Correction to: Validation trial for efficacy of ultrasonographic measurement method to predict ascitic volume using virtual ultrasonography.

In the original publication of the article the formula under the heading "Three-point method" was incorrect, the correct formula is given in this correction.

Role of severe thrombocytopenia in preventing platelet count recovery in thrombocytopenic patients with chronic liver disease.

Background And Aim: Certain thrombocytopenic patients with chronic liver disease have inadequate platelet count recovery after platelet transfusion or lusutrombopag administration. We aimed to identify the reasons for this phenomenon.

Methods: We investigated 58 and 86 thrombocytopenic patients with chronic liver disease who received lusutrombopag (3 mg orally for up to 7 days) or underwent blood transfusions, respectively.

Early Detection of Pancreatic Cancer in Patients With Chronic Liver Disease Under Hepatocellular Carcinoma Surveillance.

Objective: To evaluate whether patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV)- and hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related chronic liver disease were diagnosed as having pancreatic cancer (PC) at an early stage during abdominal imaging surveillance for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Patients And Methods: We retrospectively examined 447 patients with PC diagnosed at Ehime University Hospital and affiliated centers (2011-2013). Data were collected regarding HBV and HCV status, likelihood of PC diagnosis, and Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) stage.

Clinical effectiveness of switching between DPP-4 inhibitors in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus .

Objectives: Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP-4Is) can be classified into three categories according to their binding subsites. We wished to clarify the efficacy of switching between DPP-4Is according to their binding subsites.

Materials And Methods: We undertook a retrospective study of the medical records of patients who switched from one DPP-4I to another.

Can L-carnitine supplementation and exercise improve muscle complications in patients with liver cirrhosis who receive branched-chain amino acid supplementation?

Background: The aim of this study was to elucidate the efficacy of the combination of L-carnitine and exercise, reported to prevent muscle wasting, for muscle complications (function, volume, and cramping) in patients with liver cirrhosis (LC) who received branched-chain amino acid supplementation.

Materials And Methods: From December 2017 to April 2018, 18 patients with LC who had been given branched-chain amino acid granule supplementation (12.45 g/day) were enrolled (mean age 68.

Lenvatinib-induced thyroid abnormalities in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma.

Lenvatinib has anti-tumor activity against advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Hypothyroidism is also a frequent complication in patients treated with lenvatinib. However, studies on lenvatinib-induced thyroid toxicity and destructive thyroiditis are limited.

Prognostic factor of lenvatinib for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma in real-world conditions-Multicenter analysis.

Background/aim: We assessed suitable factors indicating newly developed lenvatinib (LEN) treatment for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (u-HCC) by investigating real-world clinical features of patients.

Materials/methods: One hundred fifty two u-HCC patients, who receive LEN treatment from March to December 2018, were enrolled. (Child-Pugh score [CPS] 5/6/7/8 = 76/61/13/2, modified albumin-bilirubin grade [mALBI] 1/2a/2b/3 = 53/35/60/4).

Schistosomiasis Diagnosed Using Laparoscopy and Colonoscopy.

Schistosomiasis infection is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in endemic areas. Developed countries have declared that schistosomiasis has been eradicated; however, residents of these countries may travel and stay in endemic areas and the number of foreign travelers is increasing in the recent years. Thus, schistosomiasis is regarded as an imported infection.

Longitudinal impact of dapagliflozin treatment on ventricular repolarization heterogeneity in patients with type 2 diabetes.

QTc dispersion (QTcd) tended to be decreased at 24 weeks and was significantly decreased at 2 years after dapagliflozin treatment. In the subgroup with QTcd?53.7 ms (median), QTcd was significantly decreased at 24 weeks and remained improved for 2 years.

Analysis of forearm rotational motion using biplane fluoroscopic intensity-based 2D-3D matching.

Measuring three-dimensional (3D) forearm rotational motion is difficult. We aimed to develop and validate a new method for analyzing 3D forearm rotational motion. We proposed biplane fluoroscopic intensity-based 2D-3D matching, which employs automatic registration processing using the evolutionary optimization strategy.

Validation of Modified ALBI Grade for More Detailed Assessment of Hepatic Function in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients: A Multicenter Analysis.

Background/aim: The frequency of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with good hepatic reserve function has been increasing in Japan along with the progression of antiviral therapies and aging of the society. We evaluated the usefulness of modified albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) grade as a tool for assessment of hepatic reserve function.

Materials/methods: We enrolled 6,649 naïve HCC patients treated from 2000 to 2017 and divided them into training (Ehime Prefecture group: E group, = 2,357) and validation (validation group: V group, = 4,292) cohorts.

Correction to: Percutaneous transcatheter closure of high-risk patent foramen ovale in the elderly.

In the original publication of the article, the below sentence were garbled.

Effects of Motilin Receptor Agonists and Ghrelin in Human Transgenic Mice.

Gastrointestinal motility is regulated by neural factors and humoral factors. Both motilin and ghrelin improve gastrointestinal motility, but many issues remain unclear. We prepared human transgenic (Tg) mice and performed experiments evaluating the effects of motilin, erythromycin (EM), and ghrelin.

Combination of Resection and Ablative Treatment for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Usefulness of Complementary Radiofrequency Ablation.

Aim/background: In HCC patients with multiple tumors in separate segments, monotherapy with surgical resection is often difficult when the estimated residual liver volume after surgery is thought to be inadequate. We evaluated the usefulness of resection combined with low invasive radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for treatment of such cases.

Materials/methods: We analyzed 115 HCC patients with countable multiple tumors (≤5) without vascular invasion and/or extrahepatic metastasis, and treated solely with resection (SR group: n = 82), or with both resection and RFA (Comb group: n = 33) from January 2000 to December 2017.

Percutaneous transcatheter closure of high-risk patent foramen ovale in the elderly.

The efficacy of percutaneous transcatheter closure for preventing recurrent cerebrovascular events in elderly patients with high-risk patent foramen ovale (PFO) remains unclear, whereas in young patients, it has been shown to effectively prevent the recurrence of embolic stroke. The aim of this study was to investigate the safety and efficacy of percutaneous PFO closure in elderly patients with high-risk PFO. Between September 2012 and October 2018, 14 patients ≥ 60 years old with high-risk PFO underwent percutaneous closure to prevent recurrence of cerebrovascular events.

Efficacy and safety of percutaneous transcatheter aortic valvuloplasty prior to non-cardiac surgery in Japanese patients with severe aortic stenosis.

This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of percutaneous transcatheter aortic valvuloplasty (PTAV) performed prior to non-cardiac surgery and the safety of non-cardiac surgery after PTAV in elderly Japanese patients. Between March 2012 and August 2018, 14 patients who underwent PTAVs prior to non-cardiac surgery were enrolled. The mean age was 82.

Stimulated hepatic stellate cell promotes progression of hepatocellular carcinoma due to protein kinase R activation.

Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) were reported to promote the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), however its mechanism is uncertain. We previously reported that protein kinase R (PKR) in hepatocytes regulated HCC proliferation. In this study, we focused on the role of PKR in HSCs, and clarified the mechanism of its association with HCC progression.

Easy surveillance of muscle volume decline in chronic liver disease patients using finger-circle (yubi-wakka) test.

Background: Muscle atrophy (MA) and muscle strength decline are important clinical features in chronic liver disease (CLD) patients. An easy to perform MA screening method without need for special equipment would be helpful. We evaluated the usefulness of the previously reported finger-circle test as screening for MA in CLD patients.

Novel predictors of late lumen enlargement in distal reference segments after successful recanalization of coronary chronic total occlusion.

Objectives: Although successful recanalization of coronary chronic total occlusion (CTO) can induce subsequent positive vascular remodeling in the distal segment, the predictors are not fully understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the extent and predictors related to luminal gain after successful CTO recanalization.

Methods: A total of 134 patients who underwent intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for CTO and follow-up angiography were included.

Prediction of risk of falls based on handgrip strength in chronic liver disease patients living independently.

Aim: Falling is known to be associated with cognitive function. We evaluated the relationship between muscle function and falls in patients with chronic liver disease (CLD).

Methods: We enrolled 100 sequential CLD patients without dementia who were admitted to our institution for scheduled treatment from July 2017 to May 2018 (age 71.

Association between J-CTO score and long-term target lesion revascularization rate after successful chronic total coronary occlusion angioplasty (from the J-CTO Registry).

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the J-CTO score on long-term target lesion revascularization (TLR) after successful native chronic total occlusion (CTO)-percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Background: We previously reported that the J-CTO score could be used to stratify the lesion complexity and procedural success rate in CTO lesions.

Methods: We evaluated the prognostic significance of a high J-CTO score for long-term TLR rate in the J-CTO Registry.

Depletion of B cell-activating factor attenuates hepatic fat accumulation in a murine model of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Obesity-induced adipose-tissue dysfunction is a critical contributor to the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). B cell-activating factor (BAFF) is an adipokine related to impaired insulin sensitivity, and the serum BAFF concentration is associated with NAFLD severity. In this study, we aimed to determine the direct in vivo role of BAFF in the development of insulin resistance, adipocyte dysfunction, and hepatic steatosis using BAFF mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD).

Tissue Intrinsic Fluorescence Spectra-Based Digital Pathology of Liver Fibrosis by Marker-Controlled Segmentation.

Tissue intrinsic emission fluorescence provides useful diagnostic information for various diseases. Because of its unique feature of spectral profiles depending on tissue types, spectroscopic imaging is a promising tool for accurate evaluation of endogenous fluorophores. However, due to difficulties in discriminating those sources, quantitative analysis remains challenging.