Effectiveness of transabdominal ultrasonography in predicting clinical relapse of Crohn's disease.

Background/aims: Transabdominal ultrasonography (US) helps evaluate Crohn's disease (CD) activity. We investigated whether the US could predict subsequent adverse outcomes for patients with CD in clinical remission.

Methods: This single-center retrospective study included patients with CD in clinical remission who underwent US between April 2011 and April 2021, focusing on the predictability of subsequent adverse outcomes within 5 years.

Reduced abundance of butyric acid-producing bacteria in the ileal mucosa-associated microbiota of ulcerative colitis patients.

Compositional changes in the microbiota are associated with various inflammatory diseases, including ulcerative colitis (UC). Aim: This study aimed to investigate the mucosa-associated microbiota (MAM) in patients with UC and its difference related with disease activity and classification. Brush samples were collected from the terminal ileum and sigmoid colon during endoscopic procedures.

Characteristics and usefulness of transabdominal ultrasonography in immune-mediated colitis.

Background/aims: The usefulness of ultrasonography (US) in diseases of the gastrointestinal tract has been reported recently. This prospective study aimed to determine the features of US findings in immune-mediated colitis (IMC), an adverse event induced by immune checkpoint inhibitor, and examine the correlation between US findings, colonoscopy (CS) findings, and severity of colitis.

Methods: We studied patients examined using CS and US upon suspicion of IMC in Hokkaido University Hospital between April 2018 and February 2021.

Comparison of mucosa-associated microbiota in Crohn's disease patients with and without anti-tumor necrosis factor-α therapy.

Most studies on the gut microbiome of Crohn's disease have been conducted using feces, instead of intestinal mucus to analyze the mucosa-associated microbiota. To investigate the characteristics of mucosa-associated microbiota in Crohn's disease patients and the effect of anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α therapy on mucosa-associated microbiota, we analyzed microbiota in Crohn's disease patients using brushing samples taken from terminal ileum. The recruited subjects were 18 Crohn's disease patients and 13 controls.

P2Y12 Inhibitors Exacerbate Low-dose Aspirin-induced Small Bowel Injury in Dual Antiplatelet Therapy.

Objective Antithrombotic drugs are being used increasingly frequently to prevent cardiovascular diseases. Few studies have evaluated small bowel mucosal injury induced by dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT). The aim of the present study was to evaluate small bowel mucosal injury induced by DAPT compared with other antithrombotics using video capsule endoscopy (VCE).

Usefulness of radiographic targeting on the evaluation of the location of a patency capsule using abdominal ultrasonography.

Background And Aim: The usefulness of a radio-tag-free PillCam patency capsule (PatCap) has been reported to evaluate the patency of the small intestine. If the PatCap is not excreted within 33 h, the location of the failed PatCap must be confirmed. Although several methods for locating the failed PatCap have been reported, a universal method has not been established.

Evaluation of efficacy and safety of lubiprostone in patients with chronic constipation.

Objectives: Lubiprostone is an apical type 2 chloride channel activator approved for the treatment of chronic constipation (CC), and nausea is the most common adverse symptom. However, the associated factors with the efficacy and the precise mechanism of nausea remain unclear. The aim of this study is to characterize clinical backgrounds related with the efficacy and the adverse symptoms of lubiprostone.

A novel gene associated with small bowel bleeding in patients taking low-dose aspirin.

Objective: We have previously revealed the clinical factors and genetic polymorphisms associated with gastrointestinal mucosal injury and bleeding, induced by low-dose aspirin (LDA). After performing genome-wide analysis of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) using the Drug Metabolizing Enzymes and Transporters (DMET) system among drug metabolism and transporter genes, certain SNPs were found to increase the risk for LDA-induced small bowel bleeding. The aim of this study was to identify the SNPs involved in LDA-induced small bowel bleeding.

PDZK1 induces resistance to apoptosis in esophageal adenocarcinoma cells.

Background: Esophageal cancer is a lethal malignancy with a poor prognosis. The incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma, which develops from Barrett's esophagus (BE), has recently been increasing. In a previous study, we found that PDZK1 expression is higher in long segment BE compared to that in short-segment BE.

Mucosa-Associated Microbiota in Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Comparison of Subtypes.

Background: Most studies on gut microbiome of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) have focused on fecal microbiota, instead of mucosa-associated microbiota (MAM).

Aims: The aim of this study wasto investigate the MAM in IBS patients including the difference in subtypes of IBS, namely, diarrhea-predominant IBS (IBS-D) and constipation-predominant IBS (IBS-C).

Methods: Endoscopic brush samples were taken from terminal ileum and sigmoid colon of patients with IBS (17 IBS-D patients and 7 IBS-C patients) and 10 healthy controls.

Differences in emergency endoscopy outcomes according to gastrointestinal bleeding location.

Background And Aim: With recent technological advances in the field of endoscopic hemostasis, the prognosis of patients with gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding has improved. However, few studies have reported on the clinical course of patients with GI bleeding. This study aimed to evaluate the differences in clinical outcomes of patients with lower GI bleeding (LGIB) compared with upper GI bleeding (UGIB) and the factors related to their prognosis.

Molecular biomarker identification for esophageal adenocarcinoma using endoscopic brushing and magnified endoscopy.

Background: Barrett's esophagus (BE) is a predisposing factor for esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC); however, the precise mechanism underlying this association remains unclear. The identification of biomarkers that are associated with an increased risk of BE progression to EAC would facilitate diagnosis and early treatment. Toward this goal, we aimed to identify biomarkers associated with BE and EAC in patients.

Analysis of the colonic mucosa associated microbiota (MAM) using brushing samples during colonic endoscopic procedures.

The mucosa-associated microbiota is an important component in human microbiota. The aim was to investigate mucosa-associated microbiota using brush samples during endoscopic procedures and compare with fecal microbiota. Seven patients who were planning to undergo a routine colonoscopy were recruited.

[Duodenal obstruction after transarterial embolization for rupture of a pancreaticoduodenal artery aneurysm due to segmental arterial mediolysis:a case report].

A man in his 60s visited a local clinic because of repeated bouts of intermittent epigastric and back pain since July 2017. He was referred to our department because of suspected acute abdomen. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography revealed an aneurysm in the anterior inferior pancreaticoduodenal artery, and a retroperitoneal hematoma was observed.

[Carcinogenesis and Gut Microbiota].

Recent developments in techniques of metabologenomics have given a better understanding the association of gut microbiota with various diseases. Gut microbiota has a strong impact on host immunostasis and homeostasis of gut function for maintaining the health condition. Dysbiosis leads to an increase in bacterial populations that stimulate tumorigenesis, and contributes to epithelial carcinogenesis and tumor progression by altering metabolic properties(such as bile acid and butyric acid)and inflammatory process.

Colonic endoscopic mucosal resection in patients taking anticoagulants: Is heparin bridging therapy necessary?

Objective: Heparin bridging therapy (HBT) reportedly increases the risk of post-procedural bleeding, and its safety during endoscopic interventions remains unclear. We aimed to evaluate the effects of peri-procedural HBT in patients taking anticoagulants who underwent colonic endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) for polyps.

Methods: Patients who underwent colonic EMR while taking a single anticoagulant agent were enrolled in this study.

Hypergastrinemia in Long-Term Use of Proton Pump Inhibitors.

Background/aim: The use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) is known to lead to hypergastrinemia; however, the data in patients with atrophic gastritis is still lacking. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of long-term PPIs use on the gastrin levels in patients with atrophic gastritis and to determine factors affecting hypergastrinemia in long-term users of PPIs.

Methods: Serum Helicobacter pylori IgG, gastrin and pepsinogen levels were measured.

Differences in the clinical course of 516 Japanese patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding between weekday and weekend admissions.

Background And Aims: Patients suspected of having upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) admitted during the weekend tend to have a poor outcome in western countries. However, no Japanese studies have been reported on this matter. We aimed to evaluate differences in the clinical course of patients with UGIB between weekday and weekend admissions in Japan.

Forgotten Kirschner wire passing across the sigmoid colon.

The Kirschner wire (K-wire) is used in the treatment of hip fractures, and migration of a K-wire into the pelvis with resultant colon injury is a very rare complication. We report a case in which a forgotten K-wire passing across the sigmoid colon was accidentally found by screening colonoscopy in a patient with no abdominal symptoms. Surgery was performed to remove the K-wire.

Gated silicon drift detector fabricated from a low-cost silicon wafer.

Inexpensive high-resolution silicon (Si) X-ray detectors are required for on-site surveys of traces of hazardous elements in food and soil by measuring the energies and counts of X-ray fluorescence photons radially emitted from these elements. Gated silicon drift detectors (GSDDs) are much cheaper to fabricate than commercial silicon drift detectors (SDDs). However, previous GSDDs were fabricated from 10-kΩ·cm Si wafers, which are more expensive than 2-kΩ·cm Si wafers used in commercial SDDs.