Adenomas and carcinomas missed in routine colonoscopy: a prospective study in resected colon segments.

Colonoscopy is the standard technique in the diagnosis and treatment of colorectal neoplasia, but small adenomas and even advanced lesions can be missed during the procedure. With large scale screening colonoscopy programs installed, information on quality of colonoscopy in primary care is essential, but scarcely available. Over a period of 45 months, we prospectively included all those patients in our study, who underwent major colonic surgery at our institution and who had undergone a colonoscopy within 42 days prior to the operation. 89 men and 100 women, median age 71 years, were included. The majority of these operations were performed for colorectal carcinoma (125), other malignant tumors (4), suspected malignancies (6) or large adenomas (14). The pathologist inspected the resected colonic segment, and we compared his findings with the colonoscopy report. Colonoscopies had been performed by 22 doctors in 13 institutions. Median length of the resected colonic segments was 20 cm (range 3 to 135 cm), total length was 41,21 metres. In 14 segments the pathologist identified 28 neoplastic lesions not described in the endoscopy report. Colonoscopy had missed 2 carcinomas, both in the right colon, and a 12 mm tubulo-villous adenoma with high-grade dysplasia. Another 25 tubular adenomas had been missed, 2 measuring 10 mm, 7 between 5 and 9 mm and 16 smaller than 5 mm. We conclude that primary care colonoscopy misses neoplastic lesions in a significant number of procedures. Most of the missed lesions in our high risk group of patients would have been of little clinical consequence. In a small, but clinically important number of cases, however, advanced adenomas and even colorectal carcinomas were missed by endoscopy.

Missed colonic adenomas in routine primary care endoscopy: a prospective tandem colonoscopy study.

Colonoscopy is the gold standard in the diagnosis of colorectal neoplasia. Several lines of independent evidence, however, suggest that a significant number of small adenomas and also some advanced lesions are missed even by experienced endoscopists. With large-scale screening colonoscopy programmes installed, information on quality of colonoscopy in primary care is essential, but not available. Between July 2006 and December 2008, a total of 40 patients (23 men and 17 women, median age: 69 years) underwent a second colonoscopy within 42 days after the first endoscopy (median: 11 days), in all cases exclusively for clinical reasons. Index colonoscopy was performed by 14 endoscopists in 6 hospitals and 4 private practices. Data on all consecutive patients were collected prospectively. A total of 98 neoplastic lesions were identified in 34 patients at the index colonoscopy, an additional 53 adenomas were removed at the second colonoscopy, 33 of them smaller than 5 mm. 25 out of 53 missed adenomas were identified between the coecum and the right colonic flexure. 12 of the additional lesions were considered significant lesions (larger than 10 mm or tubulovillous adenoma), nine of these were located between the coecum and the right colonic flexure. In 24 patients repeat colonoscopy detected adenomas not described in the original report. In eight patients a total of 12 significant lesions were removed, nine of these were located between the coecum and the right colonic flexure. About one-third of adenomas were missed in 40 routine colonoscopies, most of them only small and therefore probably of little clinical significance. However, 12 significant lesions were missed in 8 patients. Adenomas in the right colon seem to be a particular problem.

The locust foraging gene.

Our knowledge of how genes act on the nervous system in response to the environment to generate behavioral plasticity is limited. A number of recent advancements in this area concern food-related behaviors and a specific gene family called foraging (for), which encodes a cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG). The desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria) is notorious for its destructive feeding and long-term migratory behavior. Locust phase polyphenism is an extreme example of environmentally induced behavioral plasticity. In response to changes in population density, locusts dramatically alter their behavior, from solitary and relatively sedentary behavior to active aggregation and swarming. Very little is known about the molecular and genetic basis of this striking behavioral phenomenon. Here we initiated studies into the locust for gene by identifying, cloning, and studying expression of the gene in the locust brain. We determined the phylogenetic relationships between the locust PKG and other known PKG proteins in insects. FOR expression was found to be confined to neurons of the anterior midline of the brain, the pars intercerebralis. Our results suggest that differences in PKG enzyme activity are correlated to well-established phase-related behavioral differences. These results lay the groundwork for functional studies of the locust for gene and its possible relations to locust phase polyphenism.

Guiding manometry probes into the human small bowel without X-ray: validation of a new technique.

BACKGROUND: In order to perform small bowel manometry studies in man, the probes have to be guided through the upper gastrointestinal tract. This is usually controlled by fluoroscopy, but a method that allows to place the tubes without X-rays is obviously desirable. METHODS: A new method that controls tube placing by sonography and pH-metry instead of X-rays is described. In a total of 19 volunteers 40 tubes were placed, either under fluoroscopic control (n = 22) or without X-rays (n = 18). RESULTS: Nose to antrum time was not significantly different between the two groups (8 +/- 2 vs. 10 +/- 2 min), but the documented transit of the tube from the antrum into the duodenum was significantly slower in the fluoroscopy group (80 +/- 20 vs. 60 +/- 12 min). Small bowel transit time was not significantly different between the groups (73 +/- 16 vs. 65 +/- 15 min). CONCLUSION: Placing motility probes in the human small bowel can be controlled by sonography and pH-metry instead of fluoroscopy. It is also easily performed, faster and more convenient for the investigator. As far as basic gastrointestinal research is concerned, in Germany less bureaucratic paperwork is involved, as these studies need not be approved by the 'Bundesamt fur Strahlenschutz' any more.

Nonallergic rhinitis in children.

Nonallergic rhinitis in children is a medical condition that has not been well defined and the true incidence is unknown. Current treatment recommendations are based on data obtained from adult studies. The mechanisms of pediatric nonallergic rhinitis are also unclear. The concept that laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) events may play a critical role in the pathogenesis of upper airway disease is presently under investigation. Although LPR is being better delineated and appropriate methods of diagnosis and treatment are being studied, substantial evidence links LPR with several disease states including rhinitis, sinus disease, and middle ear disease. Due to the lack of information concerning the etiology of nonallergic rhinitis in children, LPR should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a child with negative skin tests and chronic rhinitis symptoms. The clinician should especially give attention to this diagnosis when a child presents with recurrent co-morbid conditions such as chronic sinusitis or persistent middle ear disease.

[Fat, spices and gastro-oesophageal reflux]. / Fette, Gewürze und gastroösophagealer Reflux.

In spite of poor evidence, many patients with gastro-oesophageal reflux are advised to avoid fat and spices. We therefore measured gastro-oesophageal reflux after fatty and spicy meals. During three 24-h pH monitoring sessions, eight volunteers ate two identical, low fat and mild beef stews, or a hot and fatty Indian curry for lunch. Meals for dinner were the beef stew, the hot Indian curry or a mild curry. Day-time acid exposure was significantly longer after the hot curry (7.5 % [1.4 - 27.1]) than after the beef stews (2.3 % [0.4 - 9.8] and 2.5 % [0.7 - 15.7]). Night-time acid exposure was also significantly shorter after the beef stew (1.3 % [0 - 9]) than after the mild curry (2.9 % [0 - 19.1]) or the hot curry (4.6 % [0.2 - 22.5]). Within two hours postprandially, reflux was not different between the meals. The number of episodes, however, that occurred more than two hours after lunch was significantly lower after the beef stews (4 [2 - 14] and 4.5 [2 - 10]) than after the hot curry (9 [5 - 16]). The same phenomenon was observed after beef stew (0.5 [0 - 2]), mild curry (2 [0 - 4]) and hot curry (2 [1 - 9]) for dinner. We conclude that meals high in fat can provoke reflux, possibly through delayed gastric emptying. Additional spices, however, do not further increase reflux.

Small bowel motor activity in response to physiological meals of different chemical composition in man.

Meals disrupt the interdigestive pattern of small bowel motor activity and convert it into the more irregular postprandial pattern. Previous animal studies suggest that the duration of and contractile activity within the postprandial period depend on the chemical composition of a meal. It is not clear whether this is also true for man. In 8 healthy volunteers I investigated how physiological and isocaloric meals of different chemical composition affect small bowel motor activity. Volunteers underwent two separate, ambulatory 24-hour small bowel manometry studies. Volunteers had a total of four meals on the two study days. They ingested two identical fish meals rich in protein, a pasta meal rich in carbohydrates, and a meat meal rich in fat. Records were analyzed visually for the reappearance of phase III of the migrating motor complex, and a validated computer program calculated the incidence of contractions during the postprandial period, as well as the amplitude and propagation of contractions. The durations of the postprandial periods were similar after the two protein meals (238 +/- 35 and 227 +/- 25 min), the carbohydrate (220 +/- 23 min) and the fat meal (242 +/- 43 min). The incidence of contractions was not significantly different after the protein meals (1.6 +/- 0.3 and 1.0 +/- 0.2 contractions per min), the carbohydrate meal (1.0 +/- 0.2 contractions per min) and the fat meal (1.5 +/- 0.2 contractions per min). The amplitude of contractions was similar after the protein meals (14 +/- 0.1 and 13 +/- 0.1 mmHg), the carbohydrate meal (14 +/- 0.1 mmHg) and the fat meal (14 +/- 0.1 mmHg). Propagation of contractions was similar after the protein meals (13 +/- 3 and 18 +/- 3 %), after the carbohydrate meal (15 +/- 2 %) and after the fat meal (13 +/- 2 %). Contractile activity within consecutive 30-min periods of the postprandial period was also not different between the meals. I conclude that physiological, isocaloric meals of different chemical composition elicit a similar postprandial motor response in the human small bowel.

Specific and sensitive detection of Ralstonia solanacearum in soil on the basis of PCR amplification of fliC fragments.

Ralstonia solanacearum is the causative agent of bacterial wilt in many important crops. A specific and sensitive PCR detection method that uses primers targeting the gene coding for the flagella subunit, fliC, was established. Based on the first fliC gene sequence of R. solanacearum strain K60 available at GenBank, the Ral_fliC PCR primer system was designed; this system yielded a single 724-bp product with the DNAs of all of the R. solanacearum strains tested. However, R. pickettii and four environmental Ralstonia isolates also yielded amplicons. The Ral_fliC PCR products obtained with 12 strains (R. solanacearum, R. pickettii, and environmental isolates) were sequenced. By sequence alignment, Rsol_fliC primers specific for R. solanacearum were designed. With this primer system, a specific 400-bp PCR product was obtained from all 82 strains of R. solanacearum tested. Six strains of R. pickettii and several closely related environmental isolates yielded no PCR product; however, a product was obtained with one Pseudomonas syzygii strain. A GC-clamped 400-bp fliC product could be separated in denaturing gradient gels and allowed us to distinguish P. syzygii from R. solanacearum. The Rsol_fliC PCR system was applied to detect R. solanacearum in soil. PCR amplification, followed by Southern blot hybridization, allowed us to detect about one target DNA molecule per PCR, which is equivalent to 10(3) CFU g of bulk soil(-1). The system was applied to survey soils from different geographic origins for the presence of R. solanacearum.