Safety of transarterial chemoembolization on renal function in combined hepatocellular carcinoma and chronic kidney disease patients.

This study was to investigate the safety of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) which required injection of contrast medium on renal function in combined hepatocellular carcinoma and chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. A total of 265 patients admitted for the first session of TACE were included for analysis. CKD was defined as Cockcroft-Gault glomerular filtration rate (CG-GFR) < 60 mL/min/1.

The efficacy of multi-disciplinary lifestyle modifications in Taiwanese nonalcoholic steatohepatitis patients.

Lifestyle modification is the standard of care for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients. We aimed to investigate the efficacy of a short-term lifestyle modification program in the disease course of Taiwanese nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) patients with paired biopsies. All patients received a 6-month, strict multidisciplinary program of lifestyle modifications led by physicians, dieticians, and nursing staff.

Community-centered Disease Severity Assessment of Metabolic Dysfunction-associated Fatty Liver Disease.

Background And Aims: Disease severity across the different diagnostic categories of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) remains elusive. This study assessed the fibrosis stages and features of MAFLD between different items. We also aimed to investigate the associations between advanced fibrosis and risk factors.

Decision tree algorithm predicts hepatocellular carcinoma among chronic hepatitis C patients following viral eradication.

Successful eradication of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) cannot eliminate the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Next-generation RNA sequencing provides comprehensive genomic insights into the pathogenesis of HCC. Artificial intelligence has opened a new era in precision medicine.

Artificial intelligence based on serum biomarkers predicts the efficacy of lenvatinib for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma.

Lenvatinib has been effective not only as a first-line but also as a later-line systemic therapy for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC) in real-world clinical practice. How to predict the efficacy of lenvatinib and guide appropriate therapy selection in patients with uHCC have become important issues. This study aimed to investigate the impact of serum biomarkers on the treatment outcomes of patients with uHCC treated with lenvatinib in a real-world setting using an artificial intelligence algorithm.

Baseline Circulating miR-125b Levels Predict a High FIB-4 Index Score in Chronic Hepatitis B Patients after Nucleos(t)ide Analog Treatment.

The regulatory role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in HBV-associated HCC pathogenesis has been reported previously. This study aimed to investigate the association between serum miR-125b and liver fibrosis progression in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients after nucleos(t)ide analog (NA) treatment. Baseline serum miR-125b levels and other relevant laboratory data were measured for 124 patients who underwent 12-month NA therapy.

Advantage of clinical colchicine concentration to promote sorafenib or regorafenib anti-cancer effects on hepatocellular carcinoma.

The advantage of colchicine to promote sorafenib or regorafenib anti-cancer effects on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was investigated. Four primary cultured HCC cell lines (S103, S143, S160, S176) were studied by clinically achievable plasma sorafenib (5, 10 μg/mL), regorafenib (2, 4 μg/mL) and colchicine (4 ng/mL) concentrations. Sorafenib and regorafenib target genes and cancer stem cell markers (NANOG, POU5F1) were selected for experiments.

Different profiles of neurocognitive impairment in patients with hepatitis B and C virus infections.

The direct impact of chronic hepatitis B and hepatitis C on neurocognition remains elusive due to the frequent comorbidities, and the domains of the neurocognitive functions affected have rarely been investigated comprehensively. We cross-sectionally assessed the neurocognitive functions of the individuals with chronic hepatitis B, chronic hepatitis C, treated chronic hepatitis C with a sustained virologic response, and their healthy control counterparts. Laboratory examinations were used to investigate the impact of inflammation on neurocognition, exclude the medical conditions that could interfere with neurocognition assessment, and assess liver function and fibrotic severity of the liver of the participants.

Amelioration of glucose intolerance through directly acting antiviral agents in chronic hepatitis C cirrhotic patients without overt diabetes.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) eradication through antivirals ameliorates metabolic profiles. The changes in 2-h plasma glucose (2HPG) levels by oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients who receive directly acting antivirals (DAAs) was elusive. Five hundred and thirty-three CHC patients who achieved sustained virological response (SVR, undetectable HCV RNA throughout 3 months after the end-of-treatment) by DAAs were consecutively enrolled.

Low disease awareness as a contributing factor to the high prevalence of hepatitis C infection in Tzukuan, a hyperendemic area of southern Taiwan.

Understanding the barriers and tackling the hurdles of hepatitis C virus (HCV) care cascades is key to HCV elimination. The current study aimed to investigate the rates of disease awareness, link-to-care, and treatment uptake of HCV in a hyperendemic area in Taiwan. Tzukuan residents from 2000 to 2018 were invited to participate in the questionnaire-based interviews for HCV.

Galectin-1 orchestrates an inflammatory tumor-stroma crosstalk in hepatoma by enhancing TNFR1 protein stability and signaling in carcinoma-associated fibroblasts.

Most cases of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) arise with the fibrotic microenvironment where hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and carcinoma-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are critical components in HCC progression. Therefore, CAF normalization could be a feasible therapy for HCC. Galectin-1 (Gal-1), a β-galactoside-binding lectin, is critical for HSC activation and liver fibrosis.

Circulating Let-7 Family Members as Non-Invasive Biomarkers for Predicting Hepatocellular Carcinoma Risk after Antiviral Treatment among Chronic Hepatitis C Patients.

HCC, a leading cause of cancer-related mortality, is diagnosed at advanced stages. Although antiviral therapy has reduced the risk of HCC among chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients, the risk of HCC remains, thus, highlighting the unmet need for continuous surveillance. Therefore, stable and cost-effective biomarkers, such as circulating microRNAs, must be identified.

Itemization difference of patient-reported outcome in patients with chronic liver disease.

Background And Aims: The itemization difference of patient-reported outcome (PRO) in hepatitis patients with different etiologies remains elusive in Asia. We aimed to assess the characteristics and the difference of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in chronic hepatitis B (CHB), chronic hepatitis C (CHC), and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients.

Methods: We conducted the study in an outpatient setting.

Limited sorafenib anticancer effects on primary cultured hepatocellular carcinoma cells with high NANOG expression.

Cancer stem cell is considered as an important cause to exacerbate the prognosis. NANOG and POU5F1 are markers for cancer stem cells. The associations between NANOG and POU5F1 expressions with the sorafenib anticancer effects in primary cultured hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells were investigated.

Dynamics of cytokines predicts risk of hepatocellular carcinoma among chronic hepatitis C patients after viral eradication.

Background: Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection induces profound alterations in the cytokine and chemokine signatures in peripheral blood. Clearance of HCV by antivirals results in host immune modification, which may interfere with immune-mediated cancer surveillance. Identifying HCV patients who remain at risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) following HCV eradication remains an unmet need.

Outreach onsite treatment with a simplified pangenotypic direct-acting anti-viral regimen for hepatitis C virus micro-elimination in a prison.

Background: Prisoners are at risk of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, especially among the people who inject drugs (PWID). We implemented an outreach strategy in combination with universal mass screening and immediate onsite treatment with a simplified pan-genotypic direct-acting antivirals (DAA) regimen, 12 wk of sofosbuvir/velpatasvir, in a PWID-dominant prison in Taiwan.

Aim: To implement an outreach strategy in combination with universal mass screening and immediate onsite treatment with a simplified pan-genotypic DAA regimen in a PWID-dominant prison in Taiwan.

Towards a safe hospital: hepatitis C in-hospital micro-elimination program (HCV-HELP study).

Background And Aims: Scarce data are available on in-hospital hepatitis C virus (HCV) micro-elimination strategies. This pilot study was prospectively conducted to assess the outcomes of HCV in-hospital micro-elimination program (HCV-HELP) in a single center in Taiwan.

Methods: The study included the HCV reflex test for plans A (hospital personnel), B (outpatient surveillance), C (a call-back system for anti-HCV+ patients), and D (surveillance of cancer patients prior to chemotherapy).

Regorafenib for Taiwanese patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma after sorafenib failure: Impact of alpha-fetoprotein levels.

Background And Aims: Regorafenib has demonstrated its survival benefit for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC) patients in a phase III clinical trial. We aimed to assess the efficacy and tolerability of regorafenib and the predictors of treatment outcomes in Taiwanese patients.

Methods: We analyzed the survival, best overall response, predictors of treatment outcomes, and safety for uHCC patients who had tumor progression on sorafenib therapy and received regorafenib as salvage therapy between March 2018 and November 2020.

Serum Wisteria floribunda agglutinin-positive Mac-2-binding protein expression predicts disease severity in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis patients.

The role of Wisteria floribunda agglutinin-positive Mac-2 binding protein (WFA -M2BP) in the prediction of disease severity in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) remains elusive. This study evaluated the performance of WFA -M2BP in predicting fibrosis in patients with NAFLD. A total of 80 patients with biopsy-proven nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) were enrolled.

The Persistence of Hepatitis C Virus Infection in Hepatocytes Promotes Hepatocellular Carcinoma Progression by Pro-Inflammatory Interluekin-8 Expression.

Background: A large amount of epidemiological evidence indicates that persistent HCV infection is the main risk factor for HCC. We aimed to study the effects of persistent HCV infection on the interaction of the virus and host cell to identify cancer gene profiles.

Methods: Next-generation sequencing (NGS) was used to identify differentially expressed genes between uninfected Huh7.

First-in-Asian double-blind randomized trial to assess the efficacy and safety of insulin sensitizer in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis patients.

Background: The efficacy and safety of insulin sensitizer in Asians with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) remain elusive.

Aims: The double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial was conducted aiming to investigate the efficacy and safety of pioglitazone in NASH patients.

Methods: A total of 90 NASH patients (66 males, age = 44.

Seroreversion of hepatitis B surface antigen among subjects with resolved hepatitis B virus infection: A community-based cohort study.

Background And Aim: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) surface antigen (HBsAg) seroreversion usually occurs during immunosuppressive therapy. The risk and factors of HBsAg seroreversion from resolved HBV infection in the general population remained unclear.

Methods: This retrospective study enrolled subjects with resolved HBV infection and who had received at least two times of screening in a longitudinal community screening program.