Pretreatment antimicrobial susceptibility-guided vs. clarithromycin-based triple therapy for Helicobacter pylori eradication in a region with high rates of multiple drug resistance.

OBJECTIVES: Helicobacter pylori eradication rates with clarithromycin-based triple therapy are declining, and an alternative strategy is needed urgently. We sought to compare the efficacy of pretreatment antimicrobial susceptibility-guided vs. clarithromycin-based triple therapy for H. pylori eradication in a region with high rates of multiple drug resistance. METHODS: Consecutive H. pylori-infected patients with gastric epithelial neoplasms were randomized to receive antimicrobial susceptibility-guided therapy or clarithromycin-based triple therapy for 7 days. In patients in whom the infection was not eradicated, antibiotics were given according to an initial antimicrobial susceptibility test as a second-line therapy in both groups. Eradication rates, antibiotics resistance rates, and drug compliance owing to adverse effects were compared between the groups. RESULTS: In total, 114 patients were enrolled, and 112 completed the protocols. Drug compliance and side effects were similar between the groups. The intention-to-treat eradication rates were 94.7% (95% confidence interval (CI)=88.8-100%, 54/57) in the antimicrobial susceptibility-guided group and 71.9% (95% CI=60.2-83.5%, 41/57) in the clarithromycin-based triple therapy group after the initial treatment (P=0.002), whereas the per-protocol (PP) eradication rates were 96.4% (95% CI=91.5-100%, 54/56) in the antimicrobial susceptibility-guided group and 73.2% (95% CI=61.5-84.8%, 41/56) in the clarithromycin-based triple therapy group (P=0.001). In H. pylori with clarithromycin resistance, the eradication failure rate with first-line treatment was lower in the susceptibility-guided therapy group (0%, 0/12) compared with the clarithromycin-based triple therapy group (80.0%, 95% CI=59.7-100%, 12/15) by PP analysis (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Pretreatment antimicrobial susceptibility-guided therapy is more effective than clarithromycin-based triple therapy for H. pylori eradication in a region with high rates of multiple drug resistance.

Needle-knife fistulotomy in patients with periampullary diverticula and difficult bile duct cannulation.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Needle-knife fistulotomy has commonly been used for overcoming difficult bile duct cannulation. Periampullary diverticula (PAD) can be an impediment to endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) procedures. There are little data on needle-knife fistulotomy in patients with PAD. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of needle-knife fistulotomy between patients with and without PAD. METHODS: Data from December 2005 to October 2010 were reviewed. Patients who underwent needle-knife fistulotomy were divided into the group with PAD and the group without PAD (control group). The technical success and complications were compared. RESULTS: A total of 3012 ERCP cases were analyzed. Needle-knife fistulotomy was performed in 154 out of 3012 cases (5.1%) with 138 of these patients (89.6%) experiencing successful bile duct cannulation. The overall cannulation success rate was not significantly different between PAD group (n=33) and control group (n =121) (93.9% vs 88.4%; P=0.523). There was no significant difference in pancreatitis, bleeding and perforation between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Needle-knife fistulotomy can be performed effectively and safely in patients with periampullary diverticula and difficult bile duct cannulation.

Genetic aberrance of sporadic MEN 2A component tumours: analysis of RET.

AIM: The molecular pathogenesis of familial multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) type 2 (parathyroid adenoma with medullary thyroid carcinoma and adrenal pheochromocytoma) is associated with a germ-line mutation in the RET proto-oncogene. We undertook this study to clarify the relationship between the tumorigenesis of apparently sporadic MEN type 2 component endocrine tumours and RET mutations. METHODS: Direct sequencing for RET exon 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 and immunohistochemistry for RET monoclonal antibody were performed on the archival tissues of 84 cases of sporadic endocrine tumours, including 22 medullary thyroid carcinomas (MTCs), 35 adrenal pheochromocytomas (APCs), 18 paragangliomas (PGs), and nine parathyroid adenomas (PTAs). RESULTS: PCR-based direct sequencing revealed somatic point missense mutation within 22.7% of exon 13 of the RET proto-oncogene (four cases of E768D, one case of S7781) in MTCs. No RET genotype and morphological association was observed in MTCs or APCs. APCs revealed significantly lower levels of immunoexpression of RET, even versus PGs. CONCLUSIONS: The genetic mutation in RET is relatively low in incidence, and likely to play an insignificant role in the molecular pathogenesis of sporadic MTC. The molecular bases of PG and APC seem to be different despite their embryological and histological similarities.

Hypertensive heart failure associated with middle aortic syndrome reversed dramatically by endovascular management.

A 42-year-old male patient presented with refractory hypertension and congestive heart failure. He had taken hydrochlorthiazide 50 mg, carvedilol 25 mg, diltiazem 180 mg, and losartan 100 mg per day. Aortogram revealed a severe luminal narrowing in the distal thoracic aorta with a peak systolic pressure gradient of 60 mmHg across the lesion. Endovascular management was performed with 22 × 80 mm self-expandable Nitinol-S stent after predilation with 10 × 40 mm balloon. After endovascular management, the patient's blood pressure, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and dilated LV dimension were remarkably improved.

Green tea consumption improves endothelial function but not circulating endothelial progenitor cells in patients with chronic renal failure.

This study was designed to determine the effect of green tea consumption in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) on flow-mediated endothelium-dependent vasodilation (FMD) and the number of circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs). Forty patients with CKD requiring chronic dialysis were enrolled. The patients were divided into two groups: the catechin group that consumed green tea (5 g/day for 1 month) and the control group that consumed water. The number of EPCs, inflammatory markers, oxidative stress, and FMD were determined at baseline and 4 weeks after green tea consumption. Clinical characteristics, oxidative stress, inflammatory markers, and circulating EPCs number were not significantly different. FMD was significantly improved after 4 weeks in the catechin group (from 5.68±2.67% to 8.66±3.46%, p=0.002). Short-term green tea consumption induced a rapid improvement in FMD, but did not improve circulating EPC levels in patients with CKD.

A comparison of clopidogrel responsiveness in patients with versus without chronic renal failure.

We sought to compare the platelet responsiveness to clopidogrel between patients with chronic renal failure and those with normal renal function. We conducted a prospective, randomized, open-label, single-center trial. A total of 23 patients with normal renal function received a usual daily dose of 75 mg of clopidogrel (group I, 61 +/- 7 years). Also, 36 patients with chronic renal failure (60 +/- 5 years) were divided into 2 groups according to their daily dose of clopidogrel: a daily dose of 75 mg of clopidogrel for 30 days (group II, n = 18) or a daily dose of 150 mg (group III, n = 18). The primary efficacy variables among the study groups using the VerifyNow P2Y12 assay were the P2Y12 reaction unit value and the percentage of inhibition. A significant difference was found in the P2Y12 reaction unit value among the 3 groups (239 +/- 87 in group I, 308 +/- 70 in group II, 302 +/- 81 in group III (p = 0.013) and in the percentage of inhibition (35 +/- 20 in group I, 21 +/- 16 in group II, 23 +/- 14 in group III, p = 0.026). No significant difference was found in the P2Y12 reaction units or percentage of inhibition between groups II and III. In conclusion, platelet responsiveness to clopidogrel decreased more in patients with chronic renal failure than in those with normal renal function, and this decreased platelet responsiveness to clopidogrel was not improved by an increase in the clopidogrel dosage.