Background: Acute pancreatitis is an abrupt inflammatory disease of the exocrine pancreas and it can occur in different severities. It is becoming more common and more mortal in the gerontal population. The aim of our study was to explore the similarities and differences between young and gerontal patients with acute pancreatitis, with a special emphasis on patients over 80 years of age. Methods: Medical records of patients (n = 1150) with acute pancreatitis were analyzed retrospectively. Several scoring systems including Bedside index for severity in acute pancreatitis, Ranson’s score, Harmless acute pancreatitis score, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation, Balthazar Grade, Glasgow score, and Japanese severity score were applied at admission. Patients were divided into 3 groups; group I, young group (n = 706), if they were aged <65 years; group II, older group (n = 338), if they were aged ≥65 years to <80 years; group III, octogenarian group (n = 106), if they were aged ≥ 0 years. Results: In total, 1150 patients with acute pancreatitis were analyzed. Octogenarian group (n = 42, 39.6%) showed a more severe acute pancreatitis compared to patients in group I (n = 15, 2.1%) and II (n = 50, 14.8%, P < .001). Complications were more common in patients in group III (P < .001). Mortality rate was higher in patients in group III (n = 53, 50%) compared to group I (n = 8, 1.1%) and group II (n = 53, 15.7%) (P < .001). Conclusion: Gerontal patients with acute pancreatitis tend to have more severe disease and systemic and local complications. Mortality rates were higher in older patients compared to younger patients. Cite this article as: Asfuroğlu Kalkan E, Kalkan Ç, Kaçar S, et al. Similarities and differences between gerontal and young patients with acute pancreatitis: Evaluation of clinical characteristics and outcomes. Turk J Gastroenterol. 2022;33(10):874-884.

Background: Many rheumatic diseases may cause gastrointestinal manifestations. The goal of this study was to analyze the prevalence and predictors of gastrointestinal involvement in patients with rheumatic disorders. Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed for patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, and sys- temic sclerosis who have consulted due to gastrointestinal symptoms. The relationship between clinical symptoms, gastroscopic/colo- noscopic findings, and histopathological results with current drugs and disease duration was evaluated. Results: A total of 364 patients with rheumatic disorders and 740 people as control group were included in the study. Abdominal bloating followed by abdominal pain, regurgitation, and heartburn were reported as the main complaints by more than half of the patients. Most of the patients had gastric mucosal changes expressed as Lanza score, and the presence of major polypharmacy was the most important factor affecting Lanza score (odds ratio: 10, 95% CI: 1.882-54.111, P < .007) followed by disease duration (odds ratio: 1.559, 95% CI: 1.369-1.775, P < .001) and age (odds ratio: 1.069, 95% CI: 1.030-1.109, P < .001). In general, approximately 30% of the patients were posi- tive for Helicobacter pylori infection and 35% showed intestinal metaplasia in histopathological examination. Most of the colonoscopic findings were associated with colonic polyps (n = 81). In multivariate analysis, disease duration was the only factor that affected the pres- ence of colonic lesions (Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) Curve (AUROC): 0.871, 95% CI: 0.824-0.918, P < .001). Conclusion: Patients with rheumatologic diseases frequently have gastrointestinal manifestations. The most encountered gastrointes- tinal symptom was abdominal bloating, followed by abdominal pain. Being aware of gastrointestinal manifestations and their determi- nants may help physicians manage and follow patients with rheumatologic disorders.

Background: Autoimmune liver diseases (ALDs) are a diverse group of chronic inflammatory disorders. Individuals with a history of one autoimmune disease (AD) are at a substantially increased risk of developing additional autoimmune conditions. Polyautoimmunity has increasingly been recognized as a factor associated with a more complex disease course and poorer long-term outcomes. Methods: This retrospective, cross-sectional observational study reviewed medical records of patients diagnosed with ALDs who had been admitted to the gastroenterology clinic. Results: A total of 457 patients with ALDs were included. Polyautoimmunity was present in 194 patients (42.5%), and multiple autoimmune syndrome (MAS) was diagnosed in 26 of these patients (5.7%). Serological comparisons revealed that antinuclear antibody (ANA) positivity was significantly more common in the polyautoimmunity group. Only 22.2% of the patients with polyautoimmunity were ANA-negative, compared with 52.9% in those without. An ROC curve analysis was conducted to assess the predictive value of clinical and laboratory variables for polyautoimmunity. Among all the tested parameters, ANA positivity (>+2) had the strongest predictive value (AUC: 0.724). A disease duration longer than 6.5 years followed, with a moderate discriminative capacity (AUC: 0.677). Additionally, lower albumin levels (29.5 mm/h) were significantly associated with polyautoimmunity. Conclusions: In our cohort, 42.5% of patients had at least one additional autoimmune disorder, highlighting the need for a systemic and comprehensive approach to patient care. Simple and accessible markers—such as ANA titers, disease duration, albumin levels, and ESRs—may help to identify patients at greater risk.