Publications by authors named "Taeang Arai"
Aim: This study aimed to compare the prognostic performance of the risk models for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) receiving atezolizumab and bevacizumab (Atez/Bev) as first-line treatment.
Methods: Among 449 patients included in this retrospective multicenter study, we compared the prognostic performance of 13 risk models for the 12-month and 18-month survival status using area under the curve (AUC), net reclassification improvement (NRI), and relative integrated discrimination improvement (IDI) analysis. We also constructed a calibration plot to assess the fitness of each model.
Background: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is positively associated with the prevalence and severity of psoriasis. The fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) index was developed to predict significant liver fibrosis. Using the FIB-4 index, the present study evaluated screening data for liver fibrosis, including MASLD, in patients with refractory psoriasis treated with biologics.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn the current era of immune therapy, lenvatinib (LEN) continues to be vital for treating unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC) patients. This study investigates the importance of nutritional status in the prognosis of uHCC patients receiving LEN and evaluates a new prognostic scoring system that combines the geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI) and systemic inflammatory response. From 2018 to 2022, 484 uHCC patients treated with LEN (384 males, median age 73).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- The study assessed the effectiveness of serum type 4 collagen 7S (COL4-7S) compared to the Enhanced Liver Fibrosis (ELF) score in detecting liver fibrosis in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD).
- Among 1,368 patients, 794 were analyzed, revealing that both COL4-7S and ELF scores rise with increasing fibrosis, but COL4-7S showed significantly better performance for identifying advanced fibrosis (≥2) especially in diabetic patients.
- Overall, COL4-7S proved to be at least as effective as the ELF score in diagnosing advanced liver disease in MASLD patients.
The Fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) index is widely recommended as a first-tier method for screening advanced hepatic fibrosis; however, its diagnostic performance is known to be suboptimal in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We aim to propose a modified FIB-4, using the parameters of the existing FIB-4, tailored specifically for diabetic patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). A total of 1503 patients who underwent liver biopsy were divided into T2DM ( = 517) and non-T2DM ( = 986) groups.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAim: Since the development of tremelimumab plus durvalumab (Dur/Tre) for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC), it has been used as not only an initial but also later line treatment in clinical practice. This study aimed to elucidate clinical prognostic factors for progression-free survival (PFS) in Dur/Tre treatment cases.
Methods: Enrolled were 183 uHCC patients treated with Dur/Tre from 2023 to May 2024 (median age, 74 years; male patients, 152; Child-Pugh class A:B, 150:33; Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage B:C, 59:124; initial line use, 64).
Article Synopsis
- - This study investigates what factors predict conversion therapy success in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC) and compares the survival outcomes of those who underwent conversion therapy to those with partial or complete responses after treatment with atezolizumab and bevacizumab.
- - Out of 946 uHCC patients studied, only 43 (4.5%) received conversion therapy, with a higher overall response rate in this group (65.1%) compared to those who did not undergo conversion therapy (23.7%), indicating a statistically significant difference.
- - Factors such as earlier BCLC stage, lack of macrovascular invasion or extrahepatic spread, and low neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio were found
Aims: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of oral semaglutide for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD).
Materials And Methods: This was a single-arm, multicentre, prospective study. Among 80 consecutive patients with MASLD and T2DM who newly received oral semaglutide, 70 completed 48-week oral semaglutide treatment as scheduled and were included in an efficacy analysis.
Article Synopsis
- Lenvatinib is a treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (aHCC), but it can increase the risk of bleeding from esophagogastric varices (EGVs). This study looked into how common EGVs are, what predicts their bleeding, and the complications they cause in patients receiving lenvatinib.
- A total of 535 cirrhotic patients undergoing lenvatinib treatment were examined. The study found that 44% of these patients had EGVs, with a 3% incidence of bleeding over 12 months, mainly occurring in patients identified as being at high risk for EGVs.
- The only notable predictor for EGV bleeding was having high-risk
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates how esophageal varices change in patients with cirrhosis after achieving sustained virological response (SVR) using direct-acting antivirals (DAAs).
- 243 patients were examined before and after DAA treatment, revealing that 14.8% experienced worsened varices post-SVR and 11.9% showed improvement.
- The ALBI score at SVR12 was identified as a significant predictor for both worsening varices and the development of new varices, with specific cut-off values highlighting the risk.
- Despite achieving SVR, patients with high ALBI scores remain at risk for negative changes in their esophageal varices.
Background: Atezolizumab plus bevacizumab (Atezo/Bev) is frequently selected as the primary systemic therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
Aims: To investigate the outcomes of patients with HCC treated with Atezo/Bev in a real-world setting based on whether they met the inclusion criteria for the phase 3 IMbrave150 trial.
Methods: A total of 936 patients were enrolled.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to develop a prognostic scoring system for patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC) treated with atezolizumab plus bevacizumab (Atez/Bev).
- A total of 719 patients were analyzed, examining factors such as BCLC classification, AFP level, and mALBI scores to create the IMABALI-De scoring system, which showed better predictive ability for overall and progression-free survival compared to the CRAFITY score.
- The IMABALI-De score demonstrated significant results, indicating it may be a more effective tool for predicting outcomes in patients undergoing this combination treatment for liver cancer.
Background And Aim: This study aimed to clarify the efficacy and safety of 48-week pemafibrate treatment in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) complicated by dyslipidemia.
Methods: A total of 110 patients diagnosed with MASLD complicated by dyslipidemia received pemafibrate at a dose of 0.1 mg twice daily for 48 weeks.
Sarcopenia frequently and progressively occurs in patients with chronic liver disease. This study aimed to clarify the relationship between vitamin D levels and muscle mass loss. A total of 166 patients with chronic liver disease were enrolled in this study.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- - The study examines the impact of Body Mass Index (BMI) on survival among patients with advanced liver cancer (HCC) undergoing first-line treatment with either atezolizumab plus bevacizumab or lenvatinib, focusing on underweight, normal-weight, and overweight classifications.
- - In a cohort of 1,292 patients, results indicated that underweight individuals had significantly shorter overall survival (OS) compared to normal-weight patients, while no significant differences in OS were observed between normal and overweight patients.
- - The research highlights the differing prognostic implications of BMI in cancer treatment, suggesting that underweight patients may require more focused clinical considerations in advanced HCC therapy.
Background And Aim: The benefits of entecavir (ETV) versus tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) in reducing the development of chronic hepatitis B (CHB)-related hepatocellular carcinoma remain controversial. Whether mortality rates differ between patients with CHB treated with ETV and those treated with TDF is unclear.
Methods: A total of 2542 patients with CHB treated with either ETV or TDF were recruited from a multinational cohort.
Background And Aim: While several predictive models for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have been proposed, including those for patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection who have achieved sustained virologic response (SVR), the best model may differ between regions. We compared the ability of six reported models to stratify the risk of post-SVR HCC in Japan, where rigorous surveillance and early detection of HCC is common.
Methods: A total of 6048 patients with no history of HCC who achieved SVR by oral direct-acting antiviral drugs were enrolled in this nationwide study.
Background And Aims: The diagnostic performance of the Fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) index and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) fibrosis score (NFS) is poor in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We determined the usefulness of the Enhanced Liver Fibrosis (ELF) test in patients with T2DM.
Methods: A total of 1228 patients with biopsy-proven NAFLD were enrolled.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to compare the effects of two treatments, atezolizumab plus bevacizumab (Atez/Bev) and lenvatinib (LEN), on liver function in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.
- A total of 526 patients who received Atez/Bev and 731 who received LEN were analyzed, with 324 patients in each group after matching, using a model to evaluate liver health changes over time.
- Both treatments led to similar deterioration in liver function scores, with significant worsening observed in LEN-treated patients who were at an advanced cancer stage or received a full dose, highlighting the need for caution in these cases.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to compare the effectiveness of two treatments, atezolizumab plus bevacizumab (Atez/Bev) and lenvatinib (LEN), for elderly patients (80 years and older) with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
- A total of 262 patients were analyzed, with similar age and gender distributions in both treatment groups, showing comparable objective response rates and overall survival.
- Atez/Bev demonstrated a higher incidence of postprogression treatment and a lower discontinuation rate due to side effects, suggesting it could be a viable first-line option for treating HCC in elderly patients.
Article Synopsis
- - Elevated serum gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) levels are linked to higher mortality rates in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients receiving nucleotide/nucleoside analog treatments, showing significant increases in GGT measurements before and six months after treatment.
- - A study analyzing 2,843 CHB patients found that factors such as cirrhosis, age, and pretreatment GGT levels are strong predictors of both all-cause and liver-related mortality, with cirrhosis having the highest hazard ratio.
- - The link between pretreatment GGT levels and mortality remains consistent regardless of alcohol use history, and there is a noticeable dose-dependent association with different percentiles of GGT indicating increased mortality risk
Article Synopsis
- - The study aimed to compare the effectiveness of two treatments, atezolizumab plus bevacizumab (Atezo/Bev) and lenvatinib (LEN), in patients with intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) according to the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) staging system.
- - A total of 358 patients were evaluated, with those receiving Atezo/Bev experiencing a median progression-free survival (PFS) of 10.8 months, while those receiving LEN had a PFS of 7.3 months, indicating better outcomes for Atezo/Bev.
- - Overall, the findings suggest that Atezo/Bev as the first-line treatment leads to significantly longer progression
Although eliminating HCV can prevent hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), some patients develop HCC even after obtaining sustained virologic response (SVR). Previously, we developed a new formula to predict advanced liver fibrosis. This study aimed to clarify the usefulness of this formula for predicting HCC after achieving SVR.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAim: This study aimed to evaluate the ability of a previously reported tumor marker (TM) score involving alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), fucosylated AFP (AFP-L3), and des gamma-carboxy prothrombin (DCP) as TMs in predicting the prognosis and therapeutic efficacy in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients administered atezolizumab plus bevacizumab (Atez/Bev) as first-line treatment.
Materials/methods: The study period covered September 2020 to December 2022 and involved 371 HCC patients treated with Atez/Bev. The values of the TMs AFP, AFP-L3, and DCP were measured upon introducing Atez/Bev.
The vertical and horizontal broken lines indicate the pre-revised criteria, whereas the vertical and horizontal solid lines indicate the 2022 European Society of Cardiology/European Respiratory Society criteria.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF