The prevalence of colorectal neoplasia in patients with gastric cancer: a Korean Association for the Study of Intestinal Disease (KASID) Study.

Goals: The goal of this study was to determine the prevalence of colorectal neoplasia, using colonoscopy surveillance, in a cohort of patients with gastric cancers.

Background: The association between gastric cancer and colorectal cancer has been conflicting.

Study: A total of 543 patients (males, 362; females, 181) with gastric cancer were matched with 2 persons from the population without a diagnosis of gastric cancer as confirmed by endoscopy according to age (+/-2 y), sex, date of colonoscopy examination (+/-2 wk), and endoscopist.

Clinical features and treatment outcomes of upper gastrointestinal bleeding in patients with cirrhosis.

With recent progress in treatment modalities, mortality from upper gastrointestinal (UGI) bleeding has decreased appreciably. The aim of this study was to establish how UGI bleeds are managed in Korean patients with cirrhosis and to evaluate treatment outcomes. A total of 479 episodes of acute UGI bleeding in 464 patients with cirrhosis were included during a six-month period at nine tertiary medical centers.

Abdominal obesity is an independent risk factor for erosive esophagitis in a Korean population.

Background: The relationship between obesity and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is controversial. The aim of the present study was to investigate the potential roles of body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference on GERD in a Korean population.

Methods: A total of 2457 subjects who visited the Kangbuk Samsung Hospital medical screening center for esophagogastroduodenoscopy from September 2004 to April 2005 were enrolled.

Factors affecting the technical difficulty of colonoscopy.

Background/aims: Colonoscopy is a standard diagnostic tool for screening and surveillance of diseases affecting the colon. Colonoscopy may be painful for patients and difficult for the endoscopist. The aim of this study was to identify the factors affecting the technical difficulty of a colonoscopic examination and to predict potential difficult patients who will undergo colonoscopy.

Clinical significance of small colorectal adenoma less than 10 mm: the KASID study.

Background/aims: Polypectomy is the current modality of choice to prevent benign colorectal adenoma from progressing to an invasive cancer. However, in cases of small colorectal adenoma, it remains unclear as to whether polypectomy is actually an effective treatment modality. We evaluated the clinical significance of polypectomy in cases of small colorectal adenomas, measuring less than 10 mm.

[The survey for the actual condition of drug medication and development of health care cost associated with toxic liver injury in Korean: a multicenter study for the detection and the development of nationwide reporting system of toxic liver injury].

Backgrounds And Aims: In Korea, interests in health and health care costs have been increased along with the increase of mean survival rate and income level. The aim of this study is to investigate the actual condition of drug medication and burden of health care cost.

Methods: A total of 1,434 subjects in four tertiary medical centers were enrolled in this study.

Influence of overweight and obesity on upper endoscopic findings.

Background: In previous studies, increasing body mass index (BMI, kg/m(2)) was related to chronic gastrointestinal symptoms, such as frequent vomiting, upper abdominal pain, bloating and diarrhea. However, there have been no reports about the relationship between increasing BMI and abnormal upper endoscopic findings such as gastritis or ulcer.

Methods: The study group consisted of 27 319 individuals who underwent medical checkup at a healthcare center from 1 January to 31 December 2003.

The association between increased alanine aminotransferase activity and metabolic factors in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been associated with metabolic disorders, including central obesity, dyslipidema, hypertension, and hyperglycemia. Metabolic syndrome, obesity, and insulin resistance are major risk factors in the pathogenesis of NAFLD. The aim of this study was to identify the relative contribution of the metabolic syndrome, obesity, and insulin resistance to alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity in NAFLD.

Significance of endoscopy in asymptomatic premenopausal women with iron deficiency anemia.

There is, currently, no consensus with regard to the role of endoscopy in the etiologic investigation of asymptomatic pemenopausal women suffering from iron deficiency anemia (IDA). We conducted a retrospective case-control study to evaluate the contribution of esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) and colonoscopy to the etiologic diagnosis of a group of asymptomatic premenopausal women suffering from IDA. One hundred eight consecutive asymptomatic premenopausal women who fulfilled our entry criteria were included in our patient group between January 1998 and December 2004.

[Is gastric cancer a new indication for surveillance colonoscopy? Colon cancer is increased in gastric cancer patients].

Background/aims: It has been reported that the risk of gastric polyp is increased in various colonic polyposis syndromes or in series of patients with sporadic colonic polyps. However, there are only a few large case controlled studies of colon cancer incidence in gastric cancer patients who underwent colonoscopy. The aims of this study were to determine the incidence of colorectal neoplasm and to evaluate the necessity of colonoscopic surveillance in patients with gastric cancer.

[Levofloxacin-azithromycin combined triple therapy for Helicobacter pylori eradication].

Background/aims: Antibiotic resistance and poor compliance are the main causes of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication failure. This study evaluated the eradication rate, tolerability, and compliance of levofloxacin- azithromycin combined triple therapy for H.

Relationship between serum uric acid concentration and insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome.

Background: Associations between hyperuricemia, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes have been reported, but few of the studies have been conducted in the Korean population. The present study examined a Korean adult population with respect to the relationships between serum uric acid concentrations and hypertension, insulin resistance, and the risk factors of metabolic syndrome.

Methods And Results: A total of 53,477 subjects were divided into 4 groups according to serum uric acid quartiles.

Development of Korean standard brain templates.

We developed age, gender and ethnic specific brain templates based on MR and Positron-Emission Tomography (PET) images of Korean normal volunteers. Seventy-eight normal right-handed volunteers (M/F=49/29) underwent 3D T1-weighted SPGR MR and F-18-FDG PET scans. For the generation of standard templates, an optimal target brain that has the average global hemispheric shape was selected for each gender.