Gut and Liver is an international journal of gastroenterology, focusing on the gastrointestinal tract, liver, biliary tree, pancreas, motility, and neurogastroenterology. Gut atnd Liver delivers up-to-date, authoritative papers on both clinical and research-based topics in gastroenterology. The Journal publishes original articles, case reports, brief communications, letters to the editor and invited review articles in the field of gastroenterology. The Journal is operated by internationally renowned editorial boards and designed to provide a global opportunity to promote academic developments in the field of gastroenterology and hepatology. +MORE
Yong Chan Lee |
Professor of Medicine Director, Gastrointestinal Research Laboratory Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Univ. California San Francisco San Francisco, USA |
Jong Pil Im | Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea |
Robert S. Bresalier | University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, USA |
Steven H. Itzkowitz | Mount Sinai Medical Center, NY, USA |
All papers submitted to Gut and Liver are reviewed by the editorial team before being sent out for an external peer review to rule out papers that have low priority, insufficient originality, scientific flaws, or the absence of a message of importance to the readers of the Journal. A decision about these papers will usually be made within two or three weeks.
The remaining articles are usually sent to two reviewers. It would be very helpful if you could suggest a selection of reviewers and include their contact details. We may not always use the reviewers you recommend, but suggesting reviewers will make our reviewer database much richer; in the end, everyone will benefit. We reserve the right to return manuscripts in which no reviewers are suggested.
The final responsibility for the decision to accept or reject lies with the editors. In many cases, papers may be rejected despite favorable reviews because of editorial policy or a lack of space. The editor retains the right to determine publication priorities, the style of the paper, and to request, if necessary, that the material submitted be shortened for publication.
Review Article ㅣ 2021-03-15
35
5643
3221
Hye-Kyung Jung1 , Seung Joo Kang2
, Yong Chan Lee3
, Hyo-Joon Yang4
, Seon-Young Park5
, Cheol Min Shin6
, Sung Eun Kim7
, Hyun Chul Lim8
, Jie-Hyun Kim9
, Su Youn Nam10
, Woon Geon Shin11
, Jae Myung Park12
, Il Ju Choi13
, Jae Gyu Kim14
, Miyoung Choi15
, Korean College of Helicobacter and Upper Gastrointestinal Research
Abstract : Helicobacter pylori infection is one of the most common infectious diseases worldwide. Although the prevalence of H. pylori is gradually decreasing, approximately half of the world's population still becomes infected with this disease. H. pylori is responsible for substantial gastrointestinal morbidity worldwide, with a high disease burden. It is the most common cause of gastric and duodenal ulcers and gastric cancer. Since the revision of the H. pylori clinical practice guidelines in 2013 in Korea, the eradication rate of H. pylori has gradually decreased with the use of a clarithromycin-based triple therapy for 7 days. According to a nationwide randomized controlled study conducted by the Korean College of Helicobacter and Upper Gastrointestinal Research released in 2018, the intention-to-treat eradication rate was only 63.9%, which was mostly due to increased antimicrobial resistance, especially from clarithromycin. The clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of H. pylori were updated according to evidence-based medicine from a meta-analysis conducted on a target group receiving the latest level of eradication therapy. The draft recommendations developed based on the meta-analysis were finalized after an expert consensus on three recommendations regarding the indication for treatment and eight recommendations for the treatment itself. These guidelines were designed to provide clinical evidence for the treatment (including primary care treatment) of H. pylori infection to patients, nurses, medical school students, policymakers, and clinicians. These may differ from current medical insurance standards and will be revised if more evidence emerges in the future.
Review Article ㅣ 2021-09-15
15
3613
4193
Abstract : Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are used worldwide to treat of acid-related disorders such as peptic ulcer and gastroesophageal reflux disease and to prevent gastroduodenal injuries due to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. PPIs are the most potent inhibitors of gastric acid secretion currently available, and they are one of the most commonly prescribed classes of drugs because of their high efficacy and low toxicity. However, long-term PPI use causes histopathological changes such as parietal cell protrusion into the gland lumen, cystic dilation of gastric fundic glands, and foveolar epithelial hyperplasia. These changes can manifest on endoscopic examination as fundic gland polyps, hyperplastic polyps, multiple white and flat elevated lesions, cobblestone-like mucosa, or black spots. Clinicians must be aware of PPI-induced endoscopic features in patients with chronic long-term PPI use. Conversely, identifying patients with long-term PPI use based on their endoscopic findings is important. Recently, potassium-competitive acid blockers (P-CABs), a new class of acid suppressants that inhibit gastric acid secretion more strongly than PPIs, have recently been introduced clinically. Further long-term prospective studies on these gastric mucosal lesions in patients with either PPI or P-CAB use are required to investigate their association with histopathological changes and to establish the clinical significance of these findings.
Review Article ㅣ 2021-09-15
19
3381
3677
Abstract : Portal blood flows into the liver containing the gut microbiome and its products such as endotoxin and bacterial DNA. The cirrhotic liver acts and detoxifies as the initial site of microbial products. In so-called “leaky gut,” the increased intestinal permeability for bacteria and their products constitutes an important pathogenetic factor for major complications in patients with liver cirrhosis. Prolonged gastric and small intestinal transit may induce intestinal bacterial overgrowth, a condition in which colonic bacteria translocate into the small gut. Cirrhotic patients further show gut dysbiosis characterized by an overgrowth of potentially pathogenic bacteria and a decrease in autochthonous nonpathogenic bacteria. Pathological bacterial translocation (BT) is a contributing factor in the development of various severe complications. Bile acids (BAs) undergo extensive enterohepatic circulation and play important roles in the gut-liver axis. BT-induced inflammation prevents synthesis of BAs in the liver through inhibition of BA-synthesizing enzyme CYP7A1. A lower abundance of 7α-dehydroxylating gut bacteria leads to decreased conversion of primary to secondary BAs. Decreases in total and secondary BAs may play an important role in the gut dysbiosis characterized by a proinflammatory and toxic gut microbiome inducing BT and endotoxemia, as addressed in my previous reviews. Selective intestinal decontamination by the use of various antimicrobial drugs for management of complications has a long history. Lactobacillus GG decreasing endotoxemia is reported to improve the microbiome with beneficial changes in amino acid, vitamin and secondary BA metabolism. Current approaches for hepatic encephalopathy are the use of nonabsorbable antibiotics and disaccharides. Probiotics may become an additional therapeutic option for advanced liver cirrhosis.
Review Article ㅣ 2021-01-15
23
2575
3704
Juntaro Matsuzaki1 , Hitoshi Tsugawa2
, Hidekazu Suzuki3
Abstract : Gastric cancer remains one of the most common causes of cancer-related death worldwide, although the incidence is declining gradually. The primary risk factor for gastric cancer is Helicobacter pylori infection. The Kyoto global consensus report recommends eradication of H. pylori in all infected patients. However, because it is difficult to stratify the risk of carcinogenesis among patients with a history of H. pylori infection, annual endoscopic surveillance is performed for everyone after eradication. This review summarizes the current approaches used to screen for novel molecules that could assist in the diagnosis of gastric cancer and reduce mortality. Most well-studied molecules are tissue protein biomarkers expressed by the gastric epithelium and associated with metaplasia-dysplasia-carcinoma sequences. Other strategies focus on the origin of cancer stem cell-related markers, such as CD44, and immune reaction-related markers, such as matrix metallopeptidases. Noninvasive methods such as blood-based approaches are more attractive. Serum pepsinogen levels predict the severity of gastric mucosal atrophy before H. pylori eradication, whereas plasma ghrelin levels are associated with atrophy even after eradication. Cell-free DNAs and RNAs are attractive tools for the early detection of cancer. These ideas could lead to the development of more personalized strategies for cancer prevention based on cutting-edge technologies.
Original Article ㅣ 2021-11-15
4
2305
3238
Gwang Ha Kim1 , Hang Lak Lee2
, Moon Kyung Joo3
, Hong Jun Park4
, Sung Woo Jung5
, Ok-Jae Lee6
, Hyungkil Kim7
, Hoon Jai Chun8
, Soo Teik Lee9
, Ji Won Kim10
, Han Ho Jeon11
, Il-Kwun Chung12
, Hyun-Soo Kim13
, Dong Ho Lee14
, Kyoung-Oh Kim15
, Yun Jeong Lim16
, Seun-Ja Park17
, Soo-Jeong Cho18
, Byung-Wook Kim19
, Kwang Hyun Ko20
, Seong Woo Jeon21
, Jae Gyu Kim22
, In-Kyung Sung23
, Tae Nyeun Kim24
, Jae Kyu Sung25
, Jong-Jae Park3
Abstract : Background/Aims: The mucoprotective drug rebamipide is used to treat gastritis and peptic ulcers. We compared the efficacy of MucostaⓇ (rebamipide 100 mg) and its new formulation, AD-203 (rebamipide 150 mg), in treating erosive gastritis. Methods: This double-blind, active control, noninferiority, multicenter, phase 3 clinical trial randomly assigned 475 patients with endoscopically proven erosive gastritis to two groups: AD-203 twice daily or MucostaⓇ thrice daily for 2 weeks. The intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis included 454 patients (AD-203, n=229; MucostaⓇ, n=225), and the per-protocol (PP) analysis included 439 patients (AD-203, n=224; MucostaⓇ, n=215). The posttreatment assessments included the primary (erosion improvement rate) and secondary endpoints (erosion and edema cure rates; improvement rates of redness, hemorrhage, and gastrointestinal symptoms). Drug-related adverse events were evaluated. Results: According to the ITT analysis, the erosion improvement rates (posttreatment) in AD-203-treated and MucostaⓇ-treated patients were 39.7% and 43.8%, respectively. According to the PP analysis, the erosion improvement rates (posttreatment) in AD-203-treated and MucostaⓇ-treated patients were 39.3% and 43.7%, respectively. The one-sided 97.5% lower limit for the improvement rate difference between the study groups was −4.01% (95% confidence interval [CI], –13.09% to 5.06%) in the ITT analysis and −4.44% (95% CI, –13.65% to 4.78%) in the PP analysis. The groups did not significantly differ in the secondary endpoints in either analysis. Twenty-four AD-203-treated and 20 MucostaⓇ-treated patients reported adverse events but no serious adverse drug reactions; both groups presented similar adverse event rates. Conclusions: The new formulation of rebamipide 150 mg (AD-203) twice daily was not inferior to rebamipide 100 mg (MucostaⓇ) thrice daily. Both formulations showed a similar efficacy in treating erosive gastritis.
Review Article ㅣ 2021-07-15
17
2264
2705
Dexi Zhou1,2,3 , Jiajie Luan1,2,3
, Cheng Huang4
, Jun Li4
Abstract : Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignancies worldwide, and it has diverse etiologies with multiple mechanisms. The diagnosis of HCC typically occurs at advanced stages when there are limited therapeutic options. Hepatocarcinogenesis is considered a multistep process, and hepatic macrophages play a critical role in the inflammatory process leading to HCC. Emerging evidence has shown that tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are crucial components defining the HCC immune microenvironment and represent an appealing option for disrupting the formation and development of HCC. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge of the polarization and function of TAMs in the pathogenesis of HCC, as well as the mechanisms underlying TAM-related anti-HCC therapies. Eventually, novel insights into these important aspects of TAMs and their roles in the HCC microenvironment might lead to promising TAM-focused therapeutic strategies for HCC.
Original Article ㅣ 2021-07-15
9
2226
1333
Han Ah Lee1 , Joon Young Jung1
, Young-Sun Lee1
, Young Kul Jung1
, Ji Hoon Kim1
, Hyonggin An2
, Hyung Joon Yim1
, Yoon Tae Jeen1
, Jong Eun Yeon1
, Kwan Soo Byun1
, Soon Ho Um1
, Yeon Seok Seo1
Abstract : Background/Aims: Most prognostic prediction models for patients with liver cirrhosis include serum total bilirubin (TB) level as a component. This study investigated prognostic performance of serum direct bilirubin (DB) and developed new DB level-based prediction models for cirrhosis. Methods: A total of 983 hospitalized patients with liver cirrhosis were included. DB-Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score was calculated using MELD score formula, with serum DB level replacing TB level. Results: Mean age of study population was 56.1 years. Alcoholic liver disease was the most frequent underlying condition (471 patients, 47.9%). Within 6 months, 144 patients (14.6%) died or received liver transplantation due to severe liver dysfunction. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) for prediction of 6-month mortality with DB level was significantly higher than that with TB level (p<0.001). The AUROC of DB-MELD score for prediction of 6-month mortality was significantly higher than that of MELD score (p<0.001). Patients were randomly divided into training (n=492) and validation (n=491) cohorts. A new prognostic prediction model, “Direct Bilirubin, INR, and Creatinine” (DiBIC) score, was developed based on the most significant predictors of 6-month mortality. In training set, AUROC of DiBIC score for prediction of 6-month mortality was 0.892, which was significantly higher than that of the MELD score (0.875, p=0.017), but not different from that of DB-MELD score (0.886, p=0.272). Similar results were observed in validation set. Conclusions: New prognostic models, DB-MELD and DiBIC scores, have good prognostic performance in liver cirrhosis patients, outperforming other currently available models.
Original Article ㅣ 2022-03-15
10
2089
1699
Yuna Kim1,2 , Eugene Han3
, Jae Seung Lee1,2,4
, Hye Won Lee1,2,4
, Beom Kyung Kim1,2,4
, Mi Kyung Kim3
, Hye Soon Kim3
, Jun Yong Park1,2,4
, Do Young Kim1,2,4
, Sang Hoon Ahn1,2,4
, Byung-Wan Lee1,5
, Eun Seok Kang1,5
, Bong-Soo Cha1,5
, Yong-ho Lee1,5
, Seung Up Kim1,2,4
Abstract : Background/Aims: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and obesity are independently associated with an increased risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), the leading cause of mortality in patients with NAFLD. Many NAFLD patients are lean, but their ASCVD risk compared to obese subjects with NAFLD is unclear. Methods: Data from the 2008 to 2011 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys database were analyzed (n=4,786). NAFLD was defined as a comprehensive NAFLD score ≥40 or a liver fat score ≥–0.640. ASCVD risk was evaluated using the American College of Cardiology/ American Heart Association guidelines. Results: The frequency of subjects without NAFLD, with obese NAFLD, and with lean NAFLD was 62.4% (n=2,987), 26.6% (n=1,274), and 11.0% (n=525), respectively. Subjects with lean NAFLD had a significantly higher ASCVD score and prevalence of a high ASCVD risk (mean 15.6±14.0, 51.6%) than those with obese NAFLD and without NAFLD (mean 11.2±11.4, 39.8%; mean 7.9±10.9, 25.5%; all p
Review Article ㅣ 2022-05-15
3
2006
2376
Osamu Goto , Mitsuru Kaise
, Katsuhiko Iwakiri
Abstract : A diagnosis of subepithelial tumors (SETs) is sometimes difficult due to the existence of overlying mucosa on the lesions, which hampers optical diagnosis by conventional endoscopy and tissue sampling with standard biopsy forceps. Imaging modalities, by using computed tomography and endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) are mandatory to noninvasively collect the target’s information and to opt candidates for further evaluation. Particularly, EUS is an indispensable diagnostic modality for assessing the lesions precisely and evaluating the possibility of malignancy. The diagnostic ability of EUS appears increased by the combined use of contrast-enhancement or elastography. Histology is the gold standard for obtaining the final diagnosis. Tissue sampling requires special techniques to break the mucosal barrier. Although EUS-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) is commonly applied, mucosal cutting biopsy and mucosal incision-assisted biopsy are comparable methods to definitively obtain tissues from the exposed surface of lesions and seem more useful than EUS-FNA for small SETs. Recent advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) have a potential to drastically change the diagnostic strategy for SETs. Development and establishment of noninvasive methods including AI-assisted diagnosis are expected to provide an alternative to invasive, histological diagnosis.
Original Article ㅣ 2022-05-15
15
1918
2054
Joon Ho Moon1,2 , Won Kim1,3
, Bo Kyung Koo1,4
, Nam H. Cho5
, on behalf of the Innovative Target Exploration of NAFLD (ITEN) consortium
Abstract : Background/Aims: We investigated the effect of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) on future mortality and cardiovascular disease (CVD) using a prospective community-based cohort study. Methods: Individuals from two community-based cohorts who were 40 to 70 years old were prospectively followed for 16 years. MAFLD was defined as a high fatty liver index (FLI ≥60) plus one of the following conditions: overweight/obesity (body mass index ≥23 kg/m2), type 2 diabetes mellitus, or ≥2 metabolic risk abnormalities. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) was defined as FLI ≥60 without any secondary cause of hepatic steatosis. Results: Among 8,919 subjects (age 52.2±8.9 years, 47.7% of males), 1,509 (16.9%) had MAFLD. During the median follow-up of 15.7 years, MAFLD independently predicted overall mortality after adjustment for confounders (hazard ratio [HR], 1.33; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05 to 1.69) but NAFLD did not (HR, 1.20; 95% CI, 0.94 to 1.53). MAFLD also predicted CVD after adjustment for age, sex, and body mass index (HR, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.13 to 1.62), which lost its statistical significance by further adjustments. Stratified analysis indicated that metabolic dysfunction contributed to mortality (HR, 1.51; 95% CI, 1.21 to 1.89) and CVD (HR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.59). Among metabolic dysfunctions used for defining MAFLD, type 2 diabetes mellitus in MAFLD increased the risk of both mortality (HR, 2.07; 95% CI, 1.52 to 2.81) and CVD (HR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.09 to 1.85). Conclusions: MAFLD independently increased overall mortality. Heterogeneity in mortality and CVD risk of subjects with MAFLD may be determined by the accompanying metabolic dysfunctions.
Hye-Kyung Jung1 , Seung Joo Kang2
, Yong Chan Lee3
, Hyo-Joon Yang4
, Seon-Young Park5
, Cheol Min Shin6
, Sung Eun Kim7
, Hyun Chul Lim8
, Jie-Hyun Kim9
, Su Youn Nam10
, Woon Geon Shin11
, Jae Myung Park12
, Il Ju Choi13
, Jae Gyu Kim14
, Miyoung Choi15
, Korean College of Helicobacter and Upper Gastrointestinal Research
Gut Liver 2021;15(2):168-195
Gut Liver 2021;15(5):666-676
Hye-Kyung Jung1 , Seung Joo Kang2
, Yong Chan Lee3
, Hyo-Joon Yang4
, Seon-Young Park5
, Cheol Min Shin6
, Sung Eun Kim7
, Hyun Chul Lim8
, Jie-Hyun Kim9
, Su Youn Nam10
, Woon Geon Shin11
, Jae Myung Park12
, Il Ju Choi13
, Jae Gyu Kim14
, Miyoung Choi15
, Korean College of Helicobacter and Upper Gastrointestinal Research
Gut Liver 2021;15(2):168-195
Takeshi Ogura , Kazuhide Higuchi
Gut Liver 2021;15(2):196-205
Shang-Chin Huang1 , Hau-Jyun Su1
, Jia-Horng Kao1,2,3
, Tai-Chung Tseng1,3
, Hung-Chih Yang1,3
, Tung-Hung Su1,3
, Pei-Jer Chen1,2,3
, Chun-Jen Liu1,2,3
Gut Liver 2021;15(3):451-458