The value of serum alpha-fetoprotein in predicting tumor recurrence after liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: Many patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who undergo liver transplantation (LT) subsequently develop tumor recurrence; this is the main factor affecting long-term survival after LT. Factors associated with tumor recurrence should be determined to improve the outcome of LT. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the value of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) in forecasting tumor recurrence after LT for patients with HCC.

[Change of cytoskeleton and variance of Ca2+ in cultured cells during the invasion of Toxoplasma gondii].

Objective: To explore the change of cytoskeleton and the variance of Ca2+ in cultured cells during the invasion of Toxoplasma gondii.

Methods: Tachyzoites suspensions were gathered by routine method and used to infect phagocytic cells (J774A.1) and non-phagocytic cells (HUVEC).

Lipase and pancreatic amylase activities in diagnosis of acute pancreatitis in patients with hyperamylasemia.

Background: Measurement of total serum amylase (AMY) is the most widely used biochemical test for the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis, but it is commonly considered a nonspecific marker. To improve the biochemical diagnosis of acute pancreatitis, lipase (LIP) and pancreatic amylase (PAMY) have been tested in recent years. The present study was designed to evaluate whether serum LIP and pancreatic PAMY tests could replace total amylase test to improve diagnostic efficiency in the evaluation of acute pancreatitis in patients with hyperamylasemia.

[Liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma: prognostic analysis of 89 cases].

Objective: To summarize the experience of liver transplantation (LT) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in one center and identify prognostic factors for survival.

Methods: The clinical data and survival results of 89 patients with HCC receiving LT from January 1999 to December 2003 were retrospectively analyzed and various clinicopathologic risk factors for actuarial survival and tumor free survival were evaluated by univariate and multivariate analysis.

Results: Six-month, 1-, and 2-year survival rates were 81.

Frequencies of the expression of main protein antigens from Helicobacter pylori isolates and production of specific serum antibodies in infected patients.

Aim: To investigate the frequencies of the expression of main protein antigens of Helicobacter pylori (H pylori) isolates, such as UreB, VacA, CagA1, HpaA, NapA, FlaA and FlaB and the production of specific antibodies in sera from H pylori-infected patients, and to understand the correlations among the different clinical types of chronic gastritis and peptic ulcer and the infection and virulence of H pylori.

Methods: H pylori strains in biopsy specimens from 157 patients with chronic gastritis and peptic ulcer were isolated and serum samples from the patients were also collected. The target recombinant proteins rUreB, rVacA, rCagA1, rHpaA, rNapA, rFlaA and rFlaB expressed by the prokaryotic expression systems constructed in our previous studies were collected through Ni-NTA affinity chromatography.