Molecular diagnosis and gene therapy are of increasing interest and importance in clinical medicine. The increasing understanding of the pathogenesis of human diseases at the molecular level opens new perspectives for their diagnosis, prevention and therapy. The first part of this book, the proceedings of Falk Symposium No. 88 'Molecular Diagnosis and Gene Therapy', held in Basel, Switzerland, October 22-23, 1995, is aimed at an in-depth understanding of the methodology of molecular diagnosis by hybridization analysis, polymerase chain reaction and others. Further, the applications and...
Molecular diagnosis and gene therapy are of increasing interest and importance in clinical medicine. The increasing understanding of the pathogenesis ...
The clinical efficacy of glucocorticoids in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease has been confirmed in a multitude of controlled monocentre and multicentre studies as well as from observations of the clinical course of the disease. Although, in the past, the treatment recommendations, dose regimen, substance selection and mode of administration were deduced principally from clinical trials, in recent years experimental research has yielded a mass of therapeutically significant new results. This seeks to optimize the clinical effects of the steroids and minimize their adverse events on...
The clinical efficacy of glucocorticoids in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease has been confirmed in a multitude of controlled monocentre and...
Cholestatic disorders of infancy and adulthood represent a major group of causes of end-stage chronic liver disease. There has been great scientific interest in these disorders in recent years, so the time has come to evaluate treatment modalities in old and even new cholestatic diseases. Since secondary malnutrition plays an important role in inducing multiorgan morbidity in these patients, nutritional and metabolic aspects need better understanding. The influence of disease and nutrition-related problems on liver transplantation as the ultimate therapy of cholestatic disorders is also of...
Cholestatic disorders of infancy and adulthood represent a major group of causes of end-stage chronic liver disease. There has been great scientific i...
The therapeutic handling of autoimmune liver disease is limited because basic mechanistic insights into immunologically mediated pathophysiology have not yet been translated into standard pharmacological treatments. A future expansion of the incidence of autoimmune liver diseases is anticipated because of growing rates of exposure to an increased variety of xenobiotics of dietary, pharmaceutical or environmental origin. This book, the proceedings of an International Falk Workshop held in Konstanz, Germany, January 23-24, 1997, aims to share front-line thinking among immunologists,...
The therapeutic handling of autoimmune liver disease is limited because basic mechanistic insights into immunologically mediated pathophysiology have ...
In recent years functional gastrointestinal disorders have attracted much interest. These disorders are extremely common. They are characterized by symptoms and the lack of structural lesions that can be identified with clinically available routine diagnostic tests. Several functional abnormalities are now believed to play a role in the development of the symptoms. This book summarizes the presentations at the International Falk Symposium No. 99 Functional Dyspepsia and Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Concepts and Controversies' that took place on May 27-28, 1997. This symposium brought together...
In recent years functional gastrointestinal disorders have attracted much interest. These disorders are extremely common. They are characterized by sy...
Primary sclerosing cholangitis is a chronic disease of the intra- and extrahepatic bile ducts leading to obstructions and dilatations followed by liver cirrhosis and in some cases cholangiocarcinoma. In 50% of cases primary sclerosing cholangitis is associated with inflammatory bowel disease. The cause of the disease is unknown and many questions concerning the pathogenesis still remain open. In recent years our knowledge of the natural course, the risk of cholangiocarcinoma and the possibility of medical, endoscopic and surgical treatment has increased. Ursodeoxycholic acid, endoscopic...
Primary sclerosing cholangitis is a chronic disease of the intra- and extrahepatic bile ducts leading to obstructions and dilatations followed by live...
Although cell turnover in normal adult liver is extremely low, hepatic tissue is notorious for its almost infinite capacity to regenerate in cases of viral, toxic or traumatic damage. Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the most frequent malignancies worldwide and causes more than a million deaths per year. The mechanisms governing normal proliferation and malignant transformation of liver cells are of utmost interest for the understanding of regeneration and hepatocarcinogenesis and for the development of new therapeutic strategies. Therefore, the International Falk Workshop held in...
Although cell turnover in normal adult liver is extremely low, hepatic tissue is notorious for its almost infinite capacity to regenerate in cases of ...
This book is the proceedings of the Falk Workshop on Bile Acids in Hepatobiliary Disease', which took place at the Royal Society of Medicine (RSM) in London, UK, on 29-30 March 1999, and was held in association with the Section of Measurement in Medicine at the RSM. The main interest in bile acid therapy has been recently in cholestatic liver disease. The proceedings of the workshop not only discusses this, but moves on to examine its possible use in alcoholic liver disease, and moves back to re-examine its role in biliary disease. Leading world experts attempt to define its mechanism...
This book is the proceedings of the Falk Workshop on Bile Acids in Hepatobiliary Disease', which took place at the Royal Society of Medicine (RSM) in ...
In 1992, the Falk Symposium No. 70 dealt with the topic Immunology and Liver'. At that time basic mechanisms of immunology as well as immunopathogenetic mechanisms in viral and autoimmune liver diseases were discussed. Now, 7 years later, the Falk Symposium No. 114, held in Basel, Switzerland, October 20-21 1999 (Part I of the Basel Liver Week 1999), focused on immunology in autoimmune liver diseases. In the first section basic mechanisms of autoimmunity are presented, including the relevance of superantigens and the role of apoptosis. A further topic is the latest developments concerning...
In 1992, the Falk Symposium No. 70 dealt with the topic Immunology and Liver'. At that time basic mechanisms of immunology as well as immunopathogenet...
Diagnostic and interventional endoscopy has made rapid progress in recent years. Several methods are still under development and need to be properly evaluated. Bile duct diseases may have a negative impact on the liver, so early diagnosis and minimal invasive treatment options are important. Liver transplantation is now established for the treatment of liver failure. Hepatic surgery may lead to problems in the bile ducts which can be treated by endoscopic intervention. A broad spectrum of indications for interventional endoscopy in hepatology exists. This book, the proceedings of Falk...
Diagnostic and interventional endoscopy has made rapid progress in recent years. Several methods are still under development and need to be properly e...