Comparison of the grade evaluated by "Liver damage" of Liver Cancer Study Group of Japan and Child-Pugh classification in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The "Liver damage" classification proposed by the Liver Cancer Study Group of Japan and Child-Pugh classification are both useful classifications for hepatic function. However, the factors responsible for the difference between the two classifications have not been fully investigated. METHODS: The medical records of 594 admissions of 220 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were retrospectively analyzed for encephalopathy, ascites, serum bilirubin and albumin, plasma retention rate (%) at 15min after injection of 0.5mg/kg of indocyanine green (ICG R15), and prothrombin time. RESULTS: Of 594 admissions, ICG R15 was tested in 337 (56.7%). The Child-Pugh classification was evaluated in all 594 admissions, but the "Liver damage" could be evaluated in 510 (85.9%) due to the lack of ICG R15 results. Of the 594 admissions, 372 (62.6%), 162 (27.3%), and 60 (10.1%) were Child-Pugh grade A, B, and C, respectively. Of the 510 admissions, 219 (42.9%), 202 (39.6%), and 89 (17.5%) were "Liver damage" grade A, B, and C, respectively. The grade of "Liver damage" was similar to that of Child-Pugh classification in 369 (72.4%), under-evaluated in 138 (27.1%), and over-evaluated in 3 (0.6%). The Child-Pugh classification was statistically a better classification for predicting outcome than "Liver damage", but the "Liver damage" had better stratification ability than Child-Pugh classification in patients with relatively good liver function. CONCLUSIONS: Although the "Liver damage" could not be evaluated in some cases due to the lack of ICG R15 results, this classification system is useful in the evaluation and prediction of outcome of patients with early-stage liver diseases.

Enzyme inhibition assay for pyruvate dehydrogenase complex: clinical utility for the diagnosis of primary biliary cirrhosis.

Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is usually diagnosed by the presence of characteristic histopathological features of the liver and/or antimitochondrial antibodies (AMA) in the serum traditionally detected by immunofluorescence. Recently, new and more accurate serological assays for the detection of AMA, such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), immunoblotting, and enzyme inhibition assay, have been developed. Of these, the enzyme inhibition assay for the detection of anti- pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC) antibodies offers certain advantages such as objectivity, rapidity, simplicity, and low cost. Since this assay has almost 100% specificity, it may have particular applicability in screening the at-risk segment of the population in developing countries. Moreover, this assay could be also used for monitoring the disease course in PBC. Almost all sera of PBC-suspected patients can be confirmed for PBC or non-PBC by the combination results of immunoblotting and enzyme inhibition assay without histopathological examination. For the development of a "complete" or "gold standard" diagnostic assay for PBC, similar assays of the enzyme inhibition for anti-2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase complex (OGDC) and anti-branched chain oxo-acid dehydrogenase complex (BCOADC) antibodies will be needed in future.

Clinical significance of positive immunoblotting but negative immunofluorescence for antimitochondrial antibodies in patients with liver diseases other than primary biliary cirrhosis.

The serum reaction to anti-2-oxo-acid dehydrogenase complex (2-OADC) enzymes, the antigens recognized by antimitochondrial antibodies (AMA), can be detected by immunoblotting in patients with liver diseases other than primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), who are negative for AMA by conventional indirect immunofluorescence. Whether the presence of anti-2-OADC is related to PBC or represents preclinical PBC in such patients is obscure at present. We examined the immunoreactivity of AMA by immunofluorescense, immunoblotting, and enzyme inhibition assay in serum samples from 59 patients with liver diseases other than PBC and 71 healthy subjects. We also examined the clinical course of the patients in whom a positive result was obtained to elucidate whether such reaction was a "true" or "false" phenomenon. None of the 130 sera was positive for AMA by indirect immunofluorescence or for anti-pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC) by enzyme inhibition assay. However, seven of 71 (10%) sera from healthy subjects contained weak IgG class antibody to PDC-E2 (four sera) or E2 subunit of branched-chain oxo-acid dehydrogenase complex (BCOADC-E2) (three sera). Of the 59 sera from patients with liver diseases other than PBC, four (7%) reacted against 2-OADC by immunoblotting. Of these, three sera were from patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, and contained IgG class autoantibody to BCOADC-E2. The serum reactivity to BCOADC-E2 detected by immunoblotting in these three patients diminished after absorption with recombinant BCOADC-E2 fusion protein. During the 3-5 year follow-up period, AMA by immunofluorescence and anti-PDC activity by enzyme inhibition assay were always negative in these three patients. The other one serum was from patient with alcoholic cirrhosis, and contained IgM class autoantibody to E3 binding protein (E3-BP). This patient did not develop PBC during the following 2 years. Our results showed that anti-2-OADC antibodies could be detected in some patients with liver diseases other than PBC, and even in healthy individuals. The clinical significance of the presence of these serum reactions is obscure at this stage, but the production of anti-BCOADC-E2 may be linked to the presence of HCV in certain patients. Further prospective studies of larger population should clarify whether anti-2-OADC reaction can precede the clinical development of PBC.

Evaluation of newly developed ELISA using "MESACUP-2 test mitochondrial M2" kit for the diagnosis of primary biliary cirrhosis.

OBJECTIVES: An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using MESACUP-2 Test Mitochondria M2 kit (new-M2 ELISA) has recently become commercially available. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical utility of this newly developed ELISA for the diagnosis of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). DESIGN AND METHODS: We tested the immunoreactivity of sera from 82 Japanese PBC patients to the 2-oxo-acid dehydrogenase complex (2-OADC) enzymes by indirect immunofluorescence, enzyme inhibition assay using commercially available TRACE Enzymatic Mitochondrial Antibody (M2) Assay (EMA) kit, commercial ELISAs using MESACUP Mitochondria M2 kit (old-M2 ELISA) and new-M2 ELISA, and immunoblotting on bovine heart mitochondria. RESULTS: Each test gave the following positive results; antimitochondrial antibodies (AMA) by immunofluorescence in 71 (87%) out of the 82 sera, enzymatic inhibitory antibody to pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC) by EMA in 61 (74%), immunoglobulin (Ig) G class anti-PDC antibody by old-M2 ELISA in 55 (67%), IgG/M/A class anti-E2 subunit of PDC (PDC-E2)/anti-E2 subunit of branched chain oxo-acid dehydrogenase complex (BCOADC-E2)/anti-E2 subunit of 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase complex (OGDC-E2) antibodies by new-M2 ELISA in 73 (89%), and IgG, IgM, or IgA class antibodies against at least one of the 2-OADC enzymes by immunoblotting in 82 (100%). Fifty-three of the 82 sera (65%) were all positive by these five assays. Of the 18 sera that were positive by new-M2 ELISA but negative by old-M2 ELISA, 12 were theoretically interpretable. Of the 11 sera that were negative for AMA by immunofluorescence but positive for at least one of anti-2-OADC enzymes by immunoblotting, four (36%) were positive by new-M2 ELISA, whereas only two and one sera were positive by EMA and old-M2 ELISA, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicated that the sensitivity of the newly developed new-M2 ELISA was higher than that of EMA and old-M2 ELISA, and comparable with that of immunofluorescence. However, it is still unclear whether the new-M2 ELISA could replace the conventional immunofluorescence testing for routine assay requests because six (7%) sera showed discrepant results between these two assays.

A case of haemorrhagic radiation proctitis: successful treatment with argon plasma coagulation.

Argon plasma coagulation (APC) has been used extensively for a wide range of indications in gastrointestinal endoscopy. We describe a case of haemorrhagic radiation proctitis treated successfully with APC. A 54-year-old Japanese woman presented with daily rectal bleeding 4 months after cessation of radiotherapy for uterine cancer. Colonoscopic examination showed friable bleeding teleangiectasias in the rectum. Her haemoglobin level was decreased to 5.4 g/dl, requiring frequent blood transfusions. Endoscopic APC set at 1.2 l/min and 45 W was applied. After four treatment sessions without any complications, the patient showed complete resolution of haematochezia and subsequent haematological improvement. Standard and magnifying endoscopic follow-up revealed complete eradication of the vascular lesions and cicatrization of the treated areas, and mucosal covering with normal crypt lining. Endoscopic APC is an effective and well-tolerated treatment modality for the management of haemorrhagic proctitis.

A possible mouse model for spontaneous cholangitis: serological and histological characteristics of MRL/lpr mice.

AIMS: MRL/Mp-lpr/lpr (MRL/lpr) mice spontaneously develop lymphadenopathy, hypergammaglobulinaemia, serum auto-antibodies, and a generalised auto-immune disease including glomerulonephritis and arthritis, and have been used as a model for the study of systemic lupus erythematosus. Recently, MRL/lpr mice were also reported as a potentially suitable animal model of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). The aim of this study was to determine the suitability of MRL/Mp-lpr/lpr (MRL/lpr) mice as an experimental auto-immune-mediated cholangitis model for PBC. METHODS: We investigated the serum hepatobiliary enzymes, histopathological findings, and the target antigen of antimitochondrial antibodies (AMA) in MRL/lpr mice. RESULTS: Serum levels of total bilirubin and hepatobiliary enzymes including alanine aminotransferase (ALT), leucine aminopeptidase (LAP), and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (G-GTP) in older-aged (over 20 weeks old) MRL/lpr or MRL/Mp-+/+ (MRL/+) mice were not significantly higher than those in younger (8-12 weeks old) MRL/lpr, MRL/+, or older-aged control mice (C3H/HeJ and BALB/C mice). Histopathologically, 24 of 47 (51%) older-aged MRL/lpr mice showed evidence of cholangitis, compared with two of 20 (10%) younger MRL/lpr mice. Especially, epithelioid granuloma and/or bile duct loss were seen in 11 out of 47 (23%) older-aged MRL/lpr mice, whereas such findings were seen in only one of 20 (5%) younger MRL/lpr mice. None of the MRL/+, C3H/HeJ, and BALB/C mice developed cholangitis. The target antigens of AMA were not pyruvate dehydrogenase complex but 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase complex and/or branched-chain oxo-acid dehydrogenase complex as confirmed by immunoblotting. There was no significant correlation between the presence of AMA and severity of histological lesions in older-aged MRL/lpr mice, and there were no significant differences in these biochemical data, the proportion of mice with portal inflammation, cholangitis and AMA between male and female MRL/lpr mice. CONCLUSION: Although several clinical features were incompatible with PBC, the serological and histopathological features of MRL/lpr mice indicate that these mice can be used as an experimental immune-mediated cholangitis model for PBC.

Successful treatment with cyclosporin in adult-onset Still disease manifesting as acute hepatitis with marked hyperferritinemia.

A 48-year-old woman was admitted because of spiking high fever, sore throat, and jaundice. A diagnosis was made of adult-onset Still disease (AOSD) presenting with acute hepatitis and very high serum ferritin levels (32,240 ng/mL), and she was treated with 2 courses of pulse therapy of methylprednisolone (2 g/day for 3 days) followed by 40 mg/day prednisolone. Subsequently, the serum level of ferritin decreased, but serum total bilirubin increased to 17.3 mg/dL. Therefore, cyclosporin was administered orally. Within the next 3 months, results of liver function tests, as well as serum levels of ferritin, soluble interleukin-2 receptor, interferon-gamma, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha gradually returned to within normal limits, and cyclosporin administration was subsequently reduced gradually. The clinical presentation suggests that AOSD should be considered when liver dysfunction is accompanied with high fever and extreme hyperferritinemia, and that treatment with cyclosporin or other immunosuppressive drugs that selectively suppress cytokine production by helper T cells is a valuable option in the treatment of AOSD with very high serum ferritin levels.

The sperm mitochondria-specific translocator has a key role in maternal mitochondrial inheritance.

The mechanism of maternal mitochondrial inheritance in animals involves the selective elimination of sperm mitochondria by the elimination factor of the egg and the sperm mitochondria-specific factor. In vitro fertilization using sperm from isogenic mice incorporating heterospecific mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) showed that the number of PCR positives of sperm mtDNA in two-cell embryos was significantly increased following sperm incubation with anti-tetratricopeptide repeat-containing protein involved in spermatogenesis (tpis) protein, anti-translocator of mitochondrial outer membrane (Tom) 22 and anti-Tom40 antibodies. The treatment of fertilized eggs with EGTA and other endonuclease inhibitors increased the sperm mtDNA levels. We conclude that the elimination factor, which is probably an endonuclease, is selectively received by the tpis protein of the sperm mitochondrial outer membrane within the egg. It is then transported into the sperm mitochondria by Tom22 and Tom40, where it destroys the sperm mtDNA, establishing the maternal inheritance of mtDNA.

Does the diagnosis of primary biliary cirrhosis or autoimmune cholangitis depend on the 'phase' of the disease?

BACKGROUND: It is unclear whether autoimmune cholangitis (AIC) is a separate disease entity or primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) without antimitochondrial antibodies (AMA) since fluctuation of AMA titres by immunofluorescence (IF) is often observed during the course of PBC. The aim of this study was to determine the serial changes in AMA profiles during the course of initially diagnosed PBC or AIC. METHODS: In this prospective study, 32 patients with PBC or AIC were followed-up for at least 20 months and tested for AMA by IF, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and immunoblotting (IB). RESULTS: When positive AMA result was defined as 'AMA by IF positive', 'AMA by IF and/or ELISA positive', and 'AMA by IB positive', the diagnosis of PBC or AIC did not change in 78%, 91%, and 97%, respectively, throughout follow-up. However, the diagnosis changed in one patient, and three patients were diagnosed as AIC throughout follow-up, despite the use of all three assays. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggested that the diagnosis of PBC and AIC was dependent on the 'phase' of the respective disease in 22% of the patients when negative AMA result was defined as 'AMA by IF negative'. This may result in recommending IB analysis before making the diagnosis of AIC.

Automated enzymatic mitochondrial antibody assay for the diagnosis of primary biliary cirrhosis: applications of a routine diagnostic tool for the detection of antimitochondrial antibodies.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: An automated enzymatic mitochondrial antibody assay (EMA) kit for the diagnosis of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) has become commercially available recently. The aim of this study was to assess the clinical utility of the enzyme inhibition assay using this EMA kit for the diagnosis of PBC. METHODS: We tested the immunoreactivity of sera from 54 histologically confirmed Japanese PBC patients to the 2-oxo-acid dehydrogenase complex (2-OADC) enzymes by enzyme inhibition assay using commercially available TRACE (EMA) assay kit, and compared the results with those of indirect immunofluorescence, commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using MESACUP Mitochondria M2 kit, and immunoblotting on bovine heart mitochondria. RESULTS: Of the 54 sera, 43 (80%) were positive for antimitochondrial antibodies (AMA) by immunofluorescence, 39 (72%) for enzymatic inhibitory antibody to pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC) by EMA, 33 (61%) for immunoglobulin G (IgG) class anti-PDC antibody by ELISA, and 53 (98%) for IgG, IgM, or IgA class antibodies against at least one of the 2-OADC enzymes by immunoblotting. Of these, 43 (80%) were positive for IgG, IgM, or IgA class antibodies against the E2 subunit of PDC (PDC-E2) by immunoblotting. Thirty-six of the 54 sera (67%) showed identical results in all of the four assays, and 40 (74%) were all negative or positive by EMA, ELISA, and immunoblotting in PDC-relevant reactivity. There was a significant correlation between the number of detected immunoglobulin classes of anti-PDC-E2 by immunoblotting and anti-PDC by EMA (P < 0.0001), and a significant inverse correlation between IgG class anti-PDC by ELISA and units of PDC activity by EMA (r = -0.87, P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Although EMA had lower sensitivity compared with immunofluorescence and immunoblotting, this assay should be included among the routine diagnostic tools for the detection of AMA specific to PBC in clinical laboratories because of its high specificity, objective read-out, and rapid turnaround time.

Correlation between histopathological findings of the liver and IgA class antibodies to 2-oxo-acid dehydrogenase complex in primary biliary cirrhosis.

Although anti-mitochondrial antibody (AMA) is the characteristic serological feature of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), its pathogenetic role remains unclear. We tested sera from 72 Japanese patients with histologically confirmed PBC for AMA by indirect immunofluorescence, anti-pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC) by enzyme inhibition assay, immunoglobulin (Ig) G class anti-PDC by ELISA, and IgG, IgM, and IgA class anti-2-oxo-acid dehydrogenase complex (2-OADC) by immunoblotting. Of the 72 sera, 60 (83%), 50 (69%), 42 (58%), and 71 (99%) were positive for AMA by immunofluorescence, enzyme inhibition assay, ELISA, and immunoblotting, respectively. There was no significant correlation between histological stages and AMA by immunofluorescence, PDC inhibitory antibodies by enzyme inhibition assay, IgG class anti-PDC antibodies by ELISA, or IgG and IgM class anti-2-OADC by immunoblotting. IgA class anti-2-OADC by immunoblotting was more frequent in stages 2-4 than in stage 1 (P = 0.0083). Of the IgA class anti-2-OADC, anti-PDC-E2 (74 kDa) and anti-E3BP (52 kDa) were more frequent in stages 2-4 than in stage 1 (P = 0.0253 and 0.0042, respectively). Further examination of histopathological findings in 53 of 72 liver biopsy specimens showed that IgA class anti-PDC-E2 and IgA class anti-E3BP were associated with bile duct loss, and IgA class anti-PDC-E2 was also associated with interface hepatitis and atypical ductular proliferation. IgA is known to be secreted into the bile through biliary epithelial cells, implying that IgA class anti-PDC-E2 and E3BP may have a specific pathogenetic role during their transport into the bile by binding to their target antigen(s) in biliary epithelial cells, and this may be followed by dysfunction and finally destruction of biliary epithelial cells. Our present results suggest that these autoantibodies against 2-OADC detected by immunoblotting may be associated with the pathogenesis and pathologic progression of PBC.

Fatty liver in non-alcoholic non-overweight Japanese adults: incidence and clinical characteristics.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Fatty liver is not uncommon in many countries, including Japan, and is mainly caused by alcohol usage and obesity. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence and causative factors of fatty liver in Japanese adults. METHODS: The clinical characteristics of 3432 Japanese adults who visited our hospital between January and December 2000 for thorough medical examinations were recorded including sex, age, body mass index (BMI), percentage body fat measurement using a bipedal bioimpedance instrument, history of alcohol intake, blood pressure, serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, total cholesterol, triglyceride, uric acid, fasting blood glucose (FBG), and liver status by ultrasonography (USG). RESULTS: Of 3432 participants, 747 (21.8%) were diagnosed as having fatty liver by USG, 1873 (54.6%) were 'daily alcohol drinkers', and 698 (20.3%) were overweight (BMI >or= 25 kg/m2). Fatty liver was more frequent in men and overweight subjects (P < 0.01), whereas there was no significant difference in the proportion of the 'daily alcohol drinker' between fatty liver and non-fatty liver participants. The logistic regression analysis showed that BMI, ALT, and triglyceride were independent predictors of fatty liver in both sexes, and FBG, uric acid, percentage body fat, and total cholesterol were independent predictors of fatty liver only in men. It was noted that 319 (9.3%) were non-alcoholic individuals with fatty liver, and 141 (4.1%) were non-alcoholic and non-overweight individuals with fatty liver. The logistic regression analysis showed that percentage body fat was an independent predictor of fatty liver in non-alcoholic and non-overweight participants in both sexes, although non-significant in women in the whole group. CONCLUSIONS: In our study population, 21.8% had fatty liver diagnosed by USG, 9.3% were non-alcoholic with fatty liver, and 4.1% were non-alcoholic and non-overweight with fatty liver. Our results suggest that central body fat distribution can correlate with the development of fatty liver, and that measurement of percentage body fat is useful to assess the etiology of fatty liver in non-alcoholic and non-overweight participants, particularly women.