The usefulness of fecal calprotectin in assessing inflammatory bowel disease activity.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Fecal calprotectin (FC) is known to correlate with disease activity and can be used as a predictor for relapse or treatment response in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We evaluated the usefulness of FC as a biomarker for disease activity in patients with IBD using both enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and a quantitative point-of-care test (QPOCT). METHODS: Fecal samples and medical records were collected from consecutive patients with IBD. FC levels were measured by both ELISA and QPOCT and patient medical records were reviewed for clinical, laboratory, and endoscopic data. RESULTS: Ninety-three patients with IBD were enrolled, 55 with ulcerative colitis (UC) and 38 with Crohn's disease (CD). The mean FC-ELISA levels were 906.3 ± 1,484.9 µg/g in UC and 1,054.1 ± 1,252.5 µg/g in CD. There was a strong correlation between FC-ELISA level and clinical activity indices (p < 0.05). FC-ELISA level was significantly lower in patients with mucosal healing (MH) compared to those without MH in UC (85.5 ± 55.6 µg/g vs. 1,503.7 ± 2,129.9 µg/g, p = 0.005). The results from the QPOCT corresponded well to those from ELISA. A cutoff value of 201.3 µg/g for FC-ELISA and 150.5 µg/g for FC-QPOCT predicted endoscopic inflammation (Mayo endoscopic subscore ≥ 1) in UC with a sensitivity of 81.8% and 85.8%, respectively, and a specificity of 100% for both. CONCLUSION: FC was strongly associated with disease activity indices, serologic markers, and endoscopic activity in patients with IBD. QPOCT can be used more conveniently than ELISA to assess FC in clinical practice.

Clinical significance of the glucose breath test in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth which has recently been diagnosed with the glucose breath test is characterized by excessive colonic bacteria in the small bowel, and results in gastrointestinal symptoms that mimic symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease. This study aimed to estimate the positivity of the glucose breath test and investigate its clinical role in inflammatory bowel disease. METHODS: Patients aged > 18 years with inflammatory bowel disease were enrolled. All patients completed symptom questionnaires. Fecal calprotectin level was measured to evaluate the disease activity. Thirty historical healthy controls were used to determine normal glucose breath test values. RESULTS: A total of 107 patients, 64 with ulcerative colitis and 43 with Crohn's disease, were included. Twenty-two patients (20.6%) were positive for the glucose breath test (30.2%, Crohn's disease; 14.1%, ulcerative colitis). Positive rate of the glucose breath test was significantly higher in patients with Crohn's disease than in healthy controls (30.2% vs 6.7%, P=0.014). Bloating, flatus, and satiety were higher in glucose breath test-positive patients than glucose breath test-negative patients (P=0.021, 0.014, and 0.049, respectively). The positivity was not correlated with the fecal calprotectin level. CONCLUSIONS: The positive rate of the glucose breath test was higher in patients with inflammatory bowel disease, especially Crohn's disease than in healthy controls; gastrointestinal symptoms of patients with inflammatory bowel disease were correlated with this positivity. Glucose breath test can be used to manage intestinal symptoms of patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

Current status and clinical impact of pediatric endoscopy in Korea.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: In pediatrics, endoscopic examination has become a common procedure for evaluation of gastrointestinal presentations. However, there are limited data on pediatric endoscopy in Korea. The aim of this study was to analyze the current status and clinical impacts of endoscopic examination in children and adolescents. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of outpatients who visited the tertiary hospital. Patients under 18 years of age who underwent endoscopy were included. Endoscopic findings were classified as specific and normal based on gross findings. Specific endoscopic findings were reflux esophagitis, peptic ulcers, and Mallory-Weiss tear. Other findings included acute gastritis classified according to the updated Sydney system. RESULTS: In 722 of 330,350 patients (0.2%), endoscopic examination (554 esophagogastroduodenoscopies [EGDs], 121 colonos-copies, 47 sigmoidoscopies) was performed between January 2008 and January 2013. In EGD, abdominal pain was the most frequent presentation (64.1%). The most common diagnosis was gastritis (53.2%), followed by reflux esophagitis. The frequency of peptic ulcer disease was 12.8%. Frequent symptoms leading to colonoscopic examination were abdominal pain, diarrhea, and hematochezia. In colonoscopy, a negative result was more likely in children younger than 7 years old. After the procedure, the diagnostic yield of EGD and colonoscopy was 88.1% and 45.8%, respectively, and the rate of change in management was 67.1%. CONCLUSIONS: In pediatrics, endoscopic examination was useful for the choice of therapeutic strategy and it would be a standard method for evaluation of gastrointestinal presentation.

Clinical and endoscopic recurrence after surgical resection in patients with Crohn's disease.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The natural history of Crohn's disease (CD) is characterized by a remitting and relapsing course and a considerable number of patients ultimately require bowel resection. Moreover, postoperative recurrence is very common. Relatively few studies have investigated the postoperative recurrence of CD in Korea. The aim of the current study was to assess postoperative recurrence rates - both clinical and endoscopic - in CD as well as factors influencing postoperative recurrence. METHODS: Electronic medical records of patients who underwent surgery due to CD were reviewed and analyzed. Patients with incomplete surgical resection, a follow-up period of less than a year, and a history of strictureplasty or perianal surgery were excluded. RESULTS: Of 112 CD patients, 39 patients had history of bowel resection, and 34 patients met the inclusion criteria. Among them, 26 were male (76%) and the mean age of onset was 32.8 years. The mean follow-up period after operation was 65.4 months. Cumulative clinical recurrence rates were 8.8%, 12.5%, and 33.5% at 12, 24, and 48 months, respectively. Use of immunomodulators for prophylaxis was the only predictor of clinical recurrence in univariate analysis (P=0.042). Of 21 patients who had undergone follow-up colonoscopy after surgery, cumulative endoscopic recurrence rates were 33.3%, 42.9%, and 66.1% at 6, 12, and 24 months, respectively. No significant predicting factor for endoscopic recurrence was detected. CONCLUSIONS: Postoperative recurrence rates in Korean patients with CD are high, and endoscopic recurrence rates are comparable to those reported from Western studies. Appropriate medical prophylaxis seems to be important for preventing postoperative recurrence in CD.

Helicobacter pylori Infection Enhances Gastric Mucosal Inflammation in Individuals Carrying the 260-T Allele of the CD14 Gene.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: We aim to evaluate the association between promoter polymorphism of the clusters of differentiation 14 (CD14) gene and Helicobacter pylori-induced gastric mucosal inflammation in a healthy Korean population. METHODS: The study population consisted of 267 healthy subjects who visited our hospital for free nationwide gastric cancer screening. Promoter polymorphism at -260 C/T of the CD14 gene was determined by polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. The severity of gastric mucosal inflammation was estimated by a gastritis score based on the sum of the values of the grade and activity of the gastritis. Expression of soluble CD14 (sCD14) was assessed by quantitative sandwich ELISA. RESULTS: CD14 polymorphism was not associated with H. pylori infection. There were no significant differences in gastritis scores among the genotype subgroups, but subjects carrying the CD14 -260 CT/TT genotype had significantly higher sCD14 levels than those carrying the CC genotype. Subjects with the 260-T allele of the CD14 gene and H. pylori infection had significantly higher sCD14 levels than those with the same genotype but without infection. CONCLUSIONS: In individuals with the T allele at the -260 site of the promoter region of the CD14 gene, H. pylori infection accentuates gastric mucosal inflammation.

Association between genetic polymorphisms of NOD 1 and Helicobacter pylori-induced gastric mucosal inflammation in healthy Korean population.

BACKGROUND: Gastric cancer is supposed to be a result of inflammation induced by Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection. Nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain 1 (NOD 1) is required for the innate immune response to H. pylori. We aim to investigate whether single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in NOD 1 gene is associated with H. pylori-induced gastric mucosal inflammation in a healthy Korean population. METHODS: The study was conducted on 412 adults who visited two different healthcare centers for health examinations. The G796A (E266K) NOD 1 SNP was detected by using polymerase chain reaction/restriction fragment length polymorphism. A gastritis score was calculated by the summed values of the grade and the activity of gastritis scored according to the updated Sydney system. The expression of IL-8 and COX-2 mRNA was assessed by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. In the group with H. pylori infection, the complete screening of the genes comprising the cag PAI was performed. RESULTS: The genotype frequencies were 26.7% (AA type), 58.3% (GA), and 15.0% (GG). In H. pylori-positive patients, gastritis score of the AA genotype was significantly higher than those of the others (p = .04). Also, the IL-8 and COX-2 mRNA levels increased in the AA genotype. In the group with H. pylori infection, 31.9% were found to carry the complete cag PAI. When the subjects were infected with intact cag PAI, the IL-8 and COX-2 mRNA levels were significantly high in AA genotype. CONCLUSION: G796A (E266K) NOD 1 polymorphism is closely correlated with H. pylori-associated gastric mucosal inflammation in the Korean population.

Clinical outcomes of the marginal ulcer bleeding after gastrectomy: as compared to the peptic ulcer bleeding with nonoperated stomach.

Background. Marginal ulcer is a well-known complication after gastrectomy. Its bleeding can be severe, but the severity has rarely been reported. We aim to evaluate the clinical outcomes of marginal ulcer bleeding (MUB) as compared to peptic ulcer bleeding (PUB) with nonoperated stomach. Methods. A consecutive series of patients who had nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding and admitted to the hospital between 2005 and 2011 were retrospectively analyzed. A total of 530 patients were enrolled in this study, and we compared the clinical characteristics between 70 patients with MUB and 460 patients with PUB. Results. Patients with MUB were older (mean age: 62.86 ± 10.59 years versus 53.33 ± 16.68 years, P = 0.01). The initial hemoglobin was lower (8.16 ± 3.05 g/dL versus 9.38 ± 2.49 g/dL, P = 0.01), and the duration of admission was longer in MUB (7.14 ± 4.10 days versus 5.90 ± 2.97 days, P = 0.03). After initial hemostasis, the rebleeding rate during admission was higher (16.2% versus 6.5%, P = 0.01) in MUB. However, the mortality rate did not differ statistically between MUB and PUB groups. Helicobacter pylori-positive rate with MUB was lower than that of PUB (19.4% versus 54.4%, P = 0.01). Conclusions. Clinically, MUB after gastrectomy is more severe than PUB with nonoperated stomach. Infection with H. pylori might not appear to play an important role in MUB after gastrectomy.