Publications by authors named "Masami Kuniyoshi"

Article Synopsis
  • Ramucirumab is a targeted therapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with high levels of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) after failing initial treatments, particularly Sorafenib.
  • A study of 33 patients revealed that improving albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) scores during treatment correlated with better outcomes and prognosis.
  • Patients who continued treatment after ramucirumab failure and had good ALBI scores at the beginning saw significantly better prognoses compared to those who did not pursue further therapy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

To evaluate the efficacy of atezolizumab plus bevacizumab treatment in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) previously treated with molecular targeted agents (MTAs). Thirty-one patients treated with atezolizumab plus bevacizumab for unresectable HCC and previously treated with MTAs were enrolled in this study. The treatment lines ranged from second to sixth lines.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) may be preferable to other nucleos(t)ide analogues (NA) regarding outcomes against chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection.

Aims: To evaluate the longer term virological/biochemical effectiveness of TAF and the renal safety of sequential therapy to TAF in real-world settings METHODS: This multi-centre, retrospective cohort study included consecutive adult patients who were switched from other NAs to TAF. We assessed the virological and biochemical responses up to 144 weeks.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background And Aims: Outcome data of sequential hepatitis B virus treatment with tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) are limited. We aimed to assess the effectiveness and renal safety of TAF in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients who were previously treated with entecavir (ETV), tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF), or a nucleos(t)ide analogue (NA) combination.

Methods: This multicenter, retrospective, cohort study included 458 consecutive CHB patients who switched to TAF monotherapy after at least 2 years of treatment with another NA.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background And Aim: Direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) have contributed to the improvement of outcomes for all patients with chronic hepatitis C. The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term hepatic benefits of hepatitis C virus (HCV) cure by DAAs in patients with compensated cirrhosis.

Methods: This multicenter cohort study consisted of consecutive patients with compensated cirrhosis who initiated interferon-free DAA treatment before September 2016.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background And Aim: Early hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence is common, even after achieving hepatitis C virus (HCV) cure. This study was carried out to assess the long-term trends and predictors of recurrence after HCV cure by direct-acting antivirals (DAAs).

Methods: This retrospective, multicenter cohort study enrolled 365 consecutive patients with chronic hepatitis C who required HCC treatment following sustained viral response (SVR) by DAA administration.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Advanced fibrosis/cirrhosis and related biomarkers have been recognized as useful predictors of the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) following hepatitis C virus (HCV) cure by direct-acting antivirals (DAAs). However, it remains unclear if DAAs themselves have an influence on or facilitate the development of HCC. This multicenter cohort study included CHC patients without a history of HCC who achieved HCV elimination by DAAs.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Direct-acting antiviral (DAA) treatment has revolutionized hepatitis C virus (HCV) care. We aimed to evaluate the risk for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients aged 75-84 years with chronic hepatitis C after HCV elimination.

Methods: This multicenter cohort study included 2405 consecutive patients with chronic hepatitis C without a history of HCC who achieved HCV elimination by DAAs.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels could be a prognostic factor for sorafenib-treated patients with several types of solid tumor because it reflects hypoxic circumstances in aggressive tumors. For hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), however, the prognostic role of LDH has been controversial. Liver fibrosis can potentially cause hypoxia in the liver, which has not been previously studied in the patients with advanced HCC.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

We report three cases of pedunculated gastric hamartomatous inverted polyps (HIPs) that were successfully treated by endoscopic polypectomy. The first case involved an 87-year-old woman with mild anemia. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) revealed a pedunculated, reddish polyp located at the greater curvature of the upper stomach.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The function of adipose differentiation-related protein (ADRP) is known to be the uptake of long-chain fatty acids and formation of lipid droplets in lipid-accumulating cells. We hypothesized that ADRP might stimulate activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) to accumulate lipids, resulting in their transition to the quiescent state. In this study, cultured HSCs in fifth passages isolated from rat were infected by adenovirus vector expressing ADRP (Ad.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

A case of Lemierre's syndrome is reported in which metastatic abscesses resulted from septic thrombophlebitis of the internal jugular vein secondary to bacterial pharyngitis. A 32-year-old male suffering from a painful left-sided neck mass, sore throat, and fever was admitted to our hospital. Computed tomography revealed thrombosis of the left internal jugular vein, septic pulmonary emboli, and a liver abscess.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Recently, it has been reported that interleukin 4 (IL-4) and 13 (IL-13) directly activate fibroblasts and promote fibrosis. In the process of hepatic fibrosis, the effects of these cytokines on hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are not well known.

Methods: We evaluated the effects of IL-4 and IL-13 on the collagen production and the proliferation of LI90, a hepatic stellate cell line.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Aim: To investigate the clinical significance of serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and soluble VEGF receptor-1 (VEGFR1/Flt-1) (sVEGFR1) levels in biliary diseases.

Methods: We analyzed the serum levels of these proteins in patients with acute cholangitis (group 1), biliary malignancies (group 2), and primary biliary cirrhosis or primary sclerosing cholangitis (group 3), and in healthy donors (group 4). The influence of inflammation was also analyzed.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Biliary carcinoma cells produce the transmembrane proteins, Fas, FasL, and RCAS1. It has been demonstrated that the Fas/FasL and RCAS1 systems induce apoptosis of activated immune cells and that the soluble isoforms of these proteins (sFas, sFasL, and sRCAS1) also exhibit this function.

Methods: We measured serum levels of these soluble-types in patients with biliary disease by ELISA and investigated their clinical significance.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF