Association of sarcopenia and its components with clinical outcomes in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis

Further studies are needed to identify whether muscle mass, muscle strength, or sarcopenia is the best indicator of survival in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD). We aimed to compare the association of sarcopenia and its components with survival in patients undergoing PD. Methods: We identified all patients with PD (n = 199). We routinely recommended handgrip strength (HGS) and lean mass measurements using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry in all patients with PD. Sarcopenia was defined using cutoff values from the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia. We evaluated the patient and technique survival rates. Results: The number of patients with low HGS was 95 (47.7%). The median follow-up interval was 17 months (interquartile range, 13–21 months). Kaplan-Meier curve analysis showed that patients with low HGS or sarcopenia had poorer patient and technique survival compared with patients with normal HGS or without sarcopenia. Cox regression analysis showed that patients with low HGS had greater hazard ratios for patient death and technique failure compared with those with normal HGS. However, patients with low muscle mass were not significantly higher hazard ratios for patient death or technique failure compared with those with normal muscle mass. Patients with sarcopenia had significantly greater hazard ratios for patient death or technique failure than those without sarcopenia only in univariate analysis. Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that HGS may be superior to muscle mass or sarcopenia for predicting patient or technique survival in patients undergoing PD.

Process of Obtaining Social Consensus and 3-Year Functional Outcomes of the First Hand Allotransplantation in Korea

Background@#On February 2, 2017, the surgical team of ten board-certified hand specialists of W Hospital in Korea successfully performed the nation's first hand transplantation at Yeungnam University Medical Center (YUMC). This paper reports on the legal, financial, and cultural hurdles that were overcome to open the way for hand transplantation and its functional outcomes at 36 months after the operation. @*Methods@#W Hospital formed a memorandum of understanding with Daegu city and YUMC to comply with government regulations regarding hand transplantation. Campaigns were initiated in the media to increase public awareness and understanding. With the city's financial and legal support and the university's medical cooperation, a surgical team performed a left distal forearm hand transplantation from a brain-dead 48-year-old man to a 35-year-old left-handed man. @*Results@#With this successful allotransplantation, the Korean Act on Organ Transplantation has now been amended to include hand transplantation. Korean national health insurance has also begun covering hand transplantation. Functional outcome at 36 months after the operation showed satisfactory progress in both motor and sensory functions. The disabilities of the arm, shoulder, and hand score were 23. The final Hand Transplantation Score was 90 points. Functional brain magnetic resonance imaging shows significant cortical reorganization of the corticospinal tract, and reinnervation of intrinsic muscle is observed. @*Conclusions@#Hand transplantation at the distal forearm shows very satisfactory outcomes in functional, aesthetical, and psychological aspects. Legal and financial barriers against hand transplantation have long been the most burdensome issues. Despite this momentous success, there have been no other clinical applications of vascularized composite allotransplantation due to the limited acceptance by Korean doctors and people. Further public education campaigns for vascularized composite allotransplantation are needed to increase awareness and acceptance.

Association between Chronic Kidney Disease or Acute Kidney Injury and Clinical Outcomes in COVID-19 Patients

Background@#A population-based study would be useful to identify the association between chronic kidney disease (CKD) or acute kidney injury (AKI) and prognosis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. @*Methods@#This retrospective study utilized the claim data from Korea. Patients who underwent COVID-19 testing and were confirmed to be positive were included and divided into the following three groups based on the presence of CKD or requirement of maintenance dialysis: Non-CKD (participants without CKD), non-dialysis CKD (ND-CKD), and dialysisdependent CKD (DD-CKD) patients. We collected data on the development of severe clinical outcomes and death during follow-up. Severe clinical outcomes were defined as the use of inotropics, conventional oxygen therapy, high-flow nasal cannula, mechanical ventilation, or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and the development of AKI, cardiac arrest, myocardial infarction, or acute heart failure after the diagnosis of COVID-19. AKI was defined as the initiation of renal replacement therapy after the diagnosis of COVID-19 in patients not requiring maintenance dialysis. Death was evaluated according to survival at the end of follow-up. @*Results@#Altogether, 7,341 patients were included. The median duration of data collection was 19 (interquartile range, 11–28) days. On multivariate analyses, odds ratio (OR) for severe clinical outcomes in the ND-CKD group was 0.88 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.64–1.20;P = 0.422) compared to the Non-CKD group. The DD-CKD group had ORs of 7.32 (95% CI, 2.14–33.90; P = 0.004) and 8.32 (95% CI, 2.37–39.21;P = 0.002) compared to the Non-CKD and ND-CKD groups, respectively. Hazard ratio (HR) for death in the ND-CKD group was 0.79 (95% CI, 0.49–1.26; P = 0.318) compared to the Non-CKD group. The DD-CKD group had HRs of 2.96 (95% CI, 1.09–8.06; P = 0.033) and 3.77 (95% CI, 1.29–11.06; P = 0.016) compared to the Non-CKD and ND-CKD groups, respectively. DD-CKD alone was associated with severe clinical outcomes and higher mortality. There was no significant difference in frequency of severe clinical outcomes or mortality rates between the Non-CKD and ND-CKD groups. In patients not requiring maintenance dialysis, AKI was associated with old age, male sex, and high Charlson's comorbidity index score but not with the presence of CKD. HRs for patients with AKI were 11.26 (95% CI, 7.26–17.45; P < 0.001) compared to those for patients without AKI in the multivariate analysis. AKI was associated with severe clinical outcomes and patient survival, rather than underlying CKD. @*Conclusion@#CKD requiring dialysis is associated with severe clinical outcomes and mortality in patients with COVID-19; however, the development of AKI is more strongly associated with severe clinical outcomes and mortality.

Association between Chronic Kidney Disease or Acute Kidney Injury and Clinical Outcomes in COVID-19 Patients

Background@#A population-based study would be useful to identify the association between chronic kidney disease (CKD) or acute kidney injury (AKI) and prognosis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. @*Methods@#This retrospective study utilized the claim data from Korea. Patients who underwent COVID-19 testing and were confirmed to be positive were included and divided into the following three groups based on the presence of CKD or requirement of maintenance dialysis: Non-CKD (participants without CKD), non-dialysis CKD (ND-CKD), and dialysisdependent CKD (DD-CKD) patients. We collected data on the development of severe clinical outcomes and death during follow-up. Severe clinical outcomes were defined as the use of inotropics, conventional oxygen therapy, high-flow nasal cannula, mechanical ventilation, or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and the development of AKI, cardiac arrest, myocardial infarction, or acute heart failure after the diagnosis of COVID-19. AKI was defined as the initiation of renal replacement therapy after the diagnosis of COVID-19 in patients not requiring maintenance dialysis. Death was evaluated according to survival at the end of follow-up. @*Results@#Altogether, 7,341 patients were included. The median duration of data collection was 19 (interquartile range, 11–28) days. On multivariate analyses, odds ratio (OR) for severe clinical outcomes in the ND-CKD group was 0.88 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.64–1.20;P = 0.422) compared to the Non-CKD group. The DD-CKD group had ORs of 7.32 (95% CI, 2.14–33.90; P = 0.004) and 8.32 (95% CI, 2.37–39.21;P = 0.002) compared to the Non-CKD and ND-CKD groups, respectively. Hazard ratio (HR) for death in the ND-CKD group was 0.79 (95% CI, 0.49–1.26; P = 0.318) compared to the Non-CKD group. The DD-CKD group had HRs of 2.96 (95% CI, 1.09–8.06; P = 0.033) and 3.77 (95% CI, 1.29–11.06; P = 0.016) compared to the Non-CKD and ND-CKD groups, respectively. DD-CKD alone was associated with severe clinical outcomes and higher mortality. There was no significant difference in frequency of severe clinical outcomes or mortality rates between the Non-CKD and ND-CKD groups. In patients not requiring maintenance dialysis, AKI was associated with old age, male sex, and high Charlson's comorbidity index score but not with the presence of CKD. HRs for patients with AKI were 11.26 (95% CI, 7.26–17.45; P < 0.001) compared to those for patients without AKI in the multivariate analysis. AKI was associated with severe clinical outcomes and patient survival, rather than underlying CKD. @*Conclusion@#CKD requiring dialysis is associated with severe clinical outcomes and mortality in patients with COVID-19; however, the development of AKI is more strongly associated with severe clinical outcomes and mortality.

Improvement of catheter-related outcomes after application of tunneled cuffed hemodialysis catheter insertion without fluoroscopy / 영남의대학술지

Background@#Non-tunneled catheters (NTCs) are used for hemodialysis (HD) in many centers in which fluoroscopy is not easily accessed despite high complication rates and conditions requiring long-term HD. Therefore, here we aimed to evaluate the superiority of catheter-related outcomes after the application of tunneled cuffed catheter (TCC) without fluoroscopy versus unconditioned NTC insertion. @*Methods@#We divided the participants into two phases: those receiving NTCs between March 2010 and February 2011 (phase I), and those receiving TCCs or NTCs between March 2011 and February 2012 (phase II). Catheter survival, nurse satisfaction, and reasons for catheter removal were analyzed. @*Results@#Two hundred and sixty patients in phase I and 300 patients in phase II were enrolled in this study. The success rate of TCC insertion was 99.2%. The catheter survival rate in phase I was 65.5% at 1 month, while that in phase II was 74.9% at 1 month (p=0.023). We compared catheter survival between TCCs and NTCs for all periods regardless of phase. The TCC survival rate was higher than the NTC survival rate (p<0.001). Catheter-associated problems led to catheter removal in 97 patients (26.6%) in phase I and 68 patients (18.5%) in phase II (p=0.009). Among 14 HD nurses, all reported being satisfied with manipulation during pre-/post-HD, manupulation during HD, and overall. Eleven HD nurses (78.6%) reported being satisfied with the workload. @*Conclusion@#Compared with unconditional NTC insertion for HD, TCC insertion without fluoroscopy improved the overall catheter survival and nurse satisfaction rates.

Effects of tranilast on the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in peritoneal mesothelial cells

BACKGROUND: We investigated the effects of tranilast on epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in an animal model and on the EMT signaling pathway in human peritoneal mesothelial cells (HPMCs).METHODS: We performed in vitro studies (cytotoxicity, cell morphology, and western blot analyses) on HPMCs from human omenta, along with in vivo studies (peritoneal membrane function and morphometric and immunohistochemical analyses) on Sprague Dawley rats. Thirty-two rats were divided into three groups: control (C) group (peritoneal dialysis [PD] catheter but not infused with dialysate), PD group (4.25% glucose-containing dialysate), and PD + tranilast group (4.25% glucose-containing dialysate along with tranilast).RESULTS: In in vitro experiments, transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1) increased α-smooth muscle actin and Snail expression and reduced E-cadherin expression in HPMCs. TGF-β1 also reduced cell contact, induced a fibroblastoid morphology, and increased phosphorylation of Akt, Smad2, and Smad3 in HPMCs. Tranilast significantly inhibited TGF-β1-induced EMT and attenuated these morphological changes in HPMCs. In in vivo studies, after 6 weeks of experimental PD, the peritoneal membrane was significantly thicker in the PD group than in the C group. Tranilast protected against PD-induced glucose mass transfer change and histopathological changes in rats.CONCLUSION: Tranilast prevented EMT both in HPMCs triggered with TGF-β1 and in rats with PD-induced peritoneal fibrosis. Thus, tranilast may be considered a therapeutic intervention that enables long-term PD by regulating TGF-β1 signaling pathways.

Complete atrioventricular block during tunneled cuffed hemodialysis catheter insertion in a patient with pre-existing left bundle branch block / 영남의대학술지

Arrhythmias are complications of tunneled cuffed hemodialysis catheter insertion. Most complications associated with arrhythmias occur during guide-wire access, where the guide wire can cause traumatic damage to the conduction system of the heart. Conducting system injury in tunneled cuffed hemodialysis catheter insertion often involves the right bundle, causing right bundle branch block (RBBB). Transient RBBB with sinus rhythm is not usually accompanied by abnormal vital signs. However if patients already have left bundle branch block (LBBB), new onset RBBB can cause complete atrioventricular block (AVB), which can lead to fatal complications requiring invasive treatment. We report on a patient with LBBB who developed complete AVB during hemodialysis catheter insertion.

Immunoglobulin E-mediated hypersensitivity reaction after intraperitoneal administration of vancomycin

Intraperitoneal (IP) vancomycin is widely used to treat Gram-positive peritonitis associated with peritoneal dialysis. There have been two cases of red man syndrome (RMS), a vancomycin-specific nonimmunologic reaction, associated with IP vancomycin. However, immune-mediated hypersensitivity reaction to IP vancomycin has not yet been reported. A 49 year old woman on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis developed her first peritonitis episode. The patient was treated with IP vancomycin once/wk for 4 weeks. She experienced mild itching and flushing throughout her body for 1 day after the second treatment. Whenever vancomycin was administered, generalized urticaria and a prickling sensation developed, and the intensity increased gradually; however, these symptoms improved after vancomycin was discontinued. An allergic skin test was performed 6 weeks after the previous urticarial episode, and an intradermal skin test revealed a positive response to vancomycin. To our knowledge, this is the first case report of immunoglobulin E-mediated hypersensitivity reaction to IP vancomycin administration.

Whole blood versus serum ionized calcium concentrations in dialysis patients

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The aim of this study is to measure the difference of ionized calcium between heparinized whole blood and serum. METHODS: We recruited 107 maintenance hemodialysis (HD) patients from our hospital HD unit. The clinical and laboratory data included ionized calcium in serum and in whole blood (reference, 4.07 to 5.17 mg/dL). RESULTS: The level of ionized calcium in serum was higher than that in whole blood (p < 0.001). Bland-Altman analysis showed that difference for ionized calcium was 0.5027. For the difference, the nonstandardized beta was -0.4389 (p < 0.001) and the intercept was 2.2418 (p < 0.001). There was a significant difference in the distribution of categories of ionized calcium level between two methods (kappa, 0.279; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that whole blood ionized calcium is underestimated compared with serum ionized calcium. Positive difference increases as whole blood ionized calcium decreases. Therefore, significant hypocalcemia in whole blood ionized calcium should be verified by serum ionized calcium.

Chronic exit-site care using povidone-iodine versus normal saline in peritoneal dialysis patients

No abstract available.

Recovery of Delayed Graft Function after Calcineurin Inhibitor Sparing Regimen in a Renal Transplant Patient with Calcineurin Inhibitor Toxicity: A Case Report / 대한이식학회지

The recipient candidate was a 51-year-old male with end-stage renal disease owing to diabetes mellitus. The initial immunosuppressive regimen included basiliximab for induction and tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil, and steroids. Urine output was 413 mL/day on the operative day and 100 mL/day on the postoperative day (POD) 1. There was no definite stenosis of the ureter or vessels. He had anuria on POD 2~4 and he had undergone hemodialysis. His serum creatinine level did not decrease. Therefore, a graft biopsy was performed on POD 4. The pathologic finding was consistent with acute calcineurin inhibitor (CNI) toxicity. There was no evidence of rejection or acute tubular necrosis. Anuria continued on POD 6; therefore, we started sirolimus instead of a CNI based regimen. Graft function was gradually recovered 1 day after reduction of CNI dose and hemodialysis was stopped. The serum creatinine level was normalized on POD 10. He was discharged on POD 21.

Incarcerated umbilical hernia with small bowel obstruction in a continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis patient / 영남의대학술지

Patients treated with peritoneal dialysis have increased intra-abdominal pressure and a high prevalence of abdominal wall complications. Hernias can lead to significant morbidity in patients on peritoneal dialysis. Hernias are clinically important because of the risk of incarceration, strangulation and subsequent bowel obstruction, rupture, and peritonitis. In this paper, a case of incarcerated umbilical hernia with small bowel obstruction in a continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patient is reported. The small bowel obstruction improved after herniorrhaphy, and the peritoneal dialysis was resumed 2 weeks after the herniorrhaphy. The patient had been undergoing CAPD without technical failure until the 2 months follow-up after the herniorrhaphy. This case shows that early detection of incarcerated umbilical hernia and herniorrhaphy can prevent resection of a strangulated small bowel so that it can remain on CAPD without post-operative technical failure. Umbilical hernias should be carefully observed and intestinal obstruction should be considered when a CAPD patient with an umbilical hernia has abdominal pain.

Toxoplasmosis after Kidney Transplantation / 대한이식학회지

Toxoplasmosis is an infection caused by Toxoplasma gondii. It can be lethal in immunocompromised hosts, such as a transplant recipients or patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus. In solid organ transplant recipients, toxoplasmosis results mainly from transmission of the parasite with an allograft in cases of serological mismatch. Toxoplasmosis in an immunocompromised host is associated with high mortality. Thus, early diagnosis and treatment is very important. We report on a case of toxoplasmosis in a 51-year-old male patient who had undergone deceased donor kidney transplantation. He suffered from fever of unknown origin. He was finally diagnosed with toxoplasmosis, and treated successfully with trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole.

Obstructive uropathy after inguinal herniorrhaphy with a mesh in a renal transplant patient

A 67-year-old male renal transplant patient presented with a right inguinal bulging mass, and was diagnosed with a right indirect inguinal hernia. The day following inguinal herniorrhaphy, serum creatinine became elevated. The patient was oliguric and had abdominal pain on the first day after inguinal herniorrhaphy with a mesh. We diagnosed him with acute renal failure and subsequently performed acute hemodialysis. The kidney computed tomography showed hydronephroureter, with distal ureter obstruction. With urgent percutaneous nephrostomy, we were able to relieve the obstructive uropathy with distal ureteral stenosis. Subsequently, hernia repair was performed with removal of the mesh, followed by the antegrade ureteral stent insertion. Renal function was recovered after ureteral stent insertion. This case shows that acute renal failure can occur due to ureteral obstruction, complicated by an inguinal hernia repair, and this can be successfully treated with percutaneous nephrostomy and inguinal hernia repair with mesh removal.

Iatrogenic Bladder Perforation During Catheter Implantation for Peritoneal Dialysis in a Patient with Diabetic Neurogenic Bladder / 대한내과학회지

We report herein a case of iatrogenic intraperitoneal bladder perforation during catheter implantation for peritoneal dialysis (PD) in a patient with neurogenic urinary bladder. A 63-year-old man with diabetes and end-stage renal disease due to ischemic acute kidney injury was admitted for PD catheter implantation. After the procedure, the drained dialysate volume was less than the infused dialysate volume, and the remainder was drained through the urethral catheter. Intraperitoneal bladder perforation was confirmed by retrograde computed tomographic cystography. Because the PD catheter was removed, the patient was treated with urethral catheter drainage and prophylactic antibiotics. Fourteen days after PD catheter removal, voiding cystourethrography was performed. There were no signs of extravasation, and the integrity of the bladder was confirmed.

Onodera's Prognostic Nutritional Index as a Risk Factor for Mortality in Peritoneal Dialysis Patients

The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical relevance and usefulness of the Onodera's prognostic nutritional index (OPNI) as a prognostic and nutritional indicator in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. Patients were divided into 3 groups based on the initial OPNI score: group A (n = 186, 45). Group A was associated with a higher grade according to the Davies risk index than the other groups. Serum creatinine and albumin levels, total lymphocyte count, and fat mass increased with an increase in OPNI. According to the edema index, the correlation coefficient for OPNI was -0.284 and for serum albumin was -0.322. Similarly, according to the C-reactive protein (CRP), the correlation coefficient for OPNI was -0.117 and for serum albumin was -0.169. Multivariate analysis adjusted for age, Davies risk index, CRP, and edema index revealed that the hazard ratios for low OPNI, serum albumin, and CRP were 1.672 (P = 0.003), 1.308 (P = 0.130), and 1.349 (P = 0.083), respectively. Our results demonstrate that the OPNI is a simple method that can be used for predicting the nutritional status and clinical outcome in PD patients.

Onodera's Prognostic Nutritional Index as a Risk Factor for Mortality in Peritoneal Dialysis Patients

The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical relevance and usefulness of the Onodera's prognostic nutritional index (OPNI) as a prognostic and nutritional indicator in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. Patients were divided into 3 groups based on the initial OPNI score: group A (n = 186, 45). Group A was associated with a higher grade according to the Davies risk index than the other groups. Serum creatinine and albumin levels, total lymphocyte count, and fat mass increased with an increase in OPNI. According to the edema index, the correlation coefficient for OPNI was -0.284 and for serum albumin was -0.322. Similarly, according to the C-reactive protein (CRP), the correlation coefficient for OPNI was -0.117 and for serum albumin was -0.169. Multivariate analysis adjusted for age, Davies risk index, CRP, and edema index revealed that the hazard ratios for low OPNI, serum albumin, and CRP were 1.672 (P = 0.003), 1.308 (P = 0.130), and 1.349 (P = 0.083), respectively. Our results demonstrate that the OPNI is a simple method that can be used for predicting the nutritional status and clinical outcome in PD patients.

Acute Kidney Injury due to Sodium Bromate Intoxication: A Report of Two Cases

Sodium bromate is a strong oxidant used as a neutralizing solution in hair permanents, as well as an auxiliary agent in printing and dyeing. Accidental or deliberate ingestion of bromate solution has rarely been reported in Korea. The clinical manifestations of bromate intoxication are vomiting, diarrhea, central nervous system symptoms, oliguric or non-oliguric acute kidney injury, hemolytic anemia, and deafness; most of these manifestations are reversible, with the exception of renal failure and deafness. Here, we report on two patients who demonstrated distinct clinical progressions. In the first case, a 16-year-old woman was successfully treated with hemodialysis and recovered renal function without hearing loss. However, in the second case, delayed hemodialysis resulted in persistent renal failure and hearing loss in a 77-year-old woman. This suggests that emergency therapeutic measures, including hemodialysis, should be taken as soon as possible, as the rapid removal of bromate may be essential to preventing severe intoxication and its sequelae.

Rhabdomyolysis Induced Acute Kidney Injury in a Patient with Leptospirosis / 영남의대학술지

Leptospirosis is a spirochetal infectious disease caused by Leptospira interrogans, and may vary in degree from an asymptomatic infection to a severe and fatal illness. The kidney is one of the principal target organs of Leptospira. Renal disorders caused by Leptospira infection vary from an abnormality in urinalysis to acute kidney injury (AKI). Incidence of AKI in severe leptospirosis varies from 40% to 60%. AKI reflects the severity of leptospirosis and is generally accompanied by cholestatic jaundice. The pathophysiology of AKI in leptospirosis consists of hypovolemia, direct tubular toxicity, and rhabdomyolysis. Most patients with acute leptospirosis experience severe myalgias, and show laboratory evidence of mild rhabdomyolysis. However, occurrence of severe rhabdomyolysis is rare. We report here on a patient with leoptospirosis, who had severe rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney injury without jaundice.

[Culture and polymerase chain reaction of Helicobacter pylori from rectal and terminal ileal fluid after polyethylene glycol (colyte) ingestion in healthy adults with positive urea breath test].

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) transmission route is not yet clearly understood. Isolating H. pylori from stool, saliva, and vomitus is very difficult. However, H. pylori could be cultured from feces in the setting of rapid gastrointestinal tract transit. The aim of this study was to isolate H. pylori by culture and PCR in the rectum and terminal ileum during colonoscopy. METHODS: Twenty subjects with positive UBT (urea breath test) were included. We performed polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test and culture of H. pylori with the rectal fluid and terminal ileal fluid during colonoscopy. RESULTS: H. pylori was cultured with rectal fluid from 9 (45.0%) of 20 subjects and with ileal fluid from 11 (55.0%) of 20 subjects. H. pylori was a little more frequently cultured from the terminal ileal fluid than the rectal fluid without statistical significance (p>0.05). PCR test detected flaA (16/20, 80.0% and 17/20, 85.0%), 16S rRNA gene (16/20, 80.0% and 17/20, 85.0%), cagA (10/20, 50.0% and 12/20, 60.0%), and ureC (9/20, 45% and 11/20, 54.5%) from the rectal fluid and the terminal ileal fluid, respectively. The specificity and sensitivity of ureC were 100%. CONCLUSIONS: H. pylori could be cultured from the rectal fluid and terminal ileal fluid in the setting of rapid gastrointestinal tract transit. These results suggest of fecal-oral transmission of H. pylori.