Kyu Sung Rim

Promoter polymorphisms of pri-miR-34b/c are associated with hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND Numerous studies have focused on the association between miR-34 family members, which are direct p53 targets, and carcinogenesis of many cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study aimed to assess whether polymorphisms in the single-nucleotide polymorphism miR-34b/c T>C (rs4938723) and TP53 Arg72Pro (rs1042522) increase the risk of HCC and influence outcome in patients with HCC. PATIENTS AND METHODS We enrolled 157 HCC patients and 201 cancer-free control subjects from the Korean population. MicroRNA polymorphisms were genotyped using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method. RESULTS We found that the miR-34b/c TC+CC frequency was significantly higher in HCC patients than in controls (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 1.580; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.029-2.426). The miR-34b/c CC-TP53 Arg/Arg combination significantly increased the risk of HCC (AOR: 13.644; 95% CI: 1.451-128.301). The SNPs miR-34b/c T>C and TP53 Arg72Pro(G>C) had no influence on survival of HCC patients. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that loss of the T allele in miR-34b/c T>C, and the miR-34b/c CC-TP53 Arg/Arg combination increases the risk of HCC in the Korean population.

Bowel Obstruction Caused by an Intramural Duodenal Hematoma: A Case Report of Endoscopic Incision and Drainage

Complications associated with an intramural hematoma of the bowel, is a relatively unusual condition. Most intramural hematomas resolve spontaneously with conservative treatment and the patient prognosis is good. However, if the symptoms are not resolved or the condition persists, surgical intervention may be necessary. Here we describe internal incision and drainage by endoscopy for the treatment of an intramural hematoma of the duodenum. A 63-yr-old woman was admitted to the hospital with hematemesis. The esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) showed active ulcer bleeding at the distal portion of duodenal bulb. A total of 10 mL of 0.2% epinephrine and 2 mL of fibrin glue were injected locally. The patient developed diffuse abdominal pain and projectile vomiting three days after the endoscopic treatment. An abdominal computed tomography revealed a very large hematoma at the lateral duodenal wall, approximately 10×5 cm in diameter. Follow-up EGD was performed showing complete luminal obstruction at the second portion of the duodenum caused by an intramural hematoma. The patients condition was not improved with conservative treatment. Therefore, 21 days after admission, endoscopic treatment of the hematoma was attempted. Puncture and incision were performed with an electrical needle knife. Two days after the procedure, the patient was tolerating a soft diet without complaints of abdominal pain or vomiting. The hematoma resolved completely on the follow-up studies.

Fatal Biliary-Systemic Air Embolism during Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography: A Case with Multifocal Liver Abscesses and Choledochoduodenostomy

We report a rare case of a massive fatal embolism that occurred in the middle of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and retrospectively examine the significant causes of the event. The patient was a 50-year old female with an uncertain history of previous abdominal surgery for multiple biliary stones 20 years prior. The patient presented with acute right upper quadrant pain. An abdominal computed tomographic (CT) scan revealed the presence of multiple stones in the common bile duct (CBD) and intra-hepatic duct (IHD) with biliary obstruction, multifocal liver abscesses, and air-biliarygram. Emergency ERCP showed a wide and straight opening of choledochoduodenostomy, which may have been created during a previous surgery, and multiple filling defects in the CBD. With the use of a forward endoscope, mud stones were extracted through the opening of the choledochoduodenostomy. Cardiac arrest suddenly developed during the procedure, and despite immediate resuscitation, the patient died due to a massive systemic air embolism. We reviewed previously reported fatal cases and accessed factors facilitating air embolisms in this case.

Occult hepatitis B virus infection in pregnant woman and its clinical implication.

Background/Aims: The objective of this study was to document the prevalence rate of occult hepatitis B virus (HBV) in healthy pregnant woman and the possibility of transmission to the foetus.

The Role of 18F-FDG PET/CT in the Evaluation of Gastric Cancer Recurrence after Curative Gastrectomy

Purpose 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) scans are frequently performed for the screening or staging of malignant tumors. This study aimed to assess the usefulness of 18F-FDG PET/CT in detection of gastric cancer recurrence after curative gastrectomy. Materials and Methods Eighty nine patients who had undergone curative gastrectomy due to gastric cancer and had 18F-FDG PET/CT and contrast CT scans within 2 weeks for surveillance in asymptomatic patients (n = 11) or to clarify suspected recurrence (n = 78) were consecutively collected and retrospectively analyzed. They had clinical follow-up for at least 12 months after PET/CT and CT scans. Results Fifteen of the 89 patients (16.9%) were diagnosed with recurrent gastric cancer in 21 organs. Forty one organs showed an increase in FDG uptake, and only 9 of these organs were diagnosed with recurrent gastric cancer by 18F-FDG PET/CT. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and diagnostic accuracy of the 18F-FDG PET/CT were 42.9%, 59.7%, 29.3%, 78.2%, and 57.3%, respectively. On the CT scan, 18 of 21 recurrent gastric cancers were detected, and 7 cases were in agreement with the 18F-FDG PET/CT. The sensitivity and specificity of the CT scan were 85.8% and 87.3%, respectively, which are superior to the 18F-FDG PET/CT. When we diagnosed a recurrence based on either 18F-FDG PET/CT or CT scans, the sensitivity increased to 95.2% and the specificity decreased to 45.6%, when compared with the contrast CT scan alone. Conclusion 18F-FDG PET/CT is an insufficient diagnostic method in detection of recurrence after curative gastrectomy, and even less accurate than contrast CT scan alone.

Effects of Metabolic Syndrome on Fibrosis in Chronic Viral Hepatitis

Background/Aims Metabolic syndrome, comprising diabetes, hypertension, central obesity, and dyslipidemia, is increasingly prevalent worldwide. We aimed to study the relationship between metabolic syndrome and the risk of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and chronic hepatitis C (CHC). Methods In total, 954 patients (CHB, 850; CHC, 104 patients) with liver biopsy were included in the retrospective analysis. Extensive clinical and histological data were available. Metabolic syndrome was defined using the International Diabetes Federation definition of metabolic syndrome, 2006 criteria. Histological lesions were evaluated according to the histology activity index system. Results Metabolic syndrome was present in 6% of patients and significantly more prevalent in patients with CHC than in patients with CHB (5% vs 13%, p<0.001). Patients with metabolic syndrome were older among patients with CHB and patients with CHC, and, as expected, were mainly overweight or obese. Fibrosis was significantly more severe in patients with metabolic syndrome than in those without, regardless of whether they had CHB and CHC (CHB, 3.3±2.1 vs 2.4±1.3, p=0.025; CHC, 2.6±1.5 vs 1.3±0.7, p=0.006). Liver fibrosis (stages 3 to 4) was independently associated with increased age, higher transaminase level and metabolic syndrome (odds ratio, 2.421; p=0.017). Conclusions Metabolic syndrome is associated independently with severe fibrosis in patients with chronic viral hepatitis B and C.

Molecular Epidemiology of Hepatitis A Virus in the South-East Area of Gyeonggi-do in Korea

Purpose Hepatitis A virus (HAV) has been a leading cause of acute hepatitis in Korea. The reported genotypes of acute hepatitis A in Korea are the subgenotype IA and IB. The aim of the present study is to investigate HAV genotypes in the south-east area of Gyeonggi-do in Korea. Materials and Methods From June 2004 to June 2006, 46 acute hepatitis A patients were enrolled prospectively. All had sporadic acute hepatitis A patients. All suspected cases of acute hepatitis A were tested for IgM anti-HAV antibodies. We sequenced 168 bp of nucleotides of the putative VP1/P2A junction and determined the HAV genotype with reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. The clinical and laboratory results of all patients were recorded. Results HAV-ribonucleic acid (RNA) was detected in 41 samples out of 46 samples. Among the 41 samples, 25 (60%) were shown to have subgenotype IIIA and the other 16 (40%) were subgenotype IA. Several amino acid substitutions were found. Conclusion In these HAV sporadic cases, IIIA and IA were identified, and this may reflect co-circulation of various genotypes in Korea. This study provides valuable new data on the genetic distribution of HAV and important information to help design appropriate public health measures.

The Usefulness of Angiotensin Converting Enzyme in the Differential Diagnosis of Crohn's Disease and Intestinal Tuberculosis

Background Since the pathologic findings of Crohns disease (CD) and intestinal tuberculosis (IT) overlap to a large degree, the development of other biomarkers will be of great help for making the differential diagnosis of these 2 diseases. The aim of the present study is to examine the clinical efficacy of using the tissue angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) assay in making the differential diagnosis between CD and IT. Methods Tissue specimens were obtained from 36 patients who were diagnosed with CD or IT by the colonoscopic biopsy, as well as by the clinical findings. The expression of tissue ACE was detected by immunohistochemical staining. The optimal cut-off value of the immunoreactive scoring (IRS) system we used to differentiate CD from IT was determined by analysis of the ROC curve and AUROC. Results Granuloma was present in 15 of 19 patients with CD (78.9%) and in 15 of 17 patients with IT (88.2%). ACE was present in the cytoplasm of the epithelioid cells in the granulomas from 13 of 15 patients with CD and in 14 of 15 patients with IT. The IRS scores of ACE were greater in the patients with CD than that of the patients with IT (8.07±4.38 vs. 4.13±2.47, respectively, p=0.006). In differentiating CD from IT, the AUROC curve for the IRS of ACE was 0.767 with a sensitivity of 66.7%, a specificity of 93.3% and the cut-off point was 7.5. Conclusions The results of our study suggest that the assessment of the tissue ACE expression can be helpful for making the differential diagnosis between CD and IT.

Multicenter comparison of PEG-IFN α2a or α2b plus ribavirin for treatment-naïve HCV patient in Korean population

BackgroundTwo recent Italian studies suggested that Pegylated-interferon (PEG-IFN) alfa-2a achieves a higher sustained virological response (SVR) rate than PEG-IFN alfa-2b. We intended to compare the efficacy and safety of PEG-IFN alfa-2a with those of PEG-IFN alfa-2b in Korean patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV).MethodsThis retrospective, multi-center trial was conducted on 661 treatment-naïve chronic HCV patients. Patients received PEG-IFN alfa-2a (180 μg/week; n=402) or PEG-IFN alfa-2b (1.5 μg/kg/week; n=259) with ribavirin (800–1200 mg/day) for 24 or 48 weeks according to HCV genotypes.ResultsEarly virologic response and sustained virologic response (SVR) rates were not significantly different between two PEG-IFN groups both in patients with HCV genotype 1 (all P-values>0.05) and 2/3 (all P-values>0.05). SVR rates were not different between two groups in each categorized baseline characteristics: age (years) (≤50 and >50), HCV viral load (IU/mL) (≤7×105 and >7×105), and hepatic fibrosis (F0-2 and F3-4) (all P-values >0.05). In additional analysis for 480 patients who sufficiently complied with treatment doses and duration (80/80/80 rule) and propensity-score matched analysis, SVR rates were not different between two groups both in patients with HCV genotype 1 and 2/3 (all P-values >0.05). Adverse event rates were similar between two groups.ConclusionsUnlike the Western data, efficacy and safety of PEG-IFN alfa-2a were similar to those of PEG-IFN alfa-2b in chronically HCV-infected Korean patients regardless of age, HCV viral load, and hepatic fibrosis.

Efficacy and safety of entecavir plus carnitine complex (GODEX®) compared to entecavir monotherapy in patient with ALT elevated chronic hepatitis B: randomized, multicenter open-label trials. The GOAL study

Background/Aims Carnitine and vitamin complex (Godex®) is widely used in patients with chronic liver disease who show elevated liver enzyme in South Korea. The purpose of this study is to identify the efficacy and safety of carnitine from entecavir combination therapy in Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) elevated Chronic Hepatitis B (CHB) patients. Methods 130 treatment-naïve patients with CHB were enrolled from 13 sites. The patients were randomly selected to the entecavir and the complex of entecavir and carnitine. The primary endpoint of the study is ALT normalization level after 12 months. Results Among the 130 patients, 119 patients completed the study treatment. The ALT normalization at 3 months was 58.9% for the monotherapy and 95.2% for the combination therapy (P<0.0001). ALT normalization rate at 12 months was 85.7% for the monotherapy and 100% for the combination group (P=0.0019). The rate of less than HBV DNA 300 copies/mL at 12 months was not statistically significant (P=0.5318) 75.9% for the monotherapy, 70.7% for the combination and it was. Quantification of HBsAg level was not different from the monotherapy to combination at 12 months. Changes of ELISPOT value to evaluate the INF-γ secretion by HBsAg showed the increasing trend of combination therapy compare to mono-treatment. Conclusions ALT normalization rate was higher in carnitine complex combination group than entecavir group in CHB. Combination group was faster than entecavir mono-treatment group on ALT normalization rate. HBV DNA normalization rate and the serum HBV-DNA level were not changed by carnitine complex treatment.