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Minimal hepatitis encephalopathy (MHE) is a liver cirrhosis complication that does not show symptoms of overt hepatitis encephalopathy (OHE) but can be detected using specific complementary neuropsychological and neurophysiological evaluations. Patients with MHE show abnormalities in cognitive functions, which can increase the risk of automobile accidents. The aim of this study was to compare the cognitive functioning of patients with MHE to patients with other liver disease and to compare their driving abilities, using a driving simulator and the Stim(2) software. Thirty-eight participants, who were not diagnosed with OHE but were diagnosed with chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis, took part in the study. The results indicate that patients with MHE show reduced level of cognitive functioning, which may affect their ability to drive safely. We cautiously predict that any future guidelines based on this knowledge may help reduce the incidence of traffic accidents caused by drivers with decreased with driving abilities.

Transforming growth factor-betas (TGF-betas) have significant effects on testis development. The pattern of TGF-beta expression in aging testis has not been established to date. We examined age-related changes in the expression of TGF-beta and its receptors in the testis using Western blot analysis. TGF-beta1 expression increased continuously in aging rat testis, whereas no age-associated changes were observed for TGF-beta3. Strong expression of TGF-beta2, as well as type I and II receptors was observed in 12-month-old testis, but following this time, expression decreased dramatically. Interestingly, TGF-beta2 and -beta3 displayed strong and similar expression patterns in liver, regardless of age, suggesting that the down-regulation of TGF-beta2 is testis-specific. We observed significant induction of p53 and p21WAF1 in 18-month-old testis that appeared to correspond with aging. Moreover, caloric restriction (CR) prevented age-related decrease in TGF-beta2 expression. Using immunohistochemistry, we showed that all TGF-beta1, -beta2, and -beta3 proteins are expressed primarily in interstitial cells, which are located in the space between adjoining seminiferous tubules. Our data collectively indicate that aging in the testis is regulated by differential expression of TGF-beta proteins, and decreased levels of TGF-beta2 contribute to the aging process.

Background: Interindividual genetic differences in susceptibility to chemical carcinogens are among the most important host factors in human cancer. The present study was undertaken to reveal the association between the polymorphism of CYP2E1 (CYP2E1/PstI and CYP2E1/DraI) with genetic susceptibility to gastric cancer development in Koreans. Methods: In the present study, 120 gastric cancer patients and 145 controls with no history of tumors were analyzed. CYP2E1 was determined by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphisms (PCR-RFLP), or PCR and direct gel electrophoresis. Results: The overall genotype distribution of CYP2E1 was not significantly different from that of controls. However, the genotype distribution of the patient subgroups with a history of heavy cigarette smoking (>30 pack/year) in the CYP2E1/PstI and CYP2E1/DraI polymorphisms were significantly different from those of non-smoking patients (P = 0.0122 and P = 0.0029, respectively). The difference was also noticeable in the younger patient subgroup (aged ≤50 years) compared with normal controls (P = 0.0414) in the CYP2E1/PstI. The relative risk estimation for the combination of the CYP2E1/PstI and CYP2E1/DraI polymorphisms revealed that the odds ratio for individuals with homozygotes of rare alleles (c2/c2, C/C) was 5.6 (95% confidence interval = 0.9–39.1). Conclusions: : These results suggest the possible involvement of the CYP2E1 polymorphism in smoking-induced gastric cancer development in Koreans as one of the risk factors which increases genetic susceptibility.

Various reports on the prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and uninvestigated dyspepsia have been conducted in Western countries. We sought to determine the frequency of GERD symptoms and uninvestigated dyspepsia in Korea. Telephone interviews were conducted with 1,044 individuals. Of all subjects, 7.1% reported that GERD symptoms were present at least once a week, and 3.8% at least twice a week. The prevalence of heartburn according to educational level and acid regurgitation according to age was significantly different (P < 0.05). The prevalence of uninvestigated dyspepsia was reported as 12.2%. Dyspepsia was divided into subgroups of 34% ulcer-like, 56% dysmotility-like, and 10% nonspecific. The occurrence of dyspepsia did not vary according to age, gender, educational level and household income. As frequency of GERD symptoms increased, quality of life significantly decreased. We concluded that GERD symptoms and uninvestigated dyspepsia were prevalent in Korea. The prevalence was similar to that of other Asian countries.

Background & Aims: Various reports on the prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and functional dyspepsia have been conducted according to countries, survey methods and diagnosis criteria. However, detailed population-based data in Korea are lacking. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of upper gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms such as GERD and dyspeptic symptoms in Korea, as well as the impact of these symptoms on quality of life. Methods: The telephone survey, conducted by Galhip Korea, targeted a stratified probability random sample of the Republic of Korea. A reliable and valid questionnaire was asked about upper GI symptoms according to ROME II criteria, soeiodemographic association, physician visit and quality of life. In measuring quality of life, the Korean version o[ the EQ-SD, which underwent cross-cultural adaptation and validation, was used. Results: A total of 3,600 people were selected, and among them, 1,044 people responded to all questions. The response rate was 29%. 3.5% of the responders experienced heartburn more than twice a week, 3.4% once a week, 5.8% once a month, and 12.3% once in two momhs. And 2.6% of the responders experienced acid regurgitation more than twice a week, 1.9% once a week, 5.5% once a month, and 14.3% once in two months. A statistically significant difference was found in the quality of life according to the frequency of heartburn and acid regurgitation (p

Pernicious anemia is an autoimmune disease characterized by a gastric mucosal defect which results in an insufficiency of intrinsic factor to facilitate the absorption of the physiologic amount of cobalamin. Increased risk of cancers of the stomach has been reported for patients with pernicious anemia. We report here a case of a 65 year old woman who had been diagnosed as having pernicious anemia 16 months previously, was receiving monthly vitamin B12 injections, and developed early gastric cancer type IIa by routine follow-up gastroscopic examination. This patient underwent endoscopic mucosal resection for an early gastric cancer lesion with a free resection margin.