Gastrointestinal and Hepatobiliary Research Group
| Contact: | Norman Hughes |
|---|---|
| Phone: | +61 3 8344 3980 |
| Fax: | +61 3 8344 4004 |
| Email: | normanrh@unimelb.edu.au |
The group deals with histological diagnosis and research into various aspects of gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary conditions. Currently the group's interest is focussed on microscopic colitis, cholangiocarcinoma, peribiliary glands, foregut antigens, vanishing bile duct syndrome, coeliac and NASH. Past areas of research have included portal hypertension, liver fibrosis, the brain in porto-systemic encephalopathy, peribiliary gland hamartomas (bile duct ademonas) and autoimmune hepatitis.
Objectives
Pathogenesis of collagenous and lymphocytic colitis. Characterisation of D10 antigen.
Recent Achievements
The role of myofibroblasts in the pathogenesis of portal hypertension. The finding of two unique foregut antigens D10 and 1F6.
Techniques
- Immunohistochemistry
- Immunofluorescence
- PCR
- Electron microscopy
- Isolated liver perfusion
Collaborations
Departmental:
Dr John Underwood
External:
- Royal Melbourne Hospital, Genetics and Colorectal Medicine
- Professor Finlay Macrae
- Box Hill Hospital, Dept. of Medicine
- Professor Peter Gibson
- National Aged Research Institute
- Professor Alan McLean
- Monash University, Dept of Surgery
- Professor Paul O’Brien
- Dr John Dixon
- Austin Hospital, Gastroenterology
- Assoc. Professor Peter Angus
- Murdoch Research Institute
- Assoc. Professor Deon Venter
- Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Washington, DC.
- Dr Zachary Goodman
- Khonkaen University, Thailand
- Dr Chawalit Pairojku
Funding
- Royal Melbourne Hospital Research Foundation
- NHMRC
- Industry funding
Recent Publications
- Tagkalidis PP. Royce SG. Macrae FA. Bhathal PS. Selective colonization by Helicobacter pylori of the deep gastric glands and intracellular canaliculi of parietal cells in the setting of chronic proton pump inhibitor use. European Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology. 2002. 14(4):453-6.
- Tagkalidis P. Bhathal P. Gibson P. Microscopic colitis. Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology. 2002. 17(3):236-48.
- Dixon JB. Bhathal PS. O'Brien PE. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: predictors of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and liver fibrosis in the severely obese. Gastroenterology. 2001. 121(1):91-100.
- Royce SG. Hughes NR. Binos S. Underwood JR. Bhathal PS. Vertebrate phylogeny of antigen D10: identification of a conserved foregut cell lineage. Histochemistry & Cell Biology. 2000. 114(2):125-35.
- Hughes NR. Bhathal PS. Gastric mucous neck cell and intestinal goblet cell phenotypes in gastric adenocarcinoma. Journal of Clinical Pathology. 1997. 50(9):741-8.
- Bhathal PS. Hughes NR. Goodman ZD. The so-called bile duct adenoma is a peribiliary gland hamartoma. American Journal of Surgical Pathology. 1996. 20(7):858-64.