Efficacy of Tetracycline Three Times Daily was Comparable to That of Four Times Daily for Helicobacter pylori Rescue Treatment: A Multicenter, Noninferiority, Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: The optimal dosage of tetracycline remains unclear for Helicobacter pylori eradication. Frequent dosing requirements may decrease patient adherence and increase the incidence of adverse events, potentially reducing treatment efficacy. This study aimed to compare the efficacy of different tetracycline dosages in rescue treatment for H. pylori infection. METHODS: A total of 406 patients needing H. pylori rescue treatment were enrolled. Patients were randomized into two groups and received bismuth-containing quadruple therapies as follows: esomeprazole 40 mg twice daily, bismuth 220 mg twice daily, amoxicillin 1000 mg twice daily, and tetracycline 500 mg either three (TET-T group) or four (TET-F group) times daily. At least 6 weeks after treatment completion, a 13C-urea breath test was performed to evaluate H. pylori eradication. RESULTS: The intention-to-treat (ITT) eradication rates were 91.13% (185/203) and 90.15% (183/203) (p = 0.733), the modified ITT (MITT) eradication rates were 94.87% (185/195) and 95.31% (183/192) (p = 0.841), and the per-protocol (PP) eradication rates were 94.79% (182/192) and 95.21% (179/188) (p = 0.851) in the TET-T group and TET-F group, respectively. The eradication rates for the TET-T group were not inferior to those of the TET-F group in ITT, MITT, and PP analyses. The incidence of adverse effects was significantly lower in the TET-T group than in the TET-F group (23.65% vs. 33.50%, p = 0.028). No significant differences were observed in treatment compliance between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: The dose of tetracycline administered three times daily showed comparable efficacy to that administered four times daily, while significantly reducing the incidence of adverse events. The combination of tetracycline and amoxicillin in bismuth-containing quadruple therapy achieved a high eradication rate in H. pylori rescue treatment.

Esophagogastroscopic Abnormalities Potentially Guided Patients Younger than 50 Years Old to Undergo Colonoscopy Earlier: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of early-onset colorectal cancer (CRC) is continuously increasing worldwide. Current guidelines in China recommend average-risk individuals starting CRC screening at age 50. AIMS: To investigate the relationship between the gastric histopathology and colorectal neoplasms to identify CRC risk factors which potentially guide earlier colonoscopy in individuals aged < 50 years. METHODS: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted on 8819 patients younger than age 50 who underwent gastroscopy and colonoscopy simultaneously between November 7, 2020 and November 14, 2022. Multivariate logistic regression was used to evaluate whether various gastric histopathology are risk factors for different types of colorectal polyps, reporting odds ratios (ORs) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: A total of 3390 cases (38.44%) under 50 years old were diagnosed as colorectal polyps. Advanced age (OR 1.66, 95%CI 1.57-1.76), male sex (OR 2.67, 95%CI 2.33-3.08), Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection (OR 1.43, 95%CI 1.24-1.65), gastric polyps (OR 1.29, 95%CI 1.10-1.52), and low-grade intraepithelial neoplasia (LGIN) (OR 2.52, 95%CI 1.39-4.57) were independent risk factors for colorectal adenomas. For non-adenomatous polyps, reflux esophagitis (OR 1.38, 95%CI 1.11-1.71) was also an independent risk factor. Besides, older age (OR 1.90, 95%CI 1.66-2.18), male sex (OR 2.15, 95%CI 1.60-2.87), and H. pylori infection (OR 1.67, 95%CI 1.24-2.24) were associated with a higher risk of advanced neoplasms (advanced adenoma and CRC). CONCLUSIONS: Earlier colonoscopy for identification and screening may need to be considered for individuals younger than 50 years old with H. pylori infection, LGIN, gastric polyps, and reflux esophagitis. Risk-adapted CRC screening initiation age allows a personalized and precise screening.

Bismuth-Containing Quadruple Therapy for Helicobacter pylori Eradication: A Randomized Clinical Trial of 10 and 14 Days.

BACKGROUND: Bismuth-containing quadruple therapy is the first-line treatment for eradicating Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori). The optimal duration for H. pylori eradication using bismuth-containing quadruple therapy remains controversial. Therefore, we aimed to compare the clinical effects of the 10- and 14-day bismuth-containing quadruple treatment regimen to eradicate H. pylori. METHODS: Treatment-naïve patients with H. pylori infection (n = 1300) were enrolled in this multicenter randomized controlled study across five hospitals in China. They were randomized into 10- or 14-day treatment groups to receive bismuth-containing quadruple therapy as follows: vonoprazan 20 mg twice daily; bismuth 220 mg twice daily; amoxicillin 1000 mg twice daily; and either clarithromycin 500 mg twice daily or tetracycline 500 mg four times daily. At least 6 weeks after treatment, we performed a 13C-urea breath test to evaluate H. pylori eradication. RESULTS: The per-protocol eradication rates were 93.22% (564/605) and 93.74% (569/607) (p < 0.001) and the intention-to-treat eradication rates were 88.62% (576/650) and 89.38% (581/650) (p = 0.007) for the 10- and 14-day regimens, respectively. Incidence of adverse effects was lower in patients who received 10- vs. 14 days of treatment (22.59% vs. 28.50%, p = 0.016). We observed no significant differences in the compliance to treatment or the discontinuation of therapy because of severe adverse effects between the groups. CONCLUSION: Compared with the 14-day bismuth-containing quadruple regimens, the 10-day regimen demonstrated a non-inferior efficacy and lower incidence of adverse effects. Therefore, the 10-day regimen is safe and tolerated and could be recommended for H. pylori eradication (NCT05049902).

Effect of aspirin, warfarin, and proton-pump inhibitors on performance of fecal immunochemical test in colorectal cancer screening: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

This study aims to investigate the impact of antithrombotic agents and proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) on fecal immunochemical test (FIT). PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Central, and Google Scholar were searched from inception until September 3, 2023. Studies comparing the diagnostic performance of FIT between medicine users and non-users in average-risk colorectal cancer screening populations were included. Pooled sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive values (PPVs) for advanced neoplasia (AN) of FIT were compared by reporting pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using a random-effects model. Twenty-two studies enrolling 5,572,367 individuals were included. For aspirin, pooled sensitivity and specificity for AN were 57.2% and 88.4% in users versus 60.2% and 93.2% in non-users; while pooled ORs were 1.49 (95% CI 0.89-2.48, P = 0.13) and 0.72 (95% CI 0.62-0.83, P < 0.001), respectively. In subgroup analysis, there was no difference in sensitivity and specificity between the two groups at the cutoff of 20 µg Hb/g (P = 0.57 and 0.29, respectively) but a significantly lower specificity in users compared with non-users at lower cutoffs (P < 0.001). Moreover, a significantly lower PPVAN in users compared with non-users was observed after matching age and sex confounders (P = 0.001). Warfarin had no significant influence on PPVAN of FIT (P = 0.43). PPIs were associated with a significantly lower PPVAN in users (P < 0.001). Aspirin use was associated with lower specificity and PPV of FIT. Aspirin discontinuation before FIT to reduce false-positive results should be interpreted with caution given concerns about cardiovascular events. Increasing cutoff values of FIT in aspirin users may be another possible approach. Additionally, warfarin withdrawal before FIT is unnecessary but PPIs withdrawal before FIT is recommended to reduce false-positive results.

Gorham-Stout syndrome presenting in a 5-year-old girl with a successful bisphosphonate therapeutic effect.

Gorham-Stout syndrome (GSS), also known as Gorham-Stout disease, massive osteolysis, disappearing bone disease or phantom bone, is a rare disorder of the musculo-skeletal system. It most commonly involves the skull, shoulder and pelvic girdle. Histological examination reveals a progressive osteolysis always associated with an angiomatosis of blood vessels and sometimes of lymphatics, which seemingly is responsible for the destruction of the bone. It is extremely rare that Gorham-Stout syndrome involves the bones of the entire body. A 5-year-old girl complaining of intermittent and dull back pain for 3 months was admitted to a local hospital. X-ray revealed left pleural effusion, and the patient was diagnosed with tuberculous pleurisy. Thus, anti-tuberculosis therapy was performed. However, it was not effective. A soft mass with significant tenderness was found in the upper segment of the right leg 50 days afterwards. X-ray revealed multiple osteolysis of the bilateral clavicle, scapula, rib, vertebral body, ilium, sacrum, femur and tibia. The biopsy from the right tibia disclosed that the lesion was composed of hyperplastic blood vessels and fibrous tissues similar to hemangioma. Based on the above clinical, radiological and histopathological findings, the clinical physician confirmed a diagnosis of Gorham-Stout disease, and prescribed oral anti-osteoclastic medications consisting of bisphosphonates. At present, the girl is alive and healthy, and new lesions have not been noted.

Inhibition of viral replication downregulates CD4(+)CD25(high) regulatory T cells and programmed death-ligand 1 in chronic hepatitis B.

Chronic hepatitis B is characterized by an impaired immune response to hepatitis B virus (HBV). Telbivudine treatment has significantly improved the clinical outcome of chronic HBV infection. However, the underlying mechanism behind the antiviral response of patients treated with nucleoside analogs remains unclear. To gather more evidence about the mechanism responsible for the weak immune response, in this study we analyzed the effects on HBV viral load of treatment with the nucleoside analogue telbivudine and the percentage of Tregs, programmed death-1 (PD-1)/programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression, and related cytokine production. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and serum of 28 patients with chronic hepatitis B were collected at baseline, and 3 mo and 6 mo after therapy was begun. In parallel with the decline in viral load and serum ALT normalization, we found a decline in circulating CD4(+)CD25(high) Tregs, PD-L1 on CD4(+) T cells, and IL-9 production. The expression of PD-1 on CD4(+) T cells and the production of IFN-γ did not increase during therapy. Our findings suggest that the antiviral effect of the nucleoside analogs may be attributable not only to their direct effect on virus suppression, but also to their immunoregulatory capabilities.

Hantaan virus triggers TLR4-dependent innate immune responses.

The innate immune response induced by Hantavirus is responsible for endothelial cell dysfunction and viral pathogenicity. Recent studies demonstrate that TLR4 expression is upregulated and mediates the secretion of several cytokines in Hantaan virus (HTNV)-infected endothelial cells. To examine viral interactions with host endothelial cells and characterize the innate antiviral responses associated with Toll-like receptors, we selected TLR4 as the target molecule to investigate anti-hantavirus immunity. TLR4 mRNA-silenced EVC-304 (EVC-304 TLR4-) cells and EVC-304 cells were used to investigate signaling molecules downstream of TLR4. The expression of the adaptor protein TRIF was higher in HTNV-infected EVC-304 cells than in EVC-304 TLR4- cells. However, there was no apparent difference in the expression of MyD88 in either cell line. The transcription factors for NF-κB and IRF-3 were translocated from the cytoplasm into the nucleus in HTNV-infected EVC-304 cells, but not in HTNV-infected EVC-304 TLR4- cells. Our results demonstrate that TLR4 may play an important role in the antiviral immunity of the host against HTNV infection through an MyD88-independent signaling pathway.

Circulating CD4+CD25high regulatory T cells and expression of PD-1 and BTLA on CD4+ T cells in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection.

The roles of regulatory T cells (Tregs) and PD-1 in hepatitis B have not been clearly described. Also, the role of B and T lymphocyte attenuator (BTLA), which serves as a negative regulator of T-cell activation, is still unknown in hepatitis B. In this study, we analyzed the frequency of circulating CD4(+)CD25(high) Tregs in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB), and subsequently investigated expression of PD-1 and BTLA on CD4(+) T cells, as well as their relationships with the clinical index of CHB patients. A total of 39 CHB patients and 19 healthy persons as controls were enrolled in the study. We found that the frequency of CD4(+)CD25(high) Tregs and PD-1 expression on CD4(+) T cells was significantly increased in CHB patients compared with normal controls. However, BTLA expression on CD4(+) T cells showed no significant difference between the two groups. The frequency of Tregs was significantly higher in patients with HBV DNA titers >or=10(8) than in those with HBV DNA titers <10(8). Circulating CD4(+)CD25(high) Treg frequency and PD-1 expression on CD4(+) T cells correlated positively with serum HBV DNA load in CHB patients. Our findings suggest that the increased frequency of CD4(+)CD25(high) Tregs and PD-1 expression on CD4(+) T lymphocytes may inhibit the cellular immune response against HBV and affect viral clearance, leading to the persistence of chronic HBV infection.

Circulating Toll-like receptor (TLR) 2, TLR4, and regulatory T cells in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

The mechanism of hepatitis C virus (HCV) involvement in innate immune responses and immune modulation has not been well characterized. In the present work, we studied Toll-like receptor (TLR) 2 and TLR4, which were recently recognized as the important components of innate immunity, as well as CD4+ CD25+ CD127low/- regulatory T cells (Tregs), which actively suppress pathological and physiological immune response during HCV infection. The study involved 31 chronic hepatitis C patients and 20 healthy controls. TLR2 and TLR4 expression in peripheral blood monocytes and the number of Tregs were examined by flow cytometric analysis. Overexpression of TLR2 and TLR4 was found in chronic hepatitis C patients as compared with controls. Furthermore, increased cytokine production, including that of beta-interferon, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-8, was observed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from chronic hepatitis C patients after challenge with TLR2 and TLR4 agonists. The number of Tregs was significantly higher in chronic hepatitis C patients and the increased Tregs were associated with HCV genotype 1b. In vitro studies demonstrated that circulating Tregs suppress T-cell responses in chronic hepatitis C patients. Significant correlations were found between the viral load and Treg number and between TLR2 and TLR4 level in chronic hepatitis C patients. Taken together with other published data, these results suggest that TLR2, TLR4, and Tregs correlate closely with chronic HCV infection.

Overexpression of Toll-like receptor 2/4 on monocytes modulates the activities of CD4(+)CD25(+) regulatory T cells in chronic hepatitis B virus infection.

The significance of TLR expression and Tregs in HBV infection has not been clearly described. In this report, flow cytometry was performed to assess TLR2/4 expression on monocytes and circulating CD4(+)CD25(+)CD127(low/-) Tregs frequency of 16 acute hepatitis B (AHB), 42 chronic hepatitis B (CHB), 22 asymptomatic HBV carriers (AsC), and 20 normal controls (NC). We found that TLR2 and TLR4 were overexpressed on CD14(+) monocytes in HBV-infected patients as compared with NCs. Upregulation of TLR2 in NCs and TLR4 in CHBs was observed following HBeAg incubation. However, TLR2 and TLR4 expression decreased after HBcAg stimulation. The difference in the proportion of Tregs between NCs and CHBs was significant. Both Pam3Csk4 (TLR2 agonist)- and lipopolysaccharide (TLR4 agonist)-activated CD4(+)CD25(+) Tregs showed enhanced suppression function in CHBs. These results suggest that overexpression of TLR2 and TLR4 may modulate the suppressive function of Tregs, which contribute to the immunotolerance of chronic HBV infection.