Background: Bile duct obstruction-induced liver fibrosis is mainly caused by cholestatic liver injury which stimulates liver cell inflammation and damages the liver structure, causing liver fibrosis. The differentially expressed microRNAs and the potential target genes and signal pathways that are involved in bile duct obstruction-induced liver fibrosis remain unclear. We examined the differential expression of microRNAs and the target genes in the liver tissues of patients with liver fibrosis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLiver fibrosis is a common pathological feature of end-stage liver disease and has no effective treatment. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been found to modulate gene expression in liver disease. But the potential role of miRNA in hepatic fibrosis is still unclear.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: To compare the clinical efficacy of surgical resection (SR) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for the treatment of small hepatocellular carcinoma (SHC; ≥ 5 cm in diameter).
Methods: The clinical and follow-up data for 88 patients with SHC, including 42 cases of SR and 46 cases of RFA, were analyzed.
Results: The mean follow-up time was 34.
The molecular regulation of growth of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is yet to be fully clarified. Here we found a significantly higher ratio of phosphorylated β-catenin (phos-β-cat) to β-catenin (β-cat) as an indicator of an activated Wnt signaling, with significantly higher levels of c-myc and transcription factor activating protein-4 (AP-4) and a significantly lower level of p21 in the resected HCC, compared to the paired adjacent healthy hepatic tissue from the patients. Moreover, strong correlations were detected between phos-β-cat/β-cat ratio and c-myc level, between c-myc and AP-4 levels, and between AP-4 and p21 levels.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFContinuous theoretical and technological progress in the face of increasing expectations for quality health care has transformed the surgical paradigm. The authors systematically review these historical trends and propose the novel paradigm of "precision surgery," featuring certainty-based practice to ensure the best result for each patient with multiobjective optimization of therapeutic effectiveness, surgical safety, and minimal invasiveness. The main characteristics of precision surgery may be summarized as determinacy, predictability, controllability, integration, standardization, and individualization.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF