Effects of Korean Red Ginseng (Panax ginseng), urushiol (Rhus vernicifera Stokes), and probiotics (Lactobacillus rhamnosus R0011 and Lactobacillus acidophilus R0052) on the gut-liver axis of alcoholic liver disease.

Background: Roles of immune reaction and toll-like receptor-4 (TLR-4) have widely been established in the pathogenesis of alcoholic liver disease (ALD).

Methods: We evaluated the biologic efficacy of Korean Red Ginseng (KRG), urushiol, and probiotics (Lactobacillus rhamnosus R0011 and Lactobacillus acidophilus R0052) in mouse models of ALD. Sixty C57BL/6 mice were equally divided into six feeding groups for 10 weeks: normal diet, alcohol, control, alcohol + KRG, alcohol + urushiol, and alcohol + probiotics.

Efficacy of partial endoscopic submucosal dissection with polypectomy of gastric neoplasm during a learning period.

Background/aims: This study evaluated the efficacy of partial endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) (snare polypectomy after nearly 70-90% of dissection on the final step) in the treatment of gastric neoplasm, especially when performed by clinicians in learning period.

Methodology: A total of 243 lesions from 205 patients were enrolled. One gastroenterologist who was beginner in ESD procedure performed ESD by hook knife.

Anti-oxidant and natural killer cell activity of Korean red ginseng (Panax ginseng) and urushiol (Rhus vernicifera Stokes) on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease of rat.

Anti-oxidative and immunologic effects of the Korea red ginseng (KRG; Panax ginseng) and urushiol (Rhus vernicifera Stokes) on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) were evaluated. Forty-five rats (five Long-Evans Tokushima Otsuka and 40 Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty [OLETF] rats) received chew diets for 10months; after this period. The OLETF rats were divided into the following four groups according to diet for 2months: NAFLD (chew), KRG (chew+KRG [200mg/kg/day]), urushiol (chew+urushiol [0.

Comparison of hepatic venous pressure gradient and two models of end-stage liver disease for predicting the survival in patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis.

Goals: We evaluated the efficacy of initial and follow-up hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG), models of end-stage liver disease (MELD), and MELD-Na for predicting the survival of patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis (LC).

Background: MELD with/without Na score and HVPG have been important predictors of mortality in patients with LC.

Study: Between January 2006 and 2011, a total of 57 patients with decompensated LC, all of whom underwent >2 HVPG measurements for the confirmation of propranolol dosing, were enrolled.

Diagnostic accuracy of biomarkers measured in the hepatic vein and peripheral vein in the prediction of advanced fibrosis in patients with chronic viral hepatitis.

Objectives: The accuracies of biomarkers checked in the hepatic vein (HV) and peripheral vein (PV) were compared in the prediction of advanced fibrosis (AF) of liver.

Methods: Patients with chronic viral hepatitis (n=101) who underwent hepatic venous pressure gradient, liver biopsy, and paired HV-PV samples (6 biomarkers: hyaluronic acid [HA], haptoglobin, matrix metalloproteinase-2 [MMP2], tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 [TIMP1], procollagen III N-terminal peptide [PIIINP], and apolipoprotein-A1 [Apo-A1]) were enrolled.

Results: Differences were displayed between the HV and PV in the predictive logit-models for predicting AF (-3.