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Biomedical subjects

R Laugier

Publications and source records attributed to R Laugier.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Endoscopic screening for esophageal squamous-cell carcinoma in high-risk patients: a prospective study conducted in 62 French endoscopy centers.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: The prevalence of esophageal squamous-cell carcinoma in high-risk patients and the advantages of systematic Lugol staining during esophagoscopy have not yet been evaluated in a large prospective study. In this study we aimed to assess the prevalence of this type of tumor in high-risk patients, to examine the role of Lugol staining in endoscopic screening for esophageal squamous-cell carcinoma, and to establish whether it is possible to identify a particularly high-risk group which would benefit from systematic screening. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A prospective study was undertaken in 62 endoscopy centers. A total of 1095 patients were enrolled, none of whom had any esophageal symptoms. These patients had presented with either a past history of or a recent head and neck or tracheobronchial squamous-cell carcinoma (group 1), with alcoholic chronic pancreatitis (group 2), with alcoholic cirrhosis (group 3), or were alcohol and tobacco addicts (group 4). The patients underwent a meticulous endoscopic examination of the esophagus, followed by Lugol staining. RESULTS: The prevalence of esophageal squamous-cell carcinoma was 3.2 %. The group 1 patients showed the highest prevalence of carcinoma (5.3 %) and the highest prevalence of dysplasia (4.5 %). Of the 35 carcinomas detected in the 1095 patients, seven (20 %) were early lesions, and 20 % were only detected after Lugol staining (P = 0.02). High-grade dysplasia was only observed in group 1 patients and two-thirds of these lesions were only diagnosed after Lugol staining. The overall prevalence of low-grade dysplasia was 2.4 %, and 77 % of these were detected only after Lugol staining (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Lugol dye staining increases the sensitivity of esophageal endoscopy for the detection of high-grade dysplasia and cancer. The prevalence of dysplasia and cancer reached 9.9 % in group 1, and we therefore believe that an endoscopic screening program could be justified for patients with head and neck or tracheobronchial cancer.

Adult↗

Similar performance but higher cholecystitis rate with covered biliary stents: results from a prospective multicenter evaluation.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: Endoscopic biliary stenting is now a well-established treatment method in patients with unresectable malignant biliary obstruction. Despite advances with metal stents, the problem of stent occlusion has not yet been resolved. Covered metal stents could reduce the occlusion rate by preventing tumor ingrowth, but have not been well evaluated. A prospective multicenter study was therefore conducted to evaluate the efficacy and disadvantages of covered Wallstents. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Covered Wallstents were implanted endoscopically in 62 patients with inoperable distal malignant biliary obstruction. Complications, stent patency, and patient survival were analyzed. RESULTS: Stent insertion was achieved in 61 of the 62 patients (98.4 %). Procedure-related complications were observed in four patients, consisting of minor pancreatitis (n = 2) and abdominal pain due to stent expansion (n = 2). There was no procedure-related mortality. Seven patients died too early for proper assessment, so that a total of 54 patients were ultimately evaluated. Stent dysfunction occurred in 17 of the 54 patients (31.5 %). The reasons for dysfunction were proximal tumor overgrowth (n = 5), migration (n = 3), lithiasis or food impaction (n = 3), cholangitis without the need for a repeat biliary intervention (n = 5), and unknown (n = 1). The median period of stent patency was 142 days. No tumor ingrowth was observed. Acute cholecystitis was diagnosed in five patients (10 %) and was responsible for one death. Three stents were successfully removed. CONCLUSIONS: Covered biliary metal stents are effective for the drainage of distal malignant biliary obstruction, with a dysfunction rate apparently similar to that of uncovered stents. However, the risk of acute cholecystitis appears to be a major concern with this type of stent in patients with gallbladder in situ. Further comparative studies are needed.

Aged↗

[Asymptomatic gastric phytobezoar and anaemia due to iron deficiency revealing an autoimmune gastritis].

UNLABELLED: This observation recalls that gastric phytobezoar should lead to a search for an underlying disease and that a iron deficiency can be associated and hide macrocytosis related to a vitamin B12 deficiency. CASE REPORT: A 19 year-old woman consulted for asthenia. Microcyte anaemia associated with iron deficiency was diagnosed. Upper digestive endoscopy revealed severe, totally asymptomatic phytobezoar. Biological investigations revealed a vitamin B12 deficiency, high serum gastrin level and strong positivity for gastric antiparietal anti-cell antibodies, suggestive of an autoimmune gastritis. Total immunoglobulin A deficiency was also noted. DISCUSSION: Autoimmune gastritis is responsible for megaloblastic anaemia (vitamin B12 deficiency) but can also provoke microcytic (iron-deficiency) anaemia due to insufficient absorption of the latter and related to gastric achlorhydria. Phytobezoar might also be related to achlorhydria and/or gastroparesia associated with autoimmune gastritis. Hence, autoimmune gastritis should be searched for when confronted with unexplained gastric bezoar or iron-deficiency anaemia.

Adult↗

The N34S mutation of SPINK1 (PSTI) is associated with a familial pattern of idiopathic chronic pancreatitis but does not cause the disease.

BACKGROUND: Mutations in the PRSS1 gene explain most occurrences of hereditary pancreatitis (HP) but many HP families have no PRSS1 mutation. Recently, an association between the mutation N34S in the pancreatic secretory trypsin inhibitor (SPINK1 or PSTI) gene and idiopathic chronic pancreatitis (ICP) was reported. It is unclear whether the N34S mutation is a cause of pancreatitis per se, whether it modifies the disease, or whether it is a marker of the disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 327 individuals from 217 families affected by pancreatitis were tested: 152 from families with HP, 108 from families with ICP, and 67 with alcohol related CP (ACP). Seven patients with ICP had a family history of pancreatitis but no evidence of autosomal dominant disease (f-ICP) compared with 87 patients with true ICP (t-ICP). Two hundred controls were also tested for the N34S mutation. The findings were related to clinical outcome. RESULTS: The N34S mutation was carried by five controls (2.5%; allele frequency 1.25%), 11/87 (13%) t-ICP patients (p=0.0013 v controls), and 6/7 (86%) affected (p<0.0001 v controls) and 1/9 (11%) unaffected f-ICP cases. N34S was found in 4/108 affected HP patients (p=0.724 v controls), in 3/27 (11%) with wild-type and in 1/81 (1%) with mutant PRSS1, and 4/67 ACP patients (all p>0.05 v controls). The presence of the N34S mutation was not associated with early disease onset or disease severity. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of the N34S mutation was increased in patients with ICP and was greatest in f-ICP cases. Segregation of the N34S mutation in families with pancreatitis is unexplained and points to a complex association between N34S and another putative pancreatitis related gene.

Adult↗

[Maldigestion during chronic pancreatitis].

During chronic pancreatitis exocrine pancreatic insufficiency develops leading to a loss of pancreatic enzymes in the duodenum, especially pancreatic lipase. As a result, lipid maldigestion occurs (on a clinical standpoint it is more serious than proteic maldigestion) responsible for greasy diarrhoea with steatorrhoea and abdominal discomfort. Stearorrhoea is diagnosed thanks to a direct measurement of the total lipid content in the stool rather than indirect test. The pancreatic origin of the steatorrhoea is demonstrated in view of the clinical history of the disease, the normal duodenal biopsy specimen or by imaging or biological testing. Steatorrhoea is treated by pancreatic extract given as a form of enteric coated microcapsules (which are protected from proteolitic and acidic digestion) together with some dietary advises.

Celiac Disease↗

Inhibition of gastrointestinal lipolysis by Orlistat during digestion of test meals in healthy volunteers.

The inhibition of digestive lipases by the antiobesity drug Orlistat along with lipolysis levels and fecal fat excretion were measured in healthy humans. Orlistat was found to be a powerful gastric lipase inhibitor, achieving 46.6--91.4% enzyme inhibition and thus greatly reducing gastric lipolysis of solid and liquid meals (11--33% of respective controls). Gastric lipase inhibition by Orlistat was extremely fast (half-inhibition time < 1 min). Duodenal lipolysis was reduced significantly by Orlistat given with the solid meal (32.6--37.6% of controls) but was only slightly reduced by Orlistat given with the liquid meal (74.5--100% of controls). Human pancreatic lipase (HPL) inhibition was found to be high (51.2--82.6%), however, regardless of the meal. These paradoxical results were explained when in vitro lipolysis experiments were performed. The rates of HPL inhibition by Orlistat were found to be similar with both types of meals (half-inhibition time 5--6 min), but the preemulsified triglycerides of the liquid meal were rapidly hydrolyzed by HPL before the enzyme was significantly inhibited by Orlistat. With the solid meal, the rate of hydrolysis of the meal triglycerides by HPL was slower than the rate of HPL inhibition by Orlistat. As predicted from the previous results, the effects of Orlistat on fat excretion levels were found to be much greater with the solid (40.5--57.4% of ingested fat) than with the liquid (4.2--18.8%) test meal.

Adult↗

Advantage of expressing the variations in some digestive parameters as a function of gastric emptying instead of time.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Gastric emptying is a major cause of variability when studying gastrointestinal parameters as a function of time. Here, we investigate whether the parametric variability could be reduced by running experiments on a gastric emptying basis rather than on a time basis. METHODS: Healthy volunteers were intubated with gastric and duodenal tubes and were given a liquid meal containing polyethylene glycol to monitor gastric emptying. Gastric pH and human gastric lipase (HGL) concentrations were measured. Their variations were plotted as a function of either time or gastric emptying (%). In both cases, mean curves of variation were established by polynomial regression. RESULTS: When time was the variable used, the overall deviation of the experimental values from the values given by the best-fitting curve was high (chi2 = 33 for gastric pH; chi2 = 1,744 for HGL), and the individual deviations increased with time. When gastric emptying was the variable used, the overall deviation of the experimental values from the values given by the best-fitting curve was much lower (chi2 = 10 for gastric pH; chi2 = 642 for HGL). CONCLUSIONS: Expressing gastric pH or HGL concentration as a function of gastric emptying instead of time makes it possible to reduce the individual variability. This new type of data analysis may be of a general interest to observe specific variations of gastrointestinal parameters induced by drugs, hormones, and meals, and that might be masked by the large intrinsic variability induced by gastric emptying.

2-Pyridinylmethylsulfinylbenzimidazoles↗

Effects of lansoprazole on human gastric lipase secretion and intragastric lipolysis in healthy human volunteers.

BACKGROUND: Lansoprazole is a potent proton-pump inhibitor (PPI) of parietal cells, which reduces the secretion of gastric acid. Although human gastric lipase (HGL) is produced only by the chief cells of the stomach, the possibility that interactions may occur between lansoprazole and HGL has never been addressed so far in humans. The aim of this study was therefore to quantify the effects of lansoprazole on HGL secretion and intragastric lipolysis during the ingestion of test meals by healthy human volunteers. METHODS: Six healthy volunteers were intubated twice with a gastric and a duodenal tube, before ingesting a standard liquid test meal alone (-PPI experiments) and after 7 days of lansoprazole treatment (+PPI experiments). The HGL concentration was assessed in gastric and duodenal samples by measuring the lipase activity using a pH-stat, and the lipolysis products were quantified by performing thin layer chromatography. The level of intragastric lipolysis was defined as the percentage acyl chains released from the meal triglycerides. The pyloric outputs of HGL and lipolysis products were calculated, based on the use of a non-absorbable marker added to the meal. RESULTS: The pH of the gastric contents was significantly higher in the +PPI experiments than in the -PPI experiments (p < 0.05), since mean values of 4.3 +/- 2.5 and 2.2 +/- 1.6, respectively, were recorded at the end of the gastric emptying of the meal. The HGL concentrations recorded during the meal were found to be higher in the experiments with lansoprazole (p < 0.05) than in those without lansopra- zole, but the HGL secretion levels (-PPI: 15.4 +/- 8.0 mg; +PPI: 19.0 +/- 7.4 mg) and the intragastric lipolysis (-PPI: 24.0 +/- 8.0%; +PPI: 23.6 +/- 6.8%) were not significantly affected by lansoprazole (p > 0.05 in both cases). CONCLUSION: Lansoprazole affected neither the HGL secretion nor the intragastric lipolysis levels, although an increase was observed in the intragastric pH at the end of the gastric emptying of the meal. The HGL concentration increased, however, due to the decrease in the acid secretion process, resulting in less diluted gastric contents.

2-Pyridinylmethylsulfinylbenzimidazoles↗

Elaboration and formalization of current scientific knowledge of risks and preventive measures illustrated by colorectal cancer.

OBJECTIVES: Present the method used to elaborate and formalize current scientific knowledge to provide physicians with tools available on the Internet, that enable them to evaluate individual patient risk, give personalized preventive recommendations or early screening measures. METHODS: The approach suggested in this article is in line with medical procedures based on levels of evidence (Evidence-based Medicine). A cyclical process for developing recommendations allows us to quickly incorporate current scientific information. At each phase, the analysis is reevaluated by experts in the field collaborating on the project. The information is formalized through the use of levels of evidence and grades of recommendations. GLIF model is used to implement recommendations for clinical practice guidelines. RESULTS: The most current scientific evidence incorporated in a cyclical process includes several steps: critical analysis according to the Evidence-based Medicine method; identification of predictive factors; setting-up risk levels; identification of prevention measures; elaboration of personalized recommendation. The information technology implementation of the clinical practice guideline enables physicians to quickly obtain personalized information for their patients. Cases of colorectal prevention illustrate our approach. CONCLUSIONS: Integration of current scientific knowledge is an important process. The delay between the moment new information arrives and the moment the practitioner applies it, is thus reduced.

Colorectal Neoplasms↗

[Adenocarcinomas of the distal esophagus and gastric cardia: what chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy for recurrent or metastatic disease?].

Adenocarcinomas of esophagus and cardia represent in France approximately 20 to 40% of the esophagus cancers. They have a high risk to develop lymph nodes metastases and liver metastases. Currently, only 50 to 70% of patients may benefit from surgical curative resection at diagnosis, but more than 50% of them will recur. The standard of treatment of these metastatic adenocarcinomas is chemotherapy. Three large randomized comparative studies, between chemotherapy and supportive care, showed that chemotherapy significantly extends the median of survival (from 3-4 months to 10-12 months) and improves the quality of life. Currently, the combination of epirubicin-cisplatin-continuous 5FU (ECF) is the most effective regimen but it is difficult to administer and tolerate because of the long continuous 5FU infusion. In France, the most commonly used combination regimen still associates 5FU and cisplatin. New drugs (such as docetaxel, CPT11, oxaliplatin) used alone or in combination, especially with 5U, are very promising. Radio-chemotherapy is the preferred treatment for locoregional recurrences, because it improves dyphagia and enables to obtain complete tumor responses. Current results from concomitant radio-chemotherapy studies for esophagus cancer, based on 5FU alone, 5FU-cisplatin or 5FU-mitomycin, given as preoperative treatment or as exclusive treatment, support to use radio-chemotherapy for the treatment of loco-regional recurrences after surgical resection. Nevertheless, the optimal radio-chemotherapy schedule still remain to be defined (dose, duration, splitting of radiotherapy, choice of anticancer drugs).

Adenocarcinoma↗

[Lanreotide acetate may cure cystic dystrophy in heterotopic pancreas of the duodenal wall].

Cystic dystrophy in heterotopic pancreas of the duodenal wall is a rare but benign disease, associated in most of the cases with chronic pancreatitis. Treatment of this disease is controversial. We report here the use of a long-acting somatostatin synthetic stable analogue in the treatment of a cystic dystrophy in heterotopic pancreas of the duodenal wall: a 45-year-old man, hard drinker, was treated successfully during three months with lanreotide acetate; disappearance of cysts was confirmed by a computed tomography two months after the end of treatment.

Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal↗

The specific activities of human digestive lipases measured from the in vivo and in vitro lipolysis of test meals.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: The lipolytic potential of digestive lipases in vivo has always been deduced so far from their in vitro activities under nonphysiologic conditions. In the present study, the specific activities of human gastric lipase (HGL) and pancreatic lipase (HPL) were measured on dietary triglycerides (TGs) during test meal lipolysis. METHODS: Healthy human volunteers ingested a liquid or solid meal. The specific activities of HGL and HPL were estimated from the lipase and free fatty acid (FFA) outputs at the postpyloric and duodenal levels, respectively. Based on the in vivo data, lipolysis was also performed in vitro by mixing the meal either with gastric juice and subsequently with pancreatic juice and bile or with purified HGL and HPL. FFAs were measured by thin-layer chromatography, and the specific activities of HGL and HPL were expressed as micromoles of FFA per minute per milligram of lipase. RESULTS: In vitro, the specific activities on the liquid meal TGs were 32 (gastric juice) and 34 (pure lipase) micromol x min(-1) x mg(-1) with HGL and 47 (pancreatic juice) and 43 (pure lipase) micromol x min(-1). mg(-1) with HPL. The specific activities on the solid meal TGs were 33 (gastric juice) and 32 (pure lipase) micromol x min(-1) x mg(-1) with HGL and 12 (pancreatic juice) and 15 (pure lipase) micromol x min(-1) x mg(-1) with HPL. The in vivo values obtained were in the same range. The secretory lipase outputs were 21.6+/-14.5 mg HGL and 253.5+/-95.5 mg HPL with the liquid test meal and 15.2+/-5.1 mg HGL and 202.9+/-96.1 mg HPL with the solid test meal. CONCLUSIONS: The specific activities of HGL and HPL on meal TGs were much lower than those measured in vitro under optimized assay conditions (1300-8000). However, these low specific activities are enough for the meal TGs to be completely lipolysed, given the amounts of HGL and HPL secreted during a meal.

Adult↗