[The clinical importance of "bamboo joint-like appearance" on upper gastrointestinal endoscopy for the diagnosis of Crohn's disease].

Upper gastrointestinal (GI) lesions are frequently reported in Crohn's disease, in which the entire GI tract is affected. In these cases, erosive fissures regularly transversing folds that are longitudinally aligned along the lesser curvature of the gastric body and cardia are described as having a "bamboo joint-like appearance". We designed a blinded experiment in which upper GI imaging without a final diagnosis was checked by three observers to determine the usefulness of the bamboo joint-like appearance in the diagnosis of Crohn's disease.

Preferential expression of cyclooxygenase-2 in colonic-phenotype of gastric intestinal metaplasia: association with helicobacter pylori and gastric carcinoma.

Objectives: Gastric intestinal metaplasia (GIM) associated with H. pylori (HP) has been considered a premalignant lesion. However, GIM phenotype associated with HP infection and gastric cancer is unclear.

Reduction of syndecan-1 expression in differentiated type early gastric cancer and background mucosa with gastric cellular phenotype.

Background: Syndecan-1 is known to play a role as a cell adhesion molecule, similar to E-cadherin, and is associated with the maintenance of epithelial morphology. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the role and alterations of syndecan-1 expression in comparison with those of E-cadherin in different cellular phenotypes of differentiated-type gastric cancers (DGCs).

Methods: A total of 80 DGCs at an early stage, and their adjacent mucosa, were evaluated by both immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization.

[Two cases of stage IV type 4 gastric cancer with good response to TS-1].

We report two patients with Type 4 gastric cancers having multiple lymph node metastasis and carcinomatosa which responded well to TS-1. After administration of TS-1 orally for two courses, both patients showed improved extension of the gastric wall and almost complete reduction of metastatic lymph nodes. In case 2, colonic stenosis due to peritonum carcinomatosa disappeared after chemotherapy with TS-1.

Natural history of colorectal nonpolypoid adenomas: a prospective colonoscopic study and relation with cell kinetics and K-ras mutations.

Objective: Serial colonoscopic observations were prospectively conducted to elucidate the natural history of nonpolypoid tumors. Furthermore, to clarify whether cell kinetic status affects the tumor development, proliferative indices, apoptotic indices, and K-ras codon 12 point mutations on biopsy specimens were investigated.

Methods: Seventy-five colorectal tumors, 13 polypoid and 62 nonpolypoid type (56 flat elevated and six depressed type) were studied.

High-frequency probe EUS-assisted endoscopic mucosal resection: a therapeutic strategy for submucosal tumors of the GI tract.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of high-frequency probe EUS (HFPE)-assisted endoscopic mucosal resection in the management of submucosal tumors of the GI tract.

Methods: HFPE-assisted endoscopic mucosal resection was attempted in 28 patients with submucosal tumors less than 2 cm in diameter. HFPE was performed with a 20-MHz "through-the-scope" probe.