Prevalence and risk factors of low vitamin D levels in children and adolescents with familial hypokalemic periodic paralysis.

Patients with familial hypokalemic periodic paralysis (HOKPP) experience episodes of reversible immobility and are at an increased risk of limited sunlight exposure, potentially leading to vitamin D deficiency. However, there is a lack of data on vitamin D levels in this population. We investigated serum vitamin D levels and their associated factors in children with HOKPP. This study included 170 genetically-confirmed children with HOKPP, aged 3-18 years, and 170 age-, sex-, and body mass index (BMI)-matched healthy controls from the Korean Channelopathy Study, a prospective controlled investigation. Anthropometric and clinical characteristics were recorded, and serum levels of calcium, ionized calcium, phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, and intact parathyroid hormone (PTH) were analyzed. Vitamin D deficiency (< 20 ng/mL) was observed in 87.0% of the patients compared to 45.5% of the controls (P < 0.05) during the summer-fall season. During the winter-spring season, 91.7% of the patients and 73.4% of the controls were deficient (P < 0.05). A strong positive correlation was found between onset age of the first paralytic attack and vitamin D levels (r = 0.78, P < 0.01). Conversely, the frequency and duration of paralytic attacks were negatively correlated with vitamin D levels (r = -0.82 and r = -0.65, P < 0.01, respectively). Age, BMI, age at onset, frequency and duration of attacks, and PTH levels were independently associated with vitamin D levels (ß = -0.10, -0.12, 0.19, -0.27, -0.21, and -0.13, P < 0.05, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Vitamin D deficiency was highly prevalent in children with HOKPP, and vitamin D levels correlated with various disease characteristics. We recommend routine screening for vitamin D levels in these patients to address this prevalent deficiency. Considering the high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency observed, further research on other diseases characterized by reversible immobility is warranted. WHAT IS KNOWN: • A correlation between immobility and low serum vitamin D levels has been established. However, the vitamin D status of patients with familial hypokalemic periodic paralysis (HOKPP) who experience periods of reversible immobility remains unknown. WHAT IS NEW: • Vitamin D deficiency was highly prevalent in children with HOKPP, and vitamin D levels correlated with various disease characteristics.

Predictive Biomarkers of Lymph Node Metastasis in Early Gastric Cancer: A Reference of Clinicopathological Characteristics, Protein Expression, Epstein-Barr Virus Status, and Microsatellite Instability.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Predicting lymph node metastasis (LNM) in early gastric cancer (EGC) is crucial for making treatment decisions. This study aimed to confirm risk factors for LNM and identify novel auxiliary biomarkers for predicting LNM in EGC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We established a training set, comprising 63 patients with LNM-EGC and 274 patients with non-LNM EGC, and a test set, comprising 19 patients with LNM-EGC and 146 non-LNM EGC. Immunohistochemistry for lymphangiogenic and related pathway components (VEGF-C, TGF-ß1, SMAD2/3, VEGF-D, pSTAT3, E-cadherin, CD44, c-MET, YAP, and HER2), in situ hybridization for Epstein-Barr virus-encoded small RNAs, and multiplex PCR for microsatellite instability were conducted. RESULTS: In the training set, Lauren's diffuse/mixed classification, stromal desmoplasia, submucosal invasion ≥500 µm, lymphatic invasion, and high VEGF-C and SMAD2/3 expression were independent risk factors for LNM (p<0.05). A large tumor size, mixed histology, submucosal invasion, perineural invasion, and ulceration were determined as risk factors using univariate analysis (p<0.05). The tumor cutoff size for predicting LNM was 2.65 cm, based on a ROC analysis. The test set study verified that stromal desmoplasia, submucosal invasion, and high VEGF-C expression were independent risk factors for LNM (p<0.05). Moreover, mixed histology, lymphatic invasion, ulceration, and high SMAD 2/3 expression were identified as additional risk factors using univariate analysis (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Stromal desmoplasia, submucosal invasion, and high VEGF-C expression are potential biomarkers for LNM in EGC. VEGF-C expression might serve as an adjunct biomarker for predicting LNM on forceps-biopsy tissue at initial diagnosis.

Increased morbidity rates in patients with heart disease or chronic liver disease following radical gastric surgery.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate possible associations between (i) comorbid disease and (ii) perioperative risk factors and morbidity following radical surgery for gastric cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Consecutive patients (759) undergoing radical gastrectomy and D2 level lymph node dissection for gastric cancer were included. Clinical data concerning patient characteristics, operative methods, and complications were collected prospectively. RESULTS: The morbidity rate for radical gastrectomy was 14.2% (108/759). The most significant comorbid risk factors for postoperative morbidity were heart disease [anticoagulant medication: OR = 1.5 (95% CI = 0.35-6.6, P = 0.53); history without medication: OR = 4.0 (95% CI = 1.1-14.6, P = 0.03); history with current medication: OR = 6.7 (95% CI = 1.5-29.9, P = 0.01)] and chronic liver disease [chronic hepatitis: OR = 2.4 (95% CI = 0.9-6.5, P = 0.07); liver cirrhosis class A: OR = 8.4 (95% CI = 2.8-25.3, P = 0.00); liver cirrhosis class B: OR = 9.38 (95% CI = 0.7-115.5, P = 0.08)]. The most significant perioperative risk factors for postoperative morbidity were high TNM stage and combined organ resection (P < 0.05), and there was no association between increased postoperative morbidity and well controlled hypertension, anticoagulant therapy, diabetes mellitus, pulmonary disease, tuberculosis, or thyroid disease (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Patients with heart disease or chronic liver disease are at a higher risk of morbidity following radical surgery for gastric cancer.

Erratum: Anthropometric Study of the Stomach.

[This corrects the article on p. 247 in vol. 16, PMID: 28053811.].

Anthropometric Study of the Stomach.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to establish an anthropometric reference of the stomach for gastric cancer surgery and a modeling formula to predict stomach length. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data were retrieved for 851 patients who underwent total gastrectomy at the Seoul National University Hospital between 2008 and 2013. Clinicopathological data and measurements from a formalin-fixed specimen were reviewed. The lengths (cm) of the greater curvature (GC) and lesser curvature (LC) were measured. Anthropometric data of the stomach were compared according to age, body weight, height (cm), and body mass index. To predict stomach length, two multiple regression analyses were performed. RESULTS: The mean lengths of the GC and LC were 22.2±3.1 cm and 16.3±2.6 cm, respectively. The men's GC length was significantly greater than the women's (22.4±3.1 cm vs. 21.2±2.9 cm, P=0.003). Patients aged >70 years showed significantly longer LC than those aged <50 years (16.9±2.9 cm vs. 15.9±2.4 cm, P=0.002). Patients with body weights >70 kg showed significantly longer GC than those with body weights <55 kg (23.0±2.9 cm vs. 21.4±3.2cm, P<0.001). In the predicted models, 4.11% of the GC was accounted for by age and weight; and 4.94% of the LC, by age, sex, height, and weight. CONCLUSIONS: Sex, age, height, and body weight were associated with the length of the LC, while sex and body weight were the only factors that were associated with the length of the GC. However, the prediction model was not sufficiently strong.

Is the critical pathway effective for the treatment of gastric cancer?

PURPOSE: The present study was conducted to investigate the low compliance rate of the critical pathway (CP) and whether CP is effective for treatment of gastric cancer in radical gastrectomy. METHODS: The medical records of 631 patients who had undergone radical gastrectomy with D2 lymph node dissection were reviewed. This study compared data from patients in early gastric cancer (EGC) and advanced gastric cancer (AGC) groups, which were further subdivided into general care (non-CP) and CP groups. RESULTS: The mean length of preoperative hospital stays were significantly different between the EGC and AGC patients (P < 0.05). However, there was no difference in the mean length of postoperative hospital stays between non-CP and CP groups among either EGC patients or AGC patients (P > 0.05). The postoperative and total cost of hospitalization was not statistically different between either of the groups (P > 0.05); however, the mean preoperative costs were significantly different (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: We conclude that use of the CP following gastrectomy is unnecessary. To decrease the length of hospital stay and associated costs, preoperative examination and consultation should be performed before admission.

Safety of modified double-stapling end-to-end gastroduodenostomy in distal subtotal gastrectomy.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Double-stapling end-to-end gastroduodenostomy (DS-BI) has several potential advantages over other anastomotic techniques in that it is a simple procedure, with no additional gastrotomy on the remnant stomach, and less tension on the anastomosis site. We evaluated the safety of DS-BI by comparing it with the hand-sewn Billroth II gastrojejunostomy (B-II). METHODS: Medical records of 933 consecutive patients (DS-BI 428, B-II 505) who underwent distal subtotal gastrectomy were retrospectively reviewed. Several clinicopathological features and treatment results were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The overall complication rates were 9.3% in the DS-BI group and 15.2% in the B-II group (P = 0.007). Anastomosis-related complications, such as anastomosis-site leakage, stenosis, and intraluminal bleeding, did not differ between the two groups (1.2% in the DS-BI group and 1.8% in the B-II group, P = 0.59). All the anastomosis-related complications were managed conservatively. Postoperative mortality rates were 0% in the DS-BI group and 0.4% (2/505) in the B-II group. CONCLUSIONS: Modified DS-BI is a safe procedure, with short-term results similar to those of hand-sewn Billroth II anastomosis.

Up-regulation of PDCD4 in senescent human diploid fibroblasts.

Programmed cell death 4 (PDCD4) has a common MI domain sharing with death associated protein 5 (DAP5) and a component of eukaryotic translation initiation factor (eIF4G) complex and it might also work as a tumor suppressor. We could find that the message and product of Pdcd4 gene were up-regulated in senescent human diploid fibroblasts. In yeast two hybrid analysis, the C-terminal region of PDCD4 interacted with ribosomal protein S13 (RPS13), ribosomal protein L5 (RPL5), and TI-227H. In in vitro binding assay, RPS13, a component of 40S ribosome was stably bound to PDCD4. We also found that PDCD4 was localized to polysome fractions. We could pull out eIF4G with GST-PDCD4, but eIF4E did not interact with PDCD4. From these results, we could assume that PDCD4 might regulate the eIF4G-dependent translation through direct interactions with eIF4G and RPS13 in senescent fibroblasts.