In recent years, significant translational research advances have been made in the upper gastrointestinal (GI) research field. Endoscopic evaluation is a reasonable option for acquiring upper GI tissue for research purposes because it has minimal risk and can be applied to unresectable gastric cancer. The optimal number of biopsy samples and sample storage is crucial and might influence results. Furthermore, the methods for sample acquisition can be applied differently according to the research purpose; however, there have been few reports on methods for sample collection from endoscopic biopsies. In this review, we suggested a protocol for collecting study samples for upper GI research, including microbiome, DNA, RNA, protein, single-cell RNA sequencing, and organoid culture, through a comprehensive literature review. For microbiome analysis, one or two pieces of biopsied material obtained using standard endoscopic forceps may be sufficient. Additionally, 5 mL of gastric fluid and 3–4 mL of saliva is recommended for microbiome analyses. At least one gastric biopsy tissue is necessary for most DNA or RNA analyses, while proteomics analysis may require at least 2–3 biopsy tissues. Single cell-RNA sequencing requires at least 3–5 tissues and additional 1–2 tissues, if possible. For successful organoid culture, multiple sampling is necessary to improve the quality of specimens.

Background/Aims: Prokinetics can be used for treating patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), who exhibit suboptimal response to proton pump inhibitor (PPI) treatment. We conducted a systematic review to assess the potential benefits of combination treatment with PPI plus prokinetics in GERD. Methods: We searched PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and EMBASE for publications regarding randomized controlled trials comparing combination treatment of PPI plus prokinetics to PPI monotherapy with respect to global symptom improvement in GERD (until February 2020). The primary outcome was an absence or global symptom improvement in GERD. Adverse events and quality of life (QoL) scores were evaluated as secondary outcomes using a random effects model. Quality of evidence was rated using Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE). Results: This meta-analysis included 16 studies involving 1446 participants (719 in the PPI plus prokinetics group and 727 in the PPI monotherapy group). The PPI plus prokinetics treatment resulted in a significant reduction in global symptoms of GERD regardless of the prokinetic type, refractoriness, and ethnicity. Additionally, treatment with PPI plus prokinetics for at least 4 weeks was found to be more beneficial than PPI monotherapy with respect to global symptom improvement. However, the QoL scores were not improved with PPI plus prokinetics treatment. Adverse events observed in response to PPI plus prokinetics treatment did not differ from those observed with PPI monotherapy. Conclusions Combination of prokinetics with PPI treatment is more effective than PPI alone in GERD patients. Further high-quality trials with large sample sizes are needed to verify the effects based on prokinetic type.

Background/Aims: Prokinetics can be used for treating patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), who exhibit suboptimal response to proton pump inhibitor (PPI) treatment. We conducted a systematic review to assess the potential benefits of combination treatment with PPI plus prokinetics in GERD. Methods: We searched PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and EMBASE for publications regarding randomized controlled trials comparing combination treatment of PPI plus prokinetics to PPI monotherapy with respect to global symptom improvement in GERD (until February 2020). The primary outcome was an absence or global symptom improvement in GERD. Adverse events and quality of life (QoL) scores were evaluated as secondary outcomes using a random effects model. Quality of evidence was rated using Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE). Results: This meta-analysis included 16 studies involving 1446 participants (719 in the PPI plus prokinetics group and 727 in the PPI monotherapy group). The PPI plus prokinetics treatment resulted in a significant reduction in global symptoms of GERD regardless of the prokinetic type, refractoriness, and ethnicity. Additionally, treatment with PPI plus prokinetics for at least 4 weeks was found to be more beneficial than PPI monotherapy with respect to global symptom improvement. However, the QoL scores were not improved with PPI plus prokinetics treatment. Adverse events observed in response to PPI plus prokinetics treatment did not differ from those observed with PPI monotherapy. Conclusions Combination of prokinetics with PPI treatment is more effective than PPI alone in GERD patients. Further high-quality trials with large sample sizes are needed to verify the effects based on prokinetic type.

The intrauterine device (IUD) is a widely used contraceptive method. One of the most serious and rare complications of using an IUD is colon perforation. We report a case of colonoscopic removal of an IUD that had perforated into the rectosigmoid colon in a 42-year-old woman who presented with no symptoms. Colonoscopy showed that the IUD had penetrated into rectosigmoid colon wall and that an arm of the IUD was embedded in the colon wall. We were able to remove the IUD easily by using colonoscopy. The endoscopic approach may be considered the first choice therapy for selected patients.
Adult ; Arm ; Colon* ; Colonoscopy ; Contraception ; Female ; Humans ; Intrauterine Devices*

PURPOSE: The present study was conducted to investigate the proportion and clinical outcomes of breast cancer patients who did not receive postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) after breast-conserving surgery (BCS). METHODS: This retrospective study included all breast cancer patients received curative BCS without PORT between 2003 and 2013. In the PORT omission group, characteristics and local recurrence differences were compared between the recommended group and the refused group. To compare the local recurrence-free survival (LRFS) of the PORT omission group and the control group who received PORT, subjects were selected by using the pooled data of patients treated between 1994 and 2007. RESULTS: During the study period, 96 patients did not receive PORT among a total of 6,680 patients who underwent BCS. Therefore, the overall rate of PORT omission was 1.4%. Among the 96 patients, 20 were recommended for PORT omission (recommended group) and 76 refused PORT (refused group). The median follow-up period of all study participants was 19.3 months (range, 0.3-115.1 months). Patients in the recommended group were older (p=0.004), were more likely to be postmenopausal (p=0.013), and had more number of positive prognostic factors compared with the refused group. Overall, 12 cases of disease recurrence, including 11 cases of local recurrence, developed in the PORT-refused group. The LRFS of the PORT-omission group was significantly inferior to that of patients who received PORT after BCS (p<0.001). In the PORT-omission group, significant favorable prognostic factors for LRFS were having histologic grade 1 or 2 disease (p=0.023), having no axillary lymph node metastasis (p=0.039), receiving adjuvant endocrine therapy (p=0.046), and being in the recommended group (p=0.026). CONCLUSION: The rate of PORT omission in the present study is very low among women who underwent surgery compared to that of other studies worldwide. PORT omission is significantly related to a high local recurrence rate.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Mastectomy, Segmental* ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Radiotherapy* ; Radiotherapy, Adjuvant ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess the incidence of invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) and to compare the clinicopathological features and treatment results after breast conserving surgery (BCS) followed by radiotherapy between ILC and invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC). METHODS: A total of 1,071 patients who underwent BCS followed by radiotherapy were included in the study. Medical records and pathological reports were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: The incidence of ILC was 5.2% (n=56). Bilateral breast cancer, lower nuclear grade, and hormone receptor-positive breast cancer were more frequent in patients with ILC than in those with IDC. There were no cases of lymphovascular invasion or the basal-like subtype in patients with ILC. There were no statistically significant differences in patterns of failure or treatment outcomes between patients with ILC and those with IDC. The development of metachronous contralateral breast cancer was more frequent in patients with IDC (n=27). Only one patient with ILC developed contralateral breast cancer, with a case of ductal carcinoma in situ. CONCLUSION: The incidence of ILC was slightly higher in our study than in previous Korean studies, but was lower than the incidences reported in Western studies. The differences we observed in clinico pathological features between ILC and IDC were similar to those described elsewhere in the literature. Although there were no statistically significant differences, there was a trend toward better disease-specific survival and disease-free survival rates in patients with ILC than in those with IDC.
Breast Neoplasms ; Breast* ; Carcinoma, Ductal* ; Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating ; Carcinoma, Lobular* ; Disease-Free Survival ; Humans ; Incidence ; Mastectomy, Segmental ; Medical Records ; Radiotherapy ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome

PURPOSE: We investigated the relationship between BRCA mutations, pathological findings, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features in patients with breast cancer at risk for the mutation. METHODS: Genetic testing for BRCA mutations was performed in 275 breast cancer patients with at least one risk factor for the mutation. Using the breast imaging reporting and data system MR lexicon, morphological and kinetic features were reviewed on MRI scans of 230 tumors in 209 patients. The relationship between BRCA mutations, pathologic findings, and MRI data was examined, and disease recurrence was estimated. RESULTS: BRCA mutations were detected in 48 patients (23.0%), of which 21 (10.0%) were in BRCA1, and 25 (12.0%) in BRCA2. Additionally, two patients (1.0%) had mutations in both genes. Cancers in patients with BRCA1 mutations more frequently showed a higher nuclear grade (p=0.0041), and triple-negative (TN) phenotype (p<0.0001). On MRI scans, the cancers were seen as mass-type in 182 out of 230 lesions (79.1%), and nonmass type in 48 cases (20.9%). Among the features indentified by MRI, rim enhancement was significantly associated with molecular subtypes based on immunohistochemistry (p<0.0001), and nuclear grade (p=0.0387) in multiple logistic regression analysis. Rim enhancement on MRI, along with advanced pathologic N stage, was associated with increased disease recurrence (p=0.0023) based on multivariate analysis. However, the proportion of mass and nonmass tumors, and the distribution of morphological shape, margin, internal enhancement, and kinetic features assessed by MRI were not different according to BRCA mutation status. CONCLUSION: BRCA1 mutations were associated with aggressive pathological characteristics, and the TN phenotype. Rim enhancement was frequently seen on MRI scans of high-grade cancers and in the TN phenotype. And it was a significant predictor of disease recurrence. However, a direct association with BRCA mutations was not observed.
Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Genes, BRCA1 ; Genetic Testing ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Information Systems ; Logistic Models ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Magnetics ; Magnets ; Multivariate Analysis ; Phenotype ; Recurrence ; Risk Factors

No abstract available.

No abstract available.

PURPOSE: Marginal grafts should be used more actively in Asian countries where deceased donor transplantation is unpopular. We modified a quantitative donor scoring system proposed by Nyberg and his colleagues and developed a donor scoring system in order to assess the quality of deceased donor grafts and their prognostic value as an initial effort to promote usage of marginal donors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated 337 patients. RESULTS: A scoring system was derived from six donor variables [age, 0-25; renal function, 0-4; history of hypertension, 0-4; Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) mismatch, 0-3; body weight, 0-1; cause of death, 0-3 points]. Donor grafts were stratified by scores: grade A, 0-10; grade B, 11-20; grade C, 21-30; and grade D, 31-40 points. Donor grades significantly correlated with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) at 6 months (A, 64.0 mL/min/1.73 m2; B, 57.0 mL/min/1.73 m2; C, 46.8 mL/min/1.73 m2; p < 0.001). The five-year graft survival rate was also lower in grade C than grade A (74% vs. 93%, p = 0.002). Donors in grade C and D were regarded as marginal donors. The proportion of marginal donors was much lower in Korea, compared with data from the United Network for Organ Sharing (15.2% vs. 29%). CONCLUSION: Considering the scarcity of deceased donor kidneys and the relatively better graft outcome with lower grade-donors in Korea, it is worth increasing the usage of marginal grafts.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Cadaver ; Death ; Female ; Glomerular Filtration Rate ; Graft Survival ; Humans ; Kidney/*physiology ; Kidney Transplantation/*methods ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Republic of Korea ; Retrospective Studies ; *Tissue Donors