The effect of short-term proton pump inhibitor plus anti-ulcer drug on the healing of endoscopic submucosal dissection-derived artificial ulcer: a randomized controlled trial.

Background/aims: Artificial ulcers remain a major complication after Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). The development of more effective treatment regimen for this ulcer is required than the use of proton pump inhibitor (PPI) alone.

Methodology: Patients with ESD-derived artificial ulcers were randomly assigned to two groups: a group of patients who received rabeprazole 20 mg daily for 8 weeks (PPI group) and a group of patients who received a combination of rebamipide 300 mg daily for 8 weeks and rabeprazole 20 mg dairy for the first 4 weeks (reb+PPI group).

Usefulness of dual-phase 18F-FDG PET/CT for diagnosing small pancreatic tumors.

Objectives: The usefulness of dual-phase F-fluorodeoxyglucose (F-FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) for pancreatic tumors was investigated including numerous small tumors.

Methods: Consecutive 116 patients with solid pancreatic tumors were subjected. Maximum standard uptake values (SUVmax) at 1 and 2 hours after FDG injection were defined as early and delayed SUVmax, respectively.

Three ileus cases associated with the use of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors in diabetic patients.

Dipeptidyl peptidase (DPP)-4 inhibitors are a new class of antidiabetic drugs that increase incretin hormone levels to enhance blood sugar level-dependent insulinotropic effects, suppress glucagon action, and reduce bowel motility. These incretin effects are ideal for blood sugar control. However, the safety profile of DPP-4 inhibitors is not yet established.

Potential use of point shear wave elastography for the pancreas: a single center prospective study.

Aim: Clinical use of point shear wave elastography for the liver has been established, however, few studies demonstrated its usefulness for the pancreas. A prospective study was conducted to clarify its feasibility for the pancreas and its usefulness for the identification of high risk group for pancreatic cancer.

Patients And Methods: Consecutive eighty-five patients underwent point shear wave elastography for the pancreas.

The *1244 A>G polymorphism of MyD88 (rs7744) is closely associated with susceptibility to ulcerative colitis.

Toll‑like receptor activation intitially recruits the myeloid differentiation primary response gene (88) (MyD88) protein. A polymorphism *1244 A>G (rs7744) in the 3'‑untranslated region of MyD88 has been identified. In the present study, the association of this polymorphism with ulcerative colitis (UC) was investigated.

Functional promoter polymorphisms of NFKB1 influence susceptibility to the diffuse type of gastric cancer.

In the present study, we report an association between gastric cancer and polymorphisms in NFKB1 (rs28362941 and rs78696119). We employed the PCR-SSCP method to detect gene polymorphisms in 479 gastric cancer cases and 880 controls. The rs28362941 del/del homozygote was significantly associated with gastric cancer development; in particular it was closely associated with diffuse type gastric cancer.

Irsogladine maleate for the treatment of recurrent aphthous stomatitis in hepatitis C virus patients on pegylated-interferon and ribavirin: a pilot study.

Background And Aim: Aphthous stomatitis is one of the adverse effects associated with interferon (IFN) that forces dose reduction of IFN and there is no established therapy. This study was aimed to investigate whether irsogladine maleate, which enhances the functions of intercellular communication through the gap junctions, is effective for the treatment of aphthous stomatitis developed in hepatitis C virus (HCV) patients on pegylated-interferon (PEG-IFN) and ribavirin.

Methods: Nineteen patients with HCV were treated with PEG-IFN and ribavirin for 48 weeks.

Chronic ingestion of ethanol induces hepatocellular carcinoma in mice without additional hepatic insult.

Background: Chronic intake of alcohol increases the risk of gastrointestinal and hepatic carcinogenesis. The present study was focused to investigate the incidence and mechanism of pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) during chronic ingestion of alcohol without any additional hepatic injury.

Methods: Ethanol was administered to Institute for Cancer Research male mice through drinking water for 70 weeks at concentrations of 5 % (first week), 10 % (next 8 weeks), and 15 % thereafter.

-449 C>G polymorphism of NFKB1 gene, coding nuclear factor-kappa-B, is associated with the susceptibility to ulcerative colitis.

Aim: To clarify the association between a polymorphism -449 C>G (rs72696119) in 5'-UTR of NFKB1 with ulcerative colitis (UC).

Methods: The studied population comprised 639 subjects, including patients with UC (UC cases, n = 174) and subjects without UC (controls, n = 465). We employed polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism to detect the gene polymorphism.

Influence of HRH2 promoter polymorphism on aberrant DNA methylation of DAPK and CDH1 in the gastric epithelium.

Background: Aberrant methylation patterns in CpG island are known to be influential in gene silencing. Histamine plays important physiological roles in the upper gastrointestinal tract and acts via the H2 receptor. We report an investigation into the effect of HRH2 promoter polymorphism (rs2607474 G > A) on the methylation of DAPK and CDH1.

Association of genetic polymorphisms in IL17A and IL17F with gastro-duodenal diseases.

Background & Aim: The important role of IL-17 in inflammatory response to Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) colonization has been indicated. We investigated the associations between gastro-duodenal diseases and polymorphisms of IL17A (rs2275913 G>A) and IL17F (rs763780 T>C).

Influence of IL17A polymorphisms (rs2275913 and rs3748067) on the susceptibility to ulcerative colitis.

Interleukin-17A plays a role in tissue inflammation by inducing release of proinflammatory and neutrophil-mobilizing cytokines. We investigated the association between ulcerative colitis (UC) and polymorphisms of IL17A, rs2275913 (-197 G > A), and rs3748067 (*1249 C > T). The study was performed in 475 healthy subjects (controls) and 202 with UC (UC cases), including 113 controls and 64 UC cases from previous study.

Effects of -1018G>A polymorphism of HRH2 (rs2607474) on the severity of gastric mucosal atrophy.

Background And Aim: Histamine plays important physiological roles in upper gastrointestinal tract and acts via the H2 receptor. A polymorphism -1018 G>A (rs2067474) was identified in an enhancer element of the HRH2 promoter. We attempted to clarify the associations of this polymorphism with the progression of gastric mucosal atrophy.

Genetic polymorphisms of SCN10A are associated with functional dyspepsia in Japanese subjects.

Background: Visceral sensory impulses are transmitted via C-fibers from the gastrointestinal tract to the central nervous system. The tetrodotoxinresistant (TTX-r) sodium channel, Na(V) 1.8/SNS (sensory-neuron specific), encoded by SCN10A, has been identified on C-fibers.

Association between common genetic variant of HRH2 and gastric cancer risk.

Histamine plays important physiological roles in the upper gastrointestinal tract and acts via the H2 receptor. The -1018 G>A (rs2067474) in an enhancer element of the promoter and non-synonymous rs79385261 (Asn46Thr) were identified in HRH2. We attempted to clarify the associations of these polymorphisms with gastric carcinogenesis.

NFKB1 polymorphism is associated with age-related gene methylation in Helicobacter pylori-infected subjects.

CpG island aberrant methylation is shown to be an important mechanism in gene silencing. The important role of NF-κB in the inflammatory response to H. pylori colonization has been indicated.

Genetic polymorphisms of IL17A and pri-microRNA-938, targeting IL17A 3'-UTR, influence susceptibility to gastric cancer.

We report an association between gastric cancer (GC) and polymorphisms in IL17A, rs2275913 (-197 G > A), rs3748067 (*1249 C > T), and pri-miR-938, rs2505901 (T > C). We employed the multiplex PCR-SSCP method to detect gene polymorphisms in 337 GC cases and 587 controls. The minor allele frequency of rs2275913 was significantly higher, and those of rs3748067 and rs2505901 significantly lower, in GC cases than controls.

Genetic polymorphism of pri-microRNA 325, targeting SLC6A4 3'-UTR, is closely associated with the risk of functional dyspepsia in Japan.

Background: The role of genetics in the susceptibility to functional dyspepsia (FD) remains unclear. We attempted to clarify the association between FD and polymorphisms in SLC6A4. In addition, rs5981521 (C>T) in the pri-microRNA 325 (pri-miR-325) coding region was also investigated.

Survival rates of early-stage HCV-related liver cirrhosis patients without hepatocellular carcinoma are decreased by alcohol.

Although alcohol abuse is the most common cause of liver cirrhosis in the United States, the enhancing effects of alcohol on the long-term prognosis of hepatitis C virus (HCV) related liver cirrhosis has not been clarified. To investigate how alcohol abuse influences the prognosis of hepatitis virus related liver cirrhosis, we studied 716 Japanese patients. Cumulative survival and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development rates were analyzed in alcohol abusive, cirrhotic patients with or without hepatitis virus infection.

Colon cancer arising in an ulcer scar due to intestinal Behçet's disease.

Neoplasms rarely arise in the intestinal lesion of Behçet's disease. We present a 77-year-old man with Behçet's disease who developed colon cancer in the ileocecal region. Ileocecal resection was performed and pathological examination of the specimen revealed advanced colon carcinoma (pT3, N1, M0).