Despite recent advances in nutritional support, patient monitoring, and surgical intensive care, as well as some improvement in surgical techniques, post-operative fistulas have been regarded as one of the most serious complications in abdominal surgery. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment with total parenteral nutrition (TPN) alone (group A, n=26) or with TPN combined with octreotide, a long-acting analog of somatostatin (group B, n=20) in post-operative enterocutaneous fistulas. In group A, we treated 2 biliary, 10 pancreatic and 14 intestinal cutaneous fistulas with total parenteral nutrition. In group B, we treated 6 biliary, 8 pancreatic and 6 intestinal cutaneous fistulas with octreotide. The results obtained from the analysis are as follows: 1) The spontaneous closure of the fistulas was 69.2% in group A and 75.0% in group B. 2) The mean interval of time to achieve the healing of the fistula was 30.44 days in group A and 14.53 days in group B. 3) The mean interval of time to achieve a fistula output reduction of 50% was 6.44 days in group A and 2.44 days in group B. 4) In patients with low-output fistulas, the spontaneous closure of the fistula was 81.8% in group A and 80.0% in group B. In patients with high-output fistulas, the spontaneous closure of the fistula was 60.0% in group A and 73.3% in group B. 5) In patients with low albumin (< 3.0 g/dl), the spontaneous closure of the fistula was 54.5% in group A and 50.0% in group B. In patients with high albumin (> or = 3.0 g/dl), the spontaneous closure of the fistula was 80.0% in group A and 85.7% in group B. 6) In patients with an abdominal abscess, the spontaneous closure of the fistula was 40.0% in group A and 40.0% in group B. In patients without an abdominal abscess, the spontaneous closure of the fistula was 87.5% in group A and 86.7% in group B. 7) As compared with TPN, the spontaneous closure of the fistulas treated with octreotide was increased in the gastroduodenum and the external biliary system, was similar in the small bowel and the pancreas, but was decreased in the colon. We conclude that octreotide is a useful therapeutic complement in the conservative treatment of selected patients with post-operative cutaneous fistulas, especially fistulas in the external biliary system and the gastroduodenum.
Abdominal Abscess ; Biliary Tract ; Critical Care ; Colon ; Complement System Proteins ; Cutaneous Fistula ; Fistula ; Humans ; Intestinal Fistula* ; Monitoring, Physiologic ; Nutritional Support ; Octreotide ; Pancreas ; Parenteral Nutrition, Total ; Somatostatin

Leptin serves an important role in suppressing appetite in mice and is known to be elevated in chronic renal failure (CRF) patients. But clinical significance of leptin as an appetite-reducing uremic toxin, remains to be determined. So we studied the relationship between plasma leptin and nutritional status in 46 chronic hemodialysis (HD) patients. Pre HD leptin was measured and divided by body mass index (BMI) to give adjusted leptin levels. KT/Vurea (K, dialyzer urea clearance; T, duration of HD; V, volume of distribution of urea), C-reactive protein (CRP), plasma insulin and nutritional parameters such as serum albumin, normalized protein catabolic rate (nPCR), subjective global assessment (SGA), BMI and mid-arm muscle circumference (MAMC) were also measured. Mean plasma leptin levels were 8.13+/-2.91 ng/mL (male 3.15+/-0.70; female 14.07+/-6.14, p<0.05). Adjusted leptin levels were positively correlated with nPCR (male r=0.47, p<0.05; female r=0.46, p<0.05), SGA (male r=0.43, p<0.05; female r=0.51, p<0.05) and MAMC (male r=0.60, p<0.005; female r=0.61, p<0.05). They did not correlate with KT/Vurea, serum albumin, hematocrit, bicarbonate, insulin and CRP. Presence of DM and erythropoietin therapy had no effect on leptin levels. These results suggest that leptin is a marker of good nutritional status rather than a cause of protein energy malnutrition in chronic HD patients.
Adult ; Biological Markers/blood ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Human ; Kidney Failure, Chronic/therapy ; Kidney Failure, Chronic/complications ; Kidney Failure, Chronic/blood* ; Leptin/blood* ; Male ; Middle Age ; Nutrition Disorders/etiology ; Nutrition Disorders/diagnosis ; Nutritional Status* ; Obesity/metabolism ; Obesity/etiology ; Renal Dialysis*/adverse effects ; Sex Factors

Percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) has been widely used, but it has a potential risk of tumor spread along the catheter tract. We herein present a case of solitary PTBD tract metastasis after curative resection of perihilar cholangiocarcinoma. Initially, endoscopic nasobiliary drainage was done on a 65 year-old female patient, but the cholangitis did not resolve. Thus a PTBD catheter was inserted into the right posterior duct. Right portal vein embolization was also performed. Curative surgery including right hepatectomy and bile duct resection was performed 16 days after PTBD. After 12 months, serum CA19-9 had increased gradually without any symptoms. Finally, a small right pleural metastasis was found through strict tumor surveillance for 6 months. Chemoradiation therapy was performed, but there was no response to treatment. As the tumor progressed, she complained of severe dyspnea and finally died from tumor dissemination to the chest and bones 18 months after the first detection of PTBD tract recurrence and 36 months after surgery. No intra-abdominal recurrence was found until the terminal stage. This PTBD tract recurrence was attributed to the PTBD even though it was in place for only 16 days. Although such recurrence is rare, its risk should be taken into account during follow-up of patients who have received PTBD before.
Bile Ducts ; Catheters ; Cholangiocarcinoma ; Cholangitis ; Dioxolanes ; Drainage ; Dyspnea ; Female ; Fluorocarbons ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hepatectomy ; Humans ; Hypogonadism ; Mitochondrial Diseases ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Ophthalmoplegia ; Portal Vein ; Recurrence ; Thorax

BACKGROUND: Lithospermic acid B (LAB), an active component isolated from Salvia miltiorrhizae, has been reported to have renoprotective effects in type 1 and type 2 diabetic animal models. We examined the effects of LAB on the prevention of diabetic nephropathy compared with amlodipine, a calcium channel blocker, and losartan, an angiotensin receptor blocker, in Otsuka Long-Evans-Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rats, an animal model of type 2 diabetes. METHODS: LAB (20 mg/kg), amlodipine (10 mg/kg), or losartan (10 mg/kg) was given orally once daily to 10-week-old male OLETF rats for 28 weeks. RESULTS: None of LAB, losartan, and amlodipine exhibited effects on blood glucose levels. Treatment with amlodipine or losartan resulted in similar reductions in blood pressure; however, LAB was less effective in lowering blood pressure. Albuminuria was markedly suppressed by losartan and LAB, but not by amlodipine. LAB treatment decreased levels of renal lipid peroxidation, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), and transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that LAB has beneficial effects on the diabetic nephropathy in OLETF rats by decreasing oxidative stress and inflammation as potent as losartan.
Albuminuria ; Amlodipine ; Angiotensins ; Animals ; Benzofurans ; Blood Glucose ; Blood Pressure ; Calcium Channels ; Chemokine CCL2 ; Depsides ; Diabetic Nephropathies ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Lipid Peroxidation ; Losartan ; Male ; Models, Animal ; Oxidative Stress ; Pyridines ; Rats ; Rats, Inbred OLETF ; Salvia miltiorrhiza ; Thiazoles

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) pneumonia is one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised patients such as transplant recipients. But CMV pneumonia is unusually reported among adults with leukemia who have not undergone transplantation. Because it is a cause of life-threatening pneumonia in adults with leukemia receiving potent immunosuppressive therapies, CMV has emerged as an important pathogen. We report a case of CMV pneumonia and invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in a patient with acute leukemia who have not undergone transplantation. A 31-year-old man with acute myelogenous leukemia developed high fever on day 9 of second consolidation chemotherapy. Six days later, chest radiography showed patchy consolidation with central cavity on right upper lung. Considering fungal pneumonia, amphoterin B was started, then fever was subsided. Chest CT showed necrotizing pneumonia with cavity formation in posterior segment of right upper lobe. Because of several episodes of hemoptysis, lobectomy was performed. Grossly, the area of focal necrosis with central cavity formation and multiple small interstitial nodules were observed. In the area of interstitial nodules, giant cells with intranuclear inclusion and perinuclear halo were found. In the area of focal necrosis, fungal hyphae with acute branching and septation were found. Ganciclovir and immunoglobulin were administered for CMV pneumonia. On day 62 of the chemotherapy, the patient discharged with improved symptoms. After several weeks, unrelated HLA-matched allogeneic stem cell transplantation was performed. On day 14 of transplantation, the patient died due to septic shock of unknown cause.
Adult ; Aspergillosis ; Consolidation Chemotherapy ; Cytomegalovirus* ; Drug Therapy* ; Fever ; Ganciclovir ; Giant Cells ; Hemoptysis ; HMGB1 Protein ; Humans* ; Hyphae ; Immunocompromised Host ; Immunoglobulins ; Intranuclear Inclusion Bodies ; Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis ; Leukemia ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute* ; Lung ; Mortality ; Necrosis ; Pneumonia* ; Pulmonary Aspergillosis* ; Radiography ; Shock, Septic ; Stem Cell Transplantation ; Thorax ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Transplantation

Depression is common in the patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Estimates of the prevalence of depression in the patients with RA have ranged from 14 to 46%, depending on the criteria used and the patient subgroups studied. Our objectives were to show how frequently depression occur among patients with RA, to compare depression in RA and osteoarthritis (OA) patients, and to identify the disease and sociodemographic variables with which depression are associated. Subjects included in this study were 119 RA patients, and 140 OA patients. The Korean version of the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D) was used to assess depression. The Korean health assessment questionnaire (KHAQ) was used to assess physical function in patients with RA. The associations of sociodemographic variables, disability, severity and other variables with CES-D score were evaluated by multiple regression analysis. RESULTS: When CES-D cut-off score of 25 was used, 54 (50.9%) of 106 RA patients, and 32(23.5%) of 122 OA patients had scores suggestive of depression, and the difference was still significant after adjusting age, sex, disease duration, pain scale and fatigue scale (p<0.05). RA patients had higher mean scores on CES-D than OA patients after adjusting above variables, too (p<0.05). The bivariate analysis showed that age, sex, education level, fatigue scale, pain scale, KHAQ-disability score, WBC, ESR were significantly associated with CES-D scores in RA patients; and the duration of disease, pain scale and fatigue scale were associated with those in OA patients (p<0.05). By stepwise selection in multiple logistic regression model, the age, pain scale and KHAQ-disability score were selected as significant independent variables in RA patients. In OA patients, the duration of disease and pain scale were selected as significant independent variables. CONCLUSION: RA patients are significantly more depressed than OA patients, and the associated factors with depression are patient? age, pain scale and KHAQ disability score in RA.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid* ; Depression* ; Education ; Fatigue ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Osteoarthritis ; Prevalence ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: Splenectomy during living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) in a hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related cirrhotic recipient was performed by a Tokyo group to enhance the patient's tolerability to post-operative anti-viral treatment by improving complete blood count (CBC) profiles. At our institution, interruption of the splenic artery (SPA) by ligation or embolization in lieu of splenectomy, has been performed in LDLT to modulate portal blood flow in small-for-size graft LDLT or to prevent rupture of SPA aneurysms in recipients. We aimed to determine if interruption of the SPA can serve as an alternative management to splenectomy in LDLT recipients based on our data. METHODS: Patients were classified into the splenic artery ligation group (SAL; n=26) and splenic artery embolization group (SAE; n=19), respectively. Among the recipients without SPA interruption, age-, gender-, and severity of cirrhosis-matched 25 recipients were selected as a control group. Post-operative CBC profiles and spleen size were reviewed retrospectively and compared between the groups. RESULTS: After SAL, platelet and neutrophil counts were significantly increased at 3 and 6 months, and at 1 week and 1 month, respectively (p<0.05). After SAE, platelet and neutrophil counts were significantly increased at 3 and 6 months, and at 1 week and 3 months, respectively. There were no significant complications related to interruption of the SPA. CONCLUSION: Interruption of the SPA may have a role in improving neutrophil and platelet counts in LDLT recipients with severe pancytopenia or in whom antiviral treatment for HCV in anticipated.
Aneurysm ; Blood Cell Count ; Blood Platelets ; Hepacivirus ; Humans ; Ligation ; Liver ; Liver Transplantation ; Living Donors ; Neutrophils ; Pancytopenia ; Platelet Count ; Retrospective Studies ; Rupture ; Spleen ; Splenectomy ; Splenic Artery ; Tokyo ; Transplants

PURPOSE: Splenectomy during living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) in a hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related cirrhotic recipient was performed by a Tokyo group to enhance the patient's tolerability to post-operative anti-viral treatment by improving complete blood count (CBC) profiles. At our institution, interruption of the splenic artery (SPA) by ligation or embolization in lieu of splenectomy, has been performed in LDLT to modulate portal blood flow in small-for-size graft LDLT or to prevent rupture of SPA aneurysms in recipients. We aimed to determine if interruption of the SPA can serve as an alternative management to splenectomy in LDLT recipients based on our data. METHODS: Patients were classified into the splenic artery ligation group (SAL; n=26) and splenic artery embolization group (SAE; n=19), respectively. Among the recipients without SPA interruption, age-, gender-, and severity of cirrhosis-matched 25 recipients were selected as a control group. Post-operative CBC profiles and spleen size were reviewed retrospectively and compared between the groups. RESULTS: After SAL, platelet and neutrophil counts were significantly increased at 3 and 6 months, and at 1 week and 1 month, respectively (p<0.05). After SAE, platelet and neutrophil counts were significantly increased at 3 and 6 months, and at 1 week and 3 months, respectively. There were no significant complications related to interruption of the SPA. CONCLUSION: Interruption of the SPA may have a role in improving neutrophil and platelet counts in LDLT recipients with severe pancytopenia or in whom antiviral treatment for HCV in anticipated.
Aneurysm ; Blood Cell Count ; Blood Platelets ; Hepacivirus ; Humans ; Ligation ; Liver ; Liver Transplantation ; Living Donors ; Neutrophils ; Pancytopenia ; Platelet Count ; Retrospective Studies ; Rupture ; Spleen ; Splenectomy ; Splenic Artery ; Tokyo ; Transplants

BACKGROUNDS/AIMS: The rates of surgery-related complications during and after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) remain very high, reaching up to 41%. They were primarily caused by leakage of pancreatic juice. We evaluated the effectiveness of external drainage of the bile duct using a pigtail drain to prevent pancreatic leakage in patients undergoing PD. METHODS: We evaluated 79 patients who underwent PD using a single-layer continuous suture between the pancreatic parenchyma and jejunum after duct-to-mucosa anastomosis by a single surgeon from April 2005 to December 2008. Of the 79, 44 underwent external drainage (ED) of the bile duct using a pigtail drain, performed in the intraoperative field via a retrograde transhepatic approach, whereas 35 did not undergo ED. RESULTS: Age, sex distribution, number of total complications, pancreatic duct size, pancreatic texture and duration of hospital stay did not differ between patients who did and did not undergo ED. In groups with or without ED, 0 and 4 patients, respectively, showed leakage of pancreatic juice and the difference was statistically significant (p=0.02). CONCLUSIONS: The fact that none of the patients who underwent external drainage experienced pancreatic leakage, suggests that external drainage of the bile duct with a pigtail drain to decompress the jejunum and to drain pancreatic and bile juice is useful in preventing the complications of pancreatic leakage.
Bile ; Bile Ducts ; Drainage ; Humans ; Jejunum ; Length of Stay ; Pancreatic Ducts ; Pancreatic Juice ; Pancreaticoduodenectomy ; Pancreaticojejunostomy ; Sex Distribution ; Sutures

BACKGROUND: Prophylaxis for hepatitis B virus (HBV) recurrence is essential after liver transplantation (LT) in HBV-associated recipients. We conducted real-world analysis of HBV prophylaxis after LT in the Korean population.METHODS: Korean Organ Transplantation Registry (KOTRY) database and additionally collected data (n = 326) were analyzed with special reference to types of HBV prophylaxis.RESULTS: The study cohort comprised 267 cases of living-donor LT and 59 cases of deceased-donor LT. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was diagnosed in 232 (71.2%) of these subjects. Antiviral agents were used in 255 patients (78.2%) prior to LT. HBV DNA was undetectable in 69 cases (21.2%) and detectable over wide concentrations in the other 257 patients (78.8%) prior to LT. Polymerase chain reaction analysis of the store blood samples detected HBV DNA in all patients, with 159 patients (48.9%) showing concentrations > 100 IU/mL. Post-transplant HBV regimens during the first year included combination therapy in 196 (60.1%), hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIG) monotherapy in 121 (37.1%), and antiviral monotherapy in 9 (2.8%). In the second post-transplant year, these regimens had changed to combination therapy in 187 (57.4%), HBIG monotherapy in 112 (34.4%), and antiviral monotherapy in 27 (8.3%). Trough antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen titers > 500 IU/mL and >1,000 IU/mL were observed in 61.7% and 25.2%, respectively. The mean simulative half-life of HBIG was 21.6 ± 4.3 days with a median 17.7 days. Up to 2-year follow-up period, HCC recurrence and HBV recurrence developed in 18 (5.5%) and 6 (1.8%), respectively. HCC recurrence developed in 3 of 6 patients with HBV recurrence.CONCLUSION: Combination therapy is the mainstay of HBV prophylaxis protocols in a majority of Korean LT centers, but HBIG was often administered excessively. Individualized optimization of HBIG treatments using SHL is necessary to adjust the HBIG infusion interval.
Antiviral Agents ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Cohort Studies ; DNA ; Follow-Up Studies ; Half-Life ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; Hepatitis B virus ; Hepatitis B ; Hepatitis ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins ; Korea ; Liver Transplantation ; Liver ; Organ Transplantation ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Recurrence ; Transplants