BACKGROUND Cystic fibrosis (CF) has many effects on the gastrointestinal tract and a common problem in this disease is poor nutrition. In the CF mouse there is an innate immune response with a large influx of mast cells into the muscularis externa of the small intestine and gastrointestinal dysmotility. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential role of mast cells in gastrointestinal d...

In this case report, we described a 74-year-old female patient with major complaint of respiratory problemsdyspnea after meal. Chest X-ray of the patient revealed a  gianttype IV hiatal hernia. Preoperative evaluations of the patient included esophagoscopy, esophageal manometry, barium swallow, and CT-scan. Repair of the hernia was performed using a dual mesh on the diaphragm and partial anteri...

In this issue, Kawaguchi et al (see page 710) report the occurrence of antimuscarinic 3 receptor (M3R) antibodies correlating with gastrointestinal involvement and severe dysmotility in systemic sclerosis (SSc). Contractility of the gastrointestinal system is controlled, in the myenteric plexus, by the autonomic nervous systems—sympathetic and parasympathetic—that are both essentially sustained...

Background: Traditionally some people employ Ocimum basilicum (Shaspram) to relieve the symptoms of dyspepsia. We therefore studied the effects of oral extract of this medicinal plant on functional dyspepsia. Methods: In a double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial, the effect of a four-week treatment of Shaspram was evaluated on functional dyspepsia. Two hundred cases from all patients ref...

CC This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons. org/licenses/by-nc/3.0) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. *Correspondence: Kyung Sik Park, MD Department of Internal Medicine, Dongsan Medical Cen...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effects of laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) on esophageal dysfunction over the long term in a prospective study, based on a 12-year experience. BACKGROUND Esophageal motility disorders and dilatation after LAGB have been reported. However, only a few studies present long-term follow-up data. METHODS Between June 1998 and June 2009, all patients with i...