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Aim: To investigate Helicobacter pylori ( H . pylori ) eradication rates using second-line bismuth-containing quadruple therapy and to identify predictors of eradication failure., Methods: This study included 636 patients who failed first-line triple therapy and received 7 d of bismuth-containing quadruple therapy between January 2005 and December 2015. We retrospectively demonstrated H . pylori eradication rates with respect to the year of therapy as well as demographic and clinical factors. H . pylori eradication was confirmed by a 13 C-urea breath test or a rapid urease test at least 4 wk after the completion of bismuth-based quadruple therapy: proton pump inhibitor, metronidazole, bismuth, and tetracycline., Results: The overall eradication rates by intention-to-treat analysis and per-protocol analysis were 73.9% (95%CI: 70.1%-77.4%) and 94.5% (95%CI: 92.4%-96.5%), respectively. Annual eradication rates from 2005 to 2015 were 100.0%, 92.9%, 100.0%, 100.0%, 100.0%, 97.4%, 100.0%, 93.8%, 84.4%, 98.9%, and 92.5%, respectively, by per-protocol analysis. A multivariate analysis showed that diabetes mellitus (OR = 3.99, 95%CI: 1.56-10.20, P = 0.004) was associated with H . pylori eradication therapy failure., Conclusion: The second-line bismuth-containing quadruple therapy for H . pylori infection is still effective in Korea, and diabetes mellitus is suggested to be a risk factor for eradication failure., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: We have no conflicts of interest regarding the current paper.

Aim: To evaluate the prognostic value of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC)., Methods: Between April 1996 and December 2010, medical records from a total of 1868 patients with CRC were retrospectively reviewed. The values of simple inflammatory markers including NLR and PLR in predicting the long-term outcomes of these patients were evaluated using Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression models., Results: The median follow-up duration was 46 mo (interquartile range, 22-73). The estimation of NLR and PLR was based on the time of diagnosis. In multivariate Cox regression analysis, high NLR (≥ 3.0) and high PLR (≥ 160) were independent risk factors predicting poor long-term outcomes in patients with stage III and IV CRC. However, high NLR and high PLR were not prognostic factors in patients with stage I and II CRC., Conclusion: In this study, we identified that high NLR (≥ 3.0) and high PLR (≥ 160) are useful prognostic factors to predict long-term outcomes in patients with stage III and IV CRC., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: No potential conflicts of interest relevant to this article were reported.

Background and Purpose: Fluid-attenuated inversion recovery vascular hyperintensities (FVHs) are seen in some cases with cerebral hemodynamic impairment and collateral flow. Because the worst outcomes of patients with borderzone infarcts were mainly correlated with impaired hemodynamics, the presence of FVH might provide another clue for predicting the prognosis of patients with borderzone infarcts., Methods: We reviewed 1377 consecutive patients with ischemic stroke. Cortical borderzone (CBZ) and internal borderzone infarcts were selected based on diffusion-weighted imaging. FVHs were defined as tubular- or serpentine-shaped hyperintensities in the subarachnoid space. We investigated the clinical significance of FVHs in borderzone-infarcted patients., Results: Among 87 patients with borderzone infarcts, the presence of FVH was observed in 30 (34.5%). We identified 62 patients with CBZ infarcts and 25 patients with internal borderzone infarcts. In the cases with CBZ infarcts, the initial National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores and the portions of nonfavorable outcome at 3 months in the FVH(+) group were significantly higher than in the FVH(-) group (P<0.05 and P<0.001, respectively). Unlike the cases with CBZ infarcts, there were no significant differences of these clinical features between the FVH(+) group and the FVH(-) group in the patients with internal borderzone infarcts., Conclusions: The findings of FVH are associated with relatively severe clinical presentation and nonfavorable prognosis in patients with CBZ infarcts, but not in patients with internal borderzone infarcts. The presence of FVH may help to identify CBZ-infarcted patients who require close observation and hemodynamic control., (© 2016 American Heart Association, Inc.)

Aim: To present a simple colonoscopy reporting system that can be checked easily the detection rate of colon polyps., Methods: A simple colonoscopy reporting system Kosin Gastroenterology (KG quality reporting system) was developed. The polyp detection rate (PDR), adenoma detection rate (ADR), serrated polyp detection rate (SDR), and advanced adenoma detection rate (AADR) are easily calculated to use this system., Results: In our gastroenterology center, the PDR, ADR, SDR, and AADR test results from each gastroenterologist were updated, every month. Between June 2014, when the program was started, and December 2014, the overall PDR and ADR in our center were 62.5% and 41.4%, respectively. And the overall SDR and AADR were 7.5% and 12.1%, respectively., Conclusion: We envision that KG quality reporting system can be applied to develop a comprehensive system to check colon polyp detection rates in other gastroenterology centers.

Colorectal cancer is one of the most common causes of cancer morbidity both in men and in women. However, females over 65 years old show higher mortality and lower 5-year survival rate of colorectal cancer compared to their age-matched male counterparts. The objective of this review is to suggest gender-based innovations to improve colorectal cancer outcomes in females. Women have a higher risk of developing right-sided (proximal) colon cancer than men, which is associated with more aggressive form of neoplasia compared to left-sided (distal) colon cancer. Despite differences in tumor location between women and men, most of scientific researchers do not consider sex specificity for study design and interpretation. Also, colorectal cancer screening guidelines do not distinguish females from male, which may explain the higher frequency of more advanced neoplasia when tumors are first detected and false negative results in colonoscopy in females. Moreover, socio-cultural barriers within females are present to delay screening and diagnosis. Few studies, among studies that included both men and women, have reported sex-specific estimates of dietary risk factors which are crucial to establish cancer prevention guidelines despite sex- and gender-associated differences in nutrient metabolism and dietary practices. Furthermore, anti-cancer drug use for colorectal cancer treatment can cause toxicity to the reproductive system, and gender-specific recurrence and survival rates are reported. Therefore, by understanding sex- and gender-related biological and socio-cultural differences in colorectal cancer risk, gender-specific strategies for screening, treatment and prevention protocols can be established to reduce the mortality and improve the quality of life.

Aim: To identify the factors that differentiate acute hepatitis B (AHB) from chronic hepatitis B with acute exacerbation (CHB-AE)., Methods: From 2004 to 2013, a total of 82 patients (male n = 52, 63.4%; female n = 30, 36.6%) with clinical features of acute hepatitis with immunoglobulin M antibodies to the hepatitis B core antigen (IgM anti-HBc) were retrospectively enrolled and divided into two groups; AHB (n = 53) and CHB-AE (n = 29). The AHB group was defined as patients without a history of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection before the episode and with loss of hepatitis B surface antigen within 6 mo after onset of acute hepatitis. Biochemical and virological profiles and the sample/cutoff (S/CO) ratio of IgM anti-HBc were compared to determine the differential diagnostic factors., Results: The multivariate analysis demonstrated that, the S/CO ratio of IgM anti-HBc and HBV DNA levels were meaningful factors. The S/CO ratio of IgM anti-HBc was significantly higher in the AHB group, while the HBV DNA level was significantly higher in the CHB-AE group. The optimal cutoff values of IgM anti-HBc and HBV DNA levels for differentiating the two conditions were 8 S/CO ratio and 5.5 log₁₀ IU/mL, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity were 96.2% and 89.7% for the S/CO ratio of IgM anti-HBc and 81.1% and 72.4% for HBV DNA levels, respectively. The area under receiver operating characteristic curves of both the S/CO ratio of IgM anti-HBc and HBV DNA levels were not significantly different (0.933 vs 0.844, P = 0.105). When combining IgM anti-HBc and HBV DNA, the diagnostic power significantly improved compared to HBV DNA alone (P = 0.0056). The combination of these factors yielded a sensitivity and specificity of 98.1% and 86.2%, respectively., Conclusion: The combination of the S/CO ratio of IgM anti-HBc and HBV DNA levels was a useful tool for differentiating AHB from CHB-AE in patients with positive IgM anti-HBc.

Fundic gland polyps (FGPs) are currently the most common type of gastric polyps and are usually benign. However, although rare, gastric adenocarcinoma of FGP has been recently proposed as a new variant of gastric adenocarcinoma. Here we report the first case of a 49-year-old woman with focal signet ring cell carcinoma that arose from an FGP of the stomach. The tumor was completely excised by endoscopic snare polypectomy. FGPs should therefore be evaluated for malignant changes although they occur rarely, if the FGP has an erosive or irregular surface.