In 2018, the World Journal of Gastroenterology (WJG) has published the 1^st issue which containing 17 articles including 1 editorial, 2 reviews, 12 original articles and 2 case reports contributed by scientists worldwide. Among these comprehensive articles are (1) “Relationship between intestinal microbiota and ulcerative colitis: Mechanisms and clinical application of probiotics and fecal microbiota transplantation”, a review by Xiao-Yan Wang, MD, PhD, Professor, et al from Department of Gastroenterology, Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, China; (2) “Correlation between smoking habit and surgical outcomes on viral-associated hepatocellular carcinomas”, a retrospective cohort study by Keita Kai, MD, PhD, et al from Department of Pathology, Saga University Hospital, Japan; and (3) “Probiotic monotherapy and Helicobacter pylori eradication: A systematic review with pooled-data analysis”, a meta-analysis by Enzo Ierardi, MD, Professor, et al from Section of Gastroenterology, Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation, University “Aldo Moro”, Italy, etc. We invite you to peruse all 17 articles in this issue, as they present the latest research progress/findings and provide insightful comments in gastroenterology and hepatology that will guide basic research and clinical practice in these fields.

Figure 1 The cover of the issue. Editorial board member of World Journal of Gastroenterology, Alexander Link, MD, PhD, Academic Research, Associate Professor, Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Infectious Diseases, Otto-von-Guericke University Hospital Magdeburg, Magdeburg 39120, Germany

We encourage gastroenterologists and hepatologists worldwide to submit manuscripts to the WJG describing their original basic or clinical research findings that are of high academic value and which report new diagnostic techniques or summarize their treatment experiences.

We invited the readers to download and read the E-Journal of this issue.