Screening for variants in TPMT did not reduce the proportions of patients with hematologic ADRs during thiopurine treatment for IBD. However, there was a 10-fold reduction in hematologic ADRs among variant carriers who were identified and received a dose reduction, compared with variant carriers who did not, without differences in treatment efficacy. ClinicalTrials.gov number: NCT00521950.

Aims-To investigate the effect of eradication of Helicobacter pylori infection on gastric epithelial damage and gastritis, scored according to the Sydney system. Methods-Gastritis scores and epithelial damage were assessed in gastric biopsy specimens before, and five weeks and one year after anti-H pylori therapy in 66 patients with H pylon related gastritis. Results-The mean initial levels of activity, inflammation, atrophy, intestinal metaplasia, and H pylon scores were higher in the antrum than in the corpus or fundus. Eradication ofHpyloni resulted in an improvement in the mean inflanumatory score in antral biopsy specimens from 2-23 before treatment to 1*32 and 1-06, respectively, five weeks and one year after treatment. Corresponding values for fundic biopsy specimens were 1*30, 036 and 0-35. Activity scores improved from 1P41 before treatment to 0-13 and zero, respectively, five weeks and one year after treatment in antral biopsy specimens and from 0-60 before treatment to zero in fundic biopsy specimens. Before treatment, epithelial damage was present in 51% of biopsy specimens taken from the antrum and 23% of those from the corpus. Five weeks after eradication of H pyloni none of the biopsy specimens revealed evidence of epithelial damage. Conclusion-Eradication ofHpylon is followed by a rapid, significant improvement in the gastritis score and resolution of epithelial damage in antral and fundic mucosa.(J7 Clin Pathol 1995;48:250-256)

In a low gastric cancer incidence area, a surveillance programme can detect gastric cancer at an early curable stage with an overall risk of neoplastic progression of 0.3% per year. Use of serological markers in endoscopic surveillance programmes may improve risk stratification.

Incidence and prevalence rates of PBC are increasing over time. PBC was not found to be associated with smoking, age at menarche, age at first pregnancy or number of pregnancies.

PBC is associated with an increased risk of hepatobiliary, bladder and breast cancer. Still, survival-under treatment with ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA)-was comparable to the general population in this population-based study.