Immunohistochemical demonstration of transferrin receptor 1 and 2 in human hepatocellular carcinoma tissue.

Background/aims: Recent studies have confirmed that iron overload is involved not only in liver carcinogenesis, but in its progression. Results in studies using liver cancer cell lines have suggested a relationship between transferrin receptor (TfR) expression and liver carcinogenesis, but TfR expression has not yet been analyzed in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues.

Methodology: We immunohistochemically assessed the expression of TfR1 and TfR2 in tumor tissues and adjacent non-tumorous liver tissues from 41 HCC patients who underwent partial hepatectomy.

Combination therapy of lamivudine and adefovir in Japanese patients with chronic hepatitis B.

Purpose: This study aimed to clarify the long-term efficacy of the lamivudine treatment in Japanese patients with chronic hepatitis B either with or without lamivudine resistance or with or without adefovir add-on treatment.

Methods: We followed 110 patients who received lamivudine for more than 12 months, including 67 hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive and 43 HBeAg-negative patients.

Results: The median follow-up after the onset of lamivudine was 48 (range = 12-86) months.

Hepatocellular carcinoma in a patient with liver cirrhosis associated with negative serum HCV tests but positive liver tissue HCV RNA.

A 70-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital because of a liver tumor. Laboratory data revealed mild liver dysfunction. Neither serum anti-HCV antibody nor HCV-RNA was detected.