Discrepant effect of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol on esophageal and gastric cancer risk in a nationwide cohort.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and gastroesophageal cancer is not constant. METHODS: In this population-based cohort study, 4.518 million cancer-free individuals among those who underwent national cancer screening in 2010 were enrolled and followed up until December 2017. HDL-C level was classified into eight groups at 10 mg/dL intervals. The risk of gastroesophageal cancers by HDL-C was measured using adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: During 8 years of follow-up, 38,362 gastric and 3022 esophageal cancers developed. Low HDL-C level was associated with an increased risk of gastric cancer; aHR was 1.19 (95% CI 1.09-1.30) for HDL-C < 30 mg/dL, 1.07 (95% CI 1.03-1.12) for HDL-C of 30-39 mg/dL, and 1.07 (95% CI 1.03-1.12) for HDL-C of 40-49 mg/dL comparing to HDL-C of 60-69 mg/dL. HDL-C was positively associated with esophageal cancer risk; aHR was 1.30 (1.12-1.51) for HDL-C of 70-79 mg/dL, 1.84 (1.53-2.22) for HDL-C of 80-89 mg/dL, 2.10 (1.67-2.61) for HDL-C ≥ 90 mg/dL. These site-specific effects of HDL-C were robust in sensitivity analyses. The range of HDL-C for the lowest cancer risk was different by sex and site. The hazardous effect of low HDL-C on gastric cancer was prominent in never and past smokers, and extremely high HDL-C increased gastric cancer risk (aHR 1.19; 95% CI 1.04-1.36) only in current smokers. Unfavorable effect of high HDL-C on gastroesophageal cancer risk was remarkable in smokers. CONCLUSIONS: Low HDL-C increased the risk of gastric cancer, wherein high HDL-C was associated with esophageal cancer risk with discrepancies by sex and smoking status.

Effect of chronic viral hepatitis and metabolic factors on renal cancer risk in a large cohort in Republic of Korea.

PURPOSE: We investigated the association between hepatic and metabolic factors and renal cancer risk. METHODS: This population-based cohort study included cancer-free individuals who underwent general health evaluation (January to December 2010) at the Korean National Health Insurance Service and followed-up through 2017. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI), determined by adjusted Cox regression analysis were used to investigate the effect of variables on renal cancer risk. RESULTS: Among 4,518,704 subjects, 6531 patients developed renal cancer. Adjusted analyses of epidemiological factors and BMI (body mass index) (Model I) showed serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) ≥60 mg/dL (adjusted HR [aHR] 0.88, 95% CI, 0.81-0.95) reduced renal cancer risk comparing to low HDL-C, whereas hepatitis B virus (HBV) antigen (aHR 1.41, 95% CI 1.19-1.68) and chronic HBV infection (aHR 1.65, 95% CI 1.26-2.17) increased its risk. Higher BMI increased renal cancer risk in dose-dependent manner (P for trend <0.001). This association persisted after adjustment for epidemiological factors and waist circumference (Model II). Sex-specific analyses showed similar effect of HBV antigen and chronic HBV infection in both sexes. Normal (50-59 mg/dL in women) or high (≥60 mg/dL in men) HDL-C reduced renal cancer risk. Alcohol consumption increased kidney cancer risk in age ≥ 60 years, but it had no association with renal cancer in age < 60 years. CONCLUSIONS: High serum HDL-C levels reduced and HBV antigen and chronic HBV infection increased renal cancer risk across different adjusted analysis models. This effect of low HDL-C and chronic HBV infection persisted in sex-based subanalysis.

Clinical Practice Guideline for Gastritis in Korea.

Gastritis is a disease characterized by inflammation of the gastric mucosa. It is very common and has various classification systems such as the updated Sydney system. As there is a lot of evidence that Helicobacter pylori infection is associated with the development of gastric cancer and that gastric cancer can be prevented by eradication, H. pylori gastritis has been emphasized recently. The incidence rate of gastric cancer in Korea is the highest in the world, and due to the spread of screening endoscopy, atrophic gastritis and intestinal metaplasia are commonly diagnosed in the general population. However, there have been no clinical guidelines developed in Korea for these lesions. Therefore, this clinical guideline has been developed by the Korean College of Helicobacter and Upper Gastrointestinal Research for important topics that are frequently encountered in clinical situations related to gastritis. Evidence-based guidelines were developed through systematic review and de novo processes, and eight recommendations were made for eight key questions. This guideline needs to be periodically revised according to the needs of clinical practice or as important evidence about this issue is published in the future.

Sex-specific effect of body mass index and fasting glucose on gastric cancer risk and all causes mortality; a cohort study of 5.17 million.

BACKGROUND: Simultaneous evaluation of sex-specific effect of body mass index (BMI) and hyperglycemia on the risk of gastric cancer has been rarely reported. Here, we investigated the sex-specific effect of BMI and hyperglycemia on gastric cancer. METHODS: Persons who underwent National gastric cancer screening from 2006 to 2007 and had no gastric cancer at baseline, were enrolled and followed up to 2015. The risk of gastric cancer by BMI and glucose was measured using risk ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Adjusted Cox analysis was performed to evaluate the risk of death. RESULTS: Gastric cancers developed in 29,775 of 5.17 million. In the adjusted analysis, low BMI (<18.5 kg/m2; RR, 1.44; 95% CI, 1.36-1.53) and high fasting glucose (≥126 mg/dL; RR, 1.09; 95% CI, 1.05-1.13) increased the risk of gastric cancer. In sex-specific analysis, its risk by BMI was modified L-shape with cut-off value of 23 kg/m2 in men and 18.5 kg/m2 in women. Low BMI increased gastric cancer risk in men (RR, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.30-1.50) and women (RR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.33-1.64). High fasting glucose increased the risk of gastric cancer in women (RR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.11-1.28), but not in men. Low BMI increased all-cause mortality with cut-off value of 23 kg/m2 in men and 18.5 kg/m2 in women. CONCLUSIONS: Gastric cancer risk and all-cause mortality by BMI was L-shape with sex-specific cut-off value. The effect of fasting glucose on gastric cancer risk was different by sex.

Rebamipide for the Improvement of Gastric Atrophy and Intestinal Metaplasia: A Prospective, Randomized, Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND: The presence of atrophic gastritis (AG) and intestinal metaplasia (IM) is associated with an increased risk of gastric cancer (GC). Thus, the development of new strategies to improve AG/IM is essential for reducing the incidence of GC. AIMS: We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of rebamipide for improving AG/IM. METHODS: This was a prospective, randomized, pilot study from a single tertiary referral center. Fifty-three (rebamipide, n = 34 vs. placebo, n = 19) patients, who underwent endoscopic resection for gastric dysplasia or early GC, were analyzed. We obtained tissue samples from the antrum and corpus of the stomach, at the time of screening and 1-year later. The histologic grading of inflammation was performed by histopathologists RESULTS: The AG grade in the antrum improved significantly after rebamipide treatment (pre-administration, 1.870 ± 0.932 vs. post-administration, 1.430 ± 0.986; P = 0.013). Additionally, the severity of IM in the antrum was significantly improved (pre-administration, 1.750 ± 0.963 vs. post-administration, 1.370 ± 1.032; P = 0.038). The rebamipide subgroup analysis revealed that patients with no Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection showed significant improvements in AG in the antrum (pre-administration, 1.880 ± 1.040 vs. post-administration, 1.250 ± 0.894; P = 0.028) and IM in antrum (pre-administration, 1.840 ± 1.012 vs. post-administration, 1.180 ± 0.912; P = 0.020). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that the administration of rebamipide improves AG and IM in the antrum, especially in patients with HP non-infection (KCT0001915).

Prediction model for curative endoscopic submucosal dissection of undifferentiated-type early gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is an effective treatment for early gastric cancer (EGC); however, its curative resection rate is low for undifferentiated-type EGC. We developed and externally validated a prediction model for curative ESD of undifferentiated-type EGC. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, we included 448 patients who underwent ESD for undifferentiated-type EGC at 18 hospitals in Korea between 2005 and 2015 in the development cohort and 1342 patients who underwent surgery at two hospitals in the validation cohort. A prediction model was developed using the logistic regression model. RESULTS: Endoscopic tumor size 1-2 cm (odds ratio [OR], 2.40; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.54-3.73), tumor size > 2 cm (OR, 14.00; 95% CI 6.81-28.77), and proximal tumor location from the lower to upper third of the stomach (OR, 1.45; 95% CI 1.03-2.04) were independent predictors of non-curative ESD. A six-score prediction model was developed by assigning points to endoscopic tumor size > 2 cm (five points), tumor size 1-2 cm (two points), upper third location (two points), and middle third location (one point). The rate of curative ESD ranged from 70.6% (score 0) to 11.6% (score 5) with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.720 (95% CI 0.673-0.766). The model also showed good performance in the validation cohort (AUC, 0.775; 95% CI 0.748-0.803). CONCLUSIONS: This six-score prediction model may help in predicting curative ESD and making informed decisions about the treatment selection between ESD and surgery for undifferentiated-type EGC.

Long-term outcomes of endoscopic resection followed by additional surgery after non-curative resection in undifferentiated-type early gastric cancer: a nationwide multi-center study.

BACKGROUND: Undifferentiated-type early gastric cancer (UD EGC) shows lower curative resection rates after endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). Additional surgery is recommended after non-curative resection. We evaluated the long-term outcomes of ESD followed by additional surgery after non-curative resection in UD EGC compared to those for surgery as initial treatment. METHODS: We reviewed 1139 UD EGC patients who underwent ESD at 18 hospitals and 1956 patients who underwent surgery at two hospitals between February 2005 and May 2015. We enrolled 636 patients with non-curative ESD and 1429 surgery subjects beyond the curative ESD criteria. Among them, 133 patients with additional surgery after ESD (ESD + OP group) and 252 patients without additional surgery (ESD-only group) were matched 1:1 using propensity scores to patients with surgery as initial treatment (surgery group). Overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were compared. RESULTS: Signet ring cell carcinoma and poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma (PDA) were observed in 939 and 1126 cases, respectively. OS was significantly longer in the surgery group than in the ESD + OP group, especially for PDA. However, RFS was shorter in the ESD-only group than those in the ESD + OP and surgery groups. RFS did not differ significantly between the ESD + OP and surgery groups. Compared to the surgery group, the ESD-only and ESD + OP groups had an overall hazard ratio for RFS of 3.58 (95% confidence interval 1.44-8.88) and 0.46 (0.10-2.20), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: ESD followed by additional surgery after non-curative resection showed comparable cancer-specific outcomes to initial surgery in UD EGC.

Serum-free immunoglobulin E: A useful biomarker of atopy and type 2 asthma in adults with asthma.

BACKGROUND: It has been known that a high serum total immunoglobulin E (IgE) level is a predisposing factor of allergic asthma; however, there are considerable limitations to apply it in clinical practice. OBJECTIVE: To determine the clinical significance of the serum-free IgE level in patients with adult asthma. METHODS: We measured free IgE levels using our homemade enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay by applying a novel IgE TRAP protein (GI innovation, Seoul, Republic of Korea) in sera of adults with asthma (n = 116) compared with healthy controls (n = 32); enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay inhibition test was performed to validate its binding specificity. Associations between asthma-related clinical and laboratory parameters were analyzed. The diagnostic value and cutoff point for detecting atopy and type 2 asthma were determined using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. RESULTS: The serum-free IgE levels were significantly higher in adults with asthma than in healthy controls and were significantly associated with atopic status and type 2 asthma (all P < .001). In the receiver operating characteristic analysis, serum-free IgE had a significantly greater area under the curve (AUC) than serum total IgE for assessing asthma, especially type 2 asthma (AUC, 0.810 vs 0.743; P = .006 and AUC, 0.729 vs 0.572; P < .001). The optimal cutoff points for predicting atopy and type 2 asthma were 82.8 and 120.8 ng/mL, respectively. CONCLUSION: It is suggested that a higher serum-free IgE level may be a useful biomarker of atopy and type 2 asthma in adults with asthma.

Dual Clarithromycin and Metronidazole Resistance Is the Main Cause of Failure in Ultimate Helicobacter pylori Eradication.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Antimicrobial resistance significantly affects the cure rate of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication. We evaluated the risk factor of failure in ultimate H. pylori eradication and assessed the efficacy of current regimens to overcome antibiotic resistance. METHODS: Patients with H. pylori infection were prospectively enrolled in a single center. They were classified into 3 groups according to the previous history of H. pylori eradication, and antibiotic susceptibility was evaluated by culture and minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs). RESULTS: Ninety-seven patients were successfully cultured for H. pylori and 81 (83.5%), 7 (7.2%), and 9 (9.3%) were classified into primary resistance, 1st eradication failure, and 2nd or more eradication failure groups; the resistance to clarithromycin (CLA), metronidazole (MET), and levofloxacin increased in the 1st eradication failure (85.7, 57.1, and 42.9%) and 2nd or more eradication failure (88.9, 88.9, and 55.6%) groups. The prevalence of MDR was 21.0% (17/81), 57.1% (4/7), and 88.9% (8/9) in the primary, 1st eradication failure, and 2nd or more eradication failure groups, respectively. In multivariate analysis, dual CLA/MET resistance (CLA/MET-R) (OR = 31.432, 95% CI: 3.094-319.266, p = 0.004) was an independent risk factor for ultimate H. pylori eradication failure. In patients with dual CLA/MET-R, the eradication ratio of concomitant therapy was 57.1% (4/7), whereas that of bismuth-containing quadruple therapy was 27.3% (3/11) (p = 0.350). CONCLUSIONS: Dual CLA/MET-R was the main cause of failure in ultimate H. pylori eradication, and 7-day bismuth quadruple or concomitant regimen would not be suitable for H. pylori eradication in the dual CLA/MET-R group.

Clinical outcomes of endoscopic resection for undifferentiated intramucosal early gastric cancer larger than 2 cm.

BACKGROUND: This study investigated the long-term clinical outcomes of endoscopic resection (ER) for undifferentiated-type (UD) early gastric cancer (EGC), with tumor size > 2 cm as the only non-curative factor. METHODS: From among 1123 patients who underwent ER for UD EGC at 18 tertiary hospitals in Korea between 2005 and 2014, we identified 216 patients with UD intramucosal EGC > 2 cm, which was completely resected, with negative resection margins, and absence of ulceration and lymphovascular invasion. The patients were divided into the additional surgery (n = 40) or observation (n = 176) groups, according to post-ER management and were followed up for a median duration of 59 months for recurrence and 90 months for overall survival. RESULTS: Lymph node (LN) or distant metastasis or cancer-related mortality was not observed in the surgery group. In the observation group, two (1.1%) patients developed LN or distant metastasis with a 5-year cumulative risk of 0.7%, and one (0.6%) patient died of gastric cancer. The 5- and 8-year overall survival rates were 94.1% and 89.9%, respectively, in the observation group and 100.0% and 95.2%, respectively, in the surgery group (log-rank P = 0.159). Cox regression analysis did not reveal an association between the observation group and increased mortality. CONCLUSION: The risk of LN or distant metastasis was not negligible, but as low as 1% for patients undergoing non-curative ER for UD EGC, with tumor size > 2 cm as the only non-curative factor. Close observation may be an alternative to surgery, especially for older patients or those with poor physical status.

Comparison between endoscopic submucosal resection and surgery for the curative resection of undifferentiated-type early gastric cancer within expanded indications: a nationwide multi-center study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for undifferentiated early gastric cancer (UD EGC) has debate due to the risk of lymph node metastasis. We investigated the outcomes of ESD compared to those of surgery for the UD EGC within expanded indication. METHODS: We reviewed 971 UD EGC patients performed ESD across 18 hospitals in Korea and 1812 patients who underwent surgical resection in two hospitals between February 2005 and May 2015. Of these cases, we enrolled a curative resected ESD group of 328 patients and surgery group of 383 cases within an expanded indication. Overall outcomes and one-to-one propensity score-matched (218 ESD group vs 218 surgery group cases) outcomes for these two groups were analyzed. RESULTS: Over the 75.6 month median follow-up period for the 711 enrolled cases, recurrences occurred in 22 patients (6.7%) in the ESD group but not in the surgery group. Overall survival (OS) was higher in the surgery group (p = 0.0316) in all cases, but there was no significant difference after propensity score matching (p = 0.069). According to the histologic type in propensity score matching, the OS of signet ring cell carcinoma and poorly differentiated carcinoma patients did not differ between the ESD and surgery groups (p = 0.1189 and p = 0.3087, respectively). In the surgery group involving expanded criteria, lymph node metastasis was found in six cases (1.56%). CONCLUSIONS: Although ESD shows comparable outcomes to surgery for the UD EGC within expanded indications, appropriate patient selection is needed for the ESD due to the possibility of lymph node metastasis.

Risk factors of lymph node metastasis after non-curative endoscopic resection of undifferentiated-type early gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate risk factors for lymph node (LN) or distant metastasis after non-curative endoscopic resection (ER) of undifferentiated-type early gastric cancer (EGC). METHODS: Of 1124 patients who underwent ER for undifferentiated-type gastric cancer at 18 tertiary hospitals across six geographic areas in Korea between 2005 and 2014, 634 with non-curative ER beyond the expanded criteria were retrospectively enrolled. According to the treatment after ER, patients were divided into additional surgery (n = 270) and follow-up (n = 364) groups. The median follow-up duration was 59 months for recurrence and 84 months for mortality. RESULTS: LN metastasis was found in 6.7% (18/270) of patients at surgery. Ulcer [odds ratio (OR) 3.83; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.21-12.13; p = 0.022] and submucosal invasion (OR 10.35; 95% CI 1.35-79.48; p = 0.025) were independent risk factors. In the follow-up group, seven patients (1.9%) developed LN or distant recurrence. Ulcer [hazard ratio (HR) 7.60; 95% CI 1.39-35.74; p = 0.018], LVI (HR 6.80; 95% CI 1.07-42.99; p = 0.042), and positive vertical margin (HR 6.71; 95% CI 1.28-35.19; p = 0.024) were independent risk factors. In the overall cohort, LN metastasis rates were 9.6% in patients with two or more risk factors and 1.2% in those with no or one risk factor. CONCLUSIONS: LVI, ulcer, submucosal invasion, and positive vertical margin are independently associated with LN or distant metastasis after non-curative ER of undifferentiated-type EGC. Surgical resection is strongly recommended for patients with two or more risk factors.

Therapeutic potential of FLANC, a novel primate-specific long non-coding RNA in colorectal cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the function of a novel primate-specific long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), named FLANC, based on its genomic location (co-localised with a pyknon motif), and to characterise its potential as a biomarker and therapeutic target. DESIGN: FLANC expression was analysed in 349 tumours from four cohorts and correlated to clinical data. In a series of multiple in vitro and in vivo models and molecular analyses, we characterised the fundamental biological roles of this lncRNA. We further explored the therapeutic potential of targeting FLANC in a mouse model of colorectal cancer (CRC) metastases. RESULTS: FLANC, a primate-specific lncRNA feebly expressed in normal colon cells, was significantly upregulated in cancer cells compared with normal colon samples in two independent cohorts. High levels of FLANC were associated with poor survival in two additional independent CRC patient cohorts. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrated that the modulation of FLANC expression influenced cellular growth, apoptosis, migration, angiogenesis and metastases formation ability of CRC cells. In vivo pharmacological targeting of FLANC by administration of 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine nanoparticles loaded with a specific small interfering RNA, induced significant decrease in metastases, without evident tissue toxicity or pro-inflammatory effects. Mechanistically, FLANC upregulated and prolonged the half-life of phosphorylated STAT3, inducing the overexpression of VEGFA, a key regulator of angiogenesis. CONCLUSIONS: Based on our findings, we discovered, FLANC as a novel primate-specific lncRNA that is highly upregulated in CRC cells and regulates metastases formation. Targeting primate-specific transcripts such as FLANC may represent a novel and low toxic therapeutic strategy for the treatment of patients.

Effect of Helicobacter pylori infection and its eradication on gastric regenerating atypia in 22 133 subjects.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The aim of this study was to identify factors affecting persistent gastric regenerating atypia and determine the effect of Helicobacter pylori eradication on the course of this lesion. METHODS: In cross-sectional setting, comprehensive health check-up subjects who underwent both endoscopy and H. pylori test from 2001 to 2009 were included. The association between H. pylori and gastric regenerating atypia was evaluated. In cohort setting, patients with regenerating atypia who underwent H. pylori test from 2001 to 2013 were included. Factors affecting positive pathology (persistent regenerating atypia or new development of neoplasm) in patients with regenerating atypia at baseline were investigated. RESULTS: In cross-sectional setting, regenerating atypia was observed in 1.1% (241/22 133). H. pylori infection was associated with gastric regenerating atypia (adjusted odds ratio, 1.47; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.12-1.91). In cohort setting, 310 patients with regenerating atypia were finally eligible. Positive pathology rate during follow up was 16.1% (15/93) in the persistent infection group, 2.8% (3/106) in successful eradication group, and 4.5% (5/111) in baseline H. pylori-negative group. Persistent H. pylori infection increased the risk of positive pathology (adjusted risk ratio [RR], 7.18; 95% CI, 1.95-26.48) compared to H. pylori eradication group. Persistent H. pylori infection increased the risk of regenerative atypia (adjusted RR, 5.70; 95% CI, 1.46-22.17) and new neoplasm (adjusted RR, 10.74; 95% CI, 1.10-105.17) compared to baseline negative H. pylori. CONCLUSIONS: H. pylori infection is an independent risk factor for gastric regenerating atypia. Eradication of H. pylori seems helpful for regression of regenerating atypia.

Helicobacter pylori Eradication Regressed Gastric Hyperplastic Polyp: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori infection and hyperplastic polyp are known to have strong connections, but there are not enough randomized controlled trial data. AIMS: To evaluate the effect of H. pylori eradication on gastric hyperplastic polyp. METHOD: This is an open-labeled, single-center, randomized controlled trial. Patients with hyperplastic polyp and current infection of H. pylori were randomly assigned to eradication or non-eradication groups. All participants underwent follow-up endoscopy to investigate the regression of gastric polyps. Gastric polyp regression was defined as the disappearance of polyps or a reduction of more than 50% in size. RESULTS: Thirty-two patients were randomized to eradication (n = 17) and non-eradication groups (n = 15). Final included patients were 14 in eradication group and 13 in non-eradication group. All patients showed polyp regression in eradication group, whereas no regression was observed in non-eradication group (P < 0.001). Disappearance of polyp (n = 7) and decrease in size (n = 7) were observed in eradication group. In non-eradication group, no change (n = 5), increase of size (n = 5), and increase of number (n = 3) were observed. Mean regression time was 6.8 months, and disappearance time was 9.8 months. In non-eradication group, hyperglycemia was noted in 50% of progression group but not noted in no change group (P = 0.057). CONCLUSIONS: H. pylori eradication induced regression of hyperplastic polyp, and persistent H. pylori infection was related to progression of gastric polyp. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT03065868.

Effect of Helicobacter pylori eradication and high-density lipoprotein on the risk of de novo gastric cancer development.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The effect of Helicobacter pylori eradication on de novo gastric cancer is controversial, although meta-analyses suggest a reduction in gastric cancer after eradication. The effect of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) on gastric cancer has been rarely reported. METHODS: In this large retrospective cohort study, participants underwent endoscopy and H pylori testing from 2003 to 2011 and underwent follow-up endoscopy and H pylori testing until 2013. H pylori infection was detected using a rapid urease test or histologic test. The H pylori eradication group was defined as successful eradication, whereas the H pylori persistent group was defined as noneradication or eradication failure. The risk of cancer was measured with hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: Among 10,328 healthy subjects (5951 men; mean age, 48.7 years), 31 gastric cancers were detected during a median follow-up of 5.5 years. De novo gastric cancer developed in 21 of 3508 subjects (.6%) in the noneradication group, 4 of 2050 subjects (.2%) in the successful eradication group, and 6 of 4770 participants (.13%) in the absence of H pylori group. In the adjusted analysis, H pylori eradication decreased de novo gastric cancer risk (HR, .29; 95% CI, .10-.86) compared with the persistent group. The risk of de novo gastric cancer in absence of H pylori was also much lower compared with the persistent group (HR, .24; 95% CI, .09-.60). Low serum HDL increased the risk of de novo gastric cancer (HR, 2.67; 95% CI, 1.14-6.16). CONCLUSIONS: Successful H pylori eradication reduced de novo gastric cancer, whereas low HDL increased its risk.

Prophylactic endoscopic coagulation to prevent delayed post-EMR bleeding in the colorectum: a prospective randomized controlled trial (with videos).

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Post-EMR bleeding (PEB) is the most common adverse event after EMR. However, there are no established endoscopic methods for the prevention of PEB. This study aimed to investigate whether prophylactic endoscopic coagulation (PEC) using coagulation probes reduces the incidence of overall delayed PEB. METHODS: We performed a randomized controlled study of patients undergoing EMR for large (≥10 mm) sessile lesions and laterally spreading tumors. Patients were randomized 1:1 to the EMR with coagulation group (n = 285) or EMR (control) group (n = 285). Immediate bleeding during colon EMR or clean-based ulcer after EMR was excluded. Clinically significant PEB was defined as bleeding requiring endoscopic hemostasis, hospitalization, or a decrease in the hemoglobin level >2 g/dL. RESULTS: A total of 569 patients were analyzed. The incidence of overall PEB was significantly lower in the EMR with coagulation group than in the control group (12.6% [36/285] vs 18.7% [53/284], P = .048). However, this was largely because of a reduction in minor bleeding. There was no difference in clinically significant PEB (1.8% [5/285] vs 3.2% [9/284], P = .276). Rectal location was a risk factor associated with overall PEB (odds ratio, 1.256; 95% confidence interval, 1.12-1.41; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Although this study found reduced PEB with prophylactic cautery of visible vessels, this was largely because of a reduction in minor bleeding with no benefit observed for clinically significant bleeding. Overall, PEB was more frequent with rectal lesions. (Clinical trial registration number: KCT0000779.).

Efficacy of tailored therapy for Helicobacter pylori eradication based on clarithromycin resistance and survey of previous antibiotic exposure: A single-center prospective pilot study.

BACKGROUND: As the prevalence of antibiotic resistance is increasing, the effectiveness of traditional Helicobacter pylori (H pylori) therapies is gradually declining. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of tailored therapy (dual priming oligonucleotide [DPO]-based multiplex PCR) and previous antibiotic exposure survey predicting for antibiotic resistance. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with H pylori infection who did not receive previous treatment were enrolled. The patients were divided into four groups (no resistance [NR] group, clarithromycin resistance [CLA-R] group, metronidazole-resistant [MET-R] group, and CLA- and MET-resistant [Dual-R] group) based on the results of dual priming oligonucleotide (DPO) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and previous antibiotic exposure survey, and they were treated with tailored therapy based on antibiotic susceptibility. RESULTS: Consecutive patients were distributed in the NR (n = 36, 70.6%), CLA-R (n = 9, 17.6%), and suspected MET-R (n = 6, 11.8%) group. The overall intention-to-treat/per-protocol eradication rate (ITT/PP) was 92.2%/94.0%. In the subgroup analysis, the ITT and PP of the NR, CLA-R, and MET-R groups were 94.4%/94.4%, 77.8%/87.5%, and 100.0%/100.0%, respectively. Total of 31 patients in all subgroups were evaluated for antibiotic resistance; five (16.1%), two (6.5%), and three (9.7%) participants showed CLA, MET, and dual resistance in culture-based susceptibility test. Compared with culture-based MIC test, the accuracy of DPO-based multiplex PCR in determining CLA resistance was 90.3%, while the accuracy of survey in determining MET resistance was only 77.4%. CONCLUSION: A tailored therapy based on DPO-PCR and history of previous antibiotic use is useful in clinical practice and well correlated with culture-based susceptibility test.

Endoscopic Indication of Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection for Early Gastric Cancer Is Not Compatible with Pathologic Criteria in Clinical Practice.

BACKGROUND: The inappropriate selection of patients with early gastric cancer (EGC) for endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) may lead to additional surgery because of a non-curative resection. This study was performed to assess the accuracy of clinical decisions in ESD for EGC. METHODS: A total of 607 cases of EGC treated by ESD were prospectively enrolled from January 2011 to June 2014 at a single academic hospital. The 607 EGCs were divided into three groups (overestimated, same-estimated, and underestimated) based on pre-procedure endoscopic findings (indication) and pathological diagnosis after ESD (criteria). We evaluated the discrepancy rates between pre-procedure indication and pathological criteria, and then analyzed the pre-procedure factors that could influence the occurrence of the discrepancies. RESULTS: The absolute, expanded, and beyond the expanded indication has its accuracy on curability criteria in 87%, 77.6%, and 55.6% of cases, respectively. The ratio of overall indication-criteria discrepancies was 250/607 (41.2%). The curability was significantly lower in the underestimated group compared to the overestimated and same-estimated groups (41.6% vs. 94.6%, 94.4%, p < 0.001). In multivariate analysis examining the predictive factors for discrepancies in the 598 EGCs with absolute/expanded indications, the endoscopic size ≥ 20 mm [odds ratio (OR) 2.493, confidence interval (CI) 1.546-4.022, p < 0.001], presence of ulcers (OR 1.712, CI 1.070-2.738, p = 0.025), patient age < 60 years (OR 1.689, CI 1.044-2.733, p = 0.033), and undifferentiated type EGC on forceps biopsy (OR 5.397, CI 2.027-14.369, p = 0.001) were all associated with discrepancies. CONCLUSIONS: Indication judged by pre-procedural endoscopy is not sufficiently accurate to be used as a good measurement for post-procedural criteria.

Optimal Endoscopic Screening Interval for Early Detection of Gastric Cancer: a Single-Center Study.

BACKGROUND: The optimal endoscopic screening interval for early gastric cancer (EGC) detection still remains controversial. Thus, we performed this prospective study to clarify the optimal interval between endoscopic examinations for EGC detection. METHODS: A questionnaire survey for penultimate endoscopy and gastric cancer (GC) diagnosis interval was used; the findings were then analyzed. The patients were divided into two groups according to GC type and endoscopic examinations intervals. RESULTS: A total of 843 patients were enrolled. The endoscopic GC detection interval (P < 0.001), tumor location (P < 0.001), tumor size (P < 0.001), histology (P < 0.001), tumor stage (P < 0.001), and treatment modality (P < 0.001) showed significant differences in the univariate analysis between EGC and advanced gastric cancer (AGC). Endoscopic examination intervals below 2 years and 3 years were associated with higher proportions of EGC detection (adjusted odds ratio, 2.458 and 3.022, respectively) (P < 0.001). The patients with endoscopic examination to GC diagnosis interval of < 2 years showed significant differences in tumor size (P < 0.001), tumor stage (P < 0.001), and treatment modality (P < 0.001) compared to those with intervals of > 2 years and without screening. Similar results were observed in those with < 3-year intervals. CONCLUSION: Triennial endoscopic screening might be as effective as biennial screening in increasing the detection rate of EGC and the risk of subsequent curable endoscopic resections.