July 25, 2023. The results of the HYCOR project will be presented at two international conferences
Based on the results of the “Hybrid-sensor breath analysis for colorectal cancer screening” - HYCOR project, the following theses will be presented at two international scientific conferences:
The 34th World Congress of the International Association of Surgeons, Gastroenterologists, and Oncologists, to be held in Verona, Italy, on September 9 – 12, 2023 - poster presentation “Significance of Volatile Organic Compounds in Surgical Resection Tissues and Exhaled Breath from Colorectal Cancer Patients”. More information: https://www.iasgoverona.com/
The United European Gastroenterology Week 2023, which will take place in Copenhagen, Denmark, on October 14 – 17, 2023 – poster presentation “Investigation of volatilomic signatures of colorectal tissues towards identification of potential non-invasive biomarkers for colorectal cancer”. More information: https://ueg.eu/week/programme
The main objective of both studies was to investigate volatile organic compounds produced by colorectal cancer tissues, and additionally, the presence of these organic compounds was identified in the exhaled breath of colorectal cancer patients.
The project is funded by the ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) 1.1.1.1. project ‘Practical Studies’, 4th phase, project ID Nr. 1.1.1.1/20/A/035 ‘Hybrid-sensor breath analysis for colorectal cancer screening’. The project is co–financed by REACT-EU to mitigate the effects of the pandemic crisis.
July 24, 2023. The operation of the reserach center in Ludza has concluded
On July 14, the first research center in Ludza completed its dynamic monitoring study of the GISTAR participant cohort. A total of 547 GISTAR participants were enrolled in the research center in Ludza. The study is part of the international project "Accelerating gastric cancer reduction in Europe through Helicobacter pylori eradication" (EUROHELICAN).
The general objective of the EUROHELICAN project is to assess the feasibility of population-based H. pylori test- and treat strategy for gastric cancer prevention in Europe. The EUROHELICAN project aims to contribute to the improvement and fostering of health in the European Union by contributing to Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan’s objective to prevent gastric cancers caused by H. pylori infections.
Institute of Clinical and Preventive Medicine of the University of Latvia (UL ICPM) is carrying out this project in collaboration with the National Institute of Public Health - NIJZ (Slovenia), the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization (France), Nantes University Hospital (France), and the Community Healthcare Center Dr. Adolf Drolc Maribor (Slovenia). The project will continue until the end of April 2025.
For more information about the project, please visit the EUROHELICAN section on the UL ICPM website.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HADEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
Where authors are identified as personnel of the International Agency for Research on Cancer/World Health Organization, the authors alone are responsible for the views expressed in this article and they do not necessarily represent the decisions, policy or views of the International Agency for Research on Cancer/World Health Organization.
June 27, 2023. A new article on GISTAR study has been published online in “Gut”
Photo: Book publishing photo created by Racool_studio - www.freepik.com
The leading international journal in gastroenterology and hepatology, "Gut" with the Impact Factor 31.795 has published a new scientific article “Clarithromycin-containing triple therapy for Helicobacter pylori eradication is inducing increased long-term resistant bacteria communities in the gut”. This study was conducted by scientists from UL ICPM (University of Latvia, Institute of Clinical and Preventive Medicine): Olga Sjomina, Reinis Vangravs, Elīna Ļeonova, Inese Poļaka, Dārta Pūpola, Kristaps Čivkulis, Sergejs Paršutins, Ilmārs Stonāns, and Mārcis Leja. Aleksandra Janiceka, a scientist from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Latvia (represented also by prof. M. Leja un Elīna Ļeonova), also contributed to the research as well. International colleagues Dr. Jin Young Park from the International Agency for Research on Cancer and Prof. Lars Engstrand from the Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology at the Karolinska Institute were part of the research team.
The importance of gut resistome induction following H. pylori eradication therapies has been debated for years, and the available information is controversial; the general thought is that normal gut microbiota is restored 3–6 months after antibiotic treatment. Therefore, a randomised controlled clinical trial as part of the GISTAR study in Latvia was conducted by evaluating alterations in gut microbiota before and 6 months after administering two treatment regimens for H. pylori eradication. The obtained results suggest that gut resistome remained increased for at least 6 months after the 14-day clarithromycin-containing regimen, which was not observed in the amoxicillin/bismuth-containing treatment and control groups. Based on the study's findings, the researchers propose that prior to implementing new antibiotic-based treatment protocols, such as those aimed at preventing gastric cancer, it is crucial to assess the long-term impact on the potential induction of gut resistome.
Study is implemented by ERDF (European Regional Development Fund ) within the framework of 2nd part of measure 1.1.1.1. "Practical Studies", project ID Nr. 1.1.1.1/18/A/184 "Optimisation of H.pylori eradication therapy for population-based gastric cancer prevention"
June 26, 2023. UL ICPM researcher Danute Ražuka – Ebela defends her doctoral thesis
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On June 16, 2023, UL ICPM researcher Danute Ražuka-Ebela defended her doctoral thesis "A population tailored approach to improve the performance of the pepsinogen testing for precancerous gastric leisions" for obtaining a Ph.D in medical and health sciences, in the field of clinical medicine, in the subfield of internal medicine.
The thesis is based on the data from our multicentric randomized study of H.pylori eradication and pepsinogen testing for prevention of gastric cancer mortality GISTAR. It was supervised by Dr.med. prof. Mārcis Leja (University of Latvia) and Dr.phil. Jin Young Park (International Agency for Research on Cancer), and reviewed by professor of the UL Faculty of Medicine, Dr.med. Aldis Puķītis, Riga Stradins University professor Dr.med. Juris Pokrotnieks, and Trinity College representative Ph.D Colm O'Morain (Dublin, Ireland).
Congratulations!
June 7, 2023. UL ICPM continues the EUROHELICAN project
The general objective of the EUROHELICAN project is to assess the feasibility of population-based H. pylori test- and treat strategy for gastric cancer prevention in Europe. The EUROHELICAN project aims to contribute to the improvement and fostering of health in the European Union by contributing to Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan’s objective to prevent gastric cancers caused by H. pylori infections.
We urge you to find out more about the project on UL ICPM webpage, dedicated to the project.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HADEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
Where authors are identified as personnel of the International Agency for Research on Cancer/World Health Organization, the authors alone are responsible for the views expressed in this article and they do not necessarily represent the decisions, policy or views of the International Agency for Research on Cancer/World Health Organization.
June 6, 2023. UL ICPM researcher Danute Ražuka – Ebela receives recognition for the best theses at the conference
Photo: from personal archive
In the second half of May, the 2nd European Conference of Young Gastroenterologists "Challenges in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology" took place in Srebreno, Croatia. Among the five young Latvian gastroenterologists, UL ICPM researcher Danute Ražuka-Ebela also participated in the conference. She received an award for the best theses for her poster paper "Erosive esophagitis and Helicobacter pylori infection associated with the accuracy of the pepsinogen test in detecting precancerous gastric lesions".
Congratulations!
Poster presentation development support:
European Social Fund project " Strengthening the doctoral capacity of the University of Latvia within the framework of the new doctoral model" no. 8.2.2.0/20/I/006;
“Optimisation of H.pylori eradication therapy for population-based gastric cancer prevention” funded by the ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) 1.1.1.1. project "Practical Studies", 2nd phase (project ID No. 1.1.1.1/18/A/184).
March 3, 2023. The activity of the Ludza Research Center has begun
Photo: Training of employees at the Ludza Research Center.
On February 28, the GISTAR research center opened its doors in Ludza. Until March 2, training was conducted there for future GISTAR research center employees. GISTAR participants will be invited to participate in the "EUROHELICAN and TOGAS cohort dynamic control monitoring study of GISTAR study participants" within the research stage.
On March 1, the scientific director of the GISTAR project, director of the Institute of Clinical and Preventive Medicine Institute of the University of Latvia (IL ICPM), gastroenterologist, and professor at the University of Latvia, Mārcis Leja, gave a lecture on the possibilities of reducing mortality caused by stomach cancer and European perspectives on these issues in the Microsoft Teams environment. As lecturers, the new project scientist Sergejs Paršutins, senior expert at ICPM, GISTAR research administrative manager Aiga Rūdule, ICPM researchers Reinis Vangravs and Edgars Dauss participated in the training in person.
During the training, the new team was introduced to the research website, data usage and security rules, the GISTAR data management system, research protocol, the inclusion of study participants, and the acquisition of all standard procedures in practice.
On March 3, the inclusion of study participants in the dynamic control monitoring study of the cohort (EUROHELICAN and TOGAS projects) began at the Ludza research center.
The "Accelerating gastric cancer reduction in Europe through Helicobacter pylori eradication” project, or EUROHELICAN for short, is an EU-supported project under the EU4Health program. It will evaluate a population-based strategy for testing and eradicating the Helicobacter pylori bacteria. As a result of the project, world and European experts will develop guidelines for the introduction of gastric cancer screening and recommendations for evaluating its effectiveness. In Latvia, it is led by the Institute of Clinical and Preventive Medicine Institute of the University of Latvia in collaboration with the National Institute of Public Health of Slovenia (NIJZ), the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization (IARC/WHO, France), Nantes University Hospital (France), and the Community Healthcare Center Dr. Adolf Drolc Maribor (Slovenia). The project will continue until the end of April 2025.
More about the EUROHELICAN project - https://www.kpmi.lu.lv/lv-lv/petijumi-un-projekti/eurohelican
The project “Towards gastric cancer screening implementation in the European Union”, abbreviated as TOGAS, will begin in March 2023, with UL ICPM being the leading partner, collaborating with more than 20 institutions throughout Europe.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HADEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
Where authors are identified as personnel of the International Agency for Research on Cancer/World Health Organization, the authors alone are responsible for the views expressed in this article and they do not necessarily represent the decisions, policy or views of the International Agency for Research on Cancer/World Health Organization.
February 14, 2023. The number of participants in the GISTAR study has reached 11 000
We are pleased to announce that the number of participants in the GISTAR study has reached 11 000, and currently the number of participants in the research center in Liepāja has just exceeded 630 people.
We kindly thank the participants who have already participated in our research, as well as welcome everyone who wants to participate in the GISTAR study in Liepāja. The GISTAR study is carried out for the early diagnosis of digestive diseases, where the population aged 40-64 has the opportunity to perform free examinations for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
As previously announced, so far the study, conducted in cooperation with the Liepāja Regional Hospital, proves that every fourth resident of the Liepāja region should carefully monitor the health of their digestive tract.
January 31, 2023. Every fourth resident of Liepāja should carefully monitor the health of their digestive tract
Publicity photo: Toms Grīnbergs, UL Communication department
The GISTAR study, conducted in Liepāja by the University of Latvia Institute of Clinical and Preventive Medicine (UL ICPM) and the Liepāja Regional Hospital proves that every fourth resident of the Liepāja region should carefully monitor the health of their digestive tract.
Of the 584 residents who have participated in the study so far, 119 have been diagnosed with H.pylori, a bacteria promoting development of stomach cancer. In such cases, research participants are prescribed eradication therapy for the mentioned bacteria. For those study participants who are found to have deviations from the norm in their blood or fecal samples, which has been the case in another 30 cases, additional examinations are prescribed - upper endoscopy or colonoscopy.
The statistics of cancer of the digestive system in Latvia, in Europe and throughout the world are increasing every year. Every fourth newly diagnosed cancer develops in the digestive tract. Gastrointestinal tumors are the third leading cause of cancer deaths. Colorectal (colon and rectal) cancer and stomach cancer are the most common tumors of the digestive system. About 1,100 people are diagnosed with colorectal cancer and 700 die from it in Latvia annually. Every year, 500 - 600 inhabitants of Latvia fall ill with stomach cancer, which, compared to the indicators of European Union countries, is one of the highest in relation to the number of inhabitants. Scientists involved in the GISTAR study remind that a detection of malignant tumors allows for successful treatment, which also significantly increases the survival rate of the patients.
Also currently, the residents of Liepāja and the surrounding area between the ages of 40 and 64 are invited to check upon health of their digestive tract. Free health examinations are held in Liepāja, 23 Jūrmalas Street, every working day from 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. More information about the the tests is available on the research website www.gistar.eu, application by phone - 25679868
The project is funded by the ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) 1.1.1.1. project ‘Practical Studies’, 4th phase, project ID Nr. 1.1.1.1/20/A/035 ‘Hybrid-sensor breath analysis for colorectal cancer screening’. The project is co–financed by REACT-EU to mitigate the effects of the pandemic crisis.
October 31, 2022. GISTAR study at an informative seminar to general practitioners
On October 28, an informative seminar was held for general practitioners in Liepāja and South Kurzeme. It was organized by the Environment, Health and Public Participation Department of the Liepāja City Municipality Administration.
As part of the event, the director of the UL ICPM, gastroenterologist and UL professor Mārcis Leja gave a lecture on different approaches to reducing stomach cancer mortality and the European perspective on these issues. In addition to these aspects, the professor informed the general practitioners about the GISTAR study, which is currently taking place in Liepāja, and invited them to get involved in its implementation by informing their patients about the opportunities to take part in the study.
Photos: from personal archive
Liepāja Sports Health Center's offer was presented by Artis Lagzdiņš, the manager of the LOC Olympic Centre. Anita Zolmane, head of the Kurzeme branch of the National Health Service, presented the current affairs of the NHS.
The project is funded by the ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) 1.1.1.1. project ‘Practical Studies’, 4th phase, project ID Nr. 1.1.1.1/20/A/035 ‘Hybrid-sensor breath analysis for colorectal cancer screening’.
October 15, 2022. Results of the HYCOR project were presented at the UEGWEEK 2022
From October 8 to 11, the senior laboratory technician of the HYCOR project and resident doctor Linda Anarkulova took part in the United European Gastroenterology Week 2022 – UEGWEEK 2022 in Vienna, Austria. For taking part in the event, she had received the UEG National Scholar Award. This award is given to the promising investigators at a junior level by awarding the highest scoring abstracts per country.
Photo: Linda Anarkulova. From personal archive.
At the congress, L. Anarkulova presented the poster presentation "Application of modular multi-sensor VOC analyzer for non-invasive detection of colorectal cancer" that is based in the project HYCOR results. The poster presentation was on the screening of colorectal cancer with a breath analysis, based on the detection of volatile organic compounds in the breath using a sensor breath analyzer.
The aim of the study was to differentiate between colorectal cancer patients and individuals without cancer. Participants in these two groups – colorectal cancer patients and a control group - performed a breath test in a sensor breath analyzer. The obtained results showed that the sensor breath analyzer is able to distinguish between colorectal cancer patients and control group study participants. The study will be continued to build and evaluate more specific detection models in larger patient groups.
The project is funded by the ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) 1.1.1.1. project ‘Practical Studies’, 4th phase, project ID Nr. 1.1.1.1/20/A/035 ‘Hybrid-sensor breath analysis for colorectal cancer screening’.
September 15, 2022. A poster presentation on the results of the HYCOR project, implemented by UL ICPM, is to be given at the UEGWEEK 2022
The poster presentation "Application of modular multi-sensor VOC analyzer for non-invasive detection of colorectal cancer", prepared by the resident doctor Linda Anarkulova - the senior laboratory technician of the HYCOR project -, has been approved for presentation at the congress at the United European Gastroenterology Week 2022, taking place from October 8 to October 11, 2022 in Austria, Vienna. It can be visited both in person and remotely online. Please find out more information on the event’s website.
L. Anarkulova's report is on the screening of colorectal cancer - one of the most common and deadliest tumors. In order to reduce the mortality caused by colorectal cancer, it is necessary to implement an effective screening method. Such a method could be breath analysis, which is based on the detection of volatile organic compounds in the breath using a sensor breath analyzer. The aim of the study was to differentiate between colorectal cancer patients and individuals without cancer, and included two study groups: colorectal cancer patients and a control group. Participants in these two groups performed a breath test in a sensor breath analyzer. The obtained results showed that the sensor breath analyzer is able to distinguish between colorectal cancer patients and control group study participants.
The project is funded by the ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) 1.1.1.1. project ‘Practical Studies’, 4th phase, project ID Nr. 1.1.1.1/20/A/035 ‘Hybrid-sensor breath analysis for colorectal cancer screening’
July 26, 2022. As part of the GISTAR project, several patiens have started a H.pylori eradication therapy
Continuing the UL Institute of Clinical and Preventive Medicine project “Hybrid-sensor breath analysis for colorectal cancer screening - HYCOR”, in cooperation with Liepaja Regional Hospital, several patiens have started a H.pylori eradication therapy.
As part of the project, the H.pylori eradication therapy to the patients is provided free of charge.
The project is funded by the ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) 1.1.1.1. project ‘Practical Studies’, 4th phase, project ID Nr. 1.1.1.1/20/A/035 ‘Hybrid-sensor breath analysis for colorectal cancer screening’
July 21, 2022. A paper originating from the GISTAR study on biomerkers for detecting gastric precancerous lesions is published online
A paper on the relevance of blood biomarkers (including pepsinogen) for non-invasive diagnosis of gastric precancerous lesions has been published in DIAGNOSTICS
Assessment of Serum Pepsinogens with and without Co-Testing with Gastrin-17 in Gastric Cancer Risk Assessment—Results from the GISTAR Pilot Study
The study was carried out using the GISTAR material gained in the study GISTAR, run by UL ICPM in the regions of Latvia.
The research was performed in close cooperation within an international consortium. The first author of the paper is Claudia Robles from Spain, other authorship include researchers from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (France) among the team from the UL ICPM.
The study was performed in cooperation with the Center for Digestive Diseases GASTRO and Academic Histology Laboratory.