Noriaki Manabe

Lower functional gastrointestinal disorders: evidence of abnormal colonic transit in a 287 patient cohort.

Background  Abnormalities of colonic motility were reported in relatively small studies of patients with lower functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGID) including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The influence of gender and body mass on the observed motor pathophysiology is unclear. We sought to compare colonic transit in patients within different lower FGID subgroups and healthy controls, controlling for gender and BMI, and to determine whether BMI independently influences colonic motility.

Therapeutic efficacy of acotiamide in patients with functional dyspepsia based on enhanced postprandial gastric accommodation and emptying: randomized controlled study evaluation by real-time ultrasonography.

Background  Improvement in subjective symptoms has been reported in functional dyspepsia (FD) patients administered with acotiamide. Improvement was confirmed in meal‐related symptoms, such as postprandial fullness, upper abdominal bloating, and early satiety. We examined the mechanism underlying the effects of acotiamide on gastric accommodation reflex (GAR) and gastroduodenal motility in FD patients.

Clinical characteristics and natural history of patients with low‐grade reflux esophagitis

Background and Aim: Although the incidence of reflux esophagitis (RE) has recently increased in Japan, the majority of these cases are mild (Los Angeles classification grades A and B). In order to consider therapy for these patients, it is important to understand the natural history of mild RE. There is little information concerning the natural course of RE, particularly low‐grade disease. The goal of this study is to elucidate the natural course of patients with mild RE and to identify specific prognostic indicators associated with a poor outcome.

Evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for functional dyspepsia

General interest in functional gastrointestinal disorders is increasing among Japanese doctors as well as patients. This increase can be attributed to a number of factors, including recent increased interest in quality of life and advances in our understanding of the pathophysiology of gastrointestinal disease. Japan recently became the world’s first country to list “functional dyspepsia” as a disease name for national insurance billing purposes. However, recognition and understanding of functional dyspepsia (FD) remain poor, and no standard treatment strategy has yet been established. Accordingly, the Japanese Society of Gastroenterology (JSGE) developed an evidence-based clinical practice guideline for FD, consisting of five sections: concept, definition, and epidemiology; pathophysiology; diagnosis; treatment; and prognosis and complications. This article summarizes the Japanese guideline, with particular focus on the treatment section. Once a patient is diagnosed with FD, the doctor should carefully explain the pathophysiology and benign nature of this condition, establish a good doctor–patient relationship, and then provide advice for daily living (diet and lifestyle modifications, explanations, and reassurance). The proposed pharmacological treatment is divided into two steps: initial treatment including an acid inhibitory drug (H2RA or PPI) or prokinetics, (strong recommendation); second-line treatment including anxiolytics, antidepressants, and Japanese traditional medicine (weak recommendation). H. pylori eradication, strongly recommended with a high evidence level, is positioned separately from other treatment flows. Conditions that do not respond to these treatment regimens are regarded as refractory FD. Patients will be further examined for other organic disorders or will be referred to specialists using other approaches such as psychosomatic treatment.

Comparison of endoscopic findings with symptom assessment systems (FSSG and QUEST) for gastroesophageal reflux disease in Japanese centres

Background and Aim:  We compared endoscopic findings of the frequency scale for the symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (FSSG), a written questionnaire developed in Japan, to that for the questionnaire for the diagnosis of reflux esophagitis (QUEST) for the diagnosis of reflux esophagitis.

Upper gastrointestinal ulcer in Japanese patients taking low-dose aspirin

BackgroundThere are few studies on the association of the risks of upper gastrointestinal (GI) ulcer induced by aspirin combined with other medicines. We investigated the association between peptic ulcer and clinical parameters, including Helicobacter pylori infection and combinations of medicines.MethodsPatients taking 100 mg aspirin for cardiovascular diseases who were planning to undergo endoscopy were enrolled. Serum H. pylori IgG antibody was measured.ResultsA total of 305 patients were enrolled, and 38 patients (12.4%) had ulcer lesions. Sex, smoking, drinking, body mass index, endoscopic findings for gastric atrophy (open type), or presence of H. pylori were not significantly associated with ulcer lesions. Cotreatment with anticoagulants [ticlopidine, 34.2% vs. 21.3%; adjusted odds ratio (OR), 3.1; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.4–7.1; ticlopidine plus warfarin, 13.2% vs. 3.7%; adjusted OR, 4.4; 95% CI, 1.3–15], proton pump inhibitor (PPI 5.3% vs. 34.8%; adjusted OR, 0.10; 95% CI, 0.02–0.43), and antihypertensive medicine were significantly associated with peptic ulcer. Among antihypertensive medicines, AT1 receptor blocker and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor tended to be associated with upper GI ulcer.ConclusionsPPI was superior to H2-receptor antagonist for prevention of peptic ulcer, and cotreatment with AT1 receptor blocker or ACE inhibitor seemed to reduce peptic ulcer among patients taking low-dose aspirin.

Predictive Factors for Metachronous Gastric Cancer in High-Risk Patients after Successful Helicobacter pylori Eradication

Background:Helicobacter pylori eradication following endoscopic mucosal resection of early gastric cancer reduces the risk of metachronous gastric cancer. Aim: To identify subgroups of differing cancer risk after endoscopic mucosal resection of early gastric cancer. Methods: Histological assessment of antral and corpus tissue was done by the updated Sydney Classification and serum pepsinogen I and II levels were measured using ELISA kits. Infected patients were treated with a 7-day regimen consisting of amoxicillin, clarithromycin and a proton pump inhibitor. Results: 100 patients were enrolled; in 80 patients H. pylori was successfully eradicated and they were followed up for more than 2 years (median observation period 33 months). Metachronous gastric cancers developed in 9 patients after successful eradication. All cases were men. The frequency of severe atrophy assessed by histology (100 vs. 53.2%, p = 0.03) was higher and pepsinogen I/II ratio before eradication was significantly lower in the group that developed cancer compared to the group that did not. Pepsinogen I <25 ng/ml was significantly associated with development of a new lesion. Conclusions: The cancer risk after eradication correlated with the severity of corpus atrophy. It should be possible to identify subgroups requiring intensive and less intensive surveillance after eradication.

Validity of endoscopic classification of nonerosive reflux disease

BackgroundMinimal changes, such as erythema without sharp demarcation or whitish turbidity of the lower esophageal mucosa, have recently been used for endoscopic classification of nonerosive reflux disease (NERD) in Japan. This study examined the usefulness of such changes in characterizing the pathophysiology of NERD.MethodsPhysicians specializing in esophageal endoscopy performed endoscopy on 115 patients with NERD. Based on the presence or absence of minimal changes, patients were categorized as displaying NERD with minimal changes (grade M, n = 49) or with no minimal changes or mucosal breaks (grade N, n = 66). Clinical features, quality of life (QOL) scores, and ambulatory 24-h esophageal pH values were compared between groups. Ambulatory 24-h esophageal pH values were monitored in 31 patients (14 grade M and 17 grade N patients) who gave consent out of 115 patients.ResultsIn ambulatory 24-h esophageal pH monitoring, 57.1% (8/14) of grade M patients had pH < 4 more than 4% of the time (abnormal acid reflux) compared with 11.8% (2/17) in the grade N group, a significant difference (P = 0.018). QOL scores did not differ significantly between grades and were significantly lower in both groups compared with the general Japanese population. No significant differences were observed in patient background between the grade M and grade N groups.ConclusionsFrequency of abnormal acid reflux with NERD is higher in patients with minimal changes than in patients without such changes. Minimal changes are most likely attributable to gastric acid reflux.

Randomised clinical trial: efficacy of the addition of a prokinetic, mosapride citrate, to omeprazole in the treatment of patients with non‐erosive reflux disease – a double‐blind, placebo‐controlled study

Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2011; 33: 323–332

Efficacy of adding sodium alginate to omeprazole in patients with nonerosive reflux disease: a randomized clinical trial

Nonerosive reflux disease (NERD) is the most common form of gastroesophageal reflux disease. Patients with NERD have a lower response rate to proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) than patients with erosive esophagitis when gauged from relief of heartburn. Sodium alginate decreases the acidity of refluxate and protects the esophageal mucosa. However, whether the addition of sodium alginate to PPI therapy can improve NERD symptoms remains unknown. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of adding sodium alginate to basal PPI therapy for NERD. Patients who had experienced heartburn on at least 2 days per week during the 1-month period before entering the study and had no endoscopic mucosal breaks (grade M or N according to Hoshiharas modification of the Los Angeles classification) were randomized to one of two treatments for 4 weeks: omeprazole (20 mg once daily) plus sodium alginate (30 mL four times a day) (group A) or omeprazole (20 mg once daily) alone (group B). Eighty-seven patients were enrolled, and 76 patients were randomly assigned to group A (n = 36) or group B (n = 40). Complete resolution of heartburn for at least 7 consecutive days by the end of treatment was significantly more common in group A (56.7%) than in group B (25.7%). One patient from group A had mild drug-related diarrhea that was not clinically serious. In conclusion, omeprazole combined with sodium alginate was better than omeprazole alone in Japanese patients with NERD.