Methylation analysis of DCC gene in saliva samples is an efficient method for non-invasive detection of superficial hypopharyngeal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Advances in upper gastrointestinal endoscopic technology have enabled early detection and treatment of hypopharyngeal cancer. However, in-depth pharyngeal observations require sedation and are invasive. It is important to establish a minimally invasive and simple evaluation method to identify high-risk patients. METHODS: Eighty-seven patients with superficial hypopharyngeal cancer and 51 healthy controls were recruited. We assessed the methylation status of DCC, PTGDR1, EDNRB, and ECAD, in tissue and saliva samples and verified the diagnostic accuracy by methylation analyses of their promoter regions using quantitative methylation-specific PCR. RESULTS: Significant differences between cancer and their surrounding non-cancerous tissues were observed in the methylation values of DCC (p = 0.003), EDNRB (p = 0.001), and ECAD (p = 0.043). Using receiver operating characteristic analyses of the methylation values in saliva samples, DCC showed the highest area under the curve values for the detection of superficial hypopharyngeal cancer (0.917, 95% confidence interval = 0.864-0.970), compared with those for EDNRB (0.680) and ECAD (0.639). When the cutoff for the methylation values of DCC was set at ≥0.163, the sensitivity to detect hypopharyngeal cancer was 82.8% and the specificity was 90.2%. CONCLUSIONS: DCC methylation in saliva samples could be a non-invasive and efficient tool for early detection of hypopharyngeal cancer in high-risk patients.

Utility of Combined Use of Transabdominal Ultrasonography and Fecal Immunochemical Test Examinations in Ulcerative Colitis.

This study examined the utility of the combined use of transabdominal ultrasonography (TUS) and fecal immunochemical testing (FIT) to detect mucosal inflammation, vis-a-vis the Mayo endoscopic subscore (MES), in ulcerative colitis (UC). Sixty-three UC patients who underwent TUS and FIT were retrospectively enrolled. For TUS, the colon was divided into five segments, and the bowel wall thickness was measured and evaluated. The accuracy of FIT (> 100 ng/ml) in detecting mucosal inflammation (MES>0) was 0.93, whereas that of TUS (BWT>2 mm) in each segment was 0.84-0.97. The combined use of TUS and FIT may be helpful in noninvasive treatment strategies.

Low Patient Weight and Long Intubation Time Are Key Factors for Pain during Colonoscopy.

Although the clinical usefulness of colonoscopy has been established, the procedure remains painful for many patients. This study was designed to clarify the factors predicting colonoscopy-related pain. We evaluated 283 consecutive patients who completed a first-ever, total colonoscopy without sedatives or analgesics. The severity of pain symptoms was evaluated by a numeric rating scale (NRS) in a questionnaire immediately after the colonoscopy. Patient backgrounds and endoscopic findings were analyzed to evaluate their association with pain. Out of 283 patients, 53 scored their pain 0-1 on the NRS while 48 scored it 6-10. We defined the colonoscopies of the former and latter patients as painless and painful, respectively, and compared the two. Multivariate analyses revealed that low body weight (OR 4.95, 95%CI 1.89-12.99) and longer intubation time (OR 3.63, 95%CI 1.46-9.03) were significant risk factors for painful colonoscopy. To identify factors contributing to the increased intubation time, we divided subjects into short- and long-intubation-time groups based on a median insertion time of 7 min. Older age (OR 2.28, 95%CI 1.31-3.98), previous abdominal surgery (OR 1.93, 95%CI 1.13-3.32) and findings of invasive cancer (OR 10.90, 95%CI 1.34-88.90) were significant factors for longer intubation time.

Usefulness of Intestinal Ultrasound to Detect Small Intestinal Stenosis in Patients With Crohn's Disease.

OBJECTIVES: Double balloon enteroscopy (DBE) with retrograde contrast is useful as a monitoring tool for small intestinal lesions in Crohn's disease (CD), but these are burdensome for patients. Intestinal ultrasound (IUS) can be used with ease in daily clinical practice, but there is less evidence regarding the accuracy of detection of small intestinal stenosis in CD. This study aimed to examine the diagnostic power of IUS for small intestinal stenosis in patients with CD. METHODS: The findings of DBE and IUS in 86 patients with CD with small intestinal lesions were evaluated. Using DBE as the reference standard, we examined the detection rate of IUS for small intestinal stenosis. We evaluated three parameters: luminal narrowing, prestenotic dilation, and to-and-fro movement for determining stenosis using IUS. In addition, we compared the characteristics between the stenosis-detectable and stenosis-undetectable groups by IUS. RESULTS: Of the 86 patients, 30 had small intestinal stenosis. In IUS findings, when lesions that met two or more of the three parameters were judged as stenosis, the detection rate was 70.0% for sensitivity, 98.2% for specificity, and 88.4% for accuracy. Moreover, there were patients with a younger age at diagnosis (P < 0.05) and more ileocolonic disease location (P < 0.05) in the stenosis-detectable group by IUS. The stenoses detected by IUS were significantly longer than those undetected by IUS (14.1 mm versus 5.2 mm, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: IUS delivered reliable results for clinically important small intestinal stenosis of CD with high diagnostic accuracy.

The diagnostic ability to classify neoplasias occurring in inflammatory bowel disease by artificial intelligence and endoscopists: A pilot study.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Although endoscopic resection with careful surveillance instead of total proctocolectomy become to be permitted for visible low-grade dysplasia, it is unclear how accurately endoscopists can differentiate these lesions, as classifying neoplasias occurring in inflammatory bowel disease (IBDN) is exceedingly challenging due to background chronic inflammation. We evaluated a pilot model of an artificial intelligence (AI) system for classifying IBDN and compared it with the endoscopist's ability. METHODS: This study used a deep convolutional neural network, the EfficientNet-B3. Among patients who underwent treatment for IBDN at two hospitals between 2003 and 2021, we selected 862 non-magnified endoscopic images from 99 IBDN lesions and utilized 6 375 352 images that were increased by data augmentation for the development of AI. We evaluated the diagnostic ability of AI using two classifications: the "adenocarcinoma/high-grade dysplasia" and "low-grade dysplasia/sporadic adenoma/normal mucosa" groups. We compared the diagnostic accuracy between AI and endoscopists (three non-experts and four experts) using 186 test set images. RESULTS: The diagnostic ability of the experts/non-experts/AI for the two classifications in the test set images had a sensitivity of 60.5% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 54.5-66.3)/70.5% (95% CI: 63.8-76.6)/72.5% (95% CI: 60.4-82.5), specificity of 88.0% (95% CI: 84.7-90.8)/78.8% (95% CI: 74.3-83.1)/82.9% (95% CI: 74.8-89.2), and accuracy of 77.8% (95% CI: 74.7-80.8)/75.8% (95% CI: 72-79.3)/79.0% (95% CI: 72.5-84.6), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The diagnostic accuracy of the two classifications of IBDN was higher than that of the experts. Our AI system is valuable enough to contribute to the next generation of clinical practice.

Microsatellite Instability Analysis and Its Prognostic Value in Invasive Nonampullary Duodenal Adenocarcinoma.

PURPOSE: Nonampullary duodenal adenocarcinoma (NADA) is a rare disease. Although several prognostic factors have been reported for this disease, they remain controversial due to their rarity. In this study, we retrospectively analyzed 54 cases of invasive NADA, focusing on the microsatellite instability (MSI) phenotype, programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression, and prognostic factors. METHODS: Expression of the PD-L1 protein and cell differentiation markers in tumors was detected by immunohistochemistry. Microsatellite markers (NR-21, NR-22, NR-24, BAT-25, and BAT-26) were amplified for MSI assessment by PCR. RESULTS: The incidence of MSI in invasive NADA was 35.2%. No significant correlation between the MSI phenotype and clinicopathological factors was observed. Positive expression of PD-L1 by immune cells was common in advanced-stage disease (p = 0.054), and positive expression of PD-L1 in cancer cells correlated significantly with the histologically undifferentiated type (p = 0.016). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis demonstrated a significantly better overall survival (OS) in patients with MSI (p = 0.013) and at early-stage disease (p = 0.000) than in those with microsatellite-stable or at late tumor stages. Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that MSI (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.282, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.106-0.751, p = 0.011) and early tumor stage (stage I-II) (HR: 8.81, 95% CI: 2.545-30.500, p = 0.001) were independent better prognostic factors of OS. CONCLUSIONS: MSI and early tumor stage (stage I-II) were independent better prognostic factors of OS. A high proportion of MSI phenotypes and positive PD-L1 expression may be helpful for identifying immune checkpoint inhibitors as a novel therapeutic strategy.

Fever and electrocoagulation syndrome after colorectal endoscopic submucosal dissection for patients with immunosuppressants and steroids.

Objectives: Transient fever and electrocoagulation syndrome after colorectal endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) remain a challenge. The aim of this study was to assess the risk factors of post-ESD fever and post-ESD coagulation syndrome (PECS), focusing on the involvement of immunosuppressive drugs and steroids (IM). Methods: This retrospective analysis included 510 patients who underwent colorectal ESD at Okayama University Hospital from 2015 to 2020. The incidence rate, clinical outcome, and factors associated with post-ESD fever and PECS were investigated. Results: Post-ESD fever and PECS occurred in 63 patients (12.4%) and 43 patients (8.4%), respectively. In multivariate analysis, the American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status ≥3, the use of immunosuppressants or prednisolone ≥5mg (IM group), and injury to muscle layer/perforation were significantly associated with post-ESD fever. In PECS, IM group, tumors located on the right side, treatment time ≥60 min, injury to the muscle layer, and multiple lesions were independent risk factors. Both post-ESD fever and PECS improved conservatively in the IM group, and no serious complication was observed. Conclusions: The use of IM was a risk factor for both post-ESD fever and PECS. However, there were no serious complications in colorectal ESD for patients taking IM.

The Colon Wall Thickness Measured Using Transabdominal Ultrasonography Is Useful for Detecting Mucosal Inflammation in Ulcerative Colitis.

Objective Transabdominal ultrasonography (TUS) is a non-invasive procedure that is reportedly useful for managing ulcerative colitis (UC) and assessing bowel wall thickness (BWT), the most common measure of mucosal inflammation. However, the exact range of BWT that reflects disease activity remains undetermined. The present study clarified the BWT due to disease activity by comparing the use of TUS in each segment of the colon versus using colonoscopy (CS) and determined the usefulness of TUS in patients with UC. Methods We divided the colon into five segments and measured the BWT using TUS. The results were then compared to the Mayo endoscopic subscore (MES) classification to determine the accuracy of BWT measurement. Patients Eighty patients with UC who underwent TUS within 14 days of CS were retrospectively registered. Results We evaluated a total of 268 images depicting each segment among 80 patients with UC. The BWT was positively correlated with endoscopic activity (0.69, p<0.0001). In each segment, the relationship between a BWT>2 mm and an MES>0 had the highest sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy (0.85-1.00, 0.67-0.92, and 0.81-0.97, respectively). Conclusion This study concluded that TUS was a useful method of detecting an MES>0, which indicates the presence of inflammation and its location among UC patients. MES>0 was found to be highly accurate when a BWT>2 mm was considered positive. This non-invasive method may help control disease activity in patients with UC.

Clinical utility of a serum glycome analysis in patients with colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Serum glycans are known to be good markers for the early diagnosis and prognostic prediction in many cancers. The aims of this study were to reveal the serum glycan changes comprehensively during the process of carcinogenesis from colorectal adenoma (CRA) to colorectal cancer (CRC) and to evaluate the usefulness of the glycan profiles as clinical markers for CRC. METHODS: Serum samples were obtained from 80 histologically proven CRC and 36 CRA cases. The levels of glycans in the serum were examined with a comprehensive, quantitative, high-throughput unique glycome analysis, and their diagnostic and prognostic abilities were evaluated. RESULTS: Among 34 stably detected glycans, nine were differentially expressed between CRC and CRA. Serum levels of hybrid type glycans were increased in patients with CRC compared with those with CRA (P < 0.001), and both hybrid-type and multi-antennary glycans were significantly increased in advanced cancer cases. The glycan, m/z 1914, showed the highest diagnostic value among the decreased glycans, whereas m/z 1708 showed the highest among the increased glycans. The glycan ratio m/z 1708/1914 showed a higher area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (0.889) than any other single glycan or conventional tumor marker, such as carcinoembryonic antigen (0.766, P = 0.040) and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (0.615, P < 0.001). High m/z 1708/1914 was also correlated with an advanced cancer stage and short overall survival. CONCLUSION: Serum glycans, especially the m/z 1708/1914 ratio, were useful for the diagnosis, staging, and prognosis prediction of CRC.

Metformin ameliorates chronic colitis in a mouse model by regulating interferon-γ-producing lamina propria CD4+ T cells through AMPK activation.

Metformin, a commonly prescribed drug for type 2 diabetes mellitus, has been shown to activate AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). Notably, AMPK activation has recently been observed to be associated with anti-inflammatory responses. Metformin is also reported to elicit anti-inflammatory responses in CD4+ T cells, resulting in improvement in experimental chronic inflammatory diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus. To investigate the effect of metformin on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), we developed a T cell-transfer model of chronic colitis in which SCID mice were injected with CD4+ CD45RBhigh T cells to induce colitis. We examined the effects of metformin via in vitro and in vivo experiments on lamina propria (LP) CD4+ T cells. We observed that metformin suppresses the frequency of interferon (IFN) -γ-producing LP CD4+ T cells in vitro, which were regulated by AMPK activation, a process possibly induced by the inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation. Furthermore, we examined the effects of metformin on an in vivo IBD model. Metformin-treated mice showed AMPK activation in LP CD4+ T cells and ameliorated colitis. Our study demonstrates that metformin-induced AMPK activation in mucosal CD4+ T cells contributes to the improvement of IBD by suppressing IFN-γ production. Moreover, our results indicate that AMPK may be a target molecule for the regulation of mucosal immunity and inflammation. Thus, AMPK-activating drugs such as metformin may be potential therapeutic agents for the treatment of IBD.

Circulating tumor DNA dynamics analysis in a xenograft mouse model with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: It remains unclear which factors, such as tumor volume and tumor invasion, influence circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), and the origin of ctDNA in liquid biopsy is always problematic. To use liquid biopsies clinically, it will be very important to address these questions. AIM: To assess the origin of ctDNA, clarify the dynamics of ctDNA levels, assess ctDNA levels by using a xenograft mouse after treatment, and to determine whether tumor volume and invasion are related to ctDNA levels. METHODS: Tumor xenotransplants were established by inoculating BALB/c-nu/nu mice with the TE11 cell line. Groups of mice were injected with xenografts at two or four sites and sacrificed at the appropriate time point after xenotransplantation for ctDNA analysis. Analysis of ctDNA was performed by droplet digital PCR, using the human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) gene. RESULTS: Mice given two-site xenografts were sacrificed for ctDNA at week 4 and week 8. No hTERT was detected at week 4, but it was detected at week 8. However, in four-site xenograft mice, hTERT was detected both at week 4 and week 6. These experiments revealed that both tumor invasion and tumor volume were associated with the detection of ctDNA. In resection experiments, hTERT was detected at resection, but had decreased by 6 h, and was no longer detected 1 and 3 d after resection. CONCLUSION: We clarified the origin and dynamics of ctDNA, showing that tumor volume is an important factor. We also found that when the tumor was completely resected, ctDNA was absent after one or more days.

The Impact of KRAS Mutation in Patients With Sporadic Nonampullary Duodenal Epithelial Tumors.

INTRODUCTION: The genomic characterization of primary nonampullary duodenal adenocarcinoma indicates a genetic resemblance to gastric and colorectal cancers. However, a correlation between the clinical and molecular characteristics of these cancers has not been established. This study aimed to elucidate the clinicopathological features of sporadic nonampullary duodenal epithelial tumors, including their molecular characteristics and prognostic factors. METHODS: One hundred forty-eight patients with sporadic nonampullary duodenal epithelial tumors were examined in this study. Patient sex, age, TNM stage, tumor location, treatment methods, histology, KRAS mutation, BRAF mutation, Fusobacterium nucleatum, mucin phenotype, and programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) status were evaluated. KRAS and BRAF mutations, Fusobacterium nucleatum, mucin phenotype, and PD-L1 status were analyzed by direct sequencing, quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and immunochemical staining. RESULTS: The median follow-up duration was 119.4 months. There were no deaths from duodenal adenoma (the primary disease). Kaplan-Meier analysis for duodenal adenocarcinoma showed a significant effect of TNM stage (P < 0.01). In univariate analysis of primary deaths from duodenal adenocarcinoma, TNM stage II or higher, undifferentiated, KRAS mutations, gastric phenotype, intestinal phenotype, and PD-L1 status were significant factors. In multivariate analysis, TNM stage II or higher (hazard ratio: 1.63 × 1010, 95% confidence interval: 18.66-6.69 × 1036) and KRAS mutation (hazard ratio: 3.49, confidence interval: 1.52-7.91) were significant factors. DISCUSSION: Only KRAS mutation was a significant prognostic factor in primary sporadic nonampullary duodenal adenocarcinoma in cases in which TNM stage was considered.

Plasma KRAS mutations predict the early recurrence after surgical resection of pancreatic cancer.

BACKGROUND: The technique to analyze circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in body fluid (so-called "liquid biopsy") is recently developed. AIMS: Our aim was to assess the utility of liquid biopsy for predicting progression of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) after surgical resection or chemotherapy. METHODS: A total of 72 patients with PDAC were retrospectively enrolled for this study, 33 treated surgically and 39 given chemotherapy, either FOLFIRINOX (oxaliplatin/irinotecan/fluorouracil/leucovorin) or gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel. Prior to treatment, patients were screened for the presence of KRAS mutations (G12D and G12V) in plasma using droplet digital polymerase chain reaction, and outcomes were compared. RESULTS: KRAS mutations were identified in plasma samples of 12 patients (36%) underwent surgical resection. Patients with plasma KRAS mutations had significantly shorter disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (p < .01 and p = .01, respectively). Of 10 clinical variables analyzed, plasma KRAS mutation was the factor predictive of DFS in multivariate analysis (RR = 3.58, 95% CI: 1.36-9.60; p = .01). Although 12 patients (31%) given chemotherapy tested positive for plasma KRAS mutations, there was no demonstrable relation between plasma KRAS mutations and progression-free survival (PFS) or overall survival (OS) (p = .35 and p = .68, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with PDAC, detection of KRAS mutations in plasma proved independently predictive of early recurrence after surgical resection but did not correlate with PFS following chemotherapy.

Virtual scale function of gastrointestinal endoscopy for accurate polyp size estimation in real-time: a preliminary study.

SIGNIFICANCE: Polyp size is important for selecting the surveillance interval or treatment policy. Nevertheless, it is challenging to accurately estimate the polyp size during endoscopy. An easy and cost-effective function to assist in polyp size estimation is required. AIM: To propose a virtual scale function for endoscopy and evaluate its performance and expected accuracy. APPROACH: An adaptive virtual scale behavior was demonstrated. The measurement error of the virtual scale along the distance between the tip of the endoscope and the object plane was evaluated using graph paper. The accuracy of polyp size estimation by an expert endoscopist was compared with the accuracy of the biopsy forceps method using phantom images. RESULTS: The measurement errors of the virtual scale were ≤ 0.7 mm when the distance to the graph paper, which faced the tip of the endoscope, varied from 4 to 30 mm. The accuracy with the virtual scale was significantly higher than that obtained with biopsy forceps (5.3 ± 5.5 % versus 11.9 ± 9.4 % , P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The virtual scale function, which operates in real-time without any additional device, can be used to estimate polyp sizes easily and accurately with endoscopy.

FGFR2 maintains cancer cell differentiation via AKT signaling in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) and their receptors (FGFRs) are important for signaling to maintain cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). However, which FGF receptor, 1, 2, 3, 4, and L1, is essential or whether FGFRs have distinct different roles in ESCC-CSCs is still in question. This study shows that FGFR2, particularly the IIIb isoform, is highly expressed in non-CSCs. Non-CSCs have an epithelial phenotype, and such cells are more differentiated in ESCC. Further, FGFR2 induces keratinocyte differentiation through AKT but not MAPK signaling and diminishes CSC populations. Conversely, knockdown of FGFR2 induces epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and enriches CSC populations in ESCC. Finally, data analysis using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset shows that expression of FGFR2 significantly correlated with cancer cell differentiation in clinical ESCC samples. The present study shows that each FGFR has a distinct role and FGFR2-AKT signaling is a key driver of keratinocyte differentiation in ESCC. Activation of FGFR2-AKT signaling could be a future therapeutic option targeting CSC in ESCC.

Leucine-rich alpha-2 glycoprotein as a marker of mucosal healing in inflammatory bowel disease.

Leucine-rich alpha-2 glycoprotein (LRG) may be a novel serum biomarker for patients with inflammatory bowel disease. The association of LRG with the endoscopic activity and predictability of mucosal healing (MH) was determined and compared with those of C-reactive protein (CRP) and fecal markers (fecal immunochemical test [FIT] and fecal calprotectin [Fcal]) in 166 ulcerative colitis (UC) and 56 Crohn's disease (CD) patients. In UC, LRG was correlated with the endoscopic activity and could predict MH, but the performance was not superior to that of fecal markers (areas under the curve [AUCs] for predicting MH: LRG: 0.61, CRP: 0.59, FIT: 0.75, and Fcal: 0.72). In CD, the performance of LRG was equivalent to that of CRP and Fcal (AUCs for predicting MH: LRG: 0.82, CRP: 0.82, FIT: 0.70, and Fcal: 0.88). LRG was able to discriminate patients with MH from those with endoscopic activity among UC and CD patients with normal CRP levels. LRG was associated with endoscopic activity and could predict MH in both UC and CD patients. It may be particularly useful in CD.

Heterogeneous distribution of Fusobacterium nucleatum in the progression of colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Fusobacterium nucleatum (Fn) is involved in colorectal cancer (CRC) growth and is a biomarker for patient prognosis and management. However, the ecology of Fn in CRC and the distribution of intratumoral Fn are unknown. METHODS: We evaluated Fn and the status of KRAS and BRAF in 200 colorectal neoplasms (118 adenomas and 82 cancers) and 149 matched adjacent normal mucosas. The differentiation status between "surface" and "deep" areas of cancer tissue and matched normal mucosa were analyzed in 46 surgical samples; the Ki-67 index was also evaluated in these samples. RESULTS: Fusobacterium nucleatum presence in the tumor increased according to pathological stage (5.9% [adenoma] to 81.8% [stage III/IV]), while Fn presence in normal mucosa also increased (7.6% [adenoma] to 40.9% [stage III/IV]). The detection rates of Fn on the tumor surface and in deep areas were 45.7% and 32.6%, while that of normal mucosa were 26.1% and 23.9%, respectively. Stage III/IV tumors showed high Fn surface area expression (66.7%). Fn intratumoral heterogeneity (34.8%) was higher than that of KRAS (4.3%; P < 0.001) and BRAF (2.2%; P < 0.001). The Ki-67 index in Fn-positive cases was higher than that in negative cases (93.9% vs 89.0%; P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Fusobacterium nucleatum was strongly present in CRC superficial areas at stage III/IV. The presence of Fn in the deep areas of adjacent normal mucosa also increased. The intratumoral heterogeneity of Fn is important in the use of Fn as a biomarker, as Fn is associated with CRC proliferative capacity.