Stm1 is a vacuolar PQ-loop protein involved in the transport of basic amino acids in Schizosaccharomyces pombe.

The stm1 (SPAC17C9.10) gene of Schizosaccharomyces pombe is closely related to genes encoding vacuolar PQ-loop proteins, Ypq1, Ypq2, and Ypq3, of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. When stm1 fused with GFP was expressed in fission or budding yeast, Stm1-GFP localized at the vacuolar membrane.

Retreatment with peginterferon α-2a + ribavirin in patients who failed previous peginterferon α-2b + ribavirin combination therapy.

Background/aims: Peginterferon (PEG-IFN) + ribavirin (RBV) combination therapy is the current standard of care for chronic hepatitis C. However, more than half of the patients cannot achieve sustained viral response (SVR). In Japan, the clinical benefit of retreatment with PEG-IFN + RBV combination retreatment is still unknown.

Assessment of Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI for HCC and dysplastic nodules and comparison of detection sensitivity versus MDCT.

Background: We aimed to evaluate gadolinium ethoxybenzyl diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-EOB-DTPA)-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the detection of hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) and dysplastic nodules (DNs) compared with dynamic multi-detector row computed tomography (MDCT), and to discriminate between HCCs and DNs.

Methods: Eighty-six nodules diagnosed as HCC or DNs were retrospectively investigated. Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI and dynamic MDCT were compared with respect to their diagnostic ability for hypervascular HCCs and detection sensitivity for hypovascular tumors.

Association of interleukin-28B and hepatitis C genotype 1 with a high viral load and response to pegylated interferon plus ribavirin therapy.

Background: Pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) plus ribavirin therapy is the current standard treatment for chronic hepatitis C (CHC) genotype 1 with high viral load. A common genetic variation near the IL28B gene has been found to affect the response to PEG-IFN plus ribavirin therapy for CHC. The aims of this study were to analyze the association between the rs8099917 genotype and treatment response in a cohort study of CHC.

Oral branched-chain amino acid granules reduce the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma and improve event-free survival in patients with liver cirrhosis.

Background: It has been reported that branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) supplementation can improve nutritional status and prevent liver-related complications in patients with decompensated cirrhosis. We investigated the effects of oral BCAA supplementation on the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and liver-related events in patients with compensated and decompensated cirrhosis.

Methods: We enrolled 211 patients with cirrhosis including 152 patients with Child-Pugh A cirrhosis, but no history of HCC.

Des-γ-carboxyprothrombin may be a promising biomarker to determine the therapeutic efficacy of sorafenib for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of des-γ-carboxyprothrombin (DCP) as a marker for the efficacy of sorafenib therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: Patients with advanced HCC treated with sorafenib were retrospectively evaluated, focusing on DCP levels and clinical characteristics.

Results: 50 patients with advanced HCC were treated with sorafenib alone.

Hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy using low-dose 5-fluorouracil and cisplatin for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: Although hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) using low-dose 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and cisplatin (low-dose FP) is commonly used for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with vascular invasion in Japan, few reports have investigated the efficacy and safety of this approach. We investigated the efficacy and toxicity of HAIC using low-dose FP for patients with advanced HCC as a phase II trial.

Methods: Low-dose FP consisted of a continuous arterial infusion of 5-FU (250-500 mg/day, 5 days/week, for the first 2 weeks) and cisplatin (10 mg/day, 5 days/week, for the first 2 weeks).

Radiofrequency ablation for hepatocellular carcinoma: assistant techniques for difficult cases.

Purpose: To confirm the safety and effectiveness of techniques to assist radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for difficult cases, we retrospectively evaluated successful treatment rates, early complications and local tumor progressions.

Patients And Methods: Between June 1999 and April 2009, a total of 341 patients with 535 nodules were treated as difficult cases. Artificial pleural effusion assisted ablation was performed on 64 patients with 82 nodules.

Usefulness of the post-vascular phase of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography with sonazoid in the evaluation of gross types of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the usefulness of post-vascular phase (PVP) images of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CE-US) in the evaluation of the gross types of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) that is closely related to the malignant potential of the tumor.

Methods: A total of 29 patients with 40 HCCs of <5 cm in diameter, who underwent hepatic resection, were enrolled. The gross type of the tumor was evaluated using real-time scanning during the PVP of CE-US with Sonazoid prior to surgery.

PEG-IFNalpha/RBV combination therapy for chronic hepatitis C patients increases serum ferritin level while it improves sustained viral response rate.

Objectives: We investigated the significance of serum ferritin levels in pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) and ribavirin (RBV) combination therapy for chronic hepatitis C (CHC) and examined its correlation with serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels during therapy and response to the therapy.

Methods: A total of 175 patients with CHC received the combination therapy. Correlations between serum ferritin levels and serum ALT levels at 12 and 24 weeks of therapy were examined.

Prolonged PEG-IFN and RBV is effective in patients with HCV genotype 1 and high viral load who achieved virological response later than 24 weeks.

Objective: The extension of treatment duration has been proposed in late virological responders with hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 and high viral load. However, the effectiveness of extended treatment in patients whose serum HCV RNA become undetectable later than 24 weeks of treatment (ultra-late virological responder; ULVR) has not yet been determined.

Methods: A total of 130 patients infected with HCV genotype 1 and who had high viral load were treated with pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) and ribavirin (RBV) combination therapy.

Changing trends in hepatitis C infection over the past 50 years in Japan.

In Japan, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fourth leading cause of death in males and the fifth in females. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major cause of HCC in Japan, with 70% of cases being HCV related. HCV genotype 1b, the most prevalent subtype in Japan, started to spread in the 1930s among injecting drug users (IDUs) during and after World War II or through medical procedures such as blood transfusion and use of contaminated syringes.

Combination therapy with S-1 and pegylated interferon alpha for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.

Purpose: There are currently no effective treatments for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with vascular invasion or extrahepatic metastases. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of combination therapy with S-1 and pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN)-alpha for advanced HCC.

Methods: A total of 22 patients received combination therapy with S-1 and PEG-IFN.

Response evaluation of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization in hepatocellular carcinomas: the usefulness of sonazoid-enhanced harmonic sonography.

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate if Sonazoid-enhanced harmonic ultrasonography (US) could be used to evaluate the responses of hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) to treatment with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE).

Patients And Methods: Forty-three HCCs that had been treated by TACE were evaluated by Sonazoid-enhanced harmonic US and dynamic computed tomography (CT) approximately 1 week after their treatment. The detection rates of residual tumor blood supply using the two modalities were compared.

PIVKA-II is the best prognostic predictor in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma after radiofrequency ablation therapy.

Objective: This study was undertaken to assess the prognostic predictor in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after radiofrequency ablation (RFA).

Methods: This study retrospectively evaluated clinical outcomes in a cohort of 179 Child-Pugh stage A cirrhotic patients who received curative RFA for naive HCC within Milan criteria. The median follow-up period was 40.

Imaging of hepatocellular carcinoma: qualitative and quantitative analysis of postvascular phase contrast-enhanced ultrasonography with sonazoid. Comparison with superparamagnetic iron oxide magnetic resonance images.

Purpose: To evaluate the usefulness of vascular phase images of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CE-US) with Sonazoid for hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs), a retrospective, comparative study was conducted of images of HCCs obtained by CE-US and superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and evaluated qualitatively and quantitatively.

Methods: Seventy-seven patients with 88 HCCs who received CE-US and SPIO-MRI were reviewed. The ratio of the echogenicity of the tumor and nontumor areas was calculated with postvascular phase CE-US (postvascular phase ratio).

Differential diagnosis of hepatic tumors: value of contrast-enhanced harmonic sonography using the newly developed contrast agent, Sonazoid.

Objective: To clarify the value of contrast-enhanced harmonic ultrasonography (US) with Sonazoid, a second-generation US contrast agent, in the differential diagnosis of liver tumors compared to dynamic CT.

Methods: A total of 249 hepatic nodules in 214 patients were studied; these included 177 hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs), 42 liver metastases, 20 liver hemangiomas, 6 dysplastic nodules and 4 focal nodular hyperplasias (FNHs). After the injection of Sonazoid, nodules were scanned using real-time contrast-enhanced harmonic US in the vascular phases, i.

Percutaneous radiofrequency ablation of sonographically unidentifiable liver tumors. Feasibility and usefulness of a novel guiding technique with an integrated system of computed tomography and sonographic images.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and feasibility of a real-time integrated system with computed tomography (CT) and sonographic images for radiofrequency (RF) ablation of hepatic malignancies poorly defined on B-mode sonography, and to clarify the suitable phase of CT images for using this virtual sonography.

Methods: Between September 2004 and December 2004, 12 patients with 16 hepatocellular carcinomas and two metastatic lesions arising from colorectal adenocarcinoma (n = 1) and rectal carcinoid (n = 1) were treated. The maximum diameter of nodules ranged from 1.

Initial treatment response is essential to improve survival in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma who underwent curative radiofrequency ablation therapy.

Objective: This study was undertaken to assess the outcome of potentially curative radiofrequency ablation (RFA) therapy for early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with Child-Pugh stage A cirrhosis.

Methods: This study retrospectively evaluated clinical outcomes in a cohort of 171 Child-Pugh stage A cirrhotic patients who received RFA for naïve HCC within the Milan criteria. The median follow-up period was 36.

Baseline noise and measurement uncertainty in liquid chromatography.

The stochastic properties of baseline noise in HPLC systems with a UV photo-diode array, photo-multiplier and gamma-ray detector were examined by dividing the noise into auto-correlated random process (Markov process) and an independent process (white noise). The present work focused on the effect of the stochastic noise properties on a theoretical estimation of the standard deviation (SD) of area measurements in instrumental analyses. An estimation theory, called FUMI theory (Function of Mutual Information), was taken as an example.

[Precision of internal standard method in HPLC analysis].

The internal standard methods are known to compensate for the errors from sample preparation and injection into an analytical instrument. However, recent HPLC apparatuses have injectors of excellent repeatability and it is dubious whether the cancellation of injection error can lead to substantial improvement in the precision of analysis. This paper answers the above question experimentally and theoretically.

[Estimation of precision in system suitability tests].

In system suitability tests, the daily conditions of an analytical instrument are checked with the standard deviation (SD) of measurements as a criterion. This paper examines how exactly the SD values obtained from the measurements can indicate instrumental conditions. The HPLC measurement for acetaminophen is repeated six times daily to obtain an SD estimate, and these procedures are repeated for seven days.