Rifaximin treatment shapes a unique metagenome-metabolism network in patients with decompensated cirrhosis.

Background: Patients with decompensated cirrhosis face poor prognosis and increased mortality risk. Rifaximin, a non-absorbable antibiotic, has been shown to have beneficial effects in preventing complications and improving survival in these patients. However, the underlying mechanisms of rifaximin's effects remain unclear.

Covert hepatic encephalopathy is associated with aggressive disease progression and poor survival in patients with cirrhosis.

Objectives: Covert hepatic encephalopathy (CHE) negatively affects the health-related quality of life and increases the risk of overt HE (OHE) in patients with liver cirrhosis. However, the impact of CHE on long-term patient outcomes remains controversial. This study aimed to explore the association between CHE and disease progression and survival among cirrhotic patients.

Low-dose rifaximin prevents complications and improves survival in patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis.

Background And Aims: Rifaximin has been recommended as a prophylactic drug for hepatic encephalopathy (HE) and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP). This study aims to explore whether low-dose rifaximin can prevent overall complications and prolong survival in cirrhotic patients.

Methods: In this multi-centre randomized open-labelled prospective study, 200 patients with decompensated cirrhosis were randomly assigned at a ratio of 1:1.

New formula for predicting standard liver volume in Chinese adults.

Aim: To obtain a reference range of morphological indices and establish a formula to accurately predict standard liver volume (SLV) in Chinese adults.

Methods: Computed tomography (CT)-estimated total liver volume (CTLV) was determined in 369 Chinese adults. Age, sex, body weight, body height, body mass index, and body surface area (BSA) were recorded using CT.

The evaluation of non-invasive multi-slice spiral computed tomography-based indices for the diagnosis and prognosis prediction of liver cirrhosis.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate easily available computed tomography (CT)-based parameters for assessing the presence and severity of cirrhosis and predicting complications in Chinese patients with cirrhosis.

Methods: CT-based morphological indices were determined in 167 patients with cirrhosis and 244 healthy volunteers. The correlation of morphological indices with Child-Pugh score and cirrhotic complications was analyzed using Spearman's correlation analysis.

Beneficial effect of corticosteroids for patients with severe drug-induced liver injury.

Objective: The efficacy of corticosteroids in drug-induced liver injury (DILI) remains controversial. We aimed to determine whether corticosteroids were beneficial for severe DILI.

Methods: This was a single-center retrospective study of patients with DILI enrolled between January 2010 and May 2015.

Differentiation therapy of hepatocellular carcinoma by inhibiting the activity of AKT/GSK-3β/β-catenin axis and TGF-β induced EMT with sophocarpine.

Hepatocellular carcinoma progression is thought to be driven by cancer stem cells (CSCs). No clinical trial has, as yet, shown convincing long-term disease free survival results for the majority of patients in HCC. So it is important to discover new anti-cancer agents.

The cytotoxic and mechanistic effects of aaptamine on hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common form of cancer and the third most frequent cause of cancer-associated mortality worldwide. We isolated aaptamine from the marine sponge Aaptos, and synthesized derivatives of this compound. Aaptamine and synthetic derivatives displayed various biological activities.

Hepatocyte nuclear factor 4α-nuclear factor-κB feedback circuit modulates liver cancer progression.

Unlabelled: Hepatocyte nuclear factor 4α (HNF4α) is a liver enriched transcription factor and is indispensable for liver development. However, the role of HNF4α in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression remains to be elucidated. We report that reduced HNF4α expression correlated well with the aggressive clinicopathological characteristics of HCC and predicted poor prognosis of patients.

Hepatocyte nuclear factor-4α reverses malignancy of hepatocellular carcinoma through regulating miR-134 in the DLK1-DIO3 region.

Unlabelled: Hepatocyte nuclear factor-4α (HNF4α) is a dominant transcriptional regulator of hepatocyte differentiation and hepatocellular carcinogenesis. There is striking suppression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by HNF4α, although the mechanisms by which HNF4α reverses HCC malignancy are largely unknown. Herein, we demonstrate that HNF4α administration to HCC cells resulted in elevated levels of 28 mature microRNAs (miRNAs) from the miR-379-656 cluster, which is located in the delta-like 1 homolog (DLK1) -iodothyronine deiodinase 3 (DIO3) locus on human chromosome 14q32.