Background-Obstructive jaundice is associated with postoperative complications related to increased endotoxaemia and the inflammatory response. In animals obstructive jaundice is associated with endotoxaemia and cytokine induction, which are reversed by internal biliary drainage. Aims-To study endotoxaemia and the subsequent inflammatory response in obstructive jaundiced patients and after endoscopic biliary drainage. Methods-In 15 patients with malignant distal obstructive jaundice, inflammatory and bacteriological parameters were assessed before endoscopic stent placement and after three weeks endoscopic drainage. Results-Drainage reduced bilirubin from 252.5 to 45.1 µmol/l. At baseline low level endotoxaemia was detected (4.3 pg/ml) which was not aVected after drainage (4.5 pg/ml). Serum interleukin 8 (IL-8) and endotoxin binding proteins were increased in jaundice and reduced after drainage (IL-8 113.6 to 20.7 pg/ml; lipopolysaccharide binding protein 24.2 to 16.5 µg/ml; sCD14 17.4 to 7.6 µg/ml; bactericidal/permeability increasing protein 2.9 to 1.8 ng/ml). Levels of other cytokines, augmented in animals, were only slightly increased and not changed after drainage (tumour necrosis factor (TNF): 21.7 and 18.4 pg/ml; sTNFr p55/75: 2.9/7.0 and 2.7/5.6 ng/ml; IL-6: 4.2 and 6.1 pg/ml; IL-10: 4.5 and 2.7 pg/ml). Elastase and lactoferrin tended towards reduction after drainage. All bile cultures were positive after stenting. Conclusions-The eVects of obstructive jaundice in humans on endotoxin and cytokines are diVerent from those in animal models. Obstructive jaundice causes alterations in circulating endotoxin binding proteins and IL-8. Concentrations of other mediators (TNF, previously suggested as being responsible for systemic endotoxaemia eVects) are low and not aVected by drainage. (Gut 2000;46:725-731)

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Certain ethnic groups seem to have less access to cancer genetic counseling. Our study was to investigate the participation in cancer genetic counseling among migrant breast cancer patients of Turkish and Moroccan origin. Hospital medical records of Turkish and Moroccan and of a comparative group of non-Turkish/Moroccan newly diagnosed breast cancer patients were studied. All women were diagnosed between 2007 and 2012. Eligibility for genetic counseling was assessed with a checklist. A total of 156 Turkish/Moroccan patients were identified, and 321 patients were assigned to the comparative group. About one third (35 %) of the Turkish/Moroccan patients fulfilled criteria for breast cancer genetic counseling, compared to 21 % of the comparative group (P = 0.001); this was largely due to a relatively young age at diagnosis in the migrant group (26 % <40 years vs 5 % in the comparative group, P = 0.0001). Uptake of genetic counseling among eligible patients was 47 % in the migrant group and 56 % in the comparative group; differences in uptake were seen among the patients diagnosed before 40 years of age (48 % in the migrant group vs 81 % in the comparative group; P = 0.021). When adjusted for age at diagnosis, ethnicity was associated with discussing referral to genetic counseling and its actual uptake. The Turkish/Moroccan ethnicity appears to be associated with a lower uptake of genetic counseling, mainly caused by the lower uptake in the young age-group. The major barrier to participation in genetic counseling seems to lie within the referral process.