Widespread use of proton pump inhibitors or potassium-competitive acid blocker has changed the status of gastrointestinal bleeding in patients with ischemic heart disease: real-world data from high volume centers.

BACKGROUND: Although proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) or potassium-competitive acid blocker (PCAB) are useful in peptic ulcer prevention, their efficacy in preventing other gastrointestinal bleeding remains unclear. This study aimed to identify the status of gastrointestinal bleeding in the modern era when PPIs are widely used. METHODS: This study included patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) between 2018 and 2019 at two high-volume centers. Patients were categorized based on whether they experienced gastrointestinal bleeding within 2 years of PCI into groups A (patients who experienced gastrointestinal bleeding within 2 years after PCI) and B (patients who did not experience gastrointestinal bleeding). RESULTS: Groups A and B included 21 (4.1%) and 494 (95.9%) patients, respectively (a total of 515 patients). Age at the initial PCI (77.8±2.4 and 72.0±0.5 years in groups A and B, respectively; p = 0.02), weight (53.8±3.2 and 61.8±0.7 kg in groups A and B, respectively; p = 0.01), and concomitant warfarin use (14.3% and 2.0% in groups A and B, respectively; p = 0.0005) were significantly different between the groups. The high bleeding risk rate (90.5% and 47.6% in groups A and B, respectively; p = 0.0001) was significantly different between the groups. A total of 95.9% of patients were taking PPIs or PCAB without significant differences between the groups. However, only one patient, who was taking steroids, had a gastric ulcer during PCAB treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Acid-related upper gastrointestinal bleeding is largely controlled by PPIs in post-PCI patients. Furthermore, the risk factors for non-acid-related bleeding include older age, lower weight, and concomitant warfarin use.

Safety and efficacy of endoscopic submucosal dissection with gel immersion technique for superficial esophageal neoplasms.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Gel immersion (GI) endoscopy provides a good visual field in endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD); however, its clinical outcomes are poorly understood. This study aimed to compare the treatment outcomes between esophageal gel immersion endoscopic submucosal dissection (GI-ESD) and conventional ESD (C-ESD) to determine the safety and efficacy of GI-ESD. METHODS: The data of 71 consecutive patients who underwent esophageal ESD between April 2021 and March 2023 at a Japanese tertiary center were retrospectively reviewed. GI was achieved using an additional irrigation tube. The treatment outcomes between the GI-ESD and C-ESD groups were compared using inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) to control for confounding factors. RESULTS: A total of 75 superficial esophageal epithelial neoplasms (41 in the C-ESD and 34 in the GI-ESD groups) were treated using ESD. The mean procedure time in the GI-ESD group was significantly shorter than that in the C-ESD group (59.2 ± 36.2 vs 85.3 ± 45.7 min, P = 0.008). After IPTW adjustment, the mean procedural times were 62.6 ± 36.6 and 82.9 ± 41.7 min in the GI-ESD and C-ESD groups, respectively (P = 0.037), and the incidence rate of muscle layer damage was 4.2% in the GI-ESD group and 30.6% in the C-ESD group (P = 0.001). In the multivariate analysis, specimen size ≥ 30 mm (odds ratio [OR]: 9.44, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.46-36.30, P = 0.001) was positively correlated with longer procedural time (≥ 90 min), whereas GI-ESD (OR: 0.19, 95%CI: 0.05-0.68, P = 0.011) showed a negative association. CONCLUSIONS: Esophageal GI-ESD may be useful in terms of safety and time efficiency. The GI technique could be an option for esophageal ESD.

Frontiers in Endoscopic Treatment for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease.

BACKGROUND: The 3rd edition of the evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) 2021 from the Japanese Society of Gastroenterology states that the treatment strategy for potassium-competitive acid blocker (PCAB)-refractory GERD remains unclear. Furthermore, even if GERD improves with the administration of an acid secretion inhibitor, it is feared that GERD may flare up after discontinuation of the drug, resulting in some cases in which patients are forced to take vonoprazan semipermanently (the so-called PCAB-dependent cases). From a global perspective, PCAB is not yet used in all countries and regions, and measures that can be taken now for cases in which a conventional proton pump inhibitor (PPI) is inadequately effective need to be devised. SUMMARY: Endoscopic treatment for GERD may be effective in cases where conventional proton pump inhibitors are ineffective; however, there are insufficient long-term studies to corroborate this, and its cost effectiveness is unknown. Other treatment options for PCAB or PPI-refractory GERD include surgical procedures (Nissen and Toupet operations), which have a longer history than endoscopic treatment for GERD. However, their long-term results are not as good as those of acid secretion inhibitors, and they are not cost effective. Endoscopic treatment for GERD may fill gaps in inadequate surgical treatment. In April 2022, endoscopic anti-reflux mucosal resections (ARMS [anti-reflux mucosectomy] and ESD-G [endoscopic submucosal dissection for GERD]) were approved for reimbursement, making endoscopic treatment of GERD possible throughout Japan. KEY MESSAGES: It is important to identify the background factors in cases in which endoscopic treatments are effective.

Effect of sarcopenia on short-term outcomes of gastric endoscopic submucosal dissection.

BACKGROUND: Sarcopenia has been reported to be associated with short-term outcomes after gastric endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). The "strength, assistance with walking, rising from a chair, climbing stairs, and falls" (SARC-F) questionnaire has been widely used as a screening tool for sarcopenia; however, SARC-F combined with body mass index and age (SARC-F+EBM) has recently been reported to be more useful than SARC-F alone. This study aimed to investigate the association between sarcopenia, measured using SARC-F+EBM, and short-term outcomes after gastric ESD. METHODS: Patients who underwent gastric ESD at our institution between May 2020 and June 2023 were included, and their medical records were reviewed retrospectively. A SARC-F+EBM score ≥ 12 indicated sarcopenia. We evaluated the incidence of adverse events and the length of hospital stay in the sarcopenia and non-sarcopenia groups. RESULTS: Overall, 263 patients (64 and 199 in the sarcopenia and non-sarcopenia groups, respectively) were investigated. The incidence of adverse events with a Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events grade ≥ 3 was not significantly different between the sarcopenia and non-sarcopenia groups (6.2% vs. 8.5%, p = 0.791). The proportion of patients with an extended hospital stay (≥ 10 days) was significantly higher in the sarcopenia group than that in the non-sarcopenia group (12.5% [8/64] vs. 3.5% [7/199], p = 0.012). Multivariate analysis showed that sarcopenia and lesions that present technical difficulty in ESD were independent risk factors for extended hospital stays (≥ 10 days). Of the eight cases having extended hospital stays in the sarcopenia group, four were due to the management after gastric ESD, three were due to family circumstances, and one was due to decreased activities of daily living. CONCLUSIONS: Sarcopenia is not a predictor of adverse events associated with gastric ESD. However, patients with sarcopenia may be hospitalized for longer owing to non-ESD-related factors.

Red Dichromatic Imaging Improves the Recognition of Bleeding Points During Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have indicated that red dichromatic imaging (RDI) improved the visibility of gastrointestinal bleeding. AIMS: To investigate the recognition of bleeding points during endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) under RDI compared with that under white light imaging (WLI). METHODS: Consecutive patients scheduled to undergo esophageal or gastric ESD at a single center were enrolled. Paired videos of active bleeding during ESD under WLI and RDI were created. Six endoscopists identified the virtual hemostasis point on still images after random video viewing. The distance between virtual hemostasis and actual bleeding points was scored in four levels (0-3 points), and the association with the color value was analyzed in both WLI and RDI. RESULTS: We evaluated 116 videos for 58 bleeding points. The median visibility score and recognition rate were significantly higher for RDI than for WLI (2.17 vs. 1.42, p < 0.001 and 62.1% vs 27.6%, p < 0.001). Additionally, the recognition rate of trainees in RDI was higher than that of experts in WLI (60.3% vs. 43.1%, p = 0.067). The median color difference of RDI was significantly higher than that of WLI (8.97 vs. 3.69, p < 0.001). Furthermore, the correlation coefficient between the visibility score and color difference was 0.712 (strong correlation). CONCLUSION: RDI can provide better recognition of bleeding points than WLI during ESD. Therefore, further studies are warranted to investigate whether RDI improves ESD outcomes.

Background factors of idiopathic peptic ulcers and optimal treatment methods: a multicenter retrospective Japanese study.

This study investigated the trends in idiopathic peptic ulcers, examined the characteristics of refractory idiopathic peptic ulcer, and identified the optimal treatment. The characteristics of 309 patients with idiopathic peptic ulcer were examined. We allocated idiopathic peptic ulcers that did not heal after 8 weeks' treatment (6 weeks for duodenal ulcers) to the refractory group and those that healed within this period to the healed group. The typical risk factors for idiopathic peptic ulcer (atherosclerosis-related underlying disease or liver cirrhosis complications) were absent in 46.6% of patients. Absence of gastric mucosal atrophy (refractory group: 51.4%, healed group: 28.4%; p = 0.016), and gastric fundic gland polyps (refractory group: 17.6%, healed group: 5.9%; p = 0.045) were significantly more common in the refractory group compared to the healed group. A history of H. pylori eradication (refractory group: 85.3%, healed group: 66.0%; p = 0.016), previous H. pylori infection (i.e., gastric mucosal atrophy or history of H. pylori eradication) (refractory group: 48.5%, healed group: 80.0%; p = 0.001), and potassium-competitive acid blocker treatment (refractory group: 28.6%, healed group, 64.1%; p = 0.001) were significantly more frequent in the healed group compared to the refractory group. Thus, acid hypersecretion may be a major factor underlying the refractoriness of idiopathic peptic ulcer.

Examination on Factors Affecting Symptom Change after Drug Withdrawal in Patients with Mild Erosive Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Undergoing Symptom-Controlled Maintenance Therapy with Acid-Secretion Inhibition Drugs.

INTRODUCTION: In patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) on maintenance therapy with acid-suppressive drugs, it is not clear what background factors allow patients to discontinue the drugs. The aims of this study were to examine the relationship of the changes in the frequency and severity of gastrointestinal symptoms after discontinuation of acid-secretion inhibitors for erosive GERD (eGERD) with possible patient background factors and to identify factors that influence these changes. METHODS: This is a multicenter, open-label, interventional, exploratory study. eGERD patients with mild mucosal injury whose symptoms were under control and who were on maintenance therapy with acid-suppressive drugs were withdrawn from the drug treatment for 4 weeks. We examined the relationship of patient backgrounds (sex, age, body mass index, alcohol consumption, smoking habits), esophageal hiatal hernia, Helicobacter pylori infection, pepsinogen I and II concentrations and I/II ratios, blood gastrin levels before and after drug discontinuation with total score change in Frequency Scale for the Symptoms of GERD (FSSG). RESULTS: Of the 92 patients whose symptoms could be assessed before and after drug withdrawal, 66 patients (71.7% of the total) had FSSG <8 and no symptom relapse after the withdrawal. Furthermore, patient background factors that may be related to symptom relapse/non-relapse were examined, but no related factors were detected. The maintenance medications before discontinuation in the above 92 patients were a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) and vonoprazan (VPZ, a potassium ion competitive acid blocker). Since PPI and VPZ were administered to about the same number of patients, though incidentally, we additionally examined the relationship between patient background factors and symptom relapse/non-relapse by treatment group. As a result, no relevant background factors were detected in both groups. Although there were no significant differences between the two groups, the severity and frequency of symptom recurrence in the VPZ group tended to be higher than in the PPI group. CONCLUSIONS: Consideration of background factors is unlikely to be required in the discontinuation of maintenance therapy for eGERD. There was no significant difference in the extent of disease or frequency of recurrence during the discontinuation period, regardless of whether the drug before discontinuation was a PPI or VPZ.

Relationship between Chemotherapy-Induced Diarrhea and Intestinal Microbiome Composition.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Fluoropyrimidines (FPs) are key drugs in many chemotherapy regimens; however, recipients are often prone to diarrhea due to gastrointestinal toxicity. Disruption of the intestinal epithelial barrier function by FPs leads to dysbiosis, which may exacerbate intestinal epithelial cell damage as a secondary effect and trigger diarrhea. However, despite studies on chemotherapy-induced changes in the intestinal microbiome of humans, the relationship between dysbiosis and diarrhea is unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between chemotherapy-induced diarrhea and the intestinal microbiome. METHODS: We conducted a single-center prospective observational study. Twenty-three patients who received chemotherapy, including FPs as first-line chemotherapy for colorectal cancer, were included. Stool samples were collected before the start of chemotherapy and after one cycle of treatment to analyze intestinal microbiome composition and perform PICRUSt predictive metagenomic analysis. RESULTS: Gastrointestinal toxicity was observed in 7 of 23 patients (30.4%), diarrhea was observed in 4 (17.4%), and nausea and anorexia were observed in 3 (13.0%). In 19 patients treated with oral FPs, the α diversity of the microbial community decreased significantly following chemotherapy only in the diarrheal group. At the phylum level, the diarrheal group showed a significant decrease in the abundance of Firmicutes and a significant increase in the abundance of Bacteroidetes with chemotherapy (p = 0.013 and 0.011, respectively). In the same groups, at the genus level, Bifidobacterium abundance was significantly decreased (p = 0.019). In contrast, in the non-diarrheal group, Actinobacteria abundance increased significantly with chemotherapy at the phylum level (p = 0.011). Further, Bifidobacterium, Fusicatenibacter, and Dorea abundance significantly increased at the genus level (p = 0.006, 0.019, and 0.011, respectively). The PICRUSt predictive metagenomic analysis revealed that chemotherapy caused significant differences in membrane transport in KEGG pathway level 2 and in 8 KEGG pathway level 3, including transporters and oxidative phosphorylation in the diarrhea group. CONCLUSION: Organic-acid-producing bacteria seem to be involved in diarrhea associated with chemotherapy, including FPs.

Risk factors for postoperative bleeding and early death in percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy: A multicenter retrospective study.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Comprehensive reports on the risk factors for bleeding and early death after percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) are limited. In this multicenter study, we retrospectively investigated the risk factors for bleeding and early death after PEG. METHODS: Patients (n = 1234) who underwent PEG between 2015 and 2020 at Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University and its affiliated hospitals (11 institutions in total) were evaluated for postoperative bleeding and early death (within 60 days) after PEG according to patient characteristics, construction method, medical history, medications, preoperative hematological findings, and perioperative adverse events. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify independent predictors of bleeding and early death after PEG. RESULTS: The risk factors for bleeding after PEG were PEG tube insertion using the modified introducer method (odds ratio [OR], 4.37; P = 0.0003), low platelet count (OR, 0.99; P = 0.014), antiplatelet therapy (OR, 2.11; P = 0.036), and heparinization (OR, 4.50; P = 0.007). Risk factors for early death were low body mass index (BMI) (OR, 0.89; P = 0.015), low serum albumin levels (OR, 0.50; P = 0.035), and comorbidity of active cancer (OR, 4.03; P < 0.0001). There was no significant association between bleeding and early death after PEG. CONCLUSIONS: We identified several risk factors for bleeding and early death after PEG. Risk factors for bleeding were PEG tube insertion using the modified introducer method, low platelet count, antiplatelet therapy, and heparinization. Risk factors for early death were low BMI, low serum albumin levels, and comorbidity of active cancer.

Therapeutic Drug Monitoring of Golimumab for the Prediction of Long-Term Clinical Remission in Patients with Ulcerative Colitis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: A considerable number of patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) who initially respond to golimumab (GLM), an anti-TNF-α antibody, gradually lose clinical response. Therapeutic drug monitoring has been proposed to optimize serum anti-TNF-α antibody concentrations before the loss of response; however, little is known about ideal serum GLM concentrations. We aimed to evaluate whether the serum GLM trough levels (TLs) early after the initiation of induction therapy affect the long-term outcomes in UC and to identify the early GLM TLs that should be targeted for better long-term outcomes. METHODS: Thirty-one patients were prospectively evaluated. The primary outcome was clinical remission at 54 weeks, and we measured the serum GLM TLs at weeks 6, 10, and 14. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed to identify optimal GLM TL thresholds early after induction therapy that were associated with clinical remission at week 54. RESULTS: The GLM TL at week 14, but not at weeks 6 or 10, was significantly associated with clinical remission at week 54 (median [IQR] 1.6 [1.3-1.6] µg/mL vs. 0.9 [0.6-1.3] µg/mL; p = 0.04). The area under the ROC curve for GLM TLs at week 14 was 0.78. We identified a week-14 GLM TL of 1.1 µg/mL as the target threshold for achieving clinical remission at week 54. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate the value of early serum GLM TLs in predicting the long-term outcomes of GLM for patients with UC.

Risk Factors for Nephrotoxicity due to Tacrolimus Therapy for Ulcerative Colitis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The calcineurin inhibitor tacrolimus is reportedly effective for moderate/severe ulcerative colitis (UC); however, it is also reportedly associated with nephrotoxicity. We investigated the risk factors for tacrolimus-induced nephrotoxicity and whether renal impairment adversely affected the outcomes of tacrolimus treatment in patients with UC. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of 93 patients with UC who were administered tacrolimus leading to high trough levels (10-15 ng/mL) for 2 weeks and low trough levels (5-10 ng/mL) for 3 months. RESULTS: Acute kidney injury (AKI) occurred in 44 patients (47.3%) during tacrolimus treatment. Of these patients, 34 (36.6%) developed AKI during the high trough phase and 17 (18.3%) developed AKI when the trough value exceeded the original target value of 15 ng/mL. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the male sex was significantly associated with AKI (p = 0.002, AOR = 4.38, 95% CI [1.69-11.3]). Clinical remission rate after 4, 8, 12, and 24 weeks of tacrolimus treatment in patients with AKI was lower than that in patients without AKI. Six patients (6.5%) had chronic kidney disease (CKD) after tacrolimus treatment completion, and all patients with CKD developed AKI during treatment. The median duration of treatment with no improvement in AKI was significantly longer in patients with CKD than in those without CKD (p = 0.016). CONCLUSION: We revealed the risk factors for tacrolimus-induced nephrotoxicity. Renal impairment occurrence adversely affected the tacrolimus treatment outcome; therefore, it is important to carefully administer tacrolimus to prevent renal impairment.

Safety and efficacy of the endoscopic delivery of capsule endoscopes in adult and pediatric patients: Multicenter Japanese study (AdvanCE-J study).

BACKGROUND AND AIM: We retrospectively determined the safety and efficacy of the endoscopic delivery (ED) of capsule endoscopes. METHODS: We enrolled 10,156 patients who underwent small bowel capsule endoscopy (SBCE), 3182 who underwent patency capsule (PC), and 1367 who underwent colon capsule endoscopy (CCE), at 11 gastroenterological and nine pediatric centers. RESULTS: Small bowel capsule endoscopies, PCs, and CCEs were endoscopically delivered to 546 (5.4%), 214 (6.7%), and 14 (1.0%) patients, respectively. Only mild complications occurred for 21.6% (167/774), including uneventful mucosal damage, bleeding, and abdominal pain. Successful ED of SBCE to the duodenum or jejunum occurred in 91.8% and 90.7% of patients aged <16 years and ≥16 years, respectively (P = 0.6661), but the total enteroscopy rate was higher in the first group (91.7%) than in the second (76.2%, P < 0.0001), for whom impossible ingestion (87.3%) was significantly more common than prolonged lodging in the stomach (64.2%, P = 0.0010). Successful PC and CCE delivery to the duodenum occurred in 84.1% and 28.6%, thereafter the patency confirmation rate and total colonoscopy rate was 100% and 61.5%, respectively. The height, weight, and age cutoff points in predicting spontaneous ingestion were 132 cm, 24.8 kg, and 9 years 2 months, respectively, in patients aged <16 years. Patients aged ≥16 years could not swallow the SBCEs mainly due to dysphagia (75.0%); those who retained it in the esophagus due to cardiac disease (28.6%), etc. and in the stomach due to diabetes mellitus (15.7%), etc. CONCLUSIONS: This large-scale study supports the safety and efficacy of ED in adult and pediatric patients. UMIN000042020.

Outcomes of endoscopic submucosal dissection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (ESD-G) for medication-refractory gastroesophageal reflux disease: 35 cases underwent ESD-G including 15 cases followed more than 5 years.

BACKGROUND: Although some kinds of endoluminal surgery for patients with proton pump inhibitor (PPI)-refractory gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) have been reported, there are few reports on their long-term outcomes. In 2014, we reported the effectiveness of endoscopic surgery for PPI-refractory GERD, which we invented and named endoscopic submucosal dissection for GERD (ESD-G) in 2008. Thereafter, we accumulated more cases and monitored the patients' condition postoperatively and describe the outcomes herein. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This single-center, single-arm trial was conducted at the Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University Hospital. We compared outcomes between before and 3-6 months after ESD-G. Additionally, we investigated the outcomes of patients 5 or more years after ESD-G. RESULTS: We performed 42 ESD-G procedures in 35 patients between 2008 and 2020. In seven patients, ESD-G was performed twice for various reasons. The frequency scale for the symptoms of GERD score was significantly improved 3-6 months after ESD-G (22 → 10, p < 0.0001); the Los Angeles classification for reflux esophagitis was clearly improved after ESD-G (p = 0.0423). The number of reflux episodes was not decreased by ESD-G. There was a significant difference in the potency unit of gastric acid secretion suppressants for controlling GERD-related symptoms between baseline and 3-6 months after ESD-G (p = 0.0009). In patients without a history of distal gastrectomy who underwent ESD-G, the potency unit of gastric acid secretion suppressants significantly decreased 5 or more years after ESD-G (p = 0.0121). CONCLUSION: ESD-G may be effective in patients with refractory GERD-related symptoms without a history of distal gastrectomy.

Effect of a proton-pump inhibitor on intestinal microbiota in patients taking low-dose aspirin.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Low-dose aspirin (LDA) administration prevents cerebral infarction and myocardial infarction, but many studies found an association with mucosal injury. Proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) can prevent gastric and duodenal mucosal damage, but they may exacerbate small-intestinal mucosal injury by altering the microbiota. We aimed to assess the effect of PPIs on the intestinal flora of LDA users. METHODS: Thirty-two recruited patients, who received LDA (100 mg/day) but did not take PPIs, were divided into 15 patients additionally receiving esomeprazole (20 mg/day) and 17 patients additionally receiving vonoprazan (10 mg/day). On days 0, 30, 90, and 180, the microbiota of each patient was examined by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis, and the serum gastrin, hemoglobin, and hematocrit levels were measured. RESULTS: Additional PPI administration increased the proportion of Lactobacillales in the microbiota of LDA users. This trend was more prevalent in the vonoprazan group (p < 0.0001) than in the esomeprazole group (p = 0.0024). The Lactobacillales proportion was positively correlated with the gastrin level (r = 0.5354). No significant hemoglobin or hematocrit level reduction was observed in subjects receiving LDA with additional PPI. CONCLUSIONS: Additional PPI administration increased the Lactobacillales proportion in the microbiota of LDA users. The positive correlation between the gastrin level and the proportion of Lactobacillales suggested that the change in the intestinal flora was associated with the degree of suppression of gastric acid secretion. Additional oral PPI did not significantly promote anemia, but the risk of causing PPI-induced small-intestinal mucosal injury in LDA users should be considered.

Multiacquisition Variable-Resonance Image Combination Selective Can Improve Image Quality and Reproducibility for Metallic Implants in the Lumbar Spine.

The aim of this study is to evaluate how metallic artifacts in the lumbar spine can affect images obtained from magnetic resonance (MR) sequences. We performed a phantom experiment by scanning an agar containing an orthopedic metallic implant using 64-channel multidetector row computed tomography (CT) and a 3-tesla MR unit. We compared the reproducibility in each measurement, enlargement or reduction ratio of the CT and MR measurements, and signal deviation in each voxel from the control. The reproducibility on CT and multiacquisition variable-resonance image combination selective (MAVRIC SL) was good, but that on the other MR sequences showed either fixed bias or proportional bias. The reduction ratios of the distance between the nails were significantly smaller in MAVRIC SL than in the other MR sequences after CT measurements (p<0.001, respectively). MAVRIC SL was able to reduce the metallic artifact, permitting observation of the tissue surrounding the metal with good reproducibility.

[Factors influencing the survival prognosis in older adults].

AIM: The present study examined the predictive factors for the survival prognosis in older adults. METHODS: The subjects were 431 patients (75-99 years old) who visited our hospital between April 2016 and March 2019. Multivariate analyses were conducted to clarify the survival prognosis (P <0.05). RESULTS: In a Cox regression analysis, the significant factors for the survival were the age (hazard ratio [HR] 1.050, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.014-1.087), Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) (low vs. medium: HR 0.106, 95% CI 0.032-0.353; low vs. high: HR 0.244, 95% CI 0.150-0.398; low vs. very high: HR 0.514, 95% CI 0.326-0.809), pre-hospitalized gait (HR 1.861, 95% CI 1.158-2.988), sitting at discharge (HR 0.429, 95% CI 0.277-0.663), subcutaneous adipose tissue index (SATI) (HR 0.988, 95% CI 0.979-0.997) and modified controlling nutritional status (m-CONUT) (normal vs. light: HR 0.114, 95% CI 0.042-0.311; normal vs. moderate: HR 0.235, 95% CI 0.110-0.502; normal vs. severe: HR 0.351, 95% CI 0.166-0.741). In decision tree analyses, the significant factors for the 1-year survival were a CCI of low >medium >high-very high, body mass index of >20.7 kg/m2, m-CONUT of normal-light >moderate-severe and sitting at discharge, and those for the 2-year survival were sitting at discharge, a SATI of >43.9 cm2m-2, a CCI of low-medium >high-very high, male moderate-severe. CONCLUSIONS: High SATI and body mass index values appeared to be associated with better survival outcomes.

Investigation of the clinical significance and pathological features of lanthanum deposition in the gastric mucosa.

BACKGROUND: There are often specific endoscopic findings caused by deposition of lanthanum (La) in the gastric mucosa of patients taking lanthanum carbonate (LaC), a novel phosphate binder for patients on hemodialysis. We conducted a retrospective study to investigate the clinical significance of La deposition in the gastric mucosa, and the association between endoscopic features and histologic findings in the same population. METHODS: We compared background factors in patients taking LaC with and without La deposition in their gastroscopic biopsy specimen. We also investigated the relationship between gastric endoscopic biopsy specimens with La deposition and the concurrent endoscopic images. RESULTS: There was a significant difference in the total dose of LaC between the La-positive and La-negative groups (990 g [180-3150 g] vs. 480 g [225-1328 g]; p = 0.013). In 27 biopsy specimens with specific whitish mucosa, 10 showed mild histiocytic infiltration and 17 showed severe infiltration. In contrast, among 24 specimens with non-whitish mucosa, 5 showed no histiocytic infiltration, 10 showed mild infiltration, and 9 showed severe infiltration. There was a significant relationship between endoscopic features and the degree of histiocytic infiltration (p = 0.026). CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated that La deposition in the gastric mucosa depended on the total dose of LaC and was not affected by background factors. The specific endoscopic features of La deposition are associated with the infiltration of histiocytes, which represents the body's normal response to foreign bodies. Trial registry The protocol was registered in the University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trial Registry (UMIN000038929, https://upload.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/ctr/ctr_view.cgi?recptno=R000044393 ).

Small Intestinal Lesions in Patients with Anemia on Hemodialysis: A Two-Center, Cross-Sectional Study.

AIM: The number of patients on chronic dialysis in Japan is increasing every year, and the average age of these patients is also increasing annually. Iron deficiency is an important cause of anemia in patients on hemodialysis (HD). However, it has not been clarified whether these patients might have small intestinal mucosal lesions causing iron deficiency anemia. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study in -asymptomatic patients on HD between April 2014 and -December 2015. We performed small bowel capsule endoscopy (SBCE) and analyzed the relationship between small intestinal endoscopic findings and anemia. RESULTS: SBCE was successfully completed in 39 eligible patients. Univariate analysis revealed that there was a significant difference in blood hemoglobin levels between the morbid SBCE-finding group (median 7.7 g/dL; range 6.7-9.2 g/dL) and the non-morbid SBCE-finding group (median 10.65 g/dL; range 6.4-13.1 g/dL; p = 0.0006, Mann-Whitney U test). On multivariate analysis, the blood hemoglobin level was an independent predictor of morbid SBCE findings (p = 0.0033). The cutoff value of blood hemoglobin level for the morbid SBCE finding was determined as 9.2 g/dL using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Patients on HD with anemia are at a high risk of small intestinal lesions. Since the control of small intestinal lesion may improve the anemia, these outcomes are significant factors for managing patients on HD.

Endoscopic Evaluation of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapeutic Efficacy in Gastric Cancer before Gastrectomy Might be as Useful as Histological Assessment after Gastrectomy.

BACKGROUND: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy for advanced gastric cancer is expected to improve prognoses. However, as there is no method to evaluate neoadjuvant chemotherapeutic efficacy before gastrectomy, some patients at high risk for a poor prognosis undergo gastrectomy. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether endoscopy could be useful for assessing the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy. METHODS: In this retrospective study, we analyzed the data of 41 patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by gastrectomy at our institution to investigate whether responsiveness to neoadjuvant chemotherapy, as assessed with endoscopy, can serve as a surrogate marker for histological grades 1b or higher in the Japanese Classification of Gastric Carcinoma (JCGC) scheme. RESULTS: There were 32 (78.0%) responders and 9 (22.0%) nonresponders to neoadjuvant chemotherapy, as observed in endoscopic evaluations. Among the endoscopic responders, 24 (75.0%) had cancer of histological grade 1b or higher, and 15 (46.9%) had cancer of grade 2 or higher. Among the endoscopic nonresponders, 1 (11.1%) patient had histological grade 1b cancer. Compared with endoscopic nonresponders, endoscopic responders were more likely to show a histological response (chi-square test: p = 0.0005 for JCGC grade 1b or higher; p = 0.0099 for JCGC grade 2 or higher). CONCLUSIONS: Most endoscopic responders showed JCGC histological responses. Evaluation of neoadjuvant chemotherapeutic efficacy by endoscopy in gastric cancer may be useful before gastrectomy. As this was a retrospective study, further investigations are required. The protocol was approved by the ethics review committee at Osaka Medical College (No. 2422) and was registered in the University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trial Registry (UMIN000033088).

Induction of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in enteric glial cells stimulated by interleukin-1ß via a c-Jun N-terminal kinase pathway.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor exhibits neurotropic and neuroprotective functions and is increased in the colonic mucosa of patients with irritable bowel syndrome in correlation with the severity and frequency of abdominal pain. However, there are no reports of brain-derived neurotrophic factor expression in enteric glial cells. We evaluated the mRNA and protein expressions of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in enteric glial cells and culture medium and levels of mitogen-activated protein kinase after stimulation with interleukin-1ß. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor mRNA expression was increased by interleukin-1ß (3.125-75 ng/ml) and time-dependently increased 3-fold (24 h) and 4-fold (48 h) by interleukin-1ß (50 ng/ml). Pro- and mature brain-derived neurotrophic factor proteins were both significantly increased at 48 h by interleukin-1ß. However, the mature form was predominant in the cultured medium. Interleukin-1ß increased phosphorylated-p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase expressions 2-fold higher at 5 and 15 min, and also phosphorylated-c-Jun N-terminal kinase expression 5-fold at 5 min and 10-fold at 15 min. Prior treatment with phosphorylated-c-Jun N-terminal kinase inhibitors decreased interleukin-1ß-induced brain-derived neurotrophic factor by 50%. Thus, brain-derived neurotrophic factor expression was induced by interleukin-1ß in enteric glial cells via a phosphorylated-c-Jun N-terminal kinase pathway, which might affect the enteric nervous system during stress.