Outcomes of Patients with Child-Pugh B and Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma Undergoing First-Line Systemic Treatment with Sorafenib, Lenvatinib, or Atezolizumab Plus Bevacizumab.

Introduction: Systemic therapy is recommended for patients with Child-Pugh A in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We analyzed the outcomes of a cohort of patients with HCC who received either sorafenib (Sor), lenvatinib (Len) or atezolizumab plus bevacizumab (Atezo + Bev) as first-line systemic therapy for HCC, with the aim of identifying prognostic factors for survival.

Methods: A total of 825 patients with advanced HCC and Child-Pugh A or B received either Sor, Len or Atezo + Bev as first-line systemic therapy.

Clinical Outcomes of 2nd- and 3rd-Line Regorafenib for Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Introduction: This study compared clinical outcomes of 2nd- and 3rd-line regorafenib in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma.

Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, 48 patients were treated with regorafenib for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma. Thirty-five and 13 patients were initiated on 2nd- and 3rd-line therapy, respectively.

Efficacy and Safety of Lenvatinib-Transcatheter Arterial Chemoembolization Sequential Therapy for Patients with Intermediate-Stage Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Introduction: We evaluated the efficacy and safety of lenvatinib-transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (LEN-TACE) sequential therapy for patients (n = 88) with intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: Eighty-eight patients who obtained tumor control by LEN treatment were analyzed; 30 received LEN followed by TACE (LEN-TACE sequential therapy), and 58 received LEN monotherapy. Propensity score matching was performed, and the outcomes of 19 patients in the LEN-TACE group and 19 patients in the LEN-alone group were compared.

Efficacy of Lusutrombopag for Thrombocytopenia in Patients with Chronic Liver Disease Scheduled to Undergo Invasive Procedures.

Objective Lusutrombopag is a thrombopoietin receptor agonist that improves thrombocytopenia in patients with chronic liver disease scheduled to undergo invasive procedures. However, information on the efficacy of repeated lusutrombopag treatment and factors associated with the treatment is scarce. We analyzed the efficacy of repeated lusutrombopag treatment and the factors associated with a response to lusutrombopag.

Real-world efficacy of sofosbuvir plus velpatasvir therapy for patients with hepatitis C virus-related decompensated cirrhosis.

Aim: Combination therapy with sofosbuvir (SOF) plus velpatasvir (VEL) is approved for patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related decompensated cirrhosis. We analyzed the real-world efficacy of SOF/VEL therapy.

Methods: Thirty-three patients with HCV-related decompensated cirrhosis (25 and eight patients with Child B and C, respectively) were treated with SOF/VEL for 12 weeks.

Analysis of Post-Progression Survival in Patients with Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treated with Lenvatinib.

Background: Although a strong antitumor effect of lenvatinib (LEN) has been noted for patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), there are still no reports on the prognosis for patients with disease progression after first-line LEN therapy.

Methods: Patients (n = 141) with unresectable HCC, Child-Pugh class A liver function, and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG-PS) of 0 or 1 who were treated with LEN from March 2018 to December 2019 were enrolled.

Results: One hundred and five patients were treated with LEN as first-line therapy, 53 of whom had progressive disease (PD) at the radiological evaluation.

Overlooked muscle cramps in patients with chronic liver disease: in relation to the prevalence of muscle cramps.

Introduction: Muscle cramps are common comorbidities in chronic liver disease (CLD). Although the prevalence of these has been reported in patients with liver cirrhosis (LC), that of CLD is unknown. In this study, we aimed to clarify the prevalence and characteristics of muscle cramps in individual CLD.

[Multiple hepatic sclerosed hemangiomas that are difficult to diagnose preoperatively:a case report].

An 83-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital because of a space-occupying lesion (SOL) in the liver. Enhanced computed tomography (CT) showed a nodule measuring 20mm in size in the posterosuperior segment of the right hepatic lobe (S7) and another nodule measuring 14mm in size in the anterosuperior segment of the right hepatic lobe (S8). The margins of these nodules showed faint enhancement in the arterial phase and presented as low-density areas in the equilibrium phase.

Comparison of clinical outcome of hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy and sorafenib for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma according to macrovascular invasion and transcatheter arterial chemoembolization refractory status.

Background And Aim: Sorafenib is the standard treatment for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with distant metastasis, unresectable HCC, and HCC refractory to transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) or with macroscopic vascular invasion (MVI). Also, hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) has been used for advanced HCC in Southeast and East Asian countries. However, clearer information is needed for choosing appropriately between these therapies.

Comparison of Outcome of Hepatic Arterial Infusion Chemotherapy Combined with Radiotherapy and Sorafenib for Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients with Major Portal Vein Tumor Thrombosis.

Objective: To compare the outcome of hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy combined with radiotherapy (HAIC + RT) versus sorafenib monotherapy in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and major portal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT).

Methods: This retrospective study included 108 HCC patients with PVTT of the main trunk or first branch and Child-Pugh ≤7. Sixty-eight received HAIC + RT and 40 received sorafenib.

Label-free detection of aggregated platelets in blood by machine-learning-aided optofluidic time-stretch microscopy.

According to WHO, about 10 million new cases of thrombotic disorders are diagnosed worldwide every year. Thrombotic disorders, including atherothrombosis (the leading cause of death in the US and Europe), are induced by occlusion of blood vessels, due to the formation of blood clots in which aggregated platelets play an important role. The presence of aggregated platelets in blood may be related to atherothrombosis (especially acute myocardial infarction) and is, hence, useful as a potential biomarker for the disease.

FIT: statistical modeling tool for transcriptome dynamics under fluctuating field conditions.

Motivation: Considerable attention has been given to the quantification of environmental effects on organisms. In natural conditions, environmental factors are continuously changing in a complex manner. To reveal the effects of such environmental variations on organisms, transcriptome data in field environments have been collected and analyzed.

Comparison of Outcome of Hepatic Arterial Infusion Chemotherapy and Sorafenib in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma Refractory to Transcatheter Arterial Chemoembolization.

Aim: To compare the outcome of 5-fluorouracil (FU)-based hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) with sorafenib monotherapy in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) refractory to transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE).

Patients And Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, 123 patients with HCC refractory to TACE, with Child-Pugh A and free of extrahepatic metastasis, were divided into two groups: 65 received HAIC and 58 received sorafenib. Since the size of main tumor and portal vein invasion were significantly different between the HAIC and sorafenib groups, we selected 48 patients from the 65 patients of the HAIC group and 48 from the 58 patients of the sorafenib group.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) reactivation caused by steroid therapy for dermatomyositis.

A Japanese woman was treated with injectable methylprednisolone and oral prednisolone for dermatomyositis. On admission, her serum was positive for anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibodies, although HCV RNA was undetectable on polymerase chain reaction. Glucocorticoid therapy improved the dermatomyositis; however, the serum alanine aminotransferase levels rapidly increased, with positive serum HCV RNA and a high viral titer.

Effect of prolonged administration of pegylated interferon/ribavirin therapy in genotypes 2a and 2b: propensity score-matched analysis.

Background And Aim: Chronic hepatitis C genotype 2 patients show high susceptibility to pegylated interferon plus ribavirin therapy (PEG/RBV). However, the differences in response to therapy between genotypes 2a and 2b, and the efficacy of prolonged therapy for refractory patients have not been evaluated. We investigated the differences in response to PEG/RBV between each genotype and examined the efficacy of prolonged therapy.

Effect of vitamin D supplementation on pegylated interferon/ribavirin therapy for chronic hepatitis C genotype 1b: a randomized controlled trial.

Chronic HCV-infected patients tend to have vitamin D deficiency, suggesting that vitamin D supplementation may enhance the efficacy of treatment with pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) and ribavirin (RBV). We therefore assessed the effects of vitamin D supplementation on viral response to PEG-IFN/RBV. Eighty-four patients with HCV genotype 1b were randomized, 42 to oral vitamin D supplementation (1000 IU/day) and 42 to nonsupplementation (control), from week 8 to the end of PEG-IFN/RBV therapy.

Second hepatectomy for recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma achieved sustained virological response to interferon therapy for hepatitis C.

Background/aims: Interferon (IFN) improves the prognosis of HCV-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients. However, the effects of IFN therapy for second hepatectomy (Hx) for recurrent HCC have not been established.

Methodology: Subjects included 96 patients who underwent a second Hx for recurrence of HCV-related HCC.

Impact of ribavirin dose reduction on the efficacy of pegylated interferon plus ribavirin combination therapy for elderly patients infected with genotype 1b and high viral loads.

Aim:   To examine the impact of ribavirin dose reduction on the efficacy of pegylated interferon (PEG IFN) plus ribavirin combination therapy for elderly patients infected with genotype 1b and high viral loads.

Methods:   A total of 72 patients, over 65 years old, were recruited for this study. Patients were divided into groups receiving either 600-800 mg of ribavirin according to bodyweight (Group 1, n = 36) or 400 mg of ribavirin (Group 2, n = 36) plus 1.

Predicting the response to 48-week combination therapy with peginterferon alpha-2b plus ribavirin from the estimated HCV RNA load index after negative serum change in genotype 1b hepatitis C patients.

Aim: We estimated viral dynamics after serum hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA became negative and assessed the relation between the estimated viral load at the end of treatment (EVE) index and the response to the combination therapy with peginterferon alpha-2b plus ribavirin.

Methods: Patients with chronic HCV, genotype 1b, and a high viral load were treated with this combination therapy for 48 weeks, and serum HCV RNA was measured frequently during the treatment period. In the patients showing an end-of-treatment response (ETR), the viral load profile from the start of treatment until serum HCV RNA became negative was expressed by an approximate curve.

Hemolysis caused by titanium dioxide particles.

Washed human erythrocytes were incubated with titanium dioxide (TiO2) particles at 37 degrees C for 1 hr and hemolysis was determined by the percentage of hemoglobin released (optical density at 540 nm; OD540) from the cells. Effects of TiO2 on OD540 were corrected and dose-response curves were analyzed by the Hill plot. Judging from the estimated dose to cause 50% hemolysis, the anatase form of micron-scale (<5000 nm) particles was 73 and 11 times more potent than the amorphous (<50 nm) and rutile (<5000 nm) forms, respectively, whereas it was 1.

Serum HBV RNA is a predictor of early emergence of the YMDD mutant in patients treated with lamivudine.

Lamivudine (LAM) is a nucleoside analogue widely used for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Emergence of resistant strains with amino acid substitutions in the tyrosine-methionine-aspartate-aspartate (YMDD) motif of reverse transcriptase is a serious problem in patients on LAM therapy. The amount of covalently closed circular DNA in the serum is reported to be higher in patients who develop YMDD mutants than in those without mutants.

Prolonged negative HCV-RNA status led to a good outcome in chronic hepatitis C patients with genotype 1b and super-high viral load.

Objective: We examined whether a sustained negative HCV-RNA status for 48 weeks affects the outcome in patients with genotype 1b and super-high viral load, and also investigated whether the outcome is affected by the induction therapy of twice-daily pre-administrated interferon (IFN)-beta.

Methods: 78 eligible patients were divided into four groups. 40 were patients assigned to the short treatment protocol.