Better medical care quality in weekday daytime schedule with gastrointestinal hospitalists than conventional care teams.

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to uncover whether having a gastrointestinal (GI) hospitalist available during weekday daytime hours results in higher-quality medical care compared to care provided by a team of residents. METHODS: Our hospitalist GI team consisted of two gastroenterologists working weekday daytime hours and two physician assistants. The team of conventional care headed by thirteen professors, comprised twelve residents and eight physician assistants. We conducted a retrospective cohort study in South Korea between March 2 and December 9, 2020 The hospitalist team treated 528 patients, while the conventional care team treated 2,335. We assessed the medical parameters of length of stay (LOS), rates of in-hospital mortality, transfer to the intensive care unit, and readmission rate within 30 days. Furthermore, we gathered feedback from nurses working with both teams. RESULTS: The study found that there was no significant difference in LOS between infections (P = 0.422) and other GI diseases like bleeding (P = 0.226). There was no significant difference in the rates of in-hospital mortality (P = 0.865) and transfer to the intensive care unit (P = 0.486) between the two teams. However, the hospitalist team had notably lower readmission rates than the conventional care team (P = 0.002) as well as a lower unscheduled readmission rate (P = 0.046). Furthermore, the survey results indicated that nurses who worked with the hospitalist team had significantly better responses than those who worked with the conventional care team (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that having GI hospitalists work weekday daytime hours improves patient care, and treatment and reduces readmission rates.

Gastro-BaseNet: A Specialized Pre-Trained Model for Enhanced Gastroscopic Data Classification and Diagnosis of Gastric Cancer and Ulcer.

Most of the development of gastric disease prediction models has utilized pre-trained models from natural data, such as ImageNet, which lack knowledge of medical domains. This study proposes Gastro-BaseNet, a classification model trained using gastroscopic image data for abnormal gastric lesions. To prove performance, we compared transfer-learning based on two pre-trained models (Gastro-BaseNet and ImageNet) and two training methods (freeze and fine-tune modes). The effectiveness was verified in terms of classification at the image-level and patient-level, as well as the localization performance of lesions. The development of Gastro-BaseNet had demonstrated superior transfer learning performance compared to random weight settings in ImageNet. When developing a model for predicting the diagnosis of gastric cancer and gastric ulcers, the transfer-learned model based on Gastro-BaseNet outperformed that based on ImageNet. Furthermore, the model's performance was highest when fine-tuning the entire layer in the fine-tune mode. Additionally, the trained model was based on Gastro-BaseNet, which showed higher localization performance, which confirmed its accurate detection and classification of lesions in specific locations. This study represents a notable advancement in the development of image analysis models within the medical field, resulting in improved diagnostic predictive accuracy and aiding in making more informed clinical decisions in gastrointestinal endoscopy.

Therapeutic Potential of Sitafloxacin as a New Drug Candidate for Helicobacter Eradication in Korea: An In Vitro Culture-Based Study.

BACKGROUND: Increased prevalence of antibiotic resistance to Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection worldwide has driven the search for a new therapeutic candidate. Recently, sitafloxacin, a novel 4-quinolone agent, has emerged as a new therapeutic option for H. pylori eradication, in Japan. However, data on its efficacy for H. pylori eradication in Korea are limited. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the therapeutic potential of sitafloxacin as a first-line treatment for patients with Helicobacter infection through gastric tissue culture-based studies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We prospectively enrolled treatment-naïve patients with H. pylori infection who visited the Gil Medical Center between March 2015 and March 2018. After obtaining written informed consent from patients, a total of 121 H. pylori strains were collected. We tested the susceptibility of these strains to sitafloxacin, and other antibiotics for Helicobacter eradication, including clarithromycin (CLR), metronidazole (MTZ), amoxicillin (AMX), tetracycline (TET), levofloxacin (LEV), and ciprofloxacin (CIP) using the agar dilution technique. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of these antibiotics against H. pylori strains were determined. RESULTS: None of the H. pylori strains obtained were resistant to sitafloxacin (MIC > 1, n = 0), while other conventional eradication drugs including CLR, MTZ, AMX, and TET showed 24.8% (n = 30), 30.6% (n = 37), 5.0% (n = 6), and 0.8% (n = 1) resistance, respectively. Compared to the resistance rates of other quinolones (LEV [36.4%, n = 44] and CIP [37.2%, n = 45]), sitafloxacin showed the best antibiotic performance against Helicobacter strains (0%, n = 0). Furthermore, sitafloxacin also inhibited the growth of 14 H. pylori strains (12.4%), which were resistant to both of clarithromycin, and metronidazole, and 27 strains (22.3%) with multidrug resistance. CONCLUSIONS: Sitafloxacin might be a new promising candidate for Helicobacter eradication where antibiotic resistance for Helicobacter is an emerging medical burden, such as in Korea.

Tailored eradication strategy vs concomitant therapy for Helicobacter pylori eradication treatment in Korean patients.

BACKGROUND: Antibiotic resistance to Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection, which ultimately results in eradication failure, has been an emerging issue in the clinical field. Recently, to overcome this problem, an antibiotic sensitivity-based tailored therapy (TT) for H. pylori infection has received attention. AIM: To investigate the efficacy and safety profiles of TT for H. pylori infection treatment compared to a non-bismuth quadruple therapy, concomitant therapy (CT) regimen. METHODS: We included patients (> 18 years) with an H. pylori infection and without a history of Helicobacter eradication who visited the Gil Medical Center between March 2016 and October 2020. After being randomly assigned to either the TT or CT treatment group in 1 to 1 manner, patient compliance, eradication success rate (ESR), and patient-reported side effects profiles were assessed and compared between the two groups. H. pylori infection was diagnosed using a rapid urease test, Giemsa stain, or dual priming oligonucleotide polymerase chain reaction (DPO-PCR). Tailored eradication strategy based through the presence of a 23S ribosomal RNA point mutation. For the TT group, a DPO-PCR test, which detected A2142G and/or A2143G point mutations, and a clarithromycin resistance test were performed. Patients in the clarithromycin-resistant group were treated with a bismuth-containing quadruple combination therapy, while those with sensitive results were treated with the standard triple regimen. RESULTS: Of the 217 patients with a treatment naive H. pylori infection, 110 patients [mean age: 58.66 ± 13.03, men, n = 55 (50%)] were treated with TT, and 107 patients [mean age: 56.67 ± 10.88, men, n = 52 (48.60%)] were treated with CT. The compliance (TT vs CT, 100% vs 98.13%, P = 0.30), and follow-up loss rates (8.18% vs 9.35%, P = 0.95) were not significantly different between the groups. The ESR after treatment was also not statistically different between the groups (TT vs CT, 82.73% vs 82.24%, P = 0.95). However, the treatment-related and patient-reported side effects were significantly lower in the TT group than in the CT group (22.77% vs 50.52%, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The DPO-based TT regimen shows promising results in efficacy and safety profiles as a first-line Helicobacter eradication regimen in Korea, especially when physicians are confronted with increased antibiotic resistance rates.

New polyp image classification technique using transfer learning of network-in-network structure in endoscopic images.

While colorectal cancer is known to occur in the gastrointestinal tract. It is the third most common form of cancer of 27 major types of cancer in South Korea and worldwide. Colorectal polyps are known to increase the potential of developing colorectal cancer. Detected polyps need to be resected to reduce the risk of developing cancer. This research improved the performance of polyp classification through the fine-tuning of Network-in-Network (NIN) after applying a pre-trained model of the ImageNet database. Random shuffling is performed 20 times on 1000 colonoscopy images. Each set of data are divided into 800 images of training data and 200 images of test data. An accuracy evaluation is performed on 200 images of test data in 20 experiments. Three compared methods were constructed from AlexNet by transferring the weights trained by three different state-of-the-art databases. A normal AlexNet based method without transfer learning was also compared. The accuracy of the proposed method was higher in statistical significance than the accuracy of four other state-of-the-art methods, and showed an 18.9% improvement over the normal AlexNet based method. The area under the curve was approximately 0.930 ± 0.020, and the recall rate was 0.929 ± 0.029. An automatic algorithm can assist endoscopists in identifying polyps that are adenomatous by considering a high recall rate and accuracy. This system can enable the timely resection of polyps at an early stage.

Effects of Automatic Abdominal Massage Device in Treatment of Chronic Constipation Patients: A Prospective Study.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Manual abdominal massage has been shown to effectively treat slow-transit constipation, but it is labor-intensive. To offer an alternative treatment option for constipation, the Bamk-001 automatic abdominal massage device was developed. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of the Bamk-001 device on symptom profiles and colon transit time (CTT) in patients with chronic constipation. METHODS: Thirty-seven patients with chronic functional constipation diagnosed using the Rome IV criteria were enrolled prospectively from December 2018 to February 2019. All patients received device-assisted automatic abdominal massage for 15 min twice daily, once in the morning before breakfast and once at night, for 14 days. CTT was measured before and at the end of the study period. Slow-transit constipation and very-slow-transit constipation were defined as CTT ≥ 48 h and ≥ 72 h, respectively. Patients' symptom profiles regarding overall defecation satisfaction and device-related adverse events were analyzed. RESULTS: Among the 37 patients, the mean age was 40.1 ± 11.8, and 5.4% (n = 2) were men. The Bamk-001 device significantly improved CTT from 54.0 (33.6-75.6) to 28.8 (18.0-52.8) h (p = 0.001) in patients with chronic constipation. In subgroup analysis, CTT improved significantly from 54.0 (33.6-75.6) to 28.8 (18.0-52.8) h (p = 0.003) and from 88.2 (74.4-124.8) to 45.6 (27.3-74.1) h (p = 0.005) in the slow-transit and very-slow-transit constipation groups, respectively (p = 0.001). Moreover, all patient symptoms were alleviated after treatment. No serious adverse events were reported. CONCLUSION: The Bamk-001 automatic abdominal massage device showed significant care efficacy, including the improvement in CTT and symptom profiles in patients with slow-transit constipation. The use of an automatic abdominal massage device as an adjunct in the management of constipation is a potentially beneficial intervention for patients with slow-transit constipation.

Development of Machine Learning Model to Predict the 5-Year Risk of Starting Biologic Agents in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD): K-CDM Network Study.

BACKGROUND: The incidence and global burden of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have steadily increased in the past few decades. Improved methods to stratify risk and predict disease-related outcomes are required for IBD. AIM: The aim of this study was to develop and validate a machine learning (ML) model to predict the 5-year risk of starting biologic agents in IBD patients. METHOD: We applied an ML method to the database of the Korean common data model (K-CDM) network, a data sharing consortium of tertiary centers in Korea, to develop a model to predict the 5-year risk of starting biologic agents in IBD patients. The records analyzed were those of patients diagnosed with IBD between January 2006 and June 2017 at Gil Medical Center (GMC; n = 1299) or present in the K-CDM network (n = 3286). The ML algorithm was developed to predict 5- year risk of starting biologic agents in IBD patients using data from GMC and externally validated with the K-CDM network database. RESULT: The ML model for prediction of IBD-related outcomes at 5 years after diagnosis yielded an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.86 (95% CI: 0.82-0.92), in an internal validation study carried out at GMC. The model performed consistently across a range of other datasets, including that of the K-CDM network (AUC = 0.81; 95% CI: 0.80-0.85), in an external validation study. CONCLUSION: The ML-based prediction model can be used to identify IBD-related outcomes in patients at risk, enabling physicians to perform close follow-up based on the patient's risk level, estimated through the ML algorithm.

Efficacy of iron supplementation in patients with inflammatory bowel disease treated with anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha agents.

BACKGROUND: Anemia is a common extraintestinal manifestation of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, data on the influence of anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha (anti-TNF-α) agents and iron supplementation on anemia in patients with IBD are sparse. We assessed the effect of iron supplementation in patients with IBD initially treated with an anti-TNF-α agent. METHODS: Data from 79 IBD patients who started anti-TNF-α treatment at a tertiary hospital were analyzed. The patients were divided into the anti-TNF-α (n = 52) and anti-TNF-α with iron supplementation (n = 27) groups. Effects on laboratory parameters, the prevalence of anemia, and disease activity were evaluated at baseline (year 0) and 1 year later. RESULTS: The hemoglobin (Hb) level significantly increased between years 0 and 1 in both groups [12.0 ± 1.8-13.3 ± 2.0 g/dL in the anti-TNF-α group (p < 0.001) and 9.8 ± 2.4-11.7 ± 2.3 g/dL in the anti-TNF-α and iron supplementation group (p = 0.004)]. In a subgroup analysis of severely anemic patients with IBD, iron supplementation increased the magnitude of the improvement in Hb level (8.5 ± 1.5-11.4 ± 2.1 g/dL; p = 0.001) compared with the anti-TNF-α group (9.3 ± 0.8-11.4 ± 2.7 g/dL; p = 0.081). Disease activity was significantly improved in both groups at year 1 compared with year 0. Persistent anemia was significantly correlated with severe anemia at baseline (p = 0.017). CONCLUSION: In anemic patients with IBD, anti-TNF-α agents led to clinically meaningful improvements in anemia independent of iron supplementation. Also, iron supplementation could be helpful in severely anemic patients with IBD.

Efficacy and Patient Tolerability Profiles of Probiotic Solution with Bisacodyl Versus Conventional Cleansing Solution for Bowel Preparation: A Prospective, Randomized, Controlled Trial.

Although adequate bowel preparation is essential in screening colonoscopy, patient intolerability to bowel cleansing agents is problematic. Recently, a probiotic mixture solution with bisacodyl emerged to improve patient tolerability. We investigated the efficacy, safety, and patient tolerability profiles of probiotics with bisacodyl versus conventional polyethylene glycol (PEG) solution for bowel preparation for screening colonoscopies in healthy patients in this prospective, randomized, case-control study. In total, 385 volunteers were randomly assigned to receive 2 L of water + 200 mL of probiotic solution (case group, n = 195) or 4 L of PEG solution (control group, n = 190). The efficacy of the bowel cleansing was evaluated using the Ottawa scale system, polyp detection rate, and adenoma detection rate, and the patient tolerability profiles were assessed using a questionnaire. The demographics were not significantly different between groups. When the Ottawa score for each bowel segment was stratified into an adequate vs. inadequate level (Ottawa score ≤ 3 vs. >3), there were no statistical differences between groups in each segment of the colon. There were no significant differences in the polyp and adenoma detection rates between groups (38.42% vs. 32.42, p = 0.30; 25.79% vs. 18.97%, p = 0.11). The case group showed significantly fewer events than the control group, especially nausea, vomiting, and abdominal bloating events. Regarding the overall satisfaction grade, the case group reported significantly more "average" scores (95% vs. 44%, p < 0.001) and were more willing to use the same agents again (90.26% vs. 61.85%, p < 0.001). As patient compliance with bowel preparation agents is associated with an adequate level of bowel cleansing, a probiotic solution with bisacodyl might be a new bowel preparation candidate, especially in patients who show a poor compliance with conventional bowel preparation agents.

Adult height is not associated with the risk of stomach cancer in a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Adult height has been suggested as a biomarker for a wide range of diseases. However, there are epidemiologic inconsistencies regarding the association between adult height and stomach cancer risk. METHODS: We retrieved PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane library databases to identify relevant studies assessing the relationship between height and risk of stomach cancer, published from inception to June 4, 2019. We pooled effect sizes for 5-cm height increments using a random-effect model and obtained the cumulative relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Additionally, we performed subgroup investigation with sensitivity analysis and tested for publication bias using the Begg rank correlation test. RESULTS: We analyzed 11 studies involving 137,451 cases. The summary of effect size (95% CI) of stomach cancer for a 5-cm-increase in adult height was 0.99 (0.95-1.02). A "leave-one-out" sensitivity analysis indicated that the heterogeneity decreased by a half and the result showed significance (RR, 0.972; 95% CI, 0.948-0.997). Subgroup analyses found no significant associations, with one exception. The exception also depended entirely on one study. We found no significant publication bias (P=0.276). CONCLUSIONS: Height is not associated with increased stomach cancer risk. Epidemiologic studies of potential confounders are needed to clarify the association.

The Efficacy, Safety, and Convenience of a New Device for Flushing Intravenous Catheters (Baro Flush™): A Prospective Study.

Background and Objectives: An effective flushing technique is essential to reduce intravenous (IV)-related complications and improve patient care. New technology should contribute to such improvements, while reducing costs and increasing care efficiency. This study evaluated the efficacy, safety, and convenience of a new flushing technique using a Baro Flush™ controller. Materials and Methods: We evaluated the efficacy and safety of Baro Flush™ by measuring the infusion flushing volume and pressure in vitro. Afterwards, we prospectively enrolled 3000 patients with flushing and assigned 1500 patients with a new technique for flushing and 1500 with a conventional flushing method, which was performed by 48 registered nurses (RNs) at the Gil Medical Center in June 2018. The efficacy, safety, and convenience of the new flushing method were evaluated though a questionnaire survey. Results: The average flushing pressure was 12.5 ± 0.6 psi (86.18 ± 4.14 kPa) with 1.2 ± 0.2 mL per flush, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention based on 85 experiments. No IV-catheter-related complications were reported by the RNs during the study. More than 80% of the RNs reported that the new flushing method was easier to learn, improved care efficacy, and was more convenient than conventional flushing. Conclusions: The new flushing method using a Baro Flush™ controller showed improved efficacy, safety, and convenience compared with the conventional flushing method, and no IV-catheter-related complications occurred, including occlusion and inflammation. The new flushing method promises to reduce IV-catheter-related complications and shows improved efficacy, safety, and convenience.

Effect of work-related factors on the prevalence of peptic ulcer disease among Korean workers: a nationwide population-based study.

BACKGROUND: Working environment such as psychosocial factors impacts the health of workers. However, few studies have assessed the association of work-related factors with the prevalence of peptic ulcer disease (PUD) in large population based study. METHODS: After exclusion of military personnel, 16,099 wage workers (20 ≤ age ≤ 65 years) from the Fourth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2008-2011) were included in this study. Job status was defined as the place of employment of longest duration. To evaluate the working environment, we used a comprehensive work-stressor measure. Univariate and multivariable regression analyses were performed to assess the effect of occupation type on the prevalence of PUD. RESULTS: Among the subjects, 5540, 3398, and 7161 were white-, pink-, and blue-collar workers, respectively. The prevalence of PUD was highest among blue-collar workers (n = 336, 7.1%), followed by pink-collar (n = 116, 5.1%) and white-collar (n = 180, 4.9%) workers. In the multivariable analysis, work type and uncomfortable gestures were independently associated with the risk of PUD. Compared with office workers, operators in industrial plants and machine operators had a significantly higher prevalence of PUD (odds ratio, 1.9; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-3.3) after adjusting for age, socioeconomic factors, sex, smoking, alcohol consumption, daily exercise, sleep duration, and working conditions. DISCUSSION: In conclusion, work-related factors, particularly blue-collar work and uncomfortable job gestures, are independently associated with the risk of PUD. Therefore, it is important to monitor the development of PUD in workers exposed to these factors.

Stenting as a bridge to surgery for extra-colonic malignancy induced colorectal obstruction: preliminary experience.

BACKGROUND: The majority of colonic obstructions result from colorectal cancer. However, malignancies of extra-colonic origin can also disrupt colorectal patency, and the efficacy of self-expanding metal stents (SEMS) insertion as a bridge to surgery in these patients are still in debate. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of endoscopic stenting as a bridge to surgery (BTS) for extra-colonic malignancy (ECM)-induced colonic obstruction. METHODS: Thirty-three patients with colonic obstruction due to ECM who received self-expanding metal stents (SEMS) insertion at a single academic tertiary medical center between 2004 and 2015 were included. The purpose of SEMS insertion was determined based on whether the patient's medical records indicated any surgical plans before SEMS insertion. Technical success was defined as a patent SEMS covering the entire length of the obstruction. Bridging success was defined as elective surgical procedures after the first SEMS insertion. RESULTS: Among the 33 patients who underwent SEMS insertion for colorectal obstruction due to ECM, nine underwent SEMS as a BTS. Technical success was achieved in 100% (9/9). Seven patients underwent elective surgery after successful decompression with the first SEMS, and the bridging success rate was 77.8% (7/9). Two patients needed secondary stent insertion before elective surgery. However, none of them required emergent surgery. No major complications occurred, including death related to colorectal endoscopic procedures, perforation, or bleeding. CONCLUSION: SEMS insertion as a BTS is a good treatment option to avoid emergent surgery in patients with colonic obstruction caused by extra-colonic malignancy.

Effect of Age on the Initiation of Biologic Agent Therapy in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Korean Common Data Model Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: The Observational Health Data Sciences and Informatics (OHDSI) network is an international collaboration established to apply open-source data analytics to a large network of health databases, including the Korean common data model (K-CDM) network. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to analyze the effect that age at diagnosis has on the prognosis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in Korea using a CDM network database. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the K-CDM network database from 2005 to 2015. We transformed the electronic medical record into the CDM version 5.0 used in OHDSI. A worsened IBD prognosis was defined as the initiation of therapy with biologic agents, including infliximab and adalimumab. To evaluate the effect that age at diagnosis had on the prognosis of IBD, we divided the patients into an early-onset (EO) IBD group (age at diagnosis <40 years) and a late-onset (LO) IBD group (age at diagnosis ≥40 years) with the cutoff value of age at diagnosis as 40 years, which was calculated using the Youden index method. We then used the logrank test and Cox proportional hazards model to analyze the effect that age at diagnosis (EO group vs LO group) had on the prognosis in patients with IBD. RESULTS: A total of 3480 patients were enrolled. There was 2017 patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) and 1463 with Crohn's disease (CD). The median follow up period was 109.5 weeks. The EO UC group was statistically significant and showed less event-free survival (ie, experiences of biologic agents) than the LO UC group (P<.001). In CD, the EO CD group showed less event-free survival (ie, experiences of biologic agents) than the LO CD group. In the Cox proportional hazard analysis, the odds ratio (OR) of the EO UC group on experiences of biologic agents compared with the LO UC group was 2.3 (95% CI 1.3-3.8, P=.002). The OR of the EO CD group on experiences of biologic agents compared with the LO CD group was 5.4 (95% CI 1.9-14.9, P=.001). CONCLUSIONS: The EO IBD group showed a worse prognosis than the LO IBD group in Korean patients with IBD. In addition, this study successfully verified the CDM model in gastrointestinal research.

Efficacy of repeat forward-view examination of the right-sided colon during colonoscopy: A prospective randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Generally, colonoscopy is less effective for detecting colorectal adenomas in the right-sided colon compared with the distal colon. Repeat forward-view (RF) examination of the right-sided colon has been suggested to increase the adenoma detection rate (ADR). However, studies investigating the efficacy of RF examination are lacking. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine whether RF examination in the right-sided colon enhances right-sided ADR. METHODS: We performed a prospective, randomized controlled trial, including asymptomatic subjects who underwent screening colonoscopy. Subjects were randomized to the RF group, in which the right-sided colon was examined twice in the forward view, or to the standard forward-view (SF) group, in which the right-sided colon was examined once in the forward view. The primary outcome was the right-sided ADR on RF examination of the right-sided colon. RESULTS: A total of 640 subjects completed the study protocol (RF group, n = 320; SF group, n = 320). The right-sided ADR in the RF group was significantly higher than that in the SF group (17.5% vs 11.9%, respectively; P = 0.044). In the RF group, an additional 31 adenomas were found, resulting in an increased detection rate of adenomas of 38.3% compared with the first forward view. The ADR of the whole colon was similar between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: In our prospective randomized controlled trial, RF examination of the right-sided colon, which can be easily performed in clinical practice, was associated with an increased rate of detection of right-sided ADR.

HER2 as a potential biomarker of lymph node metastasis in undifferentiated early gastric cancer.

Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is implicated in several cancers, including gastric cancer. However, limited data are available regarding its clinical significance in early gastric cancer (EGC). We evaluated the clinical significance of HER2 overexpression in patients with EGC. We retrospectively reviewed 727 patients who underwent surgical treatment for EGC between October 2010 and August 2017. HER2 expression was analysed in 680 EGC cases by immunohistochemistry and classified as negative (0 and 1+), equivocal (2+), or positive [overexpression (3+)]. Among patients with differentiated EGC, the number of patients with HER2 overexpression was not significantly different from that of HER2-negative patients in terms of age, sex, tumour size, location, gross type, depth of invasion, presence of lymphovascular invasion (LVI), and presence of lymph node metastasis (LNM). However, in patients with undifferentiated EGC, HER2 overexpression was significantly correlated with LVI and presence of LNM compared with HER2-negative patients. Multivariate analysis indicated HER2 overexpression as a good predictive marker of LNM in patients with undifferentiated EGC. HER2 expression is associated with LNM in undifferentiated EGC. Therefore, the importance of HER2 overexpression in EGC should not be overlooked, and further studies are needed to identify its clinical significance.

Sarcopenia is Independently Associated with an Increased Risk of Peptic Ulcer Disease: A Nationwide Population-Based Study.

Background and objective: Although obesity is associated with an increased risk of peptic ulcer disease (PUD), no study has evaluated the association of PUD with sarcopenia. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of sarcopenia and obesity with PUD. Material and Methods: Data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) IV and V for 2007-2012 were used. PUD history, dietary, alcohol consumption, smoking, physical activity patterns, and other socioeconomic factors were analyzed. Sarcopenia index (appendicular skeletal muscle mass (kg) ÷ body mass index (kg/m2)) and body fat mass were determined by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to evaluate the association of sarcopenia with the prevalence of PUD. Results: The 7092 patients were divided into the sarcopenic obesity (SO, n = 870), sarcopenic non-obesity (n = 2676), non-sarcopenic obesity (NSO, n = 2698), and non-sarcopenic non-obesity (NSNO, n = 848) groups. The prevalence of PUD in these groups was 70 (7.9%), 170 (7.4%), 169 (6.3%), and 47 (3.8%), respectively (p < 0.001). A crude analysis revealed that the prevalence of PUD was 2.2-fold higher in the SO group than in the NSNO group (odds ratio (OR), 2.2; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.5-3.2), the significance of which remained after adjustment for age, sex, body mass index, and HOMA-IR (homeostatic model assessment insulin resistance) score (OR, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.3-2.7). Conclusion: In conclusion, in this nationally representative cohort, the combination of muscle and fat mass, as well as obesity, was associated with an increased risk of PUD.

Tailored eradication vs empirical bismuth-containing quadruple therapy for first-line Helicobacter pylori eradication: A comparative, open trial.

BACKGROUND: Few studies have compared the efficacy and safety profile of a tailored eradication (TR) strategy based on the presence of a 23S ribosomal RNA point mutation with those of empirical bismuth-based quadruple therapy (EBQT) for first-line eradication of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) in Korean patients. AIM: To compare the efficacy and safety of a TR strategy and those of EBQT regimen as first-line eradication therapy for H. pylori. METHODS: This is an open-label, comparative study in which we prospectively enrolled patients over 18 years of age with H. pylori infection and retrospectively reviewed their data. H. pylori-positive patients diagnosed by rapid urease test, Giemsa staining, or dual priming oligonucleotide polymerase chain reaction (DPO-PCR) were enrolled from May 2016 to September 2018 at Gil Medical Center. Patients with H. pylori infection received either a TR regimen or the EBQT regimen. In the tailored therapy group that underwent DPO-PCR testing, patients with A2142G and/or A2143G point mutations were treated with a bismuth-containing quadruple regimen. The eradication rate, patient-reported side effect rate, and H. pylori eradication success rate were evaluated and compared between the groups. RESULTS: A total of 150 patients were assigned to the TR (n = 50) or EBQT group (n = 100). The first-line eradication rate of H. pylori did not differ between the groups (96.0% vs 95.7%, P = 0.9). The rate of eradication-related side effects for TR was 12.0%, which differed significantly from that of EBQT (43.0%) for first-line treatment (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: DPO-PCR-based TR for H. pylori eradication may be equally efficacious, with less treatment-related complications, compared to EBQT in Korea, where clarithromycin resistance is high.

Two-week bismuth-containing quadruple therapy and concomitant therapy are effective first-line treatments for Helicobacter pylori eradication: A prospective open-label randomized trial.

BACKGROUND: Increasing levels of antibiotic resistance have reduced the Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication rates afforded by the standard triple therapy. Thus, 2-wk first-line four-drug regimens must be considered. AIM: To analyze the eradication rates of modified bismuth-containing quadruple therapy (mBCQT) and concomitant therapy (CT), the associated adverse events, and compliance. METHODS: Patients infected with H. pylori were prospectively randomized to receive mBCQT or CT for 2 wk. mBCQT featured a proton pump inhibitor (PPI), bismuth, metronidazole, and tetracycline, taken twice daily. CT included a PPI, clarithromycin, metronidazole, and amoxicillin, taken twice daily. The 13C-urea breath test was performed no earlier than 4 wk after therapy concluded to confirm eradication. If either the histological or rapid urease test was positive, H. pylori infection was diagnosed. RESULTS: The demographic characteristics of 68 patients who received mBCQT and 68 who received CT did not differ significantly. On intention-to-treat analysis, the eradication rate was 88.2% (60/68) in the mBCQT group and 79.4% (54/68) in the CT group (P = 0.162). By per-protocol analysis, the respective eradication rates were 98.4% (60/61) and 93.1% (54/58) (P = 0.199). More CT than mBCQT patients experienced adverse events [33.8% (23/68) mBCQT vs 51.5% (35/58) CT patients, respectively, P = 0.037]. All patients showed good compliance [85.3% (58/68) mBCQT vs 82.4% (56/68) CT patients, P = 0.641]. CONCLUSION: The H. pylori eradication rates of the 2-wk mBCQT and CT regimens are high. Most patients show good compliance, and more CT than mBCQT patients experience adverse events.

Primary epiploic appendagitis: compared with diverticulitis and focused on obesity and recurrence.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: There is limited data to compare the clinical characteristics and recurrence rates between left-sided primary epiploic appendagitis (PEA) versus left-sided acute colonic diverticulitis (ACD), and right-sided PEA versus right-sided ACD, respectively. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records and radiologic images of the patients who presented with left-sided or right-sided acute abdominal pain and had computer tomography performed at the time of presentation showing radiological signs of PEA or ACD between January 2004 and December 2014. We compared the clinical characteristics of left PEA versus left ACD and right PEA versus right ACD, respectively. RESULTS: Fifty-six patients (left:right = 27:29) and 308 patients (left:right = 24:284) were diagnosed with symptomatic PEA and ACD, respectively. Left-sided PEA were statistically significantly younger (50.2 ± 15.4 years vs. 62.1 ± 15.8 years, P= 0.009), more obese (body mass index [BMI]: 26.3 ± 2.9 kg/m2 vs. 22.3 ± 3.1 kg/m2 , P< 0.001), and had more tendencies with normal or mildly elevated high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) (1.2 ± 1.3 mg/dL vs. 8.4 ± 7.9 mg/dL, P< 0.001) than patients with left-sided ACD. The discriminative function of age, BMI and CRP between left-sided PEA versus left-sided ACD was 0.71 (cutoff: age ≤ 59 years, sensitivity of 66.7%, specificity of 77.8%), 0.83 (cutoff: BMI > 24.5 kg/m2 , sensitivity of 80.0%, specificity of 80.0%) and 0.80 (cutoff: CRP < 1.8 mg/dL, sensitivity of 72.2%, specificity of 85.7%). CONCLUSIONS: If patients with left lower quadrant abdominal pain are less than 60 years, obese (BMI > 24.5 kg/m2 ) with or without normal to mild elevated CRP levels (CRP < 1.8 mg/dL), it might be necessary for clinicians to suspect the diagnosis of PEA rather than ACD.