Inflammation and Fibrosis in Digestive Diseases

Topic Information

Dear Colleagues,

Inflammation and fibrosis are associated with the development and progression of immune-mediated digestive diseases, such as various kinds of hepatitis, liver fibrosis, inflammatory bowel diseases, reflux esophagitis, as well as liver and intestinal tumorigenesis. These digestive diseases are becoming a heavy burden worldwide, and therefore, a better understanding of pathogenesis and the identification of novel treatment strategies are urgently needed. Recent studies have proposed that several factors in the process of triggering and resolutions of inflammation and fibrosis are potential new therapeutic targets. However, the underlying mechanisms involved in the crosstalk between inflammation and fibrosis with digestive disease pathogenesis are far from clear. In this Special Issue, we focus on the inflammation and fibrosis aspect of pathogenesis mechanisms and treating digestive diseases. Both original research and review articles on clinical or basic studies are welcome.

The specific areas include:

(1) The roles of inflammation and fibrosis in the initiation, progression, and treatment of digestive diseases;

(2) Crosstalk between inflammation and fibrosis in the pathogenesis process of digestive diseases;

(3) Novel diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for anti-inflammation or anti-fibrosis therapy for digestive diseases;

(4) New therapeutic strategies of the combination of inflammation and fibrosis resolution in digestive disease treatment.

Prof. Dr. Xingxin Wu
Dr. Toshimi Chiba
Dr. Jie Yan
Dr. Emanuele Sinagra
Topic Editors

Keywords

Participating Journals

Journal Name	Impact Factor	CiteScore	Launched Year	First Decision (median)	APC
Gastroenterology Insights gastroent	1.5	2.8	2009	34 Days	CHF 1600
Life life	3.2	4.3	2011	17.8 Days	CHF 2600
Gastrointestinal Disorders gastrointestdisord	0.9	1.5	2019	18 Days	CHF 1200

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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All Gastroenterology Insights Life Gastrointestinal Disorders

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16 pages, 1909 KiB  

Open AccessReview

The Complement System: A Potential Therapeutic Target in Liver Cancer

by Meng Yuan, Li Liu, Chenlin Wang, Yan Zhang and Jiandong Zhang

Life 2022, 12(10), 1532; https://doi.org/10.3390/life12101532 - 30 Sep 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3346

Abstract

Liver cancer is the sixth most common cancer and the fourth most fatal cancer in the world. Immunotherapy has already achieved modest results in the treatment of liver cancer. Meanwhile, the novel and optimal combinatorial strategies need further research. The complement system, which [...] Read more.

Liver cancer is the sixth most common cancer and the fourth most fatal cancer in the world. Immunotherapy has already achieved modest results in the treatment of liver cancer. Meanwhile, the novel and optimal combinatorial strategies need further research. The complement system, which consists of mediators, receptors, cofactors and regulators, acts as the connection between innate and adaptive immunity. Recent studies demonstrate that complement system can influence tumor progression by regulating the tumor microenvironment, tumor cells, and cancer stem cells in liver cancer. Our review concentrates on the potential role of the complement system in cancer treatment, which is a promising strategy for killing tumor cells by the activation of complement components. Conclusions: Our review demonstrates that complement components and regulators might function as biomarkers and therapeutic targets for liver cancer diagnosis and treatment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Inflammation and Fibrosis in Digestive Diseases)

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14 pages, 834 KiB  

Open AccessReview

COVID-19 and the Pancreas: A Narrative Review

by Emanuele Sinagra, Endrit Shahini, Federica Crispino, Ina Macaione, Valentina Guarnotta, Marta Marasà, Sergio Testai, Socrate Pallio, Domenico Albano, Antonio Facciorusso and Marcello Maida

Life 2022, 12(9), 1292; https://doi.org/10.3390/life12091292 - 23 Aug 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3290

Abstract

The outbreak of COVID-19, initially developed in China in early December 2019, has rapidly spread to other countries and represents a public health emergency of international concern. COVID-19 has caused great concern about respiratory symptoms, but it is worth noting that it can [...] Read more.

The outbreak of COVID-19, initially developed in China in early December 2019, has rapidly spread to other countries and represents a public health emergency of international concern. COVID-19 has caused great concern about respiratory symptoms, but it is worth noting that it can also affect the gastrointestinal tract. However, the data on pancreatic involvement during SARS-CoV-2 infection are limited. The prevalence and severity of pancreatic damage and acute pancreatitis, as well as its pathophysiology, are still under debate. Moreover, the possible implication of pancreatic damage as an apparent adverse effect of COVID-19 therapies or vaccines are issues that need to be addressed. Finally, the COVID-19 pandemic has generated delays and organizational consequences for pancreatic surgery, an element that represent indirect damage from COVID-19. This narrative review aims to summarize and analyze all the aspects of pancreatic involvement in COVID-19 patients, trying to establish the possible underlying mechanisms and scientific evidence supporting the association between COVID-19 and pancreatic disease. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Inflammation and Fibrosis in Digestive Diseases)

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14 pages, 7600 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Integrated Analysis of the Altered lncRNA, microRNA, and mRNA Expression in HBV-Positive Hepatocellular Carcinoma

by Jingya Yu, Haibin Zhang, Yan Zhang and Xiaolu Zhang

Life 2022, 12(5), 701; https://doi.org/10.3390/life12050701 - 7 May 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2573

Abstract

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is the most prominent risk factor for developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which can increase the incidence of HCC by more than 100 times. Accumulated evidence has revealed that non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) play a regulatory role in various tumors [...] Read more.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is the most prominent risk factor for developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which can increase the incidence of HCC by more than 100 times. Accumulated evidence has revealed that non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) play a regulatory role in various tumors through the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA)–microRNA (miRNA)–mRNA regulation axis. However, the involvement of the ncRNA regulatory network in the progression of HBV infection-induced HCC remains elusive. In the current work, five tumor samples from patients with hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive HCC and three tumor samples from patients with HBsAg-negative HCC were collected for whole-transcriptome sequencing. Between the two groups, 841 lncRNAs, 54 miRNAs, and 1118 mRNAs were identified to be differentially expressed (DE). The Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses indicated that DE genes were mainly involved in cancer-related pathways, including Wnt and MAPK signaling pathways. The Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) analysis further validated the selected DE mRNAs. The DE lncRNA–miRNA–mRNA network was built to explore the effect of HBV infection on the regulation of ncRNAs in HCC. These findings provide novel insights into the role of HBV infection in the progression of HCC. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Inflammation and Fibrosis in Digestive Diseases)

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11 pages, 3882 KiB  

Open AccessCommunication

A Severe Acute Pancreatitis Mouse Model Transited from Mild Symptoms Induced by a “Two-Hit” Strategy with L-Arginine

by Jing Yang, Xujiao Tang, Qingqing Wu, Panpan Ren and Yishu Yan

Life 2022, 12(1), 126; https://doi.org/10.3390/life12010126 - 16 Jan 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3321

Abstract

To develop a severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) model transited from mild symptoms, we investigated a “two-hit” strategy with L-arginine in mice. The mice were intraperitoneally injected with ice-cold L-arginine (4 g/kg) twice at an interval of 1 h on the first day and [...] Read more.

To develop a severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) model transited from mild symptoms, we investigated a “two-hit” strategy with L-arginine in mice. The mice were intraperitoneally injected with ice-cold L-arginine (4 g/kg) twice at an interval of 1 h on the first day and subjected to the repeated operation 72 h afterwards. The results showed the “two-hit” strategy resulted in the destructive damage and extensive necrosis of acinar cells in the pancreas compared with the “one-hit” model. Meanwhile, excessive levels of pro-inflammatory mediators, namely IL-6 and TNF-α, were released in the serum. Remarkably, additional deleterious effects on multiple organs were observed, including high intestinal permeability, kidney injury, and severe acute lung injury. Therefore, we confirmed that the SAP animal model triggered by a “two-hit” strategy with L-arginine was successfully established, providing a solid foundation for a deeper understanding of SAP initiation and therapy research to prevent worsening of the disease. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Inflammation and Fibrosis in Digestive Diseases)

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9 pages, 1758 KiB  

Open AccessCase Report

An Unusual Presentation of Crohn’s Disease Diagnosed Following Accidental Ingestion of Fruit Pits: Report of Two Cases and Review of the Literature

by Emanuele Sinagra, Dario Raimondo, Salvatore Marco Iacopinelli, Francesca Rossi, Giuseppe Conoscenti, Maria Angela Di Maggio, Sergio Testai, Rita Alloro, Marta Marasà, Alberto Calandra, Claudia Costanza, Serena Cristofalo, Socrate Pallio, Marcello Maida, Ilaria Tarantino and Goffredo Arena

Life 2021, 11(12), 1415; https://doi.org/10.3390/life11121415 - 16 Dec 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2870

Abstract

The clinical course of Crohn’s disease (CD) is often complicated by intestinal strictures, which can be fibrotic, inflammatory, or mixed, therefore leading to stenosis and eventually symptomatic obstruction. We report two cases of subclinical CD diagnosed after fruit pit ingestion, causing bowel obstruction; [...] Read more.

The clinical course of Crohn’s disease (CD) is often complicated by intestinal strictures, which can be fibrotic, inflammatory, or mixed, therefore leading to stenosis and eventually symptomatic obstruction. We report two cases of subclinical CD diagnosed after fruit pit ingestion, causing bowel obstruction; additionally, we conducted a narrative review of the scientific literature on cases of intestinal obstruction secondary to impacted bezoars due to fruit pits. Symptoms of gastrointestinal bezoars in CD patients are not diagnostic; and the diagnosis should be based on a combined assessment of history, clinical presentation, imaging examination and endoscopy findings. This report corroborates the concept that CD patients are at a greater risk of bowel obstruction with bezoars generally and shows that accidental ingestion of fruit pits may lead to an unusual presentation of the disease. Therapeutic options in this group of patients differ from the usual approaches implemented in other patients with strictures secondary to CD. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Inflammation and Fibrosis in Digestive Diseases)

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