Correction: The association between vitamin D receptor polymorphism and phases of chronic hepatitis B infection in HBV carriers in Thailand.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Cost-utility analysis of atezolizumab combined with bevacizumab for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma in Thailand.

Background: Clinical trials have proven the efficacy and safety of atezolizumab combined with bevacizumab (A+B) in treating unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC). This study aimed to assess the cost-utility of A+B compared to best supportive care (BSC) among uHCC patients in Thailand.

Methods: We conducted a cost-utility analysis from a societal perspective.

Bacterial DNA Translocation Is Associated With Overt Hepatic Encephalopathy and Mortality in Patients With Cirrhosis.

Introduction: Data on the relationship between bacterial translocation, hepatic encephalopathy (HE), and mortality are scarce. This study aimed to assess the association between bacterial DNA (bactDNA) translocation, inflammatory response, ammonia levels, and severity of HE in patients with cirrhosis, as well as the role of bactDNA translocation in predicting mortality.

Methods: Cirrhotic patients without bacterial infection were prospectively enrolled between June 2022 and January 2023.

Prevalence of hepatitis D virus infection among patients with chronic hepatitis B infection in a tertiary care centre in Thailand.

Knowledge about the epidemiology of hepatitis D virus (HDV) is essential for effective screening and management. Our study aimed to update the prevalence of HDV infection among patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection at hepatology clinics in Thailand. We enrolled HBV-infected patients from hepatology clinics at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand, between June 2022 and November 2023.

Novel Therapeutic Approaches in Treatment of Acute-on-Chronic Liver Failure.

Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF), a clinical syndrome that can develop at any stage in the progression of cirrhotic liver disease, is characterized by an acute decompensation in liver function with associated multiorgan failure and high short-term mortality. Current evidence points to ACLF being reversible, particularly in those at the lower end of the severity spectrum. However, there are no specific treatments for ACLF, and overall outcomes remain poor.

Predictive Role of Pretreatment Circulating miR-221 in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma Undergoing Transarterial Chemoembolization.

Aberrantly expressed circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) have been demonstrated to have a crucial role in the diagnosis and prognostication of various cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This research aimed to examine the role of specific miRNAs in predicting the outcomes for individuals with hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related HCC treated with transarterial chemoembolization (TACE). Stored serum specimens collected prior to the first TACE procedure were employed to determine the expression of serum miR-122, miR-221, and miR-224 using quantitative real-time PCR analysis.

Calcitriol Protects against Acetaminophen-Induced Hepatotoxicity in Mice.

Acetaminophen (APAP) overdose is one of the major causes of acute liver failure. Severe liver inflammation and the production of oxidative stress occur due to toxic APAP metabolites and glutathione depletion. Growing evidence has proved that vitamin D (VD) exerts anti-inflammatory and antioxidative functions.

Immunogenicity, Immune Dynamics, and Subsequent Response to the Booster Dose of Heterologous versus Homologous Prime-Boost Regimens with Adenoviral Vector and mRNA SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine among Liver Transplant Recipients: A Prospective Study.

Background: Heterologous prime-boost vaccination potentially augments the immune response against SARS-CoV-2 in liver transplant (LT) recipients. We investigated immunogenicity induced by different primary prime-boost vaccination protocols and the subsequent response to the booster vaccine among LT recipients. Methods: LT recipients, who received primary immunisation with ChAdOx1/ChAdOx1 or ChAdOx1/BNT162b2, were administered the third dose of mRNA-1273 three months following the primary vaccination.

The association between vitamin D receptor polymorphism and phases of chronic hepatitis B infection in HBV carriers in Thailand.

Vitamin D receptor (VDR) polymorphism partly regulates the immune system and is associated with hepatic flare in chronic Hepatitis B virus infection (HBV). Our study identified the association between two distinct phases, VDR polymorphisms and HBV inactive carrier (IC) and chronic hepatitis (CH). Chronic HBV patients were enrolled from February to August 2020.

Targeted Proteins Reveal Cathepsin D as a Novel Biomarker in Differentiating Hepatocellular Carcinoma from Cirrhosis and Other Liver Cancers.

Objective: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) represents a global health concern, particularly in Southeast Asia where hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is common. In this study, we applied tissue-based proteomics to identify novel serological proteins for HCC and validated their performance in serum specimens.

Methods: In a discovery set, liver tissue specimens of HBV-related HCC, intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) and colorectal cancer with liver metastasis (CRLM) were analyzed using mass spectrometry (LTQ-Orbitrap-XL).

Validation and prognostic value of EZ-ALBI score in patients with intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma treated with trans-arterial chemoembolization.

Background: Heterogeneity of liver function and tumor burden in intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) results in different outcomes after transarterial chemoembolization (TACE). Easy albumin-bilirubin (EZ-ALBI), a simplified albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) score, has recently been proposed as a new prognostic score for HCC. This study aimed to validate the EZ-ALBI score and evaluate the impact of dynamic changes in patients with intermediate-stage HCC undergoing TACE.

Non-invasive tests for liver fibrosis assessment in patients with chronic liver diseases: a prospective study.

There is an urgent need of non-invasive tests (NITs) for monitoring treatment response and disease progression in chronic liver disease. Liver stiffness (LS) evaluated by transient elastography (TE), shear wave elastography (SWE), and magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) and serum markers e.g.

Identification of BHLHE40 expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells as a novel biomarker for diagnosis and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Novel and sensitive biomarkers is highly required for early detection and predicting prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Here, we investigated transcription profiles from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of 8 patients with HCC and PBMCs from co-culture model with HCC using RNA-Sequencing. These transcription profiles were cross compared with published microarray datasets of PBMCs in HCC to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs).

Stability of hepatitis B virus pregenomic RNA in plasma specimens under various temperatures and storage conditions.

Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) pregenomic RNA (pgRNA) has gained increasing attention owing to its role in replication of covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) in HBV. This marker has the potential to be used in clinical programs aimed to manage HBV infections. However, several reports on HBV pgRNA levels in clinical cases have conflicting results.

Effect of vitamin D supplementation in patients with chronic hepatitis C after direct-acting antiviral treatment: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Background: Replacement of vitamin D (VD) among patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) before viral eradication has demonstrated a protective effect on serum markers associated with hepatic fibrogenesis. We therefore hypothesized that VD may facilitate further fibrosis amelioration following curative treatment with direct-acting antivirals (DAA).

Methods: This study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial conducted between February 2018 and August 2018.

Changes in hepatic fibrosis and vitamin D levels after viral hepatitis C eradication using direct-acting antiviral therapy.

Background: Vitamin D (VD) is important in hepatic fibrogenesis in animal models and human studies. VD deficiency is associated with liver fibrosis progression. Metabolic dysfunction of the liver, as an intermediate organ for VD metabolism, contributes partly to this deficiency.

Association between Vitamin D Receptor Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms and Colorectal Cancer in the Thai Population: A Case-Control Study.

Vitamin D and its cognate intracellular nuclear receptor, namely, vitamin D receptor (VDR), are involved in the regulation of a variety of body metabolic processes, immune function, and oncogenesis. A large number of studies demonstrated the association of low vitamin D levels and variations in five common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), I, I, I, I, and I, with the risk of several cancers, including colorectal cancers. However, these associations vary among different populations.

Clinical significance of post-liver transplant hepatitis E seropositivity in high prevalence area of hepatitis E genotype 3: a prospective study.

High hepatitis E (HEV) seroprevalence has been reported in the general population and in post-liver transplant (LT) cases in several regions, including Thailand, with genotype 3 being a predominant genotype. We hypothesized that HEV might persist at a subclinical level and might pose clinical risks in the post-LT period. We performed a cross-sectional study with 108 post-LT patients and found an IgG seroprevalence of 55.