A novel myeloid cell marker genes related signature can indicate immune infiltration and predict prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma: Integrated analysis of bulk and single-cell RNA sequencing.

Myeloid cells are physiologically related to innate immunity and inflammation. Tumor-associated myeloid cells gained increasing interest because of their critical roles in tumor progression and anticancer immune responses in human malignancies. However, the associations between tumor-associated myeloid cell-related genes and hepatocellular carcinoma have yet to be revealed.

Portal vein tumor thrombosis in hepatocellular carcinoma: molecular mechanism and therapy.

Portal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT), a common complication of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), remains the bottleneck of the treatments. Liver cancer cells potentially experienced multi-steps during PVTT process, including cancer cells leave from cancer nest, migrate in extracellular matrix, invade the vascular barrier, and colonize in the portal vein. Accumulated evidences have revealed numerous of molecular mechanisms including genetic and epigenetic regulation, cancer stem cells, immunosuppressive microenvironment, hypoxia, et al.

Neutrophils: Driving inflammation during the development of hepatocellular carcinoma.

The relationship between immune and inflammatory responses in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has garnered significant interest. In the peripheral blood and tumour microenvironment (TME), neutrophils, which are innate immune cells, crucially respond to various inflammatory factors, leading to tumour progression. To some extent, they affect the clinical treatment strategy and survival among HCC patients.

ERK1/2-HNF4α axis is involved in epigallocatechin-3-gallate inhibition of HBV replication.

Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a major polyphenol in green tea, exhibits diverse biological activities. Previous studies show that EGCG could effectively suppress HBV gene expression and replication, but the role of EGCG in HBV replication and its underlying mechanisms, especially the signaling pathways involved, remain unclear. In this study we investigated the mechanisms underlying EGCG inhibition on HBV replication with a focus on the signaling pathways.

High platelet counts increase metastatic risk in huge hepatocellular carcinoma undergoing transarterial chemoembolization.

Aim: Accumulating evidence suggests platelets play critical roles in tumor metastasis. Moreover, the role of platelets in metastasis is partially correlated with inflammation. However, evidence regarding the contribution of platelets to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) metastasis is lacking.

The herbal compound Songyou Yin (SYY) inhibits hepatocellular carcinoma growth and improves survival in models of chronic fibrosis via paracrine inhibition of activated hepatic stellate cells.

Chronic fibrosis is a major risk factor for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The pathological progression of hepatic fibrosis has been linked to cellular processes that promote tumor growth and metastasis. Several recent studies have highlighted the cross-talk between tumor cells and activated hepatic stellate cells (aHSCs) in HCC.

Imbalance in systemic inflammation and immune response following transarterial chemoembolization potentially increases metastatic risk in huge hepatocellular carcinoma.

Inflammation plays a critical role in tumor metastasis. However, few inflammation-related biomarkers are currently available to predict the risk of metastasis for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Using huge tumors (diameter >10 cm) as a model, we evaluated the potential risk of pre- and post-treatment inflammatory responses in the development of metastasis of HCC patients undergoing transarterial chemoembolization (TACE).

Prognostic significance of Hes-1, a downstream target of notch signaling in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: Hairy and enhancer of split 1 (Hes-1) protein is a downstream target of Notch signaling and is a basic helix-loop-helix transcriptional repressor. However, definitive evidence for a role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells has not been reported. Here, Hes-1 was revealed to an important component of the Notch signaling cascade in HCC cell lines possessing different potential for lung metastasis.

Oxaliplatin and 5-fluorouracil hepatic infusion with lipiodolized chemoembolization in large hepatocellular carcinoma.

Aim: To investigate transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) with hepatic infusion of oxaliplatin and 5-fluorouracil and Lipiodol chemoembolization in large hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: In this retrospective study, 132 patients with unresectable HCCs larger than 10 cm were treated with hepatic infusion of oxaliplatin and 5-fluorouracil followed by Lipiodol chemoembolization. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS).

The platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio predicts poor survival in patients with huge hepatocellular carcinoma that received transarterial chemoembolization.

Inflammation is particularly strong in huge hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, it is unclear whether the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), as an inflammatory-related marker, can predict survival of patients with huge HCC. In this study, we enrolled 291 patients with huge HCC (diameter over 10 cm) who were undergoing repeated transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) at our institute.

Differentially expressed gene profiles of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, hepatocellular carcinoma, and combined hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinoma by integrated microarray analysis.

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are common primary liver cancers worldwide. However, the survival and prognosis of ICC are much poorer than those of HCC, indicating the different molecular characteristics and mechanisms between ICC and HCC. To identify differentially expressed (DE) genes between ICC and HCC or combined hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinoma (CHC), we performed integrated analysis of publicly available microarray Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets by MetaOmics.

Goosecoid promotes the metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma by modulating the epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

The homeobox gene, goosecoid (GSC), is a transcription factor that participates in cell migration during embryonic development. Because cell migration during development has characteristics similar to cell invasion during metastasis, we evaluated the potential role of GSC in the metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). GSC expression in HCC cell lines and tissues was evaluated, and its effects on the migration potential of HCC cells were determined by GSC knock-down and overexpression methods.

Sex-determination gene SRY potentially associates with poor prognosis but not sex bias in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: Gender disparity is well known in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). SRY is a critical sex-determination gene involved in embryonic development.

Aim: The potential relevance of SRY to HCC progression was evaluated.

CXCR7 correlates with the differentiation of hepatocellular carcinoma and suppresses HNF4α expression through the ERK pathway.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignancy with dysregulated differentiation. However, effective differentiation therapy for HCC is lacking. Previous evidence suggests that CXCR7 is associated with the differentiation of embryonic stem cells.

Spatial localization of the JAG1/Notch1/osteopontin cascade modulates extrahepatic metastasis in hepatocellular carcinoma.

The model of Notch-driven carcinogenesis and development of hepatocellular carcinoma remains controversial and is based on observations of developmental stage- and dose-dependent Notch activation. In this study, the relevance of the spatial distribution of Notch cascade members to the promotion of hepatocellular carcinoma metastasis was evaluated. The spatial expression patterns of the members of the Jagged1 (JAG1)/Notch1 cascade in HCC were evaluated in a tissue microarray of 112 tumors and 46 peri-tumors.

Prognostic significance of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in primary liver cancer: a meta-analysis.

The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a useful biomarker that reflects systemic inflammation responses. However, the prognostic value of the NLR in patients with primary liver cancer (PLC) remains controversial. We performed a meta-analysis of 26 studies (comprising 4,461 patients) to evaluate the association between the pre-treatment NLR and clinical outcomes of overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) in patients with PLC.

Maintenance of stemness in oxaliplatin-resistant hepatocellular carcinoma is associated with increased autocrine of IGF1.

Background: Evidence suggests that many types of cancers are composed of different cell types, including cancer stem cells (CSCs). We have previously shown that the chemotherapeutic agent oxaliplatin induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition, which is thought to be an important mechanism for generating CSCs. In the present study, we investigate whether oxaliplatin-treated cancer tissues possess characteristics of CSCs, and explore oxaliplatin resistance in these tissues.

Dynamic expression patterns of differential proteins during early invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: Tumor cell invasion into the surrounding matrix has been well documented as an early event of metastasis occurrence. However, the dynamic expression patterns of proteins during early invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are largely unknown. Using a three-dimensional HCC invasion culture model established previously, we investigated the dynamic expression patterns of identified proteins during early invasion of HCC.

Transmembrane receptor CXCR7 increases the risk of extrahepatic metastasis of relatively well-differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma through upregulation of osteopontin.

Recurrence and metastasis are the main obstacles to improving the survival of patients with post-resective hepato-cellular carcinoma (HCC). Our previous study suggests a critical role of CXCR7 in the metastasis of HCC. In the present study, the effect of CXCR7 as a risk factor for metastasis of HCC was evaluated.

Herbal compound "Songyou Yin" attenuates hepatoma cell invasiveness and metastasis through downregulation of cytokines secreted by activated hepatic stellate cells.

Background: Activated hepatic stellate cells (aHSCs) play an important role in the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Here, we determined if cytokines secreted in response to the herbal compound "Songyou Yin" (SYY) treatment of aHSCs could influence invasiveness and metastatic capabilities of hepatoma cells.

Methods: Primary rat hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) were isolated, activated, divided into SYY treated and untreated (nSYY) groups, and conditioned media (CM-SYY and CM-nSYY, respectively) were collected.

Transarterial chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma with portal vein tumor thrombus: a meta-analysis.

Background: Although transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) has been used extensively for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT), no consensus has been reached and an evidence base for practice is lacking. This meta-analysis evaluated the efficacy and safety of TACE for treatment of HCC with PVTT.

Methods: Ovid Medline, EMBASE, Web of Knowledge, and Cochrane library databases were searched up to August 2012 for controlled trials assessing TACE in patients with PVTT.

Down-regulation of CXCR7 inhibits the growth and lung metastasis of human hepatocellular carcinoma cells with highly metastatic potential.

CXCR7, a recently identified chemokine receptor, has been implicated in directing cancer metastasis. In the present study, the potential roles of CXCR7 in the growth and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were evaluated. A chemokine receptor gene chip was used to compare the expression of CXCR7 in HCC cell lines with different metastatic potential.

Suppression of microRNA-96 expression inhibits the invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

MicroRNA-96 (miR-96) expression is dysregulated in certain types of cancers. However, the role of miR-96 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) invasion and metastasis remains elusive. miR-96 expression was investigated in a number of HCC cell lines by quantitative reverse transcription‑polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

Transcription factor c-Myb promotes the invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma cells via increasing osteopontin expression.

Background: Specific gene expression is tightly regulated by various transcription factors. Osteopontin (OPN) is a phosphoprotein that mediates hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression and metastasis. However, the mechanism of OPN up-regulation in HCC metastasis remains to be clarified.