For each of these sources, we identified the best and most recent relevant prevalence and related information about headache and migraine. The data sources used for this review are the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS), and the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS). NHIS, NHANES, NAMCS, and NHAMCS are all conducted by the United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and the data for the NHIS, NAMCS, and RG7420 clinical trial NHAMCS were obtained from the CDC’s online reports, whereas the NHANES data are from a published peer-reviewed

analysis that was the only publication of migraine data from NHANES within the time period covered by our review. We compare results from these studies to the most recent data generated by the only longitudinal US study of headache epidemiology, the American Migraine Prevalence and Prevention (AMPP) study. A brief description of the methods and characteristics of each of these studies follows. Their key features are summarized in the Table. NHANES is conducted annually by the National Center for Health Statistics of the CDC and Prevention to obtain information about the noninstitutionalized US civilian population.

The survey uses a stratified, multistage probability sampling design. Trained lay interviewers administer a face-to-face interview in the participants’ homes, and respondents later have a physical examination in a mobile unit. Details about sampling and weighting methods are available at the website IDH inhibitor clinical trial of the National Center for Health Statistics.[3] The survey includes standardized questions on a variety of topics including medical conditions, physical function, and health care use, Protirelin as well as detailed sociodemographic details. Information about headache is collected during the portion of the interview regarding miscellaneous pain, which is administered to participants who are 20 or older. Specifically, participants are asked whether they have experienced “severe headaches or migraine” during the past 3 months. Information

about physical conditions is obtained using a standard chronic condition checklist, a method used in many studies conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics. It is important to note that this information is self-reported. The NHIS is a cross-sectional study of the US population that, like the NHANES, uses structured interviews to obtain self-reported health information.[4] It has been conducted yearly since 1957. The sampling plan is designed to representatively sample households and “non-institutional group quarters” (such as dormitories). Sample geographic areas are selected and addresses within those geographic areas are selected for interview. Black, Hispanic, and Asian persons are oversampled at both the geographic and household levels.

Conclusion: PFIC1 iPS-derived hepatocytes are a new and an important in vitro model of this disease. FXR-mediated signaling in these hepatocytes is diminished and can be corrected with 4-phenylbutyrate, suggesting this agent as a novel pharmacologic therapy for Byler Disease. Disclosures: Benjamin L. Shneider – Consulting: Bristol Myers Squibb, Vertex; Stock Shareholder: Selleck Dabrafenib Bristol Myers Squibb The following people have nothing to disclose: Bing Han, Edgar N. Tafaleng, Frank Chen, Alexandra Dreyzin, Ira J. Fox Background: Biliary atresia (BA) is the leading cause of pediatric end-stage liver disease and liver transplantation in the U.S. Early diagnosis leads to improved outcomes but diagnosis

is often delayed leading to increased rates of transplantation and mortality. Methods: A Markov model was developed to GSI-IX simulate the natural history and transplant-related outcomes of patients with BA in a U.S. cohort. Information regarding proportions of individuals in different health states as well as values of qualityadjusted life years (QALYs) were obtained from published literature. Costs were estimated from the Johns Hopkins database of charges and were considered from the payer perspective using 2012 USD adjusted with the annual medical consumer price index. The base case assumed no screening. The proportions

of individuals moving through the model in the base case were compared to a hypothetical cohort that utilized nationwide screening with the stool color card developed by the Taiwan Health Bureau and these proportions were adjusted based on the literature. Screening was introduced at a cost of $0.03 per card and a cost of $753 to rule out false positives. Charges and QALYs were estimated to 20 years and discounted at 3%, as recommended by the U.S. Panel on Cost-Effectiveness. An Incremental Cost-Effectiveness Ratio (ICER), defined as change in cost per change in effect, was calculated. Adhering to the convention in health oxyclozanide economics that defines a cost-effective strategy as one that costs less than the per capita gross domestic product (∼$50,000

in U.S.) to gain one QALY, an ICER of <$50,000/QALY was considered cost-effective. A negative ICER identified a dominant strategy that costs less and has better outcomes than the alternative. One-way sensitivity analysis was performed. Results: In the base case, the 20-year cost was $ 107, 895, 420 with 3, 059 QALYs. With introduction of screening (sensitivity = 0.975; specificity = 0.999), the 20year cost was $98, 770, 400 with 3,157 QALYs. Therefore, screening is associated with lower incremental costs of $9,125, 020 and higher incremental QALYs of 98 yielding a negative ICER (-$93, 017 per QALY). In a sensitivity analysis, only stool color card specificity was associated with the potential for screening to be cost-ineffective, with its lower limit >$50,000/QALY.

Ebrahimkhani MR, Oakley F, Murphy LB, Mann J, Moles A, Perugorria MJ, et al. Nature Med 2011;17:1668–1673 Chuhan Chung M.D.*, Yasuko Iwakiri Ph.D.*, * Section of Digestive Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT Ebrahimkhani MR, Oakley F, Murphy LB, Mann J, Moles A, Perugorria MJ, et al. Stimulating healthy tissue regeneration by targeting the 5-HT2B receptor in chronic liver disease. Nature Med 2011;17:1668-1673. Available at: www.nature.com (Reprinted with permission.) Tissue homeostasis requires an effective, limited wound-healing response to injury. In chronic

disease, failure to regenerate parenchymal tissue leads to the replacement Sorafenib clinical trial of lost cellular mass with a fibrotic matrix. The mechanisms that dictate the balance of cell regeneration and fibrogenesis are not well understood. Here we report that fibrogenic hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) in the liver are negative regulators of hepatocyte regeneration. This negative regulatory function requires stimulation of the 5-hydroxytryptamine 2B receptor (5-HT2B) on HSCs by serotonin, which activates expression of transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1), a powerful suppressor of hepatocyte proliferation, through signaling by mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 (ERK) and the transcription

factor JunD. Selective selleck screening library antagonism of 5-HT2B enhanced hepatocyte growth in models of acute and chronic liver injury. We also observed similar effects in mice lacking 5-HT2B or JunD or upon selective depletion of HSCs in wild-type mice. Antagonism of 5-HT2B attenuated fibrogenesis and improved liver function in disease models in which fibrosis was pre-established and progressive. Pharmacological targeting of 5-HT2B is clinically safe in humans

and may be therapeutic in chronic liver disease. Healthy hepatocyte proliferation is a necessary condition for the liver’s recovery from injury. The wound-healing response to liver injury, however, entails liver fibrosis. Ongoing fibrosis can suppress hepatocyte proliferation, and the failure of hepatocyte proliferation allows the fibrotic matrix to replace the normal parenchyma. This can lead to the development of liver cirrhosis and increase the risk of hepatocellular Florfenicol carcinoma.1-3 The mechanisms that inhibit hepatocyte proliferation (i.e., liver regeneration) during fibrogenesis are, however, largely unknown. Identifying these mechanisms is crucial for understanding the pathogenesis of many chronic liver diseases that are associated with liver fibrosis and for developing potential therapeutic strategies. Using in vivo and in vitro experiments, the current study by Ebrahimkhani et al.4 identified one such mechanism that links serotonin signaling in activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and the inhibition of hepatocyte proliferation.

The tumor volume of shASPP1 or shASPP2 modified HCC-LM3 xenografts was 52% or 72% larger than that of shNon-treated xenografts 30 days after implantation (Fig. 5E). To investigate the effects of ASPP1 and ASPP2 on apoptosis, ASPP1 and ASPP2 genes were transfected into HCC cells with different p53 status. Serum-starvation caused a 3-fold increase of apoptotic cells in HCC-LM3 cells that had endogenous wildtype p53. Overexpression of p53 did not further enhance apoptosis

in HCC-LM3 cells. In contrast, overexpression of ASPP1 and ASPP2 caused 100% and 70% increases of apoptotic cells, respectively (Fig. 6A). This indicates that ASPP1 and ASPP2 could enhance apoptosis in HCC cells harboring the wildtype p53 gene. Interestingly, introduction of ASPP2 but not ASPP1 into Hep3B cells with p53 Barasertib manufacturer gene null induced apoptosis to a similar level as p53 did under serum-starvation (Fig. 6B). Introduction of ASPP1 and ASPP2 genes into Huh-7 with p53220Cys induced apoptosis to an extent similar to that of p53 (Fig. 6C). Knock-down of ASPP1 or Trichostatin A mw ASPP2 significantly reduced the apoptotic cells induced by serum starvation in HepG2 or HCC-LM3 cells that had wildtype p53 (Fig. 6D) and attenuated cisplatin-induced apoptosis in HepG2 cells (Fig. 6E). Consistent with

the in vitro experimental results, fewer apoptotic cells were found in HCC-LM3 xenografts with shASPP1 or shASPP2 treatment (Fig. 6F). These data indicate that down-regulation of ASPP1 and ASPP2 in HCC may promote tumor progression through inhibition of cell apoptosis. Dysregulation of apoptosis is closely related to the expansion of tumor cells, metastasis, and resistance to chemotherapy.26–28p53 is a key regulator for apoptosis and frequently mutates in various human cancers.29 The proapoptotic function of p53 is closely linked to its antitumor effects. All of the tumor-derived p53 mutants have lost their ability to induce apoptosis. However, only 30% of HCC contains p53 gene mutations. It remains unclear why wildtype p53 fails to suppress tumor growth in the remaining 70% of HCC. ASPP1 and ASPP2 proteins interact

with p53 and its ifenprodil family members, p63 and p73, to promote apoptosis.1, 3 In this study we describe for the first time that ASPP1 and ASPP2 genes are frequently inactivated by hypermethylation in HCC that is HBV-positive. In HCC tumor tissues, ASPP1 and ASPP2 were frequently found methylated, which contributed to the down-regulation of ASPP1 and ASPP2 in HCCs. Importantly, methylation of ASPP1 and ASPP2 in the surrounding nontumor tissues was closely related to the size and the stage of HCCs. A previous study showed that ASPP1 and ASPP2 were frequently down-regulated in breast cancer expressing wildtype p53.1 In this study we found that HCC tumors with the p53 gene wildtype more frequently had ASPP1 and/or ASPP2 gene methylation.

We analyzed the prevalence, positions, and various characteristics of complex SVs in HBV. We further investigated clinical significance of complex SVs in HBV. Results: From the international database and published articles, we found six strains

of HBV with complex SVs. HBV genotype distribution was genotype A in two, genotype B in one, genotype D in one, and genotype E in two. All the complex SVs in HBV were observed in the region containing X open reading frame (ORF) and BCP. Patterns of complex SVs were deletion and duplication in two, deletion, insertion, and duplication in three, and deletion and insertion in one. Median deletion nucleotide length was 21 bases (range 8 -847 bases). In four strains with insertion, the median insertion nucleotide length was 23 bases (range 12-36 bases). In five strains with duplication, the median duplication nucleotide length was 31 NVP-BGJ398 mw bases (range 20-67 bases). Two were found in patients with hepato-cellular carcinoma, and other

two EPZ-6438 were found in severe liver disease patients with post-renal transplantation. Conclusion: Novel genetic variants, complex SVs, were observed in six HBV strains. Complex SVs were observed in the region between X ORF and BCP. Complex SV in HBV was combination of canonical mutations. Though the cause and detailed mechanism still are not clear, it seems that this genetic variation is associated with severe liver disease, such as hepatocellular carcinoma or hepatic failure. (1) Fujiwara K, J Virology, 2005, 79(22), 14404. Disclosures: The following people have nothing to disclose: Kei Fujiwara, Noboru Shinkai, Shunsuke Nojiri, Mio Endo, Etsuko Iio, Takashi Joh Background and aim In clinical practice, serum HDV RNA level is used as a marker of viral replication. However, knowledge about its relationship to intrahepatic HDV markers is scant and there is no available data on the stability of HDV RNA in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded liver samples (FFPE-LS). The aim of this

study was to Non-specific serine/threonine protein kinase determine HDV RNA in FFPE-LS using a new technique and to compare the findings with HDV RNA levels in serum. Material and Methods Among 40 untreated CHD patients, 13 had FFPE-LS and a simultaneous serum sample testing positive for HDV RNA by qualitative assays. A patient with anti-HDV who tested negative for serum HDV RNA was also included. FFPE-LS were obtained between 1999 and 2012. Serum and liver HDV RNA were analyzed by quantitative realtime PCR. A new HDV RNA standard was used, and the sensitivity of the method was 10E3 to 10E6 copies HDV/uL. Results Liver HDV RNA was detected in 13/13 CHD patients (Table). The median liver HDV RNA level was 1.1×10E7 copies/mg (range 3.85×10E4-9.2×10E8). Retested serum HDV RNA yielded a median of 3.5×10E6 copies/uL (range 3.85×1 0E4-9.2×10E8). Serum and liver HDV RNA presented a good correlation (R2=0.89).

37% VS 3.46%, P<0.001), but also higher than the original atlanta classification of patients with SAP(17.37% VS 9.36%, P<0.001). Conclusion: This large clinical Selleck PLX4720 studies showed that the severity classification of acute pancreatits according to the revised Atlanta classification is more accurate and more useful for clinical management of AP. Key Word(s): 1. acute pancreatitis; 2. severity; 3. outcome; 4. database; Table 2 Severity classification and outcome in acute pancreatits according to the 1992 atlanta classification criteria 1992 Atlanta classification n (%) APACHEII Length of stay (days)

hospital fees SMB) risk of death MAP 366 432±2.74 6.44±3.543 12317.51 ±11276.03 0(0%) SAP 566 7.44±4.28 13.00±12.62 45081.58 ±135753.14 53(936%) Total 932 6.21±4.05 10.42±10.58 32215.00 ±107192.22 53(5.69%) Table 3 Severity classification and outcome in acute pancreatits according to the revised atlanta classification revised atlanta classification n (%) APACHEII Length of stay (days) hospital fees (RMB) risk of death MAP 279(29 94%) 4.10±2.69 5.8 ±3.0 9971.1 ±8044.9 0 MSAP 433(46.46%) 6.18±3.74 9.9 ±7.4 25207.4 ±341802 15(3.46%) SAP 220(23.61%)

8.95±4.44 17.4 ±16.8 74216.7 ±209666.4 38(17.27%) Total 932(100%) PI3K inhibitor 6.21±4.05 10.4 ±3.18 ±1071922 53(5.69%) Presenting Author: XIAOYIN ZHANG Additional Authors: XIN WANG, ZHIGUO LIU, YANGLIN PAN, XUEGANG GUO, KAICHUN WU, DAIMING FAN Corresponding Author: XIAOYIN ZHANG, XUEGANG GUO Affiliations: Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases & State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Fourth Military Medical University

Objective: Finding the etiology of recurrent acute pancreatitis Thalidomide (RAP) is critical for chosing treatment stratgy. This retrospective study aimed to analyze the roles of EUS/EUS-FNA in looking for the causes of RAP with cystic lesions. Methods: With Olympus Eum2000-25R or EU-ME1 endoscopy ultrasonagraghy system, we checked 17 patients, who had more than 2 times episodes of acute pancreatitis and were diagnosed as “pesudocyst” by CT or/and MRI in Xijing institute of digestive diseases from May, 2008 to April ,2012. Among them, 13 patients underwent EUS-FNA and cystic fluid anaysis including amylase, lipase, CEA , CA-199 and cytology. Results: Nine patients were diagnosed as pseudocysts according to the EUS image, fluid analysis and negative result of cytology. Four patients were diagnosed as IPMN by EUS image, among which 3 patients underwent surgery and confirmed by pathology. The other patient was followed up closely after EUS-FNA histology demonstrated a normal epithelial and fluid analysis showed a typical IPMN with very low CEA level. Three patients were diagnosed as MCN by EUS image combined with fluid analysis, among which two patients with EUS-FNA histology demonstrating high grade atypia cells secreting mucin, all were confirmed as MCC by surgery pathology.

With the availability of high-risk pools, HCPs indicated that they would switch patients from on-demand to prophylaxis/initiate prophylactic treatment for patients whose treatment otherwise may have been delayed (17%). To our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive study to document the impact of the economic downturn and the perceived impact of health care reform on the haemophilia A patient population

in the USA. Many Americans faced financial challenges as a result of the recent economic downturn. According to the National Council of Aging, approximately one-fourth of Americans with chronic diseases delayed or did not seek needed care for financial reasons during the economic downturn [22]. Although information HSP assay about treatment modifications made by Americans with various conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer care as a result of financial constraints imposed by the downturn, has previously been reported [20], it did not provide any insight about similarities or unique financial challenges experienced by patients

with rare conditions, including haemophilia A. It is unknown how haemophilia A patients fare in the current economic environment and how health care reform would Crizotinib datasheet impact haemophilia A treatment. Based on studies by Du Treil et al. and De Mooerloose et al., haemophilia A patients not adherent to their treatment regimen (i.e. skipping doses or not following up with routine examination) are less likely to have optimal clinical outcomes and quality of life [14, 24]. Therefore, one of the goals of this survey study was to evaluate how haemophilia patients, caregivers and HCPs were impacted by both the recent economic downturn and health care reform. The results showed that haemophilia A patients, caregivers and HCPs perceived the economic downturn as negatively

impacting haemophilia A care. Haemophilia A patients in this survey commonly reported changes to their treatment as a result of financial challenges (e.g. loss of job, income and/or health insurance; decrease in health insurance benefits, increase in health insurance premiums, increase in OOP costs in 2009 and 2010). These barriers resulted in suboptimal treatment G protein-coupled receptor kinase choices by patients, such as delaying or skipping visits to their HCP, reducing their treatment frequency, skipping a dose of medication and/or not filling a prescription due to financial constraints. These findings are consistent with the perceptions expressed in a poll by Harvard School of Public Health that focused on the impact of the economic downturn on heart disease, diabetes and cancer [20]. An estimated 43% of Americans with heart disease, 42% with diabetes and 21% with cancer indicated that the economic downturn interfered with their ability to manage their condition [20].

Various blood tests including liver function tests were normal. At operation, he had a large defect in the right hemidiaphragm with herniation of multiple organs including the liver, right colon, distal stomach and proximal duodenum. After repositioning the organs in the abdomen, the defect in the right diaphragm was closed using surgical mesh. The right lobe of the liver (RL) was small and seemed cirrhotic while the left lobe (LL) was greatly enlarged (Figure 1). A follow-up CT scan confirmed the presence of atrophy-hypertrophy complex of the liver (Figure 2). The right lobe was small and was

recognized on only the most cranial CT sequences. The lateral segment of the left lobe (segment 3) was greatly enlarged, segment 4 was shown and the gallbladder (*) was in a retrohepatic position. The Everolimus mouse portal vein (white arrow), hepatic artery (thin white arrow) and common hepatic duct (thick white arrow) were also in I-BET-762 ic50 unusual positions because of clock-wise rotation of hilar structures. The radiological features described above are typical of right lobe atrophy associated with left lobe hypertrophy. This atrophy-hypertrophy complex of the liver is almost always due to biliary obstruction or to occlusion of the portal vein. Hilar or intrahepatic causes

of biliary obstruction include benign and malignant neoplasms and benign strictures including Caroli’s disease. Vascular causes include hilar or intrahepatic portal vein occlusion by neoplasms, cavernous transformation of the portal vein and congenital stenosis of the portal vein. Embolism into the right portal vein is also being used to enlarge the left lobe of the liver prior to surgical or other therapies for neoplasms Phosphoprotein phosphatase in the right lobe of the liver. In animal models, a compromised portal venous blood flow is a much stronger stimulus for atrophy-hypertrophy than biliary obstruction. In the patient described above, we have attributed the atrophy-hypertrophy complex to herniation of the liver causing distortion

of the right portal vein and a reduction in right portal blood flow. Contributed by “
“Hepatology recently published a study by Feuerstadt et al.,1 who reported a 3.3% effectiveness rate for hepatitis C treatment in an observational study; this is a stark contrast to the 56% to 63% efficacy rates reported for the same treatment regimen in the setting of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Such comparisons have contributed to the growing awareness that real-world data derived from observational studies often vary widely from those data derived from the controlled settings of clinical trials. Contemporary methods for producing this type of real-world data can be performed with data from specialized registries or existing administrative and claims information and include a variety of designs, such as case-control, cohort, and cross-sectional studies, in which patients are not randomly assigned to treatment groups.

For data from human samples, statistical significance between means was determined by the nonparametric Mann-Whitney U test. Correlation between TGF-β and CXCR4 mRNA levels was determined by the Pearson correlation coefficient. In order to evaluate the relevance of the autocrine stimulation of TGF-β pathway in the acquisition of mesenchymal-like features, we analyzed the phenotype of six different human liver tumor cell lines whose characteristics are detailed in Supporting Table 1. A correlation between the decrease in E-cadherin and cytokeratin-18 (CK-18) expression, characteristics of an epithelial phenotype,

and the appearance of cells expressing vimentin (a mesenchymal intermediate filament) was observed selleck screening library (Fig. 1A). The acquisition of a mesenchymal-like phenotype occurred concomitantly with an increase in the expression of TGFB1 (Fig. 1B) and with nuclear localization of both SMAD2 and SMAD3 (Supporting Fig. 1). Analysis of TGF-β in the culture medium revealed increased amounts of this cytokine in mesenchymal-like versus epithelial cell lines. Furthermore, conditioned medium from mesenchymal-like HCC cells induced higher Smad2 phosphorylation in immortalized mice hepatocytes (Supporting Fig. 1). With the exception of Compound Library chemical structure the HepG2 cells

that show mutations in NRAS and are resistant to TGF-β-induced suppressor effects,[19] the epithelial phenotype correlated with response to TGF-β as a cytostatic factor, whereas cells with a mesenchymal-like phenotype did not arrest

proliferation in the presence of TGF-β (Fig. 3-mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase 1C). This behavior confirms a previous classification of these cell lines according to the TGF-β signature[9] (early for PLC/PRF/5 and Huh7; late for SNU449, HLF). Results in Hep3B indicate that these cells represent a transition from an epithelial to a mesenchymal-like phenotype, since they showed decreased expression of E-cadherin and simultaneous expression of epithelial (CK-18) and mesenchymal (vimentin) intermediate filaments (Fig. 1A). Interestingly, this mixed phenotype correlated with a high activation of the TGF-β pathway (Supporting Fig. 1) and lower suppressor response to this cytokine (Fig. 1C). In summary, mesenchymal-like phenotype in HCC cell lines correlates with autocrine stimulation of the TGF-β pathway and resistance to TGF-β-induced suppressor effects. The analysis of the cytoskeleton organization reflected that cells with more mesenchymal phenotype presented F-actin located in stress fibers, whereas the more epithelial ones showed more pericellular distribution (Fig. 2A, left panels). Cells with mesenchymal characteristics showed CXCR4 in an asymmetric distribution in a great percentage of them (Fig. 2A, right panels). HepG2 cells showed homogeneous distribution of CXCR4 with no apparent polarization, whereas in the epithelial Huh7 and PLC/PRF/5 localization of CXCR4 was variable, with some cells showing polarized areas, but a great percentage containing homogeneous intracellular localization (Fig.

The endoscopic stigmata of recent bleeding were evaluated with the Forrest classification,5 Pexidartinib ic50 one of the systems most widely used for this purpose.2 In this classification, grade I represents active hemorrhage, grade II represents recent stigmata of bleeding, and grade III represents no

stigmata of recent bleeding. This classification can be summarized as: grade Ia, arterial hemorrhage (‘spurting’), and Ib, diffuse hemorrhage (‘oozing’); IIa, non-bleeding visible vessel; IIb, adherent clot; IIc, flat pigmented spot; and III, ulcer without recent stigmata of bleeding (‘clean base’). Finally, endoscopic therapy for the bleeding lesion, which was carried out with sclerosing agent injection or with hemoclip, was recorded. Evolution of UGIB was considered unfavorable in the following situations: (i) bleeding persistence (defined as hematemesis, INCB024360 ic50 melena, hemodynamic instability, or decrease of the hemoglobin/hematocrit despite blood transfusion during the first 48 h);

(ii) bleeding relapse (re-bleeding during hospital admission after cessation of bleeding according to both clinical and laboratory criteria); (iii) surgical treatment requirement; and (iv) mortality. Therefore, the outcome variable was categorized as ‘unfavorable’ (when any of the aforementioned complications occurred) or ‘favorable’ (when none occurred). Finally, hospitalization length was recorded, and defined as the number of days between the admission and discharge. All patients immediately discharged after endoscopy were seen by the gastroenterologist a week later in the outpatient clinic. Patients that did not attend their follow-up were contacted by telephone to confirm whether re-bleeding had occurred. For continuous variables, mean, and standard deviation were calculated. For categorical variables, percentages and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were provided. Categorical

variables were compared with the χ2 test and quantitative variables with the Student t-test. A P-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. From June 2006 to June 2007, 77 patients with UGIB secondary to gastroduodenal ulcer or erosive gastritis/duodenitis were admitted to the emergency department (Table 1). Clinical, Nitroxoline laboratory and endoscopic characteristics of these patients are shown in Table 2. The most frequent presentation was melena. Duodenal ulcer was the most frequent lesion identified during endoscopy (60%), followed by gastric ulcer. Most duodenal ulcers were located in the bulbar anterior wall, whereas gastric ulcer was located more frequently in the stomach antrum. Thirty-nine percent of the patients required a blood transfusion. Distribution of stigmata of bleeding at endoscopy was: Forrest I (22%), Forrest II (40%) and Forrest III (38%) (Table 2). Endoscopic treatment (sclerosis or hemoclip) was carried out in 45.5% of patients. Upper gastrointestinal bleeding persisted in one patient (1.3%).