The applications and challenges of artificial intelligence in colonoscopy

It has been widely acknowledged that colonoscopy is the most effective method of preventing colorectal cancer because it can detect and remove precursor lesions,thereby reducing both incidence and mortality.Among these approaches,standardized colonoscopy stands out as the most efficacious method for early-stage colorectal cancer identification.Artificial intelligence is a rapidly expanding field in gastrointestinal endoscopy.This article presents a comprehensive review of the advantages and clinical evidence supporting the application of artificial intelligence in colonoscopy while also discussing prospects for utilizing artificial intelligence-assisted endoscopy in diagnosing colorectal cancer.

A population-based case-crossover study of polyethylene glycol use and acute renal failure risk in the elderly

AIM:To evaluate the possibility of an association between polyethylene glycol(PEG) and acute renal failure(ARF) in elderly patients using a health insurance claims database.METHODS:We conducted a population-based casecrossover study using information obtained from Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service(HIRA) claims from January 1,2005 to December 31,2005(Seoul,Korea).The study population consisted of elderly patients who received PEG prior to experiencing their first ARF-related hospitalization from April 1,2005 to December 31,2005.For each patient,one case and two control periods were matched.PEG use in a 2-or 4-wk window period prior to hospitalization for ARF was compared with PEG use in two earlier 2-or 4-wk control window periods.Conditional logistic regression analysis was used to estimate odds ratios(ORs) and 95% CI,adjusting for concomitant uses of diuretics,angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors,non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs,antibiotics,anti-cancer drugs,and contrast media.RESULTS:Within the HIRA database which contained 1 093 262 elderly patients,1156 hospitalized ARF cases were identified.Among these cases,PEG was prescribed to 17(1.5%) patients before hospitalization.The adjusted ORs when applying the 2-and 4-wk window periods were 0.4(95% CI:0.03-5.24) and 2.1(95% CI:0.16-27.78),respectively.CONCLUSION:No increased risk of ARF was found in elderly PEG users.However,based on the limited number of study subjects,further analysis should be performed to confirm these results.

Effects of Vitrification on the Imprinted Gene Snrpn in Neonatal Placental Tissue

Objective:To investigate the effects of vitrification on the expression of the imprinted gene Snrpn in neonatal placental tissue.Methods:Neonatal placental tissue was collected from women with natural pregnancy(control group)and from women in assisted reproductive technology(ART)pregnancy group,following fresh and vitrified embryo transfer(fresh group and vitrified group,respectively).Snrpn mRNA expression and SNRPN protein levels in placental tissue from these three groups were assessed by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and Western blot,respectively.DNA methylation in the Snrpn promoter region was analyzed by bisulfite-pyrosequencing.Results:The expression of Snrpn mRNA and SNRPN protein was found to be higher in placental tissue from the fresh and vitrified ART groups,compared to the control group.There was no significant difference in SNRPN gene or protein expression between the fresh and vitrified groups.DNA methylation at the Snrpn promoter region was not significantly different between these three groups.Conclusions:Human ART may alter the transcriptional expression and protein levels of the imprinted gene Snrpn.However,compared to other ART methods,vitrification may not aggravate or reduce this effect.Moreover,the altered expression of Snrpn is likely not directly related to DNA methylation of the Snrpn promoter region.