Human intestinal spirochetosis in an immunocompromised host: evaluation of eradication therapy by endoscopy, histopathology and bacteriology.

Human intestinal spirochetosis (HIS) is a colorectal infectious disease caused by Brachyspira species. We describe HIS in an immunocompromised, 62-year-old Japanese man who presented at Jichi Medical University Hospital with symptoms of diarrhea and bloody stool. He had rheumatoid arthritis that had been treated with immunosuppressive drugs for 10 years. Colonoscopy revealed multiple erythematous spots in the cecum and colon. A histopathological examination identified intestinal colonization by spirochetes, and Brachyspira pilosicoli was isolated from biopsy specimens, indicating a diagnosis of HIS. Metronidazole eradicated the spirochetes, the intestinal mucosa recovered to normal, and the clinical symptoms disappeared. This case suggests that it is important to keep in mind HIS in the differential diagnosis of immunocompromised patients with chronic diarrhea and bloody stool.

Nonsurgical management of small-bowel polyps in Peutz-Jeghers syndrome with extensive polypectomy by using double-balloon endoscopy.

BACKGROUND: The major problem in the management of Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (PJS) is small-bowel polyps, which can cause intussusception and bleeding. Double-balloon endoscopy (DBE) enables endoscopic resection of small-bowel polyps. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy and safety of endoscopic management of small-bowel polyps in PJS patients by using DBE. DESIGN: Retrospective chart review. SETTING: Single university hospital. PATIENTS: Consecutive patients with PJS who underwent multiple sessions of DBE for evaluation or treatment of small-bowel polyps between September 2000 and April 2009. INTERVENTIONS: Endoscopic resection of small-bowel polyps in PJS patients was performed by using DBE. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Efficacy, safety, and long-term laparotomy rate after the procedures were evaluated. RESULTS: Fifteen patients (10 men, mean age 34.0 ± 15.8 years) underwent DBE for a mean 3.0 ± 1.0 sessions. The mean numbers of resected polyps larger than 20 mm significantly decreased as sessions advanced (first, 3.6; second, 1.3; third, 0.7; fourth, 0.4; and fifth, 1.0; P = .02). The mean maximum sizes of resected polyps also significantly decreased at each session: 33, 19, 12, 17, and 30 mm (P = .01). One patient had a perforation, but was managed conservatively. Other complications were pancreatitis (n = 2) and bleeding (n = 2). Only 1 patient underwent surgery for intussusception during the study period. LIMITATIONS: This was a small single-center retrospective study of short duration. CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic management of small-bowel polyps in PJS patients by using DBE is safe and effective and avoids urgent laparotomy.

Long-term outcome of patients with obscure gastrointestinal bleeding investigated by double-balloon endoscopy.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: It is often difficult to determine the cause of obscure gastrointestinal bleeding (OGIB). We evaluated the diagnostic yield and long-term outcome of patients with OGIB by using double-balloon endoscopy (DBE). METHODS: In this large, retrospective cohort study, DBE was performed in 200 consecutive patients with OGIB. Follow-up data were available from 151 patients for 29.7 months (range, 6-78 months), and clinical outcome was assessed. RESULTS: DBE detected bleeding sources in 155 of 200 patients (77.5%). The most frequent source detected was small intestine ulcers/erosions (64 patients). Patients who underwent DBE within 1 month after the last episode of overt bleeding had a better yield of positive findings than those who did not (84%, 107/128 patients vs 57%, 24/42; P = .002). The overall rate of control of OGIB was 64% (97/151 patients). Patients with vascular lesions of the small intestine had a significantly lower rate of control of OGIB than those with other small intestine lesions (40%, 12/30 patients vs 74%, 52/70; P = .001). A requirement for a large transfusion before DBE (P = .012), multiple lesions (P = .010), and suspicious (not definite) lesions (P = .038) each significantly increased the likelihood of overt rebleeding in patients with vascular lesions of the small intestine. CONCLUSIONS: DBE is useful for the diagnosis of patients with OGIB and should be performed as soon as possible after overt OGIB. Patients with vascular lesions of the small intestine should be followed with particular care.

Safety and efficacy of double-balloon enteroscopy in pediatric patients.

BACKGROUND: Although double-balloon enteroscopy (DBE) is performed increasingly often in adults, few findings are available on the use of DBE in pediatric patients in the published literature. OBJECTIVES: The aim of our study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of DBE in pediatric patients. DESIGN: A retrospective database review. SETTING AND PATIENTS: A database analysis was performed on all pediatric patients (18 years old or younger) who underwent DBE at the Jichi Medical University Hospital between September 2000 and October 2008 selected from a total of 825 patients. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Clinical utility and safety of DBE in pediatric patients. RESULTS: A total of 92 procedures were performed in 48 patients (27 male, 21 female) with a median age (range) of 12.2 (4-18) years. DBE was performed with the patients under general anesthesia in 43 procedures and under moderate sedation in 49 procedures. The most common indication for DBE was treatment of a stricture of a biliary anastomosis after living-donor liver transplantation with establishment of Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy (23 patients). Endoscopic retrograde cholangiography using DBE was performed, and endoscopic therapy could be performed successfully in 13 (56%) patients. The second most common indication was obscure GI bleeding (10 patients); the lesions responsible for the bleeding were found in 7 (70%) patients. Other indications included surveillance and treatment of hereditary polyposis syndromes (5 patients), abdominal pain (4 patients), and inflammatory bowel disease (2 patients). The overall diagnostic yield was 65% (31 of the 48 patients). Postpolypectomy bleeding occurred in 1 case, but no other complications such as perforation and pancreatitis were observed. LIMITATIONS: Small number of patients, participation bias, and single center's experience. CONCLUSIONS: DBE is a safe and clinically useful endoscopic procedure in pediatric patients.

A comparison of conventional endoscopy, chromoendoscopy, and the optimal-band imaging system for the differentiation of neoplastic and non-neoplastic colonic polyps.

BACKGROUND: The diagnostic accuracy of conventional endoscopy for small colonic polyps is not satisfactory. Optimal band imaging (OBI) enhances the contrast of the mucosal surface without the use of dye. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy for the differentiation of neoplastic and non-neoplastic colorectal polyps by using magnified OBI colonoscopy. DESIGN: An open prospective study. SETTING: Jichi Medical University, Japan. PATIENTS: A total of 133 colonoscopy cases. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENT: A comparative study of the overall accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity for the differentiation of neoplastic and non-neoplastic colorectal polyps < or =5 mm in size by capillary-pattern diagnosis by using conventional colonoscopy, capillary-pattern diagnosis in OBI, and pit-pattern diagnosis in chromoendoscopy with low magnification. RESULTS: A total of 107 polyps, composed of 80 neoplastic and 27 non-neoplastic polyps, were evaluated. OBI clearly showed the capillary network of the surface mucosa of neoplastic polyps at low magnification, whereas the surface mucosa of non-neoplastic polyps showed up as a pale lesion. The capillary pattern in conventional colonoscopy had 74% accuracy, 71% sensitivity, and 81% specificity for neoplastic polyps. The accuracy and sensitivity were significantly lower than those that used the capillary pattern in OBI (accuracy 87% and sensitivity 93%) and the pit pattern in chromoendoscopy (accuracy 86% and sensitivity 90%). There were no significant differences in specificity (OBI 70% and chromoendoscopy 74%). The kappa analysis indicated good agreement in both OBI and chromoendoscopy. CONCLUSIONS: Capillary-pattern diagnosis in OBI is superior to that in conventional endoscopy and is not significantly different from pit-pattern diagnosis for predicting the histology of small colorectal polyps.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug-induced small-bowel lesions identified by double-balloon endoscopy: endoscopic features of the lesions and endoscopic treatments for diaphragm disease.

BACKGROUND: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) occasionally induce small-bowel injury. However, the clinical features have only been partially clarified. The aim of this study was to clarify the clinical features of the disease and evaluate the effectiveness of endoscopic balloon dilation therapy for diaphragm disease, using double-balloon endoscopy (DBE). METHODS: This is a retrospective case study using our DBE database. Our inclusion criteria required patients to meet all the following criteria: (1) history of NSAID use; (2) endoscopic findings of erosion and/or ulcer and/or typical diaphragm-like strictures; (3) improvement in clinical findings (signs and symptoms) and/or endoscopic findings by cessation of NSAIDs, except for diaphragm disease; and (4) exclusion of other causes (e.g., malignant tumor, inflammatory bowel disease, and infectious disease). The clinical records of patients were investigated. RESULTS: Eighteen patients were included. Sixteen patients showed ulcerative lesions, and the remaining 2 patients showed diaphragm diseases. For localized lesions, 12 patients evidenced lesions in the ileum, 5 patients had lesions in the duodenum and/or jejunum, and 1 had lesions in both intestines. The ulcerative lesions were multiple with various morphologies that were located unrelated to mesenteric or antimesenteric sides. The endoscopic balloon dilations were performed safely, and all patients improved with regard to their symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Symptomatic NSAID-induced small-bowel injuries exhibit a variety of patterns of ulcerative lesions as observed in the ileum in many cases. The endoscopic balloon dilation appears to be a safe and effective treatment for diaphragm disease.

[Endoscopic therapy using double balloon endoscopy].

Double balloon endoscopy (DBE) was developed as a new technique for visualization and intervention of the entire small intestine. It has been world-widely reported that DBE is very useful for not only diagnosis but also endoscopic therapy. In this chapter, hemostatic procedure, polypectomy, dilation therapy for benign strictures, reduction of intussusception, removal of foreign bodies, and therapeutic ERCP in long-limb surgical bypass patients are described introductively. Diagnostic DBE is thought to be safe with a low complication rate, but it is reported that the complication rate in therapeutic DBE is higher than that associated with colonoscopy. The thin wall of the small intestine can explain this. Endoscopic therapy in the small intestine should be performed with special care to avoid complications such as bleeding and perforation.

Endoscopic classification of vascular lesions of the small intestine (with videos).

BACKGROUND: Small-intestinal vascular lesions observed by endoscopy vary in appearance. Angioectasia is a venous lesion that requires cauterization; a Dieulafoy's lesion and arteriovenous malformation may cause arterial bleeding, which requires clipping or laparotomy. For selection of the appropriate treatment, it is necessary to distinguish between venous and arterial lesions. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We classified these lesions into the following 6 groups: type 1a, punctulate erythema (< 1 mm), with or without oozing; type 1b, patchy erythema (a few mm), with or without oozing; type 2a, punctulate lesions (< 1 mm), with pulsatile bleeding; type 2b, pulsatile red protrusion, without surrounding venous dilatation; type 3, pulsatile red protrusion, with surrounding venous dilatation; type 4, other lesions not classified into any of the above categories. Types 1a and 1b are considered angioectasias. Types 2a and 2b are Dieulafoy's lesions. Type 3 represents an arteriovenous malformation. Type 4 is unclassifiable. Three endoscopists independently reviewed images and video to classify 102 vascular lesions into the above types. The rate of concordance among the 3 endoscopists was calculated. RESULTS: Eighty-four lesions (82%) were classified into the same type by all of 3 endoscopists. The mean kappa value (standard deviation) for the concordance was 0.72 +/- 0.07, which confirmed substantial interobserver concordance. LIMITATIONS: This classification is applicable only to endoscopic findings. It was desirable to correlate the histopathologic findings with endoscopic observations. CONCLUSIONS: This classification will be useful for selecting the hemostatic procedure and outcome studies.

Endoscopic observation of Meckel's diverticulum by double balloon endoscopy: report of five cases.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Most cases of Meckel's diverticula are asymptomatic, however, some cases presented with gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding. It is often difficult to determine whether Meckel's diverticulum is a source of obscure GI bleeding. Double balloon endoscopy allows endoscopic access to the entire small intestine. The aim of this study was to compare endoscopic findings of three hemorrhagic and two non-hemorrhagic Meckel's diverticula in patients with obscure GI bleeding using this novel technique. METHODS: Between September 2000 and April 2005, 354 enteroscopies, including 162 anterograde and 192 retrograde procedures, were performed on 217 patients at the Jichi Medical University Hospital, Japan, using the double balloon endoscopy system. Five consecutive patients where Meckel's diverticulum was endoscopically observed were selected and analyzed. RESULTS: Double balloon endoscopy enabled direct observation of Meckel's diverticula in all five patients. Surgical procedures were indicated for three patients where double balloon endoscopy discovered ulcers. By contrast, double balloon endoscopy detected other sources of bleeding in the remaining two patients where no ulcers were found in the Meckel's diverticula. CONCLUSION: Endoscopic observation of the ulcers in Meckel's diverticula was important evidence of bleeding in patients with obscure GI bleeding. Other sources of bleeding should be considered when no ulcers are found in the Meckel's diverticula.

Autocrine loop between TGF-beta1 and IL-1beta through Smad3- and ERK-dependent pathways in rat pancreatic stellate cells.

Pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) are activated during pancreatitis and promote pancreatic fibrosis by producing and secreting ECMs such as collagen and fibronectin. IL-1beta has been assumed to participate in pancreatic fibrosis by activating PSCs. Activated PSCs secrete various cytokines that regulate PSC function. In this study, we have examined IL-1beta secretion from culture-activated PSCs as well as its regulatory mechanism. RT-PCR and ELISA have demonstrated that PSCs express IL-1beta mRNA and secrete IL-1beta peptide. Inhibition of TGF-beta(1) activity secreted from PSCs by TGF-beta(1)-neutralizing antibody attenuated IL-1beta secretion from PSCs. Exogenous TGF-beta(1) increased IL-1beta expression and secretion by PSCs in a dose-dependent manner. Adenovirus-mediated expression of dominant-negative (dn)Smad2/3 expression reduced both basal and TGF-beta(1)-stimulated IL-1beta expression and secretion by PSCs. Coexpression of Smad3 with dnSmad2/3 restored IL-1beta expression and secretion by PSCs, which were attenuated by dnSmad2/3 expression. In contrast, coexpression of Smad2 with dnSmad2/3 did not alter them. Furthermore, inhibition of IL-1beta activity secreted from PSCs by IL-1beta-neutralizing antibody attenuated TGF-beta(1) secretion from PSCs. Exogenous IL-1beta enhanced TGF-beta(1) expression and secretion by PSCs. IL-1beta activated ERK, and PD-98059, a MEK1 inhibitor, blocked IL-1beta enhancement of TGF-beta(1) expression and secretion by PSCs. We propose that an autocrine loop exists between TGF-beta(1) and IL-1beta in activated PSCs through Smad3- and ERK-dependent pathways.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug-induced small bowel injuries identified by double-balloon endoscopy.

AIM: To clarify clinical features of the NSAID-induced small bowel lesions using a new method of endoscopy. METHODS: This is a retrospective study and we analyzed seven patients with small bowel lesions while taking NSAIDs among 61 patients who had undergone double-balloon endoscopy because of gastro-intestinal bleeding or anemia between September 2000 and March 2004, at Jichi Medical School Hospital in Japan. Neither conventional EGD nor colonoscopy revealed any lesions of potential bleeding sources including ulcerations. Double-balloon endoscopy was carried out from oral approach in three patients, from anal approach in three patients, and from both approaches in one patient. RESULTS: Ulcers or erosions were observed in the ileum in six patients and in the jejunum in one patient, respectively. The ulcers were multiple in all the patients with different features from tiny punched out ulcers to deep ulcerations with oozing hemorrhage or scar. All the patients recovered uneventfully and had full resolution of symptoms after suspension of the drug. CONCLUSION: NSAIDs can induce injuries in the small bowel even in patients without any lesions in both the stomach and colon.

Technical modification of the double-balloon endoscopy to access to the proximal side of the stenosis in the distal colon.

BACKGROUND: The inability to pass endoscopes beyond strictures is a considerable problem in patients with a colonic stricture. METHODS: In patients with bowel obstruction, we have modified the insertion method for double-balloon endoscopy with a long, transnasal decompression tube. OBSERVATIONS: We have succeeded in reaching the proximal side of the stricture from the oral approach across the entire small bowel in a patient. CONCLUSIONS: This modified double-balloon enteroscopy is useful for patients with bowel obstruction in whom a long decompression tube is already placed.