The Influence of Iron Deficiency on Helicobacter pylori Eradication

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Helicobacter pylori is a distinctive pathogen that lives in the gastric mucosa and is a well known risk factor of gastric adenocarcinoma. Iron deficiency aggravates the development of H. pylori-induced premalignant and malignant lesions in a cagA-dependent manner, enhancing H. pylori virulence. The aim of this study was to identify the relationship between iron deficiency and H. pylori eradication rates. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Participants who received 7 days of first-line triple therapy with serum iron level measured in parallel were retrospectively investigated between 2005 and 2014. H. pylori eradication was confirmed by the rapid urease test or 13C-urea breath test at least 4 weeks after completion of triple therapy. Iron deficiency was defined as either a serum iron level less than 50 µg/dL or a serum ferritin level less than 12 ng/mL. RESULTS: A total of 194 patients received 7 days of first-line triple therapy along with parallel serum iron level measurements over the 10-year period. The mean average age was 53.3 years (range, 21~86 years), and 135 patients (69.6%) were male. The overall H. pylori eradication rate was 83.5%. Proportions of eradication success with ferritin level less than 12 ng/mL and iron less than 50 µg/dL were 90.5% and 88.6%, respectively. However, there was no statistical difference in eradication rates according to iron deficiency. CONCLUSIONS: Iron deficiency might not be related with H. pylori eradication rates in this study. Further large-scale studies are needed to confirm this result.

Air Embolism in the Left Ventricle after the Removal of a Central Venous Catheter / 대한구급학회지

Air embolism is a rare, potentially critical complication that can induce death. Central venous catheterization, which is commonly used for critically ill patients, is a possible cause of air embolism. We experienced a severe air embolism with abnormal air in left ventricle after CVC removal in a patient who was treated for eosinophilic pneumonia. Although the neurologic symptoms were severe, the patient was successfully treated with immediate hyperbaric oxygen therapy and the neurologic deficit was minimal.

Relationships between serum vitamin D levels and clinical characteristics of drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms syndrome

PURPOSE: Vitamin D deficiency (VDD) is widely spread and on the increase throughout the world. Although vitamin D is essential for skeletal mineralization, VDD or vitamin D insufficiency (VDI) has been associated with nonskeletal disorders including cardiovascular disease, cancer, allergic disease and skin disease. However, a few reports showed the association of vitamin D and drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) syndrome. Thereafter, we evaluated the association between vitamin D and DRESS syndrome. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study on 45 patients with DRESS syndrome. Four hundred and ninty-eight healthy people who visited the health screening center were enrolled in the study as a control group. We investigated the clinical characteristics, the causative drugs and treatments in the patients with DRESS syndrome, and also analyzed the associations with serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D3). RESULTS: Forty-four patients (97.8%) had low serum vitamin D levels; 21 patients were VDD (serum 25(OH)D3 <10 ng/mL), and 23 patients were VDI (serum 25(OH)D3 10 to 30 ng/mL). There were no significant differences in clinical parameters between two groups. Serum 25(OH)D3 level of the study patients was significantly lower that of the controls (12.3+/-9.6 ng/mL vs. 17.3+/-5.5 ng/mL, P<0.001). Serum 25(OH)D3 level showed a significant negative correlation with admission days (r=-0.377, P=0.011). CONCLUSION: The majority of the patients with DRESS syndrome showed low vitamin D levels. Serum 25(OH)D3 was inversely correlated with admission days.

Resistive index as a predictor of acute kidney injury caused by an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor or angiotensin II receptor blocker in chronic kidney disease patients

BACKGROUND: Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor and angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) may induce acutekidney injury (AKI).The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of the resistive index (RI), which reflects renal artery resistance on renal duplex ultrasonography, as a predictor of AKI in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients who are prescribed an ACE inhibitor or ARB. METHODS: We screened 105 CKD patients evaluated with renal duplex ultrasonography from 2008 to 2012. We excluded patients not treated with ACE inhibitor or ARB and diagnosed with renal artery stenosis. Finally, we retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 54 patients. AKI was defined as increased serum creatinine by >30% compared with baseline after starting ACE inhibitor or ARB treatment. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 60.5+/-13.0 years, serum creatinine level was 1.85+/-0.85 mg/dL and 22.2% of the patients had AKI after the use of an ACE inhibitor or ARB. The RI (P=0.006) and the percentages of patients with diabetes (P=0.008)and using diuretics (P=0.046) were higher in the AKI group.The area under the receiver operating characteristics curve for the prediction of AKI was 0.736 (95% confidence interval=0.587-0.885, P=0.013),and RI> or =0.80 predicted AKI with 83.3% sensitivity and 61.9% specificity. In the multivariate analysis, RI> or =0.80 was an independent prognostic factor [Exp (B)=8.03, 95% confidence interval=1.14-56.74, P=0.037] for AKI. CONCLUSION: RI> or =0.80 on the renal duplex ultrasonography may be a helpful predictor for AKI in CKD patients who are prescribed an ACE inhibitor or ARB.

A Case of von Hippel-Lindau Disease with Aortic Valve Insufficiency / 영남의대학술지

Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease is an autosomal dominant hereditary disorder caused by a germline mutation of the VHL gene. It is a multi-systemic disorder that is predisposed to benign or malignant tumors of visceral organs such as hemangioblastoma of the central nervous system, renal cell carcinoma, retinal angioma and pheochromocytoma. We report herein a case of VHL disease that initially manifested with aortic valve insufficiency.