Improving outcomes for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is critical, as current therapies offer limited benefits for most patients. The urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) system is key in PDAC progression, driving invasion and metastasis and mediating interactions between pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) and cancer cells. We previously developed BB2-30F, a potent uPA-selective inhibitor. This study evaluates the therapeutic potential of BB2-30F alone and with gemcitabine in metastatic pancreatic cancer models. Additionally, we aim to clarify the mechanisms underlying these effects.

The optimal approach for the local resection of early rectal neoplasms (ERNs) remains debated, with limited data comparing transanal minimally invasive surgery (TAMIS) and endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD).

Patients with liver failure may be accompanied by cerebral edema and elevated intracranial pressure (ICP). The effect of plasma adsorption (PA) and low-volume plasma exchange (PE) on ICP were unclear.

People with metabolic-dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) had higher risk of extrahepatic multimorbidity, and fibrosis is the strongest prognostic factor for mortality in MASLD. This study aimed to investigate how fibrosis was associated with multimorbidity and their relationships with all-cause mortality.

Obesity is a well-established risk factor for gallstone formation, but traditional anthropometric measures (e.g., BMI, waist circumference) inadequately assess metabolically active visceral adiposity. The novel Metabolic Score for Visceral Fat (METS-VF) may better capture obesity-related metabolic dysfunction. We aimed to investigate the association between METS-VF and gallstone prevalence and compare its predictive performance against conventional obesity indices (WC, LAP, VAI) in a U.S. national cohort.

This study aimed to elucidate the clinical characteristics of occult pancreaticobiliary reflux (OPBR) in benign gallbladder diseases, including gallbladder stone (GS), gallbladder polyp (GP), and gallbladder adenomyomatosis (GA).

The purpose of this study was to evaluate how nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) impacts the progression and prognosis of primary biliary cholangitis (PBC).

The caring behaviors of nurses play a crucial role in improving the quality of care in hospitals. This study aimed to investigate the symptom clusters of patients with esophageal cancer undergoing radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy, as well as the relationship among symptom clusters, NLR (neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio), ALB (albumin), anxiety, depression, social support, self-care, and self-efficacy through structural equation modeling based on the theory of unpleasant symptoms (TOUS).

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) increases risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Despite the high prevalence of MASLD among Hispanic populations, there is a scarcity of research on the associations between non-invasive markers of liver disease and incident CVD and all-cause mortality. In this study we investigated the association of liver related biomarkers with CVD events and all-cause mortality in a population based Hispanic/Latino cohort.

To build a nomogram model for predicting the risk of anastomotic leakage (AL) postoperative low rectal cancer based on Lasso-Logistic regression.

The association between red blood cell distribution width (RDW) and short- and long-term all-cause mortality in patients with acute pancreatitis (AP) and sepsis remains unclear.

Emerging epidemiological studies have identified associations between perianal abscess (PA) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD), though the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying their comorbidity remain incompletely understood. To elucidate potential causal relationships between these clinical entities, we conducted a comprehensive investigation employing bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis complemented by multivariable Mendelian randomization (MVMR) methodology. This analytical approach enables systematic evaluation of causal directionality while accounting for potential confounding factors inherent in observational studies.

Cardiometabolic Index (CMI) is positively correlated with liver fibrosis in patients with Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD), but its association with mortality risk in MASLD patients remains unclear.

Although systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) is associated with the progression of cirrhosis, its clinical significance in patients with cirrhosis and hepatic encephalopathy (HE) remains unclear.

Obstructive jaundice from pancreatobiliary diseases represents a significant global health challenge, particularly in resource-limited settings like Rwanda. While endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) are now available at tertiary centers in Kigali, there is limited local clinical data on the management and outcomes of these conditions. This study aims to assess the patterns, therapeutic approaches, and outcomes of obstructive jaundice in the Rwandan healthcare context.

To analyze the influencing factors and nursing strategies for enteral nutrition patients complicated with refeeding syndrome (RS) in the ICU.

Colon cancer is a highly heterogeneous and most common malignant tumor of the gastrointestinal tract, which is prone to metastasis in advanced stages, leading to a poor prognosis for patients.

Cirrhosis is a major global burden requiring frequent hospitalizations and has high inpatient mortality. Traditional prognostic tools focused on inpatient mortality are affected by global disparities, which impacts timely management. We aimed to deploy machine learning (ML) approaches to enhance inpatient mortality prognostication.

The need for objective diagnostic tools in people with alcohol intake abuse is one of the major needs in daily clinical practice. Determination of blood alcohol concentration is commonly used in cases of suspected acute alcohol intoxication, especially in the emergency room. A dose-dependent correlation between alcohol consumption and mean corpuscular volume (MCV) is a known index of excessive alcohol intake. Serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels are frequently elevated (2-4 times above normal) in patients with alcohol use disorder and an AST/ALT ratio >2 is indicative of alcohol-related liver disease. Several studies highlighted a positive correlation between alcohol consumption and serum gamma-glutamyl transferase (γGT) levels, with increased values in about 75% of patients drinking >60 g/day of ethanol for at least 5 weeks. Also, 60-80 g of alcohol per day for a minimum of 2 weeks can result in increased carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) levels (normally less than 2% of total transferrin). Complete abstinence from alcohol leads to a normalization of CDT values in approximately 2-3 weeks. Ethyl glucuronide (EtG) is detectable in urine from a minimum of 6 hours up to a maximum of 100 hours after alcohol intake. In-vitro studies showed that the levels of phosphatidylethanol (PEth) in human red blood cells were proportional to ethanol concentration and exposure time, suggesting an important role in differentiating abstinence from unhealthy drinking. γGT and CDT are the most useful markers for monitoring chronic alcohol abstinence, whereas blood alcohol concentration and urinary EtG are the most valuable indexes of acute alcohol consumption. In conclusion, no specific laboratory marker alone is reliable to identify patients with alcohol abuse, thus the best diagnostic strategy includes combined index use in addition to other screening tools (i.e., clinical history/context and questionnaires).

Helicobacter pylori is responsible for several gastrointestinal disorders, of which gastric cancer is the most concerning. Given the racial and ethnic disparities seen with H. pylori infection and gastric cancer in the U.S., certain populations (immigrants, non-white racial groups) remain at high-risk. While several guidelines recommend screening for H. pylori in these high-risk groups, specific guidance on how to implement population screening and the cost-effectiveness of this approach is lacking. Here we discuss several controversies including the cost-effectiveness and implementation of a population-based H. pylori screening program, empiric vs. tailored therapy based on antibiotic susceptibility, and the role of potassium-competitive acid blockers (PCABs) in H. pylori treatment. With the rapidly changing landscape of H. pylori management, here we review the latest studies and guidelines for practical clinical application.