Dietary Habits and Risk of Esophagitis and Barrett's Esophagus: A Multicenter Italian Case-Control Study

BACKGROUND

Barrett's esophagus (BE) and esophagitis share potentially modifiable risk factors such as obesity, smoking, and alcohol. The role of diet on BE and esophagitis is still debated.

AIMS

The objective of this study was to examine the association between some dietary habits and the risk of BE and esophagitis in Italy.

METHODS

A multicenter case-control study involving 1285 individuals was carried out in 12 areas. Patients with a new diagnosis of BE (320) or esophagitis (359) and a group of endoscopic controls (606) were included. Information on personal history and dietary habits was collected using a structured questionnaire.

RESULTS

No clear monotonic significant dose-response relationship was found for most of the considered food items. Nevertheless, the most extreme consumption category of red meat, cold cuts, dairy products, and fried foods showed esophagitis risk excesses varying from 19 to 49%. A higher fat rich diet seemed to increase risk by 49% for BE and 94% for esophagitis. A downward tendency in esophagitis (- 27%) and BE risk (- 20%) was found associated with higher frequency of fresh fruit intake. In addition, a statistically significant twofold increased risk for both BE and esophagitis was found for subjects eating late evening snacks more than once every three days in comparison with the lowest intake category (no consumption).

CONCLUSIONS

BE and esophagitis patients appeared to be more likely than controls to follow a diet rich in fats and poor in fruit and vegetables. Late evening snacks were found to be associated with both disorders.

Association between coffee or tea drinking and Barrett's esophagus or esophagitis: an Italian study

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

Only a few papers have treated of the relationship between Barrett's esophagus (BE) or erosive esophagitis (E) and coffee or tea intake. We evaluated the role of these beverages in BE and E occurrence.

SUBJECTS/METHODS

Patients with BE (339), E (462) and controls (619) were recruited. Data on coffee and tea and other individual characteristics were collected using a structured questionnaire.

RESULTS

BE risk was higher in former coffee drinkers, irrespective of levels of exposure (cup per day; ⩽1: OR=3.76, 95% CI 1.33-10.6; >1: OR=3.79, 95% CI 1.31-11.0; test for linear trend (TLT) P=0.006) and was higher with duration (>30 years: OR=4.18, 95% CI 1.43-12.3; TLT P=0.004) and for late quitters, respectively (⩽3 years from cessation: OR=5.95, 95% CI 2.19-16.2; TLT P<0.001). The risk of BE was also higher in subjects who started drinking coffee later (age >18 years: OR=6.10, 95% CI 2.15-17.3). No association was found in current drinkers, but for an increased risk of E in light drinkers (<1 cup per day OR =1.85, 95% CI 1.00-3.43).A discernible risk reduction of E (about 20%, not significant) and BE (about 30%, P<0.05) was observed in tea drinkers.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data were suggestive of a reduced risk of BE and E with tea intake. An adverse effect of coffee was found among BE patients who had stopped drinking coffee. Coffee or tea intakes could be indicative of other lifestyle habits with protective or adverse impact on esophageal mucosa.

Alcohol consumption pattern and risk of Barrett's oesophagus and erosive oesophagitis: an Italian case-control study

Knowledge about the association between alcohol and Barrett's oesophagus and reflux oesophagitis is conflicting. In this case-control study we evaluated the role of specific alcoholic beverages (red and white wine, beer and liquors) in 339 Barrett's oesophagus and 462 oesophagitis patients compared with 619 endoscopic controls with other disorders, recruited in twelve Italian endoscopic units. Data on alcohol and other individual characteristics were obtained from structured questionnaires. No clear, monotonic significant dose-response relationship was pointed out for red wine. However, a generalised U-shaped trend of Barrett's oesophagus/oesophagitis risk due to red wine consumption particularly among current drinkers was found. Similar results were also found for white wine. Liquor/spirit consumption seemed to bring about a 1·14-2·30 risk excess, although statistically non-significant, for current Barrett's oesophagus/oesophagitis drinkers. Statistically significant decreasing dose-response relationships were found in Barrett's oesophagus for frequency and duration of beer consumption. Similar, but less clear downward tendencies were also found for oesophagitis patients. In conclusion, although often not statistically significant, our data suggested a reduced risk of Barrett's oesophagus and oesophagitis with a low/moderate intake of wine and beer consumption. A non-significant increased risk of Barrett's oesophagus/oesophagitis was observed with a higher intake of any type of heavy alcohol consumption, but no conclusion can be drawn owing to the high number of non-spirit drinkers and to the small number of drinkers at higher alcohol intake levels.

Smoking as an independent determinant of Barrett's esophagus and, to a lesser degree, of reflux esophagitis

PURPOSE

To evaluate the role of smoking in Barrett's esophagus (BE) and erosive esophagitis (E) compared to endoscopic controls with no BE or E. Smoking is considered a cause of both BE and E, but results on this topic are quite controversial.

METHODS

Patients with BE (339), E (462) and controls (619: 280 with GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease)-negative and 339 with GERD-positive anamnesis) were recruited in 12 Italian endoscopy units. Data were obtained from structured questionnaires.

RESULTS

Among former smokers, a remarkable upward linear trend was found in BE for all smoking-related predictors. In particular, having smoked for more than 32 years increased the risk more than two times (OR 2.44, 95 % CL 1.33-4.45). When the analysis was performed in the subgroup of subjects with GERD-negative anamnesis, the risk of late quitters (<9 years) passed from OR 2.11 (95 % CL 1.19-3.72) to OR 4.42 (95 % CL 1.52-12.8). A noticeably positive dose-response relationship with duration was seen also among current smokers. As regards E, no straightforward evidence of association was detected, but for an increased risk of late quitters (OR 1.84, 95 % CL 1.14-2.98) in former smokers and for early age at starting (OR 3.63, 95 % CL 1.19-11.1) in GERD-negative current smokers.

CONCLUSIONS

Smoking seems to be an independent determinant of BE and, to a lesser degree, of E. The elevation in risk is independent from GERD and is already present in light cigarette smokers. Smoking cessation may reduce, but not remove this risk.

History of cancer in first degree relatives of Barrett's esophagus patients: a case-control study

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Familial clusters of Barrett's esophagus (BE) and esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) have been reported. This study evaluates the history of cancer in BE patients families.

METHODS

In two years, patients with BE (272), esophagitis (456) and controls (517) were recruited in 12 Italian Endoscopy Units. Cancer family history in first-degree (FD) relatives was determined by a questionnaire.

RESULTS

Approximately 53% of BE, 51% of esophagitis, and 48% of controls had at least one relative affected by any type of malignancy. Probands with at least one esophageal or gastric (E/G) cancer-affected relative showed a BE risk which was at least eighty-five percent higher than that of probands without affected relatives. The relative risk of BE was 4.18, 95% CL=0.76-23.04 if a FD relative had early (mean age ≤ 50 years) onset E/G cancer compared to late onset E/G cancer.

CONCLUSION

In this sample there was no evidence that a family history of cancer was associated with the diagnosis of BE. An intriguing result was the association between the occurrence of E/G cancers at earlier ages (< 50 years) among BE relatives with respect the control group. This could suggest a genetic contribution in onset of these tumors, but the sample was too small to demonstrate a significant association. Further exploration of family history of E/G cancer and a diagnosis of BE in larger samples is warranted.

Clinical presentation and outcome of colorectal cancer in HIV-positive patients: a clinical case-control study

BACKGROUND

Data on colorectal cancer (CRC) in HIV-positive patients are limited. The study objective was to investigate and compare clinical presentation and outcome between HIV-positive and HIV-negative CRC patients.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Between September 1985 and November 2003 we identified 27 cases of HIV-positive CRC patients from the cancer registry database - Italian Cooperative Group AIDS and Tumours (GICAT); the clinical presentation/outcome information was retrieved. Each HIV-positive patient from our institution was randomly matched (ratio 1:2) with HIV-negative patients (54 controls) based on age, sex, and year of diagnosis in the same time period. Differences in clinical presentation, treatment, and overall survival were assessed.

RESULTS

Of 1130 HIV-negative CRC patients, 54 were identified and matched with 27 HIV-positive patients. Compared with the HIV-negative patients, the HIV-positive patients had a higher risk of lower performance status (PS: > or =2) (odds ratio (OR) = 14.4; 95% confidence interval (CI): 3.6-57.7), a higher risk of unfavorable Dukes' stage (D) (OR = 4.9; 95% CI: 1.8-13.5), and a higher risk of poor grading (G3-G4) (OR = 5.0; 95% CI: 1.9-13.4). Median overall follow-up was 27 months (range: 2-212). At multivariate analysis, the only characteristics that significantly reduced the survival of the CRC patients were: HIV-positive status (hazard ratio (HR): 2.4; 95% CI: 1.1-5.2) and Dukes' stage D (HR: 3.7; 95% CI: 1.9-7.1).

CONCLUSION

Our data show that HIV-positive CRC patients compared to HIV-negative patients have a poorer PS, an unfavorable Dukes' stage, higher grading and shorter survival.

Long-term endoscopic surveillance of patients with Barrett's esophagus. Incidence of dysplasia and adenocarcinoma: a prospective study

OBJECTIVE

Barrett's esophagus (BE) is a premalignant condition for which regular endoscopic follow-up is usually advised. We evaluated the incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma (AC) in patients with BE and the impact of endoscopic surveillance on mortality from AC.

METHODS

A cohort of newly diagnosed BE patients was studied prospectively. Endoscopic and histological surveillance was recommended every 2 yr. Follow-up status was determined from hospital and registry office records and telephone calls to the patients.

RESULTS

From 1987 to 1997, BE was diagnosed in 177 patients. We excluded three with high-grade dysplasia (HGD) at the time of enrollment. Follow-up was complete in 166 patients (135 male, 31 female). The mean length of endoscopic follow-up was 5.5 yr (range 0.5-13.3). Low-grade dysplasia (LGD) was present initially in 16 patients (9.6%) and found during follow-up in another 24 patients. However, in 75% of cases, LGD was not confirmed on later biopsies. HGD was found during surveillance in three patients (1.8%), one with simultaneous AC; two with HGD developed AC later. AC was detected in five male patients during surveillance. The incidence of AC was 1/220 (5/1100) patient-years of total follow-up, or 1/183.6 (5/918) patient-years in subjects undergoing endoscopy. Four AC patients died, and one was alive with advanced-stage tumor. The mean number of endoscopies performed for surveillance, rather than for symptoms, was 2.4 (range 1-10) per patient. During the follow-up years the cohort had a total of 528 examinations and more than 4000 biopsies.

CONCLUSIONS

The incidence of AC in BE is low, confirming recent data from the literature reporting an overestimation of cancer risk in these patients. In our patient cohort, surveillance involved a large expenditure of effort but did not prevent any cancer deaths. The benefit of surveillance remains uncertain.

Endoscopic diagnosis and staging of gastric tumors

Endoscopy, biopsy, and cytology represent the gold standard for the diagnosis of gastric malignancies. Guidelines have been developed to select the patient-population at risk of gastric cancer as well as for the appropriateness of endoscopic examination among large gastric cancer screening programs. Endoscopic ultrasound is an essential part of preoperative staging in view of gastric resection and may be useful to identify high-risk patients potentially eligible for investigational neoadjuvant treatment programs. Some of the current issues in endoscopic diagnosis and staging of gastric tumors are reviewed.

Intraepithelial carcinoma of the oesophagus: report of 25 cases from north-east Italy

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the incidence and define the diagnostic aspects of intraepithelial squamous cell carcinoma of the oesophagus and to show the trend in its natural history.

DESIGN

Analysis of records of more than 31000 upper gastrointestinal endoscopies in a secondary referral centre.

SETTING

Gastroenterology unit, Italy.

SUBJECTS

23 men and 2 women with endoscopic and histological diagnoses of intraepithelial squamous cell carcinoma of the oesophagus.

RESULTS

The incidence was 0.8/1000 patients/year. There was a coexisting oropharyngeal or laryngeal cancer in 17 patients. The endoscopic appearance was of a more or less well-defined hyperaemic area. Lesions progressed to infiltrating carcinoma in a mean of 18.3 months range 11-32).

CONCLUSIONS

Intraepithelial squamous cell carcinoma is rare in this population. Endoscopy and histology are essential for diagnosis and staging.

Effects of two different alpha-interferon regimens on clinical and virological findings in mixed cryoglobulinemia

OBJECTIVE

As previous studies have shown a good response of mixed cryoglobulinemia (MC) to alpha-interferon (IFN) therapy, we investigated the efficacy and tolerability of two IFN regimens in a group of 36 patients affected by MC.

METHODS

The patients, diagnosed on the basis of standard clinical and laboratory criteria, were randomly divided into 2 groups: group A (18 cases) received alpha 2b-IFN 3 M.U. thrice a week for six months, while group B (18 cases) received alpha 2b-IFN thrice a week for 1 year. The patients were followed for six months after the end of therapy. Liver function tests, cryoglobulin determinations and a clinical examination were performed each month. HCV serology and HCV-RNA detection by PCR were performed before therapy and at the end of the follow-up period.

RESULTS

The two study groups were comparable in age, male/female ratio, purpura score, cryoglobulin level, mean ALT serum activity and liver histology. 32 patients (89%) were positive for anti-HCV antibodies and 29 (81%) for HCV-RNA. During therapy all patients showed a significant (p < 0.001) decrease in their cryoglobulin level as well as improvement (p < 0.05) in their purpura score. In group A, five patients (28%) showed normalized ALT, but three later relapsed. In group B seven patients (39%) responded to treatment but three relapsed after suspension of the drug. Two patients from group B developed severe side effects (hypothyroidism and depression) and therapy was discontinued after 9 and 11 months, respectively. In all the non-responders and relapsed patients, purpura, ALT, and cryoglobulins rose to pre-treatment levels within a few months. At the end of follow-up, two patients from group A (11%) and four in group B (22%) had achieved complete remission.

CONCLUSION

This study indicates that IFN is useful in MC and that viral replication can be considered the target of the therapy. Despite the absence of a statistical difference in the response rate between the two regimens (due to the low number of subjects), the one-year therapy course seemed to show a better efficacy, although associated with higher toxicity.

Ethanol metabolism and aging: the role of "first pass metabolism" and gastric alcohol dehydrogenase activity

To investigate the effect of age and gender on ethanol metabolism, first-pass metabolism (FPM) and gastric alcohol-dehydrogenase (ADH) activity were compared in 32 elderly and 30 young adult nonalcoholic subjects. The FPM was obtained from the difference between the area under the curve of ethanol blood concentration after intravenous or oral administration of ethanol 0.3 g/Kg b.w. The ADH activity was determined in samples of gastric mucosa obtained during diagnostic endoscopy. In the young adult group the FPM was higher in men than in women (3.3 +/- 2.3 vs 1.2 +/- 0.9 mmol/l/h, respectively, p < .01). In aged subjects FPM was found to be very low for men (1.1 +/- 0.8 mmol/l/h, p < .001); conversely, FPM was not significantly reduced in women (1.7 +/- 0.8 mmol/l/h, p = n.s.). The gastric ADH activity was significantly (p < .01) higher in young adult men than women, whereas in aged subjects the activities were low (p < .0001) in both sexes. Thus, gender-related FPM differences equalize in the elderly or are even reversed, most likely because of gastric mucosal atrophy, which occurs more in men than women.

Endoscopic injection sclerotherapy in non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding. A comparative study of polidocanol and thrombin

To date several agents have been used to achieve haemostasis in patients with non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding using endoscopic sclerotherapy techniques. Polidocanol has been widely used but local complications have been reported after treatment. We have compared the efficacy and safety of thrombin and polidocanol in 82 consecutive patients with ongoing or recent bleeding from duodenal, gastric, or anastomotic ulcers. Primary control of haemostasis from spurting vessels was achieved in 90% of cases using polidocanol and in 86.6% using thrombin. Definitive haemostasis was obtained in 80% of patients in both groups. When a non-bleeding vessel was visible, injection of polidocanol or thrombin effectively prevented rebleeding in 90.9% and 85.7% of cases, respectively. When a non-bleeding sentinel clot was present, injection of polidocanol or thrombin provided definitive haemostasis in 100% and 92.8% of cases, respectively. No statistically significant difference was evident between the two agents. In the polidocanol group, one local haemorrhagic complication was noted. No general or local complications were recorded in the thrombin group.