About the Authors

Hideyuki Kuroki

Affiliation Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan

Hiromitsu Hayashi

Affiliation Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan

Hirohisa Okabe

Affiliation Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan

Daisuke Hashimoto

Affiliation Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan

Hiroshi Takamori

Affiliation Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan

Osamu Nakahara

Affiliation Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan

Shigeki Nakagawa

Affiliation Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan

Yukiko Fukushima

Affiliation Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan

Akira Chikamoto

Affiliation Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan

Toru Beppu

Affiliation Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan

Masahiko Hirota

Affiliation Department of Surgery, Kumamoto Regional Medical Center, Kumamoto, Japan

Ken-ichi Iyama

Affiliation Department of Surgical Pathology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan

Hideo Baba

hdobaba@kumamoto-u.ac.jp

Affiliation Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan

Competing Interests

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Author Contributions

Conceived and designed the experiments: HK HH HO SN. Performed the experiments: HK YF. Analyzed the data: HK. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: HK SN. Wrote the paper: HK HH. Collected clinical samples: DH HT ON AC TB MH. Provided critical revisions for pathological findings: KI. Organized the paper and approved the final version to be published: HB.