Publications by authors named "Hitomi Sezaki"
Background and objective Drug-eluting beads (DEB) have been highly useful in the current treatment strategies for multiple and large hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) with or without systemic therapy. Recently, smaller beads have become available in Japan. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the most convenient and effective way to reduce the loading time of epirubicin into the drug-eluting beads M1 (DC Bead M1; 70-150 µm).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The aim of this study was to evaluate the newly established oncological criteria of resectability of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) for selecting suitable candidates for systemic and combination therapy.
Methods: The data of 156 consecutive HCC patients with intrahepatic target nodules who had initially received systemic therapy (lenvatinib and atezolizumab plus bevacizumab) were reviewed. The patients were classified into three groups according to the novel oncological criteria for resectability (R, resectable; BR1, borderline resectable 1; and BR2, borderline resectable 2).
Objective The long-term impact of personalized diet and exercise programs for steatotic liver disease (SLD) remains unclear. Materials The subjects of this retrospective cohort study included 104 consecutive Japanese patients with SLD. The long-term treatment efficacy of personalized diet and exercise treatment was evaluated two years after the start of observation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of a new classification for safer transradial access hepatic interventional radiology, based on preoperative evaluation of the location of the left subclavian artery bifurcation in the aortic arch.
Methods: A total of 38 consecutive patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and 74 sessions of radial access for visceral intervention (R.A.
Background: We determined the long-term clinical outcome and the durability of treatment cessation after HBsAg seroclearance following nucleos(t)ide analog (NA) therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB).
Methods: We analyzed virological relapse (VR), HBsAg reversion, clinical relapse, and changes in HBsAg and HBcrAg levels by iTACT assay after treatment cessation of 90 CHB patients who achieved HBsAg seroclearance by NA treatment.
Results: Median age of patients at treatment cessation was 57 years.
Article Synopsis
- The study examined the impact of personalized diet and exercise on patients with steatotic liver disease (SLD), focusing on how genetic differences might affect treatment outcomes.
- Conducted with 203 Japanese patients, the program included specific caloric intake and exercise routines over six months, leading to significant improvements in liver function tests and metabolic markers.
- Although treatment generally benefited all participants, certain genetic variants (like TM6SF2 and HSD17B13) did show varying rates of improvement, suggesting that future personalized programs should consider these genetic factors.
Article Synopsis
- The study explores the potential of using the TERT C228T mutation in serum cfDNA as a prognostic marker for liver cancer after surgical resection, alongside other tumor markers like AFP and PIVKAII.
- It analyzed data from 111 patients to determine how various factors, including the presence of the TERT mutation, influenced cancer recurrence and disease-free survival.
- The findings suggest that a positive TERT result could be linked to better prognostic outcomes, indicating its relevance in personalized treatment strategies for liver cancer.*
Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical impact of a combination of systemic sequential therapy and locoregional therapy on the long-term survival of patients with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage C hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
Methods: Sixty-four consecutive patients with intrahepatic target nodules who had initially received systemic therapy (lenvatinib and atezolizumab plus bevacizumab) were reviewed. The clinical impact of the combined use of systemic sequential therapy and locoregional therapy was evaluated by determining overall survival (OS).
Article Synopsis
- A study evaluated the effectiveness of a combined diet and exercise program for patients with fatty liver, particularly nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), using 186 Japanese subjects.
- Patients in the hospitalization group (153 cases) showed a significantly greater improvement in liver function tests and body weight over 6 months compared to those not hospitalized (33 cases).
- Factors such as the cause of fatty liver, diabetes presence, and larger waist circumference were identified as independent predictors of improved blood sugar levels in those undergoing the program.
Background: The aims of this study were to evaluate the clinical impact of curative-intent subsequent treatment on overall prognosis in lenvatinib-treated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients.
Methods: Eighty-three consecutive patients with intrahepatic target nodules who received lenvatinib were reviewed. The clinical impact of curative-intent subsequent treatments was investigated through analysis of overall survival (OS) according to pathological deterioration stratified by mALBI grade.
Article Synopsis
- * Out of these patients, 73 were diagnosed with PLC post-treatment, with certain risk factors like gender and specific blood markers (GGT, FIB-4 index) linked to higher PLC incidence rates.
- * The findings suggest that simple markers can help in assessing PLC risk for doctors, but regular imaging is still advised for early detection.
Introduction: When lenvatinib is administered to people with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), tumor blood flow is reduced due to the inhibition of the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) and fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR). Few studies have examined the decrease in tumor blood flow with respect to changes in tumor blood vessels (TBVs) in clinical practice. We investigated the mechanism of tumor blood flow control by investigating changes in the diameter of relatively large TBVs in large-sized lesions with high blood flow.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA case of drug-induced acute liver failure caused by corticosteroids.
Clin J Gastroenterol
October 2022
Article Synopsis
- A 61-year-old man treated with betamethasone for sudden deafness developed high fever and abnormal liver function tests shortly after starting the medication.
- After multiple hospitalizations and a tentative diagnosis of autoimmune hepatitis, he faced liver dysfunction and underwent plasma exchange due to acute liver failure.
- The case highlights the rarity of drug-induced liver injury from corticosteroids and emphasizes the importance of timely treatment for successful recovery.
The aim of this study was to determine the impact at 5 years of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor (SGLT2i) in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) on liver histopathology and clinical features. In this retrospective study, the histological impacts at 5 years after the start of SGLT2i in NAFLD with T2DM were investigated. Six patients with NAFLD and T2DM were treated for the long term with canagliflozin of SGLT2i, and liver biopsies were obtained at the points of the pretreatment, 24 weeks, 3 years, and 5 years after the start of treatment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- The study investigates the potential of detecting a specific DNA mutation, TERT C228T, in the serum of liver cancer patients, particularly those with non-viral fatty liver disease (FLD), to improve diagnostics.
- It analyzed data from 258 Japanese patients to determine the relationship between TERT C228T and liver cancer tumor markers (AFP and PIVKAII), revealing that TERT C228T is more prevalent in FLD patients compared to those with viral infections like HBV and HCV.
- The findings suggest that TERT C228T may be a reliable marker for diagnosing liver cancer in FLD cases, indicating it is less influenced by factors like inflammation or viral suppression than other traditional markers like AFP.
Background: Zinc deficiency is likely to occur in chronic liver disease. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of zinc deficiency in different types of chronic liver disease and to identify the factors that predicted low serum zinc levels.
Methods: The study was an observational single-center design.
Article Synopsis
- This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of 18F-FDG-PET/CT imaging as a predictor for early progressive disease (e-PD) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) undergoing treatment with the drug combo atezolizumab and bevacizumab.
- Among 20 patients, those with a tumor-to-normal liver ratio (TLR) of 2 or higher demonstrated poorer treatment responses and higher rates of e-PD compared to those with lower TLR values.
- The results suggest that 18F-FDG-PET/CT can serve as a valuable tool for predicting e-PD, potentially allowing for quicker treatment adjustments in HCC patients receiving Atezo/Bev.
Background: Reliable noninvasive predictors of the top three causes of death [cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), malignancies, and liver-related events in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)] have not yet been determined.
Methods: We retrospectively investigated the incidence of three complications [CVDs, malignancy (except for liver cancer), and liver-related events] in 477 Japanese patients with histo-pathologically confirmed NAFLD for a median follow-up of 5.9 years.
Introduction: It is unclear whether the relationships between changes in fibrosis and circulating microRNA-122 (miR-122) dynamics might influence the prognosis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
Methods: This study investigates the impact of serum miR-122 dynamics and histological changes on the incidence of liver cancer and mortality in 81 Japanese NAFLD patients who underwent serial liver biopsies. The median interval between the first and second liver biopsies was 2.
Renal safety and biochemical changes for 2 years after switching to tenofovir alafenamide from long-term other nucleotide analog treatment in patients with chronic hepatitis B.
Hepatol Res
February 2022
Background: Long-term use of nucleotide analogs such as adefovir (ADV) or tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) may cause renal impairment. Tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) has less systemic exposure than TDF did. The aims were to examine longitudinal changes in renal function and biochemical parameters for 2 years after switching from long-term ADV and TDF to TAF, and to explore factors associated with improved renal function after TAF in patients with chronic hepatitis B.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Few studies have demonstrated the potency of tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) in patients with poor response to other nucleos(t)ide analogs (NAs).
Methods: We conducted a retrospective study comprising consecutive 40 patients exhibiting a poor response to other NAs, who subsequently received TAF-containing regimens. The primary outcome was the prevalence of virological response (VR) at each time and maintained virological response (MVR) under TAF-containing regimens until week 96.
Serum hepatitis B core-related antigen (HBcrAg) and surface antigen (HBsAg) are surrogate markers of intrahepatic covalently closed circular DNA. The measurement range of the current HBcrAg assay is relatively narrow. Thus, we examined the potential of HBcrAg and HBsAg measured by ultrasensitive assays for predicting hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development in patients with chronic hepatitis B treated with entecavir (ETV).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective The relationship between the prognosis and magnitude of a decrease in tumor blood flow according to estimated tumor differentiation remains unclear. This study investigated the relationship between reductions in the rate of mean computed tomography (CT) attenuation values and the clinical prognosis. Methods We evaluated 63 consecutive patients who received lenvatinib treatment for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFClinicopathological assessment of steatohepatitic hepatocellular carcinoma.
Clin Res Hepatol Gastroenterol
October 2022
Aim: To compare the clinicopathological features of typical steatohepatitic HCC (SH-HCC) with other HCCs.
Methods: Subjects were 486 patients with untreated HCC who underwent hepatectomy at our hospital from January 2015 to December 2020. We compared patient backgrounds, preoperative laboratory data, imaging findings (ultrasonography, computed tomography [CT], and magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]), and postoperative pathological findings (tumor and background of liver).