Aim: to provide the basic points of the Expert Panel of the Russian Gastroenterological Association with discussion of measures to improve diagnostics, treatment and management of chronic gastritis patients.

Key points. In the Russian Federation in 2021 more than 30 million patients diagnosed with “Gastritis and duodenitis” were recorded (K29 in accordance with International Classification of Diseases-10). H. pylori incidence rate in the Russian population has reduced and presently is about 40 %. In chronic gastritis pattern H. pylori-associated gastritis has still dominated though gastritis percent after successful H. pylori eradication, reactive gastropathy (including reflux gastritis) and autoimmune gastritis, has increased. Endoscopic and histologic examinations serve as key diagnostic techniques that provide a means for assessing the ethiology of gastritis, topography and degree of atrophic changes, gastritis staging as per OLGA/OLGIM system that properly correlates with the risk of stomach cancer and determines endoscopic examination strategy. H. pylori eradication therapy of gastritis serves as an etiotropic treatment and makes it possible to prevent progression of atrophy and stomach cancer. Conventional triple therapy combined with bismuth tripotassium dicitrate allows for achieving optimal cure rates of H. pylori eradication. Addition of rebamipide to regimens of H. pylori eradication improves their efficiency. Rebamipide arrests symptoms of dyspepsia in the case of chronic gastritis and functional dyspepsia. The administration of rebamipide for chronic gastritis makes it possible to influence the syndrome of increased epithelial permeability and inflammation, which makes it advisable to study it as a means of preventing stomach cancer and the progression of atrophy in various types of chronic gastritis.

Conclusion. Members of the Expert Panel has approved the algorithm of diagnosis and treatment of H. pylori-associated gastritis, gastritis after H. pylori eradication and H. pylori-negative gastritis at the diagnostic stage in the case of initial presentation and long-term follow-up when needed.

Aim: to analyze the scientific literature on the role of various factors in the mechanisms of development of functional constipation and to summarize the current data on its leading pathogenetic mechanisms.

Key points. Constipation occurs in 15 % of the adult population in the world and leads to a significant decrease in the quality of life, and in combination with some other symptoms may indicate the presence of an organic pathology of the gastrointestinal tract. The pathogenetic basis of functional constipation (FC) with slow intestinal transit is a decrease in colonic motor function, which is confirmed by the results of high-resolution manometry. FC is characterized by disturbances in such motor patterns of the colon as low and high amplitude propagating contractions, segmental non-propagating contractions, and general increases in pressure. The main FC mechanisms associated with neurogenic dysregulation include impaired function of the gray and white matter of the brain, as well as an increase in the tone of the sympathetic nervous system with a concomitant decrease in the influence of cholinergic nerves innervating the large intestine. A key role in the FC development belongs to a decrease in the pool of interstitial cells, which play the role of an intestinal pacemaker, due to slowing of their self-renewal. FC-associated changes in the enteric nervous system include a relative excess of the contribution of inhibitory influences and a decrease in the activity of cholinergic and serotonergic neurons that stimulate intestinal motility. A certain role in the occurrence of reduced motor function of the colon may have an imbalance in the production of intestinal hormones synthesized by enteroendocrine cells, namely, a deficiency of motility stimulants, which include motilin, gastrin, ghrelin and cholecystokinin, as well as a relative excess of hormones that suppress motility (somatostatin and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide). Changes in the composition of the intestinal microbiota can also contribute to the FC occurrence, which is associated with a dysfunction of the metabolite profile produced by intestinal bacteria.

Conclusions. Functional constipation is a classic multifactorial disease, in the etiology of which the adverse effects of the genotype are combined with multiple acquired risk factors. A more complete understanding of the molecular mechanisms of the FC development can serve as the basis for the emergence of new effective treatments for this common pathology.

Aim: creation of diagnostic models including electrical, viscoelastic parameters of erythrocytes to distinguish fatty liver disease of mixed etiology (metabolic + alcoholic) from non-alcoholic and alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Materials and methods. We examined 46 men with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), 43 men with alcoholic fatty liver disease (AFLD), as well as 54 men with fatty liver disease (FLD) of mixed genesis (metabolic + alcohol-related); average age of the patients included in the study made 48.4 ± 9.6 years. The diagnosis was established on the basis of liver ultrasound findings and FLI liver steatosis index with a fibrosis grade of F1 or less (FibroScan^® 502, Echosens, France). The electrical and viscoelastic parameters of erythrocytes were investigated by the diagnostic technique of dielectrophoresis using an electrooptical cell detection system.

Results. The most significant parameters for differentiating fatty liver disease of mixed genesis (metabolic + alcoholic) from NAFLD using the Volcano plot have turned out to be cell polarizability at a frequency of 10⁶ Hz (p = 6.49 ×10^-5), erythrocyte cell membrane capacity (p = 0.00077), relative polarizability (p = 0.001), the levels of which were higher in patients with NAFLD. On the contrary, the index of red blood cells destruction at 10⁵ Hz was higher in FLD of the mixed genesis (p = 0.047) and the crossover frequency was shifted to the high frequency range more than in NAFLD (p = 0.0005). The discriminant analysis has additionally revealed the significance of the degree of erythrocyte deformation at 5 ×10⁵ Hz in distinguishing between mixed-genesis FLD and NAFLD. In differentiating FLD of mixed genesis from NAFLD, a diagnostic model incorporating the above red blood cells parameters has provided an AUC of 0.829 (confidential interval: 0.742–0.916), sensitivity of 80.9 %, and specificity of 83.3 %. Two indicators of red blood cells have been established that statistically significantly distinguish the mixed-genesis FLD from the AFLD (Volcano plot); these are the index of red blood cells destruction at a frequency of 5 ×10⁵ Hz, which was higher with AFLD (p = 0.0007), and the capacity of cell membranes, the value of which prevailed in mixed-genesis FLD (p = 0.011). When distinguishing the mixed-genesis FLD from the AFLD, the combined model with the inclusion of three parameters of red blood cells, namely the index of red blood cells destruction at a frequency of 5 ×10⁵ Hz, the capacity of erythrocyte membranes, and polarizability at a frequency of 10⁶ Hz, has shown the highest levels of diagnostic accuracy, namely AUC = 0.751 (confidential interval: 0.611–0.908) with a sensitivity of 79.5 %, specificity of 74.7 %.

Conclusion. The electrical and viscoelastic parameters of erythrocytes studied using the diagnostic technique of dielectrophoresis should be considered as promising biomarkers for the diagnosis of diffuse liver disease. 

Aim: to evaluate the relationship of body composition components with the development of ascites in patients with liver cirrhosis.

Materials and methods. One hundred and ten patients (44 men and 66 women) with the established diagnosis of liver cirrhosis were treated at the University Clinical Hospital No 2 of the Sechenov University. The assessment of the component composition of the patients’ body was carried out using the ABC-01 “MEDASS” device  (“MEDASS”, Russia). Ascites diagnosis was performed using ultrasound examination of the abdominal cavity and retroperitoneal space.

Results. The values of body mass index (p < 0.001), fat mass (p = 0.002), active cell mass (p < 0.001), and phase angle (p < 0.001) were lower in patients with ascites than without it. Patients with a lower percentage of body fat mass had a more severe ascites severity and vice versa, and the proportion of fat mass was generally higher in women than in men (r = –0.290; p = 0.002). Patients with lower active cell mass had higher ascites severity (r = –0.380; p < 0.001). However, this indicator was lower in women than in men. Significant negative correlations were revealed between fat mass, active cell mass, phase angle (r = –0.395; p < 0.001) and the severity of ascites.

Conclusion. Our study confirms the importance of body composition parameters in the development of ascites in patients with cirrhosis of the liver. Insufficient amount of fat and muscle mass, as well as low values of the phase angle according to the results of bioimpedance can become predictors of the development of ascites. Evaluation of these components can be used in prognostic models to identify patients with an increased risk of ascites. Further research in this area will help to better understand the mechanisms of ascites development and develop effective methods of prevention and treatment of this complication in patients with liver cirrhosis.

Introduction. Genetic predisposition in combination with environmental factors and the patient’s psychological and emotional state play a key role in the development of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Studies of association between genetic polymorphisms and IBS can help in understanding the key pathophysiological mechanisms. To date, 11 meta-analyses on this issue have been published, however, none of them comprehensively summarize the data on the prevalence of genetic polymorphisms in IBS with predominant constipation (IBS-C).

Aim: to summarize the published data on the impact of genetic polymorphisms on the risk of IBS-C.

Materials and methods. A literature search was performed in the PubMed and Scopus databases. Identified studies were used for a meta-analysis according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. Publications investigating genetic polymorphisms in patients with IBS-C were included in this analysis.

Results. A total of 34 studies met the inclusion criteria. The collected data were sufficient to conduct a meta-analysis on polymorphisms of three of the listed genes: SLC6A4 (10 articles), GNB3 (5 articles), ADRA2A (4 articles). No significant association was found between the SLC6A4 (5-HTTLPR) polymorphism, GNB3 c.825C > T (rs5443) polymorphism and either IBS or IBS-C. It was found that ADRA2A 1291C>G polymorphism was significantly associated with both IBS and IBS-C.

Conclusions. Our meta-analysis revealed that ADRA2A 1291C>G polymorphism was significantly associated with both IBS and IBS-C in the mixed population. Neither homozygous nor heterozygous variants of the SLC6A4 (5-HTTLPR) polymorphism and GNB3 C825T polymorphism were associated with either IBS-C or IBS as a whole.

Aim: to evaluate the possibilities of endoscopic ultrasonography in the diagnosis of benign stenosis of the major duodenal papilla and improve its results, including by identifying and objectifying the criteria of the disease.

Materials and methods. The results of the examination and treatment of 2146 patients treated at the Kursk Regional Multidisciplinary Clinical Hospital in the period from 2015 to 2022, who underwent transpapillary interventions and/or endoscopic ultrasonography on the basis of the endoscopy department, are presented. A therapeutic and diagnostic algorithm for the management of patients with dilation of the common bile duct has been introduced into clinical practice, based on the developed criteria for stenosis of the major duodenal papilla (MDP), for which endoscopic ultrasonography was used in combination with the methodology of synthesis of hybrid fuzzy decision rules.

The algorithm was implemented in a group of patients, which included 217 people.

Results. Using the developed endosonographic criteria for MDP stenosis and the methodology for the synthesis of fuzzy decision rules, a production decision rule for the diagnosis of MDP stenosis was determined with a decision made according to a threshold set by experts at the level of 0.9. Guided by the selected information sources, 134 (61.7 %) patients with dilated common bile duct were diagnosed with MDP stenosis, requiring minimally invasive treatment aimed at relief of biliary hypertension and indications for endoscopic papillosphincterotomy were determined. In 83 cases of MDP stenosis, it was decided to abandon transpapillary interventions with subsequent follow-up of patients. Minimally invasive treatment using retrograde and antegrade techniques was performed in 134 patients. Complications were noted in 6 (4.4 %) patients, which is comparable to the number of complications with transpapillary interventions performed in patients without MDP stenosis. When monitoring 54 patients for one to three years, 85.2 % of patients showed regression of clinical, laboratory and instrumental symptoms of biliary hypertension.

Conclusions. The combination of endoscopic ultrasonography with fuzzy logic technologies based on hybrid artificial intelligence made it possible to objectify the diagnosis of MDP stenosis and optimize indications for transpapillary interventions.

Aim: to present data on the role of bile acids in the progression of Barrett's esophagus (BE) and the development of esophageal dysplasia and adenocarcinoma and to provide a rationale for the use of ursodeoxycholic acid in addition to basic therapy in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

Key points. The prevalence of GERD in the world is 13.98 %. In the absence of the necessary treatment or non-compliance with the recommended regimens and duration of drug use, complications of GERD develop such as stricture, bleeding, BE, which, in turn, is a risk factor for the development of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). The basic therapy for GERD is proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), but up to 40 % of patients do not fully respond to PPI monotherapy, which indicates the need to consider, among the factors in the pathogenesis of GERD, the persistence of weakly acidic and weakly alkaline refluxes, the presence of which can be diagnosed by performing 24-hour impedance-pH monitoring. It has been proven that refluxate is predominantly acidic in nature in 50 % of patients with GERD, acidic with a bile component in 39.7 %, and 10.3 % of patients have bile reflux. The weaklly alkaline nature of reflux, due to the presence of duodenal contents, significantly increases the incidence of intestinal metaplasia with dysplasia and EAC compared to acidic pH values. Therefore, stopping duodenal reflux may be an important step in preventing the development of EAC. Among the components of duodenal contents that have a damaging effect on the mucous membrane of the esophagus, the role of bile acids has been most studied. The presence of hydrophobic bile acids, namely deoxycholic acid (DCA), is associated with oxidative DNA damage in lesions of intestinal-type columnar cell metaplasia. Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), a hydrophilic bile acid, is a natural competitive inhibitor of DCA and prevents DNA damage and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activation caused by toxic bile acids in BE epithelial cells. The cytoprotective effect of UDCA, aimed at preventing DNA damage and increasing the reparative capacity of cells in the metaplastic epithelium of the BE, allows us to consider this drug as a means of chemoprophylaxis in patients diagnosed with GERD.

Conclusion. The addition of UDCA drugs to the basic therapy is pathogenetically justified in patients with GERD in the presence of duodenogastroesophageal reflux. Prescribing complex therapy will reduce the incidence of esophagitis, progression of BE with the development of dysplasia and adenocarcinoma caused by exposure to bile acids. 

Aim: to present a clinical case of colorectal cancer in a woman with a long history of smoking and a leading complaint of dry cough.

Key points. A 56-year-old patient with a long history of smoking was hospitalized in the pulmonology department of the clinic with a leading complaint of a constant debilitating dry cough during the day, not amenable to the action of drugs, as well as general weakness, sweating and weight loss by 2 kg in 3 months. The examination revealed a moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma of the hepatic bend of the colon with generalized lymphadenopathy and metastatic lung damage, iron deficiency anemia. Surgical treatment was performed at the Sechenov University surgical hospital: right-sided hemicolectomy with D2 lymph dissection (removal of epicolic, paracolic, mesocolic lymph nodes); adjuvant chemotherapy was prescribed. The patient is under the supervision of an oncologist and a coloproctologist.

Conclusion. A clinical case of colorectal cancer in a woman with a long history of tobacco smoking and extra-intestinal symptoms is presented, demonstrating the need for cancer caution in relation to patients older than 50 years with iron deficiency anemia and lymphadenopathy. The timeliness of the diagnosis of a malignant neoplasm by primary care physicians is determined by the careful identification of cancer risk factors of this localization and the targeted search for “symptoms of anxiety”, upon detection of which endoscopic, radiation and morphological examination is necessary.

Aim: to present the difficulties of the choice of surgical tactics in case of esophagoenteroanastomosis suture failure after gastrectomy.

Key points. In patient K., 55 years old, after a planned surgical intervention involving gastrectomy for stomach cancer, leakage of the esophagoenteroanastomosis sutures was noted. An attempt to re-form the esophageal-intestinal anastomosis did not lead to success, despite the early stages of relaparotomy, therefore, in order to relieve purulent complications, it was decided to take the path of “disconnecting” the esophagus, for which the cervical esophagus was transected and brought out in the form of two stomas, and the distal end of the esophagus was sutured tightly. Adequate drainage of the esophageal stump area and disconnection of the esophagus at the cervical level made it possible to avoid purulent complications in the abdominal cavity. The reconstructive stage was performed after 6 months in the amount of a colonic insert between the distal esophagus and the jejunum and plastic surgery of the esophagus using a skin insert in the neck.

Conclusion. The chosen treatment tactics was determined by the impossibility of conservative treatment of the suture failure of the esophageal-intestinal anastomosis due to ischemic disorders and necrosis of the small intestine anastomosed with the esophagus. Disconnection of the esophagus after repeated suture failure of the esophageal-intestinal anastomosis seemed to be the only chance to stop the flow of esophageal contents into the abdominal cavity and thereby eliminate the source of purulent complications. The esophagoplasty option used turned out to be the safest and allowed to save the patient’s life.

Introduction. As a result of portal hypertension (sequestration of platelets in an enlarged spleen) and liver failure (decreased production of thrombopoietin in the liver) in liver cirrhosis, thrombocytopenia develops, which is associated with the risk of periprocedural/perioperative bleeding complications. There are still unresolved questions regarding risk stratification of bleeding complications, the prognostic role of thrombocytopenia, as well as the need for treatment of thrombocytopenia and its methods.

Materials and methods. The Russian Scientific Liver Society selected a panel of experts in the field of therapeutic and surgical hepatology, hematology, transfusion medicine to make reasoned statements and recommendations on the issue of treatment of thrombocytopenia before elective surgery / invasive procedures in patients with liver cirrhosis.

Results. Relevant clinical issues were determined based on the PICO principle (patient or population, intervention, comparison, outcome). The Delphi panel made five questions and gave reasoned answers, framed as ‘clinical practice recommendations and statements’ with evidence-based comments. The questions and statements were based on the results of search and critical analysis of medical literature using keywords in English- and Russian-language databases. The formulated questions could be combined into four categories: bleeding risk stratification, the prognostic value of thrombocytopenia, the necessity and methods of thrombocytopenia drug correction, and bleeding risk reduction.

Conclusions. The results of experts' work are directly related to high-quality management of patients with liver cirrhosis and thrombocytopenia, who have scheduled invasive procedures/surgery. Thus, this recommendations and statements can be used in clinical practice.