Heartburn, Functional Dyspepsia, Anxiety/Depression, and Sleep Disturbances Are Associated With Clinically Significant Belching.

Background/aims: Belching is the act of expelling gas from the stomach or esophagus noisily through the oral cavity. Although it is a physiological phenomenon, belching may also be a symptom of upper gastrointestinal diseases such as reflux esophagitis and functional dyspepsia (FD). A detailed epidemiology of belching has not yet been reported.

Factors Associated with Potassium-Competitive Acid Blocker Non-Response in Patients with Proton Pump Inhibitor-Refractory Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease.

Background/aims: Approximately 20-40% of patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) are refractory to proton pump inhibitor (PPI) treatment. The acid-inhibitory effect of vonoprazan, a novel potassium-competitive acid blocker (P-CAB), is significantly greater when compared to the effect of PPIs. We investigated the efficacy of vonoprazan treatment for PPI-refractory GERD and factors associated with P-CAB non-response.

Additional surgical resection after endoscopic mucosal dissection for early gastric cancer: A medium-sized hospital's experience.

Purpose: In Japan, the majority of early gastric cancers (EGCs) are now treated with endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). Patients with non-curative lesions treated by ESD are advised to undergo additional surgical resection (ASR) based on guidelines from the Japan Gastroenterological Endoscopy Society (JGES) and Japanese Gastric Cancer Association (JGCA). However, many studies have demonstrated that residual cancer and lymph node metastasis are only rarely found in ASR specimens.

Associations among gastroesophageal reflux disease, psychological stress, and sleep disturbances in Japanese adults.

Background And Aim: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and psychological stress are associated with sleep disturbances. The aim of the present study was to examine the prevalence of sleep disturbances, anxiety, and depression by GERD subtypes and to identify factors associated with sleep disturbances in general population.

Methods: A total of 2002 Japanese subjects, who underwent annual health checkups, were enrolled and asked to fill out a questionnaire, including the frequency scale for the symptoms of GERD (FSSG), Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS), Rome III questionnaire, and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS).

Natural history of major complications in hepatitis C virus-related cirrhosis evaluated by per-rectal portal scintigraphy.

Aim: To examine the correlation between the porto-systemic hypertension evaluated by portal shunt index (PSI) and life-threatening complications, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), liver failure (Child-Pugh stage progression), and esophagogastric varices.

Methods: Two hundred and twelve consecutive subjects with HCV-related cirrhosis (LC-C) underwent per-rectal portal scintigraphy. They were allocated into three groups according to their PSI: group I, PSI< or =10%; group II, 10% View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Usefulness of per-rectal portal scintigraphy with technetium-99m pertechnetate for prognosis of primary biliary cirrhosis.

Background/aims: Conventional methods predicting survival in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis are based on the results of blood tests and on clinical condition, both of which may be affected by treatment. Portal circulation can be evaluated in a relatively noninvasive manner by per-rectal portal scintigraphy. We used this method to evaluate portal hemodynamics and assess prognosis in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis.

Poor labeling of Tc-99m red blood cells in vivo in a radionuclide intestinal bleeding study of a patient who had recently undergone frequent blood transfusions.

The authors report poor labeling of Tc-99m red blood cells (RBCs) in vivo in a radionuclide intestinal bleeding study of a patient who had recently undergone frequent blood transfusions. The existence of RBC antibodies, as a result of the recent blood transfusions in this patient, was one of the causes of the poor labeling. In radionuclide bleeding studies with patients with recent blood transfusion, Tc-99m HSA-D must be chosen instead of Tc-99m RBCs in vivo.

Natural course of changes in hepatic functional reserve in patients with chronic liver diseases evaluated by scintigraphy with GSA.

Hepatic functional reserve can be evaluated in a noninvasive way by scintigraphy with 99mTc-DTPA-galactosyl human serum albumin (99mTc-GSA). We monitored hepatic functional reserve in patients with chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis using scintigraphy with 99mTc-GSA to determine the natural course of changes in their hepatic functional reserve. Computer acquisition of gamma-camera data was started before the injection of 185 MBq of 99mTc-GSA and was stopped 20 min later.

Evaluation of ammonia metabolism in the skeletal muscles of patients with cirrhosis using N-13 ammonia PET.

Objective: Skeletal muscle is said to compensate for the decreased ammonia metabolism in patients with cirrhosis. Branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) are being used as a treatment for hyperammonemia, and are believed to decrease blood ammonia by consumption of BCAA in skeletal muscles. We examined ammonia metabolism of the skeletal muscles in patients with liver cirrhosis after administration of BCAA using 13N-ammonia positron emission tomography (PET).

Relationship between branched-chain amino acid to tyrosine ratio (BTR) and porto-systemic shunt in the Child-Pugh grade A cirrhosis determined by per-rectal portal scintigraphy.

We examined the difference between early cirrhotic patients with lower branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) to tyrosine ratio (BTR) (<4) and higher BTR (>4) in portal circulation using per-rectal portal scintigraphy with technetium-99m pertechnetate. Forty patients with Child-Pugh grade A cirrhosis and serum albumin level between 3.5 and 3.

A case of gastric duplication evaluated by gastric emptying scintigraphy.

Gastric duplications are relatively rare, and communication with the gastric lumen is extremely rare. A 67-year-old man was referred to our hospital because of recurrence of epigastric pain and fullness. An upper gastrointestinal contrast study revealed a double compartment stomach, with gastric duplication starting at the esophagogastric junction outside the greater curvature.

Gastric emptying in patients with chronic liver diseases.

Unlabelled: There have been a number of reports of gastric emptying in cirrhosis, all with unconfirmed results. Moreover, the mechanism for delayed emptying in cirrhotic patients is unclear. We evaluated gastric emptying in patients with chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis by means of gastric emptying scintigraphy.

Usefulness of scintigraphy with technetium-99m galactosyl human serum albumin in prediction of prognosis of primary biliary cirrhosis.

Prediction of survival of patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) has been based on results of blood tests and other indices of clinical condition, which may be affected by treatment. We earlier evaluated hepatic receptor imaging with 99mTc galactosyl human serum albumin as an alternative method for prediction of survival. To evaluate whether this method is useful for this purpose, we examined the cumulative survival rate of patients with PBC since their first examination by this method.