Being active or flexible? Role of control coping on quality of life among patients with gastrointestinal cancer.

Objectives: This study examined the link between coping and quality of life among patients with gastrointestinal (GI) cancer. Two hypotheses were tested. The active-personality hypothesis states that quality of life is associated with the predominant use of primary control coping (PCC) in general.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: an expanding problem with low levels of awareness in Hong Kong.

Background And Aim: With the Westernization of the lifestyle and the rising prevalence of obesity and diabetes mellitus, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an emerging health problem in the Asia-Pacific region. The purpose of this study was to determine the awareness of NAFLD among the general population in Hong Kong.

Methods: A random telephone survey was conducted from September 2007 to January 2008 using a structured multiple-choice questionnaire.

E-cadherin promoter hypermethylation induced by interleukin-1beta treatment or H. pylori infection in human gastric cancer cell lines.

Interleukin-1beta is up-regulated in the presence of Helicobacter pylori infection. H. pylori infection was associated with E-cadherin methylation.

Prevalence of colorectal neoplasm among patients with newly diagnosed coronary artery disease.

Context: Colorectal neoplasm and coronary artery disease (CAD) share similar risk factors, and their co-occurrence may be associated.

Objectives: To investigate the prevalence of colorectal neoplasm in patients with CAD in a cross-sectional study and to identify the predisposing factors for the association of the 2 diseases.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Patients in Hong Kong, China, were recruited for screening colonoscopy after undergoing coronary angiography for suspected CAD during November 2004 to June 2006.

Increasing prevalence of advanced colonic polyps in young patients undergoing colonoscopy in a referral academic hospital in Hong Kong.

Aim: To investigate the distribution and frequency of advanced polyps over eight years.

Methods: 6424 colonoscopies were reviewed during the study period 1998 to 2005. The study period was subdivided into period I: 1998 to 2001 and period II: 2002-2005.

Influence of positive family history on clinical characteristics of functional constipation.

Background & Aims: We observed that there is familial aggregation in patients with functional constipation. Their clinical characteristics have not been studied. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical characteristics of patients with functional constipation with and without a positive family history.

An inverse correlation between Interleukin-6 and select gene promoter methylation in patients with gastric cancer.

Background: Both serum IL-6 levels and CpG island methylation have been shown to have prognostic significance in gastric cancer, it was suggested that an important link existed between IL-6 and methylation of cancers.

Aim: To investigate the prognostic value of IL-6 serum level and the association between serum IL-6 levels and CpG island methylation at p16, DAPK, MGMT and E-cadherin in patients with gastric cancer.

Patients And Methods: Methylation status was assessed by MSP in 75 surgical specimens of gastric adenocarcinoma.

Esomeprazole with aspirin versus clopidogrel for prevention of recurrent gastrointestinal ulcer complications.

Background And Aims: The role of clopidogrel in patients at risk for gastrointestinal complications is uncertain, although it has been recommended for patients who have gastrointestinal intolerance to aspirin. We tested the hypothesis that clopidogrel is as effective as esomeprazole and aspirin in preventing recurrences of ulcer complications.

Methods: This was a prospective, double-blind, randomized, controlled study of 170 patients who developed ulcer bleeding after the use of low-dose aspirin between November 2002 and January 2005.

Colonoscopy demand and practice in a regional hospital over 9 years in Hong Kong: resource implication for cancer screening.

Background: The incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) in Hong Kong is rising. The trend of colonoscopy demand is uncertain.

Aim: To investigate colonoscopy demand and practice in a Hong Kong regional hospital over the past nine years.

Celecoxib compared with lansoprazole and naproxen to prevent gastrointestinal ulcer complications.

Purpose: Selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors cause significantly fewer peptic ulcers than conventional nonselective nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in patients at low risk or high risk for peptic ulcers. On the other hand, proton pump inhibitor co-therapy has also been shown to be effective in preventing relapse of peptic ulcers in high-risk patients using nonselective NSAIDs. We compared the efficacy of a selective COX-2 inhibitor with that of proton pump inhibitor co-therapy in the reduction in the incidence of ulcer relapse in patients with a history of NSAID-related peptic ulcers.

Differing coping mechanisms, stress level and anorectal physiology in patients with functional constipation.

Aim: To investigate coping mechanisms, constipation symptoms and anorectal physiology in 80 constipated subjects and 18 controls.

Methods: Constipation was diagnosed by Rome II criteria. Coping ability and anxiety/depression were assessed by validated questionnaires.

Pathophysiology of gastroesophageal reflux diseases in Chinese--role of transient lower esophageal sphincter relaxation and esophageal motor dysfunction.

Background And Aims: Transient lower esophageal sphincter relaxation (TLESR) is the major mechanism for gastroesophageal reflux in the Western population. The major reflux mechanism in Chinese patients with GERD has not been studied before.

Methods: Fifty-four patients with GERD and 28 controls underwent stationary baseline manometry and the 24-h ambulatory esophageal pH monitoring.

Population based study of noncardiac chest pain in southern Chinese: prevalence, psychosocial factors and health care utilization.

Aim: Population-based assessment of noncardiac chest pain (NCCP) is lacking. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence, psychosocial factors and health seeking behaviour of NCCP in southern Chinese.

Methods: A total of 2 209 ethnic Hong Kong Chinese households were recruited to participate in a telephone survey to study the epidemiology of NCCP using the Rose angina questionnaire, a validated gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) questionnaire and the hospital anxiety-depression scale.

Psychosocial factors and perceived severity of functional dyspeptic symptoms: a psychosocial interactionist model.

Objective: A psychosocial interactionist model was presented to provide a systematic account of individual differences in perceived functional dyspeptic symptom severity.

Methods: In a population-based survey, 4038 Hong Kong subjects (age 18-80 years) were interviewed. Five hundred ninety interviewees (14.

Soluble E-cadherin is an independent pretherapeutic factor for long-term survival in gastric cancer.

Purpose: To evaluate whether pretherapeutic serum soluble E-cadherin is an independent factor predicting long-term survival in gastric cancer. Gastric cancer remains the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the world, but a satisfactory tumor marker is currently unavailable for gastric cancer. Soluble E-cadherin has recently been found to have prognostic value in gastric cancer.

Psychosocial factors in patients with noncardiac chest pain.

Objective: This study sought to explore some psychosocial factors that distinguished individuals with noncardiac chest pain (NCCP) from those without NCCP, and whether these psychosocial factors were associated with anxiety and depression that are co-morbid factors of NCCP.

Methods: A matched case-control design was adopted to compare differences in psychosocial factors among a target group of patients with NCCP (N = 70), a pain control group of patients with rheumatism (N = 70), and a community control group of healthy individuals (N = 70).

Results: Compared with subjects from the two control groups, NCCP patients tended to monitor more, use more problem-focused coping, display a coping pattern with a poorer strategy-situation fit, and receive less emotional support in times of stress.

Deregulation of E-cadherin-catenin complex in precancerous lesions of gastric adenocarcinoma.

Background And Aim: Decrease in expression of the E-cadherin-catenin complex is an important element in gastric carcinogenesis. However, the expression of the complex in gastric precancerous lesions has not been well studied. The present study aimed to examine the serial change in expression of E-cadherin-catenin complex in the precancerous lesions of gastric cancer patients.

Coping with first-time endoscopy for a select sample of Chinese patients with functional dyspepsia and duodenal ulcer: an observational study.

Objective: This study examined how patients with functional dyspepsia (FD) and duodenal ulcer (DU) coped with first-time endoscopy, a highly relevant real-life stressor. We adopted an observational method to enhance the ecological validity of the study on stress and coping.

Methods: A matched case-control design was adopted to compare differences between 30 Chinese FD patients from a select sample and 30 Chinese DU patients (13 females and 17 males in each group) in observed coping behaviors, mood states, and subjective appraisals of endoscopy.

Lansoprazole for the prevention of recurrences of ulcer complications from long-term low-dose aspirin use.

Background: The role of gastric acid suppression in preventing the recurrence of ulcer complications after the eradication of Helicobacter pylori infection in patients taking long-term low-dose aspirin is uncertain.

Methods: We enrolled 123 patients who had ulcer complications after using low-dose aspirin continuously for more than one month and who had H. pylori infection.