Search

Background: The endoscopic features of oxyntic gland adenoma and gastric adenocarcinoma of the fundic gland type have not been fully investigated in relation to Helicobacter pylori infection status. We compared the morphology, color, and location of these lesions between patients with and without H. pylori infection., Methods: We retrospectively enrolled 165 patients (180 lesions) from 10 institutions. We divided the patients into the (i) Hp group (patients with current H. pylori infection [active gastritis, n = 13] and those with past infection [inactive gastritis, n = 76]) and (ii) uninfected group (H. pylori-uninfected patients, n = 52). We compared the clinical and endoscopic features of the two groups. We also performed an analysis between (i) lesions with atrophy of the surrounding gastric mucosa (atrophy group) and (ii) lesions without atrophy of the surrounding gastric mucosa (non-atrophy group)., Results: The average age was older in the Hp group than in the uninfected group (68.1 ± 8.1 vs. 63.4 ± 8.7 years, p < 0.01). Although the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.09), multiple lesions were observed in 9 of 89 patients (10.1%) in the Hp group and in only 1 of 52 patients (1.9%) in the uninfected group. Meanwhile, significant differences were observed in the prevalence of lesions located in the gastric fornix or cardia (uninfected group: 67.3% vs. Hp group: 38.0%, p < 0.01), with an elevated morphology (80.0% vs. 56.0%, p < 0.01), with a subepithelial-like appearance (78.2% vs. 42.0%, p < 0.01), and with a color similar to that of the peripheral mucosa (43.6% vs. 25.0%, p = 0.02). The male-to-female ratio, lesion size, and presence or absence of vascular dilatation or black pigmentation on the surface were not different between the two groups. In the analysis comparing lesions with and without mucosal atrophy, the prevalence of multiple lesions was significantly higher (p = 0.02) in the atrophy group (5/25 patients, 20.0%) than in the non-atrophy group (7/141 patients, 5.0%)., Conclusions: The endoscopic features of oxyntic gland adenoma and gastric adenocarcinoma of the fundic gland type differ between patients with and without H. pylori infection., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Aim: To identify the clinical features of gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma with extra copies of MALT1., Methods: This is a multi-centered, retrospective study. We reviewed 146 patients with MALT lymphoma in the stomach who underwent fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis for t(11;18) translocation. Patients were subdivided into patients without t(11;18) translocation or extra copies of MALT1 (Group A, n = 88), patients with t(11;18) translocation (Group B, n = 27), and patients with extra copies of MALT1 (Group C, n = 31). The clinical background, treatment, and outcomes of each group were investigated., Results: Groups A and C showed slight female predominance, whereas Group B showed slight male predominance. Mean ages and clinical stages at lymphoma diagnosis were not different between groups. Complete response was obtained in 61 patients in Group A (69.3%), 22 in Group B (81.5%), and 21 in Group C (67.7%). Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication alone resulted in complete remission in 44 patients in Group A and 13 in Group C. In Group B, 14 patients underwent radiotherapy alone, which resulted in lymphoma disappearance. Although the difference was not statistically significant, event-free survival in Group C tended to be inferior to that in Group A (P = 0.10)., Conclusion: Patients with t(11;18) translocation should be treated differently from others. Patients with extra copies of MALT1 could be initially treated with H. pylori eradication, similar to patients without t(11;18) translocation or extra copies of MALT1., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: All of the authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest associated with this article.

Backgrounds: The present study sought to establish a standard third-line eradication regimen for Helicobacter pylori in Japan., Methods: Subjects were 204 patients with H. pylori infection in whom the standard Japanese first- and second-line eradication therapies had proven unsuccessful. Patients were randomly assigned to one of the following third-line eradication therapy groups: (1) LA group: lansoprazole (LPZ) 30 mg 4 times a day (qid) + amoxicillin (AMPC) 500 mg qid for two weeks; (2) LAL group: LPZ 30 mg twice a day (bid) + AMPC 750 mg bid + levofloxacin (LVFX) 300 mg bid for one week; (3) LAS group: LPZ 30 mg bid + AMPC 750 mg bid + sitafloxacin (STFX) 100 mg bid for one week. Patients for whom these therapies failed underwent a crossover fourth-line eradication regimen. Drug sensitivity was also tested for AMPC, clarithromycin (CAM), MNZ, LVFX, and STFX., Results: Drug resistance rates prior to third-line eradication therapy were 86.4 % for CAM, 71.3 % for MNZ, 57.0 % for LVFX, 8.2 % for AMPC, and 7.7 % for STFX. Intention-to-treat analysis of third-line eradication therapy eradication rates showed a significantly higher rate in the LAS group (70.0 %) compared with the LA group (54.3 %; p < 0.05) and the LAL group (43.1 %; p < 0.001). The significantly lower rate in the LAL group than the LAS group was caused by bacterial resistance to LVFX., Conclusions: The findings suggest that triple therapy with PPI, AMPC, and STFX for one week would be an effective standard third-line eradication regimen for H. pylori in Japan.

Background/aim: Ecabet sodium has an anti-H. pylori effect. We assessed the efficacy of ecabet sodium in the rescue therapy for the eradication of H. pylori., Methods: A total of 74 patients with failed eradication of H. pylori after triple therapy with lansoprazole 30 mg bid, amoxicillin 750 mg bid and clarithromycin 200 mg bid were enrolled. They were randomly assigned to the three treatment groups as follows: LAC, lansoprazole 30 mg + amoxicillin 750 mg + clarithromycin 200 mg bid for 1 week; LAC2E, lansoprazole 30 mg bid + amoxicillin 750 mg bid + clarithromycin 200 mg bid + ecabet sodium 2 g bid for 1 week; and LA2E, lansoprazole 30 mg bid + amoxicillin 750 mg bid + ecabet sodium 2 g bid for 2 weeks. Eradication of H. pylori was assessed by the 13C-urea breath test after treatment., Results: Eradication rates in intention-to-treat and per-protocol analyses were 20.0% (95% CI: 6.8-40.7) and 20.0% (6.8-40.7) with LAC, respectively, and 16.0% (4.5-36.1) and 17.4% (5.0-38.8) with LAC2E. In contrast, respective rates with LA2E were 75% (53.3-90.2) and 85.7% (63.7-97.0), which were significantly higher than those with LAC (p<0.001 for both ITT and PP) and LAC2E (p<0.001 for both ITT and PP)., Conclusion: Triple therapy with ecabet sodium, lansoprazole and amoxicillin for 2 weeks was effective as the rescue therapy after failure of the standard clarithromycin-based regimen.

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is a definite causative factor for gastric ulcers (GUs). In the present study we detected a specific antigen of gastric epithelial cells (HGC-27) using cell ELISA, which was recognized by the sera of GU patients (n = 20) but not in patients with chronic gastritis (CG; n = 20) or in healthy volunteers (HC; n = 10). This antigen was over-expressed by a stressful (heat-stressed) environment, and was identified as elongation factor 2 kinase (EF-2K) by western blotting. The GU patients' lymphocytes stimulated by H. pylori specifically disrupted heat-stressed HGC-27 cells in a cytotoxic assay. In flow cytometry, the effector cells (lymphocytes) from GU patients were significantly differentiated to T helper type 1 lymphocyte (Th1) and cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) as opposed to those from CG patients. The target cells (HGC-27) expressed EF-2K and MHC-class I together with costimulatory molecules from heat stress. This antigen specific immune mechanism could have a prominent role in the pathogenesis of GU.

Immune responses against heat shock protein 60 (HSP60) of pathogen-origin are thought to be defensive events which, due to molecular mimicry, misdirect to a human counterpart. Therefore, atherosclerosis may be serologically predicted by anti-HSP60 antibodies (Abs). In the present study, we analyzed the clinical prevalence of the serum IgG Abs against Helicobacter pylori (Hp)-derived HSP60 (Hp-HSP60) or its peptide fragments in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD; n=250), as compared to those in age- and gender-matched non-CVD patients (n=293). Anti-Hp cell lysate Abs frequently appeared in Hp-infected patients who were not associated with CVD. In contrast, Abs against the particular amino acid sequence Hp-HSP60(II3) (II3 region, Glu(141)-Leu(160), in Hp-HSP60) predominantly appeared in CVD patients, as well as IgG anti-human HSP60 (Hu-HSP60(w)). Furthermore, neither titer of anti-Hp-HSP60(II3) nor anti-Hu-HSP60(w) Abs was correlated with the levels of high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP). This data strongly suggested that IgG anti-Hp-HSP60(II3) Abs cross-reacted with Hu-HSP60(w) were independent diagnostic markers relevant to CVD. Further, the 20 amino acid residues (Glu(141)-Leu(160)) might be predominant CVD-associated epitopes that induce anti-Hu-HSP60 auto-Abs, whose location was predicted in the tertiary structure of Hu-HSP60.

Background and Aims: Genetic polymorphism of cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2C19 influences the efficacy of Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy with a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) and amoxicillin. However, in triple therapy (PPI plus amoxicillin and clarithromycin), little is known about the impact of CYP2C19 polymorphism, or the use of rabeprazole, which is not well metabolized by CYP2C19. The efficacy of three PPI (omeprazole, lansoprazole, and rabeprazole) in a 1-week triple regimen were compared in relation to CYP2C19 polymorphism., Method: One hundred and eighty-three patients were randomized to receive one of the following regimens: amoxicillin 500 mg t.i.d., clarithromycin 200 mg t.i.d., and PPI (omeprazole 20 mg, lansoprazole 30 mg, or rabeprazole 10 mg) b.i.d. CYP2C19 polymorphism was analyzed by PCR restriction fragment length polymorphism., Results: Intention-to-treat-based overall cure rates for omeprazole, lansoprazole or rabeprazole regimens were 83.1% (95% confidence interval (CI): 69-89%), 86.7% (CI: 75-93%), and 76.6% (CI: 64-85%), respectively, without significant difference. The cure rate of the rabeprazole regimen (but not the lansoprazole or omeprazole regimens) tended to be correlated with CYP2C19 genotypes (P = 0.076). In patients with a homozygous extensive metabolizer genotype, the per protocol-based cure rate with rabeprazole (62.5%) was significantly lower than that with lansoprazole (90.0%; P = 0.038)., Conclusion: The overall cure rate of 1-week triple therapy for H. pylori eradication was not significantly different between regimens with omeprazole, lansoprazole or rabeprazole, but the impact of CYP2C19 genetic polymorphism on the cure rate appeared to differ between these PPI., (Copyright 2002 Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd)

Background and Aim: In developed countries, reinfection of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) after eradication of the bacterium is unusual, while the reinfection rate in developing countries is variable. In this study, we determined the reinfection rate after successful H. pylori eradication in Japan, a country with a high prevalence of H. pylori infection., Methods: After successful eradication, 377 patients were followed up by endoscopy and urea breath test annually. In reinfected patients, H. pylori strains isolated initially and after reinfection were compared by using random amplification of polymorphic DNA fingerprinting., Results: H. pylori became positive in four of 337 patients (1.2) 1 year after eradication and in two of 133 patients (1.5) 2 years after eradication. One patient experienced an ulcer relapse 2 years after eradication therapy. Random amplification of polymorphic DNA fingerprinting of the isolated strains from four of the six patients showed two had identical strains (at 1 year) while the other two had different strains (one at 1 year and one at 2 years). When infection in the two patients reinfected with identical strains is considered a recrudescence, the true reinfection rate is < 0.8 per patient year., Conclusions: The reinfection rate after eradication of H. pylori is low in Japan despite the country's high prevalence of H. pylori infection.