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Introduction: As the high mortality rate of gastric cancer (GC) is due to delayed diagnosis, early detection is vital for improved patient outcomes. Metabolic deregulation plays an important role in GC. Although various metabolite-level biomarkers for early detection have been assessed, there is still no unified early detection method. We conducted a plasma metabolome study to assess metabolites that may distinguish GC samples from non-GC samples. Methods: Blood samples were collected from 72 GC patients and 29 control participants (non-GC group) at the Tokyo Medical University Hospital between March 2020 and November 2020. Hydrophilic metabolites were identified and quantified using liquid chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Differences in metabolite concentrations between the GC and non-GC groups were evaluated using the Mann-Whitney test. The discrimination ability of each metabolite was evaluated by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. A radial basis function (RBF) kernel-based support vector machine (SVM) model was developed to assess the discrimination ability of multiple metabolites. The selection of variables used for the SVM utilized a step-wise regression method. Results: Of the 96 quantified metabolites, 8 were significantly different between the GC and non-GC groups. Of these, N1-acetylspermine, succinate, and histidine were used in the RBF-SVM model to discriminate GC samples from non-GC samples. The area under the curve (AUC) of the RBF-SVM model was higher (0.915; 95% CI: 0.865–0.965, p < 0.0001), indicating good performance of the RBF-SVM model. The application of this RBF-SVM to the validation dataset resulted from the AUC of the RBF-SVM model was (0.885; 95% CI: 0.797–0.973, p < 0.0001), indicating the good performance of the RBF-SVM model. The sensitivity of the RBF-SVM model was better (69.0%) than those of the common tumor markers carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) (10.5%) and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) (2.86%). The RBF-SVM showed a low correlation with CEA and CA19-9, indicating its independence. Conclusion: We analyzed plasma metabolomics, and a combination of the quantified metabolites showed high sensitivity for the detection of GC. The independence of the RBF-SVM from tumor markers suggested that their complementary use would be helpful for GC screening.

Exposure of the muscle layer during endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) in the esophagus can lead to complications such as fever and pain. Although closure with endoscopic clips is widely used when perforation is a major complication, its value when the exposed muscle layer is not perforated is unclear. Data for 104 lesions in 104 patients who underwent esophageal ESD between 2008 and 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients with multiple tumors, those who experienced procedure-related adverse events such as aspiration pneumonitis, perforation during ESD, or delayed bleeding, and those in whom the muscle layer was not exposed were excluded. The clinical course of inflammation after ESD in patients in whom the muscle layer was exposed was examined according to whether endoscopic clips were used for closure. A significantly greater number of patients had a temperature ≤ 37.5°C in the clip closure group than in the nonclip closure group (≤37.5°C/≥37.6°C, 47/14 vs. 25/18, respectively, P = 0.040). Furthermore, significantly more patients in the clip closure group had a white blood cell count ≤10,000/μL (≤10,000/μL/>10,000/μL, 51/10 vs. 21/22, P

Background and Objectives: Several studies have demonstrated that EUS-guided fine-needle biopsy (EUS-FNB) is useful for diagnosing gastrointestinal subepithelial lesions (GI SELs). However, there is limited evidence regarding the use of Franseen needles during EUS-FNB for patients with GI SELs. In addition, the optimal approach for diagnosing small SELs is unclear. This study aimed to evaluate whether EUS-FNB using a Franseen needle was effective for diagnosing GI SELs, including small lesions. Methods: Between January 2013 and January 2020, 150 consecutive patients with GI SELs underwent EUS-FNA/FNB to achieve a histological diagnosis. Eighty-six consecutive patients who underwent EUS-FNB using a Franseen needle were compared to 64 patients who underwent EUS-FNA using a conventional needle. Results: The diagnostic yield was significantly higher using a Franseen needle than using a conventional needle (85% vs. 75%, P = 0.006). Furthermore, in cases with SELs that were 20 mm (adjusted odds ratio: 3.4, 95% confidence interval: 1.4–8.2; P = 0.006). Conclusion: Even when attempting to diagnose small GI SELs, EUS-FNB using a Franseen needle appears to provide a more efficient acquisition of true histological core tissue than using a conventional needle.

A new scoring system, the BEST-J score, using ten risk factors to assign cases to different post-endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) risk groups for bleeding, has been shown to be accurate for risk stratification. We first aimed to validate the BEST-J score at four hospitals not specialized in performing ESD and then aimed to identify other risk factors for post-ESD bleeding.We evaluated the incidence of post-ESD bleeding in 791 cases of early gastric cancer (EGC) between October 2013 and December 2020 as a retrospective, multi-center observational study conducted at four hospitals. Multivariate logistic regression models to examine the effect of independent variables on post-ESD bleeding firstly included ten possible factors raised by the BEST-J score and secondly included statistically significant (p lt; 0.01) in univariate analysis. The prediction accuracy of the model was evaluated by receiver-operating characteristic analysis and the areas under the curve (AUC).The incidence of post-ESD bleeding was 4.8% (38/791, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.4-6.5%). On multivariate analysis, the risk factors were P2Y12 receptor antagonist (odds ratio [OR]: 5.870, 95% CI 1.624-21.219), warfarin (8.382, 1.658-42.322), direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) (8.980, 1.603-50.322), and tumor location in lower third of stomach (2.151, 1.012-4.571), respectively. When we categorized cases into low-risk by BEST-J score, intermediate-risk, high-risk, and very high-risk groups, the bleeding rates were 2.8%, 7.3%, 12.8%, and 19.0%, respectively. The AUC for our cohort was 0.713 (95% CI 0.625-0.802) for the BEST-J score. In the multivariate analysis in our cohort, the risks were age, body mass index, P2Y12 receptor antagonist, warfarin, DOAC, respectively.The BEST-J score is equally accurate in risk stratification of patients with EGC for post-ESD bleeding at non-specialized facilities for ESD as in specialized hospitals. BMI and age may be helpful additional risk factors at hospitals not specialized.

Background/Aims: Recently, postendoscopic submucosal dissection electrocoagulation syndrome (PEECS) has attracted attention. However, the criteria for computed tomography (CT) scanning following esophageal endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) are unclear. In this study, we aimed to identify the predictive factors of PEECS and the usefulness of CT scanning after esophageal ESD. Methods: A total of 245 lesions in 223 patients who underwent esophageal ESD between February 2008 and October 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients with double cancers, those who experienced procedural accidents, such as aspiration pneumonitis or perforation, and those who were unable to undergo CT were excluded from the study. PEECS evaluation items included body temperature (≤37.7°C = 1 point, ≥37.8°C = 2 points), white blood cell count (Results: The PEECS-positive group comprised 18 out of the 163 patients (11.0%), and mediastinal emphysema was stratified into grades 0 (94), 1 (51), 2 (12), 3 (5), and 4 (1 patient). Three independent risk factors for the onset of PEECS were identified, as follows: resected area ≥750 mm2 (OR 7.28, 95% CI 1.42–37.33, p = 0.017), treatment duration ≥75 min (OR 10.26, 95% CI 1.20–87.77, p = 0.034), and muscle layer exposure (OR 10.92, 95% CI 2.22–53.74, p = 0.003). Two independent predictive factors of high-grade mediastinal emphysema were identified, which were PEECS positivity (OR 4.31, 95% CI 1.29–14.41, p = 0.018), and muscle layer exposure (OR 4.08, 95% CI 1.18–14.06, p = 0.026). Conclusions: A large resected area, prolonged treatment duration, and muscle layer exposure are risk factors for the onset of PEECS. Mediastinal emphysema was observed in 43% of patients following ESD. When marked clinical symptoms of PEECS appear, high-grade mediastinal emphysema may be observed, and therefore CT should be performed in these cases.

Diagnostics to differentiate deep submucosal invasive (invasion depth ≥1000 μm [T1b]) colorectal cancer (CRC) from muscularis propria invasive (T2) CRC are limited. We aimed to establish and validate a scoring system that differentiates T1b from T2.A multicenter retrospective cross-validation study was performed. Four hundred sixty-one consecutive pathologically confirmed T1b or T2 CRCs were divided into the development (T1b, 222; T2, 189) and internal validation (T1b, 31; T2, 19) cohorts. Eight potential endoscopic findings were evaluated using the development cohort: loss of lobulation, deep depression, demarcated depressed area, protuberance within the depression, expanding appearance, fold convergency, erosion or white plaque, and Borrmann type 2 or 3 tumor. A scoring system that differentiates T1b from T2 was developed, and diagnostic performance was tested using the internal validation cohort by 8 endoscopists. External validation was conducted using 50 CRC images by 4 endoscopists from other institutions, including outside of Japan.Multivariate analysis identified the following 5 independent predictive endoscopic findings of T2 CRC: deep depression (odds ratio [OR], 2.08; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.07-4.04), demarcated depressed area (OR, 4.40; 95% CI, 1.39-13.9), 4-fold convergency or more (OR, 3.41; 95% CI, 1.90-6.11), erosion or white plaque (OR, 8.28; 95% CI, 2.77-24.7), and Borrmann type 2 or 3 tumor (OR, 8.76; 95% CI, 3.58-21.5). The area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUROC) was .90 (95% CI, .87-.93) in the development cohort, .80 (95% CI, .76-.85) in the internal validation, and .76 (95% CI, .69-.83) in the external validation.We established and validated a new scoring system to differentiate T1b from T2 CRC using 5 simple endoscopic findings.

Objectives Useful indices to determine whether to reduce the dose of 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) during remission remain unclear. We aimed to analyze the rate and risk factors of relapse after reducing the dose of oral 5-ASA used for maintenance therapy of UC. Methods UC patients whose 5-ASA dose was reduced in clinical remission (partial Mayo score of ≤ 1) at our institution from 2012 to 2017 were analyzed. Various clinical variables of patients who relapsed after reducing the dose of oral 5-ASA were compared with those of patients who maintained remission. Risk factors for relapse were assessed by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Cumulative relapse-free survival rates were calculated using the Kaplan–Meier method. Results A total of 70 UC patients were included; 52 (74.3%) patients maintained remission and 18 (25.7%) patients relapsed during the follow-up period. Multivariate analysis indicated that a history of acute severe UC (ASUC) was an independent predictive factor for clinical relapse (p = 0.024, odds ratio: 21, 95% confidence interval: 1.50–293.2). Based on Kaplan–Meier survival analysis, the cumulative relapse-free survival rate within 52 weeks was 22.2% for patients with a history of ASUC, compared with 82.0% for those without. the log-rank test showed a significant difference in a history of ASUC (p < 0.001). Conclusions Dose reduction of 5-ASA should be performed carefully in patients who have a history of ASUC.

Background Peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) has become the minimally invasive endoscopic treatment for achalasia; however, gastroesophageal reflux (GER) post-POEM has been reported. A pilot study was conducted in which an endoscopic fundoplication was added to the standard POEM (POEM + F) procedure to overcome this issue. We report the technical details of POEM + F and short-term safety results. Methods POEM + F was performed in 21 patients. After completing myotomy, the endoscope was advanced from the submucosal tunnel into the peritoneal cavity. A partial mechanical barrier was created by retracting the anterior gastric wall at the esophagogastric junction with the use of endoclips and an endoloop. Results POEM + F was technically feasible in all cases and created a visually recognizable fundoplication. The clinical course after POEM + F was uneventful. No immediate or delayed complications occurred. Conclusion POEM + F may help mitigate the post-POEM incidence of GER and serve as a minimally invasive endoscopic alternative to a laparoscopic Heller-Dor procedure. This is the largest case series of peroral natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery without laparoscopic assistance in the human foregut.

Background and Aims Although endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is a significant advancement in therapeutic endoscopy, it is a complicated technique and requires considerable expertise. In this exploratory study, we evaluated the efficacy of a simple traction method that uses dental floss and a hemoclip (DFC) and was developed to overcome the technical difficulties of ESD. Methods In total, 238 early gastric cancers treated by ESD between May 2012 and December 2014 at Tokyo Medical University were retrospectively reviewed. Lesions treated by conventional ESD (n = 185) and by ESD with DFC (ESD-DFC) (n = 53) were compared. Multivariable analyses and propensity score matching were used to compensate for the differences in age, sex, resected specimen size, lesion location, lesion position, presence of ulceration, and operator level. The procedure time, rate of en bloc and complete resection, and rates of adverse events were evaluated between the 2 groups. Results Propensity score matching analysis created 43 matched pairs. Adjusted comparisons between ESD-DFC and conventional ESD showed similar treatment outcomes (en bloc resection rate: 97.7% vs 100%, P = .315; complete resection rate: 90.7% vs 95.3%, P = .397; perforation during ESD rate: 2.3% vs 2.3%, P = 1.000; post-ESD bleeding rate: 4.7% vs 4.7%, P = 1.000) but a significantly shorter procedure time for ESD-DFC (82.2 ± 79.5 minutes vs 118.2 ± 71.6 minutes, P = .002). Conclusion ESD-DFC facilitated rapid ESD with good visualization and traction while ensuring high curability and safety.

OBJECTIVE Elderly gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) patients sometimes cannot be discharged home. In some cases, they die after hemostasis, even following appropriate treatment. This study investigates the clinical backgrounds and outcomes of elderly Japanese GIB patients. METHODS The medical records of 185 patients (123 men, 62 women; mean age 68.2 years; range 10-99 years) with GIB symptoms who underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy or colonoscopy to detect or treat the source of GIB were retrospectively reviewed. We compared the outcomes between patients ≤70 (n=85) and >70 (n=100) years. The clinical backgrounds of the patients who died or changed hospitals to undergo rehabilitation or receive palliative care were evaluated, as were the association of four factors with these poor outcomes: GIB (re-bleeding or uncontrolled bleeding), endoscopic procedure-related complications, exacerbation of the pre-existing comorbidity, and any complications that were not directly related to GIB. RESULTS Of the patients ≤70 and >70 years of age, three (3.5%) and 17 (17.0%), respectively, were transferred to another hospital (p=0.003). One (1.2%) and five (5.0%), respectively, died (p=0.144). All three patients ≤70 years old that changed hospitals did so because their comorbidities became worse. The reasons for changing hospitals in the 17 patients >70 years of age included exacerbation of a pre-existing comorbidity (41.1%, 7/17), other complications (35.4%, 6/17), GIB itself (17.6%, 3/17), and endoscopic procedure-related complications (5.9%, 1/17). CONCLUSION Although non-elderly and elderly GIB patients had similar mortality rates, many more elderly patients could not be discharged home for various reasons.

Shear wave elastography (SWE) has been validated in chronic hepatitis C and B; however, limited data are available in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of SWE and FIB4 index for the diagnosis of fibrosis in a cohort of consecutive patients with biopsy-proven NAFLD, and to evaluate the effects of other histologic parameters on SWE measurement. Written informed consent was obtained from all patients, and this study was approved by our internal review board and ethics committee. Seventy-one patients with histologically proven NAFLD (mean age 50.8 years ± 15.7) were examined. All patients underwent SWE (Aixplorer™; SuperSonic Imagine) and FIB4 index (based on age, aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase levels, and platelet counts) measurements. SWE measurements were compared with the histologic features based on the NAFLD activity score and FIB4 index. The area under the ROC curve for the diagnosis of hepatic fibrosis stage 3 or higher was 0.821 (optimal cut-off value 13.1 kPa, sensitivity 62.5%, specificity 57.4%) for SWE and 0.822 (optimal cut-off value 1.41, sensitivity 71.9%, specificity 53.9%) for FIB4 index. The median liver stiffness values measured using SWE showed a stepwise increase with increasing hepatic fibrosis stage (P

Propofol is rapidly increasing in use in many countries because endoscopists and patients report greater satisfaction with propofol than with conventional sedatives. However, propofol infusion during lengthy endoscopic procedures in elderly patients is still controversial. We investigated the safety of gastroenterologist-guided propofol sedation in elderly patients who underwent gastric endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) at a single center.We reviewed 121 medical records of patients who underwent gastric ESD. We compared retrospectively the details of propofol usage, hemodynamics, and re-sedation in the elderly group to those in a younger group.No significant differences in patients' baseline characteristic including ASA classification between elderly and younger groups were shown. The average maintenance dose and total dose of propofol infusion could be similarly administrated in both groups. Seven adverse events (5.8 %) occurred at the time of propofol bolus injection. Although 3 cases (2.5 %) of hypotension (systolic blood pressure80 mmHg), 8 cases (6.6 %) of desaturation (blood oxygen saturation90 %) and 1 case (0.8 %) of bradycardia (pulse rate40) were found during the maintenance of propofol infusion, there were no statistically significant differences in the elderly and younger groups. All events were immediately resolved without any intervention. No patients developed a re-sedated condition.Gastroenterologist-guided propofol sedation during gastric ESD may be acceptable even in the elderly with ASA classification I/II under careful monitoring of vital signs and oxygen saturation.

With the increase in the elderly population, we are witnessing an increase in the rate of patients with underlying diseases and those under treatment with antithrombotic drugs.In this study, we compared the treatment outcomes of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) and other parameters in

Mucinous cystic neoplasms (MCNs) of the hepatobiliary system are rare tumors that usually arise within the liver. We encountered a 63-year-old woman with a surgically proven MCN of the liver. We first performed contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging, and the mass was found to have the appearance of a solid tumor, showing peripheral nodular enhancement in the arterial and portal phases with persistence of enhancement. The lesion remained enhanced in the post-vascular phase (Kupffer phase). Based on these findings, we incorrectly identified the tumor as a cavernous hemangioma, despite negative findings in computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. In our immunohistologic analysis using anti-CD68 antibody, the antibody-positive cells were identified as macrophages. Therefore, the Sonazoid microbubbles could have been retained within these macrophages, resulting in late enhancement. These findings appear to be of key importance in accurately diagnosing MCNs and clarifying their pathophysiology.

Ferromagnetic nanoparticles of iron and vanadium co-doped SnO2 were synthesized by a sol-gel method. Fe and V co-doped SnO2 enhanced the magnetization, which showed the maximum saturation magnetization (Ms) at 1 % of Fe and 1 % of V co-doping. With further increasing the amounts of Fe and V co-doping into SnO2 host, the Ms decreased. Chemical states of vanadium ions were deduced as V5+ states by x-ray absorption spectroscopy. Mossbauer spectrometry revealed that the intensities of sextet components are related to the Ms, which indicates that small amounts of Fe and V co-doping is effective to enhance Ms.

1–5% Fe and 1% Co co-doped SnO2 samples were synthesized by sol-gel method. Their magnetization increased with increasing crystal size of rutile SnO2. Their Mossbauer spectra contain a broad sextet, magnetic relaxation components, and paramagnetic doublet peaks for less than 3% Fe doping. The sextet of α-Fe2O3 was observed instead of magnetic relaxation peaks for Fe doping of above 4%. The broad sextet and relaxation components may be related to the magnetic properties of Fe and Co co-doped SnO2.

Background Helicobacter pylori infection causes gastric neoplasia via development of chronic atrophic gastritis and intestinal metaplasia. The effect of H. pylori eradication on pre-existing gastric neoplasias is still controversial. The aim of this study was to use long-term observation to clarify morphologic and histologic changes in gastric adenomas following H. pylori eradication. Materials and Methods Twenty-seven patients with gastric adenomas (revised Vienna classification category 3 or 4.1) who underwent successful H. pylori eradication between April 1996 and December 1997 were followed up at regular intervals with endoscopic and histologic examination. The association between macroscopic and histologic regressions of the lesions and the following patient and lesion characteristics was assessed with univariate analysis: follow-up period, age, sex, serum pepsinogen level, lesion size, lesion location, and histologic gastritis. Results The mean follow-up period was 91.9 months (range 44–181 months). Twelve lesions (44.4%) showed macroscopic regression, of which 7 (25.9% of the total) also showed histologic regression, with the mean duration from H. pylori eradication to complete macroscopic and histologic regression being 19.9 months. The other 15 lesions (55.6%) remained stable macroscopically and histologically, of which 6 (22.2% of the total) progressed to malignancy during the follow-up period. Univariate analysis revealed that female sex (p = .005), smaller lesion size (p = .025), higher baseline serum pepsinogen II level (p = .041), and absence of intestinal metaplasia in the greater curvature of the corpus (p = .026) were significantly associated with complete regression. Conclusions Helicobacter pylori eradication may induce regression in some gastric adenomas.