Production of monoclonal shark-derived immunoglobulin new antigen receptor antibodies using Chinese hamster ovary cell expression system.

Cartilaginous fishes such as sharks have adaptive immune systems based on immunoglobulins similar to those in mammals. During their evolution, cartilaginous fishes individually have acquired their adaptive immune system called immunoglobulin new antigen receptor (IgNARs). IgNARs maintain their functions in the harsh environment of shark serum, which contains a high concentration of urea to prevent water loss in seawater. Therefore, IgNARs have high structural stability, and are expected to be used as next-generation antibodies in applications different from those of conventional IgG antibodies. However, no recombinant expression system for IgNAR, which has a molecular weight of approximately 147 kDa as a dimer and multiple N-glycosylation sites, has yet been constructed. This has stalled research into IgNAR development. Here, we constructed a recombinant expression system for IgNAR using Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, widely used as hosts for IgG antibody production. Using this system, IgNAR was successfully expressed and purified as a human IgG Fc fusion protein and showed antigen-binding ability. After Protein A affinity purification, followed by specific cleavage and removal of the human Fc-region, the final yield of IgNAR was 1.07 mg/L-medium. Moreover, this CHO cell expression system modified IgNAR with various N-glycans, including high-mannose and complex types. This expression system will allow us to analyze the structure, physicochemical properties, and biological functions of IgNAR. This fundamental information will advance the development of IgNARs for industrial and biotechnological applications.

Gastric submucosa-invasive carcinoma associated with Epstein-Barr virus and endoscopic submucosal dissection: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated carcinoma is a gastric cancer subtype with a morphology characterized by gastric carcinoma with lymphoid stroma (GCLS). Clinicopathological studies have indicated a better prognosis for GCLS than for common gastric carcinomas. Some previous cases of early gastric cancer associated with EBV had been diagnosed by endoscopic resection. CASE SUMMARY: We present two GCLS cases subjected to endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for a definitive diagnosis. A protruded gastric lesion was identified by routine endoscopic examination, but forceps biopsy showed no atypical cells before ESD. The resected specimen showed a poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma with lymphoid cells involving the mucosa and submucosa. The final diagnosis was submucosa-invasive poorly differentiated gastric adenocarcinoma. Accordingly, additional gastrectomy was recommended to obtain a complete cure. One patient underwent additional distal gastrectomy with lymph node dissection, but the other was refused because of cardiovascular complications. Both patients remained in remission for more than half a year. EBV positivity was determined by EBV-encoded RNA in situ hybridization. We also conducted a literature review of cases of early gastric cancer associated with EBV that had been diagnosed by ESD. CONCLUSION: Submucosa-invasive GCLS could be dissected using ESD, and EBV positivity should be subsequently assessed to determine whether or not any additional curative surgery is required. Further prospective investigations on the prevalence of lymph node metastasis in EBV-associated carcinoma should be performed to expand the indications for endoscopic resection.

Autofluorescence Imaging Reflects the Nuclear Enlargement of Tumor Cells as well as the Cell Proliferation Ability and Aberrant Status of the p53, Ki-67, and p16 Genes in Colon Neoplasms.

BACKGROUND: Autofluorescence imaging (AFI) is useful for diagnosing colon neoplasms, but what affects the AFI intensity remains unclear. This study investigated the association between AFI and the histological characteristics, aberrant methylation status, and aberrant expression in colon neoplasms. METHODS: Fifty-three patients with colorectal neoplasms who underwent AFI were enrolled. The AFI intensity (F index) was compared with the pathological findings and gene alterations. The F index was calculated using an image analysis software program. The pathological findings were assessed by the tumor crypt density, cell densities, and N/C ratio. The aberrant methylation of p16, E-cadherin, Apc, Runx3, and hMLH1 genes was determined by a methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction. The aberrant expression of p53 and Ki-67 was evaluated by immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS: An increased N/C ratio, the aberrant expression of p53, Ki-67, and the altered methylation of p16 went together with a lower F index. The other pathological findings and the methylation status showed no association with the F index. CONCLUSIONS: AFI reflects the nuclear enlargement of tumor cells, the cell proliferation ability, and the altered status of cell proliferation-related genes, indicating that AFI is a useful and practical method for predicting the dysplastic grade of tumor cells and cell proliferation.

White coat status is a predictive marker for post-esophageal endoscopic submucosal dissection stricture: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Steroid therapy is primarily used to prevent esophageal stricture after endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). However, esophageal stricture can still occur after preventive therapy, and the effect of preventive steroid therapy cannot be predicted before stricture formation. This study aimed to clarify the risk factors for esophageal stricture after preventive steroid therapy. METHODS: This was a retrospective study conducted at three institutions. From January 2011 to February 2018, 28 large-sized SENs in 26 patients who had a mucosal defect that involved more than three-quarters of the esophageal circumference were enrolled. We classified white coats on artificial ulcers after esophageal ESD into three groups (thin, moderately thick, thick) based on endoscopic images obtained on postoperative day 7. RESULTS: The white coat status on the artificial ulcer after ESD was a significant risk factor for post-ESD stricture (p < 0.05). The stricture rates in patients with thin, moderately thick and thick white coats were 10.0, 36.4 and 85.7%, respectively. When thin and moderately thick white coats were combined, the stricture rate was 23.8%. The rate of stricture in lesions with thick white coats was significantly higher than that in patients with thin white coats or thin to moderately thick white coats (p < 0.05). The multivariate analysis revealed that the white coat status was an independent factor related to esophageal stricture (odds ratio 13.70, 95% confidence interval 1.22-154.0; p = 0.034). CONCLUSIONS: The thickness of the white coat is a useful marker for predicting the risk of post-ESD stricture and the effectiveness of preventive steroid therapy.

The Incidence and Risk Factors of Venous Thromboembolism in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Prospective Multicenter Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) has been shown to be more frequent in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) than in the general population in Western studies. However, the actual state of VTE in Asian IBD remains poorly understood. AIMS: To reveal the incidence of VTE in IBD patients in Japan. METHODS: Eighty-five patients admitted to 3 gastroenterology centers were registered from 2013 to 2018. The incidence of VTE in patients with IBD (n = 42) was prospectively compared to that among patients with other digestive diseases (n = 43). The presence of VTE was surveyed using contrast-enhanced computed tomography and/or ultrasonography at admission and at 1-2 weeks after admission. The patient characteristics and laboratory data of IBD patients with or without VTE were compared to determine the risk factors for VTE. RESULTS: The incidence of VTE with IBD was 16.7%, which was significantly more frequent than with other digestive diseases (2.3%; p = 0.0296). In IBD patients, VTE was detected in 6 of 22 patients with ulcerative colitis (27.2%) but in only 1 of 20 patients with Crohn's disease (5.0%). VTE was diagnosed at admission in 4 IBD patients and 2 weeks after admission in 3 IBD patients. The risk factors of VTE in IBD were the presence of an indwelling central venous catheter, a low level of total protein, a low activated partial thromboplastin time, and a high level of fibrinogen degradation products. CONCLUSION: VTE was frequently detected in Japanese IBD patients both at and after admission. Adequate screening and prophylaxis for VTE is deemed necessary in IBD.

The incidence and risk factors of venous thromboembolism in Japanese inpatients with inflammatory bowel disease: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a major extraintestinal manifestation in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), regarded as an independent risk factor for VTE according to reports from Western countries. However, the incidence and risk factors of VTE in Asian IBD patients are not fully understood. We aimed to reveal the incidence and risk factors of VTE in Japanese IBD inpatients. METHODS: The incidence of VTE in inpatients with IBD (n=340), gastrointestinal cancers (n=557), and other gastrointestinal diseases (n=569) treated at our hospital from 2009 to 2013 was retrospectively investigated. The characteristics and laboratory data of IBD inpatients with and without VTE were compared in univariate and multivariate analyses. Clinical courses of VTE in IBD were surveyed. RESULTS: VTE was detected in 7.1% of IBD inpatients, significantly higher than in gastrointestinal cancer inpatients (2.5%) and inpatients with other gastrointestinal diseases (0.88%). The incidence of VTE in ulcerative colitis (UC) patients (16.7%) was much higher than that in those with Crohn's disease (3.6%). In the univariate analysis, the risk factors were an older age, central venous catheter, prednisolone, surgery, low serum albumin, high serum C-reactive protein and D-dimer. According to a multivariate analysis, >50 years of age and surgery were the only risk factors. The in-hospital mortality rate of IBD inpatients with VTE was 4.2%. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of VTE with IBD, especially UC, was found to be high compared with other digestive disease, which was almost equivalent to that of Western countries. The efficacy of prophylaxis needs to be investigated in Asian IBD patients.

Takayasu's arteritis associated with eosinophilic gastroenteritis, possibly via the overactivation of Th17.

BACKGROUND: Takayasu's arteritis (TA) is a large-vessel vasculitis pathologically characterized by granulomatous necrotizing vasculitis with giant cells. Although the cause of TA is still unclear, genetic factors as well as immunological abnormalities, particularly the overactivation of Th1 and Th-17, are considered to play important roles in the pathogenesis of this disease. Eosinophilic gastroenteritis (EGE) is a type of refractory inflammation in which numerous eosinophils infiltrate the inflammatory area. It is known that the overactivation of Th2 is associated with the pathogenesis of EGE, although the cause of EGE is still unclear. The immunological abnormalities in TA are therefore thought to be different from those in EGE. To date, no cases of complication of TA and EGE have been reported. CASE PRESENTATIONS: An 18 year-old female was diagnosed with EGE and treated with prednisolone. At 6 months after completion of the treatment, the patient experienced chest pain, and was diagnosed with TA. TH1 and TH17 immunity are thought to be involved with TA, while TH2 are considered to be involved with EGE. In this case, the expression of IL-17 mRNA in the colon mucosa greatly decreased after prednisolone treatment for EGE. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report of TA complicated with EGE, and the overactivation of TH17 is considered to be associated with the pathogenesis of these two diseases.

Vonoprazan-based triple therapy is non-inferior to susceptibility-guided proton pump inhibitor-based triple therapy for Helicobacter pylori eradication.

BACKGROUND: All Helicobacter pylori-infected patients are recommended for eradication with an appropriate regimen in each geographic area. The choice of the therapy is somewhat dependent on the antimicrobial susceptibility. The rate of clarithromycin resistance has been increasing and is associated with failure; thus, susceptibility testing is recommended before triple therapy with clarithromycin. However, antimicrobial susceptibility testing is not yet clinically available and an alternative newly developed acid inhibitor vonoprazan is used for triple therapy in Japan. The aim of this study was to determine whether vonoprazan-based triple therapy is plausible treatment in H. pylori eradication. METHODS: A retrospective observational study of H. pylori eradication was conducted in a single institute. The patients who requested antimicrobial susceptibility testing were treated with susceptibility-guided proton pump inhibitor-based triple therapy in International University of Health and Welfare Hospital from 2013 to 2016. Other patients were treated with empirical treatment with a proton pump inhibitor. From 2015 to 2016, vonoprazan-based triple treatment (vonoprazan, 20 mg; amoxicillin, 750 mg; and clarithromycin, 200 or 400 mg, b.i.d.) was conducted, and its effectiveness was compared with susceptibility-guided proton pump inhibitor-based triple therapy. We also investigated the improvement in eradication rate when antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed, and compared the outcomes of vonoprazan-based and proton pump inhibitor-based empirical therapy. RESULTS: A total of 1355 patients who received first-line eradication treatment were enrolled in the present study. The eradication rates of the empirical proton pump inhibitor-based therapy and the vonoprazan-based therapy group in a per-protocol analysis were 86.3% (95% CI 83.8-88.8) and 97.4% (95% CI 95.7-99.1), respectively. In 212 patients who received antimicrobial susceptibility testing, the rate of clarithromycin resistant was 23.5% and the eradication rate in susceptibility-guided treatment was 95.7% (95% CI 92.9-98.4). The difference between susceptibility-guided and vonoprazan-based therapy was - 1.7% (95% CI - 4.9 to 1.5%), and the non-inferiority of vonoprazan-based triple therapy was confirmed. CONCLUSIONS: Vonoprazan-based triple therapy was effective as susceptibility-guided triple therapy for H. pylori eradication. An empirical triple therapy with vonoprazan is preferable even in area with high rates of clarithromycin-resistance. Trial registration The study was retrospectively registered in University Hospital Medical Information Network (UMIN000032351).

An elevated expression of serum exosomal microRNA-191, - 21, -451a of pancreatic neoplasm is considered to be efficient diagnostic marker.

BACKGROUND: Pancreatic cancer is associated with an extremely poor prognosis, so new biomarkers that can detect the initial stages are urgently needed. The significance of serum microRNA (miR) levels in pancreatic neoplasm such as pancreatic cancer and intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) diagnosis remains unclear. We herein evaluated the usefulness of miRs enclosed in serum exosomes (ExmiRs) as diagnostic markers. METHODS: The ExmiRs from patients with pancreatic cancer (n = 32) or IPMN (n = 29), and patients without neoplasms (controls; n = 22) were enriched using ExoQuick-TC™. The expression of ExmiRs was evaluated using a next-generation sequencing analysis, and the selected three miRs through this analysis were confirmed by a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: The expression of ExmiR-191, ExmiR-21 and ExmiR-451a was significantly up-regulated in patients with pancreatic cancer and IPMN compared to the controls (p < 0.05). A receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the area under the curve and the diagnostic accuracy of ExmiRs were 5-20% superior to those of three serum bulky circulating miRs (e.g.; ExmiR-21: AUC 0.826, accuracy 80.8%. Circulating miR-21: AUC 0.653, accuracy 62.3%). In addition, high ExmiR-451a was associated with mural nodules in IPMN (p = 0.010), and high ExmiR-21 was identified as a candidate prognostic factor for the overall survival (p = 0.011, HR 4.071, median OS of high-ExmiR-21: 344 days, median OS of low-ExmiR-21: 846 days) and chemo-resistant markers (p = 0.022). CONCLUSIONS: The level of three ExmiRs can thus serve as early diagnostic and progression markers of pancreatic cancer and IPMN, and considered more useful markers than the circulating miRs (limited to these three miRs).

Second-line therapy for Helicobacter pylori eradication causing antibiotic-associated hemorrhagic colitis.

OBJECTIVE: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication rarely develops into antibiotic-associated hemorrhagic colitis (AAHC), in which the etiology of colitis remains unclear. We herein report a rare case of AAHC caused by second-line therapy for H. pylori eradication. RESULTS: A 65-year-old female was administered second-line therapy for H. pylori composed of 1500 mg of amoxicillin, 500 mg of metronidazole and 40 mg of vonoprazan for 7 days because of first-line therapy failure. A day after completing second-line therapy, she complained of abdominal pain and hematochezia. Colonoscopy revealed a hemorrhage and edematous mucosa with no transparent vascular pattern in the transverse colon. A bacterial culture detected Klebsiella oxytoca (K. oxytoca), but no other pathogenic bacteria. A drug-induced lymphocyte stimulation test (DLST) showed positive reactions for both amoxicillin and metronidazole. According to these findings, the patient was diagnosed with AAHC. Bowel rest for 6 days relieved her abdominal pain and hematochezia. CONCLUSIONS: The present case developed AAHC caused by second-line therapy for H. pylori eradication. The pathogenesis is considered to be associated with microbial substitution as well as a delayed-type allergy to antibiotics, suggesting that AAHC is a potential adverse event of second-line therapy for H. pylori eradication.

The endoscopic findings of the upper gastrointestinal tract in patients with Crohn's disease.

Crohn's disease (CD) is a type of chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) associated with ulceration, and the main foci of the inflammation in CD patients are typically the terminal ileum and colon. However, in the upper gastrointestinal tract (GIT), including the esophagus, stomach and duodenum, inflammatory lesions are also detected as well, with a relatively high frequency (30-75%). Recent advances in imaging modalities, including endoscopy, have aided in the diagnosis of CD. Various lesions, including aphtha, erosion, ulcers, bamboo-joint-like appearance and notch-like appearance, are detected in the upper GI of CD patients. Of these lesions, the bamboo-joint-like appearance in the gastric cardiac region and notch-like appearance in the second portion of the duodenum are highly specific for CD, regardless of the disease activity at other sites. These two findings, particularly a bamboo-joint-like appearance, have therefore been considered as potential biomarkers for CD. Although proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are administered as an initial treatment for upper GIT lesions of CD, the efficacy of this treatment remains controversial. The administration of mesalazine, steroids, immunosuppressant and biologic agents is expected to be effective for treating such lesions.

Efficacy of Vonoprazan-Based Triple Therapy for Helicobacter pylori Eradication: A Multicenter Study and a Review of the Literature.

BACKGROUND: Eradication therapies for Helicobacter pylori infection are advancing as new acid inhibitory reagents approved. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of vonoprazan-based triple treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Triple therapy with vonoprazan and two antibiotics (amoxicillin and clarithromycin or metronidazole) received focus in this analysis. We performed a multicenter retrospective study of patients who received vonoprazan-based eradication therapy between February 2015 and February 2016 and conducted a review of the literature. RESULTS: The eradication rate among the 799 patients in our multicenter study was 94.4% (95% confidence interval [CI] 92.6-96.2%) in the per-protocol analysis for first-line treatment (with vonoprazan 20 mg, amoxicillin 750 mg, and clarithromycin 200 or 400 mg, twice a day for 7 days) and 97.1% (95% CI 93.0-101.1%) for second-line treatment (with vonoprazan 20 mg, amoxicillin 750 mg, and metronidazole 250 mg, twice a day for 7 days). The overall incidence of adverse events was 4.4% in an intention-to-treat analysis with no patients hospitalized. In a literature review, six reports, in which 1380 patients received vonoprazan-based first-line eradication therapy, were included and were all reported by Japanese researchers. The eradication success rates in per-protocol analysis were between 85 and 93%, which was roughly the same among the studies. CONCLUSIONS: Vonoprazan-based triple therapy was effective and safe for Helicobacter pylori eradication in real-world experience, confirmed by a multicenter study and a review of the pertinent literature.

Pilot study of endoscopic retrograde 3-dimensional - computed tomography enteroclysis for the assessment of Crohn's disease.

PURPOSE: Endoscopic retrograde ileography (ERIG) is developed in our institute and applied clinically for the diagnosis and assessment of the Crohn's disease activity. We have further improved the technique using 3-dimensional - computed tomography enteroclysis (3D-CTE) and conducted a retrospective study to determine the feasibility and the diagnostic value of endoscopic retrograde 3D-CTE (ER 3D-CTE) in Crohn's disease patients in a state of remission. METHODS: Thirteen Crohn's patients were included in this pilot study. CTE was performed after the infusion of air or CO2 through the balloon tube following conventional colonoscopy. The primary endpoint of this study was to assess the safety of this method. Secondarily, the specific findings of Crohn's disease and length of the visualized small intestine were assessed. RESULTS: The procedures were completed without any adverse events. Gas passed through the small intestine and enterographic images were obtained in 10 out of 13 cases, but, in the remaining patients, insertion of the balloon tubes into the terminal ileum failed. Various features specific to Crohn's disease were visualized using ER 3D-CTE. A cobble stone appearance or hammock-like malformation was specific and effective for diagnosing Crohn's disease and the features of anastomosis after the surgical operations were also well described. Therefore, this technique may be useful after surgery. CONCLUSION: In this study, ER 3D-CTE was performed safely in Crohn's disease patients and may be used for the diagnosis and follow-up of this disease.

The clinical importance of "bamboo joint-like appearance" on upper gastrointestinal endoscopy for the diagnosis of Crohn's disease.

Upper gastrointestinal (GI) lesions are frequently reported in Crohn's disease, in which the entire GI tract is affected. In these cases, erosive fissures regularly transversing folds that are longitudinally aligned along the lesser curvature of the gastric body and cardia are described as having a "bamboo joint-like appearance". We designed a blinded experiment in which upper GI imaging without a final diagnosis was checked by three observers to determine the usefulness of the bamboo joint-like appearance in the diagnosis of Crohn's disease. For the three observers, sensitivities of appearance were 30.5%, 56.9%, and 51.4%, while specificities were 99.6%, 98.5%, and 99.3%. Thus, the bamboo joint-like appearance was not useful for the identification of Crohn's disease patients. Nevertheless, patients exhibiting the bamboo joint-like appearance in upper GI imaging should undergo further examination due to the high probability of Crohn's disease.

Efficacy and adverse events of cold vs hot polypectomy: A meta-analysis.

AIM: To compare previously reported randomized controlled studies (RCTs) of cold and hot polypectomy, we systematically reviewed and clarify the utility of cold polypectomy over hot with respect to efficacy and adverse events. METHODS: A meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the predominance of cold and hot polypectomy for removing colon polyps. Published articles and abstracts from worldwide conferences were searched using the keywords "cold polypectomy". RCTs that compared either or both the effects or adverse events of cold polypectomy with those of hot polypectomy were collected. The patients' demographics, endoscopic procedures, No. of examined lesions, lesion size, macroscopic and histologic findings, rates of incomplete resection, bleeding amount, perforation, and length of procedure were extracted from each study. A forest plot analysis was used to verify the relative strength of the effects and adverse events of each procedure. A funnel plot was generated to assess the possibility of publication bias. RESULTS: Ultimately, six RCTs were selected. No significant differences were noted in the average lesion size (less than 10 mm) between the cold and hot polypectomy groups in each study. Further, the rates of complete resection and adverse events, including delayed bleeding, did not differ markedly between cold and hot polypectomy. The average procedural time in the cold polypectomy group was significantly shorter than in the hot polypectomy group. CONCLUSION: Cold polypectomy is a time-saving procedure for removing small polyps with markedly similar curability and safety to hot polypectomy.

Increased dosage of infliximab is a potential cause of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia.

METHODS: Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia occasionally appears in immunodeficient patients. While several reports have shown that Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia occurred in the early phase of starting infliximab treatment in patients with Crohn's disease (CD), the present case suggests for the first time that an increased dosage of infliximab may also lead to pneumonia. RESULTS: A 51-year-old male had been taking 5 mg of infliximab for the treatment of CD for 10 years with no adverse events. Beginning in September 2013, the dose of infliximab had to be increased to 10 mg/kg because his status worsened. Thereafter, he complained of a fever and cough, and a CT scan revealed ground-glass opacities in the lower lobes of the bilateral lung with a crazy-paving pattern. Bronchoscopy detected swelling of the tracheal mucosa with obvious dilations of the vessels. A polymerase chain reaction using a bronchoalveolar lavage fluid sample detected specific sequences for Pneumocystis jirovecii; thus he was diagnosed with Pneumocystis carinii (jirovecii) pneumonia. After discontinuing infliximab and starting antibiotic treatment, his symptoms and CT findings were dramatically improved. CONCLUSIONS: The administration of an increased dosage of infliximab can cause Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in CD patients.

Quantification of autofluorescence imaging can accurately and objectively assess the severity of ulcerative colitis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: No endoscopic examination has been able to evaluate severity of ulcerative colitis (UC) by quantification. This prospective study investigated the efficacy of quantifying autofluorescence imaging (AFI) to assess the severity of UC, which captures the fluorescence emitted from intestinal tissue and then quantifies the intensity using an image-analytical software program. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eleven endoscopists separately evaluated 135 images of conventional endoscopy (CE) and AFI from a same lesion. A CE image corresponding to Mayo endoscopic subscore 0 or 1 was defined as being inactive. The fluorescence intensities of AFI were quantified using an image-analytical software program (F index; FI). Active inflammation was defined when Matts' histological grade was 2 or more. A cut-off value of the FI for active inflammation was determined using a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. The inter-observer consistency was calculated by unweighted kappa statistics. RESULTS: The correlation coefficient for the FI was inversely related to the histological severity (r = -0.558, p < 0.0001). The ROC analysis showed that the optimal cut-off value for the FI for active inflammation was 0.906. The average diagnostic accuracy of the FI was significantly higher than those of the CE (84.7 vs 78.5 %, p < 0.01). The kappa values for the inter-observer consistency of CE and the FI were 0.60 and 0.95 in all participants, 0.53 and 0.97 in the less-experienced endoscopists group and 0.67 and 0.93 in the expert group, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The quantified AFI is considered to be an accurate and objective indicator that can be used to assess the activity of ulcerative colitis, particularly for less-experienced endoscopists.

The Detection of Pancreatic and Retroperitoneal Plasmacytoma Helped to Diagnose Multiple Myeloma: A Case Report.

Multiple myeloma is characterized by the neoplastic proliferation of a single clone of plasma cells producing a monoclonal protein. However, the involvement of pancreas is a rare event. We herein report a rare case of pancreatic plasmacytoma, which was detected before the diagnosis of multiple myeloma.An 83-year-old male was referred to our hospital for further evaluation of obstructive jaundice and a pancreatic mass. A contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) scan revealed solid masses with homogenous enhancement in the pancreatic head and retroperitoneum. The histological findings of the retroperitoneal mass obtained by CT-guided biopsy showed multiple sheets of atypical plasma cells, which were positively immunostained for CD79a, CD138, and the κ light chain. Serum immunoelectrophoresis detected M-component of immunoglobulin A-κ, and the histological findings of the bone marrow revealed an abnormally increased number of atypical plasma cells with irregular nuclei and cytoplasmic vacuolation. The patient was therefore diagnosed to have multiple myeloma involving the pancreas and retroperitoneum. Although chemotherapy was performed, the patient died 6 months after the diagnosis.The pancreatic plasmacytoma was detected before the multiple myeloma in the present case. It is difficult to diagnose a pancreatic plasmacytoma without a history of multiple myeloma and related disease.