Epidemiology of esophageal cancer: Orient to Occident. Effects of chronology, geography and ethnicity.

Esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) has been rapidly increasing in Western countries during the past half century, especially in white men. Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) used to be the dominant type of esophageal malignancy both in Western and Asian countries. The rapid increase of EAC in Western countries has occurred in parallel with an increased prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and its major determinant, obesity.

Mutations in the serine protease inhibitor Kazal Type 1 (SPINK1) gene in Japanese patients with pancreatitis.

Background/aims: Recent studies have shown an association between the N34S mutation in the serine protease inhibitor Kazal type 1 (SPINK1) gene and chronic pancreatitis (CP). We here examined the prevalence of SPINK1 mutations in Japanese patients with pancreatitis.

Methods: Genomic DNA was prepared from 80 Japanese patients with CP, 36 patients with acute pancreatitis (AP), and 165 healthy controls.