Heart failure treatment and serum carnitines in HFpEF and HFrEF with or without hypertension - a pilot study.

The ratio of serum acylcarnitines to free carnitines (AC/FC) reflects impaired cardiomyocyte β-oxidization. The effect of heart failure (HF) treatment on AC/FC remained unclear. This pilot study retrospectively examined treatment-induced AC/FC changes in patients with HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) in 148 consecutive inpatients undergoing echocardiography and carnitine measurement at admission and discharge.

Efficacy of Lenvatinib Combined with Transcatheter Intra-Arterial Therapies for Patients with Advanced-Stage of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Propensity Score Matching.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of lenvatinib (LEN) combined with transcatheter intra-arterial therapy (TIT) for advanced-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after propensity score matching (PSM). This retrospective study enrolled 115 patients with advanced-stage HCC who received LEN treatment. The patients were categorized into the LEN combined with TIT group ( = 30) or the LEN monotherapy group ( = 85).

The impact of curative conversion therapy aimed at a cancer-free state in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma treated with atezolizumab plus bevacizumab.

Background And Aims: We aimed to validate the predictive factors for tumor response and the prognostic impact of conversion therapy aimed at cancer- and drug-free states in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (u-HCC) undergoing atezolizumab plus bevacizumab (Atez/Bev) therapy.

Methods: This retrospective study enrolled 156 patients who were Child-Pugh class A with u-HCC treated using Atez/Beva. The profile of objective response was investigated using decision-tree analysis.

Telephone follow-up contributes to improving adherence and treatment duration in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma treated with lenvatinib.

Background And Aim: This study aimed to investigate whether telephone follow-up by clinical pharmacists for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients treated with lenvatinib (LEN) contributes to improved adherence and treatment duration for LEN.

Methods: This retrospective study enrolled 132 patients with HCC who were treated with LEN. The patients were classified into non-telephone follow-up (n = 32) or telephone follow-up groups (n = 100) [the latter group was further classified into family-pharmacist (FP) telephone follow-up (n = 18), or hospital family-pharmacist (HFP) telephone follow-up (n = 82) groups].

Early-stage antibody kinetics after the third dose of BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccination measured by a point-of-care fingertip whole blood testing.

Amid the Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic, we aimed to demonstrate the accuracy of the fingertip whole blood sampling test (FWT) in measuring the antibody titer and uncovering its dynamics shortly after booster vaccination. Mokobio SARS-CoV-2 IgM & IgG Quantum Dot immunoassay (Mokobio Biotechnology R&D Center Inc., MD, USA) was used as a point-of-care FWT in 226 health care workers (HCWs) who had received two doses of the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech) at least 8 months prior.

Significance of ramucirumab following atezolizumab plus bevacizumab therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma using real-world data.

Aim: Few studies have reported the efficacy and safety of ramucirumab (RAM) after atezolizumab plus bevacizumab (Atezo/Beva) treatment and the overall associated outcomes. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the therapeutic effects and safety of RAM post-treatment with Atezo/Beva.

Methods: This retrospective study enrolled 46 patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma who were treated with RAM.

Deterioration of liver function and aging disturb sequential systemic therapy for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma.

This study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics of patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), who were eligible for sequential systemic therapy. We evaluated 365 patients with HCC who underwent systemic therapy after 2017. The overall survival (OS) was 13.

The beneficial impact of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease on lenvatinib treatment in patients with non-viral hepatocellular carcinoma.

Aim: Lenvatinib is used to treat advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is becoming a major etiology of HCC. We aimed to evaluate the impact of MAFLD on the efficacy of lenvatinib.

Association between Adverse Events and Prognosis in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treated with Atezolizumab Plus Bevacizumab: A Multicenter Retrospective Study.

This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between adverse events (AEs) and overall survival (OS) in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma treated with atezolizumab plus bevacizumab (atezo/beva). This was a multicenter study in which 130 patients were enrolled. Hypertension and skin disorders had a significant correlation with longer survival (median survival time (MST): not reached vs.

First-line sorafenib sequential therapy and liver disease etiology for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma using inverse probability weighting: A multicenter retrospective study.

Background And Aims: Sequential therapy with molecular-targeted agents (MTAs) is considered effective for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. This study purposed to evaluate the efficacy of sequential therapy with sorafenib (SORA) as a first-line therapy and to investigate the therapeutic impact of SORA in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) or nonalcoholic steato hepatitis (NASH)-related HCC.

Methods: We evaluated 504 HCC patients treated with SORA (Study-1).

Multimolecular-Targeted Agents for Intermediate-Stage Hepatocellular Carcinoma Influence Time to Stage Progression and Overall Survival.

Unlabelled: Background & Aims: Intermediate hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treatment has become complicated due to the development of various molecular-targeted agents (MTAs). We aimed to determine whether the administration of MTAs in patients with intermediate-stage HCC contributed to the prevention of progression to an advanced stage.

Methods: We enrolled and retrospectively examined 289 patients with Child-Pugh class A who had been diagnosed with intermediate-stage HCC and underwent initial trans-arterial chemoembolization (TACE).

Initial Experience of Atezolizumab Plus Bevacizumab for Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Real-World Clinical Practice.

Background: Atezolizumab plus bevacizumab was approved for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Although clinical trials have revealed its efficacy, the outcomes in the real-world clinical practice are unclear. We retrospectively evaluated the efficacy and safety of atezolizumab plus bevacizumab for HCC.

Survival Benefit of Hepatic Arterial Infusion Chemotherapy over Sorafenib in the Treatment of Locally Progressed Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Backround: Not all patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) benefit from treatment with molecular targeted agents such as sorafenib. We investigated whether New-FP (fine-powder cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil), a hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy regimen, is more favorable than sorafenib as an initial treatment for locally progressed HCC.

Methods: To avoid selection bias, we corrected the data from different facilities that did or did not perform New-FP therapy.

Alternating Lenvatinib and Trans-Arterial Therapy Prolongs Overall Survival in Patients with Inter-Mediate Stage HepatoCellular Carcinoma: A Propensity Score Matching Study.

We aimed to evaluate the impact of alternating lenvatinib (LEN) and trans-arterial therapy (AT) in patients with intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after propensity score matching (PSM). This retrospective study enrolled 113 patients with intermediate-stage HCC treated LEN. Patients were classified into the AT ( = 41) or non-AT group ( = 72) according to the post LEN treatment.

Noninvasive Technique for Measuring Central Venous and Arterial Pressure Using Controlled Compression Sonography.

Devices that can noninvasively measure central and peripheral venous pressures with relative ease and in a short time were developed, but the resolution of the data that can be recorded with these devices is limited to 50 mmHg. We aimed to develop a system that could overcome this limitation. We used an innovative noninvasive controlled compression sonography device that could theoretically measure pressures higher than 200 mmHg.

Lenvatinib prolongs the progression-free survival time of patients with intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma refractory to transarterial chemoembolization: A multicenter cohort study using data mining analysis.

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors are considered for use in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) refractory to transarterial chemoembolization (TACE). The aim of the present retrospective study was to identify factors associated with progression-free survival (PFS) and to evaluate the indications for lenvatinib treatment in patients with intermediate-stage HCC refractory to TACE using a data-mining analysis. A total of 171 patients with intermediate-stage HCC refractory to TACE were included.

Increased Arterio-Portal Shunt Formation after Drug-Eluting Beads TACE for Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Background And Aims: Conventional transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (C-TACE) and drug-eluting bead (DEB)-based TACE are current treatments for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We compared the therapeutic efficacies and adverse events of these methods in a single-center retrospective cohort study.

Methods: We enrolled 174 patients treated between January 2010 and October 2016; 98 and 76 underwent C-TACE and DEB-TACE, respectively, with 76 and 22 of the former group and 49 and 27 of the latter group classified as Child-Pugh class A and B, respectively.

Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) Score is Associated with Overall Survival in Patients with Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treated with Lenvatinib: A Multicenter Cohort Study.

We aimed to investigate the impact of the controlling nutritional status (CONUT) score, an immuno-nutritional biomarker, on the prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated with lenvatinib (LEN). This retrospective study enrolled 164 patients with HCC and treated with LEN (median age 73 years, Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage B/C 93/71). Factors associated with overall survival (OS) were evaluated using multivariate and decision tree analyses.

Indication of suitable transarterial chemoembolization and multikinase inhibitors for intermediate stage hepatocellular carcinoma.

Prognosis of patients with intermediate stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) is unsatisfactory. The present study analyzed the indications for suitable TACE in patients with intermediate stage HCC. Additionally, it was investigated whether further TACE or switching to multi-kinase inhibitors (MKIs) was more beneficial for patients with HCC recurrence following initial TACE.

Prognostic impact of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) combined with radiofrequency ablation in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: Comparison with TACE alone using decision-tree analysis after propensity score matching.

Aims: The prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients treated with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) is still poor. We aimed to evaluate the impact of TACE combined with radiofrequency ablation (TACE+RFA) on the prognosis of HCC patients using decision-tree analysis after propensity score matching.

Methods: This was a retrospective study.

Dose and Location of Irradiation Determine Survival for Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Macrovascular Invasion in External Beam Radiation Therapy.

Aim: Prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with macrovascular invasion (MVI) is extremely poor. However, proper therapeutic strategies have not been established yet. The purpose of this study is to identify the effects of external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) for MVI of HCC.

Prediction of Postoperative Cerebral Infarction after Cardiovascular Surgery Using Quantitative Measurement of Cerebral Blood Flow with Brain Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography.

Prediction of postoperative cerebral infarction after cardiovascular surgery is difficult. The present study investigated whether quantitative evaluation of preoperative cerebral blood flow used in the Japanese EC-IC Bypass Trial (JET) study is useful for the prediction of postoperative cerebral infarction after cardiovascular surgery. First, patients were divided into two groups based on preoperative cerebral blood flow.

Epirubicin is More Effective than Miriplatin in Balloon-Occluded Transcatheter Arterial Chemoembolization for Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Background: Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) is a standard therapy used in the treatment of intermediate hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Recently, balloon-occluded TACE (B-TACE) has been developed.

Purpose: This study aimed to clarify the effects of B-TACE in patients with HCC, with a focus on which drug is suitable to suspend in Lipiodol for B-TACE.