Adequate antiviral treatment lowers overall complications of cytomegalovirus colitis among inpatients with inflammatory bowel diseases.

BACKGROUND: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) colitis significantly complicates the course of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), frequently leading to severe flare-ups and poor outcomes. The role of antiviral therapy in hospitalized IBD patients with CMV colitis is currently under debate. This retrospective analysis seeks to clarify the influence of antiviral treatment on these patients. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed IBD patients diagnosed with CMV colitis via immunohistochemistry staining from colonic biopsies at a major tertiary center from January 2000 to May 2021. The study focused on patient demographics, clinical features, risk factors, prognostic indicators, and antiviral treatment outcomes. RESULTS: Among 118 inpatients, 42 had CMV colitis. Risk factors included hypoalbuminemia and antibiotic use. IBD patients with CMV colitis receiving < 14 days of antiviral therapy had higher complication (72% vs. 43%, p = 0.028) and surgery rates (56% vs. 26%, p = 0.017) compared to those without CMV. Adequate antiviral therapy (≥ 14 days) significantly reduced complications in the CMV group (29% vs. 72%, p = 0.006), especially in Crohn's disease (20% vs. 100%, p = 0.015). Independent predictors of IBD-related complications were CMV colitis (Odds Ratio [OR] 3.532, 90% Confidence Interval [CI] 1.012-12.331, p = 0.048), biological treatment failure (OR 4.953, 95% CI 1.91-12.842, p = 0.001), and adequate antiviral therapy (OR 0.108, 95% CI 0.023-0.512, p = 0.005). CONCLUSION: CMV colitis and a history of biological treatment failure increase complication risks in IBD patients. Adequate antiviral therapy significantly mitigates these risks, highlighting its importance in managing IBD patients with CMV colitis.

Artificial intelligence-aided diagnostic imaging: A state-of-the-art technique in precancerous screening.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Chromoendoscopy with the use of indigo carmine (IC) dye is a crucial endoscopic technique to identify gastrointestinal neoplasms. However, its performance is limited by the endoscopist's skill, and no standards are available for lesion identification. Thus, we developed an artificial intelligence (AI) model to replace chromoendoscopy. METHODS: This pilot study assessed the feasibility of our novel AI model in the conversion of white-light images (WLI) into virtual IC-dyed images based on a generative adversarial network. The predictions of our AI model were evaluated against the assessments of five endoscopic experts who were blinded to the purpose of this study with a staining quality rating from 1 (unacceptable) to 4 (excellent). RESULTS: The AI model successfully transformed the WLI of polyps with different morphologies and different types of lesions in the gastrointestinal tract into virtual IC-dyed images. The quality ratings of the real IC-dyed and AI images did not significantly differ concerning surface structure (AI vs IC: 3.08 vs 3.00), lesion border (3.04 vs 2.98), and overall contrast (3.14 vs 3.02) from 10 sets of images (10 AI images and 10 real IC-dyed images). Although the score depended significantly on the evaluator, the staining methods (AI or real IC) and evaluators had no significant interaction (P > 0.05) with each other. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrated the feasibility of employing AI model's virtual IC staining, increasing the possibility of being employed in daily practice. This novel technology may facilitate gastrointestinal lesion identification in the future.

Temporal Trends of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases in Taiwan from 2016 to 2020: A Population-Based Study.

BACKGROUND: There are scanty population-based studies investigating the incidence and prevalence rates of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in Taiwan. AIMS: This study aimed to estimate the nationwide prevalence and incidence of IBD and identify its noticeable trends in Taiwan between 2016 and 2020. METHODS: A retrospective study by analyzing the data from the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan. RESULTS: A total of 2595 patients with catastrophic IBD illness were registered from 2016 to 2020 in Taiwan (CD, 880; UC, 1715). The male-to-female ratio in the study sample was 1.83:1 for CD and 1.69:1 for UC. The median age of those registered with CD and UC was 37 and 47 years, respectively. The incidence rate of CD was 0.65 per 100,000 persons in 2016 and it was increased to 0.81 per 100,000 persons in 2020. The incidence rate of UC was 1.16 per 100,000 persons in 2016 and it was increased to 1.53 in 2020. Overall, the incidence of IBD was increase from 1.81 per 100,000 persons to 2.34 per 100,000 persons between 2016 and 2020. Overall, the prevalence rates of IBD was increase from 14.95 per 100,000 persons to 20.02 per 100,000 persons between 2016 and 2020. CONCLUSION: The epidemiological stages of IBD in Taiwan was considered in the acceleration in incidence stage, during which incidence rises and prevalence is relatively low. Understanding these geographical differences is important for the rising global burden of IBD.

Diet and the risk of inflammatory bowel disease: A retrospective cohort study in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: The incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) rapidly increases in Asia, and western dietary pattern is suspected to be the major risk factor. Despite this, there has been a lack of studies analyzing the relationship between dietary patterns and IBD in Taiwan. This study examines the dietary habits of Taiwanese individuals with and without IBD to inform clinical dietary recommendations for IBD patients. METHODS: We collected baseline characteristics and dietary habits from both IBD patients and healthy controls from February and August 2022 in Chang Gung memorial hospital using a structured and validated food frequency questionnaire. The dietary habits of IBD patients in this study were focused on the six months leading up to their IBD diagnosis. RESULTS: Our study recruited 98 IBD patients and 184 healthy controls. In demographic characteristics, cigarette smoking is more common in IBD group. Besides, distinct dietary patterns were observed between groups. The healthy controls demonstrated a higher consumption of whole foods and antioxidants. By contrast, the IBD group consumed more western-style foods but the difference didn't reach statistical significance. CONCLUSION: Our study found that healthy controls in Taiwan embraced a dietary pattern rich in whole foods that may prevent IBD or reduce IBD disease activity. Nonetheless, a larger sample size is needed to further provide valuable dietary guidance for general population in Taiwan for IBD prevention or for patients with IBD for disease activity control.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on inflammatory bowel disease care in Taiwan: A multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic had a great impact on healthcare system and patients. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the perceptions of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). METHODS: This prospective multicenter study was conducted between July 2021 and December 2021. Patients with IBD answered a structured questionnaire, and their degree of anxiety was assessed using a visual analogue scale (VAS) before and after reading educational materials. RESULTS: A total of 225 (47.67%) patients with Crohn's disease, 244 (51.69%) with ulcerative colitis and 3 (0.64%) with indeterminate colitis were enrolled. Common concerns were adverse events from vaccination (20.34%), and higher risks of developing severe COVID-19 (19.28%) and COVID-19 infection (16.31%) than the general population. Medications deemed by the patients to increase the risk of COVID-19 were immunomodulators (16.10%), anti-tumor necrosis factor-α antagonists (9.96%), and corticosteroids (9.32%). Thirty-five (7.42%) patients self-discontinued IBD medication, of whom 12 (34.28%) had worse symptoms. Older age (>50 years) (OR 1.10, 95% CI 1.01-1.19, p = 0.03), IBD-related complications (OR 1.16, 95% CI 1.04-1.28, p = 0.01), education status below senior high school (OR 1.22, 95% CI 1.08-1.37, p = 0.001), and residing in north-central Taiwan (OR 1.21, 95% CI 1.10-1.34, p < 0.001) were associated with more anxiety. None of the enrolled patients contracted COVID-19. The anxiety VAS score (mean ± SD) improved after reading the educational materials (3.84 ± 2.33 vs. 2.81 ± 1.96, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The medical behavior of IBD patients was influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic, and their anxiety could be mitigated after education.

Vonoprazan non-inferior to lansoprazole in treating duodenal ulcer and eradicating Helicobacter pylori in Asian patients.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Duodenal ulcers, especially caused by increasingly drug-resistant Helicobacter pylori, are a concern in Asia. We compared oral vonoprazan versus lansoprazole for efficacy (healing duodenal ulcers) and safety in non-Japanese Asian patients. METHODS: In this phase 3, randomized (1:1), double-blind, double-dummy, parallel-group, non-inferiority study (April 5, 2017, to July 19, 2019), patients with ≥ 1 endoscopically confirmed duodenal ulcer, at 52 hospitals (China, South Korea, and Taiwan), received vonoprazan 20 mg once daily (QD) or lansoprazole 30 mg QD for 6 weeks maximum. Patients with H. pylori received bismuth-containing quadruple therapy including vonoprazan 20 mg twice daily (BID) or lansoprazole 30 mg BID, for 2 weeks, followed by vonoprazan or lansoprazole monotherapy QD (4 weeks maximum). Endpoints were endoscopically confirmed duodenal ulcer healing (Week 4/6; primary) and H. pylori eradication (4 weeks post-treatment; secondary); non-inferiority margins were -6% and -10%, using a two-sided 95% confidence interval (CI). RESULTS: Of 533 enrolled patients, one was lost to follow-up and one withdrew (full analysis set: 531 patients [vonoprazan, n = 263; lansoprazole, n = 268]; 85.4% = H. pylori positive). Vonoprazan was non-inferior to lansoprazole for duodenal ulcer healing (96.9% vs 96.5%; difference 0.4% [95% CI -3.00, 3.79]). H. pylori eradication rates were 91.5% (vonoprazan) and 86.8% (lansoprazole; difference 4.7% [95% CI -1.28, 10.69]). Vonoprazan and lansoprazole were well tolerated, with similar safety profiles, no new safety signals; no deaths occurred. CONCLUSIONS: Vonoprazan was well tolerated and non-inferior to lansoprazole for duodenal ulcer healing and achieved H. pylori eradication above the clinically meaningful threshold (90%), in non-Japanese Asian patients.

The effectiveness and safety of vedolizumab induction for moderate to severe ulcerative colitis for Asia patient: A real practice observational study.

BACKGROUND: The use of biologic agents has become the cornerstone of therapy for moderate to severe IBD. Few studies have investigated the efficacy of vedolizumab (VDZ) induction for ulcerative colitis (UC) in Asian patients in a real practice setting. AIMS: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of VDZ induction therapy for moderate to severe UC in Taiwan. METHODS: This was a retrospective and observational study. Selected moderate to severe UC patients received VZD 300 mg i.v. at weeks 0, 2, and 6 as induction therapy. Mayo scores were calculated to evaluate the efficacy. RESULTS: A total of 37 patients with UC who received VDZ and completed the induction therapy at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital (2017/10-2021/5) were included. The mean age was 46.5 year-old and the male to female ratio was 1:1 (19/18). 81.8% of the patients were biologic-naive. At weeks 8-10, a clinical response, clinical remission and endoscopic remission with VDZ induction therapy were achieved in 56.8% (21/37), 32.4% (12/37) and 58.3% (7/12) of the patients, respectively. 54.1% (20/37) were able to taper off at week 8. Overall, only 10.8% (4/37) of the patients were primary non-responders during induction therapy. No obvious VDZ-related severe adverse events were noted. Overall, 58.9% (11/19) of the patients relapsed after stopping VDZ, and the relapse rate after VDZ discontinuation was 42.1% (8/19) within first 6 months and 52.6% (10/19) within the first year. CONCLUSION: In real-world experience, induction therapy with VDZ showed promising clinical benefits and safety profile for patients with UC.

Albumin-Bilirubin Grade as a Novel Predictor of the Development and Short-Term Survival of Post-Banding Ulcer Bleeding Following Endoscopic Variceal Ligation in Cirrhotic Patients.

Background and Objectives: Endoscopic variceal ligation (EVL) is the primary and secondary treatment for acute esophageal variceal bleeding. Post-banding ulcer bleeding (PBUB) may lead to bleeding episodes following EVL, increasing mortality. The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk factors for PBUB and predict the 6-week mortality risk after PBUB. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the data collected from cirrhotic patients with EVL from 2015 to 2017. The incidence of PBUB and the 6-week mortality rate were evaluated. Risk factors for PBUB and predictive factors for mortality after PBUB were analyzed. Results: A total of 713 patients were enrolled in this study. Among the studied subjects, the incidence of PBUB was 5.8% (N = 41). The 6-week mortality rate was 63.4% (26/41). In multivariate analysis, MELD score ≥20 (OR: 3.77, 95% CI: 1.94−7.33, p < 0.001), ALBI score of 3 (OR: 2.67, 95% CI: 1.34−5.3, p = 0.005) and the presence of gastric varices (OR: 2.1, 95% CI: 1.06−4.16, p = 0.03) were associated with the development of PBUB. Patients with ALBI grade 3 (OR: 4.8, 95% CI: 1.18−19.6, p = 0.029) and Child-Pugh scores B and C (OR: 16.67, 95% CI: 1.75−158.1, p = 0.014) were associated with 6-week mortality after PBUB. Conclusions: PBUB is a complication with low incidence but increased mortality following EVL. The ALBI grade is a useful score to predict not only the development of PBUB but also the 6-week mortality after PBUB.

Ligation-assisted endoscopic mucosal resection has high complete resection rate in rectal carcinoid tumor.

AIM: We aimed to compare the outcomes of different therapeutic modalities in rectal carcinoid tumors. METHOD: We retrospectively collected 145 patients with rectal carcinoid tumors which were pathologically diagnosed from 2005/01/01 to 2016/12/31. We compared tumor size, complete resection rate and recurrent rate between different therapeutic modalities. Then, prospectively compared the treatment outcomes of 28 patients treated with ligation assisted endoscopic mucosal resection (LEMR) and 25 patients treated with endoscopic mucosal resection with cap (EMRC). RESULT: The mean size of tumors was 6.5 mm (1-25 mm), and the mean follow-up duration was 26 months (6-118 months). The therapeutic modalities included ligation-assisted endoscopic mucosal resection (LEMR) (25 tumors, 17%), endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) (31 tumors, 21%), snare polypectomy (30 tumors, 21%), biopsy forceps removal (46 tumors, 32%) and surgical resection (13 tumors, 11%), including 6 tumors treated with transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEM) method. In view of pathologically complete resection rate, LEMR was highest (100%), followed by surgical resection (85%). However, EMR only had 42% pathologically complete resection rate. Besides, LEMR and surgical resection had no local recurrence and significantly higher clinically complete resection rate, compared to other treatments. For the further prospective study, complete resection was noted in 28 (100%) patients in LEMR group and 13 (52%) patients in EMRC group. CONCLUSION: In the treatment of rectal carcinoid tumors, LEMR is safe and effective compared with traditional endoscopic treatments.

Systemic lupus erythematosus complicated by Crohn's disease with rectovaginal fistula.

BACKGROUND: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multisystemic autoimmune disease, and few cases combine with Crohn's disease. We present the first SLE patient concurrent with Crohn's disease and rectovaginal fistula. She was successfully treated with vedolizumab and surgical intervention. Besides, she also had a rare opportunistic infection, cryptococcal pneumonia, in previous adalimumab treatment course. CASE: A 57 year-old female had SLE in disease remission for 27 years. She suffered from progressive rectal ulcers with anal pain and bloody stool, and Crohn's disease was diagnosed. She received adalimumab, but the lesion still progressed to a rectovaginal fistula. Besides, she suffered from an episode of cryptococcal pneumonia under adalimumab treatment course. Therefore, we changed the biologics to vedolizumab, and arrange a transverse colostomy for stool diversion. She had clinical remission without active inflammation, but the fistula still persisted. Then, she received a restorative proctectomy with colo-anal anastomosis and vaginal repair. Follow-up endoscopy showed no more rectal ulcers or fistula tracts, and contrast enema also noted no residual rectovaginal fistula. CONCLUSION: When a SLE patient had unusual rectal ulcers, Crohn's disease should be considered. Biologics combined with surgical intervention is an optimal solution for Crohn's disease with rectovaginal fistula. Although cryptococcal pneumonia is a rare opportunistic infection in the biological treatment, we should always keep it in mind.

Vedolizumab combined with surgical resection successfully treated perforating Crohn's disease with peritoneal space to rectal and vaginal fistulas: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Intestinal perforations and fistulas are common complications of Crohn's disease. However, chronic perforation with peritoneal space to rectal and vaginal fistulas have not been previously reported. CASE PRESENTATION: A 38-year-old female suffered from progressive lower abdominal pain, diarrhea and weight loss. Terminal ileal chronic perforation with intra-abdominal abscess, peritoneal space to rectal and vaginal fistulas were noted. The patient received surgical resection of the cecum and terminal ileum, and then vedolizumab treatment. Three months later, she had complete fistula closure, and her body mass index had increased from 13 to 22. CONCLUSION: Vedolizumab combined with stool diversion is effective at treating Crohn's disease with chronic perforation and complex peritoneal space to rectal and vaginal fistulas.

Is Adjuvant Chemotherapy Necessary for Patients with Deficient Mismatch Repair Gastric Cancer?-Autophagy Inhibition Matches the Mismatched.

PURPOSE: The use of microsatellite instability (MSI) and mismatch repair (MMR) as predictive biomarkers for fluorouracil-based adjuvant chemotherapy in colorectal cancer has been a paradigm shift. However, whether this applies to gastric cancer is questionable. Furthermore, we herein investigated whether and how autophagy plays a role in MSI-relevant chemoresistance. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 929 patients with deficient MMR (dMMR) and proficient MMR (pMMR) gastric cancers who underwent curative-intent gastrectomy were enrolled. We compared clinicopathological variables and survival among dMMR and pMMR cohorts and tested the responses of MSI-high and microsatellite stable (MSS) gastric cancer cell lines to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) with or without chloroquine, an autophagy inhibitor. RESULTS: We identified an 8.9% prevalence of dMMR cases (83 out of 929) in our cohort. This was associated with old age, tumor site at the distal stomach, an intestinal phenotype, fewer nodal metastasis, and early pathological stages. MMR was an independent prognostic factor after multivariate adjustment. Overall survival (OS) of dMMR patients was better than that of the pMMR patients but was only applicable to stage III patients. There was no difference in OS between dMMR patients treated with or without adjuvant chemotherapy, although the latter showed more medical morbidities. The MSI-high gastric cancer cell lines, versus the MSS counterparts, displayed increased resistance to 5-FU and increased autophagy. Interestingly, autophagy inhibition abrogated the chemoresistance. CONCLUSION: Our data show that fluorouracil-based adjuvant chemotherapy does not work for dMMR cases, if not worse. Autophagy inhibition and/or immune checkpoint inhibition might be promising alternative strategies for gastric cancer treatment. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The use of microsatellite instability (MSI) and mismatch repair (MMR) as predictive biomarkers for adjuvant chemotherapy in colorectal cancer has caused a paradigm shift in cancer therapy, although its implications in gastric cancer are still questionable. The data obtained in the current study indicate that MSI-MMR is an independent prognostic factor for gastric cancer. Standard fluorouracil-based adjuvant chemotherapy did not work for deficient MMR cases, and was likely worse. Instead, strategies like autophagy inhibition and/or immune checkpoint inhibition should be taken into consideration in the future.

The effect of prophylactic hemoclip placement and risk factors of delayed post-polypectomy bleeding in polyps sized 6 to 20 millimeters: a propensity score matching analysis.

BACKGROUND: Delayed post-polypectomy bleeding (PPB) is a major complication of polypectomy. The effect of prophylactic hemoclipping on delayed PPB is uncertain. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of prophylactic hemoclipping and identify the risk factors of delayed PPB. METHODS: Patients with polyps sized 6 to 20 mm underwent snare polypectomy from 2015 to 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. The patients with prophylactic hemoclipping for delayed PPB prevention were included in the clipping group, and those without prophylactic hemoclipping were included in the non-clipping group. The incidence of delayed PPB and time to bleeding were compared between the groups. Multivariate analysis was used to identify the risk factors of delayed PPB. Propensity score matching was used to minimize potential bias. RESULTS: After propensity score matching, 612 patients with 806 polyps were in the clipping group, and 576 patients with 806 polyps were in the non-clipping group. There were no significant differences in the incidence of delayed PPB and days to bleeding between two groups (0.8% vs 1.3%, p = 0.4; 3.4 ± 1.94 days vs 4.13 ± 3.39 days, p = 0.94). In the multivariate analysis, the polyp size [Odds ratio (OR):1.16, 95% confidence interval (CI):1.01-1.16, p = 0.03), multiple polypectomies (OR: 4.64, 95% CI:1.24-17.44, p = 0.02) and a history of anticoagulant use (OR:37.52, 95% CI:6.49-216.8, p < 0.001) were associated with delayed PPB. CONCLUSIONS: In polyps sized 6 to 20 mm, prophylactic hemoclip placement did not decrease the risk of delayed PPB. Patients without risk factors including multiple polypectomies and anticoagulant use are no need to performing prophylactic hemoclipping.

Rescue therapy with rifabutin regimen for refractory Helicobacter pylori infection with dual drug-resistant strains.

BACKGROUND: There is no current standard rescue treatment for dual drug-resistant strains of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori). This aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of rifabutin-based triple therapy for patients infected with dual drug-resistant strains to clarithromycin and levofloxacin. METHODS: After 2 or 3 H. pylori treatment failures, patients underwent upper endoscopy with tissue biopsies. Phenotypic and genotypic resistances were determined using agar dilution test and polymerase chain reaction with direct sequencing, respectively. Patients infected with dual drug-resistant (clarithromycin and levofloxacin) strains and receiving rifabutin-based triple therapy (rifabutin 150 mg bid, amoxicillin 1 g bid and esomeprazole 40 mg bid for 10 days) were enrolled. Eradication status was determined by 13C-urea breath test 4 weeks after treatment completion. RESULTS: A total of 39 patients infected with dual drug-resistant strains were enrolled in this study, with a mean age of 55.9 years. The eradication rate was 79.5% (31/39) (95% confidence intervals: 54.96% ~ 111.40%). Adverse event was reported in 23.1% (9/39) of patients but they were mild and tolerable. In univariate analysis, no factor was identified as an independent predictor of eradication failure. CONCLUSIONS: Our current study demonstrated that rifabutin-based triple therapy was well tolerated and yielded an acceptable eradication rate for patients infected with dual drug-resistant strains of H. pylori.

An International Study on the Diagnostic Accuracy of the Japan Narrow-Band Imaging Expert Team Classification for Colorectal Polyps Observed with Blue Laser Imaging.

BACKGROUND: The Japan narrow-band imaging Expert Team (JNET) classification of colorectal polyps based on magnifying endoscopy is used in Japan, but not worldwide. The objective of this study was to clarify differences of diagnostic accuracy between JNET users in Japan and non-JNET users in other countries. METHODS: A total of 185 colorectal tumors were assessed. Six endoscopists (3 each from Japan and Taiwan) participated in the study. The Japanese endoscopists normally used the JNET classification and the Taiwanese endoscopists normally used the narrow-band imaging International Colorectal Endoscopic classification for diagnosis of colorectal tumors. After receiving a lecture on the JNET classification, they all observed one blue laser imaging magnified image per lesion and performed diagnosis based on the JNET classification. RESULTS: Diagnostic ability was equivalent for Type 1, Type 2A, and Type 2B. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value of Type 3 for deep submucosal invasive carcinoma was, respectively, 44.4, 98.3, 57.1, and 97.2% in Group J and 70.0, 94.7, 40.4, and 98.4% in Group T. The PPV for diagnosis of Type 3 with a high confidence was significantly higher in Group J than in Group T (81.8% [55.4-94.6] vs. 44.4% [33.6-50.9], p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The PPV for Type 3 differed between the 2 groups, suggesting the need to become familiar with differentiation between Type 2B and Type 3.

Double-balloon enteroscopy for pediatric patients: Application and feasibility evaluation in a medical center in northern Taiwan.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: The diagnostic and therapeutic benefits of double-balloon enteroscopy (DBE) in adults are established, but few data are available on pediatric patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of DBE in pediatric patients in Taiwan. METHODS: From April 2005 to September 2015, DBE procedures performed for diagnosis or therapy of small-bowel disease in children less than 18 years of age at Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan were evaluated. The clinical decision to perform DBE via the oral or anal approach was based on the patient's primary clinical presentation. Data on indications, endoscopic findings, treatment outcome, and complications associated with the procedure were collected and reviewed retrospectively. RESULT: In total, 20 pediatric patients underwent a total of 29 DBEs due to suspicion of small-bowel disease. Among them, nine patients were evaluated for suspected small-bowel bleeding, six for Peutz-Jeghers syndrome, two for chronic abdominal pain, two for chronic diarrhea, and one for suspected protein-losing enteropathy. After excluding the six Peutz-Jeghers syndrome patients, 9 of the 14 patients (64%) got a positive endoscopic finding and diagnosis in 8 of the 14 patients (57%). DBE resulted in a further therapeutic intervention (endoscopic or surgical) in 50% of the patients (10/20) without serious complications. CONCLUSION: DBE has a high diagnostic yield and leads to therapeutic interventions in pediatric patients and shows promise for assessment and treating small-intestinal diseases in children in Taiwan.

The implementation of the consensus on the management of Helicobacter pylori and barriers to consensus.

BACKGROUND: A consensus on the management of Helicobacter pylori has been developed. We aimed to assess whether dissemination through continuing medical education (CME) could enhance the adoption of this consensus among clinicians and to explore potential barriers to acceptance. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Four CME courses were held to disseminate the consensus. Adoption surveys were performed to evaluate participants' behavior in the past and their commitment to adopt the consensus in future clinical practice after CME. The gaps and barriers to adoption were also surveyed. RESULTS: A total of 240 physicians had attended the CME courses and received surveys with the 22 statements/substatements of the consensus. Before CME, adoption was good in six, fair in ten, and poor in six. After CME, 21 statements had either an initial >90% adoption or improvement to good or fair (P < 0.001), but one still had poor even though it showed improvement (P = 0.02). Although commitment was good or fair after CME, there was a >20% gap between "commitment" and "no barrier" to adoption for 11 statements, ten of which had a main barrier of financial incentives. Among the statements with fair or poor commitment after CME, less commitment to adoption and more barriers related to financial incentives were pronounced in clinicians serving in regional/district hospitals or clinics compared to those serving in medical centers. CONCLUSIONS: Continuing medical education may improve the adoption of the H. pylori consensus. The financial incentives were shown to be a main barrier to adoption of the consensus and should be improved.

Circulating microRNA-22-3p Predicts the Malignant Progression of Precancerous Gastric Lesions from Intestinal Metaplasia to Early Adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Gastric cancer has a poor outcome and identifying useful biomarkers from peripheral blood or tissue could allow its early detection, or potentially precancerous changes, thus improving the curative rates. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been shown to offer great potential in cancer diagnosis and prediction. AIM: Here, we investigated the role of plasma miRNAs in the natural course of gastric cancer, from intestinal metaplasia to early cancer. The findings were used to understand whether patients at a high risk of malignancy could be given appropriate interventions in the early disease process, such as using endoscopic submucosal dissection to treat gastric dysplasia or early gastric cancer. METHODS: Participants were divided into healthy control, intestinal metaplasia (IM), and dysplasia/early cancer (pT1a/b) groups. Microarray was used to select potential markers in tissue. RESULTS: Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction data showed circulating miRNA-22-3p had significantly different expression in patients with precancerous lesions or gastric adenocarcinoma. The areas under the curve of incomplete IM versus healthy control, low-grade/high-grade dysplasia, early gastric cancer, and GED were 0.8080, 0.8040, 0.8494, and 0.8095, respectively (all P values < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Circulating miRNA-22-3p could be a potential biomarker for gastric precancerous dysplasia and early cancer detection.