Colonoscopy is a procedure used to see inside the colon and rectum. Colonoscopy can detect inflamed tissue, ulcers, and abnormal growths. The procedure is used to look for early signs of colorectal cancer and can help doctors diagnose unexplained changes in bowel habits, abdominal pain, bleeding from the anus, and weight loss.
Routine colonoscopy to look for early signs of cancer should begin at age 50 for most people—earlier if there is a family history of colorectal cancer, a personal history of inflammatory bowel disease, or other risk factors. The doctor can advise patients about how often to get a colonoscopy.
Colonoscopy (examination of the large intestine using a flexible viewing tube) every 1 to 2 years is advised for people who have had ulcerative colitis for at least 8 years.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Understand Colitis
Colitis disease is the term used to described inflammation of the colon. There are a variety of causes of colitis including infections, poor blood supply, and autoimmune reactions.
The colon (large bowel or large intestine) is responsible for collecting and storing the waste products of digestion. It is a long muscular tube that pushes undigested food towards the anus for eventual elimination as a bowel movement. As the liquid mixture of undigested food makes its journey, it mixes with mucus and normal bacteria residing in the colon. As well, water is reabsorbed into the bloodstream, and the feces start to solidify.
The colon is located in the abdominal cavity and is divided into the following parts: the cecum, the ascending colon, the transverse, the descending colon, the sigmoid, the rectum, and the anus. The right colon includes the cecum and ascending colon. The left colon includes the transverse segment to the sigmoid.
The wall of the colon has numerous layers. There is a smooth muscle layer that wraps the outside and is responsible for squeezing the undigested food through the length of the colon. The inner layers, or mucosa, come into contact with the fluid and allow water and electrolyte absorption to help solidify the feces. The mucosal layer is where the colon inflammation occurs and is responsible for the symptoms of colitis.
As with any other organ, the colon has a blood supply with arteries delivering oxygen rich blood and nutrients to it, and veins that drain carbon dioxide and lactic acid from it.
Colitis Causes
Inflammation of the colon can be caused by a variety of illnesses and infections. Some of the most common causes are discussed below.
Infectious Colitis
Viruses and bacteria can cause colon infections. Most are food-borne illnesses or "food poisoning." Common bacterial causes include Shigella, E.Coli, Salmonella and Campylobacter. These infections often present with bloody diarrhea and can cause significant dehydration.
Pseudomembranous colitis is caused by the bacteria Clostridium difficile (C. difficile). This disorder is often seen in patients who have recently been taking antibiotics for an infection. The antibiotic alters the normal bacteria present in the colon and allows an overgrowth of the Clostridium bacteria. Clostridium bacteria produce a toxin that causes diarrhea. This is an infection, and often there is a fever present. The diarrhea is usually not bloody.
The colon (large bowel or large intestine) is responsible for collecting and storing the waste products of digestion. It is a long muscular tube that pushes undigested food towards the anus for eventual elimination as a bowel movement. As the liquid mixture of undigested food makes its journey, it mixes with mucus and normal bacteria residing in the colon. As well, water is reabsorbed into the bloodstream, and the feces start to solidify.
The colon is located in the abdominal cavity and is divided into the following parts: the cecum, the ascending colon, the transverse, the descending colon, the sigmoid, the rectum, and the anus. The right colon includes the cecum and ascending colon. The left colon includes the transverse segment to the sigmoid.
The wall of the colon has numerous layers. There is a smooth muscle layer that wraps the outside and is responsible for squeezing the undigested food through the length of the colon. The inner layers, or mucosa, come into contact with the fluid and allow water and electrolyte absorption to help solidify the feces. The mucosal layer is where the colon inflammation occurs and is responsible for the symptoms of colitis.
As with any other organ, the colon has a blood supply with arteries delivering oxygen rich blood and nutrients to it, and veins that drain carbon dioxide and lactic acid from it.
Colitis Causes
Inflammation of the colon can be caused by a variety of illnesses and infections. Some of the most common causes are discussed below.
Infectious Colitis
Viruses and bacteria can cause colon infections. Most are food-borne illnesses or "food poisoning." Common bacterial causes include Shigella, E.Coli, Salmonella and Campylobacter. These infections often present with bloody diarrhea and can cause significant dehydration.
Pseudomembranous colitis is caused by the bacteria Clostridium difficile (C. difficile). This disorder is often seen in patients who have recently been taking antibiotics for an infection. The antibiotic alters the normal bacteria present in the colon and allows an overgrowth of the Clostridium bacteria. Clostridium bacteria produce a toxin that causes diarrhea. This is an infection, and often there is a fever present. The diarrhea is usually not bloody.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Probiotic found to treat colitis
A new study has found a possible ulcerative colitis treatment. Researchers say mice that were given the probiotic Bacillus polyfermenticus during the non-inflammatory stage of the disease showed reduced rectal bleeding, less inflamed tissue and gained more weight than the mice that did not receive it.
The study also found that the colon tissue of the treated mice had greater angiogenesis, a process that is necessary for wounds to heal.
Colitis is a type of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) in which the inner tissue of the colon becomes inflamed and damaged and can result in painful sores. It’s estimated that as many as 3.3 million Americans suffer from the disease.
Healthcare practitioners have recommended probiotics, or beneficial bacteria, as an alternative treatment for the disease. Researchers involved with this study say further studies are necessary before it is known whether these results can be applied to humans.
According to the Mayo Clinic, other alternative therapies believed to help treat colitis include probiotics, acupuncture and nutritional supplements containing fish oil and aloe vera. Reducing stress and avoiding foods that trigger symptoms from the diet is also believed to be beneficial.
For more information on alternative supplements containing aloe mucilaginous polysaccharides and probiotics, please visit us at www.serovera.com.
The study also found that the colon tissue of the treated mice had greater angiogenesis, a process that is necessary for wounds to heal.
Colitis is a type of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) in which the inner tissue of the colon becomes inflamed and damaged and can result in painful sores. It’s estimated that as many as 3.3 million Americans suffer from the disease.
Healthcare practitioners have recommended probiotics, or beneficial bacteria, as an alternative treatment for the disease. Researchers involved with this study say further studies are necessary before it is known whether these results can be applied to humans.
According to the Mayo Clinic, other alternative therapies believed to help treat colitis include probiotics, acupuncture and nutritional supplements containing fish oil and aloe vera. Reducing stress and avoiding foods that trigger symptoms from the diet is also believed to be beneficial.
For more information on alternative supplements containing aloe mucilaginous polysaccharides and probiotics, please visit us at www.serovera.com.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
UF researchers find triggers in cells’ transition from colitis to cancer
University of Florida researchers have grown tumors in mice using cells from inflamed but noncancerous colon tissue taken from human patients, a finding that sheds new light on colon cancer and how it might be prevented.
Scientists observed that cancer stem cells taken from the gastrointestinal system in patients with a chronic digestive disease called ulcerative colitis will transform into cancerous tumors in mice.
The finding, now online and to be featured on the cover of the Thursday (Oct. 15) issue of Cancer Research, may help explain why patients with colitis have up to a 30-fold risk of developing colon cancer compared with people without the disease.
New understanding of the link between colitis and cancer could lead to diagnostic tests that would evaluate tissue taken from patients with colitis for signs of cancer stem cell development, thereby identifying patients who may be at greater risk for cancer.
“Ultimately it would be great if we could prevent colitis or treat colitis so it never gets to the cancerous stage,” said UF colorectal surgeon Dr. Emina Huang, who is a member of the Program in Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine at UF’s McKnight Brain Institute and the UF College of Medicine.
Although colonoscopy is very effective in screening and preventing colon cancer for most people, for patients with colitis no diagnostic tests work well because the inflamed tissue makes identification of precancerous changes difficult.
According to the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America, approximately 700,000 people have colitis in the United States. The National Cancer Institute estimates that cancer of the colon and rectum will claim the lives of about 50,000 people this year.
UF scientists gathered colitic tissue from humans and chemically screened it for colon cancer stem cells, also called tumor initiating cells. These cells were then isolated and monitored in mice to see if tumors would grow.
Huang said these findings shed light on that fact that it may not be just the cancer “seed” cell, but the “soil” — in this case inflamed colon tissue — that plays a role in the development of cancer.
“Is it the seed, is it the soil or is it their interaction?” she said. “We think probably both, but now we have a new way to look at it and a new method of attack.”
Dr. B. Mark Evers, a professor and vice chair of surgery at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, said the study emphasizes the emerging role of the surrounding inflammatory tumor microenvironment on tumor growth and subsequent metastasis.
“Dr. Huang and her group have identified a potentially important mechanism to explain why long-standing inflammation of the colon predisposes patients to the development of cancer,” said Evers, who is director of the Lucille P. Markey Cancer Center in Lexington, Ky.
To further understand the role of the “seed” and “soil” interaction, UF researchers paired colon cancer stem cells with normal, colitic and cancerous human cells taken from the scaffolding layer of the large intestine. The cells were implanted into mice to analyze growth rates. The combination of tumor cells and normal scaffolding tissue cells grew at the slowest rate. Tumor cells paired with cancerous tissue grew at an intermediate rate, and tumor cells paired with the colitic tissue grew at the fastest rate.
Huang said they found heightened levels of two immune system hormones called interleukin-6 and interleukin-8 in the cells from the colitic and cancerous tissues, which had the faster growth rates.
When UF researchers decreased the expression of these hormones within the cells, the tumor growth drastically decreased. When the hormones returned, the tumors began to grow again.
“We don’t understand the transition at the molecular level so we are trying to figure out what we can target to interfere, intervene or inhibit that transformation of the benign colitic cells,” she said. “The thought is if we can create a therapy to decrease function of these hormones, we may be able to prevent or inhibit cancer growth.”
Clinical trials looking at the role of one of these hormones in humans are under way in England, Huang said.
This article is a reprint of http://news.ufl.edu/2009/10/12/colon-cancer/ The time or date displayed reflects when an article was added to Google News Oct. 12
For more inforamtion about colitis disease www.colitisdisease.net
Scientists observed that cancer stem cells taken from the gastrointestinal system in patients with a chronic digestive disease called ulcerative colitis will transform into cancerous tumors in mice.
The finding, now online and to be featured on the cover of the Thursday (Oct. 15) issue of Cancer Research, may help explain why patients with colitis have up to a 30-fold risk of developing colon cancer compared with people without the disease.
New understanding of the link between colitis and cancer could lead to diagnostic tests that would evaluate tissue taken from patients with colitis for signs of cancer stem cell development, thereby identifying patients who may be at greater risk for cancer.
“Ultimately it would be great if we could prevent colitis or treat colitis so it never gets to the cancerous stage,” said UF colorectal surgeon Dr. Emina Huang, who is a member of the Program in Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine at UF’s McKnight Brain Institute and the UF College of Medicine.
Although colonoscopy is very effective in screening and preventing colon cancer for most people, for patients with colitis no diagnostic tests work well because the inflamed tissue makes identification of precancerous changes difficult.
According to the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America, approximately 700,000 people have colitis in the United States. The National Cancer Institute estimates that cancer of the colon and rectum will claim the lives of about 50,000 people this year.
UF scientists gathered colitic tissue from humans and chemically screened it for colon cancer stem cells, also called tumor initiating cells. These cells were then isolated and monitored in mice to see if tumors would grow.
Huang said these findings shed light on that fact that it may not be just the cancer “seed” cell, but the “soil” — in this case inflamed colon tissue — that plays a role in the development of cancer.
“Is it the seed, is it the soil or is it their interaction?” she said. “We think probably both, but now we have a new way to look at it and a new method of attack.”
Dr. B. Mark Evers, a professor and vice chair of surgery at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, said the study emphasizes the emerging role of the surrounding inflammatory tumor microenvironment on tumor growth and subsequent metastasis.
“Dr. Huang and her group have identified a potentially important mechanism to explain why long-standing inflammation of the colon predisposes patients to the development of cancer,” said Evers, who is director of the Lucille P. Markey Cancer Center in Lexington, Ky.
To further understand the role of the “seed” and “soil” interaction, UF researchers paired colon cancer stem cells with normal, colitic and cancerous human cells taken from the scaffolding layer of the large intestine. The cells were implanted into mice to analyze growth rates. The combination of tumor cells and normal scaffolding tissue cells grew at the slowest rate. Tumor cells paired with cancerous tissue grew at an intermediate rate, and tumor cells paired with the colitic tissue grew at the fastest rate.
Huang said they found heightened levels of two immune system hormones called interleukin-6 and interleukin-8 in the cells from the colitic and cancerous tissues, which had the faster growth rates.
When UF researchers decreased the expression of these hormones within the cells, the tumor growth drastically decreased. When the hormones returned, the tumors began to grow again.
“We don’t understand the transition at the molecular level so we are trying to figure out what we can target to interfere, intervene or inhibit that transformation of the benign colitic cells,” she said. “The thought is if we can create a therapy to decrease function of these hormones, we may be able to prevent or inhibit cancer growth.”
Clinical trials looking at the role of one of these hormones in humans are under way in England, Huang said.
This article is a reprint of http://news.ufl.edu/2009/10/12/colon-cancer/ The time or date displayed reflects when an article was added to Google News Oct. 12
For more inforamtion about colitis disease www.colitisdisease.net
Monday, October 5, 2009
Leukapheresis for inflammatory bowel disease
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has issued full guidance to the NHS in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland on leukapheresis for inflammatory bowel disease.
Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease are the most common forms of inflammatory bowel disease. Ulcerative colitis causes inflammation and ulceration of the rectum and sometimes the colon. Symptoms include bloody diarrhoea and rectal bleeding. Crohn’s disease usually causes inflammation and ulceration of the small and large intestines, but it can affect any part of the digestive tract. The main symptoms are abdominal pain, diarrhoea and weight loss. Both of these are chronic conditions, characterised by periods of clinical relapse and remission.
Conservative treatments include dietary measures, and medications to control inflammation. Immunosuppressants may be used if other medical therapies are ineffective at maintaining remission. Patients with ulcerative colitis that does not respond to medical therapy may be treated with surgery to remove the colon. Although surgery may also be used for patients with Crohn’s disease, it may not be curative and the disease often recurs in a different part of the digestive tract.
Leukapheresis involves extracorporeal removal of leukocytes from the blood, either by centrifugation or by passage of blood through an adsorptive system. In each system, venous blood is removed in a continuous flow, anticoagulated, processed to deplete the leukocytes, and returned to the circulation. A leukapheresis session takes approximately one to two hours. The procedure is usually carried out once or twice a week, for about 5 to 10 sessions.
Source:http://guidance.nice.org.uk/IPG126
Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease are the most common forms of inflammatory bowel disease. Ulcerative colitis causes inflammation and ulceration of the rectum and sometimes the colon. Symptoms include bloody diarrhoea and rectal bleeding. Crohn’s disease usually causes inflammation and ulceration of the small and large intestines, but it can affect any part of the digestive tract. The main symptoms are abdominal pain, diarrhoea and weight loss. Both of these are chronic conditions, characterised by periods of clinical relapse and remission.
Conservative treatments include dietary measures, and medications to control inflammation. Immunosuppressants may be used if other medical therapies are ineffective at maintaining remission. Patients with ulcerative colitis that does not respond to medical therapy may be treated with surgery to remove the colon. Although surgery may also be used for patients with Crohn’s disease, it may not be curative and the disease often recurs in a different part of the digestive tract.
Leukapheresis involves extracorporeal removal of leukocytes from the blood, either by centrifugation or by passage of blood through an adsorptive system. In each system, venous blood is removed in a continuous flow, anticoagulated, processed to deplete the leukocytes, and returned to the circulation. A leukapheresis session takes approximately one to two hours. The procedure is usually carried out once or twice a week, for about 5 to 10 sessions.
Source:http://guidance.nice.org.uk/IPG126
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Nutritional Diet for Colitis and Crohn's
Nutritional Diet for Colitis and Crohn's
-Drink lots of fluid (8 - 10 servings daily) to keep body hydrated and prevent constipation
-Your doctor or your registered dietitian may recommend a daily multivitamin-mineral supplement to replace lost nutrients
-Eat a high fiber diet when IBD is under control. Follow here for a list of high fiber foods. Some patients find cooking and steaming the vegetables more tolerable than eating them raw
-During a flare up, however, limit high fiber foods and follow a low fiber diet or even a low residue diet to give the bowel a rest and minimize symptoms.
-Avoid lactose-containing foods such as dairy if you are lactose intolerant. Otherwise, you may use lactase enzymes and lactase pretreated foods.
-It is very important to continue nourishing your body even during a flare-up. Try small frequent meals. Eating a high protein diet with lean meats, fish and eggs, may help relieve symptoms of IBD. Your registered dietitian may recommend pre-digested nutritional drinks (elemental diet) to give your bowel a rest and replenish lost nutrients so that your body can repair itself
-Limit caffeine, alcohol and sorbitol (a type of sweetener) as these may exacerbate IBD symptoms.
-Limit gas-producing foods such as cabbage-family vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and brussels sprouts), dried peas and lentils, onions and chives, peppers and carbonated drinks
-Reduce fat intake if part of the intestines has been surgically removed. High fat foods usually cause diarrhea and gas for this group of patients
-If the ileum (part of the small intestines) has been resected, a Vitamin B12 injection may be required
-Some studies found that fish oil and flax seed oil may be helpful in managing IBD. Some also suggested the role of prebiotics such as psyllium in the healing process. Furthermore, probiotics (live culture) may also be helpful in aiding recovery of the intestines.
Taking an Aloe Mucilaginous Polysaccharide supplement, like SEROVERA® AMP 500, may help reduce injury from inflammation in the GI-tract by controlling the inflammation often experienced by people with Ulcerative Colitis.
-Drink lots of fluid (8 - 10 servings daily) to keep body hydrated and prevent constipation
-Your doctor or your registered dietitian may recommend a daily multivitamin-mineral supplement to replace lost nutrients
-Eat a high fiber diet when IBD is under control. Follow here for a list of high fiber foods. Some patients find cooking and steaming the vegetables more tolerable than eating them raw
-During a flare up, however, limit high fiber foods and follow a low fiber diet or even a low residue diet to give the bowel a rest and minimize symptoms.
-Avoid lactose-containing foods such as dairy if you are lactose intolerant. Otherwise, you may use lactase enzymes and lactase pretreated foods.
-It is very important to continue nourishing your body even during a flare-up. Try small frequent meals. Eating a high protein diet with lean meats, fish and eggs, may help relieve symptoms of IBD. Your registered dietitian may recommend pre-digested nutritional drinks (elemental diet) to give your bowel a rest and replenish lost nutrients so that your body can repair itself
-Limit caffeine, alcohol and sorbitol (a type of sweetener) as these may exacerbate IBD symptoms.
-Limit gas-producing foods such as cabbage-family vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and brussels sprouts), dried peas and lentils, onions and chives, peppers and carbonated drinks
-Reduce fat intake if part of the intestines has been surgically removed. High fat foods usually cause diarrhea and gas for this group of patients
-If the ileum (part of the small intestines) has been resected, a Vitamin B12 injection may be required
-Some studies found that fish oil and flax seed oil may be helpful in managing IBD. Some also suggested the role of prebiotics such as psyllium in the healing process. Furthermore, probiotics (live culture) may also be helpful in aiding recovery of the intestines.
Taking an Aloe Mucilaginous Polysaccharide supplement, like SEROVERA® AMP 500, may help reduce injury from inflammation in the GI-tract by controlling the inflammation often experienced by people with Ulcerative Colitis.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Salix drug wins FDA approval
Tuesday, Sep. 08, 2009 Salix Pharmaceuticals said this morning that it won regulatory approval for a new treatment for stomach ailments, expanding its portfolio of drugs that treat gastrointestinal diseases.
The Morrisville company said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted marketing approval for Metozolv ODT to treat a stomach ailment that afflicts about five million diabetics, diabetic gastroparesis, as well as a more serious form of acid reflux known as gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD.
Metozolv is a fast-dissolving version of the drug metoclopramide. Salix acquired the worldwide marketing rights to Metozolv in September 2007 from Wilmington Pharmaceuticals of Wilmington.
Metozolv. which melts on the tongue, offers a better option for patients who have trouble swallowing or need treatment when they don't have water available, Bill Forbes, senior vice president and chief development officer at Salix, said in a prepared statement.
Metozolv is expected to be available in November.
Salix shares were fetching $12.73, up one cent, in mid-morning trading. Shares have risen from a low for the year of $6.15 in early March.
Salix already sells drugs to treat ulcerative colitis, travelers' diarrhea and other diseases. It is one of the few local drug companies with products that have been approved for patients.
Salix posted a loss of $15.3 million on revenue of $52.2 million in the second quarter. The company expects to be profitable in 2010.
This article is a reprint of http://www.charlotteobserver.com/business/story/934019.html The time or date displayed reflects when an article was added to Google News. Sep 8, 2009
The Morrisville company said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted marketing approval for Metozolv ODT to treat a stomach ailment that afflicts about five million diabetics, diabetic gastroparesis, as well as a more serious form of acid reflux known as gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD.
Metozolv is a fast-dissolving version of the drug metoclopramide. Salix acquired the worldwide marketing rights to Metozolv in September 2007 from Wilmington Pharmaceuticals of Wilmington.
Metozolv. which melts on the tongue, offers a better option for patients who have trouble swallowing or need treatment when they don't have water available, Bill Forbes, senior vice president and chief development officer at Salix, said in a prepared statement.
Metozolv is expected to be available in November.
Salix shares were fetching $12.73, up one cent, in mid-morning trading. Shares have risen from a low for the year of $6.15 in early March.
Salix already sells drugs to treat ulcerative colitis, travelers' diarrhea and other diseases. It is one of the few local drug companies with products that have been approved for patients.
Salix posted a loss of $15.3 million on revenue of $52.2 million in the second quarter. The company expects to be profitable in 2010.
This article is a reprint of http://www.charlotteobserver.com/business/story/934019.html The time or date displayed reflects when an article was added to Google News. Sep 8, 2009
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