Mortality and Readmission Rates After Heart Failure: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objective: The current work aimed to examine the rates of and risk factors for mortality and readmission after heart failure (HF).

Setting: A systematic search was carried out in PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and EMBASE to identify eligible reports. The random-effects model was utilized to evaluate the pooled results.

Validation of the six-and-twelve criteria among patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and performance score 1 receiving transarterial chemoembolization.

Background: Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is recommended for patients with intermediate hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) according to treatment guidelines. However, a large number of patients with advanced HCC also receive TACE in clinical practice, especially for those with liver-confined HCC and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group score (ECOG) 1. In view of previous studies, such patients have different prognoses from advanced HCC patients with macrovascular invasion or extrahepatic spread; therefore, patients with ECOG 1 alone might be classified into the intermediate stage and benefit from TACE treatment, but a study particularly focusing on such patients and exploring the effectiveness of TACE therapy is lacking.

Validation and evaluation of clinical prediction systems for first and repeated transarterial chemoembolization in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: A Chinese multicenter retrospective study.

Background: The treatment outcome of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) varies greatly due to the clinical heterogeneity of the patients. Therefore, several prognostic systems have been proposed for risk stratification and candidate identification for first TACE and repeated TACE (re-TACE).

Aim: To investigate the correlations between prognostic systems and radiological response, compare the predictive abilities, and integrate them in sequence for outcome prediction.

MicroRNA-92a-1-5p increases CDX2 by targeting FOXD1 in bile acids-induced gastric intestinal metaplasia.

Background And Aims: Gastric intestinal metaplasia (IM) is common in the gastric epithelium of patients with chronic atrophic gastritis. CDX2 activation in IM is driven by reflux of bile acids and following chronic inflammation. But the mechanism underlying how bile acids activate CDX2 in gastric epithelium has not been fully explored.

Long non-coding RNAs AC026904.1 and UCA1: a "one-two punch" for TGF-β-induced SNAI2 activation and epithelial-mesenchymal transition in breast cancer.

Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) has received much attention as a major inducer of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) during cancer progression, mainly by activating a set of pleiotropic transcription factors including SNAI2/Slug. However, the involvement of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in TGF-β-induced Slug activation and EMT remains largely unknown. In this study, we used microarray analysis to compare lncRNA expression profiles between TGF-β treated and untreated breast cancer cells.

Downregulation of gasdermin D promotes gastric cancer proliferation by regulating cell cycle-related proteins.

Objective: To explore the relationship between gasdermin D (GSDMD) and gastric cancer (GC) cell proliferation, and to determine whether the downregulated expression of GSDMD contributed to the tumorigenesis and proliferation of GC cells.

Methods: GSDMD expressions in GC tissues and matched adjacent non-cancerous tissues were assessed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, Western blot and immunohistochemistry. The effect of GSDMD on cell proliferation in vitro was assessed by the colony formation assay and cell viability assays.

Reasons for cancer metastasis: A holistic perspective.

Over several years, scientists investigating cancer have focused their efforts on elucidating the mechanisms underlying cancer metastasis, with the aim of finding a way to inhibit this process. These mechanisms, however, only explain the process of cancer metastasis, but do not explain why cancer would metastasize in the first place. Cancer metastasizes due to several factors, namely attack by the immune system, lack of oxygen and necessary nutrients, large amounts of lactic acid produced by glycolysis and increased cell death.

MicroRNA-7/NF-κB signaling regulatory feedback circuit regulates gastric carcinogenesis.

MicroRNAs play essential roles in gene expression regulation during carcinogenesis. Here, we investigated the role of miR-7 and the mechanism by which it is dysregulated in gastric cancer (GC). We used genome-wide screenings and identified RELA and FOS as novel targets of miR-7.

POU2F2-oriented network promotes human gastric cancer metastasis.

Background And Aims: Aberrant upregulation of POU2F2 expression has been discovered in metastatic gastric cancer (GC). However, the mechanisms underlying the aberrant upregulation and the potential functions of POU2F2 remain uncertain.

Design: The role and mechanism of POU2F2 in GC metastasis were investigated in gastric epithelial cells, GC cell lines and an experimental metastasis animal model by gain of function and loss of function.

A decline of LAMP- 2 predicts ursodeoxycholic acid response in primary biliary cirrhosis.

Biochemical response to ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is variable. We have previously reported that augmented expression of lysosome-associated membrane protein 2 (LAMP-2) was correlated with the severity of PBC. This study aimed to determine whether serum LAMP-2 could serve as a predictor of biochemical response to UDCA.

The association between bile salt export pump single-nucleotide polymorphisms and primary biliary cirrhosis susceptibility and ursodeoxycholic acid response.

Background: Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is a chronic and progressive cholestasis liver disease. Bile salt export pump (BSEP) is the predominant bile salt efflux system of hepatocytes. BSEP gene has been attached great importance in the susceptibility of PBC and the response rate of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) treatment of PBC patients.

Nonselective β-blockers may induce development of portal vein thrombosis in cirrhosis.

Currently, nonselective β-blockers (NSBBs) are commonly used for the prevention of variceal bleeding in liver cirrhosis. The beneficial effects of NSBBs are primarily attributed to the reduction in cardiac output by blockade of β1 receptors and vasoconstriction of the splanchnic circulation by the blockade of β2 receptors. The prognostic value of occlusive portal vein thrombosis (PVT) in cirrhotic patients has been increasingly recognized.

Selection of treatment modalities for Budd-Chiari Syndrome in China: a preliminary survey of published literature.

Aim: To evaluate the frequency of use of various treatment modalities for Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS) in China by conducting a preliminary survey of relevant literature.

Methods: All papers regarding the treatment of BCS in Chinese patients were identified by searching PubMed, Chinese Scientific and Technological Journal, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases. Data regarding the number of BCS patients treated with different treatment modalities over time were collected.

Hepatic venous pressure gradient measurement before TIPS for acute variceal bleeding.

Hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) is an independent predictor of variceal rebleeding in patients with cirrhosis. After pharmacological and/or endoscopic therapy, the use of a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) may be necessary in HVPG non-responders, but not in responders. Thus, HVPG measurement may be incorporated into the treatment algorithm for acute variceal bleeding, which further identifies the candidates that should undergo early insertion of TIPS or maintain the traditional pharmacological and/or endoscopic therapy.

Selection of a TIPS stent for management of portal hypertension in liver cirrhosis: an evidence-based review.

Nowadays, transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) has become a mainstay treatment option for the management of portal hypertension-related complications in liver cirrhosis. Accumulated evidence has shown that its indications are being gradually expanded. Notwithstanding, less attention has been paid for the selection of an appropriate stent during a TIPS procedure.

EVS vs TIPS shunt for gastric variceal bleeding in patients with cirrhosis: A meta-analysis.

Aim: To evaluate the clinical effects of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) vs endoscopic variceal sclerotherapy (EVS) in the management of gastric variceal (GV) bleeding in terms of variceal rebleeding, hepatic encephalopathy (HE), and survival by meta-analysis.

Methods: Medline, Embase, and CNKI were searched. Studies compared TIPS with EVS in treating GV bleeding were identified and included according to our predefined inclusion criteria.

TIPS improves liver transplantation-free survival in cirrhotic patients with refractory ascites: an updated meta-analysis.

Aim: To compare the liver transplantation-free (LTF) survival rates between patients who underwent transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts (TIPS) and those who underwent paracentesis by an updated meta-analysis that pools the effects of both number of deaths and time to death.

Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library were searched from the inception to October 2012. LTF survival, liver transplantation, liver disease-related death, non-liver disease-related death, recurrent ascites, hepatic encephalopathy (HE) and severe HE, and hepatorenal syndrome were assessed as outcomes.

Shunting branch of portal vein and stent position predict survival after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt.

Aim: To evaluate the effect of the shunting branch of the portal vein (PV) (left or right) and the initial stent position (optimal or suboptimal) of a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS).

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 307 consecutive cirrhotic patients who underwent TIPS placement for variceal bleeding from March 2001 to July 2010 at our center. The left PV was used in 221 patients and the right PV in the remaining 86 patients.

Preoperative infliximab use and postoperative complications in Crohn's disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Infliximab revolutionized the treatment paradigm of Crohn's disease (CD), but did not reduce the need for surgery. The impact of biologic agents on surgical complication rates remains debated. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of preoperative infliximab use on early postoperative complications in patients with CD undergoing abdominal surgery.

Polymorphisms in the vitamin D receptor gene and risk of primary biliary cirrhosis: a meta-analysis.

Background And Aim: Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is a chronic and progressive cholestatic autoimmune liver disease. Although many studies have evaluated the association between many functional polymorphisms in the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene and PBC risk, debates still exist. Our aim is to evaluate the association between VDR gene polymorphisms, including TaqI (rs731236), BsmI (rs1544410), and ApaI (rs7975232), and the risk of PBC by a systematic review.

c-Myc-mediated epigenetic silencing of MicroRNA-101 contributes to dysregulation of multiple pathways in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Unlabelled: The MYC oncogene is overexpressed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and has been associated with widespread microRNA (miRNA) repression; however, the underlying mechanisms are largely unknown. Here, we report that the c-Myc oncogenic transcription factor physically interacts with enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2), a core enzymatic unit of polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2). Furthermore, miR-101, an important tumor-suppressive miRNA in human hepatocarcinomas, is epigenetically repressed by PRC2 complex in a c-Myc-mediated manner.

Challenges in the management of acute peptic ulcer bleeding.

Acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding is a common medical emergency worldwide, a major cause of which are bleeding peptic ulcers. Endoscopic treatment and acid suppression with proton-pump inhibitors are cornerstones in the management of the disease, and both treatments have been shown to reduce mortality. The role of emergency surgery continues to diminish.