Usefulness of radiofrequency ablation with micro-convex probe for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background/aims: It was aimed to assess whether a micro-convex probe is superior to the present conventional probe for ultrasonography from the points of safety and efficacy during percutaneous radiofrequency ablation therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Methodology: Twenty-one patients with 23 hepatocellular carcinoma lesions who had one or 2 lesions, each 4 cm or less in diameter, and liver function of Child-Pugh class A or B were enrolled. All the patients except for 2 patients were seropositive for hepatitis C virus.

Distribution of hepatitis B virus genotypes among patients with chronic infection in Japan shifting toward an increase of genotype A.

Acute hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection has been increasing through promiscuous sexual contacts, and HBV genotype A (HBV/A) is frequent in patients with acute hepatitis B (AHB) in Japan. To compare the geographic distribution of HBV genotypes in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) in Japan between 2005 and 2006 and between 2000 and 2001, with special attention to changes in the proportion of HBV/A, a cohort study was performed to survey changes in genotypes of CHB patients at 16 hospitals throughout Japan. Furthermore, we investigated the clinical characteristics of each genotype and examined the genomic characteristics of HBV/A isolates by molecular evolutionary analyses.

Inflammatory cytokines modulate chemokine production patterns of HepG2 cells toward initially inclined direction.

Aim: Human hepatocytes are known to express an array of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. In this study, we examined the potential roles of hepatocytes in regulating immune responses in the liver, by assessing the induction of Th1- or Th2-specific chemokines in HepG2 cells after various inflammatory stimulations.

Methods: HepG2 cells were stimulated with IL-1alpha, IFN-gamma, IL-4, IL-10, and/or CCL2, harvested at several time points, and served for the analyses of cytokine/chemokine mRNA expressions by semi-quantitative RT-PCR.

Hepatocellular Carcinoma 11 and a Half Years after the Resolution of Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection Successfully Treated with Interferon.

A 41-year-old Japanese man had received successful interferon (IFN) therapy against chronic hepatitis C in 1994. Since then, serum hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA had been negative, and aminotransferase levels had been continuously normal. He had abstained from alcohol.

Intrahepatic gene expression profiles in chronic hepatitis B and autoimmune liver disease.

Background: DNA microarray technology has enabled genomewide analysis of gene transcript levels, yielding insight into the molecular nature of liver disease.

Methods: We compared gene expression of liver biopsy specimens in 16 patients with different stages of chronic hepatitis B, five with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), five with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), and six with druginduced hepatitis.

Results: Of 21 073 genes, 424 showed different expression in a particular disease group on analysis of variance.

Deficiency of forkhead box P3 and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 gene expressions and impaired suppressor function of CD4(+)CD25(+) T cells in patients with autoimmune hepatitis.

Aim: Recently, forkhead box P3 (Foxp3), cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 (CTLA-4), glucocorticoid-induced tumor necrosis factor receptor family-related gene (GITR), and CD28 were identified as the key molecules that control the development and activation of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells (T-reg). We investigated the expression pattern of these molecules on T-reg, and investigated the ability of T-reg to produce cytokines in patients with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH).

Methods: Fifteen patients with AIH and nine healthy patients were included.

Role of Valpha14+ NKT cells in the development of Hepatitis B virus-specific CTL: activation of Valpha14+ NKT cells promotes the breakage of CTL tolerance.

CTLs are thought to be major effectors for clearing viruses in acute infections including hepatitis B virus (HBV). Persistent HBV infection is characterized by a lack of or a weak CTL response to HBV, which is thought to reflect tolerance to HBV antigens. In the present study, we found that alpha-galactosylceramide (alpha-GalCer), a ligand for Valpha14-positive NKT cells, strongly enhanced the induction and proliferation of HBV-specific CTLs by HBsAg.

Changes in intrahepatic gene expression profiles from chronic hepatitis to hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with hepatitis C virus infection.

Aim: DNA microarray technology has enabled genome-wide analysis of gene transcript levels, which has yielded insight into the molecular nature of hepatitis C virus infection. However, little insight into the molecular nature of the early to advanced stages of chronic liver disease has as yet been obtained.

Methods: We compared the gene expression profiles of liver biopsy specimens from 14 patients at different stages of chronic hepatitis C.

Effect of vitamin K2 on the recurrence in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background/aims: Vitamin K2 (VK2) appears to have a potent inhibitory activity for cell growth including HCC cells. We investigated whether VK2 could reduce incidence of tumor recurrence after treatment of HCC. Forty-five patients with cured or possibly cured HCC were randomly selected, assigning patients to treatment (n=21) or control group (n=24) with randomization list.

Use of hepatitis B vaccine for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B.

Current therapeutic approaches to control chronic hepatitis B (CH-B), such as administrations of interferon or nucleoside analogs, are still unsatisfactory. Vaccination with conventional hepatitis B (HB) vaccine is another therapeutic approach with lower cost and potentially long-lasting beneficial effect. However, a response rate to vaccination therapy is not necessarily high.

Expression of Toll-like receptors in chronic hepatitis C virus infection.

Background: Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are involved in innate immunity. Certain viruses interact with TLRs and mediate antiviral effects as well as immune responses. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of TLRs on pathogenesis in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients.

Early decline of hemoglobin can predict progression of hemolytic anemia during pegylated interferon and ribavirin combination therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

Aim: Ribavirin, used to treat chronic hepatitis C, can induce hemolytic anemia, forcing the discontinuance of treatment. To establish a predictive measure to help circumvent this, we evaluated the relationship of hemoglobin (Hb) decline with the discontinuance of treatment during the progression of ribavirin-induced anemia.

Methods: One hundred and sixteen patients (71% male) with genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C were treated with pegylated interferon (PegIFN) alpha-2b and ribavirin.

Combination therapy with lamivudine and HB vaccine on chronic hepatitis B.

Background And Aim: Lamivudine (LAM) has problems of breakthrough hepatitis (BTH) and post-treatment relapse despite its significant effect for suppressing hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication. In order to find solutions for the problems, the efficacy of combination therapy of LAM plus hepatitis B (HB) vaccine in patients with chronic HBV infection was assessed.

Patients And Methods: Fifty-three patients with chronic hepatitis B, 33 hepatitis B e-antigen positive (HBeAg+), and 20 HBeAg negative (HBeAg-) patients, were enrolled in the study, and randomized to receive either LAM monotherapy or combination therapy of LAM and HB vaccine.

Usefulness of live 3D echocardiography during radiofrequency ablation in a case of hepatocellular carcinoma.

We report a case of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, which was successfully treated with percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) under live three-dimensional (3D) echocardiography guidance. Recently, it was reported that live 3D echocardiography was able to enhance the efficacy of catheter-based endomyocardial injection since the 3D images made it possible to observe the target from multiple directions so that it guided more accurately. A 63-year-old Japanese man had an HCC nodule of 3.

Double filtration plasmapheresis and interferon combination therapy for chronic hepatitis C patients with genotype 1 and high viral load.

Aim: The efficacy and safety of double filtration plasmapheresis (DFPP) plus interferon (IFN) combination therapy were compared with those of IFN therapy alone in 193 chronic hepatitis C patients having a high hepatitis C virus ribonucleic acid load of difficult-to-treat genotype 1b.

Methods: All patients received either interferon alpha-2b (IFN-alpha-2b) monotherapy or combination therapies with ribavirin and IFN-alpha-2b or pegylated interferon alpha-2b (PEG-IFN-alpha-2b). Each patient individually decided whether to receive concomitant DFPP.

Noninvasive assessment of liver disease - measurement of hepatic fibrosis using tissue strain imaging.

The development of hepatic fibrosis in patients with liver disease is associated with an increased risk of liver cancer. Assessing the degree of hepatic fibrosis is therefore one of the most important factors in treatment planning. Liver biopsy is commonly performed to assess hepatic fibrosis, but this method is associated with complications such as hemorrhage.

Four-dimensional ultrasonography for therapeutic radiofrequency ablation for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background/aims: We examined whether four-dimensional real-time flow imaging on ultrasonography (US) is valuable to display the accurate position of percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) needle in the nodule of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methodology: Ten patients with 12 HCC nodules were studied; nine were infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) and one was diagnosed as non-B non-C. Diagnosis was done by helical dynamic CT and/or celiac angiography.

Spatial and chronological differences in hepatitis B virus genotypes from patients with acute hepatitis B in Japan.

Genotypes of hepatitis B virus (HBV) were determined in 485 patients with acute hepatitis B from all over Japan. They were A in 92 (19%), Ba in 26 (5%), Bj in 32 (7%), C in 330 (68%) and D in 5 (1%). Sexual contacts were the main route of transmission in them.

Influence of genotypes and precore mutations on fulminant or chronic outcome of acute hepatitis B virus infection.

The outcome of acute hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is variable, influenced by host and viral factors. From 1982 through 2004, 301 patients with acute HBV infection entered a multi-center cross-sectional study in Japan. Patients with fulminant hepatitis (n = 40) were older (44.

Successful treatment of severe pouchitis with rebamipide refractory to antibiotics and corticosteroids: a case report.

The antibiotics, metronidazole and ciprofloxacin, are the first-line treatment for pouchitis. Patients who do not respond to antibiotics or conventional medications represent a major challenge to therapy. In this report, we have described a successful treatment of severe refractory pouchitis with a novel agent, rebamipide, known to promote epithelial cell regeneration and angiogenesis.

Alteration of serum cytokine balances among different phases of chronic hepatitis B virus infection.

To understand the pathogenesis of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, we examined the serum levels of IL-10, TNF-alpha IL-12 p70, and IL-12 p40 in 77 patients chronically infected with HBV and 19 controls. The patients were classified into four groups: asymptomatic carriers (ASC), patients with chronic hepatitis (CH), patients with liver cirrhosis (LC), and patients with hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC). The cytokine values among these groups were compared and their relations to clinical parameters were investigated.

The SHAP-hyaluronan complex in serum from patients with chronic liver diseases caused by hepatitis virus infection.

Our previous study suggested that the serum-derived hyaluronan associated protein (SHAP)-hyaluronan (HA) complex in the sera of patients with rheumatoid arthritis is useful as a marker that directly correlates with the degree of inflammation. Here, we have investigated the serum levels of the SHAP-HA complex in patients at various clinical stages of chronic hepatitis (CH), liver cirrhosis (LC), and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) caused by infection with the hepatitis C or hepatitis B virus. Both serum levels of the SHAP-HA complex and HA in those patients were significantly higher than those of the controls and increased in the order of CH View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Lethal endotoxic shock using alpha-galactosylceramide sensitization as a new experimental model of septic shock.

The effect of alpha-galactosylceramide (alpha-GalCer) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-mediated lethality was examined. Administration of LPS killed all mice pretreated with alpha-GalCer, but not untreated control mice. The lethal shock in alpha-GalCer-sensitized mice was accompanied by severe pulmonary lesions with marked infiltration of inflammatory cells and massive cell death.