Improved detectability of small-bowel lesions via capsule endoscopy with computed virtual chromoendoscopy: A pilot study

Objective. Real-time video capsule endoscopy (CE) with flexible spectral imaging color enhancement (FICE) improves visibility of small-bowel lesions. This article aims to clarify whether CE-FICE also improves detectability of small-bowel lesions. Patients and methods. A total of 55 patients who underwent CE at Hiroshima University Hospital during the period November 2009 through March 2010 were enrolled in the study. Five patients were excluded from the study because residues and transit delays prevented sufficient evaluation. Thus, 50 patients participated. Two experienced endoscopists (each having interpreted more than 50 capsule videos) analyzed the images. One interpreted conventional capsule videos; the other, blinded to interpretation of the conventional images, interpreted CE-FICE images obtained at settings 1-3 (setting 1: red 595 nm, green 540 nm, blue 535 nm; setting 2: red 420 nm, green 520 nm, blue 530 nm; setting 3: red 595 nm, green 570 nm, blue 415 nm). Lesions were classified as angioectasia, erosion, ulceration, or tumor. Detectability was compared between the two modalities. Time taken to interpret the capsule videos was also determined. Results. Seventeen angioectasias were identified by conventional CE; 48 were detected by CE-FICE at setting 1, 45 at setting 2, and 24 at setting 3, with significant differences at settings 1 and 2 (p = 0.0003, p < 0.0001, respectively). Detection of erosion, ulceration, and tumor did not differ statistically between conventional CE and CE-FICE, nor did interpretation time (conventional CE 36 ± 6.9 min; CE-FICE setting 1, 36 ± 6.4 min; setting 2, 38 ± 5.8 min; setting 3, 35 ± 6.7 min). Conclusions. CE-FICE is superior in the lesion detection in comparison with conventional CE and improves detection of angioectasia

Exopolysaccharide Produced by Lactobacillus paracasei IJH-SONE68 Prevents and Improves the Picryl Chloride-Induced Contact Dermatitis

Allergic disease is one of the most important and common health problems worldwide. We have previously demonstrated that a fig leaf-derived lactic acid bacterium Lactobacillus (Lb.) paracasei IJH-SONE68 produces a novel exopolysaccharide (EPS). Furthermore, we have shown that the EPS inhibits the catalytic activity of hyaluronidase (EC 3.2.1.36) promoting inflammatory reactions. To evaluate the anti-allergy and anti-inflammatory effects of the EPS, in the present study, we employed the picryl-chloride-induced delayed-type (type IV) allergy model mice, which is used to evaluate the contact dermatitis. Oral administration of the EPS was observed to reduce the ear swelling in the model mice. We also observed that the overexpression of ear interleukin-4 (T helper (Th) 2 cytokine) mRNA and the increase in serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) are repressed. However, the expression of interferon-&gamma; (Th1 cytokine) was not accelerated in all of the allergen-challenged model mice. The improvement may be responsible for the Th2 downregulation rather than the Th1 upregulation. In addition, the symptom of immediate-type (type I) allergy model mice was improved by oral administration of the IJH-SONE68 cell (data not shown). We can conclude that the IJH-SONE68-derived EPS is useful to improve the type I and IV allergies including atopic dermatitis

Complement factor H polymorphisms in Japanese population with age-related macular degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of visual disability in the elderly in developed countries or in those with a predominant Caucasian population. The disease is characterized by poor vision in the central field due to a progressive destruction of the macular area. A hallmark of the early stage of AMD is the development of drusen, a complex mixture of proteins and cellular deposits, which accumulate between the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and Bruch&apos;s membrane. Recent studies have shown that drusen are composed of proteins related to activated complement and suppressor Recently, five studies reported that a tyrosine to histidine change at amino acid 402 (Y402H has a T to C substitution at nucleotide 1277 in exon 9) of the complement factor H (CFH) gene was strongly associated with AMD The CFH gene, located on chromosome 1q32, was the first of 13 distinct loci mapped on 11 chromosomes to be identified as being associated with AMD The purpose of this study was to analyze the five haplotypes previously identified in the CFH gene in a Japanese population with exudative AMD and in age-matched controls. METHODS Age-related macular degeneration patients and age-matched controls: Blood samples were collected from 96 Japanese patients with exudative (wet type) AMD and 89 age-matched controls between 50-85 years old. AMD was diagnosed by ophthalmoscopic and fluorescein angiographic findings. In controls, no signs of early AMD, such as soft drusen or irregular pigmentations of the RPE in the macular area, were observed ophthalmoscopically. Informed consent was obtained from all participants, and the procedures used conformed to the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki. Purpose: To study the frequency of five haplotypes previously reported in the complement factor H (CFH) gene for Japanese patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Methods: Genomic DNA was isolated from peripheral blood samples taken from 96 Japanese AMD patients and 89 agematched controls. All patients were diagnosed as having exudative (wet-type) AMD. The amplified polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products of CFH exons 2, 9, and 13, and intron 6 were analyzed by temperature gradient capillary electrophoresis (TGCE) and by direct sequencing. The haplotypes were identified, and their frequencies were calculated and compared with reported results. Results: Five haplotypes were identified in the Japanese population including four already reported in the American population. The frequencies of these haplotypes were significantly different between Japanese and American in both control and case groups. The haplotype containing Y402H, which was previously reported to be associated with AMD, was only 4% in the control and case population, with a p value of 0.802. However, two other haplotypes were found as risk factors, which gave an increased likelihood of AMD of 1.9 and 2.5 fold (95% CI 1.12-3.69 and 1.42-6.38). One protective haplotype that decreased the likelihood of AMD by 1.6 fold (95% CI 0.26-0.67) was identified. Conclusions: The frequencies for five haplotypes previously identified were analyzed in a Japanese population with AMD. Four previously found haplotypes were identified and one additional haplotype was found. The frequencies of each haplotype were significantly different from that in found Americans affected with AMD. Two of the haplotypes were identified as risk factors and one was considered protective