The Clinical Features and Helicobacter pylori Eradication Therapy in Lymphofollicular Gastritis: A Single Center Experience

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Lymphofollicular gastritis (LFG) is defined as antral gastritis with endoscopic findings characterized by a miliary pattern resembling “goose flesh”. We aimed to analyze the clinical features of LFG and the utility of Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy in LFG. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with LFG, regardless of upper gastrointestinal symptoms (7 men, 28 women; age range, 21~67 years), were examined for H. pylori using the CLO test during endoscopy. One specimen was obtained from the greater curvatures of the lower body and the antrum. Clinical features were compared according to H. pylori-positive status. RESULTS: Among 35 patients with LFG, 31 (88.6%) were infected with H. pylori. LFG predominantly affected young women (28/35, 80.0%; mean age, 43.73 years). One case of gastric cancer with H. pylori-positive LFG was found. H. pylori eradication rate in LFG patients was low (3/12, 25.0%). CONCLUSIONS: LFG is closely associated with H. pylori infection and predominantly affects women and young adults. Future studies are needed to determine whether H. pylori eradication reduces the risk of gastric cancer.

Obesity Increases Blood Pressure Variability during the Night

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have reported that obesity increases heart rate variability. Body mass index (BMI) has been reported to affect blood pressure variability (BPV) over 24 hours. However, the diurnal variation in the effect of BMI on BPV has not been evaluated. This study aimed to clarify the diurnal variation in the effect of BMI on BPV. METHODS: A total of 2,044 patients were consecutively enrolled in this study, and the data were analyzed retrospectively. All patients underwent 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. We divided patients into two groups according to BMI (non-obese group: n = 1,145, BMI or = 25). We compared BPV during daytime and nighttime between the non-obese and obese groups. We also evaluated the impact of BMI on BPV by multivariate regression analysis. RESULTS: On univariate regression analysis, there was no significant difference in BPV during daytime (systolic BP [SBP] variability: 20.7 vs. 21.7, p = 0.511; diastolic BP [DBP] variability: 16.8 vs. 17.5, p = 0.539). However, both SBP variability (13.8 vs. 17.6, p = 0.009) and DBP variability (11.7 vs. 14.3, p = 0.042) during nighttime were affected significantly by BMI. After adjusting other compounding variables (age > 60 years, current smoking habit, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and use of calcium channel blockers and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system blockers), multivariate analysis showed that BMI was an independent factor associated with increase in BPV during the night (SBP variability: p = 0.039; DBP variability: p = 0.034). CONCLUSIONS: Obesity increased BPV during nighttime.

Postimplantation Syndrome After Endovascular Aortic Aneurysm Repair in an Elderly Patient

Endovascular procedures have been proposed as minimally invasive alternative treatments, allowing safe and effective aortic aneurysm repair. Despite the potential benefits, endovascular stent grafting may elicit an unexpected systemic inflammatory response, called postimplantation syndrome (PIS). The main features of PIS include fever, elevated C-reactive protein levels, leukocytosis and/or coagulation disturbances, perigraft air on abdominal computed tomography, and no evidence of infection. The main management of PIS is supportive care. Antibiotics have no clinical benefit. We report a case of PIS after endovascular aortic aneurysm repair in an elderly patient.

A Case of Periaortitis Diagnosed with Abdomen CT in a Patient with Malignant Fibrous Histiocytosis

Periaortitis is a very rare disease, characterized by a fibro-inflammatory tissue which develops around abdominal aorta and iliac arteries, and spreads into the structures of retroperitoneum. Computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the modality of choice for the diagnosis. Here, we report a case of periaortitis diagnosed with abdomen CT in patient with malignant fibrous histiocytoma.

The Inflammation Markers According to the Presence of Coronary Artery Disease in Patients with Peripheral Artery Disease

OBJECTIVE: Prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD) has been reported to be high in patients with atherosclerotic peripheral artery disease (PAD) in lower extremities. Various inflammatory markers have been known to be associated with CAD. The aim of study was to explore the role of inflammatory makers for CAD in patients with PAD. METHODS: A total of 346 PAD patients (71.51+/-9.41 years, 337 males) who underwent percutaneous transluminal angioplasty from June 2006 to April 2012 were included in this study. Patients were divided into the Group I (PAD with CAD: n=151, 149 males) and the Group II (PAD without CAD: n=195, 188 males). RESULTS: Among 346 patients, 149 patients had CAD (43.6%). The prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) (p=0.023) and smoking (p=0.010) were significantly higher in the group I when compared withthe group II. The level of high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) increased (p or =3.0 mg/dL) (OR=2.595, 95% CI: 1.548-4.350, p<0.001), and age (OR=0.645; 95% CI, 0.454-0.915; p=0.014) were independent predictors for the development of CAD in PAD patients. CONCLUSION: 43.6% of patients with PAD also had CAD, and the predictors of CAD were smoking, DM, and high level of hs-CRP.