Trends in health-care costs and utilization for inflammatory bowel disease from 2010 to 2014 in Korea: A nationwide population-based study.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Data regarding health-care costs and utilization for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) at the population level are limited in Asia. We aimed to investigate the nationwide prevalence and health-care cost and utilization of IBD in Korea. METHODS: We tracked the IBD-attributable health-care costs and utilization from 2010 to 2014 using the public dataset obtained from Korean National Health Insurance Service claims. We estimated the nationwide prevalence of IBD using population census data from Statistics Korea during the same period. RESULTS: In total, 236 106 IBD patients were analyzed. The estimated IBD prevalence significantly increased from 85.1/100 000 in 2010 to 106/100 000 in 2014. The overall annual health-care costs for IBD increased from $23.2 million (US dollars) in 2010 to $49.7 million in 2014 (P < 0.001). During the same period, the health-care cost per capita also increased from $572.3 to $983.7 (P < 0.001). The outpatient to total cost ratio increased from 45.5% in 2010 to 66.6% in 2014. Regarding health-care utilization, the outpatient to total days of service use ratio increased from 73.1% in 2010 to 76.9% in 2014. Of the total days of service used, the proportions of tertiary, general, and community hospitals increased significantly with a concomitant decrease in that of primary clinics (all P values < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This population-based study confirmed the steadily rising rate of prevalence of IBD in Korea. It also demonstrated that the shifting to outpatient care and advanced care settings are drivers for the dramatic increase in IBD-related health-care costs in Korea.

Liver cirrhosis stages and the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma in chronic hepatitis B patients receiving antiviral therapy.

OBJECTIVES: Long-term antiviral therapy decreases the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB), however, it cannot eliminate the risk. We investigated the incidence of HCC at different stages of liver cirrhosis (LC) and identified clinical predictors for HCC development during antiviral therapy. METHODS: The data from 356 treatment-naïve patients aged 40 to 69 years without a history of HCC who had received entecavir for ≥6 months were collected retrospectively. The incidence of HCC was evaluated in patients with CHB only, with LC without varices (stage 1), with varices (stage 2), and with ascites (stage 3). RESULTS: The median follow-up period was 3.6 years. In total, 45 patients (12.6%) developed HCC. The annual incidence rates of HCC in patients with CHB only or LC in stages 1, 2, and 3 were 0.4%, 2.6%, 9.8%, and 6.7%, respectively. In multivariate analyzes, LC at stage 2 (hazard ratio [HR] 17.16, 95% confidence interval [C.I.] 3.93-75.01, p < .001), alcohol consumption (HR 3.84, 95% C.I. 1.99-7.39, p < .001), and older age (HR 1.06, 95% C.I. 1.01-1.11, p = .010) were significantly associated with HCC development. The risk decreased in those who stopped drinking after 2 years of abstinence (p = .0314). CONCLUSIONS: LC with significant portal hypertension (varices or ascites), alcohol consumption, and older age at the time of starting antiviral therapy are independent predictors for future HCC development.

Expression of Insulin-like Growth Factor II mRNA-binding Protein 3 in Gallbladder Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Emerging evidence suggests that Insulin-like growth factor II mRNA-binding protein 3 (IMP3) promotes tumor progression in several human malignancies. We investigated whether IMP3 expression has clinicopathological and prognostic significance in gallbladder adenocarcinoma (GBAC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: We examined immunohistochemical IMP3 expression in 204 GBACs and its associations with clinicopathological parameters and patient outcomes. RESULTS: The majority (87.7%) of GBACs exhibited at least focal cytoplasmic and membranous IMP3 immunoreactivity. Tumor-specific IMP3 expression highlighted proper muscle invasion, which was not detected in the corresponding hematoxylin and eosin-stained slides. This finding upgraded pathological tumor stage (pT) from pT1a to pT1b in four well-differentiated GBACs. High IMP3 expression was associated with high histological grade, advanced stage, and lymphatic invasion, as well as worse overall survival. CONCLUSION: Tumor-specific IMP3 expression in GBAC is helpful in determining the tumor extent, especially in well-differentiated tumors. High IMP3 expression reflects aggressive oncogenic behavior of GBAC. IMP3 expression may be used as a diagnostic and prognostic marker in GBAC.