Subjects in the FIT group were more likely to participate in screening than were those in the colonoscopy group. On the baseline screening examination, the numbers of subjects in whom colorectal cancer was detected were similar in the two study groups, but more adenomas were identified in the colonoscopy group. (Funded by Instituto de Salud Carlos III and others; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00906997.).

Mortality rates associated with either major upper or lower GI events are similar but upper GI events were more frequent. Deaths attributed to NSAID/ASA use were high but previous reports may have provided an overestimate and one-third of them can be due to low-dose aspirin use.

No abstract

SUMMARYAim: To perform a meta-analysis comparing the efficacy of Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy vs. antisecretory non-eradication therapy for the prevention of recurrent bleeding from peptic ulcer. Methods: A search was made of the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and several congresses for controlled clinical trials comparing the efficacy of H. pylori eradication therapy vs. antisecretory non-eradication therapy for the prevention of peptic ulcer re-bleeding. Studies with all patients taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were excluded. Extraction and quality assessment of the studies were performed by two reviewers. Results: In the first meta-analysis, the mean percentage of re-bleeding in the H. pylori eradication therapy group was 4.5%, compared with 23.7% in the non-eradication therapy group without long-term antisecretory therapy [odds ratio, 0.18; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.09-0.37; 'number needed to treat' (NNT), 5; 95% CI, 4-8].In the second meta-analysis, the re-bleeding rate in the H. pylori eradication therapy group was 1.6%, compared with 5.6% in the non-eradication therapy group with maintenance antisecretory therapy (odds ratio, 0.25; 95% CI, 0.08-0.76; NNT, 20; 95% CI, 12-100). When only patients with successful H. pylori eradication were included, the re-bleeding rate was 1%. Conclusions: The treatment of H. pylori infection is more effective than antisecretory non-eradication therapy (with or without long-term maintenance antisecretory treatment) in the prevention of recurrent bleeding from peptic ulcer. Consequently, all patients with peptic ulcer bleeding should be tested for H. pylori, and eradication therapy should be prescribed to infected patients.

Plasma values of immunoreactive interleukin-6, C-reactive protein and phospholipase A have been determined in serial samples from 24 patients with acute pancreatitis ('mild' pancreatitis nine, 'severe' pancreatitis 15). Median plasma concentrations of interleukin-6, C-reactive protein, and phospholipase A activity were significantly higher in patients with 'severe' illness (p<0.001) than those with 'mild' illness. A particularly marked increase in interleukin-6 was found in two patients with necrotising pancreatitis and fatal outcome. Significant correlations between plasma concentrations of interleukin-6 and phospholipase A (p=0.0218) and C-reactive protein and phospholipase A activity (p<0.0001) were found in patients with 'severe' disease. These findings in a limited number of patients with acute pancreatitis are promising in that raised interleukin-6 correlated with clinical severity and with two other established markers, Creactive protein, and phospholipase A activity.

No abstract

The usefulness and clinical applicability of quantitative plasma polymorphonuclear elastase determinations in the diagnosis of the severity of acute pancreatitis was analysed in a multicentre study and was compared with the usual prognostic systems of Ranson and Osborne et al. The study comprised 182 patients, 154 with a mild episode of acute pancreatitis and 28 with a severe episode, defined by the development of major complications or a fatal outcome. In the severe cases neutrophilic elastase reached significantly higher values than in mild cases (P less than 0.001) by the time the patient was admitted (2-12 h after the onset of the disease), reflecting considerable leucocyte activation. The sensitivity and specificity of this test are therefore greater than 90 per cent, with a positive severity predictive value of almost 80 per cent at the time of admission and 97 per cent after 24 h, and a negative predictive value of approximately 98 per cent. In addition to requiring 48 h for evaluation, the usual prognostic systems show a sensitivity of 77-85 per cent, a specificity of 70-77 per cent, a positive predictive value of 40-48 per cent, and a negative predictive value of 92-95 per cent, clearly lower than those obtained with leucocyte elastase. Polymorphonuclear elastase is therefore a very early and reliable marker in the diagnosis of the severity of acute pancreatitis, in addition to being easily adaptable to the routine of any hospital laboratory.

Treatment of H. pylori infection is more effective than antisecretory non-eradicating therapy (with or without long-term maintenance antisecretory therapy) in preventing recurrent bleeding from peptic ulcer. Consequently, all patients with peptic ulcer bleeding should be tested for H. pylori infection, and eradication therapy should be prescribed to H. pylori-positive patients.