Correlation between serum pro-inflammatory cytokine levels and the prognosis of the patients with acute liver failure.

Background And Aim: The prognosis of acute liver failure (ALF) remains poor, and liver transplantation is an alternative treatment option. Assessing the prognosis of ALF is important in determining treatment strategies. Here, we investigated clinical factors including serum pro-inflammatory cytokine levels that are associated with the prognosis of ALF.

Serum interleukin-6 level predicts the prognosis for patients with alcohol-related acute-on-chronic liver failure.

Aim: Heavy alcohol consumption is the most common etiology of acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) in Japan. In some patients, ACLF is associated with a fatal outcome in less than 6 months. We evaluated the prognosis of patients with alcohol-related ACLF in our cohort and explored the prognostic factors.

HBV with precore and basal core promoter mutations exhibits a high replication phenotype and causes ER stress-mediated cell death in humanized liver chimeric mice.

Background And Aims: Mutations within the precore (PC) and basal core promoter (BCP) regions of the HBV genome are associated with fulminant hepatitis and HBV reactivation. These mutations may enhance viral replication, but little is known about whether they directly induce damage to the liver. We investigated mechanisms of direct cytopathic effects induced by the infection with PC/BCP mutants in the absence of immune response in vitro and in vivo .

Acute liver injury in a non-alcoholic fatty liver disease patient with chloroform exposure: a case report.

We report a rare case of acute liver injury by daily exposure to small amounts of chloroform in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patient. The patient had been followed up in our hospital every 3 months. Although his alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels were steady around 30 ~ 60 U/L until August 2014, ALT level was spontaneously increased to more than 1,000 U/L at the follow-up point in late August 2014.

Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) Upregulates TRAIL-R3 Expression in Hepatocytes Resulting in Escape From Both Cell Apoptosis and Suppression of HBV Replication by TRAIL.

Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) evades host immunity by regulating intracellular signals. To clarify this immune tolerance mechanism, we performed gene expression analysis using HBV-infected humanized mouse livers.

Methods: Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) receptor 3 (TRAIL-R3) was significantly upregulated in livers of HBV-infected human hepatocyte transplanted mice by cDNA microarray and next-generation sequencing.

Successful multimodality treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma with tumor thrombosis of the main portal trunk: a case study.

The overall survival of patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma with tumor thrombosis of the main trunk or bilobar branches of the portal vein is extremely poor. Moreover, there is no standard treatment established for the condition. Herein, we present the case of a 65-year-old man who were treated the patient with hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy, radiation therapy for tumor thrombosis, portal vein stent placement, lenvatinib administration, and renal venous shunt embolization.

Complete Response for Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma by Conversion Surgery Therapy Following a Good Response of Regorafenib Despite Rapid Progressive Disease with Sorafenib.

A 68-year-old man with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) visited his previous hospital due to abdominal pain and was diagnosed with ruptured HCC. Before visiting our hospital, he underwent HCC treatment at his previous hospital, but his tumors did not improve. Although he started treatment with sorafenib, the tumors rapidly grew.

Clinical Outcomes of 2nd- and 3rd-Line Regorafenib for Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Introduction: This study compared clinical outcomes of 2nd- and 3rd-line regorafenib in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma.

Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, 48 patients were treated with regorafenib for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma. Thirty-five and 13 patients were initiated on 2nd- and 3rd-line therapy, respectively.

Hepatic Arterial Infusion Chemotherapy Combined with Radiation Therapy for Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Tumor Thrombosis of the Main Trunk or Bilobar of the Portal Vein.

Background: Overall survival of patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with Vp4 (tumor thrombosis of the main trunk or bilobar of the portal vein) is extremely poor.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to clarify the prognosis of hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) combined with radiation therapy (RT) for advanced HCC with Vp4 and to analyze the factors that contribute to the prognosis.

Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, 51 HCC patients who were treated with HAIC and RT for portal vein tumor thrombosis and met the following criteria were enrolled: (i) with Vp4; (ii) Child-Pugh score of 5-7; (iii) Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 or 1; (iv) no history of systemic therapy; and (v) from September 2004 to April 2019.

Extracellular water to total body water ratio obtained by bioelectrical impedance analysis determines the dose intensity of lenvatinib for the treatment of patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background And Aim: The aim of this study was to identify the factors that contribute to the maintenance of relative dose intensity (RDI) of lenvatinib in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients.

Methods: Thirty-two patients with advanced HCC treated with lenvatinib were enrolled. We evaluated the relationship between maintenance of RDI and various clinical data, parameters obtained by body composition measurements with bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and grip strength at the start of lenvatinib treatment.

Analysis of Post-Progression Survival in Patients with Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treated with Lenvatinib.

Background: Although a strong antitumor effect of lenvatinib (LEN) has been noted for patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), there are still no reports on the prognosis for patients with disease progression after first-line LEN therapy.

Methods: Patients (n = 141) with unresectable HCC, Child-Pugh class A liver function, and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG-PS) of 0 or 1 who were treated with LEN from March 2018 to December 2019 were enrolled.

Results: One hundred and five patients were treated with LEN as first-line therapy, 53 of whom had progressive disease (PD) at the radiological evaluation.

Trends in Hepatic Functional Reserve of Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treated with Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors.

Objective: Functional hepatic reserve is important when considering sequential tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We assessed albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) score and Child-Pugh class as indices of liver function during sorafenib and lenvatinib treatment.

Methods: A total of 212 patients with advanced HCC and Child-Pugh class A status who initiated TKI treatment at our hospital were enrolled in this retrospective cohort study.

Signal Activation of Hepatitis B Virus-Related Hepatocarcinogenesis by Up-regulation of SUV39h1.

Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) X (HBx) protein is associated with hepatocellular carcinogenesis via the induction of malignant transformation and mitochondrial dysfunction. However, the association between HBx and histone methyltransferase in carcinogenesis has not been fully clarified. In the current study, we analyzed the association between HBx and the histone methyltransferase suppressor of variegation 3-9 homolog 1 (SUV39h1) using HBV replication models.

Incidence of microsatellite instability-high hepatocellular carcinoma among Japanese patients and response to pembrolizumab.

Aim: Pembrolizumab has been quickly approved in many countries for the treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic, microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) solid tumors, which have progressed following previous treatment and who have no satisfactory alternative treatment options. We aimed to determine the incidence of MSI-H tumors in Japanese patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: We investigated the incidence of MSI-H tumors in 82 consecutive Japanese patients with unresectable HCC that had progressed after standard of care treatment.

Complete response to pembrolizumab in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma with microsatellite instability.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has limited systemic treatment options and a poor prognosis. The immune checkpoint inhibitor pembrolizumab was recently approved for the treatment of solid tumors with microsatellite instability (MSI). However, its clinical utility for the management of HCC remains to be clarified.

A case of advanced HCC treated with lenvatinib after hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy combined with radiation therapy treatment for portal vein tumor thrombosis in the main trunk.

We report a 46-year-old male patient with functional liver damage due to hepatitis B virus infection. A 12 cm hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in the left lobe and portal venous tumor thrombosis (PVTT) with vp4 (portal vein tumor thrombosis in the main trunk) were detected by computed tomography (CT). He underwent hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) with cisplatin 100 mg for HCC and received radiation therapy (39 Gy/13 Fr) for PVTT with vp4.

Overlooked muscle cramps in patients with chronic liver disease: in relation to the prevalence of muscle cramps.

Introduction: Muscle cramps are common comorbidities in chronic liver disease (CLD). Although the prevalence of these has been reported in patients with liver cirrhosis (LC), that of CLD is unknown. In this study, we aimed to clarify the prevalence and characteristics of muscle cramps in individual CLD.