Addition of high load of lysophosphatidic acid to standard and high-fat chows causes no significant changes of its circulating and peripheral tissue levels but affects body weight and visceral fat mass of mice.

Oral administration of lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), a critical intercellular lipid mediator, exerts wound healing and antiulcer effects on gastrointestinal system. To evaluate effects of food-derived LPA on body homeostasis, we measured LPA levels by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry in chows, feces, plasma, liver, and visceral fat of mice fed a normal or high-fat chow supplemented with or without LPA-rich soybean phospholipids for 30 days. Reductions in daily body weight gains and visceral fat mass were mainly related to lower chow intake by mice fed the LPA-rich high-fat chow, whereas reduced body weight gains and fat mass were mainly related to decreased intestinal triacylglycerol absorption in mice fed LPA-rich chow.

Relationship between various hepatic function scores and the formation of esophageal varices in patients with HIV/hepatitis C virus co-infection due to contaminated blood products for hemophilia.

Aim: It is reportedly difficult to accurately assess the liver reserve capacity of patients with HIV/hepatitis C virus (HCV) co-infection through contaminated blood products by the Child-Pugh (CP) classification. Therefore, we investigated a clinically applicable scoring system in determining the risk of esophageal varices in HIV/HCV co-infected patients, known as latent portal hypertension leading to esophageal varices.

Methods: Forty-three patients with HIV/HCV co-infection underwent clinical examinations, including endoscopy and assessment of hepatic reserve, in our department between 2009 and 2017.

Time-dependent structural and functional characterization of subcutaneous human liver tissue.

Subcutaneous transplantation of engineered hepatocyte/fibroblast sheets (EHFSs) is a low invasive and safe approach to construct vascularized subcutaneous human liver tissue (VSLT). However, the liver-specific structures and functionalities in the development process of VSLTs in mice remain poorly understood. Here, we describe time-dependent characteristics of the formation of the vascular network, cell-cell adhesions, liver transporters, liver-specific protein synthesis, and metabolizing activities.

Efficacy of an artificial pancreas device for achieving tight perioperative glycemic control in living donor liver transplantation.

Intraoperative hyperglycemia during liver transplantation can induce infectious bacterial complications after surgery. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the artificial endocrine pancreas in achieving perioperative blood glucose control and preventing infection in patients undergoing living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). We compared 14 patients with an artificial endocrine pancreas device to 14 patients who underwent glycemic control using the sliding scale method with respect to perioperative blood glucose level and postoperative infection.

Fluorescent resonance energy transfer -based biosensor for detecting conformational changes of Pin1.

Pin1, a peptidyl prolyl cis/trans isomerase (PPIase), regulates the activity and stability of various phosphorylated proteins. Pin1 consists of a PPIase domain and WW domain, both of which are required for the function of Pin1. However, how the behavior of these domains changes upon binding to phosphorylated proteins has not been analyzed.

Association between stroke-like episodes and neuronal hyperexcitability in MELAS with m.3243A>G: A case report.

•The pathophysiology of the stroke-like episodes of MELAS has not completely been elucidated.•Here we report a case of stroke-like episodes, successfully treated with levetiracetam.•Neuronal hyperexcitability can be the underlying mechanism of stroke-like episodes in MELAS.

Surgical findings and technical knacks to performing living donor liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence after carbon ion radiotherapy.

Although carbon-ion radiotherapy (CIRT) has been reported to achieve good local control of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), liver transplantation is still required in patients with tumor recurrence. However, few cases of living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) after curative CIRT for HCC has been reported. It would be of great interest to ascertain the true situation of the irradiated region as well as to clarify the surgical points.

Correction to: Multicenter phase 1/2 study of forodesine in patients with relapsed peripheral T cell lymphoma.

The original version of this article contained a mistake in Fig. 4. The horizontal axis should be 36 instead of 60.

Impact of Anatomical Resection for Hepatocellular Carcinoma With Microportal Invasion (vp1): A Multi-institutional Study by the Kyushu Study Group of Liver Surgery.

Objective: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the value of anatomical resection for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with microportal vascular invasion (vp1) between 2000 and 2010.

Background: Vascular invasion has been reported as a prognostic factor of liver resection for HCC. Anatomical resection for HCC has resulted in optimum outcomes of eradicating intrahepatic micrometastases through the portal vein, but opposite results have also been reported.

Utilization and efficacy of elbasvir/grazoprevir for treating hepatitis C virus infection after liver transplantation.

Aim: Recently, elbasvir/grazoprevir combination therapy (EBR/GZR) was reported to have excellent antiviral effects for chronic genotype 1 hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. However, it has not been recommended for patients with post-liver transplant (LT) HCV re-infections because of a lack of evidence for effectiveness and drug-drug interactions.

Methods: We report the usage of EBR/GZR in five post-LT HCV re-infected patients with the kinetics of renal function and tacrolimus trough levels during and after therapy.

Isolation of colonization-defective Escherichia coli mutants reveals critical requirement for fatty acids in bacterial colony formation.

Most bacterial cells in nature exhibit extremely low colony-forming activity, despite showing various signs of viability, impeding the isolation and utilization of many bacterial resources. However, the general causes responsible for this state of low colony formation are largely unknown. Because liquid cultivation typically yields more bacterial cell cultures than traditional solid cultivation, we hypothesized that colony formation requires one or more specific gene functions that are dispensable or less important for growth in liquid media.

Two divergent Symbiodinium genomes reveal conservation of a gene cluster for sunscreen biosynthesis and recently lost genes.

Background: The marine dinoflagellate, Symbiodinium, is a well-known photosynthetic partner for coral and other diverse, non-photosynthetic hosts in subtropical and tropical shallows, where it comprises an essential component of marine ecosystems. Using molecular phylogenetics, the genus Symbiodinium has been classified into nine major clades, A-I, and one of the reported differences among phenotypes is their capacity to synthesize mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs), which absorb UV radiation. However, the genetic basis for this difference in synthetic capacity is unknown.

Risk Factors and Clinical Course for Liver Steatosis or Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis After Living Donor Liver Transplantation.

Background: Posttransplant liver steatosis occurs frequently and can affect patient outcome. Our aim was to clarify the risk factors for steatosis or steatohepatitis after living donor liver transplantation (LT) through a retrospective examination of recent 100 living donor LT recipients and their liver donors.

Methods: Liver biopsy was performed at 1 year after LT and each year, thereafter, or as needed due to abnormal liver enzyme levels, with a median follow-up of 4 years (2-10 years).

A Predictive Formula for Portal Venous Pressure Prior to Liver Resection Using Directly Measured Values.

: Despite refinements in surgical techniques for liver resection, evaluation of hepatic reserve disparity remains one of the most common problems in liver surgery, especially for hepatic malignancies such as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Portal venous pressure (PVP) is regarded one of the important factors in selecting treatment strategy, although its measurement can be invasive and complex. : To establish a formula for calculating PVP preoperatively, intraoperative directly measured PVP was used in 177 patients with preoperative factors and liver function tests such as age, sex, virus status, platelet count, prothrombin time, albumin, total bilirubin, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), Child-Pugh grade, liver damage defined by the Liver Cancer Study Group of Japan, indocyanine green retention rate at 15 min (ICG-R15), and the aspartate transaminase (AST)-platelet ratio index (APRI).

High-dose Dexamethasone Therapy as the Initial Treatment for Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura: Protocol for a Multicenter, Open-label, Single Arm Trial.

Standard therapy for idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) has not been established. We are conducting a multicenter, prospective trial to determine the efficacy and safety of short-term, high-dose dexamethasone therapy in ITP patients aged 18-80 years with platelet counts of <20, 000 /μL, or with <50, 000/ μL and bleeding symptoms. The primary endpoints of this trial are the proportion of responses (complete plus partial response) on day 180 (day 46+180) after the completion of the 46-day high-dose dexamethasone therapy.

A case of the cirrhotic patient performed living donor liver transplantation after carbon-ion radiotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma.

The patient was a 50-year-old female with an initial diagnosis of a single hepatocellular carcinoma in liver cirrhosis. The tumor was located in the posterior liver segment (S7) and measured 5 cm with a rapid growth rate and portal invasion. The pre-treatment Child-Pugh (C-P) was grade A (six points).

Food polyphenols targeting peptidyl prolyl cis/trans isomerase Pin1.

We searched for inhibitors against prolyl isomerase Pin1 in order to develop functional foods to prevent and cure various Pin1 related diseases such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimers's disease, and so on. We created a polyphenol library consisting of ingredients in healthy foods and beverages, since polyphenols like epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) in green tea and 974B in brown algae had been identified as its Pin1 inhibitors. Several polyphenols such as EGCG derivatives, caffeic acid derivatives and tannic acid inhibited Pin1 activity.

An engineered cell sheet composed of human islets and human fibroblast, bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells, or adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells: An in vitro comparison study.

Background: We previously reported the utility of engineered cell sheets composed of human islets and supporting cells in vitro and in vivo. It is unclear which type of supporting cell is most suitable for constructing cell sheets with human islets. The present study aimed to compare human fibroblasts, bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs), and adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) as a supporting source for cell sheets.

Clinical characteristics and outcomes of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in adolescents and young adults.

Clinical information regarding non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) in adolescents and young adults (AYA) is lacking. We retrospectively analyzed 1426 consecutively registered patients with newly diagnosed NHL. Of 798 DLBCL patients, 42 (5.

Living Donor Liver Transplantation for Wilson's Disease Associated with Fulminant Hepatic Failure: A Case Report.

BACKGROUND Liver transplantation is indicated for patients with Wilson's disease (WD) who present either with acute liver failure or with end-stage liver disease and severe hepatic insufficiency as the first sign of disease. However, almost all reported cases have been treated with death donor liver transplantation. Here we report the case of a patient with WD associated with fulminant hepatic failure (WD-FHF) who underwent living donor liver transplantation (LDLT).

Controlled cell morphology and liver-specific function of engineered primary hepatocytes by fibroblast layer cell densities.

Engineered primary hepatocytes, including co-cultured hepatocyte sheets, are an attractive to basic scientific and clinical researchers because they maintain liver-specific functions, have reconstructed cell polarity, and have high transplantation efficiency. However, co-culture conditions regarding engineered primary hepatocytes were suboptimal in promoting these advantages. Here we report that the hepatocyte morphology and liver-specific function levels are controlled by the normal human diploid fibroblast (TIG-118 cell) layer cell density.

Immune complexome analysis of antigens in circulating immune complexes from patients with acute cellular rejection after living donor liver transplantation.

Liver transplantation is a life-saving procedure for many end-stage liver diseases; however, rejection after transplantation is still occurs in some recipients. The most common form of rejection is T cell-related acute cellular rejection (ACR). To understand the mechanism of rejection, it is necessary to identify immune targets.