Systematic review and meta-analysis: Artificial intelligence for the diagnosis of gastric precancerous lesions and Helicobacter pylori infection

BACKGROUND

The endoscopic diagnosis of Helicobacter-pylori(H.pylori) infection and gastric precancerous lesions(GPL), namely atrophic-gastritis and intestinal-metaplasia, still remains challenging. Artificial intelligence(AI) may represent a powerful resource for the endoscopic recognition of these conditions.

AIMS

To explore the diagnostic performance(DP) of AI in the diagnosis of GPL and H.pylori infection.

METHODS

A systematic-review was performed by two independent authors up to September 2021. Inclusion criteria were studies focusing on the DP of AI-system in the diagnosis of GPL and H.pylori infection. The pooled accuracy of studies included was reported.

RESULTS

Overall, 128 studies were found (PubMed-Embase-Cochrane Library) and four and nine studies were finally included regarding GPL and H.pylori infection, respectively. The pooled-accuracy(random effects model) was 90.3%(95%CI 84.3-94.9) and 79.6%(95%CI 66.7-90.0) with a significant heterogeneity[I²=90.4%(95%CI 78.5-95.7);I²=97.9%(97.2-98.6)] for GPL and H.pylori infection, respectively. The Begg's-test showed a significant publication-bias(p = 0.0371) only among studies regarding H.pylori infection. The pooled-accuracy(random-effects-model) was similar considering only studies using CNN-model for the diagnosis of H.pylori infection: 74.1%[(95%CI 51.6-91.3);I²=98.9%(95%CI 98.5-99.3)], Begg's-test(p = 0.1416) did not show publication-bias.

CONCLUSION

AI-system seems to be a good resource for an easier diagnosis of GPL and H.pylori infection, showing a pooled-diagnostic-accuracy of 90% and 80%, respectively. However, considering the high heterogeneity, these promising data need an external validation by randomized control trials and prospective real-time studies.

Management of type-I gastric neuroendocrine neoplasms: A 10-years prospective single centre study

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to evaluate the outcome of patients with type 1 gastric neuroendocrine neoplasia (T1gNENs) treated with different endoscopic approaches.

METHODS

Patients were managed with endoscopic surveillance at regular intervals. Resection was performed by forceps or cold snare in tumours < 10 mm, otherwise mucosal resection (EMR) or submucosal dissection (ESD) were done.

RESULTS

127 T1gNENs, detected in 80 patients, were included. 87.4% of them were <5 mm, whereas 8.7% were 6-10 mm, 3.1% were 11-20 mm, and 0.8% was >20 mm. Ki67 <3%% was found in 85.8% tumours, whereas it was 3%-20% in the remaining 14.2% lesions. Noninterventional management (surveillance without radical resection) was performed in 15 patients (18.7%) with T1gNENs <5 mm. None of them underwent disease progression during follow-up. among the 65 patients treated by radical endoscopic resection, 37 patients (56.9%) had disease recurrence. 48.5% T1gNENs were removed by forceps, 16.8% by cold snare, 31.7% by EMR and 3% by ESD. The recurrence rate was similar among the different endoscopic techniques used.

CONCLUSIONS

The management of T1gNENs may be planned based on tumour size. T1gNENs < 5 mm for which the initial removal is not radical could be followed up by noninterventional endoscopic surveillance.

Role of [18F]FDG PET/CT in the management of G1 gastro-entero-pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors

PURPOSE

Since the role of [¹⁸F]FDG PET/CT in low-grade gastroenteropancreatic (GEP) neuroendocrine neoplasia (NET) is not well established, this study was aimed to evaluate the role of [¹⁸F]FDG PET/CT in grade 1 (G1) GEP-NETs.

METHODS

This is a retrospective study including patients with G1 GEP-NETs who underwent [¹⁸F]FDG PET/CT.

RESULTS

55 patients were evaluated, including 24 (43.6%) with pancreatic NETs and 31 (56.4%) with gastrointestinal NETs. At the time of diagnosis, 28 (51%) patients had metastatic disease, and 50 (91%) patients were positive by 68-Ga sstr PET/CT. Overall, 27 patients (49%) had positive findings on [¹⁸F]FDG PET/CT. Following [¹⁸F]FDG PET/CT, therapeutic management was modified in 29 (52.7%) patients. Progression-free survival was longer in patients with negative [¹⁸F]FDG PET/CT compared with positive [¹⁸F]FDG PET/CT (median PFS was not reached and 24 months, respectively, p = 0.04). This significance was particularly evident in the pancreatic group (p = 0.008).

CONCLUSIONS

Despite having low proliferative activity, approximately half of GEP-NETs G1 showed positive [¹⁸F]FDG PET/CT, with a corresponding negative impact on patients' clinical outcomes. These data are in favor of a more "open" attitude toward the potential use of [¹⁸F]FDG PET/CT in the diagnostic work-up of G1 GEP-NETs, which may be used in selected cases to detect those at higher risk for an unfavorable disease course.

Usefulness of 68-Gallium PET in Type I Gastric Neuroendocrine Neoplasia: A Case Series

Background: Type I gastric neuroendocrine neoplasia (gNEN) is a rare and low-grade tumor in which the therapeutic strategy is almost always endoscopic. For this reason, the use of radiology or nuclear medicine imaging is not recommended by guidelines. Conversely, in a small number of cases, locoregional or distant metastases may develop, thus suggesting a role for imaging techniques. This retrospective study was performed to explore the usefulness of [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-SST PET/CT in the management of patients with T1gNENs. Patients and Method: Single-center retrospective analysis, in an ENETS Center of Excellence, of patients with type I gNEN who underwent [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-SST PET/CT. The indication for performing [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-SST PET/CT was generally based on the presence of at least one of the following criteria: (1) polyps > 10 mm; (2) endoscopic positive (R1) margin after previous endoscopic resection; and (3) Ki-67 > 3%. Results: A total of 120 patients with T1gNEN were evaluated. Overall, 15 out of 120 (13%) patients had performed [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-SST PET/CT. The median Ki-67 value was 6% (IQR 1−9): 9 out of 15 (60%) were G1 tumors, and 6 out of 15 (40%) were G2 tumors. Ninety-three percent of patients were treated by tumor endoscopic resection, whereas surgery was performed in two patients (13%) after incomplete endoscopic resection; the remaining patients (6.6%) received somatostatin analogs due to the presence of multiple recurrent tumors. Overall, [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-SST PET/CT was positive in 8 out of 15 patients (53%). Following the [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-SST PET/CT findings, the clinical management was modified in 6 out of 15 (40%) patients. Conclusion: [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-SST PET/CT can be useful in a restricted and selected group of patients with gastric neuroendocrine neoplasia with relevant risk factors to establish the most appropriate therapeutic strategy.

Prevalence of Segmental Colitis Associated with Colonic Diverticulosis in a Prospective Cohort of Patients Who Underwent Colonoscopy in a Tertiary Center

In patients with colonic diverticulosis, the prevalence of segmental colitis associated with diverticulosis (SCAD) is debated. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of SCAD in consecutive patients with diverticulosis in a single tertiary center. Over a six-month period, consecutive adult patients with colonic diverticulosis were included. Patients with endoscopic signs of interdiverticular mucosal inflammation (erythema, friability, and ulcerations) were considered suspected SCAD and underwent multiple biopsy samplings to confirm diagnosis. Clinical features were collected from diverticulosis and suspected SCAD patients. In total, 367 (26.5%) of 1383 patients who underwent colonoscopy presented diverticulosis. Among diverticulosis patients, 4.3% (n = 16) presented macroscopic signs of interdiverticular mucosal inflammation and were identified as suspected SCAD. Compared to that of patients with diverticulosis, the age of suspected SCAD patients was significantly lower (60 ± 12.9 years (41.0-86.0) vs. 70 ± 10.6 years (38.0-93.0)) (p = 0.047). Among patients with suspected SCAD, one patient received a new diagnosis of Crohn's disease, one had spirochetosis infection, and one presented drug-induced colitis. The remaining patients with suspected SCAD (n = 13) were not confirmed by histology. This observational study suggests that SCAD diagnosis is a challenge in clinical practice due to the heterogeneity of endoscopic findings and lack of stated histological criteria.

Gastric microbiota composition in patients with corpus atrophic gastritis

BACKGROUND

In corpus atrophic gastritis (CAG), hypochlorhydria makes plausible the overgrowth of intragastric bacteria, whose role in gastric carcinogenesis is under debate.

AIMS

To characterize the antrum/corpus composition of the gastric bacterial microbiota in CAG patients compared to controls without CAG.

METHODS

A cross-sectional monocentric study on consecutive patients with known histological diagnosis of CAG undergoing gastroscopy for gastric cancer surveillance and patients without CAG undergoing gastroscopy for dyspepsia or anemia (108 biopsies from 55 patients, median age 61.5). Genomic DNA from one antral and one corpus biopsy from each case (n = 23) and control (n = 32) was extracted. Gastric microbiota was assessed by sequencing hypervariable regions of the 16SrRNA gene.

RESULTS

Bacterial abundance and diversity were significantly lower in CAG cases than in controls (p < 0.001). Firmicutes were more frequent in cases, Bacteroidetes and Fusobacteria in controls (p < 0.0001). Streptococcaceae were more abundant in cases (p < 0.0001), Prevotellaceae in controls (p < 0.0001). The genus Streptococcus was positively correlated with severe OLGA/OLGIM stages linked to a higher risk of gastric cancer.

CONCLUSION

Gastric bacterial microbiota in CAG showed a reduced abundance and complexity but was characterized by higher colonization of Firmicutes, in particular Streptococcus, increased in subjects with severe atrophy/metaplasia stages at higher risk of gastric cancer.

Gastrointestinal endoscopy can be safely performed during pandemic SARS-CoV-2 infection in Central Italy

OBJECTIVES

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is highly contagious; gastrointestinal endoscopies are considered risky procedures for the endoscopy staff. Data on the SARS-CoV-2-exposure/infection rate of gastrointestinal endoscopy staff is scarce. This study aimed to assess the SARS-CoV-2-exposure/infection rate among gastrointestinal endoscopists/nurses performing gastrointestinal endoscopies before and after the adoption of specific prevention measures.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Cross-sectional study in a teaching hospital (Rome, Central Italy) on retrospective data (9 March-15 April 2020) of consecutive gastrointestinal endoscopies, characteristics of procedures, patients and endoscopy staff, SARS-CoV-2-exposure/positivity of patients and staff before and after adoption of prevention measures. Exposed staff tested for SARS-CoV-2 by nasopharyngeal swabs(RNA-PCR) and serology.

RESULTS

A total of 130 gastrointestinal endoscopies were performed in 130 patients (age 66 ± 14 years, 51% women, 51% inpatients, 56.9% lower). A total of 12 (9.2%) patients were SARS-CoV-2-positive and 14(10.8%) had a high risk of potential infection. Of the endoscopy staff (n = 16, 5 endoscopists, 8 nurses and 3 residents), 14 (87.5%) were exposed to SARS-CoV-2-infected and 16 (100%) to potentially infected patients. 3/5 and 5/5 endoscopists were exposed to actual and potential, 1/3 and 3/3 residents to actual and potential and 8/8 nurses to actual and potential infection, respectively. None of the staff was found to be infected with SARS-CoV-2. None experienced fever or any other suspicious symptoms of coronavirus disease 2019. Before the adoption of prevention measures, more endoscopists/nurses were in the endoscopy room than after (3.5 ± 0.6 vs. 2.1 ± 0.3, P < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

Despite supposed high infection risk, gastrointestinal endoscopies may be safe for the endoscopy staff during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

Is There an Optimal Age Threshold for Searching for Intestinal Metaplasia on Gastric Mucosa in Western Populations?

INTRODUCTION

Since screening programs for gastric cancer are not applicable in Western countries, identification and follow-up of gastric precancerous lesions, such as extensive intestinal metaplasia (IM), are worthwhile to increase the diagnosis of cancer at an early stage. We investigated whether an optimal age threshold to detect extensive IM in a European country exists.

METHODS

This was a post hoc analysis of prospectively collected data in a nationwide study involving consecutive patients aged between 50 and 65 years who underwent an upper endoscopy with the standard 5 gastric biopsies. The presence of extensive (antral and gastric body) IM on gastric mucosa was considered.

RESULTS

Data found that the prevalence of extensive IM was distinctly higher in patients aged 60-65 years, with a 2.28-fold increased probability compared to younger patients. None of the other considered factors (sex, BMI, smoking habit, first-degree family history, and symptoms) emerged as an independent predictor of extensive IM in the stomach.

CONCLUSION

When deciding for an occasional gastric cancer screening in Western populations, the choice of an age range of 60-65 years might be appropriate, allowing detection of a distinctly high prevalence of extensive IM deserving scheduled follow-up.

Perioperative Chemotherapy with FLOT Scheme in Resectable Gastric Adenocarcinoma: A Preliminary Correlation between TRG and Radiomics

Perioperative chemotherapy (p-ChT) with a fluorouracil plus leucovorin, oxaliplatin, and docetaxel (FLOT) scheme is the gold standard of care for locally advanced gastric cancer. We aimed to test CT radiomics performance in early response prediction for p-ChT. Patients with advanced gastric cancer who underwent contrast enhanced CT prior to and post p-ChT were retrospectively enrolled. Histologic evaluation of resected specimens was used as the reference standard, and patients were divided into responders (TRG 1a-1b) and non-responders (TRG 2-3) according to their Becker tumor regression grade (TRG). A volumetric region of interest including the whole tumor tissue was drawn from a CT portal-venous phase before and after p-ChT; 120 radiomic features, both first and second order, were extracted. CT radiomics performances were derived from baseline CT radiomics alone and ΔRadiomics to predict response to p-ChT according to the TRG and tested using a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The final population comprised 15 patients, 6 (40%) responders and 9 (60%) non-responders. Among pre-treatment CT radiomics parameters, Shape, GLCM, First order, and NGTDM features showed a significant ability to discriminate between responders and non-responders (p < 0.011), with Cluster Shade and Autocorrelation (GLCM features) having AUC = 0.907. ΔRadiomics showed significant differences for Shape, GLRLM, GLSZM, and NGTDM features (p < 0.007). MeshVolume (Shape feature) and LongRunEmphasis (GLRLM feature) had AUC = 0.889. In conclusion, CT radiomics may represent an important supportive approach for the radiologic evaluation of advanced gastric cancer patients.

Pseudopyloric Metaplasia Is Not Associated With the Development of Gastric Cancer

INTRODUCTION

Corpus atrophic gastritis (CAG) is associated with intestinal metaplasia (IM) and pseudopyloric metaplasia (PPM). Prospective data on corpus mucosa PPM and its link to the development of gastric cancer (GC) are lacking. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the presence of corpus mucosa PPM at baseline and the development of GC at follow-up in patients with CAG.

METHODS

A longitudinal cohort study was conducted on patients with consecutive CAG adhering to endoscopic-histological surveillance. Patients were stratified for the presence/absence of corpus PPM without concomitant corpus IM at baseline, and the occurrence of gastric neoplastic lesions at the longest available follow-up was assessed.

RESULTS

A total of 292 patients with CAG with a follow-up of 4.2 (3-17) years were included. At baseline, corpus PPM without corpus IM was diagnosed in 62 patients (21.2%). At the follow-up, GC was detected in 5 patients (1.7%) and gastric dysplasia (GD) in 4 patients (1.4%). In all these 9 patients with GC/GD at the follow-up, corpus IM was present at baseline and follow-up. Age <50 years (odds ratio [OR] 2.5), absence of pernicious anemia (OR 4.3), and absence of severe corpus atrophy (OR 2.3) were associated with corpus PPM without corpus IM.

DISCUSSION

At the 4.2-year follow-up, in patients with CAG characterized at baseline with corpus PPM without corpus IM, GC or GD was not observed because these lesions were consistently associated with corpus IM. Corpus PPM without corpus IM was associated with younger age, absence of pernicious anemia, and severe corpus atrophy, suggesting a lower stage of disease progression. Corpus PPM alone seems not to be associated with GC, whose development seems to require the presence of corpus IM as a necessary step.

Role of Dietary Habits in the Prevention of Diverticular Disease Complications: A Systematic Review

Recent evidence showed that dietary habits play a role as risk factors for the development of diverticular complications. This systematic review aims to assess the effect of dietary habits in the prevention of diverticula complications (i.e., acute diverticulitis and diverticula bleeding) in patients with diverticula disease. PubMed and Scopus databases were searched up to 19 January 2021, 330 records were identified, and 8 articles met the eligibility criteria and were subjected to data extraction. The quality of the studies was evaluated by the Newcastle-Ottawa quality assessment form. No study meets the criteria for being a high-quality study. A high intake of fiber was associated to a decreased risk of diverticulitis or hospitalization due to diverticular disease, with a protective effect for fruits and cereal fiber, but not for vegetable fiber; whereas, a high red meat consumption and a generally Western dietary pattern were associated with an increased risk of diverticulitis. Alcohol use seemed to be associated to diverticular bleeding, but not to recurrent diverticulitis or diverticular complications. Further high-quality studies are needed to better define these associations. It is mandatory to ascertain the role of dietary habits for the development of recurrent acute diverticulitis and diverticular bleeding.

Octreotide long-acting release (LAR) in combination with other therapies for treatment of neuroendocrine neoplasia: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

In the last decades, the incidence of neuroendocrine neoplasia (NEN) increased from 1 to 5 new diagnoses/100,000 persons/year. The synthetic somatostatin analogues (SSAs) represent the first-choice treatment for both functionally active and inactive gastro-enteric-pancreatic NEN. This systematic review examines the role of octreotide long-acting release (LAR) in combination with other therapies for NEN management.

METHODS

Primary outcomes were the disease control rate and the progression free survival (PFS), defined as the time between treatment initiation and progression of disease. Secondary outcomes were overall survival (OS) and safety.

RESULTS

This systematic review identified 13 studies, concerning the use of octreotide LAR in association with other therapies in advanced NENs and included 1,206 patients. Patients were treated with octreotide LAR in combination with other drugs, mainly with everolimus (404 patients, 35%), but even with Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy, bevacizumab, interferon or fluoride-derivatives. Disease control was observed in 85% cases with SSAs in combination with other therapies; PFS ranged from 15 to 16.4 months and OS from 25 to 61.9 months. SSAs are very well tolerated drugs, with few side effects which are usually mild, not requiring drug withdrawn.

CONCLUSIONS

The review summarizes the effectiveness and available safety data on octreotide LAR in combination with other therapies in patients with NEN and may provide suggestions to address the therapeutic strategy. Further comparative head-to-head studies are needed to understand which is the best combination treatment for patients with progressive NEN after failure of first-line therapy.

Endoscopic surveillance at 3 years after diagnosis, according to European guidelines, seems safe in patients with atrophic gastritis in a low-risk region

BACKGROUND

Autoimmune and multifocal atrophic gastritis (AG) are at risk for gastric neoplastic lesions. European guidelines recommend surveillance with high-quality endoscopy every 3 years.

AIM

To prospectively investigate the occurrence of gastric neoplastic lesions at the 3-year follow-up in patients with autoimmune and multifocal AG.

METHODS

Longitudinal cohort study conducted between 2011 and 2019: consecutive patients with histological diagnosis of autoimmune or multifocal AG underwent follow-up gastroscopy 3 years after diagnosis with high-resolution-narrow-band-imaging endoscopes.

RESULTS

Overall, 160 patients were included(F117(73.0%);median age 66(35-87)years). Autoimmune and multifocal AG were present in 122(76.3%) and 38(23.7%) patients, respectively. At the 3-year follow-up, 16(10.0%) patients presented 16 gastric neoplastic lesions: 3(18.7%) gastric cancers, 4(25.0%) low-grade dysplasia, 2(12.5%) low-grade dysplasia adenomas, 7(43.7%) type-1 neuroendocrine tumours. In these patients, OLGA and OLGIM III/IV stages were present in 4(25.0)% and 1(6.3%), respectively; 11(69.0%) presented autoimmune AG, and all but one(93.7%) had parietal cells antibodies positivity (p = 0.026 vs patients without lesions). All lesions were endoscopically(87.5%) or surgically(12.5%) treated with favourable outcome. Age>70 years was associated with a 9-fold higher probability of developing gastric epithelial neoplastic lesions (OR 9.6,95CI% 1.2-79.4,p = 0.0359).

CONCLUSIONS

The first endoscopic surveillance 3 years after diagnosis seems safe for autoimmune and multifocal AG patients and should be offered to elderly patients who are at higher risk for gastric neoplasia.

[18F]FDG-PET/CT and long-term responses to everolimus in advanced neuroendocrine neoplasia

PURPOSE

This study aims to identify in patients with neuroendocrine neoplasia (NEN) the potential correlation between FDG-PET findings and responses to everolimus therapy to identify predictors of long-term efficacy.

METHODS

Retrospective analysis of patients with sporadic, advanced, progressive NEN treated with everolimus was performed based on the available data on FDG-PET patients obtained before commencing therapy. Data are expressed as the median (25-75th IQR). Risk factor analysis and survival analysis were performed by logistic regression and Cox proportional hazard regression and the determination of Kaplan-Meier curves, as appropriate.

RESULTS

Sixty-six patients were evaluated (NET G1 19.7%, NET G2 75.7%, and NET G3 4.6%), including 45.4% with positive FDG-PET findings. Overall, disease stabilization and a partial response were achieved for 71.2% and 6% of patients, respectively. A long-term response (> 24 months) was observed in 33% of patients. Ki67 was the only predictor of tumor progression (p = 0.03). No significant difference in clinical outcomes was observed between patients with positive or negative FDG-PET findings (median PFS was 24 months and 18 months, respectively, p = 0.337; the disease control rate was 83.3% and 70%, respectively, p = 0.245).

CONCLUSIONS

Everolimus is a valid therapeutic option for advanced, progressive, well-differentiated NEN, even in patients with positive FDG-PET findings.

Gastrectomy for stage IV gastric cancer: a comparison of different treatment strategies from the SEER database

In the West, more than one third of newly diagnosed subjects show metastatic disease in gastric cancer (mGC) with few care options available. Gastrectomy has recently become a subject of debate, with some evidence showing advantages in survival beyond the sole purpose of treatment tumor-related complications. We investigated the survival benefit of different strategies in mGC patients, focusing on the role and timing of gastrectomy. Data were extracted from the SEER database. Groups were determined according to whether patients received gastrectomy, chemotherapy, supportive care. Patients receiving a multimodality treatment were further divided according to timing of surgery, whether performed before (primary gastrectomy, PG) or after chemotherapy (secondary gastrectomy, SG). 16,596 patients were included. Median OS was significantly higher (p < 0.001) in the SG (15 months) than in the PG (13 months), gastrectomy alone (6 months), and chemotherapy (7 months) groups. In the multivariate analysis, SG showed better OS (HR = 0.22, 95%CI = 0.18-0.26, p < 0.001) than PG (HR = 0.25, 95%CI = 0.23-0.28, p < 0.001), gastrectomy (HR = 0.40, 95%CI = 0.36-0.44, p < 0.001), and chemotherapy (HR = 0.42, 95%CI = 0.4-0.44, p < 0.001). The survival benefits persisted even after the PSM analysis. This study shows survival advantages of gastrectomy as multimodality strategy after chemotherapy. In selected patients, SG can be proposed to improve the management of stage IV disease.

Second primary neoplasms in patients with lung and gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms: Data from a retrospective multi-centric study

BACKGROUND

Patients with sporadic neuroendocrine neoplasms may exhibit a higher risk of a second primary tumor than the general population.

AIM

This study aimed to analyze the occurrence of second primary malignancies.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort of 2757 patients with sporadic lung and gastro-entero-pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms, managed at eight Italian tertiary referral Centers, was included.

RESULTS

Between 2000 and 2019, a second primary malignancy was observed in 271 (9.8%) neuroendocrine neoplasms patients with 32 developing a third tumor. There were 135 (49.8%) females and the median age was 64 years. The most frequent locations of the second tumors were breast (18.8%), prostate (12.5%), colon (9.6%), blood tumors (8.5%), and lung (7.7%). The second primary tumor was synchronous in 19.2% of cases, metachronous in 43.2%, and previous in 37.6%. As concerned the neuroendocrine neoplasms, the 5- and 10-year survival rates were 87.8% and 74.4%, respectively. PFS for patients with a second primary malignancy was shorter than for patients without a second primary malignancy. Death was mainly related to neuroendocrine neoplasms.

CONCLUSION

In NEN patients the prevalence of second primary malignancies was not negligible, suggesting a possible neoplastic susceptibility. Overall survival was not affected by the occurrence of a second primary malignancy.

Relationship between Persistent Gastrointestinal Symptoms and Duodenal Histological Findings after Adequate Gluten-Free Diet: A Gray Area of Celiac Disease Management in Adult Patients

A gluten-free diet (GFD) leads to a rapid improvement in gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, biochemical alterations and duodenal histological damage in the majority of celiac disease (CD) patients. This study aimed to assess the frequency and factors associated with the persistence of GI symptoms/malabsorption signs and their relationship with duodenal histological findings among CD patients on an adequate GFD (mean duration 16 months, range 12-28 months). This longitudinal cohort study included 102 adult CD patients (median age 38.5 years, range 18-76 years, F = 71.6%) diagnosed between 2012 and 2018. A total of 36.3% of the included patients had persistent GI symptoms and/or malabsorption signs (Group 1), while the remaining patients had complete GI well-being without malabsorption signs (Group 2) at the time of histological re-evaluation. The persistence of GI symptoms/signs was associated with a long duration of symptoms/signs before CD diagnosis (≥5 years) (OR 5.3; 95% CI 1.3-21.8) and the presence of constipation at the time of CD diagnosis (OR 7.5; 95% CI 1.3-42) while for other variables, including age at CD diagnosis, sex, duration of GFD, comorbidities, CD serology positivity and severity of duodenal damage at histological re-evaluation, no association was found. According to our results, the persistence of symptoms/signs is not associated with histological findings, and their relationship could be a gray area in CD management.

Distinguishing features between patients with acute diverticulitis and diverticular bleeding: Results from the REMAD registry

BACKGROUND

Pathogenesis of acute diverticulitis and diverticular bleeding remains poorly defined, and few data compare directly risk factors for these complications.

AIMS

to assess differences in clinical features, lifestyles factors and concurrent drug use in patients with acute diverticulitis and those with diverticular bleeding.

METHODS

Data were obtained from the REMAD Registry, an ongoing 5-year prospective, observational, multicenter, cohort study conducted on 1,217 patients. Patient- and clinical- related factors were compared among patients with uncomplicated diverticular disease, patients with previous acute diverticulitis, and patients with previous diverticular bleeding.

RESULTS

Age was significantly lower (OR 0.48, 95% CI: 0.34-0.67) and family history of diverticular disease was significantly higher (OR 1.60, 95% CI: 1.11-2.31) in patients with previous diverticulitis than in patients with uncomplicated diverticular disease, respectively. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was significantly higher in patients with previous diverticular bleeding as compared with both uncomplicated diverticular disease (OR 8.37, 95% CI: 2.60-27.0) and diverticulitis (OR 4.23, 95% CI: 1.11-16.1).

CONCLUSION

This ancillary study from a nationwide Registry showed that some distinctive features identify patients with acute diverticulitis and diverticular bleeding. These information might improve the assessment of risk factors for diverticular complications.

Common Pitfalls in the Management of Patients with Micronutrient Deficiency: Keep in Mind the Stomach

Micronutrient deficiencies are relatively common, in particular iron and cobalamin deficiency, and may potentially lead to life-threatening clinical consequences when not promptly recognized and treated, especially in elderly patients. The stomach plays an important role in the homeostasis of some important hematopoietic micronutrients like iron and cobalamin, and probably in others equally important such as ascorbic acid, calcium, and magnesium. A key role is played by the corpus oxyntic mucosa composed of parietal cells whose main function is gastric acid secretion and intrinsic factor production. Gastric acid secretion is necessary for the digestion and absorption of cobalamin and the absorption of iron, calcium, and probably magnesium, and is also essential for the absorption, secretion, and activation of ascorbic acid. Several pathological conditions such as Helicobacter pylori-related gastritis, corpus atrophic gastritis, as well as antisecretory drugs, and gastric surgery may interfere with the normal functioning of gastric oxyntic mucosa and micronutrients homeostasis. Investigation of the stomach by gastroscopy plus biopsies should always be considered in the management of patients with micronutrient deficiencies. The current review focuses on the physiological and pathophysiological aspects of gastric acid secretion and the role of the stomach in iron, cobalamin, calcium, and magnesium deficiency and ascorbate homeostasis.

Comparison of Endoscopic Techniques in the Management of Type I Gastric Neuroendocrine Neoplasia: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

Endoscopic resection is considered the treatment of choice for type I gastric neuroendocrine neoplasia (gNEN) given its indolent behaviour; however, the favoured endoscopic technique to remove these tumours is not well established.

AIMS

This systematic review is aimed at investigating the best endoscopic management for type I gNEN.

METHODS

PubMed Central/Medline and Scopus were systematically searched for records up to August 31, 2020.

RESULTS

After screening the 675 retrieved records, 6 studies were selected for the final analysis. The main endoscopic resection techniques described were endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) and endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). Overall, 112 gNENs were removed by EMR and 77 by ESD. Both techniques showed similar results for complete and en bloc resection (97.4% and 98.7%; 92.3% and 96.3% with ESD and EMR, respectively). ESD was associated with a higher rate of complications than EMR (11.7% vs. 5.4%), but this difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.17). The rates of recurrence during follow-up were 18.2% and 11.5% for EMR and ESD, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

To date, there are no sufficient data showing superiority of a given endoscopic technique over others. Both ESD and EMR seem to be effective in the management of type I gNEN, with a relatively low rate of recurrence.

Diagnostic Accuracy of EndoFaster® and Narrow-Band Imaging Endoscopy in Patients with Impaired Gastric Acid Secretion: A Real-Time Prospective Study

BACKGROUND

EndoFaster® analyzes gastric juice in real time during gastroscopy allowing the detection of hypo-achlorhydric conditions, like corpus atrophic gastritis. Narrow-band imaging (NBI) endoscopy allows to accurately detect and perform target biopsies in areas of intestinal metaplasia, a histological change often associated to corpus atrophic gastritis.

AIMS

To compare the diagnostic accuracy of EndoFaster® with histological evaluation for corpus atrophic gastritis through high-resolution (HR) NBI targeted biopsies.

METHODS

Prospective study on consecutive adult patients undergoing gastroscopy between April and November 2018. Patients in therapy with proton pump inhibitors, previous gastric surgery, and/or known gastric neoplasia were excluded. At the beginning of gastroscopy, gastric juice was aspirated and analyzed by EndoFaster® in 15 seconds. Endoscopists were blinded to the report of EndoFaster®. Evaluation of gastric mucosa in HR-white light was firstly performed, then with HR-NBI allowing to perform targeted biopsies on areas suspected for intestinal metaplasia; otherwise, biopsies were performed according to the updated Sydney System protocol and sent for histopathological evaluation.

RESULTS

Overall, 124 patients were included [64% F; 56 (18-85) years]. Corpus atrophic gastritis was present in 41.9% of patients. EndoFaster® showed an accuracy for corpus atrophic gastritis diagnosis, compared to histopathological evaluation as gold standard, of 87.1% and a sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of 78.8%, 93.1%, 89.1%, and 85.9%, respectively. pH showed a positive correlation with the severity score of atrophy (r = 0.67, 95% CI: 0.73-0.81, and p < 0.0001). EndoFaster® allowed to diagnose corpus atrophic gastritis in 3.7% of patients negative to NBI (corpus atrophic gastritis without intestinal metaplasia).

CONCLUSION

EndoFaster® seems a promising tool to diagnose corpus atrophic gastritis. The evaluation of hypo-achlorhydria during gastroscopy can address bioptic sampling in corpus atrophic gastritis patients without intestinal metaplasia.

Autoimmune Gastritis and Gastric Microbiota

Autoimmune atrophic gastritis is an organ-specific immune-mediated condition characterized by atrophy of the oxyntic mucosa. Autoimmune atrophic gastritis (AIG) is characterized by a progressive loss of acid-secreting parietal cells leading to hypo-achlorhydria. Due to this peculiar intra-gastric environment, gastric microbiota composition in individuals with autoimmune atrophic gastritis was first supposed and then recently reported to be different from subjects with a normal acidic healthy stomach. Recent data confirm the prominent role of Helicobacter pylori as the main bacterium responsible for gastric disease and long-term complications. However, other bacteria than Helicobacter pylori, for example, Streptococci, were found in subjects who developed gastric cancer and in subjects at risk of this fearful complication, as well as those with autoimmune gastritis. Gastric microbiota composition is challenging to study due to the acidic gastric environment, the difficulty of obtaining representative samples of the entire gastric microbiota, and the possible contamination by oral or throat microorganisms, which can potentially lead to the distortion of the original gastric microbial composition, but innovative molecular approaches based on the analysis of the hyper-variable region of the 16S rRNA gene have been developed, permitting us to obtain an overall microbial composition view of the RNA gene that is present only in prokaryotic cells.

Seronegative autoimmune atrophic gastritis is more common in elderly patients

BACKGROUND

Autoimmune atrophic gastritis (AAG) diagnosis is based on specific histological findings and anti-parietal cell antibodies (PCA) considered the serological hallmark of AAG, although a subgroup of AAG patients may be seronegative.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the occurrence and clinical features of seronegative compared to seropositive AAG.

METHODS

This is a cross-sectional study including 516 consecutive adult patients (age 59.6 ± 12.8 years, F:M = 2.2:1) with histologically proven AAG diagnosed in two Italian academic referral centers over the last 10 years. PCA were detected at AAG diagnosis. Variables related to the dependent variable of interest (i.e.PCA-negativity) were assessed by univariate/logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

109/516 AAG patients were seronegative. The mean age of seronegative AAG patients was significantly higher compared to PCA-positive (65.9 ± 14.1vs57.9 ± 15.1 years; p<0.0001). The proportion of patients aged 70-79 and ≥80 years were, respectively, lower for PCA-positivity (5.1vs12.8%;21.3vs38.5%;p<0.005). Seronegativity was associated with age ≥50 years (OR2.4;95%CI 1.1-5.2), while for other variables (gender, comorbidities, anemia, atrophy severity) no association was found. In a sub-cohort of 101 AAG patients, PCA levels detected by ELISA were inversely correlated with age at AAG diagnosis (rho=-0.250;p = 0.0118).

CONCLUSION

Roughly 20% of patients are seronegative at the time of AAG histological diagnosis and this is more common in elderly individuals.