Epigenetic regulation of HBV-specific tumor-infiltrating T cells in HBV-related HCC.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: HBV shapes the T-cell immune responses in HBV-related HCC. T cells can be recruited to the nidus, but limited T cells participate specifically in response to the HBV-related tumor microenvironment and HBV antigens. How epigenomic programs regulate T-cell compartments in virus-specific immune processes is unclear. APPROACH AND RESULTS: We developed Ti-ATAC-seq. 2 to map the T-cell receptor repertoire, epigenomic, and transcriptomic landscape of αß T cells at both the bulk-cell and single-cell levels in 54 patients with HCC. We deeply investigated HBV-specific T cells and HBV-related T-cell subsets that specifically responded to HBV antigens and the HBV + tumor microenvironment, respectively, characterizing their T-cell receptor clonality and specificity and performing epigenomic profiling. A shared program comprising NFKB1/2-, Proto-Oncogene, NF-KB Sub unit, NFATC2-, and NR4A1-associated unique T-cell receptor-downstream core epigenomic and transcriptomic regulome commonly regulated the differentiation of HBV-specific regulatory T-cell (Treg) cells and CD8 + exhausted T cells; this program was also selectively enriched in the HBV-related Treg-CTLA4 and CD8-exhausted T cell-thymocyte selection associated high mobility subsets and drove greater clonal expansion in HBV-related Treg-CTLA4 subset. Overall, 54% of the effector and memory HBV-specific T cells are governed by transcription factor motifs of activator protein 1, NFE2, and BACH1/2, which have been reported to be associated with prolonged patient relapse-free survival. Moreover, HBV-related tumor-infiltrating Tregs correlated with both increased viral titer and poor prognosis in patients. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides insight into the cellular and molecular basis of the epigenomic programs that regulate the differentiation and generation of HBV-related T cells from viral infection and HBV + HCC unique immune exhaustion.

Urinary biomarkers for hepatocellular carcinoma: current knowledge for clinicians.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most predominant primary liver cancer, causing many illnesses and deaths worldwide. The insidious clinical presentation, difficulty in early diagnosis, and the highly malignant nature make the prognosis of HCC extremely poor. The complex and heterogeneous pathogenesis of HCC poses significant challenges to developing therapies. Urine-based biomarkers for HCC, including diagnostic, prognostic, and monitoring markers, may be valuable supplements to current tools such as serum α-fetoprotein (AFP) and seem promising for progress in precision medicine. Herein, we reviewed the major urinary biomarkers for HCC and assessed their potential for clinical application. Molecular types, testing platforms, and methods for building multimolecule models in the included studies have shown great diversity, thus providing abundant novel tools for future clinical transformation and applications.

A Nomogram to Predict Individual Survival of Patients with Liver-Limited Metastases from Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Neoplasms: A US Population-Based Cohort Analysis and Chinese Multicenter Cohort Validation Study.

INTRODUCTION: Although gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (GEP-NENs) with liver metastasis encompass a wide variety of clinical conditions with various prognosis, no statistical model for predicting the prognosis of these patients has been established. We sought to establish a more elaborative and individualized nomogram to predict survival of patients with liver-limited metastatic GEP-NENs. In addition, this nomogram was validated by both the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database and a Chinese multicenter cohort. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with GEP-NENs with liver-limited metastasis between 2010 and 2016 were identified from the SEER database. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was performed to analyze survival outcomes. A nomogram was established based on the independent prognostic variables identified from univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses. The nomogram was evaluated in both an internal validation SEER dataset and an external validation dataset composed of patients from the Chinese multicenter cohort. RESULTS: A total of 1,474 patients from the SEER database and 192 patients from the multicenter cohort were included. Age, tumor size, differentiation, primary tumor resection, and liver metastasis resection were identified as independent prognostic factors by univariate and multivariate Cox analyses and were verified by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis (all p < 0.0001). A nomogram was developed and validated by calibration curves and areas under the curve of the external validation cohort, which showed good consistency and veracity in predicting overall survival. CONCLUSION: A nomogram was developed for the first time to predict the survival of patients with liver-limited metastases from GEP-NENs. Both internal and external validation demonstrated excellent discrimination and calibration of our nomogram. Based on this prognostic model, clinicians could develop more personalized treatment strategies and surveillance protocols.

Ultrasound-Guided Continuous Thoracic Paravertebral Block Improves Patient's Quality of Recovery After Open Hepatectomy: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial.

Background Ultrasound-guided continuous thoracic paravertebral block can provide pain-relieving and opioid-sparing effects in patients receiving open hepatectomy. We hypothesize that these effects may improve the quality of recovery (QoR) after open hepatectomy. Methods Seventy-six patients undergoing open hepatectomy were randomized to receive a continuous thoracic paravertebral block with ropivacaine (CTPVB group) or normal saline (control group). All patients received patient-controlled intravenous analgesia with morphine postoperatively for 48 hours. The primary outcome was the global Chinese 15-item Quality of Recovery score on postoperative day 7, which was statistically analyzed using Student's t-test. Results Thirty-six patients in the CTPVB group and 37 in the control group completed the study. Compared to the control group, the CTPVB group had significantly increased global Chinese 15-item Quality of Recovery scores (133.14 ± 12.97 vs. 122.62 ± 14.89, P = 0.002) on postoperative day 7. Postoperative pain scores and cumulative morphine consumption were significantly lower for up to 8 and 48 hours (P < 0.05; P = 0.002), respectively, in the CTPVB group. Conclusion Perioperative CTPVB markably promotes patient's QoR after open hepatectomy with a profound analgesic effect in the early postoperative period.

Three-dimensional bioprinted hepatorganoids prolong survival of mice with liver failure.

OBJECTIVE: Shortage of organ donors, a critical challenge for treatment of end-stage organ failure, has motivated the development of alternative strategies to generate organs in vitro. Here, we aim to describe the hepatorganoids, which is a liver tissue model generated by three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting of HepaRG cells and investigate its liver functions in vitro and in vivo. DESIGN: 3D bioprinted hepatorganoids (3DP-HOs) were constructed using HepaRG cells and bioink, according to specific 3D printing procedures. Liver functions of 3DP-HOs were detected after 7 days of differentiation in vitro, which were later transplanted into Fah-deficient mice. The in vivo liver functions of 3DP-HOs were evaluated by survival time and liver damage of mice, human liver function markers and human-specific debrisoquine metabolite production. RESULTS: 3DP-HOs broadly acquired liver functions, such as ALBUMIN secretion, drug metabolism and glycogen storage after 7 days of differentiation. After transplantation into abdominal cavity of Fah-/-Rag2-/- mouse model of liver injury, 3DP-HOs further matured and displayed increased synthesis of liver-specific proteins. Particularly, the mice acquired human-specific drug metabolism activities. Functional vascular systems were also formed in transplanted 3DP-HOs, further enhancing the material transport and liver functions of 3DP-HOs. Most importantly, transplantation of 3DP-HOs significantly improved the survival of mice. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrated a comprehensive proof of principle, which indicated that 3DP-HO model of liver tissues possessed in vivo hepatic functions and alleviated liver failure after transplantation, suggesting that 3D bioprinting could be used to generate human liver tissues as the alternative transplantation donors for treatment of liver diseases.

Comprehensive analysis of coagulation indices for predicting survival in patients with biliary tract cancer.

BACKGROUND: Abnormal activation of the coagulation system has been reported in patients with malignancies, but its prognostic significance in biliary tract cancer (BTC) remains unclear. This study aims to analyze and compare the prognostic value of coagulation indices in patients with BTC. METHODS: The medical records of 450 patients with BTC who underwent surgical resection at our hospital between 2003 and 2017 were retrospectively analyzed. Time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curves were plotted to compare the predictive accuracy of coagulation indices. A predictive nomogram for overall survival (OS) was established based on the Cox regression analysis and validated in both the training and validation cohorts. A novel stratification model was created according to the total points of the nomogram. RESULTS: Fibrinogen and international normalized ratio (INR) had the best predictive accuracy among the coagulation indices considered and were also the independent prognostic factors for OS. The nomogram and the novel stratification model had satisfactory performance and outperformed TNM staging. CONCLUSIONS: The study demonstrated that coagulation indices are valuable in predicting OS in BTC, with fibrinogen and INR having the best predictive ability. The nomogram and the novel stratification model could be applied to predict survival for patients with BTC.

Laparoscopic caudate lobectomy: a multicenter, propensity score-matched report of safety, feasibility, and early outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Caudate lobectomy via laparoscopic surgery has rarely been described. This multicenter, propensity score-matched study was performed to assess the safety and efficacy of laparoscopic caudate lobectomy (LCL). METHODS: A multicenter retrospective study was performed including all patients who underwent LCL and open caudate lobectomy (OCL) in four institutions from January 2013 to December 2018. In total, 131 patients were included in this study and divided into LCL (n = 19) and OCL (n = 112) groups. LCLs were matched to OCLs (1:2) using a propensity score matching (PSM) based on nine preoperative variables, including patient demographics and tumor characteristics. The pathological results, perioperative and postoperative parameters, and short-term outcomes were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: After PSM, there were 18 and 36 patients in the LCL and OCL groups, respectively. Baseline characteristics were comparable after matching. LCL was associated with less blood (100 vs. 300 ml, respectively; P < 0.001) and a shorter postoperative stay (6.0 vs 8.0 days, respectively; P = 0.003). Most patients' resection margins were > 10 mm in the LCL group (P = 0.021), and all patients with malignancy in both groups achieved R0 resection. In terms of early postoperative outcomes, the overall morbidity rate was identical in each group (11.1% vs. 11.1%, respectively; P = 1.000). No mortality occurred in either group. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopy is a feasible choice for resection of tumors located in the caudate lobe with acceptable perioperative results.

The role of lymph node dissection in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: a multicenter retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Lymph node dissection (LND) is of great significance in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). Although the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines recommend routine LND in ICC, the effects of LND remains controversial. This study aimed to explore the role of LND and some related issues and of in ICC. METHODS: Patients were identified in two Chinese academic centers. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) was used to reduce bias. Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox proportional hazards models were used to compare overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). RESULTS: Of 232 patients, 177 (76.3%) underwent LND, and 71 (40.1%) had metastatic lymph nodes. A minimum of 6 lymph nodes were dissected in 66 patients (37.3%). LND did not improve the prognosis of ICC. LNM > 3 may have worse OS and DFS than LNM 1-3, especially in the LND > = 6 group. For patients who did not underwent LND, the adjuvant treatment group had better OS and DFS. CONCLUSIONS: The proportions of patients who underwent LND and removed > = 6 lymph nodes were not high enough. LND has no definite predictive effect on prognosis. Patients with 4 or more LNMs may have a worse prognosis than patients with 1-3 LNMs. Adjuvant therapy may benefit patients of nLND.

The emerging roles of non-coding competing endogenous RNA in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Accumulating evidence has emerged revealing that noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) play essential roles in the occurrence and development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the complicated regulatory interactions among various ncRNAs in the development of HCC are not entirely understood. The newly discovered mechanism of competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) uncovered regulatory interactions among different varieties of RNAs. In recent years, a growing number of studies have suggested that ncRNAs, including long ncRNAs, circular RNAs and pseudogenes, play major roles in the biological functions of the ceRNA network in HCC. These ncRNAs can share microRNA response elements to affect microRNA affinity with target RNAs, thus regulating gene expression at the transcriptional level and both physiological and pathological processes. The ncRNAs that function as ceRNAs are involved in diverse biological processes in HCC cells, such as tumor cell proliferation, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, invasion, metastasis and chemoresistance. Based on these findings, ncRNAs that act as ceRNAs may be promising candidates for clinical diagnosis and treatments. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms and research methods of ceRNA networks. We also reviewed the recent advances in studying the roles of ncRNAs as ceRNAs in HCC and highlight possible directions and possibilities of ceRNAs as diagnostic biomarkers or therapeutic targets. Finally, the limitations, gaps in knowledge and opportunities for future research are also discussed.

Identification of RASSF1A promoter hypermethylation as a biomarker for hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: RAS association domain family protein 1A (RASSF1A) promoter hypermethylation is suggested to be linked to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but the results remained controversial. METHODS: We evaluated how RASSF1A promoter hypermethylation affects HCC risk and its clinicopathological characteristics through meta-analysis. Data on DNA methylation in HCC and relevant clinical data were also collected based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database to investigate the prognostic role of RASSF1A promoter hypermethylation in HCC. RESULTS: Forty-four articles involving 4777 individuals were enrolled in the pooled analyses. The RASSF1A promoter methylation rate was notably higher in the HCC cases than the non-tumor cases and healthy individuals, and was significantly related to hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection-positivity and large tumor size. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed that HCC cases with RASSF1A promoter hypermethylation had worse outcomes. Receiver operating characteristic curves confirmed that RASSF1A promoter methylation may be a marker of HCC-related prognoses. CONCLUSIONS: RASSF1A promoter hypermethylation is a promising biomarker for the diagnosis of HCC from tissue and peripheral blood, and is an emerging therapeutic target against HCC.

Integrated analysis of serum lipid profile for predicting clinical outcomes of patients with malignant biliary tumor.

BACKGROUND: Serum lipids were reported to be the prognostic factors of various cancers, but their prognostic value in malignant biliary tumor (MBT) patients remains unclear. Thus we aim to assess and compare prognosis values of different serum lipids, and construct a novel prognostic nomogram based on serum lipids. METHODS: Patients with a confirmed diagnosis of MBT at our institute from 2003 to 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. Prognosis-related factors were identified via univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses. Then the novel prognostic nomogram and a 3-tier staging system were constructed based on these factors and further compared to the TNM staging system. RESULTS: A total of 368 patients were included in this study. Seven optimal survival-related factors-TC/HDL >  10.08, apolipoprotein B >  0.9 g/L, lipoprotein> 72 mg/L, lymph node metastasis, radical cure, CA199 > 37 U/mL, and tumor differentiation -were included to construct the prognostic nomogram. The C-indexes in training and validation sets were 0.738 and 0.721, respectively. Besides, ROC curves, calibration plots, and decision curve analysis all suggested favorable discrimination and predictive ability. The nomogram also performed better predictive ability than the TNM system and nomogram without lipid parameters. And the staging system based on nomogram also presented better discriminative ability than TNM system (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The promising prognostic nomogram based on lipid parameters provided an intuitive method for performing survival prediction and facilitating individualized treatment and was a great complement to the TNM staging system in predicting overall survival.

Laparoscopic hepatectomy for patients who received enterostomy.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic hepatectomy is more conducive to the rapid rehabilitation of patients after surgery compared with open hepatectomy. However, there have been no reports on performing laparoscopic resection for liver metastases in enterostomy patients. MATERIALS: From December 2016 to April 2017, the Liver Surgery Department of the Peking Union Medical College Hospital received three patients who had focal liver lesions after colorectal cancer surgery and enterostomy. We performed laparoscopic hepatectomy for these three patients and reviewed relevant literature. RESULTS: All of these three patients' post-operative recovery was good. We found three different positions of the stomas and the corresponding abdominal adhesions in these three patients. We also summarised several possible related surgical techniques. CONCLUSION: For patients with colorectal cancer and enterostomy after an operation, implementation of laparoscopic hepatectomy is feasible. Further research is still required for a more comprehensive assessment of this surgical approach.

Differential Diagnosis of Immunoglobulin G4-associated Cholangitis From Cholangiocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Immunoglobulin G4-associated cholangitis (IAC) shares many similar symptoms with cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). However, the treatment and the prognosis are substantially different. This study aimed to identify the important markers for the differential diagnosis of these 2 diseases. METHODS: Thirty IAC patients and 275 CCA patients were reviewed retrospectively for their clinical symptoms, serological tests, and imaging characteristics. Posttreatment responses were also studied. RESULTS: IgG4 had 100% specificity for IAC at a cutoff of 6 times the upper normal limit. IAC patients had a significantly higher incidence of weight loss (P=0.025) and a higher level of weight loss (P=0.008) than CCA patients. The positive rates of biological markers CA199, CA242, and CEA in CCA and IAC were 81.5% versus 42.9%, 45.5% versus 4.5%, and 29.2% versus 7.1%, respectively. Levels of these tumor markers in CCA were significantly higher than in IAC (P<0.05). The thickened wall [17/18 (94.4%) vs. 3/10 (30%), P=0.001] and the occupying lesion on the bile duct [1/18 (5.6%) vs. 8/10 (80%), P<0.001] were found to be significantly different in IAC and CCA, respectively, by endoscopic ultrasonography. Autoimmune pancreatitis was the most frequently observed comorbidity of IAC (25/30). All IAC patients respond positively to steroid treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Increased tumor markers, 6-fold higher levels of serum IgG4, and other organs' involvement could be the reference factors for a differential diagnosis of IAC and CCA. Endoscopic ultrasonography might be an effective imaging tool for diagnosis, although clinical signs and symptoms of IAC and CCA are similar. Experimental steroid treatment can be useful in the diagnosis for certain difficult cases.

Surgical Treatment Strategies of Intravenous Leiomyomatosis withRight Cardiac Cavities Extension.

Objective To investigate the diagnosis and surgical treatment strategies of intravenous leiomyomatosis(IVL)extending through inferior vena cava into the right cardiac cavities. Methods Thirty patients of IVL extending through inferior vena cava into the right cardiac cavities were treated in Peking Union Medical College Hospital from November 2002 to January 2015.The following variables were studied: age,cardiopulmonary bypass time,deep hypothermic circulatory arrest time,origins of IVL,blood loss,duration of post-operative hospital stay,hospitalization expenses,edema of lower extremity,blood transfusion,postoperative complication,residual IVL,and re-grow or recurrence. Results Thirteen of 30 patients reported double lower limb edema. The cardiopulmonary bypass was applied in 27 cases,and the average duration of cardiopulmonary bypass was(106.9±53.7)min. Then,21 patients were treated with the deep hypothermic circulatory arrest,and the mean time was(28.2±11.6) min. The tumors originated from the genital veins in 9 cases,the iliac vein in 13 cases,and both veins in 8 cases. The average intra-operative blood loss volume was (2060.5±2012.3)ml,and 21 patients received blood transfusion. The average hospitalization time was(18.9±8.3)days and the average hospitalization expenses was (80 840.4±28 264.2)RMB yuan. While 14 patients had postoperative complications,there was no serious postoperative complication or death.All patients have shown a favorable outcome.Conclusions Tumor embolus extending through inferior vena cava into the right cardiac cavities should be suspected in patients with multiple hysteromyoma. Successful therapy for IVL with right cardiac cavities extension is dependent on reasonable surgical treatment strategies. Surgical removal of the ovaries is vital to avoid IVL re-grow or recurrence.