Effectiveness of 7-day triple therapy with half-dose clarithromycin for the eradication of Helicobacter pylori without the A2143G and A2142G point mutations of the 23S rRNA gene in a high clarithromycin resistance area.

Background: Tailored therapy has been widely used for patients with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection in South Korea. Herein, we evaluated the treatment outcomes of tailored clarithromycin-based triple therapy (TT) in patients infected with H. pylori. Methods: We enrolled 460 patients without A2142G and A2143G point mutations by dual priming oligonucleotide-based polymerase chain reaction who had taken TT and undergone the urease breath test to evaluate eradication in clinical practice. Eradication rates according to the treatment duration and dose of clarithromycin were analyzed. Results: Among 460 patients (164 women, median age 63.0 years), 250 patients underwent TT with full-dose clarithromycin (TT-full CLA), and 216 patients underwent TT with half-dose clarithromycin (TT-half CLA). The eradication rates were 88.0% (220/250) in patients with TT-full CLA and 85.2% (179/210) in patients with TT-half CLA. In 250 patients with TT-full CLA, the eradication rates were 86.8% (33/38) in patients with 7-day TT-full CLA and 88.2% (187/212) in patients with 10-day or 14-day TT-full CLA (P = 0.788). In 210 patients with TT-half CLA, the eradication rates were 84.2% (139/165) in those with a 7-day TT-half CLA and 88.9% (40/45) in those with a 10-day or 14-day TT-half CLA (P = 0.436). Conclusion: For patients with H. pylori infection without A2142G and A2143G point mutations by DPO-PCR in clinical practice, treatment extension above 7-day TT with full CLA did not improve the eradication rates. Future studies on the treatment outcomes of TT-half CLA considering effectiveness and compliance are warranted.

Primary bile acid activates Egr­1 expression through the MAPK signaling pathway in gastric cancer.

Bile acids have been linked to pathomechanism and prognosis in various types of cancers. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of bile acids on the molecular change in gastric epithelial cancer cells and to evaluate gastric bile acid concentration in patients with early gastric cancer (EGC). Human gastric cancer cells (AGS and NCI­N87 cell lines) were treated with several bile acid types to determine their effect on molecular changes in the cells. Gastric levels of individual bile acids were measured (primary unconjugated or conjugated bile acids and secondary bile acids) in 39 participants (20 controls and 19 patients with EGC). Exposing gastric epithelial cancer cells to primary bile acids in vitro upregulated the expression of early growth response factor 1 (Egr­1) and the oncogenes including c­Jun, c­Myc and Snail, whereas a p42/44 MAPK inhibitor exposure reduced their expression. There was a significant difference in age and presence of atrophic gastritis with intestinal metaplasia in background mucosa between controls and patients with EGC. There were significant differences in the levels of unconjugated or conjugated primary bile acids between controls and EGC patients except lithocholic acid. After adjustment of age and presence of atrophic gastritis with intestinal metaplasia, the levels of cholic acid [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 4.3; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.2­16.2; P=0.029] and glycochenodeoxycholic acid [aOR 9.9; 95% CI: 1.3­75.3; P=0.027] were significantly higher in patients with EGC compared with controls. In conclusion, bile acids upregulate Egr­1 in gastric cancer cells via the MAPK signaling pathway, and higher gastric levels of primary bile acids are associated with EGC. Therefore, exposure of gastric cells to primary bile acids may play a role in gastric carcinogenesis.

Risk factors and management for pyloric stenosis occurred after endoscopic submucosal dissection adjacent to pylorus.

Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) has been widely accepted as a curative treatment for gastric neoplasm. Pyloric stenosis is a chronic complication that can be caused by ESD. The aim of this study is to clarify the risk factors and management for pyloric stenosis. From January 2004 to January 2014, a total of 126 patients who underwent ESD adjacent to pylorus were reviewed retrospectively. Pyloric mucosal defect was defined as when any resection margin of ESD was involved in the pyloric ring. Pyloric stenosis was defined as when a conventional endoscope could not be passed to the duodenum. Among the 126 patients, pyloric stenosis was identified in 9. In a univariate analysis, pyloric stenosis was more common in older patients (P < 0.05) and in lesions with resections over 75% of the pyloric ring circumference (P < 0.001). In a multivariate analysis, the factor that was associated with pyloric stenosis was the extent of the pyloric ring dissection (P < 0.001). Four of the 9 patients with pyloric stenosis had mild dyspepsia, and the others had gastric outlet obstruction symptoms. The 5 symptomatic patients underwent endoscopic balloon dilation (EBD), and the frequency of EBD was 1 to 8 times. The asymptomatic patients were treated conservatively. The incidence of pyloric stenosis was higher in lesions with resections over 75% of the pyloric ring circumference. Although EBD was an effective treatment for pyloric stenosis, conservative management was also helpful in patients who had mild symptoms.

Predictive factors suggesting an underestimation of gastric lesions initially diagnosed as adenomas by forceps biopsy.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The endoscopic forceps biopsy of gastric lesion may provide inadequate specimens for a correct diagnosis of the entire lesion. Therefore, a histologic discrepancy may exist between specimens obtained by forceps biopsy and by endoscopic resection. The aim of this study was to evaluate the endoscopic characteristics of an underestimation in gastric carcinomas initially diagnosed as adenomas by forceps biopsy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 431 lesions diagnosed as gastric adenomas by forceps biopsy and resected by endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) between January 2008 and December 2011. The endoscopic findings were reviewed for location, size, gross appearance, ulceration, and surface color. We compared these variables between the adenoma group and the carcinoma group, as defined by the post-resection pathological findings. RESULTS: The mean patient age was 65.63±9.30 years in the adenoma group and 64.75±10.30 years in the carcinoma group. The mean size of the lesion was 21.04±8.65 mm in the adenoma group and 22.06±7.46 mm in the carcinoma group. In the multivariate analysis, high-grade dysplasia from endoscopic forceps biopsy and red discoloration were significant variables associated with carcinoma in post-resection histology. CONCLUSION: Gastric adenomatous lesions with endoscopic characteristics of surface redness and high-grade dysplasia on forceps biopsy should be resected completely by ESD because of the high possibility of an underestimation after ESD.

A case of Zollinger-Ellison syndrome in multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 with urolithiasis as the initial presentation.

Zollinger-Ellison syndrome (ZES) is characterized by gastrinoma and resultant hypergastrinemia, which leads to recurrent peptic ulcers. Because gastrinoma is the most common pancreatic endocrine tumor seen in multiple endocrine neoplasia type I (MEN 1), the possibility of gastrinoma should be investigated carefully when patients exhibit symptoms associated with hormonal changes. Ureteral stones associated with hyperparathyroidism in the early course of MEN 1 are known to be its most common clinical manifestation; appropriate evaluation and close follow-up of patients with hypercalcemic urolithiasis can lead to an early diagnosis of gastrinoma. We report a patient with ZES associated with MEN 1, and urolithiasis as the presenting entity. A 51-year-old man visited the emergency department with recurrent epigastric pain. He had a history of calcium urinary stone 3 years ago, and 2 years later he had 2 operations for multiple jejunal ulcer perforations; these surgeries were 9 months apart. He was taking intermittent courses of antiulcer medication. Multiple peripancreatic nodular masses, a hepatic metastasis, parathyroid hyperplasia, and a pituitary microadenoma were confirmed by multimodal imaging studies. We diagnosed ZES with MEN 1 and performed sequential surgical excision of the gastrinomas and the parathyroid adenoma. The patient received octreotide injection therapy and close follow-up.

Cronkhite-Canada syndrome associated with serrated adenoma and malignant polyp: a case report and a literature review of 13 cronkhite-Canada syndrome cases in Korea.

Cronkhite-Canada syndrome (CCS) is a rare nonfamilial polyposis syndrome characterized by epithelial disturbances both in the gastrointestinal tract and in the epidermis. The pathologic finding of the polyp is usually a hamartomatous polyp of the juvenile type; however, the possibility of serrated adenoma associated malignant neoplasm was reported in some Japanese cases. Up till now in South Korea, 13 CCS cases have been reported, but there was no case accompanied by the colon cancer. We report the first case of CCS associated with malignant colon polyp and serrated adenoma in Korea. A 72-year-old male patient who complained of diarrhea and weight loss was presented with both hands and feet nail dystrophy, hyperpigmentation, and alopecia. Endoscopic examination showed numerous hamartomatous polyps from the stomach to the colon. The pathologic results confirmed colon cancer and serrated adenoma. Helicobacter pylori eradication and prednisolone was used. Thus, the authors report this case along with a literature review.

A case of peritoneal dialysis-associated peritonitis caused by Sphingomonas paucimobilis.

Sphingomonas paucimobilis is an aerobic Gram-negative bacillus found in soil and water. Knowledge regarding the role of this infectious agent is limited because it is rarely isolated from human material. Furthermore, it is an unusual pathogen in cases of peritoneal dialysis (PD)-associated peritonitis. The clinical courses and outcomes of peritonitis caused by S. paucimobilis are variable. Whereas some patients were cured with appropriate antibiotic therapy, others required catheter removal. Cases of PD-associated peritonitis caused by S. paucimobilis have been reported worldwide, and there was a case report of coinfection with S. paucimobilis and Chryseobacterium indologenes in Korea. However, there has been no case caused by S. paucimobilis as a single pathogen. We report a case of PD-associated peritonitis due to S. paucimobilis in which the patient recovered after catheter removal.

A case of cryptogenic stroke associated with patent foramen ovale coexisting with pulmonary embolisms, deep vein thromboses, and renal artery infarctions.

A paradoxical embolism is defined as a systemic arterial embolism requiring the passage of a venous thrombus into the arterial circulatory system through a right-to-left shunt, and is commonly related to patent foramen ovale (PFO). However, coexisting pulmonary embolisms, deep vein thromboses (DVT), and multipe systemic arterial embolisms, associated with PFO, are rare. Here, we report a patient who had a cryptogenic ischemic stroke, associated with PFO, which is complicated with a massive pulmonary thromboembolism, DVT, and renal infarctions, and subsequently, the patient was treated using a thrombolytic therapy.

Expression of neuronal antigens and related ventral and dorsal proteins in the normal spinal cord and a surgically induced open neural tube defect of the spine in chick embryos: an immunohistochemical study.

OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study were to elucidate the processes of neuronal differentiation and ventrodorsal patterning in the spinal cord of the chick embryo from embryonic day (E) 3 to E17 and to study the effect of a prenatal spinal open neural tube defect (ONTD) on these processes. METHOD: Expression patterns of neuronal antigens (neuronal nuclear antigen, neurofilament-associated protein (NAP), and synaptophysin) and related ventral markers [sonic hedgehog, paired box gene (PAX)6, and islet-1], and dorsal markers (bone morphogenetic protein, Notch homolog 1, and PAX7) were investigated in the normal spinal cord and in a surgically induced spinal ONTD in chick embryos. Four normal and ONTD chick embryos were used for each antigen group. RESULT & CONCLUSION: There were no differences in the expression of neuronal and ventrodorsal markers between the control and ONTD groups. NAP and synaptophysin were useful for identifying dorsal structures in the distorted anatomy of the ONTD chicks.