Comparative study: Vonoprazan and proton pump inhibitors in Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy.

AIM: To compare the effectiveness and safety of vonoprazan-based therapy with proton pump inhibitor (PPI)-based therapies to treat Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori). METHODS: We retrospectively analysed data from first-line (vonoprazan or PPI with 200 mg clarithromycin and 750 mg amoxicillin twice daily for 7 d) (n = 1353) and second-line (vonoprazan or PPI with 250 mg metronidazole and 750 mg amoxicillin twice daily for 7 d) (n = 261) eradication treatments for H. pylori -positive patients with associated gastrointestinal diseases from April 2014 to December 2015 at Hattori Clinic, Japan. The primary endpoint was the eradication rate, which was assessed with a full analysis set. The secondary endpoints were adverse events and related factors. RESULTS: After the first-line treatments, the eradication rates for vonoprazan, esomeprazol, rabeprazole, and lansoprazole were 87.9% (95%CI: 84.9%-90.5%), 71.6% (95%CI: 67.5%-75.5%), 62.9% (95%CI: 52.0%-72.9%), and 57.3% (95%CI: 50.4%-64.1%), respectively. The vonoprazan eradication rate was significantly higher than that of the PPIs (P < 0.01). Interestingly, smoking did not affect the H. pylori eradication rate in the vonoprazan group (P = 0.34), whereas it decreased the rates in the PPI groups (P = 0.013). The incidence of adverse events in the vonoprazan group was not different from the PPI group (P = 0.054), although the vonoprazan group exhibited a wider range of adverse events. Vonoprazan-based triple therapy was highly effective as a second-line treatment, with an eradication rate similar to that of PPI-based therapy. CONCLUSION: Vonoprazan might be superior to PPIs in first-line H. pylori therapy, particularly for smokers. However, caution is required due to possible adverse events.

[A case of severe acute pancreatitis with hyperlipidemia in a pregnant woman].

A 29-year-old pregnant woman was referred to our hospital with suspected acute pancreatitis. On admission, the serum levels of pancreatic enzyme, total cholesterol and triglyceride were markedly elevated, which suggesting acute pancreatitis with hyperlipidemia. Treatment consisted of continuous hemodiafiltration, LDL apheresis, heparin and insulin combination therapy. On the 24th day of hospitalization, a cesarean section delivery resulted in the birth of a healthy infant. We reported a case of hyperlipidemia-induced acute pancreatitis in a woman with second trimester pregnancy, where multidisciplinary treatment was quite effective.

Brain metastasis from gastrointestinal stromal tumor: a case report and review of the literature.

Metastasis of gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) into the central nervous system is extremely rare. We report a patient with synchronous GIST and brain metastasis. At disease onset, there was left hemiplegia and ptosis of the right eyelids. Resection cytology of the brain tumor was reported as metastasis of GIST. After positron emission tomography examination, another tumor in the small bowel was discovered, which suggested a small bowel GIST associated with intracranial metastasis. Immunohistochemical analysis of the intestinal tumor specimen obtained by double balloon endoscopy showed a pattern similar to the brain tumor, with the tumors subsequently identified as intracranial metastases of jejunal GIST. After surgical resection of one brain tumor, the patient underwent whole brain radiation therapy followed by treatment with imatinib mesylate (Gleevec; Novartis Pharma, Basel, Switzerland). Mutational analysis of the original intestinal tumor revealed there were no gene alterations in KIT or PDGFRα. Since the results indicated the treatment had no apparent effect on either of the tumors, and because ileus developed due to an intestinal primary tumor, the patient underwent surgical resection of the intestinal lesion. However, the patient's condition gradually worsen and she subsequently died 4 months after the initial treatment.