Publications by authors named "Shunichi Wakabayashi"
Although steatotic liver onset after natural menopause has been reported, evidence on the clinical course and treatment options for steatotic liver after surgical menopause is scarce. A 34-year-old woman with a history of severe obesity presented to our department with liver dysfunction following total hysterectomy and bilateral oophorectomy. Her serum estradiol level was notably low at 22 pg/mL, and a liver biopsy revealed significant fatty degeneration, lobular inflammation, hepatocyte ballooning, and stage F1 fibrosis.
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- A study explored the potential of serum autotaxin (ATX) as a predictor for liver-related events (LRE) in patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC).
- During a median follow-up of 9.7 years of 190 untreated patients, those with ATX levels ≥1.086 mg/L experienced significantly more LRE compared to those with lower levels (33.3% vs 3.6%).
- The research suggests that ATX is a strong independent predictor for LRE, outperforming existing markers, and aligns with findings from a separate validation cohort of PBC patients.
Thrombospondin 2 (TSP2) plays a vital role in collagen/fibrin formation, bone growth, vascular density regulation, hemostasis, and cell adhesion. Close associations of serum TSP2 with histological severity in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and chronic hepatitis C were reported. The present study investigated the significance of circulating TSP2 in chronic hepatitis B patients.
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- A multicentre study examined the levels of thrombospondin 2 (TSP2) in hepatitis C patients undergoing direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy and its potential as a marker for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
- Results showed that TSP2 levels significantly dropped after DAA treatment, with high levels of TSP2 at the 12-week follow-up linked to a greater risk of developing HCC later on (26.5% vs. 7.0%).
- Factors like high TSP2 levels, male gender, and a history of HCC were identified as significant predictors for HCC occurrence after treatment, indicating TSP2 could be a valuable biomarker for ongoing monitoring of HCC risk
Background: The diagnosis of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) requires at least one of five cardiometabolic criteria. It is unclear whether these criteria can be used as predictors and treatment targets for complications including liver-related events and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE).
Aims: To investigate the relationship between cardiometabolic criteria and complications.
Aim: Short-term use of pemafibrate (PEM), a selective modulator of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha, has been reported to improve abnormal liver function in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease with hypertriglyceridemia (HTG-NAFLD). This study aimed to clarify the effects and predictive factors of long-term 72-week PEM administration on body composition, and laboratory tests in HTG-NAFLD patients.
Methods: Fifty-three HTG-NAFLD patients receiving a 72-week PEM regimen were retrospectively enrolled.
Background: A multi-society consensus group proposed a new nomenclature for steatotic liver disease (SLD) including metabolic-dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), MASLD and increased alcohol intake (MetALD) and alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD). However, the risk of liver-related events, major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and all-cause mortality among various sub-groups is unknown.
Aims: To evaluate the risk of liver-related events, MACE and death among patients with SLD.
Background: Circulating autotaxin (ATX) levels have been reported to correlate with liver inflammation activity and liver fibrosis severity in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The objective of this study is to investigate whether serum ATX could predict liver-related events (LRE) in NAFLD patients.
Methods: This retrospective investigation includes 309 biopsy-proven NAFLD patients registered at Shinshu University Hospital.
Background: Conflicting evidence regarding the prognosis of lean metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) has raised substantial questions.
Aim: This study aimed to elucidate the prognosis of lean MASLD by conducting a comprehensive analysis of a vast Asian cohort.
Methods: This study used a nationwide, population-based database and analyzed 2.
Aims: Optimizing glycemic control may prevent liver-related events and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). However, the optimal hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) threshold associated with a lower risk of complications, particularly liver-related events as well as MACE is unknown.
Methods: We investigated a nationwide population-based cohort and identified 633 279 patients with MASLD, with a mean follow-up of 4.
Article Synopsis
- Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) is common in patients with chronic pancreatitis (CP) and autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP), and this study aimed to identify EPI through alternative clinical markers.
- A machine learning model, specifically a decision tree, analyzed data from 57 patients, determining EPI based on low fecal elastase-1 levels and identifying body mass index and total protein as key indicators.
- The study confirmed its findings with a validation cohort of 26 patients, emphasizing the model's accuracy and potential to assist in tailoring treatments for patients with EPI.
Article Synopsis
- - A 76-year-old Japanese man with diabetes mellitus presented to the hospital with fever and back pain after endoscopic treatment for bile duct stones, leading to the diagnosis of a pyogenic liver abscess (PLA).
- - Diagnostic tests, including CT and MRI, revealed multiple complications such as septic pulmonary embolism and liver vein thrombosis, alongside the liver abscess, highlighting a serious condition known as invasive liver abscess syndrome (ILAS).
- - Cultures from the abscess drainage pointed to gram-negative bacteria, emphasizing the need for systemic infection screening in patients with PLA, particularly those with poorly controlled diabetes, as delayed treatment can lead to severe outcomes.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates the overexpression of the THBS2 gene and elevated TSP2 levels in patients with chronic liver disease, particularly focusing on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
- Researchers utilized various approaches, including single-cell RNA sequencing and analysis of liver tissue, to identify which cells express THBS2 and understand its regulatory mechanisms.
- Key findings show that THBS2 is highly expressed in hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) of NAFLD patients with advanced fibrosis, suggesting that targeting THBS2/TSP2 could be a potential strategy for anti-fibrotic therapies.
Background: Serum C-reactive protein (CRP) is an established biomarker for acute inflammation and has been identified as a prognostic indicator for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the significance of the serum CRP level, specifically in HCC patients treated with lenvatinib, remains unclear.
Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 125 HCC patients who received lenvatinib treatment at six centers.
Background And Aim: As the exact prevalence of portopulmonary hypertension (PoPH) and the etiology of chronic liver disease (CLD) remain unknown, the present study aimed to clarify these points in Japanese patients with CLD using symptom-based questionnaire screening.
Methods: Patients with CLD were asked to complete an eight-item written questionnaire on pulmonary hypertension (PH) symptoms. If at least one item response was "yes," the patient was offered ultrasonic echocardiography (UCG).
A newly developed O-glycosylated M-hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAgGi) measurement system can detect hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) associated with infectious particles. We investigated the association of HBsAgGi levels with clinical parameters and a history of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development in a cross-sectional cohort analysis (Study 1) as well as the quantitative changes in HBsAgGi during nucleos(t)ide analogue (NA) therapy in a longitudinal cohort analysis (Study 2). A total of 124 patients with genotype C chronic HBV infection were analysed in Study 1 to evaluate correlations of HBsAgGi with conventional HBV markers and HCC history.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAims: Human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-G plays a role in various physiological immunomodulatory functions. Aberrant HLA-G expression is observed in various disease states, including tumors, autoimmune disorders, and viral infections. The present study investigated the association between HLA-G functional gene polymorphisms (rs1736933 [-486 C > A], rs1049033 [+2018 C > T], 14 bp Insertion [Ins]/Deletion [Del] [+2961 Del > Ins], and rs1063320 [+3142 C > G]) and disease susceptibility, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development, and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) clearance.
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- Pemafibrate (PEM) shows promise as a treatment for hypertriglyceridemia linked to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (HTG-NAFLD), with a study analyzing its effectiveness in 88 patients.
- After 6 months of treatment, PEM led to significant reductions in liver enzymes, triglycerides, and total cholesterol without affecting body weight or composition.
- The study identified that female patients with higher levels of liver enzymes (AST and ALT) and fat mass are more likely to respond positively to PEM therapy, suggesting these factors could be key predictors for treatment efficacy.
Article Synopsis
- * A study of 350 hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients found a moderate correlation between serum TSP2 levels and both liver fibrosis stage and disease activity, suggesting that TSP2 could be a potential marker for liver damage.
- * The results showed that TSP2 levels were comparable in predictive capability for severe fibrosis to other established markers, and genetic analysis indicated that TSP2 gene expression was significantly higher in severely fibrotic patients, highlighting its possible role
Taurine, a sulfur-containing β-amino acid, is present at high concentrations in mammalian tissues and plays an important role in several essential biological processes. However, the genetic mechanisms involved in these physiological processes associated with taurine remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the regulatory mechanism underlying the taurine-induced transcriptional enhancement of the thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP).
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- The study focuses on accurately detecting early-stage hepatic fibrosis in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) without the need for invasive liver biopsies.
- Researchers developed a novel method called the 2-Step PLT16-AST44, which uses easily obtainable clinical markers (platelet count and AST levels) to identify patients with fibrosis at stage ≥F1.
- The method showed promising results in terms of sensitivity, specificity, and overall accuracy, indicating it could be a reliable tool for early detection of liver fibrosis in NAFLD patients.
Natural killer cells are modulated through the binding of killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) with human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I ligands. This study investigated the association of KIR/HLA pairs with progression to liver cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development, and nucleot(s)ide (NUC) treatment freedom in hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. KIR, HLA-Bw, and HLA-C were genotyped in 280 Japanese HBV patients for clinical comparisons.
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