Overexpression of YKL-40 Predicts Poor Prognosis in Patients Undergoing Curative Resection of Pancreatic Cancer.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the prognostic value of YKL-40 expression in patients undergoing curative resection of pancreatic cancer.

Methods: This cohort study included 234 consecutive patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma who underwent curative resection. Surgical specimens were immunohistochemically assessed for YKL-40 expression.

Novel blood-based microRNA biomarker panel for early diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis.

Chronic pancreatitis (CP) is an inflammatory disease characterized by progressive fibrosis of pancreas. Early diagnosis will improve the prognosis of patients. This study aimed to obtain serum miRNA biomarkers for early diagnosis of CP.

Incidence and risk factors for post-ERCP pancreatitis in chronic pancreatitis.

Background And Aims: Almost all studies on post-ERCP pancreatitis (PEP) have mainly involved patients with biliary diseases rather than chronic pancreatitis (CP), and the concept that CP seems to be a protective factor associated with PEP has not been studied in detail. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of PEP in patients with CP at different clinical stages and to identify the predictive and protective factors of PEP in a large cohort.

Methods: In this observational cohort study, medical records of patients with CP (CP group) and biliary diseases (BD group) in a tertiary hospital from January 2011 to May 2015 were examined.

Captopril pretreatment protects the lung against severe acute pancreatitis induced injury via inhibiting angiotensin II production and suppressing Rho/ROCK pathway.

Acute pancreatitis (AP) usually causes acute lung injury, which is also known as acute pancreatitis associated lung injury (APALI). This study aimed to investigate whether captopril pretreatment was able to protect lung against APALI via inhibiting angiotensin II (Ang II) production and suppressing Rho/ROCK (Rho kinase) pathway in rats. Severe AP (SAP) was introduced to rats by bile-pancreatic duct retrograde injection of 5% sodium taurocholate.

TM4SF1 Regulates Pancreatic Cancer Migration and Invasion In Vitro and In Vivo.

Background/aims: The cell surface protein transmembrane 4 L6 family member 1 (TM4SF1) has been detected in various tumors and plays a major role in the development of cancer. We aimed to investigate the effects of TM4SF1 on the migration and invasion of pancreatic cancer in vitro and in vivo and explore its related molecular mechanisms.

Methods: qRT-PCR and immunohistochemical analyses were used to measure the expression of TM4SF1 in pancreatic cancer tissues and adjacent tissues.

Constipation, fiber intake and non-compliance contribute to inadequate colonoscopy bowel preparation: a prospective cohort study.

Objective: Adequate bowel preparation is important for colonoscopy. Currently available evidence on the determinants of poor bowel preparation is largely derived from studies in Western countries. We aimed to identify the risk factors for inadequate bowel preparation for colonoscopy in the Chinese population.

Impact of gum chewing on the quality of bowel preparation for colonoscopy: an endoscopist-blinded, randomized controlled trial.

Background And Aims: Gum chewing can accelerate motility in the GI tract; clinical studies suggested gum chewing can reduce postoperative ileus. However, no trial has investigated the effect of gum chewing on bowel preparation for colonoscopy in addition to polyethylene glycol (PEG). The objective of this study was to investigate whether gum chewing before colonoscopy can increase the quality of bowel preparation.

Fibrin Glue Spray as a Simple and Promising Method to Prevent Bleeding after Gastric Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection.

Aim: This study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of fibrin glue (FG) in preventing delayed bleeding after gastric endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD).

Methods: From 2011 to 2014, 423 patients undergoing gastric ESDs were studied retrospectively. After excluding 26 patients, 397 were enrolled.

Accuracy of Magnetically Controlled Capsule Endoscopy, Compared With Conventional Gastroscopy, in Detection of Gastric Diseases.

Background & Aims: Diseases of the stomach, including gastric cancer and peptic ulcer, are the most common digestive diseases. It is impossible to visualize the entire stomach with the passive capsule currently used in practice because of the large size of the gastric cavity. A magnetically controlled capsule endoscopy (MCE) system has been designed to explore the stomach.

Risk Factors for Diabetes Mellitus in Chronic Pancreatitis: A Cohort of 2,011 Patients.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a common complication of chronic pancreatitis (CP) and increases the mortality. The identification of risk factors for DM development may contribute to the early detection and potential risk reduction of DM in patients with CP.Patients with CP admitted to Changhai Hospital (Shanghai, China) from January 2000 to December 2013 were enrolled.

Quantitative assessment of the effect of position changes during colonoscopy withdrawal.

Objective: Although trials assessing the effectiveness of position changes during colonoscopy withdrawal have been reported, there has been no agreement whether such position changes actually improve the polyp detection rate (PDR) or adenoma detection rate (ADR). This article aimed to address this issue by performing a systematic review.

Methods: Relevant studies from databases including PubMed, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library and Science Citation Index were retrieved.

DDR2 Induces Gastric Cancer Cell Activities via Activating mTORC2 Signaling and Is Associated with Clinicopathological Characteristics of Gastric Cancer.

Background/aim: Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays a role in cancer progression. Previous studies have suggested that discoidin domain receptor 2 (DDR2) is related to tumor progression and EMT. However, the role of DDR2 in regulating gastric cancer (GC) metastasis and in EMT has not been elucidated.

ERCP development in the largest developing country: a national survey from China in 2013.

Background And Aims: The ERCP volume in developed countries has decreased recently, whereas the ERCP trend is unknown in developing countries. This study aimed to evaluate the ERCP development in China between 2006 and 2012.

Methods: All hospitals performing ERCP in mainland China in 2012 participated in an online survey.

Differentiation therapy of hepatocellular carcinoma by inhibiting the activity of AKT/GSK-3β/β-catenin axis and TGF-β induced EMT with sophocarpine.

Hepatocellular carcinoma progression is thought to be driven by cancer stem cells (CSCs). No clinical trial has, as yet, shown convincing long-term disease free survival results for the majority of patients in HCC. So it is important to discover new anti-cancer agents.

Risk Factors for Steatorrhea in Chronic Pancreatitis: A Cohort of 2,153 Patients.

This study aimed to investigate the occurrence of and determine the risk factors for steatorrhea in chronic pancreatitis (CP). It was based on analysis of both retrospectively and prospectively acquired database for CP patients admitted to our center from January 2000 to December 2013. Demographic data, course of disease, medical history, and follow-up evaluations of patients were documented in detail.

Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of acute non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding (2015, Nanchang, China).

Acute non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding (ANVUGIB) is one of the most common medical emergencies in China and worldwide. In 2009, we published the "Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of acute non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding" for the patients in China; however, during the past years numerous studies on the diagnosis and treatment of ANVUGIB have been conducted, and the management of ANVUGIB needs to be updated. The guidelines were updated after the databases including PubMed, Embase and CNKI were searched to retrieve the clinical trials on the management of ANVUGIB.

Prevention of Esophageal Strictures After Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection: A Promising Therapy Using Carboxymethyl Cellulose Sheets.

Background: Esophageal stricture is one of the serious adverse events following endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). However, optimum preventive techniques are still lacking.

Aims: Our primary objective was to evaluate the incidence of post-ESD esophageal stricture with the application of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) sheets.