Survival Outcomes Associated With Radiological Progressive Disease Subtypes in Patients With Atezolizumab and Bevacizumab-Treated HCC.

Background And Aim: To assess the relationship between survival outcomes and subtypes of radiological progressive disease (PD) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated with atezolizumab and bevacizumab (Atezo/Bev).

Methods: A total of 462 patients with Atezo/Bev-treated HCC diagnosed with radiological PD during follow-up were enrolled. PD was classified into three categories: progression or emergence of intrahepatic lesions (PD-IH), macroscopic vascular invasion (PD-MVI), and extrahepatic spread lesions (PD-EHS).

HeberNasvac: Development and Application in the Context of Chronic Hepatitis B.

Unlabelled: The immune system plays a central role in controlling acute hepatitis B infection and in patients resolving chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Given that 221 million (75%) of CHB patients reside in low- and middle-income countries, the development of a vaccine with therapeutic properties represents a rational and cost-effective approach more than a romantic endeavor. This review systematically analyzes the key variables related to the safety, efficacy, and effectiveness of CHB treatments.

Association between allergic diseases and mucosal healing in ulcerative colitis.

Allergic diseases and ulcerative colitis (UC) share pathophysiological similarities. This study aimed to investigate the unclear association between allergic diseases and mucosal healing (MH), an important factor in the prognosis of UC. We studied 289 Japanese patients with UC.

Exercise Habits, Including Exercising With Partners, and the Prevalence of Self-Reported Constipation in Young Japanese People: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Constipation is a very common medical issue among the general population worldwide. However, the association between exercise habits and constipation is still not fully understood. Additionally, no evidence regarding the association between exercise partners and constipation exists.

Standard technique in Japan for measuring hepatic venous pressure gradient.

Background: Direct measurement of portal venous pressure (PVP) is invasive, so the hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) is commonly measured to evaluate portal hypertension (PH). HVPG is the gold standard for estimating PVP but few reports have covered standardized measurement techniques.

Methods: This study validated standardized techniques for PVP measurement.

PKR associates with 4.1R to promote anchorage-independent growth of hepatocellular carcinoma and lead to poor prognosis.

RNA-dependent protein kinase (PKR) may have a positive regulatory role in controlling tumor growth and progression in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the downstream substrates and the molecular mechanism of PKR in the growth and progression of HCC have not been clarified. In this study, mass spectrometry analysis was performed with immunoprecipitated samples, and 4.

Single Posthepatic Portosystemic Shunt Communicated With Internal Thoracic Vein and Azygos Continuation of the Caudal Vena Cava in a Dog.

Computed tomography angiography (CTA) was performed under general anaesthesia on a 7-month-old toy poodle that was referred with the chief complaints of salivation and neurological symptoms. The CTA revealed a rare form of posthepatic portosystemic shunt (PSS) via the suspected persistent left umbilical vein communicating with the internal thoracic vein in addition to an azygos continuation of the caudal vena cava (CVC). The patient underwent surgery for partial ligation of PSS on Day 4 after the initial examination.

Association between serum remnant cholesterol level and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver histology.

Context: Estimated remnant cholesterol (Rem-C) level, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), is associated with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) diagnosed via ultrasonography. However, the relationship between accurate serum Rem-C level measurements and histological findings of MASLD remains unclear.

Objective: We aimed to elucidate the relationship between accurately measured serum Rem-C levels and histological findings of MASLD.

Diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound-derived fat fraction for the detection and quantification of hepatic steatosis in patients with liver biopsy.

Purpose: This retrospective study was conducted to investigate the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound-derived fat fraction (UDFF) for grading hepatic steatosis using liver histology as the reference standard.

Methods: Seventy-three patients with liver disease were assessed using UDFF and liver biopsy. Pearson's test and the Bland-Altman plot were used to assess the correlation between UDFF and histological fat content in liver sections.

Association Between Socioeconomic Status and Erectile Dysfunction in Japanese Patients With Ulcerative Colitis: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Socioeconomic status is a risk factor for poor disease prognosis. No studies of patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) have investigated the association between socioeconomic status and erectile dysfunction (ED), although UC is independently positively associated with ED. Therefore, the purpose of this survey to evaluate this issue in Japanese patients with UC.

Combined effect of histological findings and diabetes mellitus on liver-related events in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease.

Aim: Advanced fibrosis has a strong influence on the occurrence of liver-related events in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), while diabetes mellitus (DM), which is often complicated by MASLD, is associated with the progression of MASLD. We stratified patients with MASLD according to the severity of liver pathological findings and the presence of DM, aiming to examine whether these indices could be used to accurately assess the risk of developing liver-related events.

Methods: A total of 282 patients with liver biopsy-proven MASLD were included.

Association between bowel movement frequency and erectile dysfunction in patients with ulcerative colitis: a cross-sectional study.

The association between ulcerative colitis (UC) and erectile dysfunction (ED) has been previously reported. Numerous previous studies have also reported an association between gastrointestinal symptoms and ED. Constipation and diarrhea are common in patients with UC.

Multimorbidity of Allergic Diseases Is Associated With Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders in a Young Japanese Population.

Background/aims: Although certain allergic diseases have been reported to be associated with the prevalence of functional dyspepsia (FD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), it is unclear whether the presence of multiple allergic diseases further increases the prevalence of FD and IBS. The aim of this study is to determine this issue in young people.

Methods: A cohort of 8923 Japanese university students was enrolled and diagnoses of FD and IBS were confirmed using Rome III criteria.

Clinical features of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma treated with radiofrequency ablation therapy: developing a simple score to determine the need for immune-adjuvant therapy.

Background/aim: Unresectable recurrence after curative treatments for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a life-limited event. Although the IMbrave050 trial (IM050) showed a favorable reduction in recurrence with adjuvant immune-combination chemotherapy, inclusion criteria of the radiofrequency ablation (RFA) group were lower risk than that of the resection group. This study aimed to elucidate the clinical features of patients treated with RFA, which really need adjuvant-chemotherapy.

Reconstruction surgery using polypropylene mesh after extensive resection of a costal osteosarcoma in a dog.

Osteosarcoma is the most common tumour that develops in the chest wall of dogs; an extensive excision is the treatment of choice. Various methods have been reported for reconstruction of chest wall defects following extensive excision. The objective of this report was to describe the complete resection of an extensive costal osteosarcoma with an extended resection of the ribs and part of the diaphragm in a dog.

Glycemic Control Is Associated with Histological Findings of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

Backgruound: Poor lifestyle habits may worsen nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), with progression to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and cirrhosis. This study investigated the association between glycemic control status and hepatic histological findings to elucidate the effect of glycemic control on NAFLD.

Methods: This observational study included 331 patients diagnosed with NAFLD by liver biopsy.

A case of hepatocellular carcinoma with pseudoaneurysm formation upon lenvatinib administration.

A 79-year-old man received treatment for multiple intrahepatic hepatocellular carcinoma with atezolizumab + bevacizumab. However, he developed lower back pain attributed to spinal metastases upon tumor enlargement; thus, he was admitted to our hospital for a change from atezolizumab + bevacizumab to lenvatinib and radiation therapy for the spinal metastases. On the 11th day after starting lenvatinib treatment, a pulsatile aneurysm appeared in the tumor, detected using abdominal ultrasonography Micro B-flow imaging, which visualized blood flow at a high frame rate; this was diagnosed as a pseudoaneurysm.

Clinical and Pathological Features of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor-induced Liver Injury in Comparison with Drug-induced Liver Injury and Autoimmune Hepatitis.

Background And Aims: Immune checkpoint inhibitors may cause various types of organ damage as immune-related adverse events, of which, liver damage is the most common. Herein, we evaluated the clinicopathological features of immune checkpoint inhibitor-related liver injury and investigated the differences between immune checkpoint inhibitor-related liver injury and drug-induced liver injury or autoimmune hepatitis.

Methods: We selected patients with ≥ grade 3 liver injury who were diagnosed with immune checkpoint inhibitor-related liver injury (n=15).

Aging is Associated With Constipation in Japanese Patients With Ulcerative Colitis: A Post Hoc Analysis.

Age is a risk factor for constipation. Constipation is common in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) and has been positively associated with disease activity, but evidence is limited. This study aimed to assess the association between disease activity and constipation in patients with UC.

Survival Improvements in Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Sequential Therapy by Era.

Treatment modalities for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have changed dramatically, with systemic therapy as the primary option. However, the effect of sequential treatment on prognosis remains unclear. This retrospective study included patients who began systemic therapy between 2009 and 2022.

Retrospective analysis of perineal herniorrhaphy with cone-shaped polypropylene mesh in dogs: technique description and outcome.

Introduction: This study aimed to describe the technique for the surgical repair of perineal hernia (PH) in dogs using a polypropylene mesh (PM) and to evaluate its outcomes.

Methods: All dogs were placed in the Trendelenburg position. Castration and caudal celiotomy for cystopexy and colopexy were performed as needed.