In vitro apatite mineralization and heat generation of magnetite-reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites for hyperthermia treatment.

Nanocomposites of magnetite (FeO) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) generate heat under an alternating magnetic field and therefore have potential applications as thermoseeds for cancer hyperthermia treatment. However, the properties of such nanocomposites as biomaterials have not been sufficiently well characterized. In this study, the osteoconductivity of FeO-rGO nanocomposites of various compositions was evaluated in vitro in terms of their apatite-forming ability in simulated body fluid (SBF).

Endoscopic band ligation versus argon plasma coagulation for gastric antral vascular ectasia associated with liver diseases.

Aim: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the clinicopathological features and the efficacy of endoscopic treatments in treating gastric antral vascular ectasia (GAVE) in association with liver diseases.

Methods: Thirty-four patients with the characteristic endoscopic findings of GAVE were enrolled. Endoscopic treatments were carried out for all 34 patients, including argon plasma coagulation (APC) in 22 patients and endoscopic band ligation (EBL) in 12 patients.

Clinicopathological features and treatment of ectopic varices with portal hypertension.

Bleeding from ectopic varices, which is rare in patients with portal hypertension, is generally massive and life-threatening. Forty-three patients were hospitalized in our ward for gastrointestinal bleeding from ectopic varices. The frequency of ectopic varices was 43/1218 (3.

Antiviral effects of peginterferon alpha-2b and ribavirin following 24-week monotherapy of telaprevir in Japanese hepatitis C patients.

Background/aims: Anemia is commonly observed as a side effect in a treatment with protease inhibitors combined with peginterferon alpha and ribavirin for hepatitis C virus infection. This study assessed the safety, tolerability, viral kinetics, and selection of variants in telaprevir monotherapy for 24 weeks, and outcomes of the off-study treatment with peginterferon alpha-2b and ribavirin among Japanese female patients at a median age of 54 years who were difficult to treat with the standard therapy (peginterferon alpha-2b and ribavirin) alone in Japan.

Methods: Four treatment-naïve patients with chronic hepatitis C virus subtype 1b infection received telaprevir (750 mg every 8 h) alone for 24 weeks.

Endoscopic band ligation for refractory gastric antral vascular ectasia associated with liver cirrhosis.

An 84-year-old woman with unknown liver cirrhosis was admitted to our hospital in October 2008 with anemia due to recurrent gastric antral vascular ectasia (GAVE). At 78 years of age, argon plasma coagulation (APC) was performed for GAVE, and between 79 and 83 years of age, APC was carried out five times for recurrent episodes of GAVE presenting as anemia. Upon hospitalization, she was found to have anemic conjunctivae and the laboratory findings were red blood cells 245 × 10(4)/mm(3) and hemoglobin 7.

Clinical experience with newer electronic radial-type endoscopic color Doppler ultrasonography in the diagnosis of esophageal varices.

Purpose: Endoscopic color Doppler ultrasonography (ECDUS) is a method for obtaining color images of flow in blood vessels. In this study, we report the utility of a newer electronic radial ECDUS for evaluating cases with esophageal varices.

Methods: Nineteen patients with esophageal varices were selected.

Retrospective analysis of endoscopic injection sclerotherapy for rectal varices compared with band ligation.

Background And Aims: The study's aim was to evaluate the efficacy of endoscopic injection sclerotherapy (EIS) compared with endoscopic band ligation (EBL) in treating rectal varices.

Methods: Data from 34 consecutive patients who underwent endoscopic treatments for rectal varices were analyzed. The clinical outcomes, including complications, related to EIS or EBL retrospectively.

Diagnosis of gastric varices and evaluation of the effectiveness of treatment using transabdominal color Doppler ultrasonography.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the hemodynamics of gastric varices using transabdominal color Doppler ultrasonography (CDUS).

Methods: Using CDUS, we evaluated 41 consecutive patients with gastric varices. We examined color flow images and measured the velocity of gastric variceal blood flow using fast Fourier transform analysis.

Evaluation of therapeutic effects on rectal varices using percutaneous color Doppler ultrasonography.

Aim: We report the usefulness of percutaneous color Doppler ultrasonography (CDU) for evaluating therapeutic effects on rectal varices.

Methods: Ultrasonographic examination and color flow imaging were performed using a color Doppler unit (Aplio 50 or XV, Toshiba, Tokyo, Japan) with a 3.5 MHz convex probe.

Ileal Varices Treated with Balloon-Occluded Retrograde Transvenous Obliteration.

A 55-year-old man with hepatitis B virus antigen-positive liver cirrhosis was admitted to our hospital with anal bleeding. Colonoscopy revealed blood retention in the entire colon, but no bleeding lesion was found. Computed tomography images showed that vessels in the ileum were connected to the right testicular vein, and we suspected ileal varices to be the most probable cause of bleeding.

Endoscopic ultrasonographic evaluation of hemodynamics related to variceal relapse in esophageal variceal patients.

Aim: To evaluate retrospectively the hemodynamics of esophageal varices before and after endoscopic injection sclerotherapy (EIS) using endoscopic color Doppler ultrasonography (ECDUS).

Methods: The study included 306 patients whose esophageal varices had been treated with EIS. The underlying pathologies of portal hypertension in these 306 patients included liver cirrhosis (193), cirrhosis associated with hepatocellular carcinoma (102), primary biliary cirrhosis (6), idiopathic portal hypertension (4) and extrahepatic portal vein obstruction (1).

Transverse colonic varices successfully treated with endoscopic procedure.

A 75-year-old woman with hepatitis C virus antibody-positive liver cirrhosis was admitted to our hospital with anal bleeding. Colonoscopy revealed red color-positive tortuous transverse colonic varices near the splenic flexure. Colonic varices were considered to be the most probable cause of bleeding, although the precise site could not be determined.

Clinical and endoscopic features of gastric varices secondary to splenic vein occlusion.

Aim: This study provides a retrospective evaluation of cases with gastric varices secondary to splenic vein occlusion.

Methods: Our study group consisted of 14 patients. The clinical manifestations, diagnostic methods and therapeutic modalities were analyzed retrospectively.

Hemodynamic evaluation by endoscopic ultrasonography of esophageal varices resistant to injection sclerotherapy.

Purpose: Some esophageal variceal cases are resistant to endoscopic injection sclerotherapy (EIS) using 5% ethanolamine oleate (5% EO). We evaluated the hemodynamics of esophageal varices that were resistant to EIS using 5% EO.

Methods: Selected for this study were 290 consecutive patients who underwent hemodynamic evaluation using endoscopic color Doppler ultrasonography (ECDUS) and an ultrasonic microprobe (UMP) before EIS.

Observation of gastric variceal flow characteristics by endoscopic ultrasonography using color Doppler.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the endoscopic color Doppler ultrasonography (ECDUS) findings of gastric varices and to determine the role of ECDUS in the diagnosis of gastric varices.

Methods: Using ECDUS, we evaluated 114 patients with gastric varices found consecutively by routine upper endoscopy. We monitored the color flow images of gastric varices and perigastric collateral veins.

Diagnosis of rectal varices via color Doppler ultrasonography.

Objectives: There has been no report on the hemodynamic evaluation of rectal varices by percutaneous color Doppler ultrasonography. Here, we report the usefulness of color Doppler ultrasonography for this purpose.

Methods: Color Doppler ultrasonography was performed in 44 patients: 31 patients with portal hypertension, 7 with liver cirrhosis (LC) without portal hypertension, and 6 non-LC patients.

Hemodynamic evaluation of rectal varices by color Doppler ultrasonography: a case report.

A 69-year-old man with liver cirrhosis was admitted to our hospital with general fatigue. Colonoscopy revealed risky red color sign-positive enlarged tortuous rectal varices. Endoscopic injection sclerotherapy (EIS) was performed three times weekly using 5% ethanolamine oleate with iopamidol; the total amount of sclerosant was 7 ml.

Efficacy of color Doppler ultrasonography for the diagnosis of duodenal varices successfully treated with percutaneous transhepatic obliteration.

We treated a 74-year-old woman who complained of tarry stool. Neither endoscopic examination of the upper gastrointestinal tract nor colonoscopy revealed any finding indicative of bleeding, and (99m)Tc-HSA-D pool scintigraphic imaging showed no accumulation of blood in the digestive tract. Small tortuous collateral veins were observed on computed tomography (CT) in the distal third portion of the duodenum.

Evaluation of the hemodynamics of rectal varices by endoscopic ultrasonography.

Background: The usefulness of endoscopic color Doppler ultrasonography (ECDUS) for evaluating hemodynamics is examined in 12 cases of rectal varices. We also evaluate the safety of endoscopic therapies in rectal variceal patients.

Methods: ECDUS was performed for 12 rectal variceal patients with a 7.

Usefulness of electronic radial endoscopic color Doppler ultrasonography in esophageal varices: comparison with convex type.

Background: Endoscopic color Doppler ultrasonography (ECDUS) is a method for detecting color flow images in blood vessels. We previously reported on the usefulness of ECDUS (convex-type scanning instruments with forward--oblique viewing) for evaluating the hemodynamics of esophageal varices. In the present study, we report the usefulness of new electronic radial ECDUS in cases of esophageal varices by comparison with convex-type ECDUS.

Efficacy of argon plasma coagulation for gastric antral vascular ectasia associated with chronic liver disease.

Gastric antral vascular ectasia (GAVE) is a rare cause of chronic gastrointestinal bleeding. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between GAVE with cirrhotic patients and liver dysfunction, portal hypertension and the safety and efficacy of argon plasma coagulation (APC) in treating GAVE with cirrhotic patients. Eight cirrhotic patients with the characteristic endoscopic findings of GAVE were registered.

Evaluation of arterial blood flow in esophageal varices via endoscopic color Doppler ultrasonography with a galactose-based contrast agent.

Background: We examined the usefulness of endoscopic color Doppler ultrasonography, using Levovist in evaluating the arterial blood flow, in patients with esophageal varices.

Methods: The study involved 110 patients with esophageal varices who were examined using endoscopic color Doppler ultrasonography (ECDUS). We compared vessel images detected by pre-contrast ECDUS with those detected by enhanced ECDUS.

Perforating veins in recurrent esophageal varices evaluated by endoscopic color Doppler ultrasonography with a galactose-based contrast agent.

Background: We evaluated the usefulness of endoscopic color Doppler ultrasonography (ECDUS) with Levovist, a galactose-based contrast agents, for detecting veins in the esophageal wall in patients with recurrent esophageal varices after endoscopic therapies.

Methods: We compared vessel images detected prior to the use of contrast with those detected by enhanced ECDUS in 29 patients with recurrent esophageal varices. After the pre-contrast ECDUS examination, all 29 patients received Levovist intravenously, at a concentration of 300 mg/ml.