Usefulness of tissue Doppler echocardiography to predict perioperative cardiac events in patients undergoing noncardiac surgery.

Guidelines have not recommended routine echocardiography to predict perioperative cardiac events (PCE). We aimed to evaluate the prognostic significance of tissue Doppler echocardiography-derived E/E' for risk stratification before noncardiac surgery. We reviewed 445 consecutive patients with cardiovascular diseases who had undergone tissue Doppler echocardiography before noncardiac surgery.

Thermodynamic analysis of interactions between cofactor and neuronal nitric oxide synthase.

The thermodynamics of cofactor binding to the isolated reductase domain (Red) of nNOS and its mutants have been studied by isothermal titration calorimetry. The NADP(+) and 2',5'-ADP binding stoichiometry to Red were both 1:1, consistent with a one-site kinetic model instead of a two-site model. The binding constant (K(D) = 71 nM) and the large heat capacity change (ΔC(p) = -440 cal mol(-1) K(-1)) for 2',5'-ADP were remarkably different from those for NADP(+) (1.

Validating a Markov model of treatment for hepatitis C virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma.

Objective: We created and validated a Markov model to simulate the prognosis with treatment for HCV-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) for assessment of cost-effectiveness for alternative treatments of HCC.

Method: Markov state incorporated into the model consisted of the treatment as a surrogate for HCC stage and underlying liver function. Retrospective data of 793 patients from three university hospitals were used to determine Kaplan-Meier survival curves for each treatment and transition probabilities were derived from them.

[Complete response to treatment with hepatic arterial infusion of cisplatin powder (IA-call) in a case of hepatocellular carcinoma with multiple lung metastases].

A 74-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital to treat her hepatocellular carcinoma (stage IVB) with multiple lung metastases. She was treated with 3 times of hepatic arterial infusion of cisplatin powder (IA-call). After the treatment, liver mass and lung tumors were disappeared and high levels of tumor markers (AFP and PIVKA-II) were markedly decreased.

Screening of hepatocellular cancer: Japanese strategy.

In Japan, hepatocellular carcinoma ranks as the fourth most common cancer and is responsible for about 40,000 deaths annually. Accordingly, the development of a screening system for its early detection will be linked to early treatment with a view to increasing survival. Algorithms for surveillance of hepatocellular carcinoma established in Japan will be useful for its early detection.

Percutaneous radiofrequency ablation with cooled electrodes combined with hepatic arterial balloon occlusion in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: We have reported that percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) with balloon occlusion of the hepatic artery (balloon-occluded RFA), using an expandable electrode, increases the coagulation area. In this study, we investigated the efficacy of balloon-occluded RFA and balloon-microcatheter-occluded RFA, using a cool RF single electrode.

Methods: We studies 41 patients with 47 hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) lesions.

Prognostic factors in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma receiving hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy.

Background: The prognosis of patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is poor. We aimed to clarify the prognostic factors in patients with advanced HCC receiving hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC).

Methods: Forty-four HCC patients were treated with HAIC, using low-dose cisplatin (CDDP) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) with/without leucovorin (or isovorin).

[The validity of radiofrequency ablation for hepatocellular carcinoma].

Radiofrequency ablation therapy (RFA) has now become the mainstream percutaneous local treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). RFA is superior to both percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI) and percutaneous microwave coagulation therapy (PMCT) because of the large coagulation area obtained by a single session of RF ablation. In addition, the local recurrence rate after RFA is lower than that after PEI.

Hepatocellular carcinoma with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) was originally believed to be a benign disease. However, it has been recently revealed that NASH could lead to irreversible liver disease in some patients. We report an unusual case of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in a 76-year-old man with NASH.

Arterial infusion chemotherapy using cisplatin, 5-fluorouracil, and isovorin for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma, pilot study: Is a high dose of the biochemical modulator effective?

The authors report the efficacy of arterial infusion chemotherapy using cisplatin (CDDP), 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), and leucovorin (LV) for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of our regimen with high-dose LV, using isovorin (IV) (high dose group), comparing the previous regimen (low-dose LV; low dose group). This is a retrospective, historical, and non-controlled trial.

Percutaneous radiofrequency ablation therapy for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma during occlusion of hepatic blood flow. Comparison with standard percutaneous radiofrequency ablation therapy.

Background: The therapeutic efficacy of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is limited by the small volume of coagulation necrosis obtained at each activation of the RF system and the sometimes irregular burn shape due to the proximity of large vessels that have a cooling effect. To improve the efficacy of RFA, the authors designed RFA with balloon occlusion of the hepatic artery (balloon-occluded RFA). In this study, we investigated the efficacy of balloon-occluded RFA and compared the coagulation diameters obtained with balloon-occluded RFA and standard RFA.

Novel arterial infusion chemotherapy using cisplatin, 5-fluorouracil, and leucovorin for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.

Advanced hepatocelluar carcinoma (HCC) has a poor prognosis. In this study, the authors evaluated the efficacy of chemotherapy using cisplatin (CDDP), 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), and leucovorin (LV), comparing our regimen with chemotherapy using CDDP and 5-FU. Nineteen patients with advanced HCC were treated by arterial infusion of a chemotherapeutic agent via a subcutaneously implanted injection port.

Percutaneous radiofrequency ablation therapy with combined angiography and computed tomography assistance for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been reported previously. This technique is superior to percutaneous microwave coagulation therapy (PMCT) for the enlargement of the necrotic area. Therefore, a few treatment sessions of RFA for patients with small HCC lesions measuring < 3 cm in greatest dimension can achieve complete necrosis.

Numerical aberrations of chromosomes 16, 17, and 18 in hepatocellular carcinoma: a FISH and FCM analysis of 20 cases.

Conventional cytogenetic studies have demonstrated frequent abnormalities of specific chromosomes in hepatocellular carcinoma, although there are few reports examining the relationship between chromosomal aberrations and clinicopathologic features. In this study, numerical aberrations of chromosomes 16, 17, and 18 were examined by fluorescence in situ hybridization using pericentromeric DNA probes in 20 cases of surgically removed hepatocellular carcinoma. DNA ploidy analysis was also performed by flow cytometry.

Wild-type p53 gene-induced morphological changes and growth suppression in hepatoma cells.

The human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell line, HLF, expresses only mutant-type p53 (mt-p53), which has an amino acid substitution at the 244th residue from glycine to alanine. HLF cells were transfected with wild-type p53 (wt-p53) cDNA construct pC53-SN3, mt-p53 cDNA construct pC53-SCX [which differs by a single nucleotide, resulting in alanine instead of valine at the 143rd residue in p53 (p53-143)], or pCMV-Neo-Bam, as a control, by a liposome method. After G418 selection, three wt-p53 stable transformants (WT), four mt-p53 transformants (MT), and three control vector transformants (VT) were obtained.

Clinicopathologic features of early hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background/aims: This study attempts to clarify the clinicopathologic definition of early hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs).

Materials And Methods: We evaluated 57 patients, with HCCs less than 3 cm in diameter, in terms of prognosis, incidence of extrahepatic metastasis, and tumor recurrence rate following treatment.

Results: Survival was related to both tumor number and histologic differentiation, but was not related to tumor size.

[A case of multiple liver metastasis from ileac carcinoid effectively treated with continuous intraarterial infusion of somatostatin analog].

We report a case of multiple liver metastasis from ileac carcinoid treated with continuous intraarterial infusion of somatostatin analog. A 65-year-old man who complained of chest pain was admitted to Yamaguchi University Hospital School of Medicine for further examination of cardiac angina. Liver tumors, which were detected during ECHO cardiogram examination, were diagnosed as metastasis from carcinoid by percutaneous transhepatic liver biopsy.