Long-term pretreatment with proton pump inhibitor and Helicobacter pylori eradication rates

AIM:To investigate whether proton pump inhibitor(PPI)pretreatment influences Helicobacter pylori eradication rate.METHODS:We retrospectively reviewed H.pylori-infected patients who were treated with a standard triple regimen(PPI,amoxicillin 1 g,and clarithromycin 500mg,all twice daily for 7 d).The diagnosis of H.pylori infection and its eradication was assessed with the rapid urease test,histological examination by silver staining,or the13C-urea breath test.We divided the patients into two groups:one received the standard eradication regimen without PPI pretreatment(Group A),and the other received PPI pretreatment(Group B).The patients in Group B were reclassified into three groups based on the duration of PPI pretreatment:Group B-Ⅰ(3-14 d),Group B-Ⅱ(15-55 d),and Group B-Ⅲ(≥56 d).RESULTS:A total of 1090 patients were analyzed and the overall eradication rate was 80.9%.The cure rate in Group B(81.2%,420/517)was not significantly different from that in Group A(79.2%,454/573).The eradication rates in Group B-Ⅰ,B-Ⅱand B-Ⅲwere80.1%(117/146),81.8%(224/274)and 81.4%(79/97),respectively.CONCLUSION:PPI pretreatment did not affect H.pylori eradication rate,regardless of the medication period.     

CT Characteristics of Pleural Plaques Related to Occupational or Environmental Asbestos Exposure from South Korean Asbestos Mines

Objective

This study evaluated the CT characteristics of pleural plaques in asbestos-exposed individuals and compared occupational versus environmental exposure groups.

Materials and Methods

This study enrolled 181 subjects with occupational exposure and 98 with environmental exposure from chrysotile asbestos mines, who had pleural plaques confirmed by a chest CT. The CT scans were analyzed for morphological characteristics, the number and distribution of pleural plaques and combined pulmonary fibrosis. Furthermore, the CT findings were compared between the occupational and environmental exposure groups.

Results

Concerning the 279 subjects, the pleural plaques were single in 2.2% and unilateral in 3.6%, and showed variable widths (range, 1-20 mm; mean, 5.4 ± 2.7 mm) and lengths (5-310 mm; 72.6 ± 54.8 mm). The chest wall was the most commonly involved (98.6%), with an upper predominance on the ventral side (upper, 77.8% vs. lower, 55.9%, p < 0.001) and a lower predominance on the dorsal side (upper, 74.9% vs. lower, 91.8%, p = 0.02). Diaphragmatic involvement (78.1%) showed a right-side predominance (right, 73.8% vs. left, 55.6%, p < 0.001), whereas mediastinal plaques (42.7%) were more frequent on the left (right, 17.6% vs. left, 39.4%, p < 0.001). The extent and maximum length of plaques, and presence and severity of combined asbestosis, were significantly higher in the occupational exposure group (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Pleural plaques in asbestos-exposed individuals are variable in number and size; and show a predominant distribution in the upper ventral and lower dorsal chest walls, right diaphragm, and left mediastinum. Asbestos mine workers have a higher extent of plaques and pulmonary fibrosis versus environmentally exposed individuals.     

hTERT mRNA levels by real-time RT-PCR in acute myelogenous leukemia

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether levels of hTERT mRNA, as determined by real-time RT-PCR, are associated with prognosis and clinical course in AML patients. Fifty-four bone marrow specimens from 21 patients diagnosed with de-novo AML were included. The level of hTERT mRNA was measured with the Telo TAGGG hTERT Quantification Kit (Roche Diagnostics, Mannheim, Germany), using a LightCycler Instrument (Roche Diagnostics). The level of hTERT mRNA was determined as the relative ratio (RR), which was calculated by dividing the level of hTERT mRNA by the level of the porphobilinogen deaminase (PBGD) housekeeping gene in the same samples [1,000x(hTERT/PBGD)]. The expression rates of hTERT mRNA were significantly higher at diagnosis (73%) and during relapse (80%) than during remission (27%) (P<0.05). The median RR for diagnosis or relapse was significantly higher than that for patients in remission (P<0.05). hTERT mRNA expression was not correlated with CD34 expression, blast counts, white blood cell counts, or chromosomal abnormality (P>0.05). Two patients who showed hTERT mRNA expression during remission (RR 3.14 and 7.15, respectively) relapsed after 1 month. Among seven patients with high hTERT mRNA levels (RR>9.51), 4 failed to achieve complete remission (CR), whereas 4 of 5 patients without hTERT mRNA expression at diagnosis or during relapse achieved CR (P>0.05). Patients showing a trend of increasing hTERT mRNA levels failed to reach a second CR after relapse, while those with a trend toward decreasing hTERT mRNA did achieve CR. Among eight samples showing hTERT mRNA expression in remission (RR>0), 5 were obtained from patients who had received GCSF within 14 days. The expression rate and level of hTERT mRNA during remission were significantly higher in patients who had previously received GSCF (56%, RR=0.15) than in other patients (15%, RR=0) (P<0.05). Serial and quantitative analysis of hTERT mRNA may be a useful marker for prediction of prognosis and monitoring in AML patients.     

Single nucleotide polymorphism array-based karyotyping shows sequential genomic changes from monosomy to copy-neutral loss of heterozygosity of chromosome 7 and 20q deletion within a balanced translocation t(14;20) in AML

Single nucleotide polymorphism array (SNP-A)-based karyotyping can identify copy-neutral loss of heterozygosity (CN-LOH) as well as cryptic lesions not detected by metaphase cytogenetics. We report serial genetic studies on a patient diagnosed with chronic myelomonocytic leukemia who progressed to acute leukemia. Monosomy 7 was predominantly found at diagnosis, but clones changed to CN-LOH of chromosome 7 with disease progression. Furthermore, subclones with genomic aberrations of 3q gain, 1p CN-LOH, and trisomy 12 newly appeared, suggesting that they were also involved in the transformation process. Additionally, by SNP-A, a presumably balanced translocation, t(14;20), identified by metaphase cytogenetics, was shown to result in an unbalanced 20q deletion at the breakpoint. The sequential changes identified by SNP-A may provide a better understanding of the mechanism of clonal evolution.     

Comparison of perioperative outcomes between bipolar sealing,ultrasonic shears and a hybrid device during laparoscopic gastrectomy for early gastric cancer: a prospective,multicenter, randomized study

Gastric Cancer - Although EBDs are essential for minimally invasive surgery, well-established prospective randomized studies comparing EBDs are scarce. This study aimed to compare the...     

Sex specific trajectories in cigarette smoking behaviors among students participating in the unplugged school-based randomized control trial for substance use prevention

Objectives

Understanding the developmental pathways and sex differences in cigarette smoking behaviors in adolescents has the potential to positively impact substance abuse prevention and to reduce smoking-related health problems. Using data from the Unplugged school-based prevention trial, we investigated different patterns of smoking behavior development among secondary school students in the Czech Republic.

Methods

Growth mixture modeling was used to examine different trajectories in cigarette smoking behaviors among male and female students (N = 1874 6th graders; 50.4% male, mean age 11.8 years at baseline) participating in the Unplugged school-based randomized control trial for substance use prevention.

Results

A two-class model characterized cigarette use as a function of sex and Unplugged intervention status. More rapid cigarette use increases were observed in females (OR = 1.17, p = 0.01 in both rapid/moderate and slow smoking escalator classes) as compared to males. Further, in both classes, more rapid increases in smoking were observed for the control group as compared to the intervention group (OR = 1.22, p < 0.01 slow escalators; OR = 1.54, p = 0.08 rapid/moderate escalators). There was no difference in sex distribution when comparing the two classes (OR = 1.02, p = 0.98).

Conclusions

This study adds to a growing literature on developmental and sex differences in cigarette use among adolescents. This research supports additional multi-year prevention strategies aimed at adolescent females and early treatment programs for adolescent smokers to prevent increasing cigarette use with age.