Clinical usefulness of an ultra-high-sensitivity hepatitis B surface antigen assay to determine the cessation of treatment for HBV reactivation.

Introduction And Objectives: We aimed to compare the usefulness of the ultra-high-sensitivity hepatitis B surface antigen (iTACT-HBsAg), high-sensitivity hepatitis B core-related antigen (iTACT-HBcrAg), and anti-HBs assays in determination of cessation of nucleot(s)ide analogue (NA) treatment to prevent against hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation.

Patients And Methods: Twenty-two patients who developed HBV reactivation under immunosuppressive therapy or chemotherapy and had been administered NA and subsequently discontinued were enrolled. The stored serum samples taken at NA cessation were applied to iTACT-HBsAg (lower limit of detection; 0.

Analysis of Carcinogenic Involvement of MicroRNA Pattern in Peripheral Non-Cancerous Tissues and Chronic Viral Liver Injury.

Risk factors for hepatocarcinogenesis include chronic inflammation due to viral infection, liver fibrosis, and aging. In this study, we separated carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic cases due to hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, aiming to comprehensively analyze miRNA expression in liver tissues by age, and identify factors that contribute to carcinogenesis. Total RNA was extracted from 360 chronic hepatitis C (CH), 43 HCV infected hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and surrounding non-tumor (SNT) tissues.

Poorly Differentiated Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells Avoid Apoptosis by Interacting with T Cells via CD40-CD40 Ligand Linkage.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is associated with increased soluble CD40 levels. This study aimed to investigate CD40's role in liver tumor progression. CD40 levels were examined in HCC patient tissues and various HCC cell lines, and their interaction with CD4T cells was studied.

Outcomes of Cessation of Nucleos(t)ide Analog Administration on Hepatitis B Virus Reactivation after Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: A Nationwide Retrospective Study.

Monitoring of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-DNA and HBV-DNA-guided preemptive therapy using nucleos(t)ide analogs (NAs) are recommended to prevent the development of hepatitis due to HBV reactivation after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) in recipients with resolved HBV infection. However, little is known about the appropriate duration of NA treatment and the effect of NA cessation on the recurrence of HBV reactivation. This study aimed to clarify the consequences of NA cessation in allo-HSCT recipients with resolved HBV infection who experienced HBV reactivation following transplantation.

Characterization of circulating miRNAs in the treatment of primary liver tumors.

Background And Aim: Circulating micro RNAs (miRNAs) indicate clinical pathologies such as inflammation and carcinogenesis. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether miRNA expression level patterns in could be used to diagnose hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and biliary tract cancer (BTC), and the relationship miRNA expression patterns and cancer etiology.

Methods: Patients with HCC and BTC with indications for surgery were selected for the study.

Real-world treatment outcome with protease inhibitor direct-acting antiviral in advanced hepatitis C cirrhosis: a REAL-C study.

Introduction: Current guidelines discourage the use of direct-acting antiviral (DAA) containing protease-inhibitor (PI) in advanced HCV cirrhosis. We aimed to compare the real-world tolerability of PI vs. non-PI DAA regimens in this population.

Methylated SEPT9 assay-based liquid biopsy as a biomarker in molecular targeted agent-treated hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: The development of molecular targeted agents (MTAs) has changed the treatment strategy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, currently, there are no established predictive biomarkers for the treatment efficacy of MTAs. Previously, we developed a novel liquid biopsy test for HCC screening using sensitive methylated DNA testing of septin 9 gene (SEPT9).

A case of hepatocellular carcinoma with "pseudoprogression" followed by complete response to atezolizumab plus bevacizumab.

Atezolizumab plus bevacizumab (Atezo + Bev) is the first immunotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and in the current guidelines, it is positioned as the first-line chemotherapy for unresectable cases. Herein, we report a case of HCC with pseudoprogression followed by a complete response to Atezo + Bev. A 56 year-old man was diagnosed with intermediate-stage HCC, as defined by the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer system stage B.

Short-term hepatocyte function and portal hypertension outcomes of sofosbuvir/velpatasvir for decompensated hepatitis C-related cirrhosis.

Background: It is unclear whether hepatocyte function and/or portal hypertension improves if a sustained virologic response (SVR) is achieved with direct-acting antivirals in patients with decompensated hepatitis C-related cirrhosis.

Methods: We examined the safety and efficacy of a 12-week course of sofosbuvir/velpatasvir (SOF/VEL) in 20 patients with decompensated hepatitis C-related cirrhosis. We also investigated changes in the hepatocyte receptor index (LHL15) and blood clearance index (HH15) by Tc-99 m-galactosyl human serum albumin scintigraphy, liver stiffness measurement (LSM) by transient elastography, and hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) in patients who achieved an SVR at 24 weeks after treatment (SVR24).

Risk factors for liver-related and non-liver-related mortality following a sustained virological response after direct-acting antiviral treatment for hepatitis C virus infection in a real-world cohort.

A direct-acting antiviral (DAA)-induced sustained virological response (SVR) reduces the risk of mortality. However, the risk factors associated with liver-related and non-liver-related mortality following a SVR after DAA treatment are unclear. We assessed the incidence and risk factors of liver-related and non-liver-related mortality in 1180 patients who achieved a SVR after DAA treatment.

Efficacy of rechallenge transcatheter arterial chemoembolization after lenvatinib treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background And Aim: We evaluated the efficacy of rechallenge transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) after lenvatinib (LEN) treatment in patients with previous TACE failure/refractoriness.

Methods: We enrolled 63 consecutive patients with a history of TACE failure/refractoriness prior to LEN treatment as a first-line systemic therapy. We reviewed the clinical backgrounds and courses of the patients.

Cancer cells produce liver metastasis via gap formation in sinusoidal endothelial cells through proinflammatory paracrine mechanisms.

Intracellular gap (iGap) formation in liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) is caused by the destruction of fenestrae and appears under pathological conditions; nevertheless, their role in metastasis of cancer cells to the liver remained unexplored. We elucidated that hepatotoxin-damaged and fibrotic livers gave rise to LSECs-iGap formation, which was positively correlated with increased numbers of metastatic liver foci after intrasplenic injection of Hepa1-6 cells. Hepa1-6 cells induced interleukin-23-dependent tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) secretion by LSECs and triggered LSECs-iGap formation, toward which their processes protruded to transmigrate into the liver parenchyma.

Soluble Immune Checkpoint Protein CD27 Is a Novel Prognostic Biomarker of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Development in Hepatitis C Virus-Sustained Virological Response Patients.

Factors affecting the probability of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development even after sustained virological response (SVR) following anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) therapy remain unelucidated. This study characterized the role of 16 soluble (s) immune checkpoint proteins in 168 HCV-SVR patients, with 47 developing HCC at the study end point. At baseline, high concentrations of 10 immune checkpoint proteins were found in the sera of the HCC group.

Sofosbuvir-velpatasvir in adults with hepatitis C virus infection and compensated cirrhosis in Japan.

Background & Purpose: Protease-free regimens for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection are safe and effective for persons with either compensated or decompensated cirrhosis. We examined the efficacy and safety of sofosbuvir-velpatasvir in participants with HCV and compensated cirrhosis in Japan.

Methods: This was a Phase 3, multi-center, open-label study.

Clinical usefulness of a novel high-sensitivity hepatitis B core-related antigen assay to determine the initiation of treatment for HBV reactivation.

Backgrounds: A fully automated, novel, high-sensitivity hepatitis B core-related antigen assay (iTACT-HBcrAg) has been developing. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of measuring HBcrAg, using that assay, to diagnose HBV reactivation in a multi-center setting, compared with ultra-high-sensitivity HBsAg (iTACT-HBsAg) and HBV DNA assays.

Methods: Forty-four patients with HBV reactivation from 2008 to 2020 were enrolled in four hospitals.

Soluble programmed cell death-1 predicts hepatocellular carcinoma development during nucleoside analogue treatment.

Soluble immune checkpoint molecules are emerging novel mediators of immune regulation. However, it is unclear whether soluble immune checkpoint proteins affect the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) during nucleos(t)ide analogue (NA) treatment in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection. This study included 122 NA-naïve patients who received NA therapy.

Direct-acting antivirals reduce the risk of tumour progression of hepatocellular carcinoma after curative treatment.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has high recurrence rates. HCC sometimes progresses from early-stage HCC (Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer [BCLC] stage 0/A) to advanced-stage HCC after repeated recurrences and treatments. HCC progression deteriorates quality of life and prognosis.

A novel noninvasive formula for predicting cirrhosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

Evaluating liver fibrosis is crucial for disease severity assessment, treatment decisions, and hepatocarcinogenic risk prediction among patients with chronic hepatitis C. In this retrospective multicenter study, we aimed to construct a novel model formula to predict cirrhosis. A total of 749 patients were randomly allocated to training and validation sets at a ratio of 2:1.

Validation of a two-step approach combining serum biomarkers and liver stiffness measurement to predict advanced fibrosis.

Background And Aim: The Gut and Obesity in Asia Workgroup recently reported that a two-step approach using fibrosis scores followed by liver stiffness measurement (LSM) could accurately detect patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) having advanced fibrosis in low-risk fibrosis populations. This study aimed to validate the utility of this approach using a Japanese health checkup registry.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included subjects who underwent a health checkup from 2014 to 2019.

The FibroScan-aspartate aminotransferase score can stratify the disease severity in a Japanese cohort with fatty liver diseases.

This study aimed to prove that the FibroScan-aspartate aminotransferase (FAST) scores can be used to stratify disease severity in a Japanese cohort with fatty liver diseases [metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)]. All the participants (n = 2254) underwent liver stiffness measurements and controlled attenuation parameter assessments. We compared the clinical characteristics of the patients with MAFLD and NAFLD using the FAST scores and explored the independent determinants of FAST scores ≥ 0.

Identification of microRNA-96-5p as a postoperative, prognostic microRNA predictor in nonviral hepatocellular carcinoma.

Aim: The microRNA (miR) clusters miR-183/96/182 and miR-217/216a/216b are significantly upregulated in nonviral hepatocellular carcinoma (NBNC-HCC). Here, we investigate the impact of each member of these clusters on the clinical outcome of NBNC-HCC and analyze the antitumor effects of miR-96-5p.

Methods: The association between recurrence-free survival of 111 NBNC-HCC patients and the levels of miR-183-5p, miR-96-5p, miR-182-5p, miR-217-5p, miR-216a-5p, and miR-216b-5p in tumor and adjacent tissues was investigated.