Degenerate oligonucleotide primer MIG-seq: an effective PCR-based method for high-throughput genotyping.

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) library construction often involves using restriction enzymes to decrease genome complexity, enabling versatile polymorphism detection in plants. However, plant leaves frequently contain impurities, such as polyphenols, necessitating DNA purification before enzymatic reactions. To overcome this problem, we developed a PCR-based method for expeditious NGS library preparation, offering flexibility in number of detected polymorphisms. By substituting a segment of the simple sequence repeat sequence in the MIG-seq primer set (MIG-seq being a PCR method enabling library construction with low-quality DNA) with degenerate oligonucleotides, we introduced variability in detectable polymorphisms across various crops. This innovation, named degenerate oligonucleotide primer MIG-seq (dpMIG-seq), enabled a streamlined protocol for constructing dpMIG-seq libraries from unpurified DNA, which was implemented stably in several crop species, including fruit trees. Furthermore, dpMIG-seq facilitated efficient lineage selection in wheat and enabled linkage map construction and quantitative trait loci analysis in tomato, rice, and soybean without necessitating DNA concentration adjustments. These findings underscore the potential of the dpMIG-seq protocol for advancing genetic analyses across diverse plant species.

Human Gut Microbiota and Its Metabolites Impact Immune Responses in COVID-19 and Its Complications.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: We investigate interrelationships between gut microbes, metabolites, and cytokines that characterize COVID-19 and its complications, and we validate the results with follow-up, the Japanese 4D (Disease, Drug, Diet, Daily Life) microbiome cohort, and non-Japanese data sets. METHODS: We performed shotgun metagenomic sequencing and metabolomics on stools and cytokine measurements on plasma from 112 hospitalized patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection and 112 non-COVID-19 control individuals matched by important confounders. RESULTS: Multiple correlations were found between COVID-19-related microbes (eg, oral microbes and short-chain fatty acid producers) and gut metabolites (eg, branched-chain and aromatic amino acids, short-chain fatty acids, carbohydrates, neurotransmitters, and vitamin B6). Both were also linked to inflammatory cytokine dynamics (eg, interferon γ, interferon λ3, interleukin 6, CXCL-9, and CXCL-10). Such interrelationships were detected highly in severe disease and pneumonia; moderately in the high D-dimer level, kidney dysfunction, and liver dysfunction groups; but rarely in the diarrhea group. We confirmed concordances of altered metabolites (eg, branched-chain amino acids, spermidine, putrescine, and vitamin B6) in COVID-19 with their corresponding microbial functional genes. Results in microbial and metabolomic alterations with severe disease from the cross-sectional data set were partly concordant with those from the follow-up data set. Microbial signatures for COVID-19 were distinct from diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, and proton-pump inhibitors but overlapping for rheumatoid arthritis. Random forest classifier models using microbiomes can highly predict COVID-19 and severe disease. The microbial signatures for COVID-19 showed moderate concordance between Hong Kong and Japan. CONCLUSIONS: Multiomics analysis revealed multiple gut microbe-metabolite-cytokine interrelationships in COVID-19 and COVID-19related complications but few in gastrointestinal complications, suggesting microbiota-mediated immune responses distinct between the organ sites. Our results underscore the existence of a gut-lung axis in COVID-19.

JTT-654, an 11-beta hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 inhibitor, improves hypertension and diabetic kidney injury by suppressing angiotensinogen production.

11ß-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11ß-HSD1) plays an important role in regulating the expression of glucocorticoid actions in target tissues. Overexpression of 11ß-HSD1 in mouse adipose tissue causes a metabolic syndrome-like phenotype, leading to hypertension. Although, many 11ß-HSD1 inhibitors have been studied, few have shown a clear ameliorative effect against hypertension. We investigated whether JTT-654, a novel 11ß-HSD1 inhibitor, ameliorated hypertension and elucidated the underlying mechanisms. JTT-654 showed inhibitory effects on angiotensinogen production in cortisone-treated 3T3-L1 adipocytes and in a rat model. JTT-654 improved hypertension not only in cortisone-treated rats and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), but also in SHR/NDmcr-cp rats. In the SHR study, JTT-654 and losartan showed the same degree of antihypertensive efficacy. In addition, JTT-654 ameliorated diabetic nephropathy by suppressing renal angiotensinogen production in SHR/NDmcr-cp rats. These effects of JTT-654 were independent of its insulin-sensitizing effects, and similar effects were not observed for pioglitazone, an insulin sensitizer. Moreover, JTT-654 did not affect normotension or hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function in normal Sprague-Dawley rats. Our results indicate that JTT-654 ameliorates hypertension and diabetic nephropathy by inhibiting 11ß-HSD1 in the adipose tissue, liver, and kidney.

Investigation of the relationship between colonoscopy insertion difficulty factors and endoscope shape using an endoscopic position detection unit.

In this study, we investigated the relationship between the cecal intubation time (CIT) and the form and method used for passing through the sigmoid/descending colon junction (SDJ) and the hepatic flexure using an endoscopic position detection unit (UPD), with reference to various factors [age, sex, body mass index (BMI), history of abdominal and pelvic surgery, and diverticulum]. A total of 152 patients underwent colonoscopy with UPD. The mean age was 66.9 ±â€…12.4 years, and the male to female ratio was 3.6:1. The average CIT time was 14.3 ±â€…8.2 min. Age, number of experienced endoscopies, history of abdominal and pelvic surgery, BMI, and diverticulum were associated with prolonged CIT; SDJ passage pattern was straight: 8.6 ±â€…5.0, alpha loop: 11.8 ±â€…5.6, puzzle ring-like loop: 20.2 ±â€…5.0, reverse alpha loop: 22.4 ±â€…9.7, and other loop: 24.7 ±â€…10.5. The hepatic flexure passing method was in the following order: right rotation maneuver: 12.6 ±â€…6.6, push maneuver: 15.1 ±â€…5.9, and right rotation with positional change maneuver: 20.5 ±â€…7.2. In conclusion, colonoscopy with UPD revealed an association between CIT and SDJ passage pattern and hepatic flexure passing method.

Population-level Metagenomics Uncovers Distinct Effects of Multiple Medications on the Human Gut Microbiome.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Medication is a major determinant of human gut microbiome structure, and its overuse increases the risks of morbidity and mortality. However, effects of certain commonly prescribed drugs and multiple medications on the gut microbiome are still underinvestigated. METHODS: We performed shotgun metagenomic analysis of fecal samples from 4198 individuals in the Japanese 4D (Disease, Drug, Diet, Daily life) microbiome project. A total of 759 drugs were profiled, and other metadata, such as anthropometrics, lifestyles, diets, physical activities, and diseases, were prospectively collected. Second fecal samples were collected from 243 individuals to assess the effects of drug initiation and discontinuation on the microbiome. RESULTS: We found that numerous drugs across different treatment categories influence the microbiome; more than 70% of the drugs we profiled had not been examined before. Individuals exposed to multiple drugs, polypharmacy, showed distinct gut microbiome structures harboring significantly more abundant upper gastrointestinal species and several nosocomial pathobionts due to additive drug effects. Polypharmacy was also associated with microbial functions, including the reduction of short-chain fatty acid metabolism and increased bacterial stress responses. Even nonantibiotic drugs were significantly correlated with an increased antimicrobial resistance potential through polypharmacy. Notably, a 2-time points dataset revealed the alteration and recovery of the microbiome in response to drug initiation and cessation, corroborating the observed drug-microbe associations in the cross-sectional cohort. CONCLUSION: Our large-scale metagenomics unravels extensive and disruptive impacts of individual and multiple drug exposures on the human gut microbiome, providing a drug-microbe catalog as a basis for a deeper understanding of the role of the microbiome in drug efficacy and toxicity.

Metagenomic Identification of Microbial Signatures Predicting Pancreatic Cancer From a Multinational Study.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: To identify gut and oral metagenomic signatures that accurately predict pancreatic ductal carcinoma (PDAC) and to validate these signatures in independent cohorts. METHODS: We conducted a multinational study and performed shotgun metagenomic analysis of fecal and salivary samples collected from patients with treatment-naïve PDAC and non-PDAC controls in Japan, Spain, and Germany. Taxonomic and functional profiles of the microbiomes were characterized, and metagenomic classifiers to predict PDAC were constructed and validated in external datasets. RESULTS: Comparative metagenomics revealed dysbiosis of both the gut and oral microbiomes and identified 30 gut and 18 oral species significantly associated with PDAC in the Japanese cohort. These microbial signatures achieved high area under the curve values of 0.78 to 0.82. The prediction model trained on the Japanese gut microbiome also had high predictive ability in Spanish and German cohorts, with respective area under the curve values of 0.74 and 0.83, validating its high confidence and versatility for PDAC prediction. Significant enrichments of Streptococcus and Veillonella spp and a depletion of Faecalibacterium prausnitzii were common gut signatures for PDAC in all the 3 cohorts. Prospective follow-up data revealed that patients with certain gut and oral microbial species were at higher risk of PDAC-related mortality. Finally, 58 bacteriophages that could infect microbial species consistently enriched in patients with PDAC across the 3 countries were identified. CONCLUSIONS: Metagenomics targeting the gut and oral microbiomes can provide a powerful source of biomarkers for identifying individuals with PDAC and their prognoses. The identification of shared gut microbial signatures for PDAC in Asian and European cohorts indicates the presence of robust and global gut microbial biomarkers.

Association of direct oral anticoagulant and delayed bleeding with pharmacokinetics after endoscopic submucosal dissection.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Pharmacokinetic parameters, such as drug plasma level at trough, time to maximum plasma concentration (Tmax), and coagulation factor Xa (FXa) activity generally predict factors for the anticoagulant effects of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs). Although GI bleeding is a major adverse event after endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD), little is known about the association between post-ESD bleeding in patients taking DOACs and the pharmacologic parameters. This study aimed to evaluate pharmacologic risk factors for post-ESD bleeding in patients taking DOACs. METHODS: We prospectively evaluated the incidence of post-ESD bleeding in patients taking DOACs between April 2018 and May 2022 at 21 Japanese institutions and investigated the association with post-ESD bleeding and pharmacologic factors, including plasma concentration and FXa activity at trough and Tmax. RESULTS: The incidence of post-ESD bleeding was 12.8% (14 of 109; 95% confidence interval [CI], 7.2-20.6). Although plasma DOAC concentration and plasma level/dose ratio at trough and Tmax varied widely among individuals, a significant correlation with plasma concentration and FXa activity was observed (apixaban: correlation coefficient, -0.893; P < .001). On multivariate analysis, risk factors for post-ESD bleeding in patients taking DOACs were higher age (odds ratio [OR], 1.192; 95% CI, 1.020-1.392; P = .027) and high anticoagulant ability analyzed by FXa activity at trough and Tmax (OR, 6.056; 95% CI, 1.094-33.529; P = .039). CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of post-ESD bleeding in patients taking DOACs was high, especially in older patients and with high anticoagulant effects of DOACs. Measurement of pharmacokinetic parameters of DOACs may be useful in identifying patients at higher risk of post-ESD bleeding.

Cost-Effectiveness of Vonoprazan Compared With Proton Pump Inhibitors in Patients Taking Low-Dose Aspirin for Secondary Prevention of Cardiovascular Events in Japan.

BACKGROUND: Low-dose aspirin (LDA) is used to prevent recurrent cardiovascular (CV) events, but is associated with upper gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding; concomitant use of a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) reduces this risk. This study aimed to assess the cost-effectiveness of vonoprazan compared with PPIs (lansoprazole and esomeprazole) in patients taking LDA for secondary prevention of CV events.Methods and Results: A Markov simulation model was developed to predict the number of GI bleeding and acute CV events using 3 strategies (vonoprazan+LDA, esomeprazole+LDA, and lansoprazole+LDA), which were translated into quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) and costs. Transition probabilities and utilities were derived from the results of published literature, and medical costs were based on the Japanese National Health Insurance fee table and claims databases in 2020. Outcomes were projected over 30 years starting at age 65 years and discounted at 2% annually. Expected costs with esomeprazole 20 mg, lansoprazole 15 mg and vonoprazan 10 mg were JPY 1,225,657, JPY 943,930, and JPY 1,059,510, respectively. The QALY gain for vonoprazan vs. esomeprazole was 0.35, thus vonoprazan was dominant against esomeprazole. The QALY gain for vonoprazan vs. lansoprazole was 0.29 and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was JPY 398,551, thus, vonoprazan was more cost-effective than lansoprazole. CONCLUSIONS: Vonoprazan is dominant or cost-effective compared with esomeprazole and lansoprazole in patients taking LDA for secondary prevention of CV events.

Underwater endoscopic submucosal dissection for colorectal tumors decreases the incidence of post-electrocoagulation syndrome.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Underwater endoscopic submucosal dissection (U-ESD) is a recently developed procedure that has the potential to prevent post-ESD coagulation syndrome (PECS) owing to its heat-sink effect. We aimed to clarify whether U-ESD decreases the incidence of PECS compared with conventional ESD (C-ESD). METHODS: A total of 205 patients who underwent colorectal ESD (C-ESD: 125; U-ESD: 80) were analyzed. Propensity score matching analysis was performed to adjust for patient backgrounds. Ten C-ESD and two U-ESD patients with muscle damage or perforation during ESD were excluded when comparing PECS. The primary outcome was to compare the incidence of PECS between the U-ESD and C-ESD groups (54 matched pairs). Secondary outcomes were to compare procedural outcomes between the C-ESD and U-ESD groups (62 matched pairs). RESULTS: Among the 78 patients who underwent U-ESD, PECS occurred in only one patient (1.3%). Adjusted comparisons between the U-ESD and C-ESD groups demonstrated a significantly lower incidence of PECS in the U-ESD group (0% vs 11.1%; P = 0.027). Median dissection speed was significantly faster in the U-ESD than in the C-ESD group (10.9 mm2 /min vs 6.9 mm2 /min; P < 0.001). En bloc and complete resection rates were 100% in the U-ESD group. Although perforation and delayed bleeding occurred in one patient each (1.6%) as adverse events in the U-ESD group, there were no differences compared with the C-ESD group. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates that U-ESD effectively decreases the incidence of PECS and is a faster and safer method for colorectal ESD.

The Association between Diverticular Rebleeding and Early-Morning Blood Pressure and Surge: A Prospective Observational Trial.

INTRODUCTION: Colonic diverticular bleeding is the major cause of lower gastrointestinal bleeding. Hypertension is a major risk factor for diverticular rebleeding. Direct evidence of an association between actual 24-h blood pressure (BP) and rebleeding is lacking. Therefore, we analyzed the association between 24-h BP and diverticular rebleeding. METHODS: We performed a prospective observational cohort trial involving hospitalized patients with colonic diverticular bleeding. We performed 24-h BP measurements (ambulatory BP monitoring [ABPM]) in the patients. The primary outcome was diverticular rebleeding. We evaluated the 24-h BP difference and the morning and pre-awaking BP surge between rebleeding and non-rebleeding patients. Morning BP surge was defined as early-morning systolic BP minus the lowest night systolic BP >45 mm Hg (highest quartile of morning BP surge). The pre-awaking BP surge was defined as the difference between morning BP and pre-awaking BP. RESULTS: Of 47 patients, 17 were excluded, leaving 30 who underwent ABPM. Of the 30 patients, 4 (13.33%) had rebleeding. The mean 24-h systolic and diastolic BP were 125.05 and 76.19 mm Hg in rebleeding patients and 129.98 and 81.77 mm Hg in non-rebleeding patients, respectively. Systolic BP at 5:00 (difference -23.53 mm Hg, p = 0.031) and 11:30 (difference -31.48 mm Hg, p = 0.006) was significantly lower in rebleeding patients than in non-rebleeding patients. Diastolic BP at 2:30 (difference -17.75 mm Hg, p = 0.023) and 5:00 (difference -16.12 mm Hg, p = 0.043) was significantly lower in rebleeding patients than in non-rebleeding patients. A morning surge was observed in one rebleeding patient and no non-rebleeding patients. The pre-awaking surge was significantly higher in rebleeding patients (28.44 mm Hg) than in non-rebleeding patients (9.30 mm Hg) (p = 0.015). CONCLUSION: Lower BP in the early-morning and a higher pre-awaking surge were risk factors for diverticular rebleeding. A 24-h ABPM can identify these BP findings and reduce the risk of rebleeding by enabling interventions in patients with diverticular bleeding.

Targeted Metabolomic Profiling of Plasma Samples in Gastric Cancer by Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry.

INTRODUCTION: As the high mortality rate of gastric cancer (GC) is due to delayed diagnosis, early detection is vital for improved patient outcomes. Metabolic deregulation plays an important role in GC. Although various metabolite-level biomarkers for early detection have been assessed, there is still no unified early detection method. We conducted a plasma metabolome study to assess metabolites that may distinguish GC samples from non-GC samples. METHODS: Blood samples were collected from 72 GC patients and 29 control participants (non-GC group) at the Tokyo Medical University Hospital between March 2020 and November 2020. Hydrophilic metabolites were identified and quantified using liquid chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Differences in metabolite concentrations between the GC and non-GC groups were evaluated using the Mann-Whitney test. The discrimination ability of each metabolite was evaluated by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. A radial basis function (RBF) kernel-based support vector machine (SVM) model was developed to assess the discrimination ability of multiple metabolites. The selection of variables used for the SVM utilized a step-wise regression method. RESULTS: Of the 96 quantified metabolites, 8 were significantly different between the GC and non-GC groups. Of these, N1-acetylspermine, succinate, and histidine were used in the RBF-SVM model to discriminate GC samples from non-GC samples. The area under the curve (AUC) of the RBF-SVM model was higher (0.915; 95% CI: 0.865-0.965, p < 0.0001), indicating good performance of the RBF-SVM model. The application of this RBF-SVM to the validation dataset resulted from the AUC of the RBF-SVM model was (0.885; 95% CI: 0.797-0.973, p < 0.0001), indicating the good performance of the RBF-SVM model. The sensitivity of the RBF-SVM model was better (69.0%) than those of the common tumor markers carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) (10.5%) and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) (2.86%). The RBF-SVM showed a low correlation with CEA and CA19-9, indicating its independence. CONCLUSION: We analyzed plasma metabolomics, and a combination of the quantified metabolites showed high sensitivity for the detection of GC. The independence of the RBF-SVM from tumor markers suggested that their complementary use would be helpful for GC screening.

Advanced diagnostic endoscopy in the upper gastrointestinal tract: Review of the Japan Gastroenterological Endoscopy Society core sessions.

We held four upper gastrointestinal tract advanced diagnostic endoscopy sessions from the 89th to the 92nd Congress of the Japan Gastroenterological Endoscopy Society. The most common region addressed was the stomach in 25 presentations, followed by the esophagus in 23, duodenum in five, and other in one. Looking at techniques discussed, the most common image enhancement method discussed was narrowband imaging in 29 presentations, blue laser imaging, and linked color imaging (LCI) in 10 each, dual red imaging in three, and autofluorescence imaging in one. Furthermore, there were presentations of new techniques such as M-Chromo-LCI and acetic acid-indigo carmine mixture LCI. There were also six presentations regarding probe-based confocal laser endomicroscopy, and one of endocytoscopy techniques. We also saw presentations of images of gastric subepithelial tumors within the submucosa, 3D endoscopy, the development of computer-aided detection systems for early cancers, and fluorescent imaging.

Factors associated with long-term efficacy of lubiprostone for chronic constipation.

The prevalence of chronic constipation in Japan is increasing, and is presently almost 1 in 5 people. Because constipation is common, especially in older patients, to avoid adverse events and polypharmacy, simple treatments at low doses are generally desired. Although the chloride channel activator lubiprostone is candidate drug that may solve these problems, factors associated with the long-term efficacy of lubiprostone monotherapy for chronic constipation in treatment-naive patients remain unclear. We here retrospectively investigated the clinical characteristics and factors of patients who achieved long-term constipation improvement with lubiprostone monotherapy. Seventy-four patients with chronic constipation treated with lubiprostone monotherapy (24 or 48 µg/day) from January 2017 to August 2018 were reviewed. Patient characteristics and clinical time-courses were compared between those who sustained improvement for 6 months, and those who became refractory to treatment. In 54 patients (76.1%), constipation improved by lubiprostone administration for 6 months. On multivariate analysis, a significant clinical factor associated with sustained improvement was a starting lubiprostone dose of 24 µg/day (odds ratio: 5.791; 95% confidence interval: 1.032-32.498; p = 0.046). A starting lubiprostone dose of 24 µg/day has efficacy to improve chronic constipation and to prevent adverse events of nausea and diarrhea in Japanese patients.

Kyoto international consensus report on anatomy, pathophysiology and clinical significance of the gastro-oesophageal junction.

OBJECTIVE: An international meeting was organised to develop consensus on (1) the landmarks to define the gastro-oesophageal junction (GOJ), (2) the occurrence and pathophysiological significance of the cardiac gland, (3) the definition of the gastro-oesophageal junctional zone (GOJZ) and (4) the causes of inflammation, metaplasia and neoplasia occurring in the GOJZ. DESIGN: Clinical questions relevant to the afore-mentioned major issues were drafted for which expert panels formulated relevant statements and textural explanations.A Delphi method using an anonymous system was employed to develop the consensus, the level of which was predefined as ≥80% of agreement. Two rounds of voting and amendments were completed before the meeting at which clinical questions and consensus were finalised. RESULTS: Twenty eight clinical questions and statements were finalised after extensive amendments. Critical consensus was achieved: (1) definition for the GOJ, (2) definition of the GOJZ spanning 1 cm proximal and distal to the GOJ as defined by the end of palisade vessels was accepted based on the anatomical distribution of cardiac type gland, (3) chemical and bacterial (Helicobacter pylori) factors as the primary causes of inflammation, metaplasia and neoplasia occurring in the GOJZ, (4) a new definition of Barrett's oesophagus (BO). CONCLUSIONS: This international consensus on the new definitions of BO, GOJ and the GOJZ will be instrumental in future studies aiming to resolve many issues on this important anatomic area and hopefully will lead to better classification and management of the diseases surrounding the GOJ.

Prune Juice Containing Sorbitol, Pectin, and Polyphenol Ameliorates Subjective Complaints and Hard Feces While Normalizing Stool in Chronic Constipation: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of prune juice on chronic constipation. METHODS: We conducted a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial in Japanese subjects with chronic constipation. RESULTS: Prune intake significantly decreased hard and lumpy stools while increasing normal stool and not increasing loose and watery stools. Prune intake also ameliorated subjective complaints of constipation and hard stools, without alteration of flatulence, diarrhea, loose stools, or urgent need for defecation. There were no adverse events or laboratory abnormalities of liver or renal function after prune intake. DISCUSSION: Prune juice exerted an effective and safe natural food therapy for chronic constipation.

New scoring system to distinguish deep invasive submucosal and muscularis propria colorectal cancer during colonoscopy: a development and global multicenter external validation study (e-T2 Score).

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Diagnostics to differentiate deep submucosal invasive (invasion depth ≥1000 µm [T1b]) colorectal cancer (CRC) from muscularis propria invasive (T2) CRC are limited. We aimed to establish and validate a scoring system that differentiates T1b from T2. METHODS: A multicenter retrospective cross-validation study was performed. Four hundred sixty-one consecutive pathologically confirmed T1b or T2 CRCs were divided into the development (T1b, 222; T2, 189) and internal validation (T1b, 31; T2, 19) cohorts. Eight potential endoscopic findings were evaluated using the development cohort: loss of lobulation, deep depression, demarcated depressed area, protuberance within the depression, expanding appearance, fold convergency, erosion or white plaque, and Borrmann type 2 or 3 tumor. A scoring system that differentiates T1b from T2 was developed, and diagnostic performance was tested using the internal validation cohort by 8 endoscopists. External validation was conducted using 50 CRC images by 4 endoscopists from other institutions, including outside of Japan. RESULTS: Multivariate analysis identified the following 5 independent predictive endoscopic findings of T2 CRC: deep depression (odds ratio [OR], 2.08; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.07-4.04), demarcated depressed area (OR, 4.40; 95% CI, 1.39-13.9), 4-fold convergency or more (OR, 3.41; 95% CI, 1.90-6.11), erosion or white plaque (OR, 8.28; 95% CI, 2.77-24.7), and Borrmann type 2 or 3 tumor (OR, 8.76; 95% CI, 3.58-21.5). The area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUROC) was .90 (95% CI, .87-.93) in the development cohort, .80 (95% CI, .76-.85) in the internal validation, and .76 (95% CI, .69-.83) in the external validation. CONCLUSIONS: We established and validated a new scoring system to differentiate T1b from T2 CRC using 5 simple endoscopic findings.

Vonoprazan versus proton pump inhibitors for postendoscopic submucosal dissection bleeding in the stomach: a multicenter population-based comparative study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The effectiveness of vonoprazan relative to that of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) after gastric endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is unclear. Although previous studies used post-ESD ulcer healing as the outcome measure, post-ESD bleeding rate is the most objective and appropriate outcome measure because it has less ascertainment bias. We aimed to compare the post-ESD bleeding rates between vonoprazan and PPIs. METHODS: This nationwide population-based retrospective cohort study was conducted between 2014 and 2018 and involved 9 hospitals. After 2 days of intravenous PPI administration, either vonoprazan or PPI was administrated from postoperative day 2 to 30. RESULTS: Overall, data of 1715 patients (627 patient pairs) were analyzed through propensity score matching. The vonoprazan group had significantly lower post-ESD bleeding rates than the PPI group (overall, 11.9% vs 17.2%, P = .008; bleeding between days 2 and 30, 7.8% vs 11.8%, P = .015). The readmission rate because of post-ESD bleeding was lower in the vonoprazan group (2.4% vs 4.1%, P = .081). Blood transfusion (2.1% vs 3.0%, P = .15) and additional surgery because of delayed perforation (.5% vs 1.0%, P = .32) were not significantly different between the 2 groups. No deaths within 30 days occurred in both groups. On Cox regression analysis, vonoprazan use, lesion location (antrum), aspirin use, direct oral anticoagulant use, and Charlson Comorbidity Index (≥2) were associated with an increased risk of post-ESD bleeding within 30 days. CONCLUSIONS: Vonoprazan has a lower post-ESD bleeding rate than PPIs. Further prospective studies are required to confirm these results.

Treatment strategies for reducing early and late recurrence of colonic diverticular bleeding based on stigmata of recent hemorrhage: a large multicenter study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Treatment strategies for colonic diverticular bleeding (CDB) based on stigmata of recent hemorrhage (SRH) remain unstandardized, and no large studies have evaluated their effectiveness. We sought to identify the best strategy among combinations of SRH identification and endoscopic treatment strategies. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 5823 CDB patients who underwent colonoscopy at 49 hospitals throughout Japan (CODE-BLUE J-Study). Three strategies were compared: find SRH (definitive CDB) and treat endoscopically, find SRH (definitive CDB) and treat conservatively, and without finding SRH (presumptive CDB) treat conservatively. In conducting pairwise comparisons of outcomes in these groups, we used propensity score-matching analysis to balance baseline characteristics between the groups being compared. RESULTS: Both early and late recurrent bleeding rates were significantly lower in patients with definitive CDB treated endoscopically than in those with presumptive CDB treated conservatively (<30 days, 19.6% vs 26.0% [P < .001]; <365 days, 33.7% vs 41.6% [P < .001], respectively). In patients with definitive CDB, the early recurrent bleeding rate was significantly lower in those treated endoscopically than in those treated conservatively (17.4% vs 26.7% [P = .038] for a single test of hypothesis; however, correction for multiple testing of data removed this significance). The late recurrent bleeding rate was also lower, but not significantly, in those treated endoscopically (32.0% vs 36.1%, P = .426). Definitive CDB treated endoscopically showed significantly lower early and late recurrent bleeding rates than when treated conservatively in cases of SRH with active bleeding, nonactive bleeding, and in the right-sided colon but not left-sided colon. CONCLUSIONS: Treating definitive CDB endoscopically was most effective in reducing recurrent bleeding over the short and long term, compared with not treating definitive CDB or presumptive CDB. Physicians should endeavor to find and treat SRH for suspected CDB.

Artificial intelligence versus expert endoscopists for diagnosis of gastric cancer in patients who have undergone upper gastrointestinal endoscopy.

AIMS: To compare endoscopy gastric cancer images diagnosis rate between artificial intelligence (AI) and expert endoscopists. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We used the retrospective data of 500 patients, including 100 with gastric cancer, matched 1:1 to diagnosis by AI or expert endoscopists. We retrospectively evaluated the noninferiority (prespecified margin 5 %) of the per-patient rate of gastric cancer diagnosis by AI and compared the per-image rate of gastric cancer diagnosis. RESULTS: Gastric cancer was diagnosed in 49 of 49 patients (100 %) in the AI group and 48 of 51 patients (94.12 %) in the expert endoscopist group (difference 5.88, 95 % confidence interval: -0.58 to 12.3). The per-image rate of gastric cancer diagnosis was higher in the AI group (99.87 %, 747 /748 images) than in the expert endoscopist group (88.17 %, 693 /786 images) (difference 11.7 %). CONCLUSIONS: Noninferiority of the rate of gastric cancer diagnosis by AI was demonstrated but superiority was not demonstrated.

Long-term improvement in constipation-related symptoms after Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy.

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy effectively improves the abnormal bowel habits and abdominal symptoms of patients for a few months post-treatment (PT). However, it is unclear whether the improvement in abnormal bowel habits and symptoms continues long term. Here, we investigated the association of successful H. pylori eradication therapy with improvements in abdominal symptoms in the short- and long-term PT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We evaluated the severity of constipation-related abdominal symptoms in 287 H. pylori-positive patients who underwent eradication therapy at pre-treatment and 2 and 12 months PT using two measures: the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS) and the Izumo scale. RESULTS: In patients with constipation at pre-treatment, constipation-related symptom scores in the GSRS improved significantly from 7.91 ± 3.15 at pre-treatment to 6.07 ± 2.75 at 2 months PT (p < 0.01) and 6.85 ± 3.46 at 12 months PT (p = 0.04). Patients with improved symptom scores at 2 months PT also experienced an improvement at 12 months PT. In contrast, patients who did not experience an improvement in constipation-related symptoms at 2 months PT likewise did not experience an improvement at 12 months PT. CONCLUSIONS: Patients who experience an improvement at 2 months PT with H. pylori eradication therapy continue to experience improved symptoms in the long term. Therefore, H. pylori -positive patients with abnormal bowel habits should be recommended eradication therapy to prevent gastric cancer development and to alleviate abnormal bowel habits and abdominal symptoms.