TY - JOUR T1 - Digest JF - Gut JO - Gut SP - 741 LP - 741 VL - 56 IS - 6 AU - Robin Spiller AU - Emad El-Omar Y1 - 2007/06/01 UR - http://gut.bmj.com/content/56/6/741.2.abstract N2 - Well, it’s finally out! The European Helicobacter Study Group has previously produced two consensus reports, the last being in 2000. The Third Maastricht Consensus Conference was convened to update guidelines on the management of Helicobacter pylori infection. Fifty experts from 26 countries, including primary care physicians, were involved in formulating the consensus held in March 2005. Three major workshops dealt with indications and contraindications for eradication, focusing on dyspepsia, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or aspirin use (see fig), gastro-oesophageal reflux disease and extraintestinal manifestations of the infection. Other issues included diagnostic tests, treatment of infection, prevention of gastric cancer and other complications. This report provides updated recommendations for the management of most aspects of H pylori infection and will be of great help to many practising clinicians in most countries. Perhaps the most exciting conclusion of the report is that eradication of H pylori infection has the potential to reduce the risk of gastric cancer development. see p 772 Osteopontin (OPN) is a secreted adhesive phosphoglycoprotein which is a valuable diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for a variety of malignancies. Wu et al evaluated the usefulness of plasma OPN level for predicting gastric cancer development, invasion and survival. They studied gastric expression of OPN in 132 patients with gastric cancer and 93 healthy controls. They also measured plasma levels of OPN by ELISA and … ER -