Berberine Prevents NSAID-Induced Small Intestinal Injury by Protecting Intestinal Barrier and Inhibiting Inflammasome-Associated Activation.

Background: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID), which are commonly used to manage pain and inflammation, often cause gastrointestinal injuries, including small intestinal damage. Berberine (BBR) is a traditional Chinese medicine that protects against these injuries. However, the mechanism of action is not fully understood.

Post Hoc Analysis of Anxiety and Behavioral Changes in Japanese Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease due to the COVID-19 Pandemic: Relationship Between Municipal Population at the Place of Residence and Anxiety.

Aims: The Japan COVID-19 Survey and the Questionnaire for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (J-DESIRE) identified multiple factors associated with anxiety regarding the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, no regional differences in anxiety were observed. In this post hoc analysis of J-DESIRE, we investigated the relationship between the municipal population size at the place of residence (MPSPR) and anxiety among patients with IBD in Japan during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A study on the timing of small-bowel capsule endoscopy and its impact on the detection rate of bleeding sources.

Background: Small-bowel capsule endoscopy (SBCE) is an essential diagnostic tool for obscure gastrointestinal bleeding, particularly for identifying bleeding sources in the small intestine. The timing of SBCE is thought to affect its diagnostic yield; however, the optimal timing remains unknown.

Methods: This retrospective study analyzed 131 patients with overt gastrointestinal bleeding managed with SBCE at our institution between May 2015 and December 2022.

Efficient diagnosis for endoscopic remission in Crohn's diseases by the combination of three non-invasive markers.

Background: Serum C-reactive protein (CRP), leucine-rich alpha-2 glycoprotein (LRG), and fecal calprotectin (Fcal) are non-invasive markers used to assess Crohn's disease (CD) severity. However, the accuracy of these markers alone is often limited, and most previous reports have evaluated the efficacy of each marker individually. We aimed to improve the diagnostic performance of endoscopic remission (ER) of CD by combining these 3 markers.

High complete resection rates of underwater endoscopic mucosal resection for intermediate-sized sessile serrated lesions.

Objectives: Sessile serrated lesions (SSLs) pose a risk of carcinoma, necessitating endoscopic resection. Conventional endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) often fails to achieve complete resection for intermediate-sized SSLs. Although underwater EMR (UEMR) is being increasingly used for colon polyps, its efficacy for SSLs remains unclear.

Induction Therapy With Oral Tacrolimus Provides Long-Term Benefit in Thiopurine-Naïve Refractory Ulcerative Colitis Patients Despite Low Serum Albumin Levels.

Background And Aim: Oral tacrolimus is an effective treatment for refractory ulcerative colitis (UC). However, tacrolimus is underutilized because of the difficulties in transitioning to subsequent maintenance therapy and concerns about adverse events.

Methods: We evaluated the clinical outcomes, adverse events, and accumulated medication costs in consecutive 72 UC patients treated with tacrolimus.

Acetic Acid-Indigo Carmine Chromocolonoscopy for Proximal Serrated Lesions: A Randomized, 3-Arm Colonoscopy Study.

Introduction: Aggressive colorectal cancer (CRC) frequently originates from serrated lesions (SLs), particularly in the proximal colon, which are challenging to detect using standard screening colonoscopy. Although duplicate examinations or chromocolonoscopies are recommended for detecting proximal SLs, evidence from randomized trials is limited. We evaluated the effectiveness of tandem colonoscopy with an acetic acid-indigo carmine mixture (AIM) for detecting SLs in the proximal colon compared with white-light imaging (WLI) and indigo carmine (IC).

Diagnostic accuracy and cut-off values of serum leucine-rich alpha-2 glycoprotein for Crohn's disease activity in the small bowel.

Background: Small bowel (SB) lesions in Crohn's disease (CD) are often asymptomatic despite being highly active. Fecal calprotectin (FC) is the most widely used biomarker of CD activity, but its drawbacks include a large intra-individual sample variability and the burden of collecting stool samples. Meanwhile, serum leucine-rich alpha-2 glycoprotein (LRG) has recently attracted attention as a biomarker that can address the limitations of FC.

Survival Analysis of 4 Different Age Groups of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma After Radical Resection From Retrospective Multi-Center Analysis (YPB-003).

Aim: This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of radical resection and postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy on the survival benefit in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), stratified by age, frailty, and other factors in actual clinical practice.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinicopathological and follow-up data of 414 patients with PDAC who underwent surgical resection at nine institutions under the Yamaguchi Pancreat/Biliary Disease Study Group, between January 1997 and December 2016. Recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method.

Changes of leucine-rich alpha 2 glycoprotein could be a marker of changes of endoscopic and histologic activity of ulcerative colitis.

Leucine-rich alpha 2 glycoprotein (LRG) is one of the serum biomarkers for disease activity of ulcerative colitis (UC). We focused on the correlation between the changes of LRG and the changes of endoscopic and histologic activity of UC, in comparison to the changes of fecal calprotectin (Fcal), fecal immunochemical test (FIT), and C-reactive protein (CRP). Seventy-nine patients with two or more colonoscopies were enrolled, and 123 paired colonoscopies and 121 paired biopsies were examined.

Short- and longer-term learning effects from virtual scale endoscopy videos: a useful tool for colorectal lesion size estimation (with videos).

Background And Aims: Accurate assessment of colorectal polyp size is crucial for determining treatment and surveillance policies. However, visual estimation of lesion diameter is often inaccurate, making simple and effective educational tools essential. We aimed to evaluate the learning effects of virtual scale endoscopy (VSE).

Decreased CD3+CD56+ Natural Killer T Lymphocytes and Increased Human Leukocyte Antigen-DR+ Cells in the Inflamed Area of Pouchitis in Ulcerative Colitis Patients.

Background: Pouchitis is an inflammatory condition that affects the ileal pouch during ileal pouch-anal anastomosis surgery. Despite its clinical significance, precise immunological mechanisms underlying pouchitis remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the lymphocyte profile in the ileal pouch of patients with pouchitis compared to those with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) and ulcerative colitis without pouchitis using flow cytometry and immunohistochemical techniques.

Endoscopic lavage for an infected pelvic hematoma in a patient with pelvic sepsis after anterior pelvic exenteration.

Anastomotic leakage and subsequent pelvic sepsis are serious complications after surgery for pelvic malignancies, particularly challenging due to the large pelvic cavity dead space post-exenteration. We report a 47-year-old man treated for a severely infected pelvic hematoma and sepsis following anastomotic leakage after anterior pelvic exenteration. Post robot-assisted exenteration for locally advanced sigmoid colon cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy, a pelvic abscess from anastomotic dehiscence was identified.

Endoscopic manifestation of intestinal transplant-associated microangiopathy after stem cell transplantation.

Background: Endoscopic features of intestinal transplant-associated microangiopathy (iTAM) have not been comprehensively investigated. This study aimed to examine the endoscopic characteristics of patients diagnosed with iTAM.

Methods: This retrospective analysis included 14 patients pathologically diagnosed with iTAM after stem cell transplantation for hematolymphoid neoplasms (n = 13) or thalassemia (n = 1).

Multicenter Prospective Cohort Study of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Borderline Resectable Pancreatic Cancer (YPB-001).

Objectives: The present multicenter prospective observational study investigated the effectiveness and safety of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) for patients with borderline resectable pancreatic cancer (BRPC) and those with RPC contacting major vessels, with respect to a historical control of upfront surgery.

Materials And Methods: Patients with BRPC and RPC contacting major vessels were prospectively registered and administered NAC with durations and regimens determined by the corresponding treating physician. Our primary aim was to assess the R0 resection rate, and secondary aim was to evaluate safety, resection rate, time to treatment failure, overall survival, and response rate.

Utility of Combined Use of Transabdominal Ultrasonography and Fecal Immunochemical Test Examinations in Ulcerative Colitis.

This study examined the utility of the combined use of transabdominal ultrasonography (TUS) and fecal immunochemical testing (FIT) to detect mucosal inflammation, vis-a-vis the Mayo endoscopic subscore (MES), in ulcerative colitis (UC). Sixty-three UC patients who underwent TUS and FIT were retrospectively enrolled. For TUS, the colon was divided into five segments, and the bowel wall thickness was measured and evaluated.

Low Patient Weight and Long Intubation Time Are Key Factors for Pain during Colonoscopy.

Although the clinical usefulness of colonoscopy has been established, the procedure remains painful for many patients. This study was designed to clarify the factors predicting colonoscopy-related pain. We evaluated 283 consecutive patients who completed a first-ever, total colonoscopy without sedatives or analgesics.

RNA Editing is a Valuable Biomarker for Predicting Carcinogenesis in Ulcerative Colitis.

Background And Aims: Ulcerative colitis [UC] can lead to colitis-associated colorectal neoplasm [CAN]. Adenosine-to-inosine RNA editing, which is regulated by adenosine deaminase acting on RNA [ADAR], induces the post-transcriptional modification of critical oncogenes, including antizyme inhibitor 1 [AZIN1], leading to colorectal carcinogenesis. Therefore, we hypothesized that ADAR1 might be involved in the development of CAN in UC.

A Case of Preserved Blood Flow to the Portal Vein Due to the Concurrent Reconstruction of the Superior Mesenteric Vein and the Splenic Vein Using an Artificial Blood Vessel.

Pancreatic cancer is often advanced and invades the major blood vessels around the pancreas. Portal vein (PV) and/or superior mesenteric vein (SMV) resection is performed for radical resection. In such cases, end-to-end anastomosis is best if the remnant vein is sufficiently long.

Usefulness of Intestinal Ultrasound to Detect Small Intestinal Stenosis in Patients With Crohn's Disease.

Objectives: Double balloon enteroscopy (DBE) with retrograde contrast is useful as a monitoring tool for small intestinal lesions in Crohn's disease (CD), but these are burdensome for patients. Intestinal ultrasound (IUS) can be used with ease in daily clinical practice, but there is less evidence regarding the accuracy of detection of small intestinal stenosis in CD. This study aimed to examine the diagnostic power of IUS for small intestinal stenosis in patients with CD.