Characteristics and prognosis of patients in Japan with viral marker-negative hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background And Aim: The characteristics and prognosis of patients with hepatitis virus marker-negative hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is not fully elucidated in Japan. We investigated the characteristics and prognosis of HCC patients in whom no markers for hepatitis virus infection were detected, in comparison with those of HCC patients with hepatitis virus infection.

Methods: Viral markers for hepatitis B and C virus (HBV and HCV) infection were measured in 1152 patients in whom initial HCC was diagnosed between 1991 and 2004.

Impact of surveillance on survival of patients with initial hepatocellular carcinoma: a study from Japan.

Background & Aims: We investigated trends in the prediagnostic surveillance of patients in whom hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was diagnosed, and evaluated the impact of these trends on early detection of HCC and on patient survival.

Methods: We evaluated 1641 patients in whom HCC initially was diagnosed during the period of 1968 to 2004. Patients were grouped by the year of diagnosis: 1968-1980 (n = 151), 1981-1990 (n = 409), 1991-2000 (n = 754), and 2001-2004 (n = 324).

Evaluation of pathological features of hepatocellular carcinoma by contrast-enhanced ultrasonography: comparison with pathology on resected specimen.

Features of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) observed by contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) were compared to pathological features of corresponding resected HCC specimens, to evaluate the ability of CEUS to depict the pathological features of HCC. We investigated 50 HCC nodules that were treated by surgical resection. All nodules had been examined by CEUS with intravenous contrast agent (Levovist) before surgery.

Computed tomographic demonstration of a fish bone in abdominal actinomycosis: report of a case.

A 53-year-old man who had the habit of consuming fish bones was referred to our clinic because of a suspected malignant abdominal wall tumor. Computed tomography (CT) showed a mass (10 x 5 cm) in continuity with the transverse abdominal muscle, containing a small calcification. A laparotomy was performed with a preoperative diagnosis of an inflammatory mass due to fish bone penetration from the sigmoid colon.

Prognostic significance of simultaneous measurement of three tumor markers in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background & Aims: We conducted a prospective study to evaluate the significance of simultaneous measurement of 3 currently used tumor markers in the evaluation of tumor progression and prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: Three tumor markers for HCC, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), Lens culinaris agglutinin A-reactive fraction of AFP (AFP-L3), and des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin (DCP), were measured in the same serum samples obtained from 685 patients at the time of initial diagnosis of HCC. Positivity for AFP >20 ng/dL, AFP-L3 >10% of total AFP, and/or DCP >40 mAU/mL was determined.

Comparison of the usefulness of three staging systems for hepatocellular carcinoma (CLIP, BCLC, and JIS) in Japan.

Objectives: We retrospectively compared the usefulness of three different staging systems for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the Cancer of the Liver Italian Program (CLIP) scoring system, the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) classification system, and the Japan Integrated Staging (JIS) system, in terms of patient distribution and survival rates.

Methods: Subjects were 1,508 patients diagnosed as having initial HCC during the period of 1976-2003. The disease was staged in all patients by means of the three staging systems, and the distribution of patients across stages and associated survival rates were compared between systems.

Relationship between Lens culinaris agglutinin-reactive alpha-fetoprotein and pathologic features of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Aim: We investigated pathological features of Lens culinaris agglutinin-reactive alpha-fetoprotein (AFP-L3)-positive hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in order to seek a pathological basis of poor prognosis of HCC patients with elevated AFP-L3.

Methods: A total of 111 patients with HCC < or =5 cm in diameter who underwent hepatic resection were studied. Serum AFP-L3 concentration was measured within a month prior to surgery by lectin-affinity electrophoresis coupled with antibody-affinity blotting, and expressed as AFP-L3 percentage of total AFP.

Gallstone pancreatitis: positive correlation between severe pancreatitis and passed stone.

Background/purpose: Little is known about whether the severity of pancreatitis depends upon persistent stone impaction or stone passage into the duodenum, and the role of endoscopic sphincterotomy (ES) has remained controversial.

Methods: This study reviewed our experience of 183 patients with gallstone pancreatitis, with special attention paid to the relationship between the severity of pancreatitis, the severity of coexisting biliary pathology, and the outcome.

Results: Sixteen patients (9%) had severe pancreatitis (SP) and the remaining 167 (91%) had mild pancreatitis (MP).

Metabolic pre-conditioning of cultured cells in physiological levels of insulin: generating resistance to the lipid-accumulating effects of plasma in hepatocytes.

Understanding the regulation of hepatocyte lipid metabolism is important for several biotechnological applications involving liver cells. During exposure of hepatocytes to plasma, as is the case in extracorporeal bioartificial liver assist devices, it has been reported that hepatic-specific functions, e.g.