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Purpose@#Endoscopic procedures can cause anxiety, which can lead to more uncomfortable, difficult, and incomplete procedures, in addition to greater use of sedative medication. Here, we investigate whether exposing patients to virtual reality (VR) prior to endoscopic procedures can reduce their anxiety levels. @*Materials and Methods@#Forty patients at Gangnam Severance Hospital were enrolled and divided into the VR group and the control group. Patients in the VR group were exposed to VR prior to their procedure to alleviate anxiety. The primary data outcomes were State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), pain score, satisfaction with sedation, and satisfaction with the procedure. @*Results@#The mean STAI-state and STAI-trait did not differ significantly between the control group and the VR group. While defining a high anxiety STAI score as ≥45 in an STAI-state, the proportion of patients with high anxiety at baseline was 35% and increased to 50% prior to the procedure in the control group. However, in the VR group, the proportion of patients with high anxiety at baseline was 60% and decreased to 50% prior to the procedure. The proportion changes of patients with high anxiety in the STAI-state exhibited a significant difference between the control and VR groups (p=0.007). Furthermore, patients’ satisfaction with sedation was significantly greater in the VR group compared to the control group (p=0.017). @*Conclusion@#VR exposure may relieve patients’ anxiety levels prior to endoscopic procedures, but further well-designed placebocontrolled studies are needed. VR, an inexpensive, easily available, and non-invasive method, also improved the satisfaction with sedation of endoscopic procedures.
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Background/Aims@#It remains unclear which maintenance treatment modality is most appropriate for mild gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).We aimed to compare on-demand treatment with continuous treatment using a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) in the maintenance treatment for patients with non-erosive GERD or mild erosive esophagitis. @*Methods@#Patients whose GERD symptoms improved after 4 weeks of standard dose PPI treatment were prospectively enrolled at 25 hospitals.Subsequently, the enrolled patients were randomly assigned to either an on-demand or a continuous maintenance treatment group, and followed in an 8-week interval for up to 24 weeks. @*Results@#A total of 304 patients were randomized to maintenance treatment (continuous, n = 151 vs on-demand, n = 153). The primary outcome, the overall proportion of unwillingness to continue the assigned maintenance treatment modality, failed to confirm the noninferiority of on-demand treatment (45.9%) compared to continuous treatment (36.1%). Compared with the on-demand group, the GERD symptom and health-related quality of life scores significantly more improved and the overall satisfaction score was significantly higher in the continuous treatment group, particularly at week 8 and week 16 of maintenance treatment. Work impairment scores were not different in the 2 groups, but the prescription cost was less in the on-demand group. Serum gastrin levels significantly elevated in the continuous treatment group, but not in the on-demand group. @*Conclusions@#Continuous treatment seems to be more appropriate for the initial maintenance treatment of non-erosive GERD or mild erosive esophagitis than on-demand treatment. Stepping down to on-demand treatment needs to be considered after a sufficient period of continuous treatment.
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Background/Aims@#Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a common chronic gastrointestinal disorder that typically requires long-term maintenance therapy. However, little is known about patient preferences and satisfaction and real-world prescription patterns regarding maintenance therapy for GERD. @*Methods@#This observational, cross-sectional, multicenter study involved patients from 18 referral hospitals in Korea. We surveyed patients who had been prescribed proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) for GERD for at least 90 days with a minimum follow-up duration of 1 year. The main outcome was overall patient satisfaction with different maintenance therapy modalities. @*Results@#A total of 197 patients were enrolled. Overall patient satisfaction, patient preferences, and GERD health-related quality of life scores did not significantly differ among the maintenance therapy modality groups. However, the on-demand therapy group experienced a significantly longer disease duration than the continuous therapy group. The continuous therapy group demonstrated a lower level of awareness of potential adverse effects associated with PPIs than the on-demand therapy group but received higher doses of PPIs than the on-demand therapy group. The prescribed doses of PPIs also varied based on the phenotype of GERD, with higher doses prescribed for non-erosive reflux disease than erosive reflux disease. @*Conclusion@#Although overall patient satisfaction did not significantly differ among the different PPI maintenance therapy modality groups, awareness of potential adverse effects was significantly different between the on-demand and continuous therapy groups.
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Achalasia is an esophageal motility disorder characterized by impaired lower esophageal sphincter relaxation and peristalsis of the esophageal body. With the increasing prevalence of achalasia, interest in the role of endoscopy in its diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring is also growing. The major diagnostic modalities for achalasia include high-resolution manometry, esophagogastroduodenoscopy, and barium esophagography. Endoscopic assessment is important for early diagnosis to rule out diseases that mimic achalasia symptoms, such as pseudo-achalasia, esophageal cancer, esophageal webs, and eosinophilic esophagitis. The major endoscopic characteristics suggestive of achalasia include a widened esophageal lumen and food residue in the esophagus. Once diagnosed, achalasia can be treated either endoscopically or surgically. The preference for endoscopic treatment is increasing owing to its minimal invasiveness. Botulinum toxins, pneumatic balloon dilation, and peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) are important endoscopic treatments. Previous studies have demonstrated excellent treatment outcomes for POEM, with >95% improvement in dysphagia, making POEM the mainstay treatment option for achalasia. Several studies have reported an increased risk of esophageal cancer in patients with achalasia. However, routine endoscopic surveillance remains controversial owing to the lack of sufficient data. Further studies on surveillance methods and duration are warranted to establish concordant guidelines for the endoscopic surveillance of achalasia.
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Background/Aims@#Food retention, which is a characteristic observed in patients with achalasia, can interfere with peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM).However, there is no established guideline for esophageal preparation for POEM. A previous study has shown that drinking warmwater may reduce the lower esophageal sphincter pressure in patients with achalasia. This study aims to evaluate the possibility ofproper preparation of POEM by instructing the patient to drink warm water. @*Methods@#The warm water preparation was performed in 29 patients with achalasia who underwent POEM. The patients drank 1 L of warm water (60 o C) the night before POEM. We evaluated the esophageal clearness and determined the preparation quality. Twenty-nine patients were prospectively recruited and compared to control group. The control cohort comprised achalasia patients whoseendoscopic image was available from the achalasia database of our institution. A 1:2 propensity score-matched control cohort was established from the database of achalasia subjects (n = 155) to compare the outcome of the preparation. @*Results@#In the warm water preparation group, only 1 patient (3.4%) had some solid retention, but it did not interfere with the POEM procedure. The grade of clearness (P = 0.016) and quality of preparation (P < 0.001) were significantly better in the warm water preparation group than in the matched control group. There was no any adverse event at all related to warm water preparation protocol. @*Conclusions@#Drinking warm water dramatically reduces esophageal food retention and significantly improves the quality of esophageal preparation.This simple protocol is quite useful, safe, and cost-effective in the preparation of achalasia patients for POEM.
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Background/Aims@#The composition of the microbiota in the esophagus is only partially understood, especially in patients with achalasia. We aim to investigate the esophageal microbial community and nutritional intakes in patients with achalasia before and after peroral endoscopicmyotomies (POEM). @*Methods@#Twenty-nine patients were prospectively enrolled from 4 referral institutions across Korea. We collected esophageal samples (mucosal biopsies and retention fluid) and conducted dietary surveys for nutritional intake before and 8 weeks after POEM. The esophageal microbiota was analyzed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing targeting the V3-V4 region. @*Results@#Out of the 105 samples from 29 patients, 99 samples were subjected to microbial bioinformatic analysis after quality control, which excluded samples with no amplification or low-quality sequence data. The overall esophageal microbial compositions of patientswith achalasia showed that Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Fusobacteria were the dominant phyla, representing over 95% of the total phyla in all groups. At the genus level, Streptococcus was the most abundant in all groups. The observed operational taxonomic unit number was significantly higher in the retention fluid than in the tissue biopsies. However, the esophageal microbial composition showed no significant changes 8 weeks post POEM. The dietary survey analysis showed that nutritional intake significantly improved post POEM. @*Conclusion@#This study determined the unique esophageal microbial composition of patients with achalasia, and also found that the microbial composition did not significantly change after POEM in the short-term, despite a significant improvement in the nutritional intake.
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Background/Aims@#To analyze various adverse events (AEs) related to the peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) procedure and to analyze whether these AEs are related to an extended hospital stay. @*Methods@#Patients admitted for POEM for esophageal motility disorders from August 2012 to February 2020 at 5 centers were retrospectively collected. Length of hospital stay, AEs during or after the POEM procedure were analyzed. @*Results@#Of the 328 patients, 63.1% did not have any AEs, but 2.4% had major AEs, and 33.4% had minor AEs. Major AEs included mucosal injury, bleeding, and hemothorax, accounting for 1.5%, 0.6%, and 0.3%, respectively. Among the minor AEs, pneumoperitoneum was the most common gas-related AEs. Among non-gas-related minor AEs, pneumonia was the most common at 4.6%, followed by pain, fever, and pleural effusion. All major AEs had meaningful delayed discharge and significantly extended hospital stay compared to the no AEs group (median differences range 4.5-9.0 days). Among gas-related minor AEs, except for 4 cases of emphysema, the extended hospital stay was meaningless. All non-gas-related minor AEs was associated with a significant prolongation of hospital stay compared to that in the no AEs group (median differences range 2.0-4.0 days). @*Conclusions@#In conclusion, most gas-related minor AEs do not significantly affect the patient’s clinical course. However, subcutaneous emphysema and minor non-gas related AEs such as pneumonia, pain, fever, and pleural effusion can prolong the hospital stay, therefore careful observation is required. Efforts will be made to reduce major AEs that significantly prolong hospitalization.
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Purpose@#The prevalence and incidence of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) are increasing worldwide. Despite increased understanding of inflammatory pathogenesis, changes in endoscopic features after treatment of EoE have not been clearly described.We aimed to investigate the reversibility of endoscopic features of EoE after treatment. @*Materials and Methods@#Out of 58 adult subjects who were diagnosed with EoE at the Yonsei University Health System from July 2006 to August 2019, we recruited 33 subjects (30 males; mean age: 42 years) whose pre-treatment and post-treatment endoscopic images were available. Endoscopic features included both inflammatory and fibrostenotic features. Exudate, edema, furrow, and crepe paper-like mucosa were classified as inflammatory features. Ring and stricture were classified as fibrostenotic features. We compared changes in endoscopic features after treatment for EoE. @*Results@#After treatment, clinical symptoms improved in all patients. The following endoscopic features were observed before treatment: furrow (81.8%), edema (90.9%), exudate (42.4%), ring (27.3%), crepe paper-like mucosa (15.2%), and stricture (3.0%).Endoscopic remission was achieved in 21 patients (63.6%). Inflammatory features were reversible (72.7%, p<0.001), whereas fibrostenotic features were not (10%, p=0.160). Exudate had resolved in 92.9% of patients, edema in 70% and furrow in 88.9%. Ring and stricture persisted in almost all of the patients (9/10) who had these endoscopic features before treatment. @*Conclusion@#We outlined the reversibility of endoscopic inflammatory features of EoE. Fibrostenotic features were irreversible after esophageal remodeling in patients with EoE. However, further validation studies with long-term follow-up are needed.
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Background/Aims@#Functional dyspepsia is a disease involving a range of upper gastrointestinal symptoms derived from various pathophysiologies. Tablets containing a combination of rabeprazole and controlled-release (CR) mosapride were recently developed.To investigate a more effective treatment, this trial evaluated the efficacy and safety of UIC201609/UIC201610 as a preliminary study. @*Methods@#A multicenter, double-blind, randomized study was performed on 30 subjects. UIC201609/UIC201610 (combination of rabeprazole and CR mosapride) was the case group, and the two control groups were rabeprazole 10 mg once a day and mosapride 15 mg CR tablet once a day. As a primary efficacy endpoint of the study, the changes in the total score of eight items of the Nepean Dyspepsia Index-Korean version were analyzed at 2 weeks and 4 weeks. The outcomes regarding safety were collected. @*Results@#The total symptom score of Nepean Dyspepsia Index-Korean decreased in the rabeprazole single group (29.4±17.1), mosapride CR single group (33.4±15.6), and UIC201609/UIC201610 group (33.4±11.8) at 4 weeks without significant differences. On the other hand, the UIC201609/UIC201610 combination group showed more score reduction of pain in the upper abdomen, burning in the upper abdomen compared to each control group, but it did not reach statistical significance. No difference was found in safety analysis. @*Conclusions@#UIC201609/UIC201610 once daily showed some improvement in epigastric pain and dyspepsia in patients with functional dyspepsia, but there was no significance. Further study based on the advanced clinical trial design will be needed to confirm the efficacy of UIC201609/UIC201610 combination therapy in the future.
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Background/Aims@#Although prolonged post-operative ileus (PPOI) is an important factor for the prolonged length of post-operative hospital stay, there is still a lack of effective predictive and therapeutic methods for PPOI. Previous studies reported that increased inflammatory markers, such as C-reactive protein (CRP) level and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), are associated with malignancies. The aim of our study is to elucidate the association between peri-operative inflammatory markers and PPOI after gastrectomy for gastric cancer. @*Methods@#We enrolled patients who received gastrectomy for gastric cancer from June 2013 to January 2016 at a single tertiary referral center in Seoul, Korea. We evaluated peri-operative inflammatory markers, including CRP level, NLR, and platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) of enrolled patients. We compared these data between control group and PPOI group. @*Results@#A total of 390 subjects were enrolled in this study, and 132 patients (33.8%) showed PPOI. In univariate analysis, preoperative CRP level and NLR, post-operative day (POD) 1 CRP level, NLR, and PLR, and POD3 CRP level, NLR, and PLR were significantly associated with PPOI. In multivariate analysis, preoperative NLR (P = 0.014), POD1 NLR (P = 0.019), POD3 CRP (P = 0.004), and POD3 NLR (P = 0.008) were independent risk factors for PPOI. @*Conclusions@#Peri-operative inflammatory markers, such as CRP level and NLR, are useful predictive factors for PPOI who received gastrectomy for gastric cancer. Moreover, prophylactic antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs can be preventive and therapeutic agents for PPOI.
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Purpose@#The prevalence and incidence of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) are increasing worldwide. Despite increased understanding of inflammatory pathogenesis, changes in endoscopic features after treatment of EoE have not been clearly described.We aimed to investigate the reversibility of endoscopic features of EoE after treatment. @*Materials and Methods@#Out of 58 adult subjects who were diagnosed with EoE at the Yonsei University Health System from July 2006 to August 2019, we recruited 33 subjects (30 males; mean age: 42 years) whose pre-treatment and post-treatment endoscopic images were available. Endoscopic features included both inflammatory and fibrostenotic features. Exudate, edema, furrow, and crepe paper-like mucosa were classified as inflammatory features. Ring and stricture were classified as fibrostenotic features. We compared changes in endoscopic features after treatment for EoE. @*Results@#After treatment, clinical symptoms improved in all patients. The following endoscopic features were observed before treatment: furrow (81.8%), edema (90.9%), exudate (42.4%), ring (27.3%), crepe paper-like mucosa (15.2%), and stricture (3.0%).Endoscopic remission was achieved in 21 patients (63.6%). Inflammatory features were reversible (72.7%, p<0.001), whereas fibrostenotic features were not (10%, p=0.160). Exudate had resolved in 92.9% of patients, edema in 70% and furrow in 88.9%. Ring and stricture persisted in almost all of the patients (9/10) who had these endoscopic features before treatment. @*Conclusion@#We outlined the reversibility of endoscopic inflammatory features of EoE. Fibrostenotic features were irreversible after esophageal remodeling in patients with EoE. However, further validation studies with long-term follow-up are needed.
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Background/Aims@#Although prolonged post-operative ileus (PPOI) is an important factor for the prolonged length of post-operative hospital stay, there is still a lack of effective predictive and therapeutic methods for PPOI. Previous studies reported that increased inflammatory markers, such as C-reactive protein (CRP) level and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), are associated with malignancies. The aim of our study is to elucidate the association between peri-operative inflammatory markers and PPOI after gastrectomy for gastric cancer. @*Methods@#We enrolled patients who received gastrectomy for gastric cancer from June 2013 to January 2016 at a single tertiary referral center in Seoul, Korea. We evaluated peri-operative inflammatory markers, including CRP level, NLR, and platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) of enrolled patients. We compared these data between control group and PPOI group. @*Results@#A total of 390 subjects were enrolled in this study, and 132 patients (33.8%) showed PPOI. In univariate analysis, preoperative CRP level and NLR, post-operative day (POD) 1 CRP level, NLR, and PLR, and POD3 CRP level, NLR, and PLR were significantly associated with PPOI. In multivariate analysis, preoperative NLR (P = 0.014), POD1 NLR (P = 0.019), POD3 CRP (P = 0.004), and POD3 NLR (P = 0.008) were independent risk factors for PPOI. @*Conclusions@#Peri-operative inflammatory markers, such as CRP level and NLR, are useful predictive factors for PPOI who received gastrectomy for gastric cancer. Moreover, prophylactic antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs can be preventive and therapeutic agents for PPOI.
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Background/Aims@#Functional dyspepsia is a disease involving a range of upper gastrointestinal symptoms derived from various pathophysiologies. Tablets containing a combination of rabeprazole and controlled-release (CR) mosapride were recently developed.To investigate a more effective treatment, this trial evaluated the efficacy and safety of UIC201609/UIC201610 as a preliminary study. @*Methods@#A multicenter, double-blind, randomized study was performed on 30 subjects. UIC201609/UIC201610 (combination of rabeprazole and CR mosapride) was the case group, and the two control groups were rabeprazole 10 mg once a day and mosapride 15 mg CR tablet once a day. As a primary efficacy endpoint of the study, the changes in the total score of eight items of the Nepean Dyspepsia Index-Korean version were analyzed at 2 weeks and 4 weeks. The outcomes regarding safety were collected. @*Results@#The total symptom score of Nepean Dyspepsia Index-Korean decreased in the rabeprazole single group (29.4±17.1), mosapride CR single group (33.4±15.6), and UIC201609/UIC201610 group (33.4±11.8) at 4 weeks without significant differences. On the other hand, the UIC201609/UIC201610 combination group showed more score reduction of pain in the upper abdomen, burning in the upper abdomen compared to each control group, but it did not reach statistical significance. No difference was found in safety analysis. @*Conclusions@#UIC201609/UIC201610 once daily showed some improvement in epigastric pain and dyspepsia in patients with functional dyspepsia, but there was no significance. Further study based on the advanced clinical trial design will be needed to confirm the efficacy of UIC201609/UIC201610 combination therapy in the future.
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Background/Aims@#Achalasia is a chronic, progressive motility disorder of the esophagus. The sigmoid-type achalasia is an advanced stage of achalasia characterized by severe dilatation and tortuous angulation of the esophageal body. Peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) has been reported to provide excellent clinical outcomes for achalasia, including the sigmoid type, but the restoration of esophageal morphology and function remain poorly described. The aim of our study is to investigate esophageal restoration after POEM for sigmoid-type achalasia. @*Methods@#From 98 patients with achalasia who underwent POEM in the Yonsei University Health System from 2013 to 2018, we recruited 13 patients with sigmoid-type achalasia (7 male; mean age 53.3 years) and assessed morphological and manometric changes in the esophagus. @*Results@#Clinical success (Eckardt score < 3) was achieved in all cases. After POEM, the average angle of esophageal tortuosity became more obtuse (91.5° vs 114.6°, P = 0.046), esophageal body diameter decreased (67.6 vs 49.8 mm, P = 0.002), and esophagogastric junction opening widened (6.4 vs 9.5 mm, P = 0.048). Patients whose esophageal tortuosity did not improve had longer durations of symptoms than patients with improvement (80.2 vs 636 months, P < 0.001). An absence of peristalsis was observed in all patients pre- and post-POEM. @*Conclusions@#POEM resulted in excellent clinical outcomes and morphologic improvement in sigmoid-type achalasia. These results suggest that the improvement of esophageal tortuosity through POEM reflects a reduced esophageal burden.
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The effect of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication on the development of metachronous recurrence after endoscopic resection (ER) of gastric adenoma is not well defined. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of H. pylori eradication after ER of gastric adenoma for the prevention of metachronous recurrence. A systematic literature review and meta-analysis were conducted using the databases Ovid-MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, KoreaMed, and KMBASE. Thus, a systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to investigate this relationship. Pooled risk ratio for metachronous gastric lesions with regard to H. pylori eradication was calculated, and heterogeneity was also measured. Five eligible studies were finally identified in systematic review, and included in meta-analysis. H. pylori eradication was associated with overall 55% lower odds of metachronous events (RR=0.55; 95 % CI 0.34-0.92). Based on the best available evidence, eradication of H. pylori can also provide protection against metachronous recurrence after ER of gastric adenoma.
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The effect of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication on the development of metachronous recurrence after endoscopic resection (ER) of gastric adenoma is not well defined. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of H. pylori eradication after ER of gastric adenoma for the prevention of metachronous recurrence. A systematic literature review and meta-analysis were conducted using the databases Ovid-MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, KoreaMed, and KMBASE. Thus, a systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to investigate this relationship. Pooled risk ratio for metachronous gastric lesions with regard to H. pylori eradication was calculated, and heterogeneity was also measured. Five eligible studies were finally identified in systematic review, and included in meta-analysis. H. pylori eradication was associated with overall 55% lower odds of metachronous events (RR=0.55; 95 % CI 0.34-0.92). Based on the best available evidence, eradication of H. pylori can also provide protection against metachronous recurrence after ER of gastric adenoma.
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BACKGROUND/AIMS: Bicarbonate-containing alginate formulations are reported to be effective for controlling reflux symptoms. However, the efficacy of Lamina G alginate without gas production has not been reported. The aim is to evaluate the efficacy of a non-bicarbonate alginate in individuals with reflux symptoms without reflux esophagitis. METHODS: Participants who had experienced heartburn or regurgitation for 7 consecutive days were randomized to one of the following treatment groups: proton pump inhibitors (PPI) plus alginate (combination) or PPI plus placebo (PPI only). In addition, as a reference group, patients received placebo plus alginate (alginate only). The primary endpoint compared the percentage of patients with complete resolution of symptoms for the final 7 days of the treatment. Secondary endpoints compared changes in symptom score, symptom-free days during the treatment period, the Reflux Disease Questionnaire, Patient Assessment of Upper Gastrointestinal Disorders (PAGI)-Quality of Life and PAGI-Symptoms Severity Index scores, the investigator's assessment of symptoms, and incidence of adverse events. RESULTS: Complete resolution of heartburn or regurgitation was not significantly different between the combination and PPI only groups (58.7% vs 57.5%, p=0.903). The secondary endpoints were not significantly different between the two groups. Complete resolution of heartburn or regurgitation, did not differ between the alginate only reference group and the PPI only group (75.0% vs 57.5%, p=0.146). CONCLUSIONS: The addition of non-bicarbonate alginate to PPI was no more effective than PPI alone in controlling reflux symptoms.
Subject(s)
Humans , Alginates , Clinical Study , Esophagitis, Peptic , Gastroesophageal Reflux , Heartburn , Incidence , Proton Pump Inhibitors , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
BACKGROUND/AIMS: Gastric cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors worldwide with poor prognosis due to a lack of effective treatment modalities. Recent research showed that a long noncoding RNA named N-BLR modulates the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process in colorectal cancer. However, the biological role of N-BLR in gastric cancer still remains to be explored. The aim of this study was to investigate the possibility of N-BLR as an EMT modulator in gastric cancer. METHODS: The expression of N-BLR was measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction in fresh gastric cancer tissue, paired adjacent normal tissues and cell lines. Fresh gastric tissues, paired samples obtained by surgery and clinical data were collected prospectively. Knockdown of N-BLR was induced by small interfering RNA (siRNAs). Cell number and viability were assessed after treatment with siRNAs. The ability of N-BLR to promote metastasis was measured using migration and invasion assays. Additionally, an inverse correlation between N-BLR and miR-200c was measured by TaqMan microRNA assays. Western blotting was performed to detect EMT and apoptosis markers upon knockdown of N-BLR. RESULTS: N-BLR expression was significantly elevated in gastric cancer cell lines and tissues compared to that in a normal gastric cell line and adjacent normal tissues (p<0.01). Two different siRNAs significantly reduced cell proliferation of gastric cancer cells compared to the siCT. siRNAs for N-BLR significantly suppressed migration and invasion in AGS and MKN28 cells. N-BLR expression was inversely correlated with miR-200c, which is known to regulate EMT. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we confirmed N-BLR as a regulator of the EMT process in gastric cance
Subject(s)
Adenocarcinoma , Apoptosis , Blotting, Western , Cell Count , Cell Line , Cell Proliferation , Colorectal Neoplasms , MicroRNAs , Neoplasm Metastasis , Polymerase Chain Reaction , Prognosis , Prospective Studies , RNA, Long Noncoding , RNA, Small Interfering , Stomach NeoplasmsABSTRACT
BACKGROUND/AIMS: Although several studies have suggested that tooth loss is associated with the risk of gastric cancer, the association between oral health and gastric cancer remains a controversial issue. Thus, we investigated whether oral health is associated with the risk of gastric neoplastic lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated 391 patients who underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopic examination between March 2010 and February 2013. The tooth number and the age-related periodontal bone loss score (ArB score) were investigated as parameters of oral health. Gastric neoplastic lesions included adenomas and cancer detected on biopsy examination. RESULTS: We identified 10 patients (2.6%) with neoplastic lesions. Older age, a higher body mass index, and the presence of Helicobacter pylori infection were significantly associated with neoplastic lesions. However, there was no significant correlation about Kimura-Takemoto classification, ArB score, and tooth number. Multivariate analyses showed that age was significantly associated with neoplastic lesions. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrate that oral health (assessed using parameters such as tooth number and ArB score) may not be significantly associated with gastric neoplastic lesions.
Subject(s)
Humans , Adenoma , Alveolar Bone Loss , Biopsy , Body Mass Index , Classification , Helicobacter pylori , Multivariate Analysis , Oral Health , Retrospective Studies , Stomach Neoplasms , Tooth , Tooth LossABSTRACT
BACKGROUND/AIMS: Esophageal eosinophilia occurs in many conditions, including eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) and proton pump inhibitor-responsive esophageal eosinophilia (PPI-REE), which have been increasingly recognized in Western countries. There have been only a few reports in Korea. Here, we evaluated the clinical and endoscopic characteristics of patients with esophageal eosinophilia from our experience. METHODS: Nineteen patients were diagnosed with esophageal eosinophilia based on typical symptoms, endoscopic features, esophageal eosinophilia with ≥15 eosinophils/high power field, and response to medication by PPI. Symptoms, endoscopic and pathological findings were evaluated. RESULTS: Of the 19 patients, 2 patients were diagnosed with EoE, 7 patients were diagnosed with PPI-REE, and 10 patients were undetermined due to loss to follow-up. Among these 19 patients, dysphagia was present in 11, and heartburn, dyspepsia and reflux in 8. Sixteen patients had common endoscopic features, such as longitudinal furrows, concentric rings, strictures, and white plaques; however, 3 patients had normal findings. Nine patients underwent endoscopy at the time of follow-up. Two patients had complete resolution, and 3 had partial resolution. However, 4 patients showed no endoscopic changes. All patients showed symptom improvements. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical and endoscopic characteristics of both groups in Korea were undistinguishable. However, after treatment, endoscopic findings were different between the two groups. Large-scale studies are warranted to confirm our findings.