A simplified clinical risk score predicts the need for early endoscopy in non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding

BackgroundPre-endoscopic triage of patients who require an early upper endoscopy can improve management of patients with non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding.AimsTo validate a new simplified clinical score (T-score) to assess the need of an early upper endoscopy in non variceal bleeding patients. Secondary outcomes were re-bleeding rate, 30-day bleeding-related mortality.MethodsIn this prospective, multicentre study patients with bleeding who underwent upper endoscopy were enrolled. The accuracy for high risk endoscopic stigmata of the T-score was compared with that of the Glasgow Blatchford risk score.ResultsOverall, 602 patients underwent early upper endoscopy, and 472 presented with non-variceal bleeding. High risk endoscopic stigmata were detected in 145 (30.7%) cases. T-score sensitivity and specificity for high risk endoscopic stigmata and bleeding-related mortality was 96% and 30%, and 80% and 71%, respectively. No statistically difference in predicting high risk endoscopic stigmata between T-score and Glasgow Blatchford risk score was observed (ROC curve: 0.72 vs. 0.69, p = 0.11). The two scores were also similar in predicting re-bleeding (ROC curve: 0.64 vs. 0.63, p = 0.4) and 30-day bleeding-related mortality (ROC curve: 0.78 vs. 0.76, p = 0.3).ConclusionsThe T-score appeared to predict high risk endoscopic stigmata, re-bleeding and mortality with similar accuracy to Glasgow Blatchford risk score. Such a score may be helpful for the prediction of high-risk patients who need a very early therapeutic endoscopy.     

Early Feeding Is Feasible after Emergency Gastrointestinal Surgery

Purpose

This study was undertaken to assess the feasibility of early feeding in patients that have undergone emergency gastrointestinal (GI) surgery.

Materials and Methods

The authors retrospectively reviewed 84 patients that underwent emergency bowel resection and/or anastomosis from March 2008 to December 2011. Patients with severe shock, intestinal ischemia, sustained bowel perforation, or short bowel syndrome were excluded. Patients were divided into the early (group E; n=44) or late (group L; n=40) group according to the time of feeding commencement. Early feeding was defined as enteral feeding that started within 48 hours after surgery. Early and late feeding groups were compared with respect to clinical data and surgical outcomes.

Results

The most common cause of operation was bowel perforation, and the small bowel was the most commonly involved site. No significant intergroup differences were found for causes, sites, or types of operation. However, length of stay (LOS) in the intensive care unit (1 day vs. 2 days, p=0.038) and LOS in the hospital after surgery were significantly greater (9 days vs. 12 days, p=0.012) in group L than group E; pulmonary complications were also significantly more common (13.6% vs. 47.5%, p=0.001) in group L than group E.

Conclusion

After emergency GI surgery, early feeding may be feasible in patients without severe shock or bowel anastomosis instability.     

In vitro studies of epithelium-associated crystallization caused by uropathogens during urinary calculi development

Infectious urinary stones account for about 10% of all urinary stones. In 50% of cases urolithiasis is a recurrent illness, which can lead to the loss of a kidney if not properly treated. One of the reasons for recurrence of the disease may be the ability of bacteria to invade urothelial cells, persist in the host cells and serve as potential reservoirs for infection. Various uropathogens are associated with the formation of bacteria-induced urinary stones but Proteus mirabilis is the most commonly isolated (70%). An in vitro model was used in this study to analyze intracellular growth and crystallization in the presence of P. mirabilis, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli. Human ureter (Hu 609) and bladder (HCV 29) epithelial cell lines were infected with bacteria and incubated (3–72 h) in the presence of synthetic urine and amikacin to prevent extracellular bacterial growth. During the incubation the number of bacteria (CFU/ml) inside epithelial cells and the intensity of crystallization were established. Crystallization was determined as an amount of a calcium radioisotope. The chosen strains of uropathogens were able to invade both types of epithelial cells but the Hu 609 cells were invaded to a higher extent. However, crystallization occurred only in the presence of P. mirabilis strains which were invasive and urease-positive. The highest intensity of cell-associated crystallization was observed when the number of bacteria within the urothelium remained stable during the time of incubation. These results show that P. mirabilis has an ability to form crystals inside the host cells. Under these conditions bacteria are protected from antibiotic killing, which leads to persistent and recurrent infections. We also suspect that this phenomenon may be an important stage of kidney stones formation.     

Different metabolic profiles of K1 serotype and non-serotype K1 and K2 Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates in oral infection mice model

K1 or K2 serotype Klebsiella pneumoniae isolate caused clinical pyogenic liver abscess (KLA) infection is prevalent in many areas. It has been identified that K1 or K2 serotype K. pneumoniae isolates caused KLA infection in mice by oral inoculation. In our study, K1 serotype K. pneumoniae isolate Kp1002 with hypermucoviscosity (HV)-positive phenotype caused KLA infection in C57BL/6 mice by oral inoculation. Simultaneously, non-serotype K1 and K2 isolate Kp1014 with HV-negative phenotype failed to cause KLA infection in the same manner. It seems that gastrointestinal tract translocation is the pathway by which K1 or K2 serotype K. pneumoniae caused KLA infection. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was used to further analyze metabolic profile changes in mice with KLA infection. Data showed that after Kp1002 or Kp1014 oral inoculation, serum Phosphatidylcholine (PC) and Lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) levels significantly changed in mice. Some PC and LPC molecules showed changes both in the Kp1002 KLA group and the Kp1014 no-KLA group compared with the control group. The level of 18:1/18:2-PC significantly changed in the Kp1002 KLA group compared with the control group, but showed no change between the Kp1014 no-KLA group and the control group. The level of 18:1/18:2-PC might have been particularly affected by KLA infection caused by K1 serotype K. pneumoniae Kp1002. It may be a potential biomarker for KLA infection.     

ABCC11/MRP8 Expression in the Gastrointestinal Tract and a Novel Role for?Pepsinogen Secretion

ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters are involved in chemotherapy resistance. Multidrug-resistance protein 8 (ABCC11/MRP8) is also involved in 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) metabolism. 5-FU and its derivatives are widely used in the treatment of gastrointestinal tract cancers, but little is known about the contribution of ABCC11/MRP8 to gastrointestinal tract and related cancers. Here, we report our investigation of ABCC11/MRP8 expression in normal and cancerous gastrointestinal tract tissues and reveal its novel role in the gastric mucosa. In tissue microarray and surgically resected cancer specimens, immunohistochemical (IHC) staining revealed significantly reduced expression of ABCC11/MRP8 in gastrointestinal tract cancers compared with other cancers. In contrast, strong ABCC11/MRP8 expression was observed in normal gastric mucosa. Additional immuno­fluorescence assays revealed co-localization of ABCC11/MRP8 and pepsinogen I in normal gastric chief cells. Quantitative PCR and Western blot analysis also revealed significant expression of ABCC11/MRP8 in fundic mucosa where the chief cells are mainly located. Furthermore, the ABCC11 mRNA-suppressed NCI-N87 gastric cancer cell line failed to secret pepsinogen I extracellularly. Thus, low expression of ABCC11/MRP8 is consistent with chemotherapeutic regimens using 5-FU and its derivatives in gastrointestinal tract cancers. Our results indicated a novel function of ABCC11/MRP8 in the regulation of pepsinogen I secretion in the normal gastric chief cells.     

MRI在胎儿泌尿系统异常中的诊断价值

目的探讨MRI在胎儿泌尿系统异常中的诊断价值。资料与方法收集2012年8月～2014年4月超声（US）怀疑胎儿泌尿系异常孕妇57例,年龄19-38岁,平均28±3岁;孕龄23-36w,平均29±3.4w。产前超声（US）检查后72h内行MRI检查,将US、MRI结果与出生后或引产后结果对照。结果单侧肾脏缺如7例,异位肾2例,马蹄肾3例,肾囊性病变10例,输尿管上段扩张35例。结论MRI对胎儿泌尿系统异常具有较高的诊断价值。     

不明原因消化道出血患者行双气囊小肠镜检查的时机选择

目的探讨不明原因消化道出血（OGIB）患者行双气囊小肠镜检查（DBE）的最佳时机。方法回顾性分析盛京医院2009年1月至2013年11月间接受DBE检查的OGIB患者的临床资料,按检查时机的不同分为急诊DBE组和非急诊DBE组,整理两组患者的临床特征、DBE检查结果、检查时间和并发症,并进行统计学分析及比较。结果78例OGIB患者接受DBE检查,发现病变48例,病变总检出率为61．54％。急诊DBE组病变检出率为77．14％（27／35）,明显高于非急诊DBE组的病变检出率48．83％（21／43）（P=0．019）。在检查时间方面,急诊DBE组明显短于非急诊组,差异有统计学意义（P=0．031）。结论对于OGIB患者,急诊DBE的检查时间更短,病变检出率更高。条件允许时,对OGIB患者应尽早行DBE检查。     

磁导航系统遥控导管消融治疗右心室流出道室性心动过速/室性早搏

目的：探讨应用磁导航遥控导管消融治疗右心室流出道起源的室性心动过速/室性早搏（ RVOT-VT/PVCs）的安全性和有效性。方法2008年11月至2009年11月,在南京医科大学第一附属医院心血管内科行体表心电图检查,诊断为RVOT-VT/PVCs的患者共16例[女12例,男4例,平均年龄（44±15）岁],结合应用非接触标测系统和起搏标测确定靶点,磁导航遥控磁导管实施消融术,消融失败者改为手控导管消融。结果10例（63%）患者使用磁导航消融成功,6例需手控导管消融,1例术后出现动静脉瘘。平均放电（3．9±1．6）次,放电时间（240±33） s,总手术时间为（190±42） min,总X线曝光时间为（4．8±2．6） min,术者X线曝光时间平均为（3．2±2．0） min,磁导航系统遥控导管X线曝光时间为（1．6±1．0） min。结论应用磁导航系统结合非接触标测系统可安全、有效地实施遥控导管消融治疗RVOT-VT/PVCs,并可减少术者和患者的X线曝光时间。     

Calcifying fibrous tumor of the gastrointestinal tract: A clinicopathologic review and update

Calcifying fibrous tumor(CFT) is a rare mesenchymal lesion that has been documented throughout the gastrointestinal tract. Gastrointestinal CFTs may occur at virtually any age, with a predilection for adults and for females. They occur most commonly in the stomach and the small and large intestines. CFTs are most often found incidentally, cured by local resection, and have a low risk of recurrence. Histology shows three characteristic features: Spindle cell proliferations within a densely hyalinized stroma, scattered calcifications, and lymphoplasmacytic inflammation. CFTs are immunoreactive for CD34, vimentin and factor XIIIa, helping to distinguish them from other benign mesenchymal neoplasms. The differential diagnosis of CFTs includes sclerosing gastrointestinal stromal tumor, leiomyoma, schwannoma, solitary fibrous tumor, inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor, plexiform fibromyxoma, fibromatosis, sclerosing mesenteritis, and reactive nodular fibrous pseudotumor. The pathogenesis of CFTs remains unclear, but some have hypothesized that they may be linked to IgG4-related disease, inflammatory myofibroblastic lesions, hyaline vascular type Castleman disease, sclerosing angiomatoid nodular transformation of the spleen, or trauma.