Incidence and Predictors of an Abnormal Liver Function Test Among 674 Systemic Sclerosis Patients: A Cohort Study.

Background: Abnormal liver function tests (LFTs) can indicate cirrhosis or liver cancer leading to mortality among systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients. No recent studies have investigated the clinical predictors of an abnormal LFT in SSc. We aimed to determine the incidence of abnormal LFT (including from hepatitis and cholestasis) and to identify its clinical predictors in SSc patients.

Regional Differences in Admissions and Treatment Outcomes for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients in Thailand.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the commonest cancers in Thailand. We report the stage and survival of patients who were admitted under the public universal health fund (NHSO) covering 47 million people to determine if there were regional disparities in the treatment outcomes in the country.

Method: We used the 2009-2013 Nationwide Hospital Admission Data, Thailand.

Prevalence and predictors of proton pump inhibitor partial response in gastroesophageal reflux disease in systemic sclerosis: a prospective study.

Proton pump inhibitor (PPI) twice daily dosing is a standard therapy for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in systemic sclerosis (SSc) but there is no data on its response rate or the predictors of PPI-partial response GERD. Aims were to determine the prevalence of PPI-partial response GERD in SSc and to define its predictors. A prospective study was conducted in SSc patients with GERD.

Prevalence and associated factors of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth among systemic sclerosis patients.

Background: Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) results in nutrient malabsorption and malnutrition, thereby increasing the morbidity and mortality in systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients.

Objectives: To evaluate the prevalence and associated factors of SIBO in SSc patients.

Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted between July 2015 and January 2016 in SSc patients over 18, using the glucose H /CH breath test to evaluate SIBO.

Thailand Dyspepsia Guidelines: 2018.

The management of dyspepsia in limited-resource areas has not been established. In 2017, key opinion leaders throughout Thailand gathered to review and evaluate the current clinical evidence regarding dyspepsia and to develop consensus statements, rationales, levels of evidence, and grades of recommendation for dyspepsia management in daily clinical practice based on the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. This guideline is mainly focused on the following 4 topics: (1) evaluation of patients with dyspepsia, (2) management, (3) special issues (overlapping gastroesophageal reflux disease/irritable bowel syndrome and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug/aspirin use), and (4) long-term follow-up and management to provide guidance for physicians in Thailand and other limited-resource areas managing such patients.

Impact of Fecal Hb Levels on Advanced Neoplasia Detection and the Diagnostic Miss Rate For Colorectal Cancer Screening in High-Risk vs. Average-Risk Subjects: a Multi-Center Study.

Objectives: The Asia-Pacific Colorectal Screening (APCS) scoring system was developed to identify high-risk subjects for advanced neoplasia. However, the appropriate fecal immunochemical test (FIT) cutoff for high-risk population may be different from that of average-risk population. We aimed to evaluate the FIT performance at different cutoffs in high-risk subjects undergoing colorectal cancer (CRC) screening.

Helicobacter pylori management in ASEAN: The Bangkok consensus report.

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection remains to be the major cause of important upper gastrointestinal diseases such as chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer, gastric adenocarcinoma, and mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma. H.

Prevalence of insomnia and related impact.

Background Sleep problem is a common geriatric condition that can result in various outcomes, both physical and mental, that reduce quality of life. The studies regarding the prevalence and impact of insomnia on daily activities in Thailand in pre-elderly and elderly adults are few. Objectives The primary objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of insomnia among pre-elderly and elderly populations and the secondary objective was to study the impact of insomnia on their daily lives.

Outcomes of a Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Modified High Dose Omeprazole and Amoxicillin Triple Therapy with Standard Triple Therapy for Helicobacter Pylori Eradication.

Background: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is related to peptic ulcer diseases and gastric cancer and eradication of H. pylori should be expected to decrease the risk of their development.

The Optimal Cut-Off Level of The Fecal Immunochemical Test For Colorectal Cancer Screening in a Country with Limited Colonoscopy Resources: A Multi-Center Study from Thailand.

Background: Selecting the cut-off point for the fecal immunochemical test (FIT) for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening programs is of prime importance. The balance between the test performance for detecting advanced neoplasia and the available colonoscopy resources should be considered. We aimed to identify the optimal cut-off of FIT for advanced neoplasia in order to minimize colonoscopy burden.

Elevated prevalence of Helicobacter species and virulence factors in opisthorchiasis and associated hepatobiliary disease.

Recent reports suggest that Opisthorchis viverrini serves as a reservoir of Helicobacter and implicate Helicobacter in pathogenesis of opisthorchiasis-associated cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). Here, 553 age-sex matched cases and controls, 293 and 260 positive and negative for liver fluke O. viverrini eggs, of residents in Northeastern Thailand were investigated for associations among infection with liver fluke, Helicobacter and hepatobiliary fibrosis.

A significant cancer burden and high mortality of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma in Thailand: a nationwide database study.

Background: We aimed to examine the burden of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) in Thailand and identify the prognostic factors for all-causes of death.

Methods: We conducted a population-based study of ICC patients admitted during 2009-2013 using the Nationwide Hospital Admission Database, the National Health Security Office (NHSO). There was an average of 1,051,146 patients/year with diagnosis of gastrointestinal diseases (GI).

Mortality and treatment costs of hospitalized chronic kidney disease patients between the three major health insurance schemes in Thailand.

Background: Thailand has reformed its healthcare to ensure fairness and universality. Previous reports comparing the fairness among the 3 main healthcare schemes, including the Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS), the Civil Servant Medical Benefit Scheme (CSMBS) and the Social Health Insurance (SHI) have been published. They focused mainly on provision of medication for cancers and human immunodeficiency virus infection.

Thailand Consensus on Helicobacter pylori Treatment 2015.

Management of Helicobacter pylori infection is an important aspect of many upper gastrointestinal tract diseases, such as chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, gastric cancer and mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma. The Thailand Consensus on H. pylori treatment 2015 consisted of 22 national experts who took active roles, discussed all important clinical information and investigated clinical aspects in four workshops, focuising on: (1) Diagnosis (2) Treatment (3) Follow-up after eradication and (4) H.

Effectiveness of add-on therapy with domperidone vs alginic acid in proton pump inhibitor partial response gastro-oesophageal reflux disease in systemic sclerosis: randomized placebo-controlled trial.

Objectives: Twice-daily dosing of proton pump inhibitor (PPI), the standard therapy for gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD), is an effective therapy for GERD in SSc. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of omeprazole in combination with domperidone vs in combination with algycon in reducing the severity and frequency of reflux symptoms of PPI partial response (PPI-PR) GERD in SSc.

Methods: Adult SSc patients having PPI-PR GERD were randomly assigned to receive domperidone plus algycon placebo or algycon plus domperidone placebo in a 1:1 ratio plus omeprazole for 4 weeks.

Antibiotic Resistant Pattern of Helicobacter Pylori Infection Based on Molecular Tests in Laos.

Background: The efficacy of standard treatment of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is declining because of antibiotic resistance. Clarithromycin resistance is also increasing in many Asian countries.

Cost utility analysis of endoscopic biliary stent in unresectable hilar cholangiocarcinoma: decision analytic modeling approach.

Background/aims: Endoscopic biliary drainage using metal and plastic stent in unresectable hilar cholangiocarcinoma (HCA) is widely used but little is known about their cost-effectiveness. This study evaluated the cost-utility of endoscopic metal and plastic stent drainage in unresectable complex, Bismuth type II-IV, HCA patients.

Methodology: Decision analytic model, Markov model, was used to evaluate cost and quality-adjusted life year (QALY) of endoscopic biliary drainage in unresectable HCA.

Virulence genes of Helicobacter pylori in gastritis, peptic ulcer and gastric cancer in Laos.

Background: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is an established cause of peptic ulcers and gastric cancer. The aim of this study was to identify H.

An interleukin-6 receptor polymorphism is associated with opisthorchiasis-linked cholangiocarcinoma risk in Thailand.

The cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a relatively rare cancer worldwide but it is highly prevalent in Thailand where the liver fluke, Opisthorchis viverrini is endemic. There are reports that interleukin 6 (IL-6) may play an important role in the pathogenesis of opisthorchiasis associated CCA. Functionally, IL-6 can act on target cells through its receptor, IL-6R, and IL-6R polymorphisms may affect the functional activity of IL-6 leading to susceptibility to cholangiocarcinogenesis.

Health insurance system and healthcare provision: nationwide hospital admission data 2010.

Background: The three major health insurance systems are different in their medical service coverage, reimbursement process and choice of providers; leading to the question of how great are the variations in the healthcare offered and disease outcomes.

Objective: To assess whether differences exist and to analyze the effects of on healthcare provision and disease outcomes in the adult population across the three health insurance systems.

Material And Method: The authors analyzed the disease outcomes of the 23 major ICD-10 disease groups among the three major health insurance systems to obtain the death rates, levels of healthcare provision and the hospital charges.

Hospitalized incidence and outcomes of upper gastrointestinal bleeding in Thailand.

Background: Upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) is a common emergency gastrointestinal problem which has substantial mortality and health care resources use. The nationwide basic information on UGIB is not available in Thailand.

Objective: To identify the hospitalized incidence, outcomes and hospitalization cost of patients who presented with UGIB in Thailand.

Disease patterns among Thai adult population: an analysis of data from the hospitalization National Health Insurance System 2010.

Background: Disease pattern is an important informational tool used by policymakers in setting priorities, strategies and allocating budgets to address the precursors or causes of health problems.

Objective: To analyze the common diseases in the adult population using in-patient information from the three health insurance coverage schemes in the fiscal year 2010.

Material And Method: The authors analyzed the data on in-patients with 23 major disease groups as per ICD-10 coding.

Prevalence of cagA EPIYA motifs in Helicobacter pylori among dyspeptic patients in northeast Thailand.

The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of cagA type in Helicobacter pylori isolated from dyspeptic patients in northeastern Thailand and to determine whether the pattern of cagA EPIYA motifs were associated with clinical outcomes. One hundred and forty-seven H. pylori-infected dyspeptic patients were enrolled, of whom 68 had non-ulcer dyspepsia (NUD), 57 peptic ulcer disease (PUD), 18 gastric cancer (GCA), and 4 other gastroduodenal diseases.