had at least weekly GERD symptoms. Anxiety was significantly more common among GERD patients than controls. General health and positive well-being were significantly impaired among GERD patients. Assessment of self-representation of wellbeing and distress in GERD patients and consideration of new, relevant therapeutic avenues are important for the control of GERD

Abdominal pain crisis in a young patient with B12 deficiency: a case report

Vitamin B12 deficiency is an unusual disease in younger individuals. This case report has demonstrated how a patient with vitamin B12 deficiency can present with unusual symptoms. Two episodes of severe abdominal pain were identified in a 35-year-old man in the emergency ward. During both episodes surgical consultations were requested. A gastroduodenoscopy revealed macroscopic atrophic gastritis and pathology reports showed mucosal atrophy in the gastric corpus with evidence of intestinal metaplasia. Laboratory data showed a low level of vitamin B12 in the patient's serum. In rare cases? vitamin B12 deficiency can present with severe abdominal pain associated with abdominal rigidity

Clinical and pathological features of non-functional neuroendocrine tumors of pancreas: a report from Iran

Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors [PNETs] are rare tumors with variable malignant potential, prognosis, and survival. We aimed to assess the characteristics of patients with non- functional PNET in our hospital. From Nov 2010 to Nov 2013, all patients who came to endosonography unit of Shariati hospital, Tehran, Iran, and had pancreatic lesions were assessed. Tumor samples were obtained through fine needle aspiration. Various characteristics of the non- functional PNET were recorded and patients were followed up to three years. Twenty eight non func-PNET cases, aged 37-72 years were identified, 15 [53.6%] of whom were men. Fifteen [53.6%] tumors were located in the head and 5[17.8%] in the body of the pancreas. The mean tumor size was 3.9 Cm and 10.7%, 28.6%, 32.1%, and 28.6% of the patients were at stages I, II, III and IV, respectively. Of the patients, 12 [43%] underwent surgery, 3 [10.7%] received chemotherapy, and 13 [46.4%] received no treatment. During the mean follow-up of 16 months, the disease had progressed in 3 [10.7%] patients and 10 [35.7%] had died. In univariate analysis, tumor size>3Cm and Ki-67>20% were correlated with survival rate but not in multivariate analysis. Iranian patients with non- functional PNET present similar characteristics to world patients. There is a need to establish efficacy of tumor samples which are obtaining through fine needle aspiration for assessing tumor grading

Cohort profile: Golestan hepatitis B cohort study-a prospective long term study in northern Iran

Hepatitis B virus [HBV] infection is the most common cause of end stage liver disease in Iran and in Golestan province. Large-scale population-based prospective cohort studies with long term follow-up are the method of choice to accurately understand the natural course of HBV infection. To date, several studies of HBV epidemiology, natural history, progression to cirrhosis and association with HCC have been reported from other countries. However, few of these are prospective and fewer still are population-based. Moreover, the underlying molecular mechanisms and immunogenetic determinants of the outcome of HBV infection especially in low and middle income countries remains largely unknown. Therefore, the hepatitis B cohort study [HBCS], nested as part of the Golestan Cohort Study [GCS], Golestan, Iran was established in 2008 with the objective to prospectively investigate the natural course of chronic hepatitis B with reference to its epidemiology, viral/host genetic interactions, clinical features and outcome in the Middle East where genotype D HBV accounts for >90% of infections. In 2008, a baseline measurement of HBV surface antigen [HBsAg] was performed on stored serum samples of all GCS participants. A sub-cohort of 3,505 individuals were found to be HBsAg positive and were enrolled in the Golestan HBCS. In 2011, all first degree relatives of HBsAg positive subjects including their children and spouses were invited for HBV serology screening and those who were positive for HBsAg were also included in the Golestan HBCS

[Systematic review of endoscopic treatments for obesity: their safety and efficacy in weight reduction]

Obesity is a tremendous, increasing health problem worldwide. There are multiple endoscopic treatments for obesity. This study is a systematic review of researches on these methods and an evaluation of their safety and efficacy. We conducted a MEDLINE electronic research to review relevant English articles and abstracts published in the previous ten years [up to September 2012] on endoscopic treatments for human obesity. Overall, we found 62 articles. Of these, 42 articles [n=6406 cases] evaluated the bioenteric intragastric balloon [BIB] method. The percent of excess weight loss [EWL%] was 7.6%-62.3% and proportion of weight loss [WL] was 5.4-28.5 kg over six months. A total of five articles [n=159 cases] researched the air filled gastric balloon technique and reported a WL of approximately 10-17 kg in six months. Another five articles [n=112 cases] studied the duodeno jejuna bypass liner [DJBL] method and showed an EWL% of 11.9%-40% and WL of 8.2-16.7 kg over a 3-month period. Researchers evaluated botulinum toxin A [BTX A] injections in nine articles [n=144 cases] with a WL in two months of 0-11 kg. In three articles [n=64 cases], endoscopic suturing of the stomach was evaluated with an EWL% of 58.1 kg in six months. Another three articles [n=99 cases] evaluated transoral gastroplasty with an EWL% of 24.4%-36% and WL of 14-24 kg over six months. We have located numerous studies on the BIB procedure with lengthy [up to 5 years] monitoring of cases. According to these studies, BIB is a short-term, effective weight loss treatment. BIB may be a suitable method for preoperative weight loss in patients who are candidates for bariatric surgery to decrease the risk of surgery; in cases who are not candidates for surgery due to the risk of surgery; or in patients with moderate obesity as a primary weight loss treatment to induce changes in the patient's life style. DJBL and transoral gastroplasty sounds larger and more effects but additional longterm researches are needed to clarify the safety and efficacy of DJBL and transoral gastroplasty.