Randomised clinical trial: mesalazine and/or probiotics in maintaining remission of symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease--a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled study.

BACKGROUND: Placebo-controlled studies in maintaining remission of symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease (SUDD) of the colon are lacking. AIM: To assess the effectiveness of mesalazine and/or probiotics in maintaining remission in SUDD. METHODS: A multicentre, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted. Two hundred and ten patients were randomly enrolled in a double-blind fashion in four groups: Group M (active mesalazine 1.6 g/day plus Lactobacillus casei subsp. DG placebo), Group L (active Lactobacillus casei subsp. DG 24 billion/day plus mesalazine placebo), Group LM (active Lactobacillus casei subsp. DG 24 billion/day plus active mesalazine), Group P (Lactobacillus casei subsp. DG placebo plus mesalazine placebo). Patients received treatment for 10 days/month for 12 months. Recurrence of SUDD was defined as the reappearance of abdominal pain during follow-up, scored as ≥5 (0: best; 10: worst) for at least 24 consecutive hours. RESULTS: Recurrence of SUDD occurred in no (0%) patient in group LM, in 7 (13.7%) patients in group M, in 8 (14.5%) patients in group L and in 23 (46.0%) patients in group P (LM group vs. M group, P = 0.015; LM group vs. L group, P = 0.011; LM group vs. P group, P = 0.000; M group vs. P group, P = 0.000; L group vs. P group, P = 0.000). Acute diverticulitis occurred in six group P cases and in one group L case (P = 0.003). CONCLUSION: Both cyclic mesalazine and Lactobacillus casei subsp. DG treatments, particularly when given in combination, appear to be better than placebo for maintaining remission of symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease. (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01534754).

Lansoprazole-based triple therapy versus ranitidine bismuth citrate-based dual therapy in the eradication of Helicobacter pylori in patients with duodenal ulcer: a multicenter, randomized, double-dummy study.

BACKGROUND: The optimal treatment regimen for eradication of Helicobacter pylori in patients with duodenal ulcer has yet to be determined. Based on a search of MEDLINE, no studies have been performed comparing a proton pump inhibitor-based triple therapy regimen with a ranitidine bismuth citrate (RBC)-based dual therapy regimen, both containing clarithromycin. OBJECTIVE: This study was undertaken to compare the efficacy of lansoprazole (LAN)-based triple therapy with that of RBC-based dual therapy in H pylori-infected patients with duodenal ulcer. METHODS: Patients were randomized to receive either 1 week of triple therapy with LAN 30 mg BID, clarithromycin 500 mg BID, and tinidazole 500 mg BID, followed by 3 weeks of LAN 30 mg BID, or 2 weeks of dual therapy with RBC 400 mg BID plus clarithromycin 500 mg BID, followed by 2 weeks of RBC 400 mg BID. Eradication of H pylori was defined as negative results on both the urease quick test and histologic examination > or =4 weeks after the end of treatment. Duodenal healing and recurrence rates were assessed endoscopically at 8 weeks and 6 months. A per-protocol (PP) analysis was conducted for each efficacy end point. Also conducted were an intent-to-treat (ITT) analysis in which patients with missing data were considered failures, and an observed analysis (OBS), which included patients with an evaluable result after treatment, regardless of compliance. RESULTS: One hundred eighty-five patients (126 men, 59 women; age range, 18-76 years; mean age, 43 years) were enrolled and randomized to treatment. In the LAN and RBC groups, respectively, H. pylori eradication rates were 92.6%, 93.1%, and 72.8% versus 78.6%, 77.9%, and 64.5% in the PP (P = 0.02), OBS (P = 0.01), and ITT analyses. The corresponding duodenal ulcer healing rates were 98.6%, 98.7%, and 83.7% versus 90.8%, 91.5%, and 81.7%; these differences were not statistically significant. Side effects were mild, occurring in 20.7% of LAN patients and 17.2% of RBC patients. Ulcer recurred in 2 RBC patients. No difference was observed between treatments in terms of the occurrence of gastritis or improvement of symptoms. CONCLUSION: Based on the results of the PP and OBS analyses, LAN-based triple therapy was superior to RBC-based dual therapy for the eradication of H. pylori in patients with duodenal ulcer.

[Prevalence and features of peptic ulcers in the elderly: a retrospective study on a not hospitalized population aged 65 or over]. / Caratteristiche e prevalenza dell'ulcera peptica nell'anziano: studio endoscopico retrospettivo su una coorte di pazienti ultrasessantacinquenni non istituzionalizzati.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of peptic ulcer increases with aging. Data relative to peptic ulcer in the elderly are around 5.2% to 9.9%. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence and the features of peptic ulcer in a non hospitalized population aged 65 or over. METHODS: We performed, for the first time, EGDS on 706 patients with symptoms related to the superior gastroenteric tract. We considered the following risk factors: familiarity for peptic disease, habits, eventual use of FANS, infection of Hp. RESULTS: Our data show that peptic ulcer increases with aging and with physiopathological age-related changes. 114 (16.1%) patients were affected by DU; 84 (11.9%) patients were affected by GU Symptoms thereafter were not clear: epigastralgy was present in 46.4% of patients affected by GU; pyrosis, belchings, swellings, epigastric headness were present in 37.7% of patients with DU. Several times PU may arise with some complications: melena was present in 14.9% of patients with DU vs 11.9% of patients with GU, hematemesis was present in 1.7% of patients with DU vs 5.9% of patients with G.U. The most important risk factor was the infection of Hp, at was present in 71.9% patients with GU and 81.6% patients with DU FANS assumption, often with high dose, was present in 30.9% of patients with GU and 18.4% of patients with DU.