The capsule is placed inside the transparent hood using the same

The capsule is placed inside the transparent hood using the same tilt angles for both the endoscopic image and the CE image. Since the endoscopic image is blinded by the capsule, while watching the CE image using the RAPID® real-time

viewer, the endoscope with the capsule is advanced through the pharynx, esophagus, stomach and into the duodenum. The capsule is then released into the duodenum by injecting water through the accessory channel. Results: Six patients underwent successful endoscopic placement of the capsule in the duodenum without complications. In one patient, biopsy forceps were needed to eject the CP-868596 capsule, because the capsule didn’t release after injecting water. The mean time required for the capsule to pass from the pharynx through the pylorus was five minutes. A complete small bowel examination was achieved in all six patients. Since the currently available CE (PillCam® SB2) check details provides two frames per second,

the endoscopy operator may sense a time lag between endoscopic maneuvering and viewing the CE images. However, this will improve when using a newer version of the CE with adaptive frame rate technology. Conclusion: Endoscope placement of the CE using the described method for patients with dysphagia, anatomical abnormality, or gastroparesis is safe and effective. Key Word(s): 1. Capsule endoscopy; 2. endoscopic placement; 3. real time viewer Presenting Author: NAGAMU INOUE Additional Authors: YASUSHI IWAO, JUNTARO MTSUZAKI, TOSHIFUMI YOSHIDA, RYOKO SHIMIZU, MICHIYO TAKAYAMA, YOSHINORI SUGINO Corresponding Author: NAGAMU INOUE Affiliations: Keio University Hospital, Keio University

Hospital, Keio University Hospital, Keio University Hospital, Keio University Hospital, Keio University Hospital Objective: Polyethylene glycol (PEG)-electrolyte solution is widely used for bowel cleansing including preparation for colonoscopy (CS). To 上海皓元 reduce the volume ingested, PEG-ELS plus ascorbic acid (Asc) (MOVIPREP®) has been marketed in Europe and North America and is the world’s most frequently administered bowel preparation. In Japan, MOVIPREP® was finally put on the market last year, however, preparation procedure in Japan is different from in Europe and North America, and there has not been so much experience yet in Japan. Therefore, we assessed the efficacy and safety of bowel preparation using PEG-ELS+Asc for screening CS. Methods: Design: an observational open-label study. 229 consecutive examinee of CS for medical checkup were enrolled at our institute. The mean age was 60.3 years old and 167 were male (72.9%). Preparation agent used: MOVIPREP® approved in Japan is slightly modified from that used in Europe and North America. Macrogol (PEG) 3350, one of the main active ingredients of MOVIPREP®, is replaced by Macrogol 4000 in accordance with Japanese Pharmacopoeia.

3, right) In addition, sequential sequence analyses in two patie

3, right). In addition, sequential sequence analyses in two patients with acute-persistent HCV genotype 3a infection showed no evidence of viral escape mutations over a time of one or two years, respectively (data not shown). In line with the results from the cellular assays these data strongly suggest that there is no CD8+ T-cell pressure within the NS5B2841-2849 region in HCV genotype 3a-infected HLA-B27+ patients. Based on our immunological findings, it

is tempting to speculate that in contrast to HCV genotype 1 infection, lack of the immunodominant target of the HLA-B27-restricted CD8+ T-cell responses is associated with loss of the protective effect of HLA-B27 in genotype 3a infection. To address this question, we determined the frequency of HLA-B27 positivity in a large cohort of patients chronically infected RXDX-106 order with either HCV genotype 1 (265 patients) or 3a (98 patients). The frequency of HLA-B27

positivity was significantly higher in patients infected with genotype 3a (12/98 patients, 12.5%) compared with patients infected with genotype 1 (14/265 patients, 5.3%; P = 0.0363) (Fig. 5). selleck inhibitor In this context, it is important to note that the frequency of HLA-B27 positivity in the general German population is ≈8.5% based on the analysis of 11,407 individuals in the German bone marrow registry (compare www.allelefrequencies.net).21 Thus, the protective effect of HLA-B27 in HCV genotype 1

infection is reflected by the low prevalence of HLA-B27 positivity in patients chronically infected with HCV genotype 1. In contrast, HLA-B27 has no protective effect (or may even have a disadvantageous effect) in HCV genotype 3a infection, reflected by the relatively high frequency of HLA-B27 positivity in patients infected with HCV genotype 3a. Importantly, we did not observe a significant difference between the frequencies in genotype 1 or 3a-infected patients for any other HLA-A or HLA-B allele (data not shown). Thus, the different frequency of HLA-B27 in HCV genotype MCE公司 1 versus 3a infection is unique and consistent with the central role of the immunodominant NS5B2841-2849 epitope in mediating the protective effect of HLA-B27 in HCV genotype 1 infection. We have recently linked the protective effect of HLA-B27 in the outcome of HCV infection to an immunodominant HLA-B27-restricted HCV epitope.6 This epitope is located in a highly conserved and functionally constrained region within NS5B, the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. In our previous study we showed that viral escape from this epitope is limited by viral fitness costs as well as cross-recognition by CD8+ T cells, thus requiring a complex mosaic of two or more mutations for significant viral escape.

1, 9, 36 Recently a randomized study that included patients with

1, 9, 36 Recently a randomized study that included patients with low ascites protein concentrations37 and a meta-analysis38 have indicated that antibiotic prophylaxis reduces SBP occurrence and improves short-term survival in see more high-risk patients with cirrhosis and ascites. Reducing the bacterial load in the gut by selective intestinal decontamination decreases the frequency of SBP, but increases the risks for infections with antibiotic-resistant bacteria39, 40 or posttransplant fungal infections41; thus, prophylaxis is currently restricted to patients at highest risk of SBP, as defined above.9 Now that we might

have identified a new subpopulation of patients with cirrhosis at high risk for both SBP and death, this clearly sets the stage for a prospective study of primary prophylaxis FK506 of SBP to see whether long-term survival can be further improved in genetically defined at-risk patients. The authors thank all patients for participating in this study and providing blood samples, and Stephanie Schwartz and Hildegard Keppeler for excellent technical

assistance. Contributions: B.A. and F.G. contributed equally to data acquisition and analysis. M.G. and L.T. helped in study design, collected data and recruited patients as part of their doctoral theses. T.S. and F.L. were responsible for study concept, design, and supervision. B.A. and F.G. drafted the article, which was edited by T.S. and F.L. This study was presented in part as Presidential Poster of Distinction at the Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD), San Francisco, November 4, 2008, and published in abstract form (HEPATOLOGY 2008;48:A1676). Additional Supporting Information may be found in the online version of this article. “
“Background and Aim:  Data on prevalence, human MCE leukocyte antigen (HLA) typing and small bowel histology among first-degree relatives of subjects with celiac disease (CD) is scarce. This prospective study evaluated the

prevalence and role of HLA DQ2/8 testing in screening of first-degree relatives of children with CD. Methods:  Thirty confirmed children with CD and 91/94 first-degree relatives (parents and siblings) were enrolled. HLA DQ2/8 testing was carried out in all index CD cases. Clinical evaluation with a questionnaire, total serum immunoglobulin A (IgA), human IgA-tissue transglutaminase (IgA-tTGA) and HLA DQ2/8 testing was carried out in all first-degree relatives. Subjects who were positive for IgA-tTGA were recommended endoscopic duodenal biopsy to document histological changes of CD. Results:  Nine first-degree relatives were positive for IgA-tTGA, seven underwent duodenal biopsy and four subjects had Marsh IIIa changes suggestive of CD.

23 Further, this result supports the premise that the endocytic h

23 Further, this result supports the premise that the endocytic hot spots observed in hepatocytes are indeed selective for specific cargo, even discriminating between receptor/ligand complexes that share significant homology.

In this study we expressed GFP-tagged Dyn2 in a cultured hepatocyte cell line to better understand the mechanisms supporting the endocytic process. We discovered two distinct populations of dynamin-associated structures along the basal Ferrostatin-1 PM: small, static foci that appear to represent conventional clathrin-coated pits, and large (2-10 μm), Dyn2-positive structures that we have termed “hot spots.” Because both of these clathrin-based systems occupy the basal membrane domain, optical microscopy methods needed to be used exclusively in this study. hot spots were found in both transfected and untransfected cells, are associated with clathrin and the adaptor protein AP2 but not AP1, and are functional check details endocytic structures that internalize Tf and fluid markers. Most strikingly, we found that hot spots are tubulovesicular invaginations of the basal PM that generate massive numbers of endocytic vesicles that translocate to the cell interior. Importantly, hot spots appear to be selective for clathrin-based

internalization processes because we observed a striking sequestration of the TfR1 to these structures compared with the TfR2. Although both receptors internalize the Tf ligand, the TfR1 is well known to utilize clathrin-coated pits during endocytosis, 上海皓元 whereas TfR2 uptake appears to be clathrin-independent and may utilize caveolae.21, 24 This finding, and the fact that we do not find caveolin proteins localized to the hot spots (data not shown), suggests that these structures are clathrin-based, are prevalent in most cells examined, and responsive to the nutritional conditions of their surroundings as serum starvation can increase the number of cells with hot spots by 4 to 5-fold (Fig. 2E,F). It is important to note that as hot

spots are ephemeral structures, lasting only 15 to 60 minutes, a “snapshot” of fixed cells would identify only a portion of the cells forming these structures. Indeed, monitoring hot spot formation in cells over 3-4 hours in normal serum reveals that over 50% of cells form and consume hot spots, making these structure more prevalent than first thought. The incorporation of Dyn2-GFP within discrete clathrin-coated pits and large hot spots along the basal membrane of cultured cells was surprising in that we had assumed these structures would be distributed evenly along both the dorsal and ventral PM. It should be noted that most epithelial cells in situ, such as ductular kidney cells or hepatocytes, undergo substantial endocytic activity along the basolateral membrane, which is in intimate proximity to the nutrient-rich blood space or sinusoid.

23 Further, this result supports the premise that the endocytic h

23 Further, this result supports the premise that the endocytic hot spots observed in hepatocytes are indeed selective for specific cargo, even discriminating between receptor/ligand complexes that share significant homology.

In this study we expressed GFP-tagged Dyn2 in a cultured hepatocyte cell line to better understand the mechanisms supporting the endocytic process. We discovered two distinct populations of dynamin-associated structures along the basal AZD6244 PM: small, static foci that appear to represent conventional clathrin-coated pits, and large (2-10 μm), Dyn2-positive structures that we have termed “hot spots.” Because both of these clathrin-based systems occupy the basal membrane domain, optical microscopy methods needed to be used exclusively in this study. hot spots were found in both transfected and untransfected cells, are associated with clathrin and the adaptor protein AP2 but not AP1, and are functional click here endocytic structures that internalize Tf and fluid markers. Most strikingly, we found that hot spots are tubulovesicular invaginations of the basal PM that generate massive numbers of endocytic vesicles that translocate to the cell interior. Importantly, hot spots appear to be selective for clathrin-based

internalization processes because we observed a striking sequestration of the TfR1 to these structures compared with the TfR2. Although both receptors internalize the Tf ligand, the TfR1 is well known to utilize clathrin-coated pits during endocytosis, MCE whereas TfR2 uptake appears to be clathrin-independent and may utilize caveolae.21, 24 This finding, and the fact that we do not find caveolin proteins localized to the hot spots (data not shown), suggests that these structures are clathrin-based, are prevalent in most cells examined, and responsive to the nutritional conditions of their surroundings as serum starvation can increase the number of cells with hot spots by 4 to 5-fold (Fig. 2E,F). It is important to note that as hot

spots are ephemeral structures, lasting only 15 to 60 minutes, a “snapshot” of fixed cells would identify only a portion of the cells forming these structures. Indeed, monitoring hot spot formation in cells over 3-4 hours in normal serum reveals that over 50% of cells form and consume hot spots, making these structure more prevalent than first thought. The incorporation of Dyn2-GFP within discrete clathrin-coated pits and large hot spots along the basal membrane of cultured cells was surprising in that we had assumed these structures would be distributed evenly along both the dorsal and ventral PM. It should be noted that most epithelial cells in situ, such as ductular kidney cells or hepatocytes, undergo substantial endocytic activity along the basolateral membrane, which is in intimate proximity to the nutrient-rich blood space or sinusoid.

5 with the differentiation

of hepatoblasts into biliary p

5 with the differentiation

of hepatoblasts into biliary precursor cells. The latter form the ductal plate, a single-layered sleeve of cells located around the portal mesenchyme. Around E15.5, tubulogenesis is initiated by the formation of primitive ductal structures (PDS), which are developing ducts asymmetrically lined on the portal side by ductal plate cells, and on the parenchymal side by hepatoblast-like cells. When the PDS mature to ducts (E17.5 to birth), the cells on the portal and parenchymal sides differentiate to mature cholangiocytes, which then symmetrically line the duct lumina; simultaneously, the ducts become integrated in the portal mesenchyme, and the ductal plate cells not involved in tubulogenesis involute.4, 5 For this article, we took advantage of three mouse models with DPMs to investigate the dysmorphogenesis leading check details to DPM and to study the epistatic relationship between the transcription factors hepatocyte nuclear factor 6 (HNF6) and HNF1β and their downstream targets potentially involved in DPM. Mouse knockouts for HNF6 or with liver-specific inactivation of HNF1β

show DPM associated with cholestasis.6, 7 HNF6 directly stimulates expression Maraviroc order of HNF1β,6 but the effectors of HNF6 and HNF1β are not known. In pancreatic ducts, HNF6 controls primary cilia formation and stimulates expression of cystin1 (Cys1) and polycystic kidney and hepatic disease-1 (Pkhd1),8 two genes that control ciliogenesis and whose mutations are associated with cyst formation9-14; HNF1β stimulates expression of Pkhd1 in kidneys.15, 16 Moreover, mice deficient in cystin-1 (congenital polycystic kidney [cpk]) display DPMs.17, 18 Thus, we analyze here the dysmorphogenesis causing DPMs in HNF6- and HNF1β-deficient mice, as well as in livers deficient in cystin-1, which is identified as a common target of HNF6 and HNF1β. We focused on differentiation, apicobasal polarity, and ciliogenesis, and found that distinct defects initiated at distinct stages of bile duct morphogenesis may lead to DPMs. ARPKD, autosomal

recessive polycystic kidney disease; cpk, congenital polycystic kidney; DPM, ductal plate malformation; MCE E, embryonic day; HNF, hepatocyte nuclear factor; OPN, osteopontin; PDS, primitive ductal structures; PKHD1, polycystic kidney and hepatic disease-1; SOX9, sex-determining region Y–related HMG box transcription factor 9; TβRII, transforming growth factor receptor type II; W, week of gestation; ZO-1, zonula occludens-1. Wild-type, Hnf6, Hnf1bloxP/loxP-Alfp-Cre, and cpk mice6, 7, 19 were treated according to the principles of laboratory animal care of the National Institutes of Health and with approval from institutional animal welfare committees. Tissue samples were obtained in compliance with the French and the Belgian legislations, the 1975 Declaration of Helsinki, and the European Guidelines for the use of human tissues.

We analyzed a prospective

database of all adult patients

We analyzed a prospective

database of all adult patients consecutively admitted to the liver unit of our institution between January find more 2004 and June 2007. ALF was diagnosed according to the criteria of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD),1 including a sudden development of severe coagulopathy with an international normalized ratio (INR) ≥1.5 and mental alteration with an illness duration no longer than 26 weeks. Patients with underlying chronic diseases such as chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) were included if they had normal liver function before the onset of symptoms and there was www.selleckchem.com/products/ulixertinib-bvd-523-vrt752271.html no evidence of cirrhosis. Informed

consent was obtained from each patient’s next of kin, and the study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the Asan Medical Center. All patients underwent standardized evaluation to determine the cause of liver injury. This included a detailed review of medications, herbal remedies, and exposure to toxins; assays for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), anti-hepatitis B core (IgM), anti-hepatitis A virus (IgM), anti-hepatitis C virus, and anti-hepatitis E virus (IgM) antibodies; serologic tests with or without polymerase chain reaction (PCR) quantification of cytomegalovirus (CMV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), herpes

simplex virus, and human immunodeficiency virus; assays for antinuclear and anti–smooth muscle antibodies; serum ceruloplasmin and 24-hour urine copper quantification; and liver imaging, including dynamic contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT). Drug-induced or herb-induced ALF was diagnosed when a temporal relationship between exposure to a suspected agent and the onset of ALF was identified and other causes of ALF were excluded. APAP was presumed as the cause of ALF when there was a history MCE公司 of potentially toxic APAP ingestion (>4 g/day) within 7 days of presentation. Patients were diagnosed as having ALF attributable to other drugs or herbs by use of the Roussel Uclaf Causality Assessment Method (RUCAM)10 or a locally developed scale for assessment of phyto-hepatotoxicity (a modified RUCAM).11 AIH was diagnosed using the criteria of the International Autoimmune Hepatitis Group.12 ALF was classified as “indeterminate” when supporting evidence of a specific etiology could not be established despite extensive investigation.

Pegylated interferon alpha-2a/alpha-2b64 or ribavirin65 for 3-12

Pegylated interferon alpha-2a/alpha-2b64 or ribavirin65 for 3-12 months have been tried in persons with chronic HEV infection, with moderate success in achieving an absence of detectable serum HEV RNA for 3-6 months after stopping drugs. Only short case series are available, and controlled trials with longer follow-up are needed. Withdrawal or reduction in dose of immunosuppressive drugs has also led to the disappearance of HEV viremia and should be tried before considering antiviral treatment. No data are available on the role of antiviral drugs in acute HEV infection associated

with acute or acute-on-chronic liver failure. Hepatitis E can be prevented by the provision of Luminespib nmr safe drinking water, proper disposal of human feces, and education about personal hygiene. During outbreaks, boiling and chlorination of water would be useful. Sanitary handling and proper cooking of pig and deer meat is recommended in areas with zoonotic transmission. Two candidate vaccines against hepatitis E have undergone clinical testing. The first contained a 56-kDa truncated ORF2 protein of HEV (amino acids 112-607), expressed Opaganib solubility dmso using a baculovirus expression

system, which assembles into highly immunogenic VLPs. In a trial among 2,000 volunteer Nepalese soldiers, 3 doses of an alum-adjuvanted preparation of this protein (20 μg each at 0, 1, and 6 months) achieved 100% seroconversion and protective efficacy of up to 95.5% during a 2-year follow-up.11 The second vaccine consisted of a truncated ORF2 protein, p239 (amino acids 368-606), which is expressed in Escherichia coli and forms 23-nm VLPs. In a large clinical trial in southern China, administration of 3 doses (30 μg each) showed a protective

efficacy of 100% during a 13-month follow-up.12 Though several questions remain, the successful clinical testing of these vaccines is a major step forward in the future control of hepatitis E. Unfortunately, neither vaccine has yet been licensed for marketing, possibly because the industry is 上海皓元 not assured of a sufficient market. Hepatitis E, though mainly a disease of the resource-poor regions of the world, has also been identified as occasional autochthonous cases in developed countries. The global presence of HEV, its ability to cause sporadic infections as well as large outbreaks, and its ability to cause chronic hepatitis in immunocompromised persons are all causes for concern. The disease has a complex epidemiology with both waterborne human-to-human and zoonotic transmission, and limited treatment options, and its pathogenetic mechanisms are poorly understood. Thus, hepatitis E deserves serious attention from physicians and researchers alike. Recent successful clinical testing of two recombinant vaccines augurs well for the future. The authors thank Prasida Holla and Imran Ahmad for composing the figures.

Such analysis using serum has clarified the metabolic alteration

Such analysis using serum has clarified the metabolic alteration in various liver diseases, LDK378 solubility dmso such as viral hepatitis,14 acetaminophen-induced liver toxicity,15 and cholestatic liver disease16. Thus, the intriguing possibility has emerged that serum metabolomic analysis enables the discovery of endogenous metabolites that are significantly altered in NASH. In the present study, to explore endogenous metabolites associated with NASH, a comprehensive analysis of serum metabolites was carried out using UPLC-ESI-QTOFMS in mice treated with a methionine- and choline-deficient (MCD) diet, a representative

mouse model of NASH, and gene expression patterns were assessed to understand the mechanism of serum metabolite changes. Abcb, ATP-binding cassette subfamily B member; Abcc, ATP-binding cassette subfamily C member; Alox12, arachidonate 12-lipoxygenase; ALP, alkaline Enzalutamide phosphatase; ALT, alanine aminotransferase; CD, choline-deficient; Cyp, cytochrome P450; Enpp2, ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase

2; ER, endoplasmic reticulum; GalN, D-galactosamine; HETE, hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid; IL, interleukin; LPC, lysophosphatidylcholine; Lpcat, lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase; LPS, lipopolysaccharide; Lypla1, lysophospholipase A1; MCD, methionine- and choline-deficient; MCS, methionine- and choline-supplemented; MD, methionine-deficient; NAFLD, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease; NASH, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis; NOX, NADPH oxidase; OPLS, orthogonal projection to latent structures; PC, phosphatidylcholine; PCA, principal components analysis; Ostb, organic solute transporter β; qPCR, quantitative polymerase chain reaction; Slc10a1, solute carrier family 10 member 1; Slco, solute carrier organic anion transporter family member; SS, simple steatosis; TG, triglycerides; TGF, transforming growth factor; TNF, tumor necrosis factor; UPLC-ESI-QTOFMS, ultraperformance liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization–quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. All animal studies were conducted in accordance with Institute of Laboratory Animal Resource

(ILAR) guidelines and were approved by the National Cancer Institute Animal Care and Use Committee. The mice were housed in a specific pathogen-free environment controlled 上海皓元 for temperature and light (25°C, 12-hour light/dark cycle) and maintained with NIH31 regular chow and tap water ad libitum. For MCD diet-induced NASH, male C57BL/6NCr mice at 8-10 weeks of age were used. The MCD diet was purchased from Dyets Inc. (#518810; Bethlehem, PA), and a methionine- and choline-supplemented MCD diet (MCS, #518754; Dyets) was used as a control diet. Five days before starting the experiments, NIH31 chow was replaced with the MCS diet for acclimatization. The study of MCD diet–induced NASH consisted of three independent experiments.

4% (2/143) of the non-elderly on the same therapy Among the
<

4% (2/143) of the non-elderly on the same therapy. Among the

patients administered anticoagulant therapy, the duration of hospitalization was 15.5 and 10.0 days in the elderly and non-elderly groups, respectively. The duration tended to be longer in the elderly group, but no significant difference was found. If postoperative hemorrhage was defined as rebleeding more than 1 week after ESD, there was postoperative hemorrhage in 5.1% of the lesions www.selleckchem.com/products/BMS-777607.html (19/372) in the elderly group and 4.9% of the lesions (7/143) in the non-elderly group (no significant difference between groups). However, 15.8% (3/19) of these lesions were in elderly patients on anticoagulant therapy. None (0/7) of these lesions was in the non-elderly group taking anticoagulant therapy. This result indicated a significantly higher percentage

in the elderly patients (Table 7). In all postoperative hemorrhage cases of anticoagulant therapy, PD0332991 research buy the patient had bleeding after the anticoagulant therapy was resumed. Two elderly patients had worsening of comorbidities after the anticoagulant therapy was discontinued to perform ESD. One of these patients developed a cerebral infarction and the other underwent reoperation because of insufficient valve motion after mitral valve replacement. In the present study, the characteristics of the lesions examined were location, macroscopic type, tumor size, histological type, and depth of invasion. The results showed that there were no significant differences in these MCE characteristics between the elderly and non-elderly groups. ESD was performed on similar lesions in both groups. For the treatment outcomes, the two groups had no significant difference in the en bloc plus R0 resection rate or the category of lesions. Lesions were examined in which such resection was not possible: ten lesions in the elderly patients (2.7%) and six in the non-elderly patients (4.2%) had residual tumor from partial resection, which had been performed for technical reasons; seven lesions in the elderly patients (1.9%) and three in the non-elderly patients (2.1%) had positive margins because of an error

in determining the extent of cancer. No significant difference was observed between the groups, and it was thought that age did not affect the results. There was no significant difference between the two groups in the operating time for ESD or for the incidence of intraoperative gastric perforation or postoperative pneumonia. Perforations occurred in cases where a good visual field could not be obtained because of hemorrhage or in cases of ulcer scar. Ono et al. reported a rate of perforation of approximately 5%.26 The likelihood of such a complication is thought to be affected more by difficulty in performing ESD because of tumor size and location rather than because of the age of the patient. In the present study, none of the non-elderly patients developed pneumonia, but 0.5% of the elderly did.