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Background The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between obesity and infected bile or bacteremia in patients with acute calculous cholecystitis. Methods Authors analyzed the medical records of 139 patients who had undergone cholecystectomy for the treatment of acute calculous cholecystitis from January 2007 to June 2013 in a single teaching hospital. Association of body mass index (BMI) with bactibilia and bacteremia was assessed using univariate and multivariate analysis. Clinical findings and biliary infection related data were recorded for the following variables: gender, age, alcohol and smoking history, the results of blood and bile cultures, cholesterolosis, diabetes, hypertension, and duration of the hospital stay. Results The microbial culture rate of bactibilia and bacteremia were 50.4% and 21.6%, respectively. In the univariate analysis, bacteremia was associated with bactibilia (OR: 4.33, p = 0.002). In the multivariate analysis for the risk factors of bactibilia, BMI and bacteremia were related with bactibilia (OR: 0.59, 95% CI: 0.42-0.84, p = 0.003) (OR: 3.32, 95% CI: 1.22-9, p = 0.02). In the multivariate analysis for the risk factors of bacteremia, BMI, bactibilia and age were related with bacteremia (OR: 0.76, 95% CI: 0.59-0.99, p = 0.04) (OR: 3.46, 95% CI: 1.27-9.45, p = 0.02) (OR: 1.05, 95% CI: 1.01-1.09, p = 0.02). Conclusion In this retrospective study, BMI was inversely correlated with bacteremia or bactibilia, which means obese or overweight patients are less likely to be associated with bacteremia or bactibilia in patients with acute calculous cholecystitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the time trend of seropositivity of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) over the period of 13 years in an asymptomatic Korean population, and investigate associated risk factors.Methods: This cross-sectional nationwide multicentre study surveyed anti-H. pylori IgG antibodies in 19,272 health check-up subjects (aged [greater than and equal to]16 years) in 2011. Risk factors for H. pylori infection were investigated using logistic regression. Seropositivity in asymptomatic subjects without H. pylori eradication was compared between the years 1998 and 2005. Birth cohort effects were also evaluated.Results: After exclusion of subjects with a history of H. pylori eradication therapy (n = 3,712, 19.3%) and gastric symptoms (n = 4,764, 24.7%), the seroprevalence of H. pylori infection was 54.4% in 10,796 subjects. This was significantly lower than the seroprevalence of 59.6% in 2005 and that of 66.9% in 1998, and this decrease of seropositivity of H. pylori became widespread across all ages and in most areas of the country. This decreasing trend could be explained by cohort analysis. All younger birth cohorts had a lower seroprevalence of H. pylori than older birth cohorts at the same age. Decreased seroprevalence within the same birth cohorts also accounted for this phenomenon. Clinical risk factors of H. pylori infection were higher cholesterol level ([greater than and equal to] 240 mg/dl) (OR = 1.33; 95% CI = 1.14-1.54), male gender, older age, low income, and residence in a rural area.Conclusions: A decreasing trend of H. pylori seroprevalence due to a birth cohort effect requires further studies on its related human host factors as well as socio-economic and hygienic factors. In addition, the relationship between H. pylori infection and high cholesterol level needs more investigation regarding underlying pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims: Atrophic gastritis (AG) and intestinal metaplasia (IM) are premalignant gastric lesions. The aims of this study were to evaluate the prevalence of endoscopic AG and IM and to document the risk factors for these lesions. Methods: In total, 4,023 subjects were enrolled at eight hospitals in Korea. AG and IM were diagnosed by endoscopy. Helicobacter pylori immunoglobulin G antibodies were measured. Results: The prevalences of endoscopic AG and IM were 40.7% and 12.5%. In a multivariate analysis, the risk factors for AG were age groups of 40 to 59 years and >60 years, male sex, positive H. pylori serology, IM, and education below the college level (odds ratio [OR], 2.55, 5.00, 1.38, 1.41, 4.29, and 1.35, respectively). The risk factors for IM were age groups of 40 to 59 years and >60 years, male sex, positive H. pylori serology, AG, having relatives with gastric cancer, education below the college level and consumption of dairy products (OR, 3.16, 3.25, 1.88, 2.17, 3.68, 1.48, 1.47, and 1.40, respectively). Conclusions: A nationwide survey regarding the prevalence of endoscopic AG and IM and their risk factors in Korea supports the hypothesis that endoscopic diagnosis of these premalignant lesions could be helpful to describe a group at high risk for gastric cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on a clinical study conducted to evaluate the risk factors associated with development of erosive esophagitis. It informs that laboratory tests, questionnaires, and endoscopy were conducted on subjects to identify risk factors. It reports that the trial results revealed obesity and residency as important risk factors contributing to erosive esophagitis development than H. pylori infection in Korea.

Background and Aims: Hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) has been established as a predictor for the development of varices, clinical decompensation and death. In the present study, the primary objectives were to determine the diagnostic accuracy of the model developed by using readily-available data in predicting the presence of significant portal hypertension and esophageal varices. Methods: This study included a total of 61 consecutive treatment-naive patients with advanced fibrosis (METAVIR F3, F4), established by liver biopsy. All patients underwent subsequent HVPG measurement and upper gastrointestinal endoscopy within 1 week of liver biopsy. Results: Seventeen patients (F3, 2/26; F4, 15/35) had clinically-significant portal hypertension (HVPG ≥ 10 mmHg). The Risk Score for predicting significant portal hypertension was 14.2 − 7.1 × log10 (platelet [109/L]) + 4.2 × log10 (bilirubin [mg/dL]). The area under the receiver–operator curve (AUC) curve was 0.91 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.84–0.98). The optimized cut-off value (Risk Score = −1.0) offered a sensitivity of 88% (95% CI, 62–98%) and a specificity of 86% (95% CI, 72–94%). The AUC of the Risk Score in predicting varices was 0.82 (95% CI, 0.67–0.98). The cut-off had a sensitivity of 82% (95% CI, 48–97%) and a specificity of 76% (95% CI, 62–86%). Conclusion: A predictive model that uses readily-available laboratory results may reliably identify advanced fibrosis patients with clinically-significant portal hypertension as well as esophageal varices. However, before accepted, the results of the current study certainly should be validated in larger prospective cohorts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Helicobacter pylori-associated gastrointestinal diseases have been widely recognized. The aims of this study were to investigate the interval change of seropositivity of H. pylori between 1998 and 2005 in Korean adult population and to find the factors related to H. pylori infection. Methods: Between January and December of 2005, a total of 15,916 health check-up subjects (aged ≥ 16 years) from all parts of South Korea responded to the questionnaire, and the prevalence of H. pylori was investigated by measuring anti- H pylori IgG antibodies. The seropositivity in asymptomatic subjects (aged ≥ 16 years) was compared with that of 1998, which was surveyed by the Korean H. pylori Study Group. Results: The overall seropositivity rate (aged ≥ 16 years) was 56.0%, and 13.9% of seropositive subjects were found to have a history of H. pylori eradication therapy. With the exclusion of subjects who had a history of H. pylori eradication and current gastrointestinal symptoms, the seropositivity rate of H. pylori became 59.6% in 8020 subjects. Seroprevalence of H. pylori was significantly higher in subjects aged 50–59 years, males, low income group, and subjects from provinces. The seroprevalence in 2005 (59.6%) significantly decreased compared with that of 1998 (66.9%), and the decrease was significant in subjects aged < 70 years, Seoul and Gyeonggi province (which is close to Seoul). Conclusions: The seroprevalence of H. pylori in asymptomatic health check-up adult subjects in 2005 decreased to 59.6% from 66.9% in 1998, probably as a result of the improvement of socioeconomic status and hygiene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims Visual inspection, lesion detection, and differentiation between malignant and benign features are key aspects of an endoscopist's role. The use of machine learning for the recognition and differentiation of images has been increasingly adopted in clinical practice. This study aimed to establish convolutional neural network (CNN) models to automatically classify gastric neoplasms based on endoscopic images. Methods Endoscopic white-light images of pathologically confirmed gastric lesions were collected and classified into five categories: advanced gastric cancer, early gastric cancer, high grade dysplasia, low grade dysplasia, and nonneoplasm. Three pretrained CNN models were fine-tuned using a training dataset. The classifying performance of the models was evaluated using a test dataset and a prospective validation dataset. Results A total of 5,017 images were collected from 1,269 patients, among which 812 images from 212 patients were used as the test dataset. An additional 200 images from 200 patients were collected and used for prospective validation. For the five-category classification, the weighted average accuracy of the Inception-Resnet-v2 model reached 84.6%. The mean area under the curve (AUC) of the model for differentiating gastric cancer and neoplasm was 0.877 and 0.927, respectively. In prospective validation, the Inception-Resnet-v2 model showed lower performance compared with the endoscopist with the best performance (five-category accuracy 76.4% vs 87.6%; cancer 76.0% vs 97.5%; neoplasm 73.5% vs 96.5%; p<0.001). However, there was no statistical difference between the Inception-Resnet-v2 model and the endoscopist with the worst performance in the differentiation of gastric cancer (accuracy: 76.0% vs 82.0%) and neoplasm (AUC: 0.776 vs 0.865). Conclusions The evaluated deep-learning models have the potential for clinical application in classifying gastric cancer or neoplasm on endoscopic white-light images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims: Frequent bleeding after endoscopic resection (ER) has been reported in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). We aimed to evaluate the association and clinical significance of bleeding with ER in ESRD patients on dialysis. Methods: Between February 2008 and December 2018, 7,571 patients, including 47 ESRD patients on dialysis who underwent ER for gastric neoplasia, were enrolled. A total of 47 ESRD patients on dialysis were propensity score-matched 1:10 to 470 non-ESRD patients, to adjust for between-group differences in variables such as age, sex, comorbidities, anticoagulation use, tumor characteristics, and ER method. Matching was performed using an optimal matching algorithm. For the matched data, clustered comparisons were performed using the generalized estimating equation method. Medical records were retrospectively reviewed. Frequency and outcomes of post-ER bleeding were evaluated. Results: Bleeding was more frequent in the ESRD with dialysis group than in the non-ESRD group. ESRD with dialysis conferred a significant risk of post-ER bleeding (odds ratio, 6.1; 95% confidence interval, 2.7–13.6; p<0.0001). All post-ER bleeding events were controlled using endoscopic hemostasis except in 1 non-ESRD case that needed surgery. Conclusions: ESRD with dialysis confers a bleeding risk after ER. However, all bleeding events could be managed endoscopically without sequelae. Concern about bleeding should not stop endoscopists from performing ER in ESRD patients on dialysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims: Insufficient systematic reviews were conducted in the previous meta-analyses about the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of H. pylori infection in patients with CKD. Methods: A systematic review of studies that evaluated the prevalence of H. pylori infection in patients with CKD compared to a control group was performed. Only studies with adult patients were included, and studies with renal transplant recipients or diabetic nephropathy patients were excluded. Random-effects model meta-analyses with sensitivity analyses and subgroup analyses were conducted to confirm the robustness of the main result. A meta-regression analysis was conducted to explore the influence of potential heterogeneity on the outcomes. The methodological quality of the included publications was evaluated using the Risk of Bias Assessment tool for Nonrandomized Studies. Publication bias was also assessed. Results: In total, 47 studies were identified and analyzed. The total prevalence of H. pylori infection was 48.2% (1,968/4,084) in patients with CKD and 59.3% (4,097/6,908) in the control group. Pooled analysis showed a significantly lower prevalence of H. pylori infection in patients with CKD (vs control group: odds ratio, 0.64; 95% confidence interval, 0.52 to 0.79). Sensitivity analyses revealed consistent results, and meta-regression analysis showed no significant confounders. No publication bias was detected. Conclusions: The results of this study suggest a lower prevalence of H. pylori infection in patients with CKD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims: This nationwide, multicenter prospective randomized controlled trial aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of 10-day concomitant therapy (CT) and 10-day sequential therapy (ST) with 7-day clarithromycin-containing triple therapy (TT) as first-line treatment for Helicobacter pylori infection in the Korean population. Methods: Patients with H. pylori infection were assigned randomly to 7d-TT (lansoprazole 30 mg, amoxicillin 1 g, and clarithromycin 500 mg twice daily for 7 days), 10d-ST (lansoprazole 30 mg and amoxicillin 1 g twice daily for the first 5 days, followed by lansoprazole 30 mg, clarithromycin 500 mg, and metronidazole 500 mg twice daily for the remaining 5 days), or 10d-CT (lansoprazole 30 mg, amoxicillin 1 g, clarithromycin 500 mg, and metronidazole 500 mg twice daily for 10 days). The primary endpoint was eradication rate by intention-to-treat (ITT) and per-protocol (PP) analyses. Results: A total of 1,141 patients were included. The 10d-CT protocol achieved a markedly higher eradication rate than the 7d-TT protocol in both the ITT (81.2% vs 63.9%) and PP analyses (90.6% vs 71.4%). The eradication rate of the 10d- ST protocol was superior to that of the 7d-TT protocol (76.3% vs 63.9%, ITT analysis; 85.0% vs 71.4%, PP analysis). No significant differences in adherence or serious side effects were found among the three treatment arms. Conclusions: The 10d-CT and 10d-ST regimens were superior to the 7d- TT regimen as standard first-line treatment in Korea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of a controlled release, once-daily formulation of mosapride (UI05MSP015CT) in patients with functional dyspepsia (FD). Methods: Patients with FD were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive either UI05MSP015CT (15 mg once a day, study group) or mosapride (5 mg three times a day, control group) and corresponding placebo for 4 weeks. The primary endpoint was a change in the gastrointestinal symptom score (GIS) evaluated at enrollment and after 4 weeks. Secondary endpoints were changes in the Nepean Dyspepsia Index-Korean version (NDI-K), rate of satisfactory symptom relief, and rate of adverse events. Results: A total of 138 patients were enrolled (female, 73.9%; mean age, 44.0±15.4 years). After excluding patients who violated the study protocol, 59 and 58 patients from the study and control groups, respectively, were included in the per-protocol analysis. No difference was observed in drug compliance between the control and study groups (97.07%±4.52% vs 96.85%±6.05%, p=0.870). Changes in GIS scores were -9.69±6.44 and -10.01±5.92 in the study and control groups. The mean difference in GIS change between groups was 0.33 (95% confidence interval, -1.75 to 2.41), demonstrating non-inferiority of UI- 05MSP015CT (p=0.755). The rate of satisfactory symptom relief was not different between the study and control groups (39.0% vs 56.9%, p=0.053). No differences in change in NDI-K score (14.3 vs 16.9, p=0.263) or rates of adverse events (12.9% vs. 4.4%, p=0.062) were observed between the study and control groups. Conclusions: Once-daily mosapride is not inferior to conventional mosapride in efficacy and is safe in patients with FD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims: Rebleeding is associated with mortality in patients with peptic ulcer bleeding (PUB), and risk stratification is important for the management of these patients. The purpose of our study was to examine the risk factors associated with rebleeding in patients with PUB. Methods: The Korean Peptic Ulcer Bleeding registry is a large prospectively collected database of patients with PUB who were hospitalized between 2014 and 2015 at 28 medical centers in Korea. We examined the basic characteristics and clinical outcomes of patients in this registry. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify the factors associated with rebleeding. Results: In total, 904 patients with PUB were registered, and 897 patients were analyzed. Rebleeding occurred in 7.1% of the patients (64), and the 30-day mortality was 1.0% (nine patients). According to the multivariate analysis, the risk factors for rebleeding were the presence of co-morbidities, use of multiple drugs, albumin levels, and hematemesis/hematochezia as initial presentations. Conclusions: The presence of co-morbidities, use of multiple drugs, albumin levels, and initial presentations with hematemesis/hematochezia can be indicators of rebleeding in patients with PUB. The wide use of proton pump inhibitors and prompt endoscopic interventions may explain the low incidence of rebleeding and low mortality rates in Korea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aim: Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is typically performed in prone position. In cases of difficulty in prone position, ERCP can be performed in left lateral position. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of left lateral position for ERCP compared with those of prone position. Patients and Methods: Between August 2015 and March 2016, a total of 62 patients with native papilla who underwent ERCP were randomly assigned to undergo the procedure in left lateral position (n = 31) or prone position (n = 31). The outcomes of procedures were compared between the two groups. Results: There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of the demographic data, indications for ERCP, comorbidities, anticoagulation agents, the types and doses of sedative agents, and procedural durations. The rates of technical success and adverse events were similar (96.8 and 40%, respectively, in left lateral group and 100 and 32.3%, respectively, in prone group). The rates of unintentional pancreatic duct (PD) cannulation and the acquisition of pancreatograms in left lateral group were significantly greater than those in prone group (9/30, 30.0% vs. 3/31, 9.7%, P = 0.046; 7/30, 23.3% vs. 1/31, 3.2%, P = 0.020, respectively). However, there was no significant difference in the rate of post-ERCP pancreatitis (6/30, 20% vs. 5/31, 16.1%, P = 0.694). Conclusion: The left lateral position for ERCP can be as effective and safe as prone position. Due to increased rates of unintended PD cannulation and contrast injection, the initial use of left lateral position may be limited to cases that exhibit difficulty in prone position. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) immunotherapy is a common treatment modality for bladder cancer after transurethral resection of a bladder tumor. This therapy is generally safe, and development of a prostatic abscess with a prostatorectal fistula after intravesical BCG immunotherapy is a very rare complication. This finding was incidentally obtained by the authors, who examined a patient with colonoscopy for evaluation of abdominal pain. The patient was successfully treated with antitubercular drugs. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of a patient with a tuberculous prostatic abscess with prostatorectal fistula after BCG immunotherapy in South Korea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims: The purpose of this study is to investigate the recurrence rate of peptic ulcer disease (PUD) over a long follow-up period with PUD patients without Helicobacter pylori. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed patients diagnosed with PUD on endoscopy and divided them into two groups: a H. pylori-negative group (HP-negative group), and a group of patients with untreated H. pylori (HP noneradicated group). We compared the recurrence rates of PUD in these two groups and analyzed the factors that affected ulcer recurrence. Results: Total of nine hospitals in Korea participated, and a total of 1,761 patients were retrospectively reviewed. The HP-negative group included 553 patients, and the HP noneradicated group included 372 patients. The 5-year cumulative probabilities of PUD recurrence were 36.4% in the HP-negative group and 43.8% in the HP noneradicated group (p=0.113). The factors that were found to affect recurrence in the HP-negative group were elder, male, and comorbid chronic kidney disease. Conclusions: The 5-year cumulative probability of PUD recurrence without H. pylori infection after a long-term follow-up was 36.4% and the factors that affected recurrence were elder, male, and comorbid chronic kidney disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims: Eradication of Helicobacter pylori infection with standard triple therapy (TT) has declined primarily because of increased antibiotic resistance. Sequential therapy (ST) has been suggested as an alternative to TT for the first-line treatment of H. pylori. The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of ST with TT. Methods: This was a multicenter, randomized open-label trial performed at nine centers in Korea. Patients with H. pylori infection were randomly assigned to receive either 7 day TT or 10 day ST. Eradication rates, drug compliance, and adverse events were compared among the two regimens. Results: A total of 601 patients were enrolled between March 2011 and September 2014. The intention-to-treat eradication rates were 70.8% for TT and 82.4% for ST (p=0.001). The corresponding per protocol eradication rates were 76.9% and 88.8% for TT and ST, respectively (p=0.000). There were no statistically significant differences between the two regimens with respect to drug compliance and adverse events. Conclusions: ST achieved better eradication rates than TT as a first-line therapy for H. pylori eradication in Korea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gastrocolocutaneous fistula is a rare complication of the percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) procedure. Typical symptoms usually occur in the first few months. We recently encountered 2 patients with 8- and 33-month asymptomatic periods. A 74-year-old man presented with watery diarrhea for 1 month. He had undergone PEG 9 months earlier. During workup, an upper endoscopy and abdominal CT scan revealed the migration of the feeding tube into the transverse colon. He was discharged with a nasogastric tube after treatment. A 77-year-old man presented with sudden loosening of his PEG tube with a duration over 3 days. He had undergone PEG procedure three times until that time. During workup, a gastrocolocutaneous fistula was diagnosed. However, when previous studies were reviewed, an abdominal CT scan, which was done 6 months ago before the third PEG, showed the fistula already existed at that time, suggesting that it was created about 33 months earlier when he underwent the second PEG procedure. The patient died of pneumonia aggravation despite conservative treatment. Both a high index of suspicion and the careful inspection of the upper endoscopy are very important for early diagnosis regardless of symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hyperproliferation of the colonic epithelium, leading to expansion of colonic crypt progenitors, is a recognized risk factor for colorectal cancer. Overexpression of progastrin, a nonamidated and incompletely processed product of the gastrin gene, has been shown to induce colonic hyperproliferation and promote colorectal cancer in mice, but the mechanism of pathogenesis has not been defined. Cholecystokinin-2 receptor (CCK2R) is the primary receptor for cholecystokinin (CCK) and amidated gastrin. Here, we show that Cck2r was expressed in murine colonic crypts and upregulated in the transgenic mice that overexpress human progastrin. Murine deletion of Cck2r abrogated progastrin-dependent increases in colonic proliferation, mucosal thickness, and β-catenin and CD44 expression in the colon tumor. In addition, either deletion or antagonism of Cck2r resulted in the inhibition of progastrin-dependent increases in progenitors expressing doublecortin and CaM kinase-like-1 (DCAMKL1), stem cells expressing leucine rich repeat-containing G protein-coupled receptor 5 (LgR5), and colonic crypt fission. Furthermore, in the azoxymethane mouse model of colorectal carcinogenesis, Cck2r deletion in human progastrin-overexpressing mice resulted in markedly decreased aberrant crypt foci formation and substantially reduced tumor size and multiplicity. Taken together, these observations indicate that progastrin induces proliferative effects, primarily in colonic progenitor cells, through a CCK2R-dependent pathway. Moreover, our data suggest that CCK2R may be a potential target in the treatment or prevention of colorectal cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims The gastrointestinal endoscopy unit is frequently exposed to gastrointestinal gas expelled from patients and electrocoagulated tissue through carbonation. This can be potentially harmful to the health of not only the healthcare personnel but also patients who undergo endoscopy. This study aimed to measure the air quality in the endoscopy unit. Methods We measured indoor air quality indices using portable passive air quality monitoring sensors in the procedural, recovery area, and cleansing-of-equipment area, at 1-minute intervals for 1 week, and the type and number of endoscopic procedures were recorded. Results CO2, PM2.5, NO2, and ozone levels were the highest in the cleansing area, followed by the procedural and recovery areas, and volatile organic compound (VOC) level was highest in the procedural area. The proportion of poor-quality level of CO2 and VOCs was highest in the procedural area and that of NO2 was highest in the cleansing area. The proportion of tolerable to poor-quality (exceeding acceptable level) level of CO2 and total VOCs in the procedural area was 26% and 19.2%, respectively. The proportion of tolerable to poor-quality level of NO2 in the cleansing area of the endoscopy unit was 32.1% in all measurement times. Multivariate analyses revealed that tolerable to poor-quality level of VOCs was associated with the number of endoscopic procedures (odds ratio [OR], 1.79; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.42 to 2.27) and PM2.5 level (OR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.12 to 1.44). Moreover, tolerable to poor-quality level of CO2 was associated with the number of colonoscopy (OR, 5.35; 95% CI, 1.19 to 24.02), especially with electrocoagulation procedures (OR, 24.31; 95% CI, 1.31 to 452.44) in the procedural area. Conclusions Healthcare personnel and patients who undergo endoscopy are exposed to ambient air pollution. Health-related protective strategies for ambient air pollution in the endoscopy unit are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To elucidate the epidemiological characteristics and associated risk factors of perforated peptic ulcer (PPU)., Methods: We retrospectively reviewed medical records of patients who were diagnosed with benign PPU from 2010 through 2015 at 6 Hallym university-affiliated hospitals., Results: A total of 396 patients were identified with postoperative complication rate of 9.1% and mortality rate of 0.8%. Among 174 (43.9%) patients who were examined for Helicobacter pylori ( H. pylori ) infection, 78 (44.8%) patients were positive for H. pylori infection, 21 (12.1%) were on non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) therapy, and 80 (46%) patients were neither infected of H. pylori nor treated by any kinds of NSAIDs. Multivariate analysis indicated that older age (OR = 1.09, 95%CI: 1.04-1.16) and comorbidity (OR = 4.11, 95%CI: 1.03-16.48) were risk factors for NSAID-associated PPU compared with non- H. pylori , non-NSAID associated PPU and older age (OR = 1.04, 95%CI: 1.02-1.07) and alcohol consumption (OR = 2.08, 95%CI: 1.05-4.13) were risk factors for non- H. pylori , non-NSAID associated PPU compared with solely H. pylori positive PPU., Conclusion: Elderly patients with comorbidities are associated with NSAIDs-associated PPU. Non- H. pylori , non-NSAID peptic ulcer is important etiology of PPU and alcohol consumption is associated risk factor., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: Authors disclose no conflict-of-interest or financial relationship relevant to this publication.

Aim: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for early gastric cancer (EGC) with undifferentiated-type histology., Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted using the core databases. Complete resection, curative resection, en bloc resection, recurrence and adverse event rate were extracted and analyzed. A random effect model was applied. The methodological quality of the enrolled studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Publication bias was evaluated using a funnel plot, the trim and fill method, Egger's test, and a rank correlation test., Results: Fourteen retrospective studies between 2009 and 2014 were identified (972 EGC lesions with undifferentiated-type histology). The total en bloc and complete resection rates were estimated as 92.1% (95%CI: 87.4%-95.2%) and 77.5% (95%CI: 69.3%-84%), respectively. The total curative resection rate was 61.4% (95%CI: 44.5%-75.9%). The overall recurrence rate was 7.6% (95%CI: 3.4%-16%). Limited to histologically diagnosed expanded-criteria lesions, the en bloc and complete resection rates were 91.2% and 85.6%, respectively. The curative resection rate was 79.8%., Conclusion: In this analysis, ESD is a technically feasible treatment modality for EGC with undifferentiated-type histology. Long-term studies are needed to confirm these therapeutic outcomes.

Aim: To evaluate the association between alcoholic liver disease (ALD) and bone fractures or osteoporosis., Methods: Non-randomized studies were identified from databases (PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library). The search was conducted using Boolean operators and keywords, which included "alcoholic liver diseases", "osteoporosis", or "bone fractures". The prevalence of any fractures or osteoporosis, and bone mineral density (BMD) were extracted and analyzed using risk ratios and standardized mean difference (SMD). A random effects model was applied., Results: In total, 15 studies were identified and analyzed. Overall, ALD demonstrated a RR of 1.944 (95%CI: 1.354-2.791) for the development of bone fractures. However, ALD showed a RR of 0.849 (95%CI: 0.523-1.380) for the development of osteoporosis. BMD was not significantly different between the ALD and control groups, although there was a trend toward lower BMD in patients with ALD (SMD in femur-BMD: -0.172, 95%CI: -0.453-0.110; SMD in spine-BMD: -0.169, 95%CI: -0.476-0.138). Sensitivity analyses showed consistent results., Conclusion: Current publications indicate significant associations between bone fractures and ALD, independent of BMD or the presence of osteoporosis.

Increasing rates of antimicrobial resistance to clarithromycin and metronidazole present challenges in maintaining optimal eradication rates. Knowledge of local antibiotic resistance and consumption pattern is important in selecting a reliable regimen. In addition, adverse effect profiles of therapeutic regimens are important and must be addressed to enhance compliance rates. Various methods of enhancing the eradication rates of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) have been investigated, including changing combinations or durations of established drugs, adding adjuvant drugs, or development of new molecules or agents. Bismuth-containing quadruple, sequential, concomitant, and levofloxacin-based triple therapies are replacing the long-standing standard of the triple regimen. Despite the encouraging results of these regimens, individualized approaches like treatment after antibiotics resistance test or CYP2C19 genotyping would be the mainstream of future therapy. Because scientific, economic, and technical problems make these advance therapies unfit for widespread use, future development for H. pylori therapy should be directed to overcome individualized antibiotic resistance. Although various novel regimens and additive agents have indicated favorable outcomes, more studies or validations are needed to become a mainstream H. pylori therapy.

Aim: To evaluate the clinical characteristics of nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage (NGIH) in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD)., Methods: From 2003 to 2010, a total of 72 CKD patients (male n = 52, 72.2%; female n = 20, 27.8%) who had undergone endoscopic treatments for NGIH were retrospectively identified. Clinical findings, endoscopic features, prognosis, rebleeding risk factors, and mortality-related factors were evaluated. The characteristics of the patients and rebleeding-related data were recorded for the following variables: gender, age, alcohol use and smoking history, past hemorrhage history, endoscopic findings (the cause, location, and size of the hemorrhage and the hemorrhagic state), therapeutic options for endoscopy, endoscopist experience, clinical outcomes, and mortality., Results: The average size of the hemorrhagic site was 13.7 ± 10.2 mm, and the most common hemorrhagic site in the stomach was the antrum (n = 21, 43.8%). The most frequent method of hemostasis was combination therapy (n = 32, 44.4%). The incidence of rebleeding was 37.5% (n = 27), and 16.7% (n = 12) of patients expired due to hemorrhage. In a multivariate analysis of the risk factors for rebleeding, alcoholism (OR = 11.19, P = 0.02), the experience of endoscopists (OR = 0.56, P = 0.03), and combination endoscopic therapy (OR = 0.06, P = 0.01) compared with monotherapy were significantly related to rebleeding after endoscopic therapy. In a risk analysis of mortality after endoscopic therapy, only rebleeding was related to mortality (OR = 7.1, P = 0.02)., Conclusion: Intensive combined endoscopic treatments by experienced endoscopists are necessary for the treatment of NGIH in patients with CKD, especially when a patient is an alcoholic.