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Background/Aims@#Efficacy of proton pump inhibitors is limited in patients with nonerosive reflux disease (NERD). The aim of this study was to comparatively evaluate the efficacy and safety of esomeprazole with sodium bicarbonate and esomeprazole alone. @*Methods@#This was a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, active-controlled, noninferiority comparative study. A total of 379 patients with NERD were randomly allocated to receive either EsoduoⓇ/sup> (esomeprazole 20 mg with sodium bicarbonate 800 mg) or NexiumⓇ/sup> (esomeprazole 20 mg) once daily for 4 weeks from January 2019 to December 2019. The patients had a history of heartburn for at least 2 days in the week before randomization as well as in the last 3 months and no esophageal mucosal breaks on endoscopy. The primary endpoint was a complete cure of heartburn at week 4. The secondary and exploratory endpoints as well as the safety profiles were compared in the groups at weeks 2 and 4. @*Results@#A total of 355 patients completed the study (180 in the EsoduoⓇ/sup> group and 175 in the NexiumⓇ/sup> group). The proportions of patients without heartburn in the entire 4th week of treatment were not different between the two groups (33.33% in the EsoduoⓇ/sup> group and 35% in the NexiumⓇ/sup> group, p=0.737). There were no significant differences in most of the secondary and exploratory endpoints as well as the safety profiles. @*Conclusions@#EsoduoⓇ/sup> is as effective and safe as NexiumⓇ/sup> for managing typical symptoms in patients with NERD (ClinicalTrial.gov identifier: NCT03928470).
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Background/Aims@#Metachronous gastric cancer (MGC) can occur after endoscopic resection for gastric cancer. Further studies on factors other than Helicobacter pylori infection are needed. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate risk factors for metachronous recurrence of endoscopically resected gastric cancer. @*Methods@#We searched medical literature published by February 2023 and identified patients with MGC after endoscopic resection for gastric cancer. The occurrence of MGC and the presence of intestinal metaplasia (IM), severe atrophic gastritis (AG), and H. pylori infection were quantitatively analyzed. @*Results@#We identified 2,755 patients from nine cohort studies who underwent endoscopic resection for gastric cancer by 2018. Those with severe AG or presence of IM had a significantly higher incidence of MGC than those without (RR 2.00, 95% CI 1.35–2.98, I2 = 52% for severe atrophy on antrum; RR 7.08, 95% CI 3.63–13.80, I2 = 0% for antral IM). Absolute risk difference of MGC occurrence was 7.1% in those with severe AG and 9.2% in those with IM. The difference in incidence rate per 1,000 person-years was 17.5 person-years for those with severe AG and 24.7 person-years for those with IM. However, H. pylori eradication did not significantly affect the occurrence of MGC (RR 1.18, 95% CI 0.88–1.59, I2 = 10%). @*Conclusions@#Gastric cancer patients with severe AG or presence of IM had a 2.0-fold or 7.0-fold higher risk of MGC occurrence after endoscopic resection than those without, respectively. They need more stringent follow-up to monitor MGC occurrences (CRD42023410940).
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Objectives@#Adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette subfamily G member 2 (ABCG2) and CD133 are recognized stem cell markers of gastric cancer. Extensive research has examined the significance of these markers in different types of cancers and their impact on prognoses, linking them to unfavorable clinical outcomes in various tumors. However, the prognostic value of these markers for gastric cancer remains unclear. We investigated the expression of ABCG2 and CD133 and their relationship with clinical outcomes in gastric cancer. @*Methods@#ABCG2 and CD133 expression levels were analyzed, using immunohistochemistry and tissue microarrays, in tumor samples from 459 patients who underwent surgical resections due to gastric cancer. ABCG2 and CD133 expression levels were defined by intensity and dichotomized as medians. The associations among the expression levels of these markers, disease severity, and patient survival were also determined. @*Results@#In the 411 patients for whom we analyzed the expression levels of these markers, 74.9% and 80.5% were found to have high levels of ABCG2 and CD133, respectively. High expression levels of ABCG2 and CD133 were more commonly observed in well-differentiated (p<0.001 and p=0.004, respectively) and intestinal lesions (p<0.001 and p=0.002, respectively). High ABCG2 expression correlated with improved survival outcomes, whereas high CD133 expression was associated with poorer outcomes. Cox regression analysis confirmed that stage, high ABCG2 (overall survival [OS]: hazard ratio [HR], 0.61; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.41–0.91; p=0.015; recurrencefree survival [RFS]: HR, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.34–0.88; p=0.012), and CD133 expression (OS: HR, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.00–2.51; p=0.049; RFS: HR, 2.29; 95% CI, 1.21–4.34; p=0.011) were predictors of survival. A subgroup analysis indicated that ABCG2 expression was also associated with an improved RFS rate in patients who received systemic chemotherapy. @*Conclusions@#High ABCG2 expression and low CD133 expression in tumors correlated with improved survival outcomes in post-resection patients with gastric cancer, suggesting their potential utility as prognostic biomarkers.
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Benign mediastinal cysts are challenging to diagnose. Although Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS) and EUS-guided fine needle aspiration (FNA) can accurately diagnose mediastinal foregut cysts, little is known about their complications. This paper reports a rare case in which EUS-FNA performed on mediastinal hemangioma resulted in an aortic hematoma. A 29-year-old female patient was commissioned for EUS of an asymptomatic accidental mediastinal lesion. Chest CT revealed a 4.9×2.9×10.1 cm thin-walled cystic mass in the posterior mediastinum. EUS revealed a large, anechoic cystic lesion with a regular thin wall with negative Doppler. EUS-guided FNA was performed using a single-use 19-gauge aspiration needle (EZ Shot 3; Olympus, Tokyo, Japan), and approximately 70 cc of serous pinkish fluid was aspirated. The patient was in a stable condition with no signs of acute complication. One day after EUS-FNA, thoracoscopic resection for mediastinal mass was conducted. The purple and multi-loculated large cyst was removed. Upon removal, however, an aortic hematoma caused by a focal descending aortic wall injury was observed. After a few days of close observation, the patient was discharged upon stable 3D aorta angio CT findings. This paper reports a rare and severe complication of EUS-FNA, in which an aspiration needle caused a direct injury to the aorta. The injection must be performed carefully to avoid damaging the adjacent organs or digestive tract walls.
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Background/Aims@#Fexuprazan is a novel potassium-competitive acid blocker that could be of benefit to patients with gastric mucosal injury. The aim of this study was to assess the 2-week efficacy and safety of fexuprazan in patients with acute or chronic gastritis. @*Methods@#In this study, 327 patients with acute or chronic gastritis who had one or more gastric erosions on endoscopy and subjective symptoms were randomized into three groups receiving fexuprazan 20 mg once a day (q.d.), fexuprazan 10 mg twice a day (b.i.d.), or placebo for 2 weeks. The posttreatment assessments were the primary endpoint (erosion improvement rate), secondary endpoints (cure rates of erosion and edema and improvement rates of redness, hemorrhage, and subjective symptoms), and drug-related adverse events. @*Results@#Among the patients, 57.8% (59/102), 65.7% (67/102), and 40.6% (39/96) showed erosion improvement 2 weeks after receiving fexuprazan 20 mg q.d., fexuprazan 10 mg b.i.d., and placebo, respectively. Both fexuprazan 20 mg q.d. and 10 mg b.i.d. showed superior efficacy to the placebo (p=0.017 and p<0.001, respectively). Likewise, both fexuprazan 20 mg q.d. and 10 mg b.i.d. also showed higher erosion healing rates than the placebo (p=0.033 and p=0.010, respectively). No difference was noted in the edema healing rate and the improvement rates for redness, hemorrhage, and subjective symptoms between the fexuprazan and placebo groups.No significant difference was noted in the incidence of adverse drug reactions. @*Conclusions@#Fexuprazan 20 mg q.d. and 10 mg b.i.d. for 2 weeks showed therapeutic efficacy superior to that of placebo in patients with acute or chronic gastritis (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT04341454).
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Background/Aims@#Administrative databases provide valuable information for large-cohort studies. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of an administrative database for resected gastric adenomas. @*Methods@#Data of patients who underwent endoscopic resection for benign gastric lesions were collected from three hospitals. Gastric adenoma cases were identified in the hospital database using International Classification of Diseases (ICD) 10-codes. The non-adenoma group included patients without gastric adenoma codes. The diagnostic accuracy for gastric adenoma was analyzed based on the pathological reports of the resected specimen. @*Results@#Among 5,095 endoscopic resections with codes for benign gastric lesions, 3,909 patients were included in the analysis. Among them, 2,831 and 1,078 patients were allocated to the adenoma and non-adenoma groups, respectively. Regarding the overall diagnosis of gastric adenoma with ICD-10 codes, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were 98.7%, 88.5%, 95.2%, and 96.8%, respectively. There were no significant differences in these parameters between the tertiary and secondary centers. @*Conclusions@#Administrative codes of gastric adenoma, according to ICD-10 codes, showed good accuracy and can serve as a useful tool to study prognosis of these patients in real-world data studies in the future.
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Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is a highly efficacious and safe modality for the treatment of recurrent or refractory Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI), with overall success rates of 90%. Thus, FMT has been widely used for 10 years. The incidence and clinical characteristics of CDI, the main indication for FMT, differ between countries. To date, several guidelines have been published. However, most of them were published in Western countries and therefore cannot represent the Korean national healthcare systems. One of the barriers to performing FMT is a lack of national guidelines. Accordingly, multidisciplinary experts in this field have developed practical guidelines for FMT. The purpose of these guidelines is to aid physicians performing FMT, which can be adapted to treat CDI and other conditions.
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Background/Aims@#Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) are essential for clinical decision making, conduction of clinical research, and drug application acquisition in functional gastrointestinal disorders. The aim of this study is to develop a PRO instrument and to determine the respondents’ perception of the efficacy of therapeutic agents for functional dyspepsia (FD). @*Methods@#A self-evaluation questionnaire for dyspepsia (SEQ-DYSPEPSIA) was developed and validated through a structured process. The 2-week reproducibility was evaluated, and the construct validity was assessed by correlating the scores of SEQ-DYSPEPSIA (including typical and major FD symptom subscales). Finally, the response to medication was assessed by comparing the changes after 4 weeks of treatment. @*Results@#A total of 193 Korean patients (age 48.5 ± 13.6 years, 69.4% women) completed the questionnaire. SEQ-DYSPEPSIA with 11 items had a good internal consistency (alpha = 0.770-0.905) and an acceptable test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.733-0.859). The self-evaluation questionnaire (SEQ)-major FD score highly correlated with the postprandial fullness/early satiety domain of the Patient Assessment of Gastrointestinal Symptom Severity Index (correlation coefficient r = 0.741, P < 0.001), Nepean Dyspepsia Index-Korean version (NDI-K) (r = 0.839, P < 0.001), and NDI-K quality of life (r = −0.275 to −0.344, P < 0.001). After medical treatment, decrease in the SEQ-typical FD and SEQ-major FD was significantly greater in the responder group than in nonresponder group (P= 0.019 and P = 0.009, respectively). @*Conclusion@#This study suggests that the Korean version of SEQ-DYSPEPSIA has good reliability and validity, and can be a useful PRO measurement tool in patients with FD.
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Background/Aims@#Constipation is a common gastrointestinal disorder. Prucalopride is a dihydrobenzofurancarboxamide derivative with gastrointestinal prokinetic activities and is recommended as an appropriate choice in patients unresponsive to laxatives. This study assessed the safety and efficacy of prucalopride in Korean patients with chronic constipation, in whom laxatives were ineffective. @*Methods@#This prospective, non-interventional post-marketing surveillance of prucalopride was conducted from 2012 to 2018 at 28 hospitals in Korea. Adults who received prucalopride for the symptomatic treatment of chronic constipation were included. The patients received 2 mg of prucalopride once daily or 1 mg once daily in patients older than 65 years. The baseline characteristics, adverse events (AEs), and seven-point scale of Clinical Global Impression-Improvement were collected. @*Results@#Of 601 patients, 67.7% were female, and the mean age was 62.3 years. Three hundred patients (49.9%) were older than 65 years. At the baseline, 70.0% of patients reported less than two instances of spontaneous complete bowel movements per week. AEs were reported in 107 patients (17.7%), including headache (3.2%) and diarrhea (2.8%). Seven serious AEs (SAEs) were reported in five patients (0.8%). The SAEs were resolved without complications; there were no cases of death. All SAEs were assessed as ‘unlikely’ causality with prucalopride. In 72.7% of patients, chronic constipation was improved by the prucalopride treatment during the study period. @*Conclusions@#This study demonstrated the promising safety and efficacy profile of prucalopride in clinical practice. Thus, prucalopride should be considered in patients with chronic constipation when bowel symptoms are refractory to simple laxatives.
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Background/Aims@#Lymphocytes are an important component of the cell-mediated immune system. As lymphopenia is reportedly associated with poor prognoses in patients with various cancers, we investigated this notion in patients who underwent curative gastrectomy. @*Methods@#We retrospectively analyzed the association between absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) and prognosis in patients with stage I–III gastric cancer who underwent curative surgical resection. Ever lymphopenic patients were defined as those with ALCs < 1,000/μL at any time post-diagnosis except within 30 days post-surgery. Adjusted multivariable regression models were used to evaluate the associations between lymphopenia and overall mortality, gastric cancer-specific mortality, and disease-free survival. @*Results@#We investigated 1,222 patients diagnosed between January 2011 and December 2015. Fifty-six patients (4.6%) were lymphopenic at diagnosis and nearly one-quarter (24.8%) were ever lymphopenic with a mean minimum ALC of 640/μL. Older age (odds ratio [OR], 1.02) and higher stage (stage III vs. I; OR, 3.01) were positively associated with ever lymphopenia. On multivariable analysis, ever lymphopenia predicted higher overall mortality (hazard ratio [HR], 1.83; p = 0.008), higher gastric cancer-specific mortality (HR, 1.58; p = 0.048), and shorter disease-free survival (HR, 1.83; p = 0.006). The 5-year gastric cancer-specific mortality rates for ever- and never lymphopenic patients were 10.9% and 3.7%, respectively; their 5-year cumulative recurrence rates were 15.1% and 4.6%, respectively. @*Conclusions@#This study demonstrate that ever lymphopenia is independent prognostic factor for overall mortality and recurrence in patients with potentially curable gastric cancer; hence, ALCs may be a biomarker for predicting the prognoses of patients with stage I–III gastric cancer who had curative gastrectomy.
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Background/Aims@#S-isomer (S) pantoprazole is more bioavailable and less dependent on cytochrome 2C19 than is racemic pantoprazole. We aim to evaluate the efficacy and safety of 10 mg S-pantoprazole for treatment of non-erosive reflux disease (NERD). @*Methods@#In this phase 3, double-blind, randomized placebo controlled, multicenter study, 174 NERD patients were randomized to one of both treatment groups: 10 mg S-pantoprazole, or placebo once daily for 4 weeks. Symptoms and safety were assessed. The efficacy endpoints were complete relief of symptoms, > 50% improvement of all reflux symptoms and recurrence. @*Results@#Eighty-eight patients were assigned to the S-pantoprazole group (25 males, mean 43.7 years old) and 86 to the placebo group (32 males, mean 43.0 years old), and 163 patients were subjected to full Analysis Set. A higher proportion of patients in the S-pantoprazole group had complete symptom relief (42.0 % [34/81] vs 17.1% [14/82], P 50% symptom responses (66.0% vs 50.0%, P = 0.010 for heartburn; 64.2% vs 28.0%, P = 0.010 for acid regurgitation; and 51.9% vs 30.5%, P = 0.03 for epigastric discomfort) compared to the placebo group. The factors associated with poor responsiveness to PPI were older age, female, greater body mass index, and severe baseline symptoms. @*Conclusions@#Low dose of S-pantoprazole (10 mg) for 4 weeks was more efficacious than placebo in providing reflux symptom relief in patients with NERD, especially acid regurgitation. More doses or longer periods of treatment with S-pantoprazole would be needed to completely eliminate symptoms.
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Background/Aims@#Point mutations in the 23S ribosomal RNA gene have been associated with Helicobacter pylori clarithromycin resistance. This study aimed to detect the prevalence of these point mutations and to investigate the role of different point mutations in the success of eradication therapy. @*Methods@#We retrospectively investigated a total of 464 consecutive patients who underwent an endoscopic examination and dual-priming oligonucleotide-based multiplex polymerase chain reaction for H. pylori between June 2014 and October 2019. For 289 patients with negative point mutations, standard triple therapy was used in 287 patients, and the bismuth-quadruple regimen was used in two patients. For 175 patients with positive point mutations (A2142G, A2143G, and both mutations), standard triple and bismuth-quadruple therapies were used in 37 patients and 138 patients, respectively. @*Results@#The eradication rates of standard triple and bismuth-quadruple therapies showed no significant difference in mutation-negative patients or those with the A2142G point mutation.However, the eradication rate with bismuth-quadruple therapy was significantly higher than that with standard triple therapy in the group with the A2143G mutation or with the double mutation.The eradication rates for standard triple and bismuth-quadruple therapies, respectively, were 25.8% and 92.1% in the per-protocol group (p<0.001) and 24.2% and 85.2% in the intention-totreat analysis (p<0.001). @*Conclusions@#The A2143G point mutation is the most prevalent cause of clarithromycin resistance. Bismuth-quadruple therapy is superior to standard triple therapy in patients with the A2143G or double point mutation.
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Background/Aims@#The aim of this in vivo animal study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of dedicated cold snare (DCS) compared with those of traditional snare (TS) for cold snare polypectomy (CSP). @*Methods@#A total of 36 diminutive (5 mm) and 36 small (9 mm) pseudolesions were made by electrocoagulation in the colons of mini-pigs. @*Results@#For the diminutive lesions, there were no significant differences in technical success rate, procedure time, or complete resection rate between the DCS and TS groups; the rate of uneven resection margin in the DCS group was significantly lower than that of the TS group. For small lesions, technical success rate and complete resection rate were significantly higher in the DCS group than in the TS group (100% [18/18] vs. 55.6% [10/18], p=0.003; 94.4% [17/18] vs. 40% [4/10], p=0.006). In addition, the procedure duration was significantly shorter, and the rate of uneven resection margin was significantly lower in the DCS group (28.5 sec vs. 66.0 sec, p=0.006; 11.1% [2/18] vs. 100% [10/10], p<0.001). Two cases of perforation occurred in the DCS group. Multivariate analysis revealed that DCS use was independently associated with complete resection. @*Conclusions@#DCS is superior to TS in terms of technical success, complete resection, and reducing the duration of the procedure for CSP of small polyps.
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Background/Aims@#S-isomer (S) pantoprazole is more bioavailable and less dependent on cytochrome 2C19 than is racemic pantoprazole. We aim to evaluate the efficacy and safety of 10 mg S-pantoprazole for treatment of non-erosive reflux disease (NERD). @*Methods@#In this phase 3, double-blind, randomized placebo controlled, multicenter study, 174 NERD patients were randomized to one of both treatment groups: 10 mg S-pantoprazole, or placebo once daily for 4 weeks. Symptoms and safety were assessed. The efficacy endpoints were complete relief of symptoms, > 50% improvement of all reflux symptoms and recurrence. @*Results@#Eighty-eight patients were assigned to the S-pantoprazole group (25 males, mean 43.7 years old) and 86 to the placebo group (32 males, mean 43.0 years old), and 163 patients were subjected to full Analysis Set. A higher proportion of patients in the S-pantoprazole group had complete symptom relief (42.0 % [34/81] vs 17.1% [14/82], P 50% symptom responses (66.0% vs 50.0%, P = 0.010 for heartburn; 64.2% vs 28.0%, P = 0.010 for acid regurgitation; and 51.9% vs 30.5%, P = 0.03 for epigastric discomfort) compared to the placebo group. The factors associated with poor responsiveness to PPI were older age, female, greater body mass index, and severe baseline symptoms. @*Conclusions@#Low dose of S-pantoprazole (10 mg) for 4 weeks was more efficacious than placebo in providing reflux symptom relief in patients with NERD, especially acid regurgitation. More doses or longer periods of treatment with S-pantoprazole would be needed to completely eliminate symptoms.
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Background/Aims@#Point mutations in the 23S ribosomal RNA gene have been associated with Helicobacter pylori clarithromycin resistance. This study aimed to detect the prevalence of these point mutations and to investigate the role of different point mutations in the success of eradication therapy. @*Methods@#We retrospectively investigated a total of 464 consecutive patients who underwent an endoscopic examination and dual-priming oligonucleotide-based multiplex polymerase chain reaction for H. pylori between June 2014 and October 2019. For 289 patients with negative point mutations, standard triple therapy was used in 287 patients, and the bismuth-quadruple regimen was used in two patients. For 175 patients with positive point mutations (A2142G, A2143G, and both mutations), standard triple and bismuth-quadruple therapies were used in 37 patients and 138 patients, respectively. @*Results@#The eradication rates of standard triple and bismuth-quadruple therapies showed no significant difference in mutation-negative patients or those with the A2142G point mutation.However, the eradication rate with bismuth-quadruple therapy was significantly higher than that with standard triple therapy in the group with the A2143G mutation or with the double mutation.The eradication rates for standard triple and bismuth-quadruple therapies, respectively, were 25.8% and 92.1% in the per-protocol group (p<0.001) and 24.2% and 85.2% in the intention-totreat analysis (p<0.001). @*Conclusions@#The A2143G point mutation is the most prevalent cause of clarithromycin resistance. Bismuth-quadruple therapy is superior to standard triple therapy in patients with the A2143G or double point mutation.
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Background/Aims@#The aim of this in vivo animal study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of dedicated cold snare (DCS) compared with those of traditional snare (TS) for cold snare polypectomy (CSP). @*Methods@#A total of 36 diminutive (5 mm) and 36 small (9 mm) pseudolesions were made by electrocoagulation in the colons of mini-pigs. @*Results@#For the diminutive lesions, there were no significant differences in technical success rate, procedure time, or complete resection rate between the DCS and TS groups; the rate of uneven resection margin in the DCS group was significantly lower than that of the TS group. For small lesions, technical success rate and complete resection rate were significantly higher in the DCS group than in the TS group (100% [18/18] vs. 55.6% [10/18], p=0.003; 94.4% [17/18] vs. 40% [4/10], p=0.006). In addition, the procedure duration was significantly shorter, and the rate of uneven resection margin was significantly lower in the DCS group (28.5 sec vs. 66.0 sec, p=0.006; 11.1% [2/18] vs. 100% [10/10], p<0.001). Two cases of perforation occurred in the DCS group. Multivariate analysis revealed that DCS use was independently associated with complete resection. @*Conclusions@#DCS is superior to TS in terms of technical success, complete resection, and reducing the duration of the procedure for CSP of small polyps.
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Background/Aims@#Prokinetics such as mosapride citrate CR (conventional-release; Gasmotin) are commonly used in functional dyspepsia (FD). This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of once-a-day mosapride citrate SR (DWJ1252), a sustained-release formulation of mosapride citrate, compared with mosapride citrate CR 3 times a day, in patients with FD. @*Methods@#In this multicenter, randomized, double-blind, active-controlled, non-inferiority study, 119 patients with FD (by the Rome III criteria, 60 for mosapride citrate SR and 59 for mosapride citrate CR) were randomly allocated to mosapride citrate SR once daily or mosapride citrate CR thrice daily for 4 weeks in 16 medical institutions. Primary end point was the change in gastrointestinal symptom (GIS) score from baseline, assessed by GIS questionnaires on 5-point Likert scale after 4-week treatment. Secondary end points and safety profiles were also analyzed. @*Results@#The study included 51 and 49 subjects in the mosapride citrate SR and mosapride citrate CR groups, respectively. GIS scores at week 4 were significantly reduced in both groups (mean ± SD: − 10.04 ± 4.45 and − 10.86 ± 5.53 in the mosapride citrate SR and mosapride citrate CR groups, respectively; P < 0.001), and the GIS changes from baseline did not differ between the 2 groups (difference, 0.82 point; 95% CI, − 1.17, 2.81; P = 0.643). Changes in GIS at weeks 2 and 4 and quality of life at week 4, and the improvement rates of global assessments at weeks 2 and 4, did not differ between the groups. Adverse events were similar in the 2 groups, and there were no serious adverse events. @*Conclusion@#In patients with FD, mosapride citrate SR once daily is as effective as mosapride citrate CR thrice daily, with a similar safety profile.
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Background/Aims@#Lymphocytes are an important component of the cell-mediated immune system. As lymphopenia is reportedly associated with poor prognoses in patients with various cancers, we investigated this notion in patients who underwent curative gastrectomy. @*Methods@#We retrospectively analyzed the association between absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) and prognosis in patients with stage I–III gastric cancer who underwent curative surgical resection. Ever lymphopenic patients were defined as those with ALCs < 1,000/μL at any time post-diagnosis except within 30 days post-surgery. Adjusted multivariable regression models were used to evaluate the associations between lymphopenia and overall mortality, gastric cancer-specific mortality, and disease-free survival. @*Results@#We investigated 1,222 patients diagnosed between January 2011 and December 2015. Fifty-six patients (4.6%) were lymphopenic at diagnosis and nearly one-quarter (24.8%) were ever lymphopenic with a mean minimum ALC of 640/μL. Older age (odds ratio [OR], 1.02) and higher stage (stage III vs. I; OR, 3.01) were positively associated with ever lymphopenia. On multivariable analysis, ever lymphopenia predicted higher overall mortality (hazard ratio [HR], 1.83; p = 0.008), higher gastric cancer-specific mortality (HR, 1.58; p = 0.048), and shorter disease-free survival (HR, 1.83; p = 0.006). The 5-year gastric cancer-specific mortality rates for ever- and never lymphopenic patients were 10.9% and 3.7%, respectively; their 5-year cumulative recurrence rates were 15.1% and 4.6%, respectively. @*Conclusions@#This study demonstrate that ever lymphopenia is independent prognostic factor for overall mortality and recurrence in patients with potentially curable gastric cancer; hence, ALCs may be a biomarker for predicting the prognoses of patients with stage I–III gastric cancer who had curative gastrectomy.
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Background/Aims@#Since the use of dexlansoprazole in Asian subjects with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) has not been adequately characterized, this study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of dexlansoprazole modified-release in Asian subjects with non-erosive reflux disease (NERD) and erosive esophagitis (EE). @*Methods@#In this phase 4, open-label, non-randomized, uncontrolled, multicenter, multi-country study sponsored by Takeda, subjects aged ≥ 20 years with persistent typical GERD symptoms for at least 6 months underwent endoscopy. Based on endoscopic findings, they were assigned to either dexlansoprazole modified-release 30 mg once-daily for 4 weeks (NERD group) or dexlansoprazole modified-release 60 mg once-daily for 8 weeks (EE group). The primary endpoint was the percentage of days that subjects did not experience any 24- hour heartburn or acid regurgitation. @*Results@#Of the 445 subjects screened from Hong Kong, South Korea, and Taiwan, 208 were enrolled in the NERD group (mean age: 53.6 years, male: 34.6%) and 88 in the EE group (mean age: 51.7 years, male: 55.7%). Over the treatment period, the median percentage of days that subjects did not experience any 24-hour heartburn or acid regurgitation was 26.9% and 65.5% in the NERD and EE groups, respectively; for nighttime heartburn or acid regurgitation the proportions were 59.3% and 83.3%, respectively. The treatment was well tolerated with low incidence of treatment-related adverse events in NERD and EE groups (6.7% and 5.7%, respectively). @*Conclusion@#In Asian patients with GERD, treatment with dexlansoprazole modified-release indicates a favorable efficacy and safety profile in relieving heartburn and acid regurgitation symptoms.
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Background/Aims@#We evaluated the miss rates of polyps, adenomas, and advanced neoplasia of polypectomy-referring hospitals and risk factors for missed adenomas. @*Methods@#We compared medical records and electronic images of initial colonoscopies from polypectomy-referring hospitals with those of corresponding therapeutic colonoscopies from Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital obtained from May 2014 to February 2016. @*Results@#A total of 147 patients (56.6 ± 12.1 years, 37 females) were included. The mean number of polyps and adenomas detected on initial colonoscopy was 2.4 ± 1.7 and 1.7 ± 1.4, respectively. The mean number of additionally detected polyps and adenomas per patient during therapeutic colonoscopy was 1.4 ± 1.8 and 1.0 ± 1.5, respectively. Pooled miss rate for polyps, adenomas, and advanced neoplasia was 36%, 37%, and 11%, respectively. Pooled miss rate for adenomas was significantly higher for right-sided, non-pedunculated, and small (< 1 cm) adenomas (p = 0.031, p = 0.000, and p = 0.000, respectively). The miss rate of polyps, adenomas, and advanced neoplasia per patient was 60%, 49%, and 7%, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed age and number of adenoma on initial colonoscopy were significantly related with risk for adenoma-missing (p = 0.005 and p = 0.023, respectively). @*Conclusions@#Among patients referred for polypectomy, adenoma is missed in one of two patients and advanced neoplasm is missed in one of 13. Patients with advanced age or multiple adenoma on initial colonoscopy have a higher possibility of missed adenoma. Total colon exploration should be performed carefully during therapeutic colonoscopy.