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Abstract Aims: To evaluate the effect of Helicobacter pylori infection and aging on atrophy and intestinal metaplasia of the gastric mucosa. Methods: One hundred and sixty-three patients were divided into three age groups and underwent an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy where no esophagitis, peptic ulcers, or malignancies were detected. Two biopsy specimens were obtained from the anterior and posterior walls of the antrum and of the fundus. These were used to evaluate the grade of gastritis, bacterial culture and histologic evidence of H. pylori infection. Results: Helicobacter pylori infection was found to be directly associated with an increased risk of gastritis grade (odds ratio (OR) = 90 (95% CI; 30–270)). An age of 60 years and older along with H. pylori infection was also strongly associated with an increased risk of atrophy (OR = 6.6, (95% CI; 2.9–15.2)); OR = 9.8, (95% CI; 2.7–35.4)), as was intestinal metaplasia of the gastric mucosa (OR = 5.5, (95% CI; 1.7–17.6)); OR = 7.9, (95% CI; 2.8–46.1)). The prevalence of atrophic gastritis increased with advancing age in H. pylori-infected patients, but no such phenomenon was observed in H. pylori-uninfected patients. The prevalence of intestinal metaplasia significantly increased with advancing age, irrespective of the presence of H. pylori infection. In addition, H. pylori uninfected female patients had a decreased risk of intestinal metaplasia. Conclusions: These results suggest that atrophic gastritis is not a normal aging process, but instead is likely to be the result of H. pylori infection, while intestinal metaplasia is caused by both the aging process and H. pylori infection. A decreased risk of intestinal metaplasia found in uninfected female subjects may partly explain the lower prevalence of gastric cancer in females than in males. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the effect of the eradication of Helicobacter pylori on the healing and relapse of duodenal ulcers. 50 patients with active duodenal ulcer and H. pylori infection were randomly allocated to two treatment groups. One group (cimetidine group) received cimetidine 400mg twice daily for 6 weeks and the other group (double-therapy group) received 300mg amoxicillin granules and 250 mg metronidazole thrice daily for 2 weeks, in addition to the same regimen of cimetidine as the cimetidine group. Forty-two patients completed the study. After confirmation of ulcer scar, all patients were followed up for 6 months while receiving treatment with teprenone, an agent that does not affect acid secretion or the eradication of H. pylori. The healing rates at 6 weeks were 90% in the cimetidine group and 95.5% in the double-therapy group. H. pylori eradication occurred in 0% of the cimetidine group and in 73.7% of the double-therapy group ( P-0.004). The cumulative relapse rates in the two groups at 6 months were 64.3% and 11.1%, respectively ( P=0.0007). In the double-therapy group, the cumulative relapse rate at 6 months in the patients in whom H. pylori persisted was 50% (2/4); the rate was 0% (0/14) in the patients in whom H. pylori had been eradicated ( P=0.005). Histological gastritis significantly improved compared with the baseline in the double-therapy group, but no such improvement was seen in the cimetidine group. White scarring was found in 7.1% of the cimetidine group and in 83.3% of the double-therapy group after 6 months ( P=0.0001). The eradication of H. pylori markedly decreased the relapse rate in duodenal ulcer patients, and it significantly improved both the grade of gastritis and the quality of the ulcer scar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: We have recently proposed a new activity index (AI) for ulcerative colitis. The aim of this study was to examine how AI would reflect the effect of medical therapy in comparison with Truelove and Witts' criteria. Methods: In this trial, we studied 35 patients with extensive colitis who persisted with moderate disease for 2 wk. They showed no change in disease activity according to Truelove and Witts' classification despite 2 wk of corticosteroid therapy. Nine of (he 35 patients underwent surgery (operated group), and 26 responded to the medical therapy and went into remission (nonoperated group). Results: In the nonoperated group, AI values significantly decreased at 1 and 2 wk after treatment compared with pretreatment values, whereas there was no significant change in Al in the operated group during the clinical course. Remission occurred in all patients indicating below 180 of AI values 2 wk after therapy, whereas approximately 65% of patients indicating above 180 of Al values subsequently needed colectomy. Conclusions: This study suggests that AI will he useful in evaluation of response to medical therapy and prediction of remission and colectomy in patients with moderately active ulcerative colitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantification of disease severity was studied in 72 patients with ulcerative colitis, who had undergone total 85 clinical courses. We performed a multiple stepwise regression analysis, according to Truelove and Witts' classification, with disease severity as a dependent variable, and with 18 clinical, laboratory, and endoscopic parameters as independent variables. Results showed that disease severity in patients with ulcerative colitis is significantly influenced by five factors, namely, bloody stool, bowel movements, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), hemoglobin (Hb), and serum albumin. The activity index (AI) developed for ulcerative colitis is expressed as follows: AI = 60 x blood stool + 13 x bowel movements + 0.5 x ESR - 4 x HB - 15 x albumin + 200. Index values below 150, values between 150 and 220, and values above 220 nearly corresponded to mild, moderate, and severe disease, respectively, in Truelove and Witts' classification. We believe that the activity index is useful in evaluation of the effect of medical treatment in patients with ulcerative colitis. Its most important value will be in therapeutic trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate local cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in patients who developed diarrhea after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), histologic and molecular analysis was carried out with intestinal biopsy samples. from 17 transplant recipients. A CMV-specific intranuclear inclusion body indicating intestinal CMV disease was documented in 2 biopsy samples. CMV DNA was detected by quantitative polymerase chain reaction in 8 of 23 (34.8%) samples, including 2 samples diagnosed with intestinal CMV disease. Of 15 patients without histologic confirmation of intestinal CMV disease, pre-emptive therapy was carried out for 8 patients based on positive antigenemia, and for 2 patients on positive CMV DNA, respectively. Intestinal CMV disease was successfully treated with antiviral therapy for 2 patients and prevented with pre-emptive therapy based on either positive antigenemia or positive CMV DNA for 10 patients. Endoscopic examinations with histologic and molecular analysis may be important in the early treatment and the prevention of intestinal CMV disease in patients with diarrhea after allogeneic stem cell transplantation.

We report here a case of multiple prolapsing mucosal polyps with diverticulosis in the sigmoid colon. A 52-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of bloody diarrhea. Colonoscopy and barium enema showed multiple diverticula, markedly thickened mucosal folds and polypoid lesions with mucus on the top of them in the sigmoid colon. Endoscopic ultrasonography showed thickening of the mucosal and submucosal layers. Several endoscopic biopsy specimens were taken from the polypoid lesions. Histological examination revealed only chronic inflammatory cell infiltration. In order to obtain a definite diagnosis, we performed endoscopic jumbo biopsy for the polypoid lesions after obtaining informed consent. Histological examination revealed marked lymphocyte infiltration, hemosiderin deposits and fibromuscular obliteration in the lamina propria, features similar to those of mucosal prolapsing syndrome. After anti-diarrhetic treatment, clinical findings were improved. Thus, jumbo biopsy is useful for diagnosis and treatment of prolapsing mucosal polyps.

We report a case of advanced gastric cancer with antral stenosis that responded to an oral anticancer agent, TS-1, after metallic stent insertion. A 59 year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of abdominal distension and vomiting after meals. The diagnosis was advanced gastric cancer with antral stenosis and multiple liver metastases. FP therapy (CDDP 80 mg/m2 day 1 div, 5-FU 700 mg/m2 day 1-5 continuous div) was administered. Although endoscopic findings showed improvement after the first course, the condition of the patient did not improve. We therefore inserted a self-expandable metallic stent into the antral stenosis. After implantation, the patient was able to have regular meals, leave the hospital and return to work. TS-1 (120 mg daily), an oral fluorouracil derivative, was administered in the outpatient setting. A partial response (PR) was obtained after 2 courses with regression of multiple liver metastases and the primary tumor.