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Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) in the different stages of Barrett's esophagus (BE)., Methods: Paired endoscopic esophageal biopsy samples were obtained from patients with BE prospectively. Subjects were classified into three groups: BE, BE with dysplasia, and adenocarcinoma (AC) arising from BE. Biopsy specimens over normal esophageal epithelium and gastric cardiac epithelium of limited cases were done. Four cell lines, HETA1 (human esophageal epithelium), CA-A and CP-C (non-dysplastic metaplasia), and OE33 (AC) were analyzed for quantitative mRNA and Western blotting of TGF-β., Results: All 30 subjects with BE were enrolled. Expression of TGF-β mRNA in BE were significantly (P < 0.01) lower than that in the normal esophagus and cardiac epithelium. The BE tissue showed a lower positive ratio of TGF-β immunohistochemical (IHC) stain than the cardiac epithelium. The expression of TGF-β mRNA in the cell lines CA-A, CP-3, OE-33, was significantly (P < 0.05) lower than that in the cell line HETA-1. The Western blotting result showed lower TGF-β protein expression of the cell lines CA-A, CP-3, and OE-33., Conclusions: The expression of TGF-β was lower in the tissue of BE.

Background: Upper gastrointestinal (GI) malignancies are an uncommon cause of dyspepsia but of great concern. The aim of this study was to determine the association between alarm features and each type and stage of upper GI malignancies., Methods: Patients who underwent endoscopy for symptoms of dyspepsia between January 2008 and December 2009 were retrospectively collected. Alarm features studied in this study were dysplasia, body weight loss and GI bleeding. Patients were classified according to the findings of endoscopy and histological reports., Results: A total of 3,926 patients were included in the study, with 82 (2.1%) cases with GI malignancies. The specificity and negative predictive value of alarm features ranged from 93.8% to 99.8%, but the sensitivity and positive predictive value ranged from 11.6% to 29.3%. The only variable with a positive predictive value was dysphagia (66.7%). The patients with esophageal cancers and upper gastric cancers had the highest ratio of alarm features, most body weight loss and dysphagia. There was a positive correlation between alarm features and advanced stages of gastric cancers, with the exception of GI bleeding sign., Conclusion: Although alarm features had a low sensitivity in identifying patients with upper GI malignancies, the presence of alarm features did help diagnose esophageal or upper gastric cancer and the sign of GI bleeding for early gastric cancer. In addition, dysphagia and weight loss are associated with higher stages of gastric cancer.

Background: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a chronic disease with a negative impact on the quality of life. The aim of this study was to investigate the reflux symptoms and the health-related quality of life in a population with GERD., Methods: Data from patients with GERD, according to the Montreal definition, were collected between January and December 2009. The enrolled patients were classified by different reflux symptoms according to the modified Chinese GERDQ. The general demographic data, the modified GERD impact scores and the SF-36 questionnaire scores of these groups of patients were analyzed., Results: A total of 173 patients were enrolled, and the general data, endoscopic findings and lifestyle habits of the participants with different severity of heartburn or regurgitation were all similar. The patients with moderate severity of reflux symptoms had significant lower SF-36 scores than those with mild severity. The cases with advanced heartburn severity owned the lowest scores among all cases. The impact on the daily activity of each affected individual had a positive association with the stronger severity of reflux symptom., Conclusion: The life quality of a population with GERD achieved the meaningful declination in participants with the moderate severity of heartburn or regurgitation. The severity of the reflux symptoms had a greater impact on the normal daily activity of the patients with GERD. The cases with advanced severity of heartburn had the worst well-being.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) involves the airways and pneumonia is a major cause of mortality. Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) were found to have a positive association with pneumonia. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of PPIs on the risk of pneumonia in patients with COPD., Methods: This was a nationwide, population-based, case-control study using data from the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan. The enrolled cases were defined as patients with COPD and appearance of pneumonia between 2001 and 2005. The control group was age- and sex-matched 1:2 with the cases without pneumonia. Potential confounders such as coronary artery disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, heart failure, chronic kidney disease, and prescriptions of glucocorticoids over 2 weeks, were included in the analysis. Prescriptions for PPIs were identified and entered into the analysis., Results: A total of 10,131 COPD patients, including 3,377 cases with pneumonia and 6,754 without, were identified. There were 213 (5.3%) and 436 (6.5%) cases with concurrent PPIs in the two groups, respectively, and the risk of pneumonia was similar (aOR = 0.96; 95% CI: 0.83 - 1.10). Further subgroup analysis found no differences for younger patients (younger than 70 years old; aOR = 1.04; 95% CI: 0.83 - 1.10), elderly patients (older than 70 years old; aOR = 0.96; 95% CI: 0.81 - 1.15), short-term use of PPIs (less than 30 days; aOR = 1.12; CI: 0.53 - 2.34), medium-term use of PPIs (30 - 90 days; aOR = 0.86; CI: 0.72 - 1.03), or long-term use of PPIs (longer than 90 days; aOR = 0.97; CI: 0.81 - 1.15)., Conclusion: PPIs did not contribute to a greater occurrence of pneumonia in COPD patients compared with non-users in this population-based case-control study. Further research is required.

Background: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) tends to relapse and develop complications. The aim of the study was to compare the risk factors and disease severity of GERD in young and old patients., Methods: Data from patients with GERD were collected between January and November 2009. The enrolled cases were assigned to the younger group if they were below 65 years, or the elderly group if 65 years or older. The general demographic data, lifestyle characteristics and endoscopic findings of the two groups were compared., Results: Among all enrolled 111 patients, 78 and 33 patients were classified in the younger and elderly groups, respectively. The elderly group had significantly more men than the younger group did (72.7% vs 39.7%, P = 0.001). Lower rates of smoking (3% vs 6.4%, P = 0.029) and tea drinking (21.3% vs 34.6%, P = 0.001) were noted in the elderly patients, but similar rates of alcohol and coffee drinking. There were more severe esophagitis, esophagocardiac junction (ECJ) ulcers (21.2% vs. 2.6%, P = 0.003) and hiatal hernia (36.4% vs 16.9%, P = 0.025) in the elderly group., Conclusion: Elderly GERD patients were more likely to be male, and having severe esophagitis, but lower rates of cigarette smoking and tea drinking, than those of younger patients.

Background: Biliary tract stones account for the majority of cases with acute pancreatitis, and include black and brown pigment stones. The aim of the study was to compare the presentation and outcome in cholecystectomized patients with acute biliary pancreatits caused by black and brown pigment stones., Method: Data from patients with prior cholecystectomy and acute biliary pancreatitis were collected from January 2009 to August 2011. These cases were assigned to black or brown pigment stone groups according to the stone pattern. The general data, laboratory data, image findings and outcomes of the two groups were collected and analyzed., Results: A total of 98 enrolled patients, with 30 (30.6%) and 68 cases (69.4%) assigned to the black and brown pigment stone groups, respectively. The cases with black pigment stone had higher CT Severity Index scores, bilirubin, ALP, ALT, rates of cholangitis, and positive blood culture. In those with brown pigment stone, there was a higher number of ERCP evaluations performed., Conclusion: Cholecystectomized cases with biliary pancreatitis due to black pigment stone had a higher prevalence of laboratory cholestasis and a higher rate of cholangitis.