New prediction factors of small-for-size syndrome in living donor adult liver transplantation for chronic liver disease.

Small-for-size syndrome (SFSS), which is characterized by synthetic dysfunction and prolonged cholestasis, is a major cause of worse short-term prognoses after living donor adult liver transplantation (LDALT). However, the risks of SFSS remain unclear. The aim of this study was to clarify the risks of SFSS, which were analysed in 172 patients who underwent LDALT for chronic liver disease.

Long-term results of hepatic resection combined with intraoperative local ablation therapy for patients with multinodular hepatocellular carcinomas.

Background: Recently, local ablation therapy has been widely used for treatment of small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The present study assessed the outcome of hepatic resection combined with intraoperative local ablation therapy in patients with multinodular HCCs.

Methods: Forty-one patients with initial and multinodular HCCs underwent hepatic resection combined with intraoperative local ablation therapy.

CD10+ fibroblasts are more involved in the progression of hilar/extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma than of peripheral intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

Aims: To identify the role of CD10 expression of tumour-associated fibroblastic cells in the progression of cholangiocarcinoma (CC).

Methods And Results: The CD10 expression of fibroblastic cells was investigated immunohistochemically in 167 cases of intrahepatic and extrahepatic CC and 29 cases of biliary dysplasia, comparing the clinicopathological parameters. CD10 expression of fibroblastic cells was observed in 5.

Impact of amino acid substitutions in the core region of HCV on multistep hepatocarcinogenesis.

Aim: The core protein of hepatitis C virus (HCV) has multiple functions for not only viral replication but also hepatocellular carcinogenesis. A significant association of the substitutions in the core region with hepatocarcinogenesis has recently been reported. In this report, we evaluated the association of the substitutions in the core region with multistep hepatocarcinogenesis.

Imaging of cholangiolocellular carcinoma of the liver.

Aim: Cholangiolocellular carcinoma (CoCC) is currently considered to originate from hepatic progenitor cells. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the imaging features of cholangiolocellular carcinoma of the liver.

Materials And Methods: Five cases of surgically resected cases of CoCC from 4 institutions were retrospectively evaluated.

Phase II trial of gemcitabine combined with 5-fluorouracil and cisplatin (GFP) chemotherapy in patients with advanced biliary tree cancers.

Objective: Advanced biliary tree cancers are often diagnosed at an advanced or metastatic stage and have poor prognoses. We reported the promising anti-tumor activity of gemcitabine/5-fluorouracil (5-FU)/cisplatin (CDDP) therapy, called 'GFP chemotherapy' in a pilot study.

Methods: Twenty-one patients with advanced or metastatic biliary tree cancers with no prior chemotherapy were enrolled in this Phase II trial.

Surgical radiofrequency ablation for treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma: an endoscopic or open approach.

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is widely used for the treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with cirrhosis, however, unexpected injuries to the adjacent organs remains the most critical problem after endoscopic radiofrequency ablation (RFA) using a percutaneous approach. The endoscopic RFA is a minimally invasive treatment for HCC with difficultly in the location due to limited percutaneous access. In this study, it was used an endoscopic approach or an open surgical approach for the treatment of 46 patients with unresectable HCC.

Dual hepatic artery reconstruction in living donor liver transplantation using a left hepatic graft with 2 hepatic arterial stumps.

Background: A left hepatic graft in living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) often has 2 thin and short hepatic arterial stumps, which makes hepatic artery (HA) reconstructions much more difficult to perform. Consequently, some investigators regard using a left graft as a contraindication to LDLT, whereas others report that the reconstruction of only 1 HA is sufficient for most LDLTs. The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate whether 2 HAs on a left hepatic graft in an LDLT can be reconstructed safely and whether the outcomes of LDLTs are affected by reconstructing both HAs (dual reconstruction).

Diacylglycerol kinase eta augments C-Raf activity and B-Raf/C-Raf heterodimerization.

The Ras/B-Raf/C-Raf/MEK/ERK signaling cascade is critical for the control of many fundamental cellular processes, including proliferation, survival, and differentiation. This study demonstrated that small interfering RNA-dependent knockdown of diacylglycerol kinase eta (DGKeta) impaired the Ras/B-Raf/C-Raf/MEK/ERK pathway activated by epidermal growth factor (EGF) in HeLa cells. Conversely, the overexpression of DGKeta1 could activate the Ras/B-Raf/C-Raf/MEK/ERK pathway in a DGK activity-independent manner, suggesting that DGKeta serves as a scaffold/adaptor protein.

Fascin expression in progression and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background And Objectives: Fascin is an actin-bundling protein and induces membrane protrusions and cell motility after the formation of lamellipodia or filopodia. Fascin expression has been reported to be associated with progression or prognosis in various neoplasms, but the role of fascin in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinicopathological and prognostic relevance of fascin by immunohistochemistry.

The state of cholesterol metabolism in the liver of patients with primary biliary cirrhosis: the role of MDR3 expression.

Aim: Because dyslipidemia, such as hypercholesterolemia, is a characteristic of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), hepatic lipid metabolism may be disturbed in PBC patients. We examined the expression of lipid metabolism-associated genes in PBC liver.

Methods: All of the patients examined were in stage I or II PBC and without medication.

Rituximab, IVIG, and plasma exchange without graft local infusion treatment: a new protocol in ABO incompatible living donor liver transplantation.

Background: Although graft local infusion (GLI) treatment via the portal vein or the hepatic artery has been the pivotal strategy in ABO incompatible (ABOi) living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) in Japan, the procedure is associated with a high rate of catheter-associated complications.

Methods: A new ABOi-LDLT protocol has been implemented using rituximab, intravenous immune globulin (IVIG), plasma exchange (PE), and splenectomy, without using GLI, on four patients, since 2007. Three other patients, treated before 2007, received GLI.

Surgical complications after living donor liver transplantation in patients with biliary atresia: a relatively high incidence of portal vein complications.

Background/purpose: The aim of this study is to present the surgical complications in living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) for biliary atresia (BA) as a treatment for end stage liver disease.

Patients And Methods: Twenty-nine LDLTs were performed in patients with BA between October 1996 and April 2008 in Department of Pediatric Surgery at Kyushu University Hospital. The initial immunosuppression was a combination of tacrolimus and steroids.

Hypersplenism after living donor liver transplantation.

Background/aims: It has not determined whether post-transplant persistent hypersplenism (PTPH) occurs after living donor liver transplantation (LDLT).

Methodology: One hundred and ninety-four patients who survived more than 6 months after LDLTs were examined for the evaluation to determine the incidence of PTPH (leukocyte counts <3,500/microL and/or platelet counts <7.5 x 10(4)/microL).

Recurrent familial hypobetalipoproteinemia-induced nonalcoholic fatty liver disease after living donor liver transplantation.

Familial hypobetalipoproteinemia (FHBL) is one of the causes of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and a codominant disorder. Patients heterozygous for FHBL may be asymptomatic, although they demonstrate low plasma levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and apolipoprotein B. Here we report a nonobese 54-year-old man with decompensated liver cirrhosis who underwent living donor liver transplantation with his son as the donor.

Surgical resection of pulmonary malignant tumors after living donor liver transplantation.

Background: The aim of this study is to report on patients who developed tumor recurrence of the lung or de novo pulmonary malignancies after living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) and to show the benefit of a surgical resection for these pulmonary malignant tumors.

Methods: A total 246 patients who underwent LDLT were investigated.

Results: Pulmonary malignant tumors after LDLT were observed in 12 (4.

Rapid normalization of portopulmonary hypertension after living donor liver transplantation.

Portopulmonary hypertension (PPHTN) is a relatively rare complication of end-stage liver disease, and a serious problem in the context of liver transplantation. Herein we have reported a case of decompensated liver cirrhosis with PPHTN, which rapidly resolved after adult-to-adult living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). A 54-year-old man was referred to our hospital with end-stage liver cirrhosis owing to chronic hepatitis C.

Both fibrous capsule formation and extracapsular penetration are powerful predictors of poor survival in human hepatocellular carcinoma: a histological assessment of 365 patients in Japan.

Background: A new definition of infiltration to the capsule (fc-inf) has been proposed as a novel marker for predicting the prognosis of 88 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The current aim was to present evidence to develop the fibrous capsule and fc-inf, from the Japanese histological findings for HCC, and to validate their biological significances and predictive power of survival in a large series.

Methods: A total of 365 HCCs were divided into HCCs without the fibrous capsule (NC type; n = 135) and HCCs with the fibrous capsule (FC type; n = 230).

Human VAP-C negatively regulates hepatitis C virus propagation.

Human vesicle-associated membrane protein-associated protein (VAP) subtype A (VAP-A) and subtype B (VAP-B) are involved in the regulation of membrane trafficking, lipid transport and metabolism, and the unfolded protein response. VAP-A and VAP-B consist of the major sperm protein (MSP) domain, the coiled-coil motif, and the C-terminal transmembrane anchor and form homo- and heterodimers through the transmembrane domain. VAP-A and VAP-B interact with NS5B and NS5A of hepatitis C virus (HCV) through the MSP domain and the coiled-coil motif, respectively, and participate in the replication of HCV.

Phase I/II study of the lipiodolization using DDP-H (CDDP powder; IA-call(®)) in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma.

Purpose: Lipiodol Ultra-Fluid (Lipiodol(®)), an oily contrast medium, is selectively retained in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) through hepatic arterial infusion. DDP-H (IA-call(®)) developed as a CDDP powder, and may be a possible chemotherapeutic agent with lipiodol. We carried out a phase I/II study of the lipiodolization using DPP-H in patients with unresectable HCC.

Congestion of the donor remnant right liver after extended left lobe donation.

The clinical importance of congestion of the remnant right lobe has not yet been fully elucidated in donors who donate their left lobe with the middle hepatic vein. The impact of congestion on clinical course and liver regeneration in 52 donor remnant livers were evaluated. The donors were divided into three groups according to the degree of the congestion: the mild [congestion ratio (CR) < 10%], moderate (CR ranged from 10% to 25%) and severe congestion groups (CR > 25%).

Transient elastography for the prediction of oxaliplatin-associated liver injury in colon cancer patients: a preliminary analysis.

Objective: The prognosis of advanced colon cancer has improved significantly over the last decade since new chemotherapy regimens including oxaliplatin have been developed. However, oxaliplatin-induced liver injury and characterized hepatic hemostatic status can occur after chemotherapy. The assessment of this type of liver injury is often difficult.