Exploratory Study of the Effectiveness of Granulocyte and Monocyte Adsorptive Apheresis Before Initiation of Steroids in Patients With Active Ulcerative Colitis (EXPECT Study): A Multicenter Prospective Clinical Trial.

Background: Granulocyte and monocyte adsorptive apheresis (GMA) has been used for therapy of steroid-dependent/refractory ulcerative colitis (UC). The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of GMA in UC patients not receiving steroids.

Methods: We conducted a single-arm, open-label, and multicenter prospective clinical trial.

Colorectal polyps located across a fold are difficult to resect completely using endoscopic mucosal resection: A propensity score analysis.

Background: Incomplete polyp resection during colorectal endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) might contribute to the development of interval cancer.

Objective: This retrospective study aimed to determine the incidence of incomplete polyp resection during EMR of colorectal polyps located across a fold compared with that of colorectal polyps located between folds.

Methods: In total, 262 patients with 262 lesions that were ≥10 mm in diameter and treated with conventional EMR were enrolled.

[Production of insulin-like growth factor-II in hepatocellular carcinoma with recurrent hypoglycemia: a case report].

A 35-year-old woman, who was an HBV carrier, complained of fever for 2 weeks, and thus, she was admitted in our hospital. Both serum AFP and PIVKA-II levels were abnormally high, and an abdominal enhanced CT revealed the presence of multiple masses in both lobes of the liver. She was diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma (T4, N0, M0, and Vp4) and was treated with transcatheter arterial infusion chemotherapy.

Cytomegalovirus colitis followed by ischemic colitis in a non-immunocompromised adult: a case report.

We report a rare case of cytomegalovirus (CMV) colitis followed by severe ischemic colitis in a non-immunocompromised patient. An 86-year-old woman was admitted after experiencing episodes of vomiting and diarrhea. The next day, hematochezia was detected without abdominal pain.

Possible antistenotic effect of tranilast in a patient with small bowel tuberculosis to prevent intestinal obstruction due to stenosis progression by antituberculous chemotherapy.

Small intestinal tuberculosis is a rare disorder of the small intestine. We report the development of deep small bowel tuberculosis in a rheumatoid arthritis patient who was taking methotrexate. The diagnosis of small bowel tuberculosis was ascertained by typical endoscopic findings and production of interferon gamma in the peripheral blood.

Signet-ring cell carcinoma of the jejunum diagnosed by double balloon enteroscopy.

The small bowel rarely develops neoplasms, accounting for only 1-2% of all gastrointestinal neoplasms. Most cases of jejunal and ileal adenocarcinoma are of well or moderately differentiated type, and other types are rare. This study reports a rare case of signet-ring cell carcinoma of the jejunum diagnosed by double balloon enteroscopy.

Toll-like receptor agonists stimulate human neutrophil migration via activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases.

Human neutrophil migratory responses to Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists were studied using videomicroscopy. When challenged with lipopolysaccharide (LPS, TLR4 agonist) or N-palmitoyl-S-[2,3-bis(palmitoyloxy)-(2RS)-propyl]-(R)-cysteinyl-seryl-(lysyl)(3)-lysine (P3CSK4, TLR2 agonist), neutrophils displayed enhanced motility, which was found to reflect increased random migration but not directed migration (chemotaxis). Enhanced neutrophil motility was detected within 10 min after stimulation with LPS or P3CSK4, and was sustained for more than 80 min.