Mitochondrial quality control: the real dawn of intervertebral disc degeneration?

Intervertebral disc degeneration is the most common disease in chronic musculoskeletal diseases and the main cause of low back pain, which seriously endangers social health level and increases people's economic burden. Disc degeneration is characterized by NP cell apoptosis, extracellular matrix degradation and disc structure changes. It progresses with age and under the influence of mechanical overload, oxidative stress and genetics.

Transforming growth factor-β and peripheral regulatory cells are negatively correlated with the overall survival of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Aim: To understand the cellular and molecular changes in peripheral blood that can lead to the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and provide new methods for its diagnosis and treatment.

Methods: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated from the peripheral blood of HCC patients and normal controls and then analyzed by flow cytometry. The percentage of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β)+ regulatory cells (Tregs) in the peripheral blood was measured, and the expression of TGF-β was also determined.

Novel serum microRNAs panel on the diagnostic and prognostic implications of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Aim: To determine a panel of serum microRNAs (miRNAs) that could be used as novel biomarkers for diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: We initially screened 9 out of 754 serum miRNAs by TaqMan Low Density Array in two pooled samples respectively from 35 HCC and 35 normal controls, and then validated individually by RT-qPCR in another 114 patients and 114 controls arranged in two phases. The changes of the selected miRNAs after operation and their prognostic value were examined.

Methylation-Mediated Silencing of GATA5 Gene Suppresses Cholangiocarcinoma Cell Proliferation and Metastasis.

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is one of the most common hepatic and biliary malignancies, accounting for about 3% of all gastrointestinal tumors. GATA5 is a transcription factor capable of suppressing the development of various human cancer types. Transcriptional inactivation and CpG island (CGI) methylation of GATA3 and GATA5, two members of the GATA family of transcription factors, have been observed in some human cancers.

Percutaneous biliary stenting combined with radiotherapy as a treatment for unresectable hilar cholangiocarcinoma.

Hilar cholangiocarcinoma is often unresectable at the time of the initial diagnosis, and the provision of a definite palliative benefit is important in patients with unresectable hilar cholangiocarcinoma. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the safety of percutaneous biliary stenting and to analyze whether percutaneous biliary stenting combined with radiotherapy (RT) prolonged the stent patency and survival time of patients. In total, the cases of 38 patients with unresectable hilar cholangiocarcinoma that underwent percutaneous biliary stenting at the Navy General Hospital were retrospectively reviewed in the present study.

Choice of approach for hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma located in the caudate lobe: isolated or combined lobectomy?

Aim: To investigate the significance of the surgical approaches in the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) located in the caudate lobe with a multivariate regression analysis using a Cox proportional hazard model.

Methods: Thirty-six patients with HCC underwent caudate lobectomy at a single tertiary referral center between January 1995 and June 2010. In this series, left-sided, right-sided and bilateral approaches were used.

The role of Kupffer cells in the development of hepatic dysfunction during sepsis.

The effect of Kupffer cell blockade on hepatic function during sepsis was evaluated in this study. Methyl palmitate suspension 100 mg/100 g administered intravenously suppressed the phagocytic activity as the phagocytic index K decreased from 0.0493 +/- 0.