Publications by authors named "Kana Hirooka"

Background: The clinical course of esophagogastric varices (EGV) after sustained virological response (SVR) with direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy has not been clearly elucidated. The predictors for the worsening/improvement of EGV after SVR with DAA therapy were investigated.

Methods: Of the cirrhosis patients who achieved SVR with DAA therapy, 328 patients who underwent endoscopic examinations both before and after DAA therapy were enrolled.

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Article Synopsis
  • Previous studies have found both shared and population-specific genetic factors contributing to primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), with more than 20 novel susceptibility loci identified in a recent meta-analysis across different populations.
  • A new genome-wide association study (GWAS) focused on the Japanese population identified the gene PTPN2 as a novel susceptibility gene for PBC, linking a specific variant (rs8098858) to the disease.
  • The risk allele (rs2292758) is shown to disrupt PTPN2 expression, leading to an impaired negative feedback mechanism in immune signaling, suggesting that targeting PTPN2 could be a promising approach for PBC treatment.
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Treatment modalities for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have changed dramatically, with systemic therapy as the primary option. However, the effect of sequential treatment on prognosis remains unclear. This retrospective study included patients who began systemic therapy between 2009 and 2022.

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Purpose: We aimed to compare vibration-controlled transient elastography (VCTE) with shear wave elastography (SWE) without previous analysis and generate regression equations between VCTE and new point SWE using combination-elastography.

Methods: Overall, 829 patients with chronic liver disease were enrolled in this study. Patients with a skin-liver capsule distance > 25 mm were excluded.

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The time point of the most precise predictor of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development after viral eradication with direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy is unclear. In this study we developed a scoring system that can accurately predict the occurrence of HCC using data from the optimal time point. A total of 1683 chronic hepatitis C patients without HCC who achieved sustained virological response (SVR) with DAA therapy were split into a training set (999 patients) and a validation set (684 patients).

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Purpose: Deep attenuation transducers (DAX) are capable of imaging at diagnostic depths of up to 40 cm. The feasibility of DAX for liver stiffness measurement (LSM) has not been reported clinically. We aimed to assess the feasibility and reliability of DAX for LSM.

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The accuracy of attenuation coefficients and B-mode ultrasound for distinguishing between S0 (healthy, < 5% fat) and S1-3 (steatosis ≥ 5%) livers compared to a controlled attenuation parameter is unclear. This meta-analysis aimed to comprehensively assess the diagnostic performance of B-mode ultrasound imaging for evaluating steatosis of ≥ 5%. We searched the PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases for studies on the accuracy of B-mode ultrasound for differentiating S0 from S1-3 in adults with chronic liver disease.

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A 65-year-old woman was admitted with sudden-onset abdominal pain. Abdominal computed tomography revealed hepatic portal venous gas. Physical and laboratory examination suggested that a conservative approach was appropriate; however, 4 days later, the pain recurred and severe ischemic enteritis was diagnosed.

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A 34-year-old woman was admitted for treatment of esophageal varices. Seven years earlier, she had been diagnosed with Budd-Chiari syndrome, and percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) for right hepatic vein (RHV) stenosis was done. On admission, Doppler sonography showed a flat waveform in the RHV.

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