World Journal of Gastroenterology最新文献

Liver cancer, one of the most common malignancies worldwide, ranks sixth in incidence and third in mortality. Liver cancer treatment options are diverse, including surgical resection, liver transplantation, percutaneous ablation, transarterial chemoembolization, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). A multidisciplinary team (MDT) is essential to customize treatment plans based on tumor staging, liver function, and performance status (PS), ensuring individualized patient care. Treatment decisions require a MDT to tailor strategies based on tumor staging, liver function, and PS, ensuring personalized care. The approval of new first-line and second-line drugs and the establishment of standard treatments based on immune checkpoint inhibitors have significantly expanded treatment options for advanced liver cancer, improving overall prognosis. However, many patients do not respond effectively to these treatments and ultimately succumb to the disease. Modern oncology treatments, while extending patient survival, often come with severe side effects, resistance, and damage to the body, negatively impacting quality of life. Huang et al's study published at World Journal of Gastroenterology rigorously validates the anticancer properties of Calculus bovis, enhancing our understanding of TCM and contributing to new liver cancer treatment strategies. For over 5000 years, TCM has been used in East Asian countries like China to treat various diseases, including liver conditions. Analysis of real-world clinical data suggests that for patients with advanced-stage tumors lacking effective treatments, integrated TCM therapies could provide significant breakthroughs.

Hyperuricemia (HUA) is a condition associated with a high concentration of uric acid (UA) in the bloodstream and can cause gout and chronic kidney disease. The gut microbiota of patients with gout and HUA is significantly altered compared to that of healthy people. This article focused on the complex interconnection between alterations in the gut microbiota and the development of this disorder. Some studies have suggested that changes in the composition, diversity, and activity of microbes play a key role in establishing and progressing HUA and gout pathogenesis. Therefore, we discussed how the gut microbiota contributes to HUA through purine metabolism, UA excretion, and intestinal inflammatory responses. We examined specific changes in the composition of the gut microbiota associated with gout and HUA, highlighting key bacterial taxa and the metabolic pathways involved. Additionally, we discussed the effect of conventional gout treatments on the gut microbiota composition, along with emerging therapeutic approaches that target the gut microbiome, such as the use of probiotics and prebiotics. We also provided insights into a study regarding the gut microbiota as a possible novel therapeutic intervention for gout treatment and dysbiosis-related diagnosis.

Background: Although immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have demonstrated significant survival benefits in some patients diagnosed with gastric cancer (GC), existing prognostic markers are not universally applicable to all patients with advanced GC.

Aim: To investigate biomarkers that predict prognosis in GC patients treated with ICIs and develop accurate predictive models.

Methods: Data from 273 patients diagnosed with GC and distant metastasis, who un-derwent ≥ 1 cycle(s) of ICIs therapy were included in this study. Patients were randomly divided into training and test sets at a ratio of 7:3. Training set data were used to develop the machine learning models, and the test set was used to validate their predictive ability. Shapley additive explanations were used to provide insights into the best model.

Results: Among the 273 patients with GC treated with ICIs in this study, 112 died within 1 year, and 129 progressed within the same timeframe. Five features related to overall survival and 4 related to progression-free survival were identified and used to construct eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), logistic regression, and decision tree. After comprehensive evaluation, XGBoost demonstrated good accuracy in predicting overall survival and progression-free survival.

Conclusion: The XGBoost model aided in identifying patients with GC who were more likely to benefit from ICIs therapy. Patient nutritional status may, to some extent, reflect prognosis.

A single center retrospective clinical study revealed the efficacy and safety of tofacitinib in the treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC). This study has clinical reference value but also has some limitations. Previous studies, including this clinical trial, have shown that tofacitinib could be a promising treatment option for UC, but further clinical research is required to prove this point.

We comment on an article by Koizumi et al. Elafibranor (EFN) is a dual pero-xisome proliferator-activated receptor α/δ agonist. The experimental results from Koizumi et al demonstrated that EFN significantly increases intestinal barrier function and ameliorates liver fibrosis. These positive outcomes suggest that EFN could be a promising therapeutic option for alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD). However, this study has limitations that necessitate further research to evaluate the efficacy of EFN. Future studies should consider the use of more appropriate animal models and cell types, optimize the administration routes and dosages of the drug, and conduct an in-depth investigation into the underlying mechanisms of action to determine the therapeutic effects of EFN in humans. With sustained and in-depth research, EFN has the potential to emerge as a novel therapeutic agent for the treatment of ALD.

Background: Ampullary cancer is a relatively rare malignant tumor in the digestive system. Its incidence has increased in recent years. As for now, its biological characteristics have not been fully clarified. Recent studies have primarily focused on the histological classification and genetic changes, but there are fewer investigations into the differences among site-specific subgroups. The clinicopathological characteristics of ampullary cancer occurring in different positions have not been elucidated. Furthermore, the role of adjuvant therapy in the treatment of patients with ampullary cancer remains controversial.

Aim: To study the clinicopathological features of the two site-specific subgroups of ampullary cancer and explore the factors affecting prognosis.

Methods: A total of 356 patients who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were enrolled. Patients were divided into ampulla of Vater cancer (AVC) and duodenal papilla cancer (DPC) based on the gross and microscopic findings. Baseline data, admission examination results, and perioperative outcomes were collected and analyzed. The Kaplan-Meier curve was used for survival analysis. Univariate and multivariate analysis was performed to explore the independent risk factors affecting the overall survival (OS) of both groups.

Results: The preoperative total bilirubin level in patients with AVC was significantly higher than those with DPC (P = 0.04). The OS for patients with DPC was 58.90 ± 38.74 months, significantly longer than 44.31 ± 35.90 months for patients with AVC (P < 0.01). The independent risk factors affecting the OS of AVC included: Preoperative albumin level (P = 0.009), total bilirubin level (P = 0.017), and number of positive lymph nodes (P = 0.005). For DPC, risk factors included: Age (P = 0.004), tumor size (P = 0.023), number of positive lymph nodes (P = 0.010) and adjuvant treatment (P = 0.020). Adjuvant therapy significantly improved the OS rate of patients with DPC, but not for those with AVC.

Conclusion: Patients with AVC had a shorter OS compared to those with DPC. The prognosis factors and the role of adjuvant therapy of two groups were different.

The prevalence of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is increasing, affecting over one-third of the global population and contributing to significant morbidity and mortality. Diagnosing MAFLD, especially with advanced fibrosis, remains challenging due to the limitations of liver biopsy, the current gold standard. Non-invasive tests are crucial for early detection and management. Among these, the fibrosis-4 index (Fib-4) is widely recommended as a first-line test for screening for liver fibrosis. Advanced imaging techniques, including ultrasound-based elastography and magnetic resonance elastography, offer high accuracy but are limited by cost and availability. Combining biomarkers, such as in the enhanced liver fibrosis score and FibroScan-AST score, enhances diagnostic precision and is recommended to further stratify patients who are considered to be intermediate or high risk from the Fib-4 score. We believe that the future lies in the combined use of biomarkers to improve diagnostic accuracy.

Background: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication rates have declined with the rise of antibiotic-resistant strains in recent years. Although highly effective with a low prevalence of resistance, standard dose tetracycline is associated with frequent adverse events. The efficacy and safety of low-dose tetracycline as part of tetracycline and amoxicillin-containing bismuth quadruple therapy are not well described.

Aim: To compare the efficacy and safety of low-dose compared to standard dose tetracycline with combined amoxicillin-containing bismuth quadruple therapy in patients with H. pylori infection.

Methods: Consecutive patients with H. pylori infection receiving tetracycline, amoxicillin, proton pump inhibitor, and bismuth for 14 days at Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital (1/2022-6/2023) were evaluated. The low-dose tetracycline group received tetracycline 500 mg twice daily (bid) while the standard dose group received 750 mg bid or 500 mg three times daily (tid). Primary endpoints were H. pylori eradication rate and treatment-related adverse events.

Results: The mean age of the 218 patients was 48.7 ± 14.0 years, 120 (55%) were male, and 118 (54.1%) received treatment as primary therapy. Furthermore, 73 (33%) patients received low-dose tetracycline (500 mg bid) and 145 (67%) received standard dose tetracycline including 500 mg tid in 74 (33%) and 750 mg bid in 71 (33%). On intention-to-treat analysis, H. pylori eradication rates were 89% [95% confidence interval (CI): 82%-96%] in the 500 mg bid group, 82% (95%CI: 74%-91%) in the 500 mg tid group, and 79% (95%CI: 69%-89%) in the 750 mg bid group without a statistically significant difference (P = 0.25). The incidence of adverse events was lower in the low-dose compared to the standard dose group (12.3% vs 31.1% or 23.9%; P = 0.02).

Conclusion: Low-dose tetracycline combined with amoxicillin quadruple therapy for 14 days achieved a high eradication rate and fewer adverse events compared to the standard dose tetracycline regimen in patients with H. pylori infection.

The current letter to the editor pertains to the manuscript entitled 'Uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferase 1A1 prevents the progression of liver injury'. Increased levels of uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferase 1A1 during liver injury could mitigate damage by reducing endoplasmic reticulum stress, oxidative stress, and dysregulated lipid metabolism, impeding hepatocyte apoptosis and necroptosis.

In this editorial we comment on the article by Pacheco et al published in a recent issue of the World Journal of Gastroenterology. We focus specifically on the burden of illness associated with perianal fistulizing Crohn's disease (PFCD) and the diagnostic and therapeutic challenges in the management of this condition. Evolving evidence has shifted the diagnostic framework for PFCD from anatomical classification systems, to one that is more nuanced and patient-focused to drive ongoing decision making. This editorial aims to reflect on these aspects to help clinicians face the challenge of PFCD in day-to-day clinical practice.