Familial Mediterranean fever with sigmoid colon stricture.

We describe a case of familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) with sigmoid colon stricture. The patient, a woman in her 30 s, had a 12-year history of ileocolitis-type Crohn's disease. The colonoscope could not pass because of the sigmoid colon stricture, and the patient was referred to our hospital with complaints of abdominal pain and fever.

Risk of map-like redness development after eradication therapy for Helicobacter pylori infection.

Background: Map-like redness is a newly identified endoscopic risk factor for gastric cancer in patients who received Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy. However, the incidence rate of map-like redness in patients who received eradication, and the risk factors for the development of map-like redness remain unclear. We hence aimed to investigate the incidence rate of map-like redness at 1-year post H.

Rebleeding Risk of Acute Hemorrhagic Rectal Ulcer: A Multicenter Retrospective Study.

Objective Acute hemorrhagic rectal ulcer (AHRU) is characterized by sudden, painless, and massive bleeding from rectal ulcers. To date, few studies have analyzed the risk factors for AHRU rebleeding. In this study, we clarified the risk factors of rebleeding after initial hemostasis of AHRU through a multicenter study.

Effect of COVID-19 infection on the gastrointestinal tract considering preventive methods during endoscopic procedures.

Objectives: This study aimed to prevent the infection risk of environmental contamination by feces during endoscopic procedures. We evaluated the effect of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on the gastrointestinal tract using fecal polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and examined risk factors affecting endoscopic procedures, to develop infection prevention strategies.

Methods: This single-center prospective observational study enrolled 32 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 at Tokyo Medical University Hospital between January and December 2022.

Significance of rescue hybrid endoscopic submucosal dissection in difficult colorectal cases.

Background/aims: Hybrid endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD), in which an incision is made around a lesion and snaring is performed after submucosal dissection, has some advantages in colorectal surgery, including shorter procedure time and preventing perforation. However, its value for rescue resection in difficult colorectal ESD cases remains unclear. This study evaluated the utility of rescue hybrid ESD (RH-ESD).

Underwater endoscopic submucosal dissection for colorectal tumors decreases the incidence of post-electrocoagulation syndrome.

Background And Aims: Underwater endoscopic submucosal dissection (U-ESD) is a recently developed procedure that has the potential to prevent post-ESD coagulation syndrome (PECS) owing to its heat-sink effect. We aimed to clarify whether U-ESD decreases the incidence of PECS compared with conventional ESD (C-ESD).

Methods: A total of 205 patients who underwent colorectal ESD (C-ESD: 125; U-ESD: 80) were analyzed.

Visibility of early gastric cancers by texture and color enhancement imaging using a high-definition ultrathin transnasal endoscope.

We evaluated whether texture and color enhancement imaging (TXI) using a high-definition ultrathin transnasal endoscope (UTE) improves the visibility of early gastric cancer (EGC) compared with white-light imaging (WLI). This study included 31 EGCs observed by TXI mode 2 using a high-definition UTE prior to endoscopic submucosal dissection. The first outcome was to compare the color differences based on Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage L*a*b* color space between EGCs and the surrounding mucosa by WLI and TXI using the UTE (objective appearance of EGC).

Targeted Metabolomic Profiling of Plasma Samples in Gastric Cancer by Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry.

Introduction: As the high mortality rate of gastric cancer (GC) is due to delayed diagnosis, early detection is vital for improved patient outcomes. Metabolic deregulation plays an important role in GC. Although various metabolite-level biomarkers for early detection have been assessed, there is still no unified early detection method.

Effects of Gly Residue and Cholesterol on the GXXXG-Mediated Parallel Association of Transmembrane Helices: A Single-Pair FRET Study.

Small residue-mediated interhelical packing is ubiquitous in helical membrane proteins: however, the lipid dependence of its stability remains unclear. We previously demonstrated that the introduction of a GXXXG sequence in the middle of de novo-designed (AALALAA) helices (AALALAA AGLALGA AALALAA) facilitated their dimerization, which was abolished by cholesterol. Here single-pair FRET measurements revealed that a longer GXXXGXXXG segment (AALALAA A GLALGA AAGALAA) promoted helix dimerization in POPC/cholesterol bilayers, but not without cholesterol.

Efficacy of endoscopic clip closure for nonperforated muscle layer exposure during esophageal endoscopic submucosal dissection.

Exposure of the muscle layer during endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) in the esophagus can lead to complications such as fever and pain. Although closure with endoscopic clips is widely used when perforation is a major complication, its value when the exposed muscle layer is not perforated is unclear. Data for 104 lesions in 104 patients who underwent esophageal ESD between 2008 and 2020 were retrospectively analyzed.

Validation of the BEST-J score, a prediction model for bleeding after endoscopic submucosal dissection for early gastric cancer: a multicenter retrospective observational study.

Background: A new scoring system, the BEST-J score, using ten risk factors to assign cases to different post-endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) risk groups for bleeding, has been shown to be accurate for risk stratification. We first aimed to validate the BEST-J score at four hospitals not specialized in performing ESD and then aimed to identify other risk factors for post-ESD bleeding.

Methods: We evaluated the incidence of post-ESD bleeding in 791 cases of early gastric cancer (EGC) between October 2013 and December 2020 as a retrospective, multi-center observational study conducted at four hospitals.

Diagnostic efficacy of the Japan NBI Expert Team classification with dual-focus magnification for colorectal tumors.

Background And Aims: The Japan NBI Expert Team (JNET) classification is the first unified classification criteria for colorectal tumors using magnifying narrow-band imaging (NBI) in Japan. However, the diagnostic stratification ability of the JNET classification with dual-focus magnifying NBI (DF-JNET) has remained obscure. The aim of this study was to validate the diagnostic stratification ability of DF-JNET for colorectal tumors in two Japanese referral centers.

Predictive factors of relapse after dose reduction of oral 5-aminosalicylic acid in patients with ulcerative colitis in the remission phase.

Objectives: Useful indices to determine whether to reduce the dose of 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) during remission remain unclear. We aimed to analyze the rate and risk factors of relapse after reducing the dose of oral 5-ASA used for maintenance therapy of UC.

Methods: UC patients whose 5-ASA dose was reduced in clinical remission (partial Mayo score of ≤ 1) at our institution from 2012 to 2017 were analyzed.

A Chiral [3]Rotaxane Comprising Achiral Bis-macrocyclic and Dumbbell-Shaped Components.

In this study, we synthesized a molecularly chiral [3]rotaxane comprising a calix-bis-crown ether (as the macrocyclic component) and two unsymmetrical dialkylammonium salts (as dumbbell-shaped components) without any chirality in any of the individual components. Chiral high-performance liquid chromatography was used to separate the enantiomers, which were characterized by circular dichroism spectroscopy. Density functional theory calculations gave an insight into the absolute configuration of each [3]rotaxane.

[Intra-abdominal bleeding caused after esophagogastroduodenoscopy: a case report].

An 86-year-old man was transferred to the Tokyo Medical University Hospital because of a temporary loss of consciousness and melena. We performed upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, which revealed Mallory-Weiss syndrome caused by a strong vomiting reflex. After an examination, he complained of abdominal pain, and his blood pressure decreased.

Predictive Factors of Postendoscopic Submucosal Dissection Electrocoagulation Syndrome and the Utility of Computed Tomography Scan after Esophageal Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection.

Background/aims: Recently, postendoscopic submucosal dissection electrocoagulation syndrome (PEECS) has attracted attention. However, the criteria for computed tomography (CT) scanning following esophageal endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) are unclear. In this study, we aimed to identify the predictive factors of PEECS and the usefulness of CT scanning after esophageal ESD.

Impact of gastric endoscopic submucosal dissection in elderly patients: The latest single center large cohort study with a review of the literature.

With the increase in the elderly population, we are witnessing an increase in the rate of patients with underlying diseases and those under treatment with antithrombotic drugs.In this study, we compared the treatment outcomes of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) and other parameters in the following 3 groups: super-elderly, elderly, and nonelderly.Compared with the other groups, the super-elderly group showed a significantly higher incidence of underlying diseases and the rate of antithrombotic treatment (P < .

The potent role of increased sympathetic tone in pathogenesis of essential hypertension with neurovascular compression.

Objective: To study the role of increased sympathetic tone in pathogenesis of hypertension in patients with essential hypertension with neurovascular compression.

Methods: Twenty-three patients with essential hypertension, 13 patients with secondary hypertension, and 46 normotensive subjects were investigated. Neurovascular compression was evaluated by MRT.

A new variant deletion of a copper-transporting P-type ATPase gene found in patients with Wilson's disease presenting with fulminant hepatic failure.

A candidate gene (ATP7B) for Wilson's disease, an autosomal recessive disorder of copper transport, has recently been identified. We examined the ATP7B gene in two Japanese sisters with Wilson's disease presenting with fulminant hepatic failure but who did not exhibit Kayser-Fleischer rings or abnormal neurological findings. Genomic DNA was isolated from the whole blood of the patients and their family.

Noninvasive, continuous evaluation of peripheral vascular resistance in humans.

We sought a noninvasive alternative method of monitoring peripheral vascular resistance continuously in humans, based on the analysis of arterial pressure waveforms. Radial arterial pressure waveforms were recorded noninvasively with a tonometer and analysed using a neural network method. To test the accuracy of this method, the peripheral vascular resistance was also determined by an invasive thermodilution method using a Swan-Ganz catheter in 20 subjects.

Differential expression of vacuolar-type H+-ATPase between normal human pancreatic islet B-cells and insulinoma cells.

Recent studies have shown that bafilomycin A(1)-sensitive vacuolar type H+-ATPase (V-ATPase) is responsible for the acidification of intracellular compartments in eukaryotic cells. B-cells of pancreatic islets also are known to include acidifying secretory vesicles which are the major cellular site of proinsulin to insulin conversion. This study was designed to examine immunohistochemically the level of V-ATPase protein expression in normal pancreas (five cases) and benign insulinoma (six cases), using mouse monoclonal antibody raised against the 116 kDa subunit of human V-ATPase.