Immunochip analysis identification of 6 additional susceptibility loci for Crohn's disease in Koreans.

Background: Crohn's disease (CD) is an intractable inflammatory bowel disease of unknown cause. Recent genome-wide association studies of CD in Korean and Japanese populations suggested marginal sharing of susceptibility loci between Caucasian and Asian populations. As the 7 identified loci altogether explain 5.

Risk of adenomas with high-risk characteristics based on two previous colonoscopy.

Background And Aim: The recommended intervals between surveillance colonoscopies are based on the most recent examination findings. However, whether the two previous colonoscopies affect second surveillance colonoscopic findings is not established. The aim of this study is to estimate the risk of obtaining high-risk findings (HRF) on the next surveillance colonoscopy using the results of two previous colonoscopies, and to estimate the appropriate time interval for the next surveillance colonoscopy.

Is propofol safe when administered to cirrhotic patients during sedative endoscopy?

Background/aims: In patients with liver cirrhosis, drugs acting on the central nervous system can lead to hepatic encephalopathy and the effects may be prolonged. Recently, misuse of propofol has been reported and the associated risk of death have become an issue. Propofol is commonly used during sedative endoscopy; therefore, its safety in high-risk groups must be further investigated.

Two cases of uncommon complication during percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube replacement and treatment.

We presented two interesting cases of gastrocolocutaneous fistula that occurred after percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube placement, and its management. This fistula is a rare complication that occurs after PEG insertion, which is an epithelial connection between mucosa of the stomach, colon, and skin. The management of the fistula is controversial, ranging from conservative to surgical intervention.

Incidences of serious infections and tuberculosis among patients receiving anti-tumor necrosis factor-α therapy.

Purpose: Anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) medications represent a major advancement in the management of chronic inflammatory diseases. However, these agents are associated with increased risks of tuberculosis (TB) and other serious infections. The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidences of such disease among tertiary hospitals in Korea.

Severe ischemic bowel necrosis caused by terlipressin during treatment of hepatorenal syndrome.

Terlipressin is a vasopressin analogue that is widely used in the treatment of hepatorenal syndrome or variceal bleeding. Because it acts mainly on splanchnic vessels, terlipressin has a lower incidence of severe ischemic complications than does vasopressin. However, it can still lead to serious complications such as myocardial infarction, skin necrosis, or bowel ischemia.

Development of enterohepatic fistula after embolization in ileal gastrointestinal stromal tumor: a case report.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) is a rare mesenchymal tumor of the gastrointestinal tract that has been associated with the formation of fistulas to adjacent organs in few case reports. However, GIST with enterohepatic fistula has not been reported. Here we report the case of an enterohepatic fistula that occurred after embolization of a liver mass originating in the distal ileum.

Is colonoscopic screening necessary for patients with gastric adenoma or cancer?

Background: Since colorectal adenoma or cancer is commonly associated with gastric adenoma or cancer, early colorectal adenoma detection can affect the survival of gastric adenoma or cancer patients.

Aims: The purpose here was to investigate the colorectal adenoma or cancer prevalence and evaluate the necessity for screening colonoscopy in gastric adenoma or cancer patients.

Patients And Methods: From September 2005 through August 2010, 857 patients younger than 70 years who had gastric adenoma or cancer were enrolled.

Small bowel pseudomelanosis associated with oral iron therapy.

An accumulation of pigment deposits on mucosa, called melanosis or pseudomelanosis, of the small bowel is observed infrequently during endoscopic examination. We describe 6 cases of small bowel pseudomelanosis; the possible etiology of which was chronic iron intake. We observed numerous brown spots in duodenum, jejunum, and terminal ileum during upper and lower endoscopy.

Genome-wide association study of Crohn's disease in Koreans revealed three new susceptibility loci and common attributes of genetic susceptibility across ethnic populations.

Objective: Crohn's disease (CD) is an intractable inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) of unknown cause. Recent meta-analysis of the genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and Immunochip data identified 163 susceptibility loci to IBD in Caucasians, however there are limited studies in other populations.

Methods: We performed a GWAS and two validation studies in the Korean population comprising a total of 2311 patients with CD and 2442 controls.

Intensified rehabilitation therapy and transitions to skilled nursing facilities in community-living seniors with acute medical illnesses.

Aim: To examine whether rehabilitation therapy type would be associated with transitions to skilled nursing facilities (SNF) in community-living seniors with acute medical illnesses.

Methods: Using administrative and clinical data, multivariate regression analysis examined the relationship between the extent of rehabilitation therapy and transitions to SNF in all participants, as well as participants by physical function at admission.

Results: In all participants (n=929), the intensified rehabilitation therapy was associated with a lower probability of transitions to SNF (14% vs 21%; odds ratio [OR] 0.

Rifampin-induced Pseudomembranous Colitis with Rectosigmoid Sparing.

Pseudomembranous colitis (PMC) is known to be associated with antibiotic treatment, but is not commonly related to antitubercular (anti-TB) agent, rifampin. PMC is frequently localized to rectum and sigmoid colon, which can be diagnosed with sigmoidoscopy. We report a case of rifampin-induced PMC with rectosigmoid sparing in a pulmonary tuberculosis patient.

Comparative study of Helicobacter pylori eradication rates with 5-day quadruple "concomitant" therapy and 7-day standard triple therapy.

Background: Several studies have shown the superiority of concomitant quadruple therapy containing 3 antibiotics over triple therapy for Helicobacter pylori infection. The aim of this study was to compare concomitant quadruple therapy with standard triple therapy for first-line H. pylori eradication.

The Effects of Combined Treatment with an HMG-CoA Reductase Inhibitor and PPARγ Agonist on the Activation of Rat Pancreatic Stellate Cells.

Background/aims: Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors (statins) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) ligands can modulate cellular differentiation, proliferation, and apoptosis through various pathways. It has been shown that HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors and PPARγ agonists separately inhibit pancreatic stellate cell (PaSC) activation. We studied the effects of a combination of both types of drugs on activated PaSCs via platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), which has not previously been reported.

Small bowel carcinoma in young patient detected by double-balloon enteroscopy.

A 17-year old female presented with a chief complaint of melena and epigastric pain. She had a family history of colon cancer, her mother having been diagnosed with hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal carcinoma (HNPCC). After close examination including double-balloon enteroscopy, the patient was diagnosed with small bowel carcinoma, in spite of her young age.

Effectiveness and safety of repeated quadruple therapy in Helicobacter pylori infection after failure of second-line quadruple therapy: repeated quadruple therapy as a third-line therapy.

Backgrounds: Quadruple therapy using a proton-pump inhibitor, bismuth, metronidazole, and tetracycline is a standard second-line therapy for Helicobacter pylori infection, achieving an eradication rate of about 80% in Korea. A standard third-line therapy is not currently established, although various protocols have been proposed. We performed this study to evaluate the effectiveness of a retrial with quadruple therapy before starting a third-line treatment with new drugs.

Clinical characteristics of small bowel tumors diagnosed by double-balloon endoscopy: KASID multi-center study.

Background: Small bowel tumors are relatively rare, and their confirmative diagnosis before surgery is not easy.

Aims: This study was performed to investigate the clinical characteristics of patients with small bowel tumors who received double-balloon enteroscopy (DBE). Secondary end points were to evaluate the usefulness and safety of DBE for the diagnosis of patients with suspected SB tumors derived from other previous procedures.

Endovascular management for isolated spontaneous dissection of the superior mesenteric artery: report of two cases and literature review.

The clinical course and treatment strategies of isolated superior mesenteric artery (SMA) dissection have not been fully investigated. Two cases of uncontrolled abdominal pain caused by isolated SMA dissection were successfully treated with percutaneous endovascular stent placement. At follow-up 6 months later, computed tomography confirmed that the lesions had stabilized.

Effectiveness of three times daily lansoprazole/amoxicillin dual therapy for Helicobacter pylori infection in Korea.

Aim: We compared three times daily dual therapy with standard triple therapy for effectiveness and safety in H. pylori infection.

Methods: Two hundred and four H.

Diagnostic utility of anti-Saccharomyces cerevisiae antibody (ASCA) and Interferon-γ assay in the differential diagnosis of Crohn's disease and intestinal tuberculosis.

Background: Differential diagnosis of Crohn's disease (CD) from intestinal tuberculosis (ITB) is challenging. Anti-Saccharomyces cerevisiae antibody (ASCA) is a specific serological marker for CD and INF-gamma assay (QuantiFERON-TB gold test, QFT) is a good supplementary diagnostic tool for ITB. We evaluated the clinical usefulness of ASCA and QFT for differential diagnosis of CD from ITB in Korean adults.

Validation of a Mayo post-operative mortality risk prediction model in Korean cirrhotic patients.

Background: Patients with cirrhosis have an increased risk of mortality after surgery. In 2007, a new model was suggested to calculate mortality risk at specific time points after surgery at the Mayo clinic.

Aims: We investigated the mortality risks in Korean cirrhotic patients who underwent various surgeries and applied the Mayo clinic model to our study populations.

Prospective evaluation of the clinical utility of interferon-γ assay in the differential diagnosis of intestinal tuberculosis and Crohn's disease.

Background: Distinguishing intestinal tuberculosis (ITB) from Crohn's disease (CD) is challenging. This study prospectively evaluated the clinical utility of the QuantiFERON-TB gold test (QFT) in the differential diagnosis of ITB and CD, and compared it with the clinical utility of the tuberculin skin test (TST).

Methods: Patients with suspected ITB or CD on colonoscopic findings were enrolled from 13 hospitals in Korea between June 2007 and November 2008.

Clinical courses after administration of oral corticosteroids in patients with severely cholestatic acute hepatitis A; three cases.

Acute hepatitis A is currently outbreaking in Korea. Although prognosis of acute hepatitis A is generally favorable, a minority of patients are accompanied by fatal complications. Severe cholestasis is one of the important causes of prolonged hospitalization in patients with acute hepatitis A.

Abdominal obesity as a risk factor for the development of erosive esophagitis in subjects with a normal esophago-gastric junction.

Background/aims: Obesity is reported to be associated with erosive esophagitis (EE). However, the temporal association of obesity and abdominal obesity with EE is unclear. We conducted this study to investigate the temporal association of obesity, especially abdominal obesity with EE.

[Two cases of toxic hepatitis caused by arrowroot juice].

Herbal remedies and health foods are widely used, and their side effects have been reported. We describe two cases of symptomatic toxic hepatitis that developed in middle-aged women after ingesting arrowroot juice. The clinical manifestations were nausea, vomiting, and jaundice.