Endoscopic full-thickness resection with sutured closure in a porcine model

BACKGROUND: Some early gastric cancers might be advantageously staged and treated by full-thickness resection if secure methods for closing the defect were available. The aim of this study was to test the feasibility of full-thickness gastric resection. METHODS: Full-thickness gastric resections were performed by using a ligating device without submucosal injection in survival studies in pigs (n = 8). The defects were closed by using new methods for suturing, locking, and cutting thread through a 2.8-mm accessory channel. Stitches (n = 2-4) were placed close to the target area before resection. OBSERVATIONS: Full-thickness resections (n = 8) were performed. The pigs survived without incident for 21 to 28 days. Healing of the suture site was evident at follow-up endoscopy. Suture sites were water tight. The pull-out force with stitches by using this new sewing method was significantly higher than with endoscopic clips (20.3 N +/- 0.94 vs. 2.2 N +/- 0.42, p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic full-thickness resection with sutured defect closure was feasible and appeared safe in these survival experiments.     

Pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis following alpha-glucosidase inhibitor treatment： A case report and review of the literature

A 69-year-old man was diagnosed as having myasthenia gravis （MG） in September 2004, and treated with thymectomy and prednisolone. He was then diagnosed as having steroid-induced diabetes mellitus, and received sulfonylurea （SU） therapy in May 2005. An alphaglucosidase inhibitor （αGI） was added in March 2006, resulting in good glycemic control. He experienced symptoms of abdominal distention, increased flatus, and constipation in October 2007, and was admitted into our hospital in late November with hematochezia. Plain abdominal radiography revealed small linear radiolucent clusters in the wall of the colon. Computed tomography （CT） showed intramural air in the sigmoid colon. Colonoscopy revealed multiple smooth surfaced hemispherical protrusions in the sigmoid colon. The diagnosis of pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis （PCI） was made on the basis of these findings. As the αGI voglibose was suspected as the cause of this patient＇s PCI, treatment was conservative, ceasing voglibose, with fasting and fluid supplementation. The patient progressed well, and was discharged 2 wk later. Recently, several reports of PCI associated with αGI therapy have been published, predominantly in Japan where αGIs are commonly used. If the use of αGIs becomes more widespread, we can expect more reports of this condition on a global scale. The possibility of PCI should be considered in diabetic patients complaining of gastrointestinal symptoms, and the gastrointestinal tract should be thoroughly investigated in these patients.     

Pulmonary Talcosis: Imaging Findings

Talc is a mineral widely used in the ceramic, paper, plastics, rubber, paint, and cosmetic industries. Four distinct forms of pulmonary disease caused by talc have been defined. Three of them (talcosilicosis, talcoasbestosis, and pure talcosis) are associated with aspiration and differ in the composition of the inhaled substance. The fourth form, a result of intravenous administration of talc, is seen in drug users who inject medications intended for oral use. The disease most commonly affects men, with a mean age in the fourth decade of life. Presentation of patients with talc granulomatosis can range from asymptomatic to fulminant disease. Symptomatic patients typically present with nonspecific complaints, including progressive exertional dyspnea, and cough. Late complications include chronic respiratory failure, emphysema, pulmonary arterial hypertension, and cor pulmonale. History of occupational exposure or of drug addiction is the major clue to the diagnosis. The high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) finding of small centrilobular nodules associated with heterogeneous conglomerate masses containing high-density amorphous areas, with or without panlobular emphysema in the lower lobes, is highly suggestive of pulmonary talcosis. The characteristic histopathologic feature in talc pneumoconiosis is the striking appearance of birefringent, needle-shaped particles of talc seen within the giant cells and in the areas of pulmonary fibrosis with the use of polarized light. In conclusion, computed tomography can play an important role in the diagnosis of pulmonary talcosis, since suggestive patterns may be observed. The presence of these patterns in drug abusers or in patients with an occupational history of exposure to talc is highly suggestive of pulmonary talcosis.     

High-definition endoscopy and magnifying endoscopy combined with narrow band imaging in gastric cancer

Gastric cancer is the third common cancer and is the second leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Endoscopy is being increasingly used for gastric cancer screening because of a high detection rate. Despite promising data, the technique depends heavily on the availability of endoscopic instruments and expertise for mass screening. Furthermore, the introduction of various new endoscopic devices and techniques may enhance the value of endoscopy in efficacious cancer screening. High-definition endoscopy and image-enhanced endoscopy, including narrow band imaging, are the key modalities in advanced endoscopic imaging in gastric cancer.     

Pericardial fat inflammation correlates with coronary artery disease

Objectives

Serum gamma-glutamyltransferase (γ-GT) predicts incident cardiovascular disease and mortality. The present study examined whether γ-GT also is associated with prognosis in patients with stable coronary heart disease.

Methods and results

This study included 1152 participants (aged 30–70 years at baseline) of an in-patient rehabilitation programme after acute coronary syndrome, recruited in two rehabilitation clinics in Germany in the years 1999–2000 (KAROLA study). Until year 8 follow-up, 147 participants had experienced a non-fatal or fatal secondary cardiovascular disease event. Confounder-adjusted Cox proportional hazards models revealed an increase in risk for secondary events over ascending γ-GT quartiles, with hazard ratios (95% confidence interval) of 1.21 (0.72–2.03), 1.32 (0.80–2.16) and 1.75 (1.08–2.83) for the 2nd, 3rd and 4th in reference to the lowest quartile (P_trend = 0.024). The association with all-cause mortality examined as a secondary outcome was slightly stronger (hazard ratio of 4th quartile: 1.97 [1.15–3.36]; P_trend = 0.017).

Conclusions

In patients with stable coronary heart disease, serum γ-GT was associated with prognosis independent of a variety of established risk markers. The association appeared similar to that reported for primary cardiovascular disease, which should motivate additional studies of its clinical utility in cardiovascular patient care.     

Prognostic Significance of Acute Kidney Injury After Reperfused ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction: Synergistic Acceleration of Renal Dysfunction and Left Ventricular Remodeling

BackgroundAcute kidney injury (AKI) after myocardial infarction is associated with poor clinical outcome. However, mechanisms of the adverse effect of AKI on clinical outcome after reperfused ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) have not been fully elucidated.Methods and ResultsWe examined 141 consecutive patients with reperfused first anterior STEMI. AKI was defined as an increase in serum creatinine of ≥0.3 mg/dL within 48 hours after admission. Patients with AKI had higher incidence of in-hospital cardiac death (P = .0004) and major adverse cardiac events (MACE, P = .020) during a mean of 39 ± 40 (range, 1 to 96) months than those without, in association with adverse left ventricular (LV) remodeling. White blood cell count on admission and peak C-reactive protein were higher in patients with than those without AKI. Plasma norepinephrine on admission, interleukin-6, brain natriuretic peptide, and malondialdehyde-modified low-density lipoprotein 2 weeks after STEMI were higher in patients with AKI than those without AKI. Cox proportional hazards model analysis revealed AKI was an independent predictor of MACE (hazard ratio = 2.38, P = .019).ConclusionsAKI was a strong predictor of MACE in association with adverse LV remodeling. Enhanced inflammatory response, oxidative stress, and neurohormonal activation may synergistically accelerate renal dysfunction and LV remodeling after STEMI.     

Iron state in association with retinoid metabolism in non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease

Aim: We have recently reported that hyperdynamic state of retinoid metabolism, which may lead to the shortage of retinoid, is observed in patients with non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Hepatic iron overload, which causes production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), is also frequently seen in NAFLD patients. The aim of the study is to examine iron state and retinoid metabolic state simultaneously, and to clarify the relationship between two disorders. Methods: Thirty‐six persons, comprising 17 patients with simple steatosis (SS), 11 with NASH, and 8 normal controls (N), were examined on hepatic expression of iron metabolism‐related genes including hemojuvelin (HJV), hepcidin (HEPC), transferrin receptor 1 and 2 (TfR1, TfR2), ferroportin (FPN), neogenin (NEO) and ferritin heavy chain (FtH) and hepatic iron contents in addition to expression 51 genes which is involved in retinoid metabolism and antioxidative action. Results: In patients with NAFLD, expression of HJV, TfR2, FPN, TfR1, FtH, SOD and catalase was increased, compared with that in N. In addition, hepatic iron content, which was increased in NASH, was correlated with expression level of TfR2. Expression of cellular retinoid binding protein (CRBP1), alcohol dehydrogenase 1 (ADH1) and cytochrome P450 26A1(CYP26A1) was significantly correlated with that of HJV, TfR2 and FPN, respectively. Conclusion: The results of the present study suggest that the reasons responsible for iron accumulation in NASH in the present study may partly be due to enhanced expression of TfRs, especially TfR2, and hyperdynamic state of retinoid metabolism is closely related to iron metabolism in the disease.