Nimbolide Inhibits Nuclear Factor-КB Pathway in Intestinal Epithelial Cells and Macrophages and Alleviates Experimental Colitis in Mice.

Nimbolide is a limonoid extracted from neem tree (Azadirachta indica) that has antiinflammatory properties. The effect of nimbolide on the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) pathway in intestinal epithelial cells (IECs), macrophages and in murine colitis models was investigated. The IEC COLO 205, the murine macrophage cell line RAW 264.

Development and Clinical Validation of a Blood Test Based on 29-Gene Expression for Early Detection of Colorectal Cancer.

Purpose: A blood test for early detection of colorectal cancer is a valuable tool for testing asymptomatic individuals and reducing colorectal cancer-related mortality. The objective of this study was to develop and validate a novel blood test able to differentiate patients with colorectal cancer and adenomatous polyps (AP) from individuals with a negative colonoscopy.

Experimental Design: A case-control, multicenter clinical study was designed to collect blood samples from patients referred for colonoscopy or surgery.

Disease Phenotype, Activity and Clinical Course Prediction Based on C-Reactive Protein Levels at Diagnosis in Patients with Crohn's Disease: Results from the CONNECT Study.

Background/aims: C-reactive protein (CRP) is an easily measured index of disease activity, but its ability to predict clinical course is controversial. We therefore designed a study to determine whether the CRP level at Crohn's disease (CD) diagnosis is a valuable indicator of the disease phenotype, activity, and clinical course.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 705 CD patients from 32 institutions.

Comparison of the Efficacies of Parenteral Iron Sucrose and Oral Iron Sulfate for Anemic Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Korea.

Background/aims: The optimal route for iron administration in anemic patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has not been determined. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacies of parenteral and oral iron therapy in IBD patients in Korea.

Methods: A retrospective multicenter study was performed.

Inverse Relationship Between Helicobacter Pylori Infection and Asthma Among Adults Younger than 40 Years: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Recent studies have suggested that Helicobacter pylori could prevent allergic disease, particularly in children. However, whether this is true in adults is controversial. The aim of this study was to investigate whether there is negative association between H.

Analysis of Gastric Microbiota by Pyrosequencing: Minor Role of Bacteria Other Than Helicobacter pylori in the Gastric Carcinogenesis.

Background: Little is known about the role of gastric microbiota except for Helicobacter pylori (HP) in human health and disease. We compared the differences of human gastric microbiota according to gastric cancer or control and HP infection status and assessed the role of bacteria other than HP.

Methods: Gastric microbiota of 63 antral mucosal and 18 corpus mucosal samples were analyzed by bar-coded 454 pyrosequencing of the 16S rRNA gene.

Matricellular Protein Periostin Mediates Intestinal Inflammation through the Activation of Nuclear Factor κB Signaling.

Periostin is a matricellular protein that interacts with various integrin molecules on the cell surface. Although periostin is expressed in inflamed colonic mucosa, its role in the regulation of intestinal inflammation remains unclear. We investigated the role of periostin in intestinal inflammation using Postn-deficient (Postn-/-) mice.

Multiple Polypoid Angiodysplasia with Obscure Overt Bleeding.

Angiodysplasia (AD) is increasingly being recognized as a major cause of gastrointestinal bleeding. Morphologically flat lesions are common types of AD, whereas the polypoid types are rare. We report a case of multiple polypoid AD in the small bowel causing severe anemia and requiring surgical treatment.

Clinical characteristics of primary gastric lymphoma detected during screening for gastric cancer in Korea.

Background And Aim: The role of screening endoscopy in primary gastric lymphoma (PGL) has not been investigated. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical characteristics and outcomes of PGLs detected by screening endoscopy in the high prevalence area of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection.

Patients with perianal Crohn's disease have poor disease outcomes after primary bowel resection.

Background And Aim: The presence of perianal disease in Crohn's disease patients is one of the factors of postoperative recurrence. The aim of this study is to evaluate long-term prognosis of perianal Crohn's disease patients in Asian.

Methods: Patients with Crohn's disease who had undergone surgical bowel resection were divided into two groups according to the presence of perianal lesion.

Follow-Up Study on CDX1 and CDX2 mRNA Expression in Noncancerous Gastric Mucosae After Helicobacter pylori Eradication.

Background: Changes in CDX1/CDX2 in gastric mucosae following Helicobacter pylori eradication have not been clarified yet.

Aims: To evaluate the changes in CDX1/CDX2 expression after H. pylori eradication, in relation to the reversibility of intestinal metaplasia (IM).

Lupeol inhibits LPS-induced NF-kappa B signaling in intestinal epithelial cells and macrophages, and attenuates acute and chronic murine colitis.

Aims: Lupeol, a natural pentacyclic triterpene, exhibits anti-inflammatory effects. However, its role in colitis has not been investigated. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of lupeol on the NF-κB signaling pathway and experimental colitis in mice.

A Randomized Controlled Clinical Study Comparing the Diagnostic Accuracy of the Histologic Prediction for Colorectal Polyps Depending on the Use of Either Magnified or Nonmagnified Narrow Band Imaging.

Background/aims: The aim of this study was to compare the diagnostic capabilities of narrow band imaging (NBI) colonoscopy with and without optical magnification in differentiating neoplastic from nonneoplastic colorectal polyps.

Methods: Between April 2012 and March 2013, 122 patients with colorectal polyps detected by using diagnostic conventional colonoscopy were prospectively enrolled. A total of 236 polyps were evaluated with NBI, in vivo in real time during therapeutic colonoscopy, by one experienced endoscopist.

Clinical Factors and Disease Course Related to Diagnostic Delay in Korean Crohn's Disease Patients: Results from the CONNECT Study.

Diagnostic delay frequently occurs in Crohn's disease (CD) patients because of diagnostic limitations. However, diagnostic delay and its related factors remain poorly defined. Therefore, we aimed to identify the predictors associated with diagnostic delay and to evaluate the impact of diagnostic delay on clinical course in a Korean CD patient cohort.

Bone marrow involvement is rare in superficial gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma.

Background: The initial staging work-up of gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma includes bone marrow examination. Since gastric MALT lymphoma is mostly detected in early stages with the national cancer screening programme in Korea, bone marrow is rarely involved.

Aims: To investigate the incidence of bone marrow involvement in gastric MALT lymphomas and the role of bone marrow examination for an initial staging work-up.

High Efficacy of Finafloxacin on Helicobacter pylori Isolates at pH 5.0 Compared with That of Other Fluoroquinolones.

Finafloxacin is a novel fluoroquinolone with improved antimicrobial efficacy, especially in an acidic environment. The efficacy of finafloxacin for the inhibition of Helicobacter pylori infection was compared with the efficacies of levofloxacin and moxifloxacin at neutral and acidic pH. The impacts of gyrA point mutation on the efficacy of those three fluoroquinolones were also investigated.

Crohn's disease prognosis and early immunomodulator therapy: Results from the CONNECT study.

Background: It is unknown whether the treatment initiating time of immunomodulators such as thiopurines affects the course of Crohn's disease (CD). We evaluated the efficacy of early immunomodulator therapy (EIT) on the prognosis of patients with CD.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 1157 patients with CD who were enrolled in the CrOhn's disease cliNical NEtwork and CohorT study and received immunomodulator therapy.

Long-term Outcomes and Risk Factors for Reoperation After Surgical Treatment for Gastrointestinal Crohn Disease According to Anti-tumor Necrosis Factor-α Antibody Use: 35 Years of Experience at a Single Institute in Korea.

Purpose: Crohn disease is characterized by high rates of recurrence and reoperations. However, few studies have investigated long-term surgical outcomes in Asian populations. We investigated risk factors for reoperation, particularly those associated with anti-tumor necrosis factor-α (anti-TNF-α) antibody use, and long-term follow-up results.

Clinical outcomes of esophageal stents in patients with malignant esophageal obstruction according to palliative additional treatment.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and feasibility of esophageal self-expanding metal stents (SEMS) insertion for malignant esophageal obstruction (MEO) in patients with or without additional palliative treatment.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of the patients with SEMS for MEO. Baseline characteristics, changes in Mellow-Pinkas dysphagia score, and adverse events were collected and compared according to the presence and absence of additional palliative treatment.

Colorectal adenoma is associated with coronary artery calcification in a Korean population.

Objective: Colorectal adenoma and coronary atherosclerosis have similar risk factors. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between colorectal adenoma and coronary artery calcification (CAC), which is used as a surrogate marker for coronary atherosclerosis.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study of 398 Koreans (290 males, mean age of 56.

Restraint stress induces and exacerbates intestinal inflammation in interleukin-10 deficient mice.

Aim: To investigate the effects of restraint stress on chronic colitis in interleukin (IL)-10 deficient (IL-10(-/-)) mice.

Methods: The first experiment compared the effect of restraint stress on the development of intestinal inflammation in wild-type and IL-10(-/-) mice. Both wild-type and IL-10(-/-) mice were physically restrained in a well-ventilated, 50 cm(3) conical polypropylene tube for 2 h per day for three consecutive days.

Role of flgA for Flagellar Biosynthesis and Biofilm Formation of Campylobacter jejuni NCTC11168.

The complex roles of flagella in the pathogenesis of Campylobacter jejuni, a major cause of worldwide foodborne diarrheal disease, are important. Compared with the wild-type, an insertional mutation of the flgA gene (cj0769c) demonstrated significant decrease in the biofilm formation of C. jejuni NCTC11168 on major food contact surfaces, such as polystyrene, stainless steel, and borosilicate glass.

Alloferon Alleviates Dextran Sulfate Sodium-induced Colitis.

Dysfunction of gut immune regulation is involved in mucosal damage in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, there is still no efficacious immune-regulator for the treatment of IBD. Alloferon is a novel immune-modulatory peptide that was originally isolated from infected insects.

Clinical outcomes of re-stenting in patients with stent malfunction in malignant gastric outlet obstruction.

Background And Aims: Self-expanding metal stents (SEMS) have been used for the palliative treatment of malignant gastric outlet obstruction (GOO). The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical outcomes of salvage SEMS for stent malfunction and to identify the prognostic factors for a longer patency.

Methods: A total of 108 patients who underwent a secondary salvage SEMS placement for a primary stent malfunction were retrospectively reviewed at the Seoul National University Hospital between August 2004 and May 2013.