Hematological ratios in patients with acute decompensation and acute-on-chronic liver failure: prognostic factors.

Background And Aims: Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) is the most severe form of acutely decompensated cirrhosis and is characterized by the presence of intense systemic inflammation. Leucocyte quantification can serve as an indirect indicator of systemic inflammation. In our study, we investigated the predictive value of hematological ratios (neutrophils to lymphocytes, monocyte to lymphocytes, platelets to lymphocytes, lymphocytes to C-reactive protein, and neutrophils to lymphocytes and platelets) in acute decompensation (AD) and ACLF patients and their relation to disease severity and early mortality.

The classification of gastric antral vascular ectasia in cirrhotic patients by Versatile Intelligent Staining Technology.

Background: Portal hypertensive gastropathy (PHG) and gastric antral vascular ectasia (GAVE) are two different pathologies that cause bleeding in cirrhotic patients. These two pathologies are still difficult to be distinguished by white light endoscopy (conventional), as they both appear as red spots in the gastric antral mucosa in the case of severe PHG. The aim of our study was to assess the efficacy of Versatile Intelligent Staining Technology (VIST) in comparison to histopathology in the diagnosis and classification of GAVE.

SQSTM1 Expression in Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Relation to Tumor Recurrence After Radiofrequency Ablation.

Background/aims: Autophagy is a process that allows the degradation of detrimental components through the lysosome to maintain cellular homeostasis under variable stimuli. SQSTM1 is a key molecule involved in functional autophagy and is linked to different signaling pathways, oxidative responses, and inflammation. Dysregulation of autophagy is reported in a broad spectrum of diseases.

ARID1A expression in hepatocellular carcinoma and relation to tumor recurrence after microwave ablation.

Aim Of The Study: AT-rich interactive domain 1A (ARID1A) is a subunit of the switch/sucrose non-fermentable chromatin remodeling complex, which is commonly mutated in human cancers. The clinical and pathological significance of ARID1A alteration in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has not yet been clarified. The present study aimed to evaluate the clinical significance of the ARID1A gene signature in HCC and its relation to the likelihood of tumor recurrence after microwave ablation (MWA).

The association between circulating MicroRNA-150 level and cholangiocarcinoma.

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a rare tumor which requires a multimodality approach for its diagnosis. Carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) is currently the most commonly used tumor marker for CCA; nevertheless, it has certain limitations which need to be considered when using it as a tumor marker. MiRNA-150 altered expression has been linked to the development and tumorigenesis of several cancers including CCA.

Plasma long non-coding RNA HOTAIR as a potential biomarker for gastric cancer.

Background: Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) Hox transcript antisense intergenic RNA ( HOTAIR) has been suggested to be implicated in gastric cancer tumorigenesis and progression; however, little is known about the role of the plasma HOTAIR in gastric cancer diagnosis and prognosis.

Objective: The current study was aimed at investigating the clinical relevance of plasma long non-coding HOTAIR as a non-invasive diagnostic biomarker in gastric cancer.

Methods: Plasma HOTAIR expression was measured in 50 patients with newly diagnosed gastric cancer and 50 age- and sex-matched healthy controls using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction.

Mitochondrial DNA Copy Number in Egyptian Patients with Hepatitis C Virus-Related Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Aim: To assess the use of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) content as a noninvasive molecular biomarker in hepatitis C virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCV-HCC).

Materials And Methods: A total of 135 participants were enrolled in the study. Equal numbers of subjects were enrolled in each of three clinically defined groups: those with HCV-related cirrhosis (HCV-cirrhosis), those with HCV-HCC, and a control group of age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers with no evidence of liver disease.

Toll like receptor 3 expression as a novel predictor of response to treatment in chronic hepatitis C virus patients.

Purpose: This work was carried out to study the level of pretreatment hepatic expression of Toll like receptor 3 (TLR3) among chronic HCV patients, aiming to determine if there are consistent differences in gene expression, between those who show complete early virological response (cEVR) at week-12 of Pegylated-Interferon α-2a plus ribavirin treatment and others who are not responding to this combination, also if this could be used to predict treatment outcomes.

Method: A total of 61 chronic hepatitis C patients were enrolled in the study. For all of them, baseline hepatitis C virus (HCV) viral load was determined and TLR3 gene expression was examined in their hepatic percutaneous needle biopsy specimens using a real time-polymerase chain reaction technique.