Setsuo Utsunomiya

TT virus infection in hemodialysis patients

OBJECTIVE:Recently, TT virus (TTV), associated with posttransfusion hepatitis, was discovered. Prevalence of TTV infection in maintenance hemodialysis (HD) units and its pathogenicity to liver was investigated.METHODS:A total of 115 patients on HD were assessed for presence of serum TTV. DNA was purified from sera, and nested polymerase chain reaction was done for the detection of TTV DNA.RESULTS:TTV was detected in 59 patients on HD (51.3%), as compared with healthy blood donors (15 of 91 [16.5%], p < 0.0001). Serum HCV RNA and HBs antigen were positive in 16 and three patients, respectively. The prevalence rate of TTV was already 58.3% in the patients on HD for only 1 yr, and did not change according to the duration of HD until 15 yr on HD. TTV was positive in 51.2% (43 of 84) of the patients with history of blood transfusion, and in 51.6% (16 of 31) of those without it. In HCV-negative patients, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels of TTV-positive patients were similar to those of TTV-negative patients. Contrarily, in HCV-positive patients, ALT levels were more frequently ≥15 IU/L in TTV-positive patients (14 of 18) than in TTV-negative patients (five of 15) (p < 0.05).CONCLUSIONS:TTV infection is remarkably prevalent in patients on HD and in healthy blood donors. It is suggested that TTV generally does not cause liver disease by itself, but there remains the possibility that TTV may aggravate liver disease caused by HCV.

High Incidence of Colonic Perforation During Colonoscopy in Hemodialysis Patients With End-Stage Renal Disease

BACKGROUND & AIMS Colonic perforation is a rare but life-threatening complication of colonoscopy. We evaluated the incidence of colonic perforation that resulted from colonoscopy in patients who underwent hemodialysis compared with those who did not have this procedure (controls). METHODS Data from a total of 15,098 consecutive patients who underwent colonoscopy from January 2001 to December 2008 in Nagoya Kyoritsu Hospital were analyzed retrospectively. Patients were divided into 2 groups: 1106 hemodialysis patients and 13,992 controls. The incidence of colonic perforation, patient characteristics, and locations of perforation during colonoscopy were compared between the 2 groups. Furthermore, perforated mucosa samples from colons were examined by pathology analysis. RESULTS Colonic perforations occurred in 5 hemodialysis patients and 3 controls. The incidence of colonic perforation was markedly higher in the hemodialysis group than in the control group (0.45% vs 0.02%; odds ratio, 21.17; 95% confidence interval, 5.05-88.73; P < .0001). Even after multivariate analysis of age, sex, and patients who received polypectomies, hemodialysis still was associated independently with the risk of colonic perforation during colonoscopy (odds ratio, 19.91; 95% confidence interval, 4.61-85.93; P < .0001). Pathologic examination of perforated mucosa was performed in 3 hemodialysis patients and 3 control patients. beta2-microglobulin deposition was observed in all 3 hemodialysis patients. In contrast, beta2-microglobulin deposition was not detected in control patients. CONCLUSIONS There is a higher risk of colonic perforation during colonoscopy among patients who received hemodialysis compared with those who did not. beta2-microglobulin deposition might have a role in perforation in patients who receive hemodialysis.

Synchronous rectal and esophageal cancer treated with chemotherapy followed by two-stage resection

We report a case of 61-year-old male who had synchronous advanced rectal cancer involving the urinary bladder massively associated with multiple liver metastases, and esophageal cancer successfully treated by neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by two-stage resection. Although complete resection of each of the lesions was considered possible by performing anterior pelvic exenteration, liver resection, and esophagectomy, it might be impossible for the patient to endure the stress of all of these operative procedures at once. Therefore, we planned to perform staged treatment with prioritizing consideration. First, we instituted chemotherapy with the FOLFOX (oxaliplatin + fluorouracil + leucovorin) plus cetuximab regimen, which could adequately control both rectal and esophageal cancer. After 6 cycles of chemotherapy, high anterior resection combined with cystoprostatectomy and lateral segmentectomy plus partial hepatectomy was performed followed by staged esophagectomy with three-field lymph node dissection. It was possible to use oxaliplatin and cetuximab safely as neoadjuvant therapy not only for advanced rectal cancer but for esophageal cancer, and it was effective.