BACKGROUND/AIMS: The aims of this study were to examine the expressions of endothelium specific VE-cadherin, intestine specific LI-cadherin, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and to determine their relationships with the clinicopathological parameters of gastric cancer. METHODS: A total 47 patients with gastric cancer who underwent surgery were enrolled. Endoscopic biopsies were obtained from the cancer and normal mucosa, respectively. Using semiquantitative RT-PCR, the mRNA expression levels of VE-cadherin, LI-cadherin and VEGF were measured by tumor/normal (T/N) ratios. The protein expressions of VE-cadherin, LI-cadherin and VEGF were examined by Western blot and immunohistochemical stain in surgically resected tissues. The clinicopathological variables were reviewed and analyzed, retrospectively. RESULTS: Twenty two cases (46.8%) of VE-cadherin, 25 cases (53.2%) of LI-cadherin and 27 cases (51.1%) of VEGF mRNA expressions were overexpressed in gastric cancer compared to normal tissue. There was a tendency for T/N ratio of VE-cadherin mRNA to correlate with the lymphatic invasion (p=0.07) and the lymph node metastasis (p=0.099) in advanced gastric cancer. The T/N ratio of LI-cadherin mRNA showed significant association with distant metastasis (p=0.031) and lymphatic invasion especially in advanced gastric cancer (p=0.023). There was a tendency for the T/N ratio of VEGF mRNA to correlate with the distant metastasis (p=0.073) in advanced gastric cancer. CONCLUSIONS: As increased mRNA expression of LI-cadherin was associated with distant metastasis and lymphatic invasion especially in the biopsy specimen of advanced gastric cancer before surgery, it may provide useful preoperative information on tumor aggressiveness.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Antigens, CD/genetics/*metabolism ; Cadherins/genetics/*metabolism ; Female ; Gastroscopy ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms/*metabolism/pathology/surgery ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A/genetics/*metabolism

Since 1931, sporadic reports have appeared noting an apparent association between hyperthyroidism and idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. Recent various studies suggested that these two diseases may share a similar immunologic background, but the exact mechanism is still a matter of speculation. This 22-year-old female patient visited this hospital because of general weakness and purpura of legs for 2 months. The laboratory findings were compatible with Graves' disease associated with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. The platelet count was 16000/mm³, hemoglobin was 10.9 g/dl and MCV was 60.1fL. T3 was 490.53 ng/dL, T4 was 24 ug/dL and free T4 was 5.66 ng/dL. Antiplatelet antibody and antimicrosomal antibody were positive. The bone marrow findings were compatible with iron deficiency anemia and idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. The thyroid biopsy showed adenomatous goiter. She was administered with propylthiouracil, Beta-blocker, iron and prednisolon. On the 10th hospital day, platelet count was 184000/mm³, hemoglobin was 12.0 gm/dL and MCV was 67.5 fL. On the 20th hospital day, T4 was 10.35 ug/dL and free T4 was 2.30 ng/dL. Therefore she was discharged and followed up.
Anemia, Iron-Deficiency* ; Biopsy ; Bone Marrow ; Female ; Goiter ; Graves Disease* ; Humans ; Hyperthyroidism ; Iron* ; Leg ; Platelet Count ; Propylthiouracil ; Purpura ; Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic* ; Thyroid Gland ; Young Adult

Ischemic colitis is a condition that usually occurs in the elderly, as a form of vascular disease. However, ischemic colitis also occurs, though rarely, in healthy young adults. Moreover, food supplements containing Ephedra sinica or ma huang have been linked to adverse central nervous and cardiovascular events. A 40-year-old man was admitted to our emergency department after 2 episodes of abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea that lasted 24 hours. His medical history was unremarkable for risk factors of bowel ischemia, except for well-controlled hypertension. However, a weight-loss supplement, Ephedra sinica, had been prescribed for daily use during the previous month. Both abdominal/pelvic computed tomography and colonoscopy revealed findings compatible with ischemic colitis. His conditions spontaneously improved without any serious complications, and he was advised to discontinue the use of herbal medications containing ephedrine. In this paper, we describe a case of ischemic colitis that was potentially linked to the use of ma huang with a review of the relevant literature.
Abdominal Pain/etiology ; Adult ; Colitis, Ischemic/*diagnosis/etiology ; Diarrhea/etiology ; *Dietary Supplements ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage/adverse effects ; Ephedra sinica/*chemistry ; Humans ; Male

Meckel's diverticulum is a remnant of the vitelline duct located in the distal ileum, and it is the most common cause of small bowel bleeding in patients who are under the age of 25 years. The ectopic gastric mucosa in Meckel's diverticulum causes ulceration and acute gastrointestinal bleeding. Capsule endoscopy is now a valuable tool for diagnosing obscure gastrointestinal bleeding. However, the identification of a Meckel's diverticulum by wireless capsule endoscopy has rarely been reported on. An 18-year-old man was admitted for recurrent melena and anemia. He underwent a small bowel series that showed a jejunal diverticulum, and capsule endoscopy then revealed a jejunal diverticulum with multiple ulcerations. After 2 months, he had fresh hematochezia and so he underwent small bowel segemental resection that included the jejunal diverticulum. The operation revealed Meckels' diverticulum at 180 cm distant from the ileocecal valve at the mesenteric side. We report here on a case of bleeding Meckel's diverticulum that was diagnosed by wireless capsule endoscopy, and we include a review of the relevant literature.
Adolescent ; Anemia ; Capsule Endoscopy* ; Diverticulum ; Gastric Mucosa ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage ; Hemorrhage* ; Humans ; Ileocecal Valve ; Ileum ; Meckel Diverticulum ; Melena ; Ulcer ; Vitelline Duct

Meckel's diverticulum is a remnant of the vitelline duct located in the distal ileum, and it is the most common cause of small bowel bleeding in patients who are under the age of 25 years. The ectopic gastric mucosa in Meckel's diverticulum causes ulceration and acute gastrointestinal bleeding. Capsule endoscopy is now a valuable tool for diagnosing obscure gastrointestinal bleeding. However, the identification of a Meckel's diverticulum by wireless capsule endoscopy has rarely been reported on. An 18-year-old man was admitted for recurrent melena and anemia. He underwent a small bowel series that showed a jejunal diverticulum, and capsule endoscopy then revealed a jejunal diverticulum with multiple ulcerations. After 2 months, he had fresh hematochezia and so he underwent small bowel segemental resection that included the jejunal diverticulum. The operation revealed Meckels' diverticulum at 180 cm distant from the ileocecal valve at the mesenteric side. We report here on a case of bleeding Meckel's diverticulum that was diagnosed by wireless capsule endoscopy, and we include a review of the relevant literature.
Adolescent ; Anemia ; Capsule Endoscopy* ; Diverticulum ; Gastric Mucosa ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage ; Hemorrhage* ; Humans ; Ileocecal Valve ; Ileum ; Meckel Diverticulum ; Melena ; Ulcer ; Vitelline Duct

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The direct toxic effects of antibiotics on the intestine can alter digestive functions and cause pathogenic bacterial overgrowth leading to antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD). Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) is widely known to be responsible for 10~20% of AAD cases. However, Klebsiella oxytoca, Clostridium perfringens, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida species might also contribute to AAD. METHODS: We prospectively analyzed the organisms in stool and colon tissue cultures with a C. difficile toxin A assay in patients with AAD between May and December 2005. In addition, we performed the C. difficile toxin A assays using an enzyme-linked fluorescent assay technique. Patients were enrolled who had diarrhea with more than three stools per day for at least 2 days after the initiation of antibiotic treatment for up to 6~8 weeks after antibiotic discontinuation. RESULTS: Among 38 patients (mean age 59+/-18 years, M:F=18:20), the organism isolation rates were 28.9% (11/38) for stool culture, 18.4% (7/38) for colon tissue cultures and 13.2% (5/38) for the C. difficile toxin A assay. The overall rate of identification of organisms was 50.0% (19/38). Of the five patients that had a positive result by the C. difficile toxin A assay, two had no organism isolated by the stool or colon tissue culture. The organisms isolated from the stool cultures were C. difficile (4), Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) (3), Candida species (3), and Staphylococcus aureus (1). C. difficile (4) and K. pneumoniae (3) were isolated from the colon tissue culture. CONCLUSIONS: For C. difficile negative AAD patients, K. pneumoniae, Candida species, and Staphylococcus aureus were found to be potential causative organisms.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/*adverse effects ; Candida/isolation & purification ; Clostridium difficile/isolation & purification ; Diarrhea/diagnosis/*etiology/microbiology ; Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal ; Female ; Humans ; Klebsiella pneumoniae/isolation & purification ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Staphylococcus aureus/isolation & purification

The prevalence of reflux esophagitis is increasing in Korea. To estimate the prevalence and clinical characteristics of reflux esophagitis in healthy subjects, we retrospectively examined the medical records of healthy subjects undergoing a routine check-up from October 2004 to September 2005. A total of 6,082 (3,590 men, mean age 44+/-10 yr) subjects were enrolled in this study. The prevalence of reflux esophagitis in healthy subjects was 10.5%. According to the univariate analysis, male sex (odds ratio [OR] 3.49, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.84-4.30), smoking history (OR 1.91, 95% CI 1.60-2.28), body mass index (BMI) >30 kg/m2 (OR 2.13, 95% CI 1.37-3.33), total cholesterol >250 mg/dL (OR 1.50, 95% CI 1.05-2.14), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol > or =160 mg/dL (OR 1.52, 95% CI 1.08-2.14), triglyceride > or =150 mg/dL (OR 1.92, 95% CI 1.61-2.30), high blood pressure (BP) (OR 1.46, 95% CI 1.20-1.76), and fasting glucose > or =110 mg/dL (OR 1.45, 95% CI 1.13-1.86) were significantly associated with reflux esophagitis (all p<0.05). However, age, alcohol drinking and Helicobacter pylori infection were not associated with reflux esophagitis. In conclusiosn, significant relationships of reflux esophagitis with obesity, low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, high triglyceride, high BP, and elevated fasting glucose suggested that reflux esophagitis might represent the disease spectrum of the metabolic syndrome.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Data Interpretation, Statistical ; Esophagitis, Peptic/*diagnosis/*epidemiology/etiology ; Female ; Humans ; Korea/epidemiology ; Male ; Medical Records ; Metabolic Syndrome X/*complications/diagnosis ; Middle Aged ; Odds Ratio ; Prevalence ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors

Vaccination against hepatitis A virus (HAV) is recommended for patients with chronic liver disease (CLD), but this has been deemed unnecessary in Korea since the immunity against HAV was almost universal in adults. However, this practice has never been reevaluated with respect to the changing incidence of adult acute hepatitis A. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 278 patients with acute hepatitis A diagnosed from January 1995 to November 2005 and prospectively tested 419 consecutive CLD patients from July to December 2005 for the presence of IgG anti-HAV. The number of patients with acute hepatitis A has markedly increased recently, and the proportion of adult patients older than 30 yr has been growing from 15.2% during 1995-1999, to 28.4% during 2000-2005 (p=0.019). Among 419 CLD patients, the seroprevalences of IgG anti-HAV were 23.1% for those between 26 and 30 yr, 64% between 31 and 35 yr, and 85.0% between 36 and 40 yr. These data demonstrate that immunity against HAV is no more universal in adult and substantial proportion of adult CLD patients are now at risk of HAV infection in Korea. Therefore, further study on seeking proper strategy of active immunization against HAV is warranted in these populations.
Risk Factors ; Risk Assessment/methods ; Middle Aged ; Male ; Liver Diseases/*epidemiology/*prevention & control ; Korea/epidemiology ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant ; Incidence ; Humans ; Hepatitis A Vaccines/*therapeutic use ; Hepatitis A/*epidemiology/*prevention & control ; Female ; Disease Outbreaks/*prevention & control/*statistics & numerical data ; Comorbidity ; Communicable Diseases, Emerging/epidemiology/prevention & control ; Chronic Disease ; Child, Preschool ; Child ; Aged, 80 and over ; Aged ; Adult ; Adolescent

Cap polyposis is a rare intestinal disease that is characterized by the presence of inflammatory polyps consisting of elongated, tortuous and distended crypts that are covered by a 'cap' of granulation tissue. The pathogenesis and proper treatment of cap polyposis are still unclear. We experienced a case of cap polyposis, that was treated successfully by conservative management without the need for a pharmacotherapy or resection.
Drug Therapy ; Granulation Tissue ; Intestinal Diseases ; Polyps

Cap polyposis is a rare intestinal disease that is characterized by the presence of inflammatory polyps consisting of elongated, tortuous and distended crypts that are covered by a 'cap' of granulation tissue. The pathogenesis and proper treatment of cap polyposis are still unclear. We experienced a case of cap polyposis, that was treated successfully by conservative management without the need for a pharmacotherapy or resection.
Drug Therapy ; Granulation Tissue ; Intestinal Diseases ; Polyps