Asia-Pacific Survey on the Management of Helicobacter pylori Infection.

Background And Aim: Gastric cancer (GC)-related incidence and mortality rates remain high owing to Helicobacter pylori infection in Asia, and the importance of primary and secondary prevention of GC has been well recognized. We aimed to investigate the extent of overall agreement among clinicians in the Asia-Pacific region regarding the management of H. pylori infection.

Clinical Trial: Treatment of Functional Dyspepsia According to Subtype Compared With Empirical Proton Pump Inhibitor.

Background: International guidelines recommend contrasting initial treatment strategies for functional dyspepsia (FD).

Aims: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of treatment according to subtypes, compared with empirical proton pump inhibitor (PPI), in the initial treatment of FD.

Methods: We performed a single-blinded, randomised controlled trial of adults with FD.

Investigating the impact of dietary guidelines transition on cardiometabolic risk profile: a forensic analysis using diet quality metrics.

Evaluating dietary guidelines using diet quality (DQ) offers valuable insights into the healthfulness of a population's diet. We conducted a forensic analysis using DQ metrics to compare the Malaysian Dietary Guidelines (MDG-2020) with its former version (MDG-2010) in relation to cardiometabolic risk (CMR) for an adult Malaysian population. A DQ analysis of cross-sectional data from the Malaysia Lipid Study (MLS) cohort (n = 577, age: 20-65yrs) was performed using the healthy eating index-2015 (HEI-2015) framework in conformation with MDG-2020 (MHEI) and MDG-2010 (MHEI).

Genetic variations of penicillin-binding protein 1A: insights into the current status of amoxicillin-based regimens for eradication in Malaysia.

Resistance towards amoxicillin in causes significant therapeutic impasse in healthcare settings worldwide. In Malaysia, the standard treatment regimen includes a 14-day course of high-dose proton-pump inhibitor (rabeprazole, 20 mg) with amoxicillin (1000 mg) dual therapy. The high eradication rate with amoxicillin-based treatment could be attributed to the primary resistance rates of amoxicillin being relatively low at 0%, however, a low rate of secondary resistance has been documented in Malaysia recently.

Malaysian joint societies' consensus recommendations on diagnosis and management of disorders of esophagogastric junction outflow.

Disorders of esophagogastric junction (EGJ) outflow, including achalasia and EGJ outflow obstruction, are motility disorders characterized by inadequate relaxation of lower esophageal sphincter with or without impaired esophageal peristalsis. Current guidelines are technical and less practical in the Asia-Pacific region, and there are still massive challenges in timely diagnosis and managing these disorders effectively. Therefore, a Malaysian joint societies' task force has developed a consensus on disorders of EGJ outflow based on the latest evidence, while taking into consideration the practical relevance of local and regional context and resources.

Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD): A State-of-the-Art Review.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is the latest term for steatotic liver disease associated with metabolic syndrome. MASLD is the most common cause of chronic liver disease and is the leading cause of liver-related morbidity and mortality. It is important that all stakeholders be involved in tackling the public health threat of obesity and obesity-related diseases, including MASLD.

Frequency of significant steatosis and compensated advanced chronic liver disease among adults with chronic liver disease.

Background: With changes in the epidemiology and treatment of chronic liver disease (CLD), the impact of various etiologies of liver disease on steatosis and advanced fibrosis are uncertain.

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted among liver disease patients of various etiologies undergoing transient elastography (TE) over a 9-year duration.

Results: Data for 2886 patients were analyzed and had the following demographics: The median age was 60 (IQR: 45-69) years, 51% were males, and ethnicity was predominantly Chinese (52.

Practices, purposes and challenges in integrating gamification using technology: A mixed-methods study on university academics.

Unlabelled: Literature emphasizes that gamification significantly enhances students' engagement in learning and their motivation level. Studies have also examined the benefits of gamification in learning across different levels of education. However, the focus on academics' pedagogical understanding, knowledge, and skills and how they utilize these in planning and carrying out their gamified lessons particularly in the context of higher education, are not well researched.

A prospective comparison of UK and Malaysian patients with irritable bowel syndrome in secondary care.

Background: The prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is now known to be similar in various geographical regions, but there has been no study directly comparing characteristics of patients with IBS between populations.

Aims: To evaluate clinical and psychological differences between adults with IBS seen in secondary care in the United Kingdom (UK) and Malaysia.

Methods: Age- and sex-matched patients with IBS from a single centre in the UK (Leeds) and two centres in Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur and Kota Bharu), who fulfilled Rome III criteria, were recruited prospectively.

Gastrointestinal Dysfunction in Parkinson's Disease: Neuro-Gastroenterology Perspectives on a Multifaceted Problem.

Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) face a multitude of gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, including nausea, bloating, reduced bowel movements, and difficulties with defecation. These symptoms are common and may accumulate during the course of PD but are often under-recognized and challenging to manage. Objective testing can be burdensome to patients and does not correlate well with symptoms.

Long-term clinical outcomes of adults with metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease: a single-centre prospective cohort study with baseline liver biopsy.

Background: There are limited data on the long-term adverse clinical outcomes of adults with metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD).

Methods: This is a single-centre prospective study of a well-characterized cohort of MAFLD patients who underwent liver biopsy and followed every 6-12 months for adverse clinical outcomes.

Results: The data for 202 patients were analyzed [median age 55.

Impact of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth on symptoms and quality of life in irritable bowel syndrome.

Objective: To explore the factors associated with small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), and to further evaluate the impact of SIBO on irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in terms of symptom severity and health-related quality of life (HRQoL).

Methods: A cross-sectional study of consecutive adult patients who underwent glucose hydrogen breath test was conducted. Factors associated with SIBO were evaluated.

Clinical outcome of disorders of gut-brain interaction in secondary care: A longitudinal study.

Background: Real-world data on the outcome of routine treatment for disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBI) in secondary care are lacking.

Method: A longitudinal study of consecutive adult patients with various DGBI attending this institution's gastroenterology clinic was conducted. Following 2 years of treatment, the proportion of patients with symptom improvement, details of clinical therapy, factors associated with and the impact of 'no symptom improvement' were determined.

Validation of the Blood Test MACK-3 for the Noninvasive Diagnosis of Fibrotic Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis: An International Study With 1924 Patients.

Background & Aims: Drug development in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is hampered by a high screening failure rate that reaches 60% to 80% in therapeutic trials, mainly because of the absence of fibrotic NASH on baseline liver histology. MACK-3, a blood test including 3 biomarkers (aspartate aminotransferase, homeostasis model assessment, and cytokeratin 18), recently was developed for the noninvasive diagnosis of fibrotic NASH. We aimed to validate the diagnostic accuracy of this noninvasive test in an international multicenter study.

Determination of the Small-Field Output Factor for 6 MV Photon Beam Using EGSnrc Monte Carlo.

Accuracy of ionization chamber (IC) to measure the scatter output factor (S) of a linear accelerator (linac) is crucial, especially in small field (<4 cm × 4 cm). The common IC volume of 0.6 cc is not adequate for small-field measurement and not all radiotherapy centers can afford to purchase additional IC due to the additional cost.

Validation of the Hepamet fibrosis score in a multi-ethnic Asian population.

Introduction And Objectives: The Hepamet fibrosis score was introduced for the diagnosis of advanced liver fibrosis in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). To date, external validation is limited, and its utility in combination with liver stiffness measurement (LSM) has not been explored.

Material And Methods: This is a cross-sectional study on NAFLD patients who had a liver biopsy and LSM on the same day.

Metallosis Following Titanium Implant Use in the Hand: A Case Report and Review of Current Literature.

Adverse reaction to metal debris (ARMD) consists of a spectrum of changes ranging from pure metallosis to aseptic lymphocytic vasculitis-associated lesion and granulomatous inflammation. Currently described ARMD cases are mainly limited to arthroplasty, typically total hip and knee arthroplasties in the lower limb and total wrist arthroplasty in the upper limb. Hypersensitivity to a metallic implant in fracture fixation is rare, and a severe form of metallosis has not been reported so far.

Multicenter Evaluation of the Idylla GeneFusion in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer.

Targeted therapy in lung cancer requires the assessment of multiple oncogenic driver alterations, including fusion genes. This retrospective study evaluated the Idylla GeneFusion prototype, an automated and ease-of-use (<2 minutes) test, with a short turnaround time (3 hours) to detect fusions involving ALK, ROS1, RET, and NTRK1/2/3 genes and MET exon 14 skipping. This multicenter study (18 centers) included 313 tissue samples from lung cancer patients with 97 ALK, 44 ROS1, 20 RET, and 5 NTRKs fusions, 32 MET exon 14 skipping, and 115 wild-type samples, previously identified with reference methods (RNA-based next-generation sequencing/fluorescence in situ hybridization/quantitative PCR).

Epidemiological trends of gastrointestinal and liver diseases in Malaysia: A single-center observational study.

Background And Aim: The spectrum of gastrointestinal (GI) and liver diseases is recognized to have a geographical variation, which may be due to environmental or genetic differences. We aimed to explore this further in a specialist clinic serving a multi-ethnic Asian urban population.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of outpatient data from this institution's electronic medical records was conducted between January and June 2019.