Intestinal Research

Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Pregnancy: Won Ho Kim; Intest Res 2003;1(2):141-158. Published online November 27, 2003

Abstract PDF: Because peak age of onset for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) coincides with the peak age for conception and pregnancy, female patients with IBD concern pregnancy-related problems including sexual health, inheritance of disease in the offspring, fertility, the effect of pregnancy on disease, and conversely, the effect of disease on the course of pregnancy, as well as the safety of drugs. The clinicians must be prepared to address these issues and to discuss with patients and their spouses. Generally fertility is normal, although may be decreased in women with active Crohn's disease and in patients who received operation for IBD in both Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Women with inactive IBD do not have increased risk of complicated pregnancy. However, active disease is associated with 2-3 times higher risk of complications such as preterm delivery or low birth weight. Inadequate therapy for IBD may results in exacerbation of disease and consequently, cause many pregnancy-related problems, including infertility, miscarriage or pre-term delivery. Furthermore, evidences have suggested that both Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis tend to worsen if the disease is active at conception. Therefore, the focus should be on inducing remission before conception and maintaining remission during pregnancy. Treatment strategies in pregnant patients with IBD need to be evaluated carefully, and possibility of medication side effects on both the patients and the fetus must be weighed against the risks of active disease. Although the data on the safety of medications in pregnancy are limited, a key principle of management is that active disease, not the medications used to treat it, poses the greatest danger to pregnancy. (Intestinal Research 2003;2:141-158)

1,440 View
26 Download

Experimental Model for the Study of Intestinal Diseases: Ki Baik Hahm; Intest Res 2003;1(2):159-167. Published online November 27, 2003

Abstract PDF: No abstract available

1,187 View
16 Download

Analysis of Dietary Patterns and Cytokine levels in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Korea: Han Soo Kim, Yeon Ju Shin, Mi Ran Cho, Hyo Jong Kim, Beong Ou Lim, Ryowon Choue; Intest Res 2003;1(2):168-178. Published online November 27, 2003

Abstract PDF: Background/Aims
The cause of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is unclear. Dietary factor, however, has been considered as a possible risk factor for IBD. There is an increasing amount of evidence showing that the immune system may play a critical role in the development and perpetuation of IBD. The purpose of this study was to investigate nutritional status, dietary patterns, and cytokine levels of IBD patients in Korea. Methods: Patients with Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) and gender-matched healthy controls were studied in case-control design. Anthropometry, blood and immunological analysis were used to evaluate the patient's nutritional status. Dietary patterns of the patients before and after diagnosis were analyzed by the semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Current nutrient intake status was determined by 3-day recall method. Results: Patients with CD were in the mild-malnutrition status, showing that their body weight, percent of ideal body weight (%IBW), lean body mass (LBM), triceps skinfold thickness (TSF), mid-upper arm muscle circumference (MAMC) were lowest among the 3 groups. The serum levels of hemoglobin (Hb.), hematocrit (Hct.), white blood cell count (WBC), total lymphodyte count (TLC), and albumin were also low in patients with CD and UC. In addition, interferon-gamma (IFN-Г) tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) contents was significantly higher in patients with CD and UC than in the control. Before diagnosis, patients with CD ate less fishes, vegetables and fruits, and patients with UC ate more fruits and fast foods. After diagnosis, patients with CD ate fewer cereals, meats, vegetables and fats, and patients with UC ate less meats and vegetables. The current intake of patients with UC and CD for calorie, calcium, iron and vitamin B was lower than recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for each nutrient. The ratios of Polyunsaturated fatty acids (P): Monosaturated fatty acids (M): Saturated fatty acids (S) in patients with CD, UC and control group were 2.1:1.9:1, 1.9:1.7:1 and 1.5:1.1:1, respectively. The ratios of n-6/n-3 were 15.8:1 for patients with CD, 13.1:1 for patients with UC, and 11.2:1 for control group, respectively. Conclusions: Most patients with IBD, particularly patients with CD, were malnourished because of their poor food intake. Dietary intake patterns of patients with IBD were low in dietary fiber and high in refined carbohydrate. (Intestinal Research 2003;2:168-178)

1,336 View
20 Download

The Prevalence of Colorectal Neoplasms and the Role of Screening Colonoscopy in Asymptomatic Korean Adults: Hye-Sook Chang, Jae-Won Choe, Suk-Kyun Yang, Seung-Jae Myung, Hwoon-Yong Jung, Gin Hyug Lee, Weon-Seon Hong, Jin-Ho Kim, Young-Il Min; Intest Res 2003;1(2):179-185. Published online November 27, 2003

Abstract PDF: Background/Aims
Recent studies have reported the importance of screening colonoscopy for colorectal cancer. However, the prevalence of colorectal neoplasms in asymptomatic Korean population has not been determined until now. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of colorectal neoplasms in asymptomatic Korean population and to assess the role of colonoscopy in colorectal cancer screening. Methods: We reviewed the endoscopic and pathologic reports of 3,325 patients who underwent colonoscopy at the Health Promotion Center, Asan Medical Center, from 1998 to 2002. Of them, 2,208 asymptomatic patients who underwent colonoscopy for the purpose of colorectal cancer screening were enrolled. Results: The mean age was 49.2 years and 70.8% were men. The overall prevalence of colorectal neoplasms was 18.6% and the prevalence among patients 50 years of age or older was 26.3%. The prevalence of neoplasms increased with age and was higher in the male. Patients with distal neoplasms were more likely to have proximal neoplasms than those without distal neoplasms. However, 69.2% of the patients with advanced proximal neolplasms had no synchronous distal neoplasms. Conclusions: The prevalence of colorectal neoplasms in asymptomatic average-risk Koreans seems to be lower than that in corresponding Westerns and shows a gender-difference. These results should be considered when establishing a guideline for colorectal cancer screening in Korea. Over half of the patients with advanced proximal neoplasms will not be detected if only those with distal neoplasms undergo colonoscopic screening. Therefore, colonoscopy may be useful as a screening test for colorectal cancer. (Intestinal Research 2003;2:179-185)

1,328 View
21 Download

Usefulness of Follow-up Colonoscopy in Laterally Spreading Tumor Resected by Endoscopic Piecemeal Mucosal Resection: Hwan Yeol Kim, Bong Min Ko, Sang Woo Cha, Kye Won Kwon, Soo Jin Hong, Chang Beom Ryu, Young Seok Kim, Jong Ho Moon, Jin Oh Kim, Joo Young Cho, Joon Sung Lee, Moon Sung Lee, Chan Sup Shim, Boo Sung Sung Kim; Intest Res 2003;1(2):186-191. Published online November 27, 2003

Abstract PDF: Background/Aims
Laterally spreading tumors (LST) of the colon are defined as tumors over 10 mm in diameter that are low in height and grow superficially. These tumors are highly malignant and usually mucosal lesions, therefore endoscopic mucosal resection is desirable. We analysed retrospectively the result of endoscopic piecemeal mucosal resection (EPMR) in LSTs larger than 20 mm in diameter. Methods: 21 patients with LSTs larger than 20 mm in diameter were treated using EPMR. The resection sites were examined for residual or recurrent lesions by follow-up colonoscopy. Results: Of the 21 patients who underwent EPMR, 2 patients performed surgical resection and 4 patients were lost during follow-up period. Residual or recurrent lesions were detected in 5 of these 15 patients after EPMR. After additional endoscopic therapy, no more residual or recurrent lesions were detected. Conclusions: After EPMR for large LSTs, it is necessary to strictly follow-up at least within 1 year. (Intestinal Research 2003;2:186-191)

1,356 View
16 Download

Genetic Analysis in a Case of Turcot's Syndrome Associated with Cerebral Oligodendroglioma: Han Soo Kim, Ji Young Park, Hyo Jong Kim, Sung-Gil Chi, Yoon Hwa Kim, Kil Yeon Lee, Yong Hee Joung, Yo Seb Han, Seok Ho Dong, Byung Ho Kim, Young Woon Chang, Joung Il Lee, Rin Chang; Intest Res 2003;1(2):192-196. Published online November 27, 2003

Abstract PDF: Turcot's syndrome (TS) is a genetic disease characterized by primary brain tumor, colon cancer and/or multiple colorectal polyps. The mode of genetic transmission of the syndrome still remains unclear because TS is a rare disorder. The majority of central nervous system (CNS) neoplasms associated with TS are glioma, glioblstoma multiformes and medulloblastoma. Other types of CNS tumors related to TS have been noted in a few case reports, and there are only two reports of oligodendroglioma associated with TS. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first case of a patient with TS who had a cerebral oligodendroglioma and a colorectal adenocarcinoma in Korea. Therefore, the authors performed genetic analysis of this patient and her family to determine the genetic variants, including mutations in APC gene and mismatch repair gene, in Turcot's syndrome. (Intestinal Research 2003;2:192-196)

1,548 View
18 Download

A Case of Bacterial Overgrowth Syndrome Presenting Recurrent Edema and Hypoproteinemia After Billoth II Operation: Bo In Lee, Kyu Yong Choi, Byung Wook Kim, Hwang Choi, Se Hyun Cho, Woo Chul Chung, Kang Moon Lee, Soo Heon Park, Hyun Suk Chae, Myung Gyu Choi, In Sik Jung; Intest Res 2003;1(2):197-200. Published online November 27, 2003

Abstract PDF: Recently, we experienced a case of bacterial overgrowth syndrome with recurrent edema, hypoproteinemia and normal serum cobalamine level after Billoth II subtotal gastrectomy, which was diagnosed by jejunal aspirates culture and antibiotics treatment. When predisposition and clinical suspicion were present, jejunal culture might be preferable especially in case of post-Billoth II operation status because jejunal approach is easy, screening tests are negative in certain cases and some screening tests are not available in Korea. (Intestinal Research 2003;2:197-200)

1,498 View
13 Download

A Case of Recurrent Cancer after Endoscopic Resection for Colorectal Mucosal Cancer: Hwan Yeol Kim, Bong Min Ko, Kye Won Kwon, Soo Jin Hong, Chang Beom Ryu, Young Seok Kim, Moon Sung Lee, Chan Sup Shim, Boo Sung Kim; Intest Res 2003;1(2):201-210. Published online November 27, 2003

Abstract PDF: Early colon cancers were resected endoscopically in many cases. But problems with recurrences and remnants of tumors have occured. We reported a case of recurrent cancer on 9 months after endoscopic resection for mucosal cancer of colon, with review of relevant literature. (Intestinal Research 2003;2:201-204)

1,239 View
16 Download

Previous issues