Ban Seok Lee

Hepatitis B virus infection, diabetes mellitus, and their synergism for cholangiocarcinoma development: a case-control study in Korea.

AIM To identify possible risk factors and their synergism for cholangiocarcinoma development. METHODS A hospital-based, case-control study in which we included 276 cholangiocarcinoma patients [193 extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ECC) and 83 intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC)], diagnosed at a training hospital in Korea between 2007 and 2013, and 552 healthy controls matched 2:1 for age, sex, and date of diagnosis. Risk factors for cholangiocarcinoma and possible synergism between those factors were evaluated using conditional logistic regression and synergism index, respectively. RESULTS There was an association between cholangiocarcinoma and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, diabetes mellitus (DM), cholecystolithiasis, choledocholithiasis, and hepatolithiasis, with the adjusted odds ratios (AORs) of 4.1, 2.6, 1.7, 12.4, and 39.9, respectively. Synergistic interaction on the additive model was investigated between HBV infection and DM (AOR = 12.2; 95%CI: 1.9-80.1). In the subgroup analyses, cholecystolithiasis, choledocholithiasis, hepatolithiasis, and DM were significant risk factors for ECC (AOR = 2.0, 18.1, 14.9, and 2.0, respectively), whereas choledocholithiasis, hepatolithiasis, HBV infection, and DM were risk factors for ICC (AOR = 8.6, 157.4, 5.3 and 4.9, respectively). Synergistic interaction was also observed between HBV infection and DM (OR = 22.7; 95%CI: 2.4-214.1). However, there was no synergistic interaction between other significant risk factors for cholangiocarcinoma. CONCLUSION In this Korean study, HBV infection and DM were found to exert independent and synergistic effects on the risk for cholangiocarcinoma, including ICC. Exploring the underlying mechanisms for such synergy may lead to the development of cholangiocarcinoma prevention strategies in high-risk individuals.

Midazolam with meperidine and dexmedetomidine vs. midazolam with meperidine for sedation during ERCP: prospective, randomized, double-blinded trial

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIM The combination of midazolam and opioid has been widely used as a standard sedative regimen for endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). Following recent evidence that dexmedetomidine may exert a synergistic effect in combination with midazolam, this study compared the sedative effect and adverse events of midazolam - meperidine - dexmedetomidine (MMD) and midazolam - meperidine during ERCP. PATIENTS AND METHODS A total of 110 patients who were scheduled for ERCP were prospectively enrolled and randomly assigned, in a double-blind manner, to the MMD (n = 53) or midazolam - meperidine (n = 57) groups. Each patient received an intravenous (IV) bolus dose of midazolam and meperidine (0.06 mg/kg and 50 mg, 30 % reduction and 25 mg for patients aged ≥ 65 years, respectively). To this dose, a continuous IV infusion of dexmedetomidine (1 μg/kg/h; MMD group) or the same volume of normal saline (midazolam - meperidine group) was added. The sedation level (Ramsay Sedation Scale [RSS]) as well as hemodynamic and respiratory changes were assessed. RESULTS Adequate sedation (RSS ≥ 3) was maintained during ERCP in 75.5 % and 36.8 % of the MMD and midazolam - meperidine group, respectively (P < 0.001). RSS scores were significantly higher in the MMD group (P < 0.001). Intraoperative bispectral index scores were significantly lower in the MMD group (P < 0.001) than in the midazolam - meperidine group. Lower additional (P = 0.001) and total (P = 0.003) doses of midazolam were required in the MMD group. Patients in the MMD group showed lower pain scores (P < 0.001) and higher satisfaction scores (P < 0.001). Desaturation occurred more frequently in the midazolam - meperidine group (11 vs. 1; P = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS The addition of dexmedetomidine to the midazolam - meperidine regimen provided better sedative efficacy and a superior safety profile during ERCP compared with a midazolam - meperidine regimen.This trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT01404689).

Risk factors for perihilar cholangiocarcinoma: A hospital‐based case–control study

Perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (pCCA) is the most common form of bile duct cancer, arising from cholangiocytes at the confluence of hepatic ducts. Given the diversity of cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) aetiology according to the location, and the scarcity of studies on the aetiology of pCCA, we aimed to identify the risk factors for pCCA.

Preoperative Diagnosis of Pancreatic Cystic Lesions: The Accuracy of Endoscopic Ultrasound and Cross-Sectional Imaging.

Objective This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) and cross-sectional imaging including multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a preoperative diagnostic modality for the pancreatic cystic lesions. Methods Three hundred eighteen patients with surgically proven pancreatic cystic lesions were enrolled as a study cohort from 1998 to 2011. Preoperative radiological, EUS, and final histopathologic diagnosis were correlated to measure several kinds of diagnostic performance. Results A total of 318 patients underwent preoperative MDCT, with additional imaging modalities such MRI and/or EUS in 215 (67.6%) and 108 (34.0%) patients, respectively. &kgr; Values among the different modalities were as follows: MDCT versus pathology = 0.52 (P < 0.0001), MDCT + MRI versus pathology = 0.674 (P < 0.0001), and EUS versus pathology = 0.558 (P < 0.0001). The sensitivity and specificity in terms of ability to predict neoplastic cysts were as follows: MDCT, 83.1%/70.0%; MDCT + MRI, 94.7%/58.7%; and EUS, 88.5%/52.9%. The diagnostic accuracies of MDCT and MDCT + MRI were 61.4% (62/101) and 80.5% (173/215), respectively, and that of EUS was 70.4% (76/108). Conclusions Magnetic resonance imaging as an additional diagnostic modality to MDCT increased the accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity, as well in terms of predicting neoplastic cysts.

Effect of sustained use of platelet aggregation inhibitors on post‐endoscopic sphincterotomy bleeding

The effect of platelet aggregation inhibitors (PAI) on post‐endoscopic sphincterotomy (ES) bleeding in patients who cannot discontinue PAI for sufficient time in urgent conditions has not been identified. The present study analyzed the effect of sustained use of PAI on post‐procedural bleeding in patients undergoing ES.

Prognostic value of CA 19-9 kinetics during gemcitabine-based chemotherapy in patients with advanced cholangiocarcinoma.

Little is known of the prognostic value of CEA/CA 19‐9 kinetics during chemotherapy in patients with advanced cholangiocarcinoma (CCA).

Reintervention for occluded metal stent in malignant bile duct obstruction: A prospective randomized trial comparing covered and uncovered metal stent

No prospective data are available on comparing covered and uncovered self‐expandable metal stent (SEMS) for reintervention of occluded uncovered metal stents during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in patients with malignant distal biliary obstruction.

Early decrement of serum carbohydrate antigen 19-9 predicts favorable outcome in advanced pancreatic cancer.

The role of carbohydrate antigen 19‐9 (CA 19‐9) for predicting treatment outcome in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains to be elucidated. This study was aimed to determine the correlation between early decrement in CA 19‐9 concentration and prognosis of advanced PDAC after chemotherapy.

Risk factors of organ failure in cholangitis with bacteriobilia.

AIM To identify the risk factors for organ failure (OF) in cholangitis with bacteriobilia. METHODS This study included 182 patients with acute cholangitis who underwent percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage between January 2005 and April 2013. We conducted a retrospective analysis of comprehensive clinical and laboratory data. RESULTS There were 24 cases (13.2%) of OF and five deaths (2.7%). Bile culture was positive for microbial growth in 130 out of 138 (94.2%) patients. In multivariate analysis of 130 patients with positive bile cultures, significant predictive factors for OF were the presence of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) organisms in blood cultures, pre-existing renal dysfunction, and choledocholithiasis as an etiology, with odds ratios of 15.376, 6.319, and 3.573, respectively. We developed a scoring system with a regression coefficient of each significant variable. The OF score was calculated using the following equation: (2.7 × ESBL organisms in blood cultures) + (1.8 × pre-existing renal dysfunction) + (1.3 × choledocholithiasis). This scoring system for predicting OF was highly specific (99.1%) and had a positive predictive value of 86.2%. CONCLUSION ESBL organisms in blood cultures, pre-existing renal dysfunction, and choledocholithiasis are risk factors for OF in cholangitis with bacteriobilia. The OF scoring system may aid clinicians to identify a poor prognosis group.

Risk Factors for Progression or Malignancy in Main-Duct and Mixed-Type Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasm of the Pancreas.

Objectives The 2012 international guidelines state that surgery should be considered for all surgically fit patients with pancreatic main-duct (MD)/mixed intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs). This study evaluated the follow-up results of MD/mixed IPMNs and risk factors for progression or malignancy. Methods Patients with MD/mixed IPMNs were retrospectively enrolled and divided into surgical and nonsurgical groups. These 2 groups were compared and further categorized as progression/malignancy or not. In the nonsurgical group, disease progression was defined as radiologic tumor growth or adjacent organ invasion. Results Data from 101 patients (73 males; mean [SD] age, 66.3 [9.1] years), including 27 and 74 in the nonsurgical and surgical groups, respectively, were analyzed. Mural nodules were more frequently detected in the surgical group (7.4% vs 31.1%, P = 0.018), whereas more multifocal cysts were observed in the nonsurgical group (40.7% vs 20.3%, P = 0.037). Forty-one patients (40.6%) showed progression or malignancy. Multivariate analysis showed that main pancreatic duct of 10 mm or greater (odds ratio, 4.368; P = 0.024) and pre-existing diabetes (odds ratio, 3.077; P = 0.046) were independent risk factors for progression or malignancy. Conclusions A watchful waiting strategy could be feasible for some patients with MD/mixed IPMNs, particularly those with a main pancreatic duct of less than 10 mm and without diabetes.