Short-type single-balloon enteroscope (short SBE)-assisted endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is a promising alternative treatment in postsurgical altered anatomy. However, it is technically demanding, and factors affecting its technical difficulty have not yet been clarified. This study aimed to examine the procedural success rate of short SBE-assisted ERCP and the potential factors affecting procedural failure. A total of 117 consecutive patients (203 procedures) with surgically altered anatomy underwent ERCP using prototype short SBEs. The procedural success rate of short SBE-assisted ERCP and the potential factors affecting procedural failure were examined retrospectively. The enteroscopy success rate and procedural success rate were 92.6 % (95 % confidence interval [CI] 88.1 % - 95.8 %) and 81.8 % (95 %CI 75.8 % - 86.8 %), respectively. Multivariate analyses indicated that pancreatic indication (odds ratio [OR] 4.35, 95 %CI 1.67 - 11.4), first ERCP attempt (OR 6.03, 95 %CI 2.17 - 16.8), and no transparent hood (OR 4.61, 95 %CI 1.48 - 14.3) were potential risk factors for procedural failure. Short SBE-assisted ERCP was effective in postsurgical altered anatomy. This large case series suggested the potential factors affecting procedural failure.

Summary.Congenital amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia (CAMT) is an uncommon disorder in newborns and infants, characterized by isolated thrombocytopenia and megakaryocytopenia in the first year without physical anomalies. The defect of thrombopoiesis is not well understood. Recently, thrombopoietin (TPO), the ligand for the c-mpl receptor, was cloned. Accumulating evidence from in vitro and in vivo studies indicate that TPO plays a key role in the regulation of megakaryocytopoiesis. In this study we examined the effect of TPO on megakaryocyte colony formation from a patient with CAMT using a plasma-containing methylcellulose clonal culture. The in vitro results demonstrated a defective response to TPO in megakaryocyte colony formation from bone marrow mononuclear cells (MNC) of the patient, although interleukin-3 (IL-3) but not stem cell factor (SCF) induced only a small number of megakaryocyte colonies. These findings indicated that thrombocytopenia in CAMT could not be corrected by administration of TPO in vitro.Additionally, clonal cultures containing SCF, IL-3, IL-6 and erythropoietin showed decreased numbers of erythroid and myelocytic progenitors in the bone marrow of the patient. The serum TPO level measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was significantly higher than that in healthy controls. By PCR, marrow MNC from healthy children and from a patient with essential thrombocytosis expressed c-mpl mRNA, whereas no c-mpl mRNA was detected in marrow MNC from the patient with CAMT. There was no difference in the CD34 expression and c-kit mRNA between the CAMT patient and healthy children. The results of this study suggest that the pathophysiology in CAMT may be a defective response to TPO in haemopoietic cells through impaired expression of c-mpl mRNA.

Background/Aims: A new classification of achalasia using high-resolution manometry (HRM) has recently been suggested. Pneumatic dilatation (PD) is a common treatment for primary achalasia. The usefulness of the new classification and HRM for the treatment and follow-up of patients after PD is unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate the PD effectiveness and the predictive factors of success in Japanese patients with achalasia using HRM and the new classification of achalasia. Methods: Twenty-five patients were diagnosed with primary achalasia using HRM and treated by PD in our hospital. We evaluated symptom scores and esophageal manometry 6 and 12 months after the first PD. Results: After the first PD treatment, remission occurred in 24 out of 25 (96.0%) patients at 6 months and in 19 out of 25 (76.0%) patients at 12 months. With the new classification of achalasia, the success rates were 83.3, 80.0 and 50% for types I, II and III, respectively, 12 months after PD. The median age of the successful group was significantly greater than that of the failure group (47.1 vs. 37.0 years, p <0.05). The median residual lower esophageal sphincter (LES) pressure 6 months after PD in the successful group was significantly lower than that of the failure group (9.0 vs. 15.5 mm Hg, p <0.05). Conclusion: Good predictors of PD success were old age (>40 years) and residual LES pressures less than 15 mm Hg 6 months after PD.

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BackgroundEarly induction with biologics can reduce complications in patients with Crohn’s disease (CD) and improve their quality of life. The safety of biologics, however, is uncertain. Granulocyte and monocyte adsorptive apheresis (GMAA) is a natural biologic therapy that selectively removes granulocytes and monocytes/macrophages and has few severe adverse effects. The effects of GMAA on patients with early-diagnosed CD are unclear. We investigated the effects of GMAA combined with thiopurines on patients with early-diagnosed CD.MethodsTwenty-two corticosteroid- and biologic-naïve patients with active early-diagnosed CD were treated with intensive GMAA (twice per week) combined with thiopurines administration. Active early-diagnosed CD was defined as follows: (i) within 2years after diagnosis of CD, (ii) with no history of both surgical treatment and endoscopic dilation therapy, and (iii) Crohn’s Disease Activity Index (CDAI) was higher than 200. We investigated the ratios of clinical remission defined as CDAI was less than or equal to 150 at 2, 4, 6 and 52weeks and mucosal healing defined as a Simplified Endoscopic Activity Score for Crohn’s Disease (SES-CD) as 0 at 6 and 52weeks. Adverse events were recorded at each visit.ResultsThe ratios of clinical remission at 2, 4, and 6 weeks were 6 of 22 (27.2%), 12 of 22 (54.5%), and 17 of 22 (77.2%), respectively. At 52 weeks, 18 of 21 patients (81.8%) were in clinical remission. The ratios of mucosal healing at 6 and 52 weeks were 5 of 22 (22.7%) and 11 of 22 (50%), respectively. The difference in the mucosal healing ratio was significant between 6 and 52 weeks (p = 0.044). No serious adverse effects were observed during this study.ConclusionsCombination therapy with intensive GMAA and thiopurines administration rapidly induced high remission in patients with active early-diagnosed CD without serious adverse effect. Mucosal healing was observed in 50.0% of enrolled patients. This combination therapy might be a rational option for patients with early-diagnosed CD.

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Famciclovir is a guanine analog antiviral drug used commonly for herpes zoster. Efficacy of famciclovir treatment has been reported to be comparable to valacyclovir treatment. Both of these medications reduce the time to complete cessation of zoster-associated pain including post-herpetic neuralgia, as compared to acyclovir. We conducted a multicenter, randomized, open clinical trial in order to evaluate the extent of pain relief afforded by these two antiviral drugs during the acute disease phase of herpes zoster. The study group comprised 86 immunocompetent adult patients suffering from herpes zoster, who were treated with either famciclovir or valacyclovir for 7 days. Of these, 55 patients enrolled in this study within 72 h of the onset of the rash and 31 patients after 72 h of the onset. There was a significant reduction in acute herpes zoster pain with famciclovir on day 7 and at 2-3 weeks in both of these patient groups, while with valacyclovir, there was not significant reduction in pain on day 7. Of patients aged 50 years or older, there was a significantly earlier reduction in pain with famciclovir than with valacyclovir. In addition, a significant reduction in the number of patients with pain was observed as early as days 3-4 with famciclovir treatment as compared with valacyclovir treatment. We conclude that famciclovir was superior to valacyclovir in the relief of acute pain of herpes zoster. Accordingly, famciclovir is recommended for herpes zoster patients with moderate symptoms and a visual analog scale score of under 50 mm.

Background: Data on acid and non-acid reflux patterns and esophageal function in Japanese patients with non-erosive reflux disease (NERD) are limited. The aim of this study was to use combined multichannel intraluminal impedance pH monitoring (MII-pH) and high-resolution manometry (HRM) to investigate the characteristics of Japanese patients who were treated with a "double-dose" (20 mg) of rabeprazol (a proton-pump inhibitor; PPI) for persistent symptoms of NERD. Methods: Twenty-five patients who complained of typical gastroesophageal reflux disease symptoms, which had occurred more than twice a week despite treatment with rabeprazol, were enrolled in the study. All patients underwent upper endoscopy, esophageal HRM, and 24-h MII-pH monitoring while double-dose PPI therapy was continued. Results: Twelve (48.0%) of the patients had a positive symptom index (SI) with 234 recorded symptoms, 127 (54.3%) of which were related to reflux episodes. Of those with reflux episodes, 29 (22.8%) were related to acid reflux, while 98 (77.2%) were the result of a weaker acidic reflux. In acid reflux and in mixed (liquid-gas) reflux, the proximal esophageal region was involved to a significantly greater degree (P<0.002 and P=0.005, respectively) than the distal region. In liquid reflux, there was no difference between the distal and proximal regions. HRM showed that proximal motility parameters were significantly more defective than in those of healthy volunteers. Conclusions: MII-pH monitoring indicated that weakly acidic reflux and mixed refluxate in the proximal esophagus is the major cause of persistent symptoms in patients with NERD who are being treated with PPI. HRM showed that proximal esophageal dysfunction might be a key condition that facilitates reflux.