[Advanced Renal Pelvic Tumor Diagnosed after Resection of a Solitary Subcutaneous Metastasis: A Case Report].

A 75-year-old woman had suffered from intermittent gross hematuria. Ultrasonography, enhanced CT, cystoscopy and urinary cytology had no abnormal findings. Four months later, antibiotics were administered for recurrent gross hematuria and urinary frequency, and not effective.

Primary Ewing's sarcoma/primitive neuroectodermal tumor of the kidney and its clinical features.

Introduction: Ewing sarcoma family tumor is a malignant tumor that is primarily of bone origin; it rarely occurs in the kidney.

Case Presentation: A 22-year-old woman presented with hematuria. Computed tomography revealed a 6 × 6-cm mass in the lower pole of the right kidney with invasion into the right renal vein.

Efficacy of Underwater Endoscopic Mucosal Resection for Superficial Non-Ampullary Duodenal Epithelial Tumor.

Background/aims: Endoscopic resection (ER) for superficial non-ampullary duodenal epithelial tumors (SNADETs) is challenging. Conventional endoscopic mucosal resection (CEMR) is also problematic due to the anatomical features of the duodenum. We compared the safety and efficacy of underwater endoscopic mucosal resection (UEMR) with those of CEMR through a retrospective analysis.

Ascites symptom inventory-7 is a valuable tool for evaluating the effectiveness of tolvaptan in patients with cirrhotic ascites.

Patients with liver cirrhosis frequently experience non-specific symptoms and report severe reductions in their quality of life (QOL). The underlying mechanisms of the disease are multifactorial that may be specific to the disease or directly related to the liver. The major concern of liver cirrhosis with ascites, however, is the decreased QOL.

Effect of L-carnitine on health-related quality of life in patients with liver cirrhosis.

L-carnitine (4--trimethylammonium-3-hydroxybutyric acid) is the physiologically active form of carnitine and is a natural compound that has been shown to exhibit antioxidant activity. L-carnitine is used as a supplementary treatment in patients with cirrhosis with hepatic encephalopathy, hyperammonemia or muscle cramps. In the present study, the effect of L-carnitine supplementation on health-related quality of life in 30 patients with cirrhosis was prospectively examined.

Atorvastatin Augments Gemcitabine-Mediated Anti-Cancer Effects by Inhibiting Yes-Associated Protein in Human Cholangiocarcinoma Cells.

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is associated with high mortality rates because of its resistance to conventional gemcitabine-based chemotherapy. Hydroxy-methyl-glutaryl-coenzyme A reductase inhibitors (statins) reportedly exert anti-cancer effects in CCA and lower the risk of CCA; however, the underlying mechanism of these effects remains unclear. The proliferative and oncogenic activities of the transcriptional co-activator Yes-associated protein (YAP) are driven by its association with the TEA domain (TEAD) of transcription factors; thereby, upregulating genes that promote cell growth, inhibit apoptosis, and confer chemoresistance.

Thyroid-stimulating hormone is an independent risk factor of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Background And Aim: Hypothyroidism might play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The association of subclinical hypothyroidism with NAFLD has been inconsistent. The relationship of NAFLD with thyroid function parameters and subclinical hypothyroidism was determined.

Gut dysbiosis associated with clinical prognosis of patients with primary biliary cholangitis.

Aim: Although some relationships between gut microbiota and liver diseases have been reported, it remains uncertain whether changes in gut microbiota owing to differences in race, food and living environment have similar effects. Response to ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) may predict the long-term prognosis of patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC); however, little is known about the significance of the gut microbiome in patients with PBC. We elucidated the relationships among clinical profiles, biochemical response to UDCA and gut microbiome composition in patients with PBC.

Combined Treatment with Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter-2 Inhibitor (Canagliflozin) and Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 Inhibitor (Teneligliptin) Alleviates NASH Progression in A Non-Diabetic Rat Model of Steatohepatitis.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the strongest independent predictor of mortality in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)-related cirrhosis. The effects and mechanisms of combination of sodium-dependent glucose cotransporter inhibitor and canagliflozin (CA) and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor and teneligliptin (TE) on non-diabetic NASH progression were examined. CA and TE suppressed choline-deficient, L-amino acid-defined diet-induced hepatic fibrogenesis and carcinogenesis.

Rifaximin Alleviates Endotoxemia with Decreased Serum Levels of Soluble CD163 and Mannose Receptor and Partial Modification of Gut Microbiota in Cirrhotic Patients.

Rifaximin is a poorly absorbable antibiotic against hepatic encephalopathy (HE). This observational study aimed to elucidate the effect of rifaximin on intestinal permeability and gut microbiota in patients with decompensated cirrhosis. Thirty patients with decompensated cirrhosis were assessed by ammonia level, neuropsychological testing, endotoxin activity (EA), and serum proinflammatory cytokines at baseline and after four weeks of rifaximin treatment (1200 mg/day).

Acylcarnitine: Useful biomarker for early diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma in non-steatohepatitis patients.

Background: Early diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is necessary to improve the prognosis of patients. However, the currently available tumor biomarkers are insufficient for the early detection of HCC. Acylcarnitine is essential in fatty acid metabolic pathways.

VWF/ADAMTS13 ratio as a potential biomarker for early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: To investigate the von Willebrand factor to ADAMTS13 ratio as a potential biomarker for early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in cirrhosis.

Methods: Serum levels of alpha-fetoprotein, des-γ-carboxy prothrombin, Lens culinaris agglutinin-reactive fraction of alpha-fetoprotein (alpha-fetoprotein-L3%), vascular endothelial growth factor, and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2, as well as the plasma levels of von Willebrand factor antigen (von Willebrand factor: Ag) and ADAMTS13 activity (ADAMTS13:AC), were evaluated in 41 cirrhotic patients with HCC undergoing radiofrequency ablation and in 20 cirrhotic patients without HCC. The diagnostic accuracy of each biomarker was evaluated using the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis.

Late-Evening Snack with Branched-Chain Amino Acid-Enriched Nutrients Does Not Always Inhibit Overt Diabetes in Patients with Cirrhosis: A Pilot Study.

Cirrhosis patients often have abnormal glucose metabolism. We investigated the effects of a late-evening snack (LES) with branched-chain amino acid-enriched nutrients (BCAA-EN) on glucose metabolism in cirrhosis patients. LES with BCAA-EN was administered for 1 week in 13 patients with cirrhosis and hypoalbuminemia.

Bi-monthly hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy as a novel strategy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma in decompensated cirrhotic patients.

Background And Aim: We previously reported the comparable efficacy of bi-monthly hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (B-HAIC) to that of sorafenib chemotherapy for the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (aHCC) in patients with compensated cirrhosis. In this study, we demonstrate the efficacy of B-HAIC in patients with decompensated cirrhosis.

Methods: Forty-five patients with aHCC refractory to transcatheter arterial chemo-embolization (TACE) were treated with B-HAIC and were divided into two groups according to hepatic functional reserve (Child-Pugh grade).

Effect of furosemide on muscle cramps in patients with liver cirrhosis.

Background And Aim: Patients with cirrhosis usually experience muscle cramps of varying severity. Although diuretics have been reported to cause muscle cramps, clinical evidence is limited. Also, it has been pointed out that the use of diuretics is associated with the progression of sarcopenia in patients with cirrhosis.

Combined effect of a farnesoid X receptor agonist and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor on hepatic fibrosis.

Aim: Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) has a broad clinicopathological spectrum (inflammation to severe fibrosis). The farnesoid X receptor agonist obeticholic acid (OCA) ameliorates the histological features of NASH; satisfactory antifibrotic effects have not yet been reported. Here, we investigated the combined effects of OCA + a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor (sitagliptin) on hepatic fibrogenesis in a rat model of NASH.

Exogenous Administration of Low-Dose Lipopolysaccharide Potentiates Liver Fibrosis in a Choline-Deficient l-Amino-Acid-Defined Diet-Induced Murine Steatohepatitis Model.

Various rodent models have been proposed for basic research; however, the pathogenesis of human nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is difficult to closely mimic. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) has been reported to play a pivotal role in fibrosis development during NASH progression via activation of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling. This study aimed to clarify the impact of low-dose LPS challenge on NASH pathological progression and to establish a novel murine NASH model.

Identification of clinical risk factors for histological progression of primary biliary cholangitis.

Aim: To identify laboratory predictors of histological progression (HP) of primary biliary cholangitis (PBC).

Methods: Sequential biopsies were carried out on 35 (11.4%) of 308 patients with PBC treated with ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA).

Blocking development of liver fibrosis augments hepatic progenitor cell-derived liver regeneration in a mouse chronic liver injury model.

Aim: The roles of hepatic progenitor cells (HPCs) in regeneration of a diseased liver are unclear. Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) contribute to liver fibrosis but are also a component of the HPC niche. Hepatic progenitor cells expand along with HSC activation and liver fibrosis.

Efficacy of L-carnitine on ribavirin-induced hemolytic anemia in patients with hepatitis C virus infection.

Background/aims: L-carnitine not only alleviates hyperammonemia and reduces muscle cramps in patients with liver cirrhosis, but also improves anemia in patients with chronic hepatitis and renal dysfunction. This study prospectively evaluated the preventative efficacy of L-carnitine supplementation against hemolytic anemia during antiviral treatment using ribavirin in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related chronic liver disease.

Methods: A total of 41 patients with chronic hepatitis were consecutively enrolled in this study.

[A CASE REPORT OF Xp11.2 TRANSLOCATION RENAL CELL CARTINOMA SUSPECTED RENAL PELVIC CARCINOMA].

The patient was a 33-year-old female who visited the Department of Gastroenterology of this hospital after experiencing lower abdominal pain and nausea. The patient was referred to this department after suspicions of right kidney hemorrhage revealed by non-contrast computed tomography (CT). We also identified hematuria macroscopically, and contrast-enhanced CT scans revealed uneven deep staining in the upper right kidney during the early phase.

von Willebrand factor is a useful biomarker for liver fibrosis and prediction of hepatocellular carcinoma development in patients with hepatitis B and C.

Background: Several noninvasive biomarkers are available for diagnosing liver fibrosis stage and predicting hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development in patients with chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis. However, these biomarkers are not sufficiently accurate. Recently, von Willebrand factor (VWF) has been related to angiogenesis and apoptosis.

Combining probiotics and an angiotensin-II type 1 receptor blocker has beneficial effects on hepatic fibrogenesis in a rat model of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.

Aim: Intestinal endotoxin is important for the progression of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Circulating endotoxin levels are elevated in most animal models of diet-induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and NASH. Furthermore, plasma endotoxin levels are significantly higher in NAFLD patients, which is associated with small intestinal bacterial overgrowth and increased intestinal permeability.

Efficacy and tolerability of interferon-free regimen for patients with genotype-1 HCV infection.

Depression is a major reason for interferon (IFN) therapy cessation. IFN-free direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy for depression is not well-documented. Thus, four different IFN-free regimens were assessed in genotype-1 hepatitis C virus (HCV) patients with depression.