title: Prevalence of clonorchiasis in patients with gastrointestinal disease: a Korean nationwide multicenter survey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate prevalence of Clonorchis sinensis in patients with gastrointestinal symptoms, and the relation of the infection to hepatobiliary diseases in 26 hospitals in Korea.
  
  
  METHODS
  Consecutive patients who had been admitted to the Division of Gastroenterology with gastrointestinal symptoms were enrolled from March to April 2005. Of those who had been diagnosed with clonorchiasis, epidemiology and correlation between infection and hepatobiliary diseases were surveyed by questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 3080 patients with gastrointestinal diseases, 396 (12.9%) had clonorchiasis and 1140 patients (37.2%) had a history of eating raw freshwater fish. Of those with a history of raw freshwater fish ingestion, 238 (20.9%) patients had clonorchiasis. Cholangiocarcinoma was more prevalent in C. sinensis-infected patients than non-infected patients [34/396 (8.6%) vs 145/2684 (5.4%), P = 0.015]. Cholangiocarcinoma and clonorchiasis showed statistically significant positive cross-relation (P = 0.008). Choledocholithiasis, cholecystolithiasis, cholangitis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and biliary pancreatitis did not correlate with clonorchiasis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Infection rate of clonorchiasis was still high in patients with gastrointestinal diseases in Korea, and has not decreased very much during the last two decades. Cholangiocarcinoma was related to clonorchiasis, which suggested an etiological role for the parasite.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Catholic University of Daegu School of Medicine, Daegu, South Korea. hgkim@cu.ac.kr
authors.forename: Ho Gak
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jimin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Myung-Hwan
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kyu Hyun
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Im Hee
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Gwang Ha
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jae Seon
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jin Bong
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Tae Nyeun
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Tae Hyeon
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Tae Hyo
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jae Woo
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Ji Kon
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Ryu
authors.forename: Young Soo
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.forename: Jong Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.forename: Sung Jae
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Chan Guk
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Sung-Jo
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Bang
authors.forename: Chang Heon
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Kyo-Sang
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.forename: Byung Moo
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.forename: Kyu Taek
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Dong Ki
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Byung Seok
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sang Soo
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Seung Ok
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Woo Jin
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Chang Min
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Young-Eun
authors.initials: YE
authors.lastname: Joo
authors.forename: Gab Jin
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Cheon
authors.forename: Young Woo
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Jae Bok
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Yong Bum
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Yoon
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D003003:Clonorchiasis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003004:Clonorchis sinensis / Q000472:pathogenicity; D005260:Female; D005399:Fishes / Q000469:parasitology; D016266:Food Parasitology; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012758:Shellfish / Q000469:parasitology; D055815:Young Adult