Corrigendum to "Autophagy Inhibition Enhances Apoptosis Induced by Dioscin in Huh7 Cells".

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1155/2012/134512.].

Correction: The Antimetastatic Effects of Resveratrol on Hepatocellular Carcinoma through the Downregulation of a Metastasis-Associated Protease by SP-1 Modulation.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Human parvovirus B19 VP1u Protein as inflammatory mediators induces liver injury in naïve mice.

Human parvovirus B19 (B19V) is a human pathogen known to be associated with many non-erythroid diseases, including hepatitis. Although B19V VP1-unique region (B19-VP1u) has crucial roles in the pathogenesis of B19V infection, the influence of B19-VP1u proteins on hepatic injury is still obscure. This study investigated the effect and possible inflammatory signaling of B19-VP1u in livers from BALB/c mice that were subcutaneously inoculated with VP1u-expressing COS-7 cells.

CD44 gene polymorphisms on hepatocellular carcinoma susceptibility and clinicopathologic features.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in Taiwan. CD44, one of the well-known tumor markers, plays an essential role in tumor cell differentiation, invasion, and metastasis. We investigated the CD44 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with environmental risk factors related to HCC susceptibility and clinicopathological characteristics.

Effects of EZH2 polymorphisms on susceptibility to and pathological development of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: The enhancer of zeste 2 (EZH2) gene encodes the histone methyltransferase that is the catalytic component of the polycomb repressive complex-2, which initiates epigenetic silencing of genes. The expression level of EZH2 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is highly correlated with tumor progression; however, it has not been determined if specific EZH2 genetic variants are associated with the risk of HCC. This study investigated the potential associations of EZH2 single-nucleotide polymorphisms with HCC susceptibility and its clinicopathologic characteristics.

The antimetastatic effects of resveratrol on hepatocellular carcinoma through the downregulation of a metastasis-associated protease by SP-1 modulation.

Background: The mortality and morbidity rates from cancer metastasis have not declined in Taiwan, especially because of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Resveratrol has been shown to have benefits such as cardioprotection, providing antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer properties in previous studies. Therefore, HCC cells were subjected to treatment with resveratrol and then analyzed to determine the effects of resveratrol on the migration and invasion.

Cystamine ameliorates ventricular hypertrophy associated with modulation of IL-6-mediated signaling in lupus-prone mice.

Aims: The aim of this study is to investigate the protective effects of cystamine on lupus-associated cardiac hypertrophy.

Main Methods: Balb/c and lupus-prone NZB/W-F1 mice were individually randomized into sham group (saline, n=16) and cystamine group (n=16). Mice received saline or cystamine (100 mmol in 100 μL saline) by daily intraperitoneal injection for 2 consecutive weeks.

Suppressive effects of Indigofera suffruticosa Mill extracts on lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory responses in murine RAW 264.7 macrophages.

Indigofera suffruticosa Mill is used as an herbal medicine for the treatment of inflammation. The aim of this study is to assess the anti-inflammatory potency of I. suffruticosa and its likely molecular mechanisms of action in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.

Autophagy inhibition enhances apoptosis induced by dioscin in huh7 cells.

Extensive research results support the application of herbal medicine or natural food as an augment during therapy for various cancers. However, the effect of dioscin on tumor cells autophagy has not been clearly clarified. In this study, the unique effects of dioscin on autophagy of hepatoma cells were investigated.

Safety and efficacy of adefovir therapy for lamivudine-resistant hepatitis B virus infection in renal transplant recipients.

Background/purpose: The emergence of lamivudine (LAM)-resistant mutants after prolonged LAM therapy may reduce its therapeutic effects against hepatitis B virus (HBV). Adefovir dipivoxil (ADV) is an effective treatment of LAM-resistant HBV infections. However, only limited data are available regarding the safety and efficacy of ADV for treating HBsAg-positive renal transplant recipients.

Beneficial Effects of Ocimum gratissimum Aqueous Extract on Rats with CCl(4)-Induced Acute Liver Injury.

Ocimum gratissimum (OG) is known as a food spice and traditional herb, which has been recommended for the treatment of various diseases. To investigate the hepatoprotective effect of OG aqueous extract (OGAE), male Wistar rats challenged by carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4)) were used as the animal model of chronic hepatic injury. Significantly increased serum catalase and DPPH levels were detected in CCl(4)-administrated rats that were treated with OGAE or silymarin as compared to those rats that were treated with saline or CCl(4).

Hepatitis C virus E2 protein involve in insulin resistance through an impairment of Akt/PKB and GSK3β signaling in hepatocytes.

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection may cause liver diseases of various severities ranging from primary acute infection to life-threatening diseases, such as cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma with poor prognosis. According to clinical findings, HCV infection may also lead to some extra-hepatic symptoms, including type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). Since insulin resistance is the major etiology for type 2 DM and numerous evidences showed that HCV infection associated with insulin resistance, the involvement of E2 in the pathogenesis of type 2 DM and underlying mechanisms were investigated in this study.

Improvement of liver function in humans using a mixture of schisandra fruit extract and sesamin.

This was a randomized, parallel, and placebo-controlled study. Forty subjects were divided into a test group and a placebo group. The study was focused on the potential effects of a mixture of Schisandra fruit extract and sesamin (hereinafter called 'SCH') in the subjects with borderline high levels (40-60 U/L) of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) or aspartate aminotransferase (AST).

Extranodal marginal zone B-cell lymphoma of the gastrointestinal tract sparing only the esophagus: a case report.

Lymphomas presented in any organ or tissue other than lymph nodes or the spleen are considered primary extranodal non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, and the most common non-Hodgkin's lymphomas are of the gastrointestinal tract. The most common histological subtypes are marginal zone B-cell lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, and typically only one to two organs are affected. Patients present with a wide variety of vague complaints, making early diagnosis problematic.

Cystamine attenuates lupus-associated apoptosis of ventricular tissue by suppressing both intrinsic and extrinsic pathways.

Cystamine, a disulphide metabolite, has been demonstrated to ameliorate various lupus-associated tissue damages by animal models. However, effects of cystamine on apoptosis of cardiac tissue, a main cardiac damage attributing to lupus, are less obvious. Therefore, we aimed to investigate whether or not cystamine possesses anti-apoptotic effects with emphasis on LV tissue of lupus-prone mice NZB/W-F1.

Comamonas testosteroni infection in Taiwan: Reported two cases and literature review.

Comamonas testosteroni is a widely distributed aerobic gram-negative bacillus. Infection by C testosteroni is infrequent, and no such cases have been reported in Taiwan. Here, we would like to present a 54-year-old alcoholic patient from Taiwan, and his left leg was injured during a fishing trip, resulting in left leg cellulitis and C testosteroni bacteremia.

Role of MMP14 gene polymorphisms in susceptibility and pathological development to hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: Early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is seldom available because of the lack of reliable markers. Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) 14 is a cell surface proteinase that displays a broad spectrum of activity against extracellular matrix components and promotes the invasion/metastasis of cells. MMP14 is overexpressed in HCC, and the level is correlated with poor overall survival.

Hepatitis C virus E2 protein induce reactive oxygen species (ROS)-related fibrogenesis in the HSC-T6 hepatic stellate cell line.

Chronic infection of hepatitis C virus (HCV) leads to hepatic fibrosis and subsequently cirrhosis, although the underlying mechanisms have not been established. Previous studies have indicated that the binding of HCV E2 protein and CD81 on the surface of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) lead to the increased protein level and activity of matrix metallopeptidase (MMP) 2, indicating that E2 may involve in the HCV-induced fibrosis. This study was designed to investigate the involvement of HCV E2 protein in the hepatic fibrogenesis.

Genetic polymorphism of CCR2-64I increased the susceptibility of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background And Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate genetic impact of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and its receptor chemokine receptor-2 (CCR2) gene polymorphisms on the susceptibility and clinicopathological characteristics of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: A total of 446 subjects, including 344 healthy controls and 102 patients with HCC, were recruited in this study and subjected to PCR-RFLP to estimate the impact of these two polymorphic variants on HCC.

Results: No relationship between MCP-1 -2518G/A gene polymorphism and HCC risk was found among our recruited HCC patients and healthy controls.

Influence of glutathione-S-transferase theta (GSTT1) and micro (GSTM1) gene polymorphisms on the susceptibility of hepatocellular carcinoma in Taiwan.

Background And Objectives: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most frequent malignant neoplasms worldwide and is the second leading cause of cancer death in Taiwan. Genetic polymorphism has been reported as a factor for increased susceptibility of HCC. Glutathione-S-transferases theta (GSTT1) and micro (GSTM1) play essential roles in detoxification of ingested xenobiotics and modulation of the susceptibility of gene-related cancer.

Stromal cell-derived factor-1 but not its receptor, CXCR4, gene variants increase susceptibility and pathological development of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most frequent malignant neoplasms worldwide. Genetic polymorphism has been reported as a predictive factor related to a higher risk for HCC. Because the stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) and its receptor, CXCR4, have been reported to play important roles in tumor cell proliferation, angiogenesis, and metastasis of HCC, the aim of this study was to estimate the relationship between SDF-1 and CXCR4 gene variants to HCC risk and clinicopathological status.

Impact of serum levels and gene polymorphism of cytokines on chronic hepatitis C infection.

The factors leading to clearance or persistent infection of hepatitis C virus (HCV) were not well defined, and the importance of the host immune response has been highlighted. Therefore, the impact of the serum concentration and genetic polymorphism of several cytokines on the outcome of HCV infection warrant additional study. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was employed to measure serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin (IL)-4, and IL-10 concentrations on 72 hepatitis C patients and 180 controls.

HCV E2 may induce apoptosis of Huh-7 cells via a mitochondrial-related caspase pathway.

Introduction: One unusual characteristic of HCV is to establish chronic infection and the precise mechanisms remain unclear.

Materials And Methods: Huh-7 cells were transiently transfected with E2 and subjected to MTT assay, DNA fragmentation assay, and Western blotting to see the impact of E2 protein on apoptosis.

Results And Discussion: E2 may inhibit cell proliferation by inducing apoptosis and pro-caspases 3, 8, and 9 were cleaved and activated to result in the presence of active forms in a time-dependent fashion, which suggest that E2-induced apoptosis is caspase-dependent.