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Kazuhide Higuchi

Publications and source records attributed to Kazuhide Higuchi.

64 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Asymptomatic chronic intestinal ischemia caused by idiopathic phlebosclerosis of mesenteric vein.

Phlebosclerosis of the mesenteric vein is a rare condition causing chronic intestinal ischemia, it has only been reported in Japan. A 56-year-old man with liver cirrhosis and hepatic tumor presented with phlebosclerosis of mesenteric vein without any abdominal symptoms. He was admitted for examination of suspected hepatic tumor. Abdominal plain x-ray films and computed tomography revealed calcification of the mesenteric vein. Barium enema revealed narrowing and thumbprinting from the cecum to transverse colon. On colonoscopic examination, blue-black vessels were visible in the terminal ileum, and hyperemic nodular mucosa with small irregular ulcers surrounded by dark purple mucosa was found from the cecum to transverse colon. The etiology of mesenteric vein phlebosclerosis is unknown, although a physical mechanism rather than inflammatory changes appear to be involved in this rare and usually progressive condition of chronic intestinal ischemia.

Calcinosis↗

Efficacy and safety of balloon-occluded endoscopic injection sclerotherapy as a prophylactic treatment for high-risk gastric fundal varices: a prospective, randomized, comparative clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: No single effective method has yet been established for the prophylactic treatment of gastric fundal varices at high risk for bleeding. A prospective, randomized trial was conducted to compare the efficacy and safety of a new technique, balloon-occluded endoscopic injection sclerotherapy (BO-EIS), to balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration (B-RTO) for treatment of high-risk gastric fundal varices. METHODS: Twenty consecutive patients with gastric variceal diameters of over 5 mm by color Doppler EUS were randomized to undergo either BO-EIS or B-RTO. All patients underwent color Doppler EUS 2 weeks after treatment and EGD every 3 months for assessment of sclerosing effect. RESULTS: The gastric varices in all patients except one in the B-RTO group were eradicated with either treatment. The volume of sclerosant used was significantly smaller in patients who underwent BO-EIS (p < 0.05). The endoscopic grade of esophageal varices in 4 of 9 patients worsened after treatment with B-RTO (p < 0.05). The method of randomization used resulted in an uneven distribution of women, although the difference between the groups was not statistically significant. When only men were compared, the results of the study were unchanged. CONCLUSIONS: BO-EIS is a safe and effective for treatment of high-risk gastric fundal varices. In contrast to B-RTO, it can be used even in patients without a gastrorenal shunt.

Aged↗

In vivo action of novel alkyl methyl quinolone alkaloids against Helicobacter pylori.

Previously purified and isolated compounds of novel alkyl methyl quinolone alkaloids (AM quinolones) from Gosyuyu (Wu-Chu-Yu), a Chinese herbal medicine, have a strong and highly selective antibacterial activity against Helicobacter pylori in vitro. To clarify the antibacterial mechanism(s) of AM quinolones, we examined the effects of AM quinolones on respiration of H. pylori in vitro. One week after treatment with AM quinolones alone (2, 10 or 20 mg/kg/day, orally) or combinations of AM quinolones and omeprazole (30 mg/kg/day) for H. pylori (1 x 10(8) cfu)-infected Mongolian gerbils, we checked viable H. pylori and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity in the gastric tissues. AM quinolones decreased the number of H. pylori and inhibited H. pylori respiration in a dose-dependent manner. AM quinolones decreased the number of viable H. pylori (AM quinolones alone: 46.0 +/- 22.6 x 10(4), 17.3 +/- 4.9 x 10(4) and 8.1 +/- 6.6 x 10(4) cfu/stomach, respectively; and combinations of AM quinolones and omeprazole: 8.0 +/- 5.6 x 10(4), 4.2 +/- 2.5 x 10(4) and 5.5 +/- 2.7 x 10(4) cfu/stomach) compared with the vehicle-treated group (control: 359.9 +/- 180.3 x 10(4) cfu/stomach). AM quinolones significantly decreased MPO activity of H. pylori-inoculated gastric tissues. These findings suggest that AM quinolones have a potent antibacterial effect against H. pylori through respiratory inhibition, and reduced bacterial growth in vivo. AM quinolones might be novel therapeutic agents for H. pylori eradication.

4-Quinolones↗

[Prostaglandin derivatives--indication and critical points].

After discovery of H. pylori, management of peptic ulcer disease (PUD) is getting much easier. However, four thousands a year still died caused by this disease in Japan. Ten to twenty percent of the non-NSAIDs ulcer could be expected to remain after complete eradication of H. pylori; The number could be still 100,000-200,000 a year in Japan. Furthermore, NSAIDs ulcer would not decrease in number in the post-H. pylori era. Recurrence of ulcer is related to the quality of ulcer healing. Deficiency of prostaglandins(PG) in the mucosa is another main reason than H. pylori infection of poor quality of ulcer healing. Therefore, a PG analogue may be a most reasonable tool for treatment of H. pylori-negative PUD including NSAIDs ulcer, but is often poorly tolerated because of diarrhea and abdominal pain. The mucosal damage caused by NSAIDs is also gastric acid-dependent and so, an H2-receptor antagonist is to some extent effective although the efficacy is far behind of that with a PG-analogue. Recently, a proton-pump inhibitor has been reported to exert the same effect as a PG-analogue in healing of gastroduodenal mucosal damage caused by NSAIDs and the superior effect in preventing recurrence of the damage with better tolerance. This results suggest that strong acid inhibition is highly effective for such damage. Whether such strong acid inhibition causes disturbance of absorption of NSAIDs is not clear, which might result in poor antiinflammatory effect. Elderly patients often have tendency of constipation and less possibility of pregnancy. Therefore, a PG-analogue may be not only safe but also more favorable for such patients.

Aged↗

Long-term effect of Helicobacter pylori eradication on quality of life, body mass index, and newly developed diseases in Japanese patients with peptic ulcer disease.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Eradication of Helicobacter pylori is known to reduce ulcer recurrence in patients with peptic ulcer disease, however, other long-term effects after eradication therapy are not well known. The aim of this study is to examine the long-term effect of H. pylori eradication on clinical symptoms, quality of life, body mass index, newly emerging symptoms, and newly developed diseases. METHODOLOGY: One hundred and ninety-two Japanese patients with peptic ulcer disease who received H. pylori eradication therapy at Department of Gastroenterology, Osaka City University Hospital between 1993 and 1995 were asked to fill in specially a prepared questionnaire. RESULTS: One hundred and fourteen patients returned the questionnaires; out of them 98 could be analyzed in this study. Successful eradication (n = 88) resulted in alleviation of symptoms, improvement of quality of life and increase of body mass index while failure of eradication (n = 10) had much less or no effects. A relatively high incidence of hyperlipidemia (25.0%) was observed in patients with successful H. pylori eradication. Development of hyperlipidemia was associated with significant improvement of quality of life especially the item concerning eating and drinking habits but not with increased body mass index. In the elderly, no significant change in body mass index was observed, however, post-eradication body mass index was significantly higher in patients with hyperlipidemia than those without. CONCLUSIONS: Cure of H. pylori infection alleviates symptoms and improves quality of life of treated patients, but might be associated with an increased incidence of hyperlipidemia.

Body Mass Index↗

Eradication therapy of Helicobacter pylori directly induces apoptosis in inflammation-related immunocytes in the gastric mucosa--possible mechanism for cure of peptic ulcer disease and MALT lymphoma with a low-grade malignancy.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: A possibility that the eradication therapy not only eliminates Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) but also influences some factors regulating pathological changes in the gastric mucosa should be taken into consideration from some phenomena. Such as non-recurrent cases of peptic ulcer long-term in spite of unsuccessful anti-H. pylori eradication therapy and the effectiveness of eradication therapy for mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue with a low-grade malignancy except stomach. We hypothesized and investigated that antibiotic treatment for elimination of H. pylori might directly affect inflammatory cells to induce apoptosis in them and protect against pathological changes of gastric mucosa. METHODOLOGY: Subjects consisted of twenty-one patients with chronic gastritis. All were H. pylori positive and we investigated the effects of eradication therapy of H. pylori on inflammation-related immunocytes in the gastric mucosa of patients with chronic gastritis caused by H. pylori isolated mononuclear leukocytes which were taken from the patients and were examined for apoptosis-related morphological changes and DNA fragmentation before and after the therapy. Eradication therapy of H. pylori was performed by lansoprazole 30 mg/day, amoxicillin 1500 mg/day and clarithromycin 400 mg/day for one week. RESULTS: After the H. pylori eradication therapy, regardless of its effect on H. pylori status, marked vacuolation and degeneration were observed in mononuclear leukocytes in the gastric mucosa with a concomitant enhancement of nuclear DNA fragmentation. CONCLUSIONS: This observation suggests that H. pylori eradication therapy itself induces apoptosis in mononuclear leukocytes in the gastric mucosa.

2-Pyridinylmethylsulfinylbenzimidazoles↗

Does colitis associated with primary sclerosing cholangitis represent an actual subset of ulcerative colitis?

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The clinical course and endoscopic features of colitis associated with primary sclerosing cholangitis have not been well documented. METHODOLOGY: Since 1980, a total of 485 patients with ulcerative colitis have been seen in our departments. During this period, we experienced 6 patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis, 4 of whom had ulcerative colitis concomitantly. RESULTS: Colitis preceded primary sclerosing cholangitis in 3 of the 4 patients. There were 2 males and 2 females. One patient had left-sided colitis while 3 had total colitis, 1 with a first attack and 3 with relapsing-remitting type. Two of the 4 patients had colonoscopically dominant inflammation in the proximal colon with continuous histological inflammation from the rectum to the proximal colon. Three colitic patients have been well controlled with oral sulfasalzine or mesalazine administration. Only 1 female patient had been hospitalized twice for moderately severe attacks of ulcerative colitis that required systemic prednisolone administration, however, this patient quickly responded to this treatment for each admission. CONCLUSIONS: Colitis associated with primary sclerosing cholangitis exhibited atypical colonoscopic findings and exhibited milder disease activity than ulcerative colitis without primary sclerosing cholangitis.

Adult↗