GIH clinical research 2003-2004: the year in review

This article summarizes the clinical research advances in gastroenterology and hepatology that were reviewed during the Plenary Session of the American Gastroenterological Association's Annual Meeting in May 2004 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The clinical research advances included the efficacy of infliximab in the treatment of fistulizing Crohn's disease, survival after isolated intestinal transplantation, the role of endoscopic treatment of bleeding peptic ulcers and Barrett's esophagus, the recurrence of cancer after laparoscopic colectomy, the impact of microsatellite instability on the response to adjuvant chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), the epidemiology of obesity and its response to low-carbohydrate diets, the potential role of gastrointestinal factors in the development of obesity, and, the newly appreciated condition, autoimmune pancreatitis with associated cholangitis. Clinical research advances will impact the management of digestive diseases.