Predictors of Long-Term Rebleeding Risk in Cirrhotic Patients Undergoing Esophagogastric Devascularization and Splenectomy: Impact of Portal Vein Thrombosis and Hemoglobin Levels.

BACKGROUND Esophagogastric devascularization and splenectomy (EGDS) is widely used to treat patients with portal hypertension in China. This study aimed to determine risk factors that increase risk of rebleeding after EGDS and evaluate the effect of portal vein thrombosis (PVT) on rebleeding rates after EGDS. MATERIAL AND METHODS Clinical data of patients with cirrhosis (n=138) who underwent EGDS between December 2010 and January 2016 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were assigned to rebleeding or non-rebleeding groups and followed up. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses identified the independent predictors of 3-year and 5-year rebleeding. RESULTS A total of 138 consecutive patients who underwent EGDS and met the inclusion criteria were enrolled. Total bilirubin (HR: 2.392, 95% CI 1.032-5.545, P=0.042) and PVT (HR: 3.345, 95% CI 1.477-7.573, P=0.004) predicted 3-year rebleeding during univariate analysis. Multivariate analysis revealed that PVT (HR: 3.967, 95% CI 1.742-9.035, P=0.001) was an independent predictor. Hemoglobin >87.5 g/L (HR: 3.104, 95% CI 1.283-7.510, P=0.012) and PVT (HR: 2.349, 95% CI 1.231-4.483, P=0.010) were predictors of 5-year rebleeding during multivariate analysis. Albumin >37.5 g/L was an independent predictor of rebleeding in patients with PVT at 3 and 5 years (HR: 3.964, 95% CI 1.301-9.883, P=0.008; HR: 3.193, 95% CI 1.275-7.997, P=0.013, respectively). CONCLUSIONS PVT is associated with increased 3-year and 5-year rebleeding rates after EGDS but not at 10 years. Also, hemoglobin >87.5 g/L predicted rebleeding at 5 years. Albumin has huge prospects as a predictor of rebleeding at 3 and 5 years in patients with PVT.

NQO1 C609T polymorphism is associated with esophageal cancer risk among Chinese: a meta-analysis.

NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) C609T gene polymorphism has been reported to influence the risk for esophageal cancer (EC) in many studies; however, the results remain controversial and ambiguous. We therefore carried out a meta-analysis of published case-control studies to investigate the association between NQO1 C609T polymorphism and EC susceptibility. Electronic searches were conducted on links between this variant and EC in several databases. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for homozygous, dominant model, recessive model and allele were calculated to estimate the strength of associations in fixed and random effect models. Heterogeneity and publication bias were also assessed. A total of 11 case-control studies were identified, including1,619 cases and 2,101 controls. C allele was associated with a decreased susceptibility risk of EC compared with the T allele among Chinese (OR = 0.70; 95% CI = 0.59-0.84). The contrast of homozygotes and the recessive and dominant models produced the same pattern of results as the allele contrast. Our pooled data suggest a significant association exists between NQO1 C609T polymorphism and EC among Chinese.

Fatty acid synthase (FASN) levels in serum of colorectal cancer patients: correlation with clinical outcomes.

Fatty acid synthase (FASN) is a common phenotype to many kinds of human cancers, such as those of the breast, ovary, pancreas, prostate, colon, and so on. Increased FASN levels have been detected in the serum of the patients with breast and pancreatic cancers. The relationship between the FASN level in serum and the clinicopathological characteristics of colorectal cancer is investigated in this study. FASN levels in serum were examined with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 74 patients with colorectal cancer and 40 healthy persons. Pathological and clinical factors associated with FASN concentrations in serum were investigated and analyzed by statistical analysis. The FASN level in colorectal cancer patients' serum is significantly higher than that in healthy persons' serum. FASN levels in the serum of colorectal cancer patients are associated with tumor extent, lymph node metabasis status, distant metastasis, and tumor clinical stage. The 5-year overall survival rate and 5-year disease-free survival rate among patients with low FASN levels in serum are significantly higher than those among patients with high FASN levels in serum (log-rank P = 0.003). The high FASN level in serum is a promising independent predictor of colorectal cancers with advanced phases, late clinical stages, and shorter survival. These results suggest that FASN concentration in serum may be a potential and useful tumor marker.

Nomogram for Predicting Postoperative Portal Venous Systemic Thrombosis in Patients with Cirrhosis Undergoing Splenectomy and Esophagogastric Devascularization.

Objectives: The aim of the study is to develop a nomogram for predicting postoperative portal venous systemic thrombosis (PVST) in patients with cirrhosis undergoing splenectomy and esophagogastric devascularization. Methods: In total, 195 eligible patients were included. Demographic characteristics were collected, and the results of perioperative routine laboratory investigations and ultrasound examinations were also recorded. Blood cell morphological traits, including the red cell volume distribution width (RDW), mean platelet volume, and platelet distribution width, were identified. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were implemented for risk factor filtration, and an integrated nomogram was generated and then validated using the bootstrap method. Results: A color Doppler abdominal ultrasound examination on a postoperative day (POD) 7 (38.97%) revealed that 76 patients had PVST. The results of the multivariate logistic regression suggested that a higher RDW on POD3 (RDW3) (odds ratio (OR): 1.188, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.073-1.326), wider portal vein diameter (OR: 1.387, 95% CI: 1.203-1.642), history of variceal hemorrhage (OR: 3.407, 95% CI: 1.670-7.220), and longer spleen length (OR: 1.015, 95% CI: 1.001-1.029) were independent risk parameters for postoperative PVST. Moreover, the nomogram integrating these four parameters exhibited considerable capability in PVST forecasting. The nomogram's receiver operating characteristic curve reached 0.83 and achieved a sensitivity and specificity of 0.711 and 0.848, respectively, at its cutoff. The nomogram's calibration curve demonstrated that it was well calibrated. Conclusion: The nomogram exhibited excellent performance in PVST prediction and might assist surgeons in identifying vulnerable patients and administering timely prophylaxis.

New and effective method to develop primary hepatocytes from liver cancer patients.

Liver cancer (LC) is one of the most common malignant tumors worldwide. Since the mechanism of LC pathogenesis and metastasis cannot be carried out directly on the human body, it is particularly important to establish human liver cancer cell lines for research in vitro. In this study, tissue block adherence method combined with cell clumps digestion method was used to establish primary human hepatocytes (PHHs) with a successful rate of 60% (45/75). Short tandem repeat (STR) analysis proved the cells were derived from its paired tissues. These cells from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) expressed NTCP and secreted ALB and AAT as detected by western blot, and expressed hepatocyte-specific membrane protein ASGR1 as detected by flow cytometry. Liver cancer biomarkers like CK7 in ICC (intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma), AFP, and GPC3 in HCC expressed of different degree as detected by immunohistochemical analysis. These cells displayed typical liver cancer cell morphological characteristics and can passage stably. In conclusion, we developed an effective method to establish PHHs. Further studies are necessary to study if these cells maintaining other liver function and reproduce the physiology of the tumors and how these cells behavior in the drug development.

Predictive Value of Inflammation Biomarkers in Patients with Portal Vein Thrombosis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: To investigate the usefulness of inflammation biomarkers to serve as a predictors of portal vein thrombosis (PVT) postoperatively (post) in patients with portal hypertension after splenectomy and periesophagogastric devascularization. METHODS: A total of 177 liver cirrhosis patients were recruited from January 2013 to December 2017. They were divided into a PVT group (n=71) and a non-PVT group (n=106), according to ultrasound examination findings at 7-day post. Inflammation biomarkers involving platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR), red blood cell distribution width-to-platelet ratio(RPR), mean platelet volume-to-platelet ratio (MPR) preoperatively (pre) and at 1, 3, 7-days post were recorded. RESULTS: The univariate logistic regression analysis indicated that PLR (pre) (odds ratio (OR)=3.963, 95% confidence interval (CI)=2.070-7.587, p<0.000), MLR (pre) (OR=2.760, 95% CI=1.386-5.497, p=0.004), PLR (post-day 7) (OR=3.345, 95% CI=1.767-6.332, p=0.000) were significantly associated with the presence of PVT. The multivariate logistic regression analysis results indicated that PLR (pre) (OR=3.037, 95% CI=1.463-6.305, p=0.003), MLR (pre) (OR=2.188, 95% CI=1.003-4.772, p=0.049), PLR(post-day 7) (OR=2.166, 95% CI=1.053-4.454, p=0.036) were independent factors for predicting PVT. CONCLUSIONS: The PLR (pre), MLR (pre), and PLR (post-day 7) are predictors of portal vein thrombosis post in patients with portal hypertension after splenectomy and periesophagogastric devascularization.

Molecular Analysis-Based Genetic Characterization of a Cohort of Patients with Duchenne and Becker Muscular Dystrophy in Eastern China.

BACKGROUND: Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD) are common X-linked recessive neuromuscular disorders caused by mutations in dystrophin gene. Multiplex polymerase chain reaction (multiplex PCR) and multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) are the most common methods for detecting dystrophin gene mutations. This study aimed to contrast the two methods and discern the genetic characterization of patients with DMD/BMD in Eastern China. METHODS: We collected 121 probands, 64 mothers of probands, and 15 fetuses in our study. The dystrophin gene was detected by multiplex PCR primarily in 28 probands, and MLPA was used in multiplex PCR-negative cases subsequently. The dystrophin gene of the remaining 93 probands and 62 female potential carriers was tested by MLPA directly. In fetuses, multiplex PCR and MLPA were performed on 4 fetuses and 10 fetuses, respectively. In addition, sequencing was also performed in 4 probands with negative MLPA. RESULTS: We found that 61.98% of the subjects had genetic mutations including deletions (50.41%) and duplications (11.57%). There were 43.75% of mothers as carriers of the mutation. In 15 fetuses, 2 out of 7 male fetuses were found to be unhealthy and 2 out of 8 female fetuses were found to be carriers. Exons 3-26 and 45-52 have the maximum frequency in mutation regions. In the frequency of exons individually, exon 47 and exon 50 were the most common in deleted regions and exons 5, 6, and 7 were found most frequently in duplicated regions. CONCLUSIONS: MLPA has better productivity and sensitivity than multiplex PCR. Prenatal diagnosis should be applied in DMD high-risk fetuses to reduce the disease incidence. Furthermore, it is the responsibility of physicians to inform female carriers the importance of prenatal diagnosis.

Shikonin protects against D-Galactosamine and lipopolysaccharide-induced acute hepatic injury by inhibiting TLR4 signaling pathway.

Shikonin, a naphthoquinone isolated from the root of medical herb Lithospermum erythrorhizon, has been reported to have anti-inflammatory effect. However, there is no related research for the treatment of shikonin on hepaic injury. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of shikonin on D-Galactosamine and Lipopolysaccharide-induced hepatic injury in mice. Male BALB/c mice were pretreated with shikonin 1 h before LPS/D-GalN treatment. The pathological changes of hepatic injury were detected by H&E staining. The levels of TNF-α and IL-1ß in hepatic tissues were detected by ELISA. The levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were also measured in this study. In addition, the expression of TLR4 and NF-κB were determined by western blot analysis. These results suggest that shikonin effectively prevents LPS/D-GalN-induced liver injury by inhibiting AST and ALT levels, as well as inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-1ß production. The expression of TLR4 and NF-κB activation induced by LPS/D-GalN were also inhibited by treatment of shikonin. In vitro, shikonin significantly inhibited LPS-induced TNF-α and IL-1ß production, as well as TLR4 expression and NF-κB activation. In conclusion, the results of the present study suggest that shikonin attenuates LPS/D-GalN-induced hepatic injury by inhibiting TLR4 signaling pathway.

Hepatectomy combined with microwave ablation of the spleen for treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma complicated with splenomegaly: A retrospective study.

The present retrospective study aimed to investigate the mid-term safety and efficacy of hepatectomy combined with microwave ablation of the partial spleen for treatment of liver cancer complicated with hypersplenism. A retrospective analysis was performed on 23 patients who underwent hepatectomy combined with microwave ablation of the partial spleen for liver cancer, complicated with hypersplenism that was secondary to cirrhosis. The splenic and ablated volumes were calculated according to a contrast-enhanced computed tomography scan prior to and 2 weeks after the operation. Complete blood count and liver function tests were examined prior to and following the surgery, and complications and changes in the blood tests were monitored for 6 months. Over this period of investigation, the splenic volume was reduced by a mean value of 34.0%. The levels of serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase were increased on the first day after the operation (P<0.05), although they recovered to the normal level within 1 week (P<0.05). The total level of bilirubin increased slightly, along with moderately decreased levels of albumin and cholinesterase on the first day, although these changes were not significant compared with the baseline (P>0.05). The white blood cell count was persistently significantly higher compared with the baseline over the course of the 6 months (P>0.05). The platelet count did not increase significantly for the first week after the operation (P>0.05); however, it was revealed to be significantly increased 1 month after the surgery (P<0.05). No significant complications were occurred during the follow-up period. In conclusion, hepatectomy combined with microwave ablation of the spleen was demonstrated to be a safe and effective procedure for patients with liver cancer and hypersplenism in the mid-term.

Neoalbaconol inhibits cell growth of human cholangiocarcinoma cells by up-regulating PTEN.

The recently isolated small-molecule neoalbaconol (NA) from Albatrellus confluens has been suggested to possess the ability to inhibit cell growth of many cancer cells. In this study, we investigated the role of NA in the regulation of cell apoptosis in human cholangiocarcinoma cell lines both in vitro and in vivo. Our results indicate that NA could induce cancer cell death via the AKT pathway by targeting phosphorate and tension homolog detected on chromosome 10 (PTEN) and supported the feasibility of NA being a novel chemotherapeutic treatment for human cholangiocarcinoma.

The protective effect of juglanin on fructose-induced hepatitis by inhibiting inflammation and apoptosis through TLR4 and JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathways in fructose-fed rats.

High fructose-feeding is an essential causative factor leading to the development and progression of hepatitis associated with high levels of endotoxin (LPS). Juglanin, as a natural compound extracted from the crude Polygonum aviculare, displayed inhibitory activity against inflammation response and cancer growth. However, researches about its role on anti-inflammation and apoptosis are far from available. Here, it is the first time that juglanin was administrated to investigate whether it inhibits fructose-feeding-induced hepatitis in rats and to elucidate the possible mechanism by which juglanin might recover it. Fructose-feeding rats were orally administrated with juglanin of 5, 10 and 20mg/kg for 6 weeks, respectively. Juglanin exerted prevention of fructose-feeding-stimulated increased LPS levels, accelerated alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and up-regulated inflammatory cytokines expression in serum, mainly including tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-a), Interleukin 1beta (IL-1ß), Interleukin 6 (IL-6) and Interleukin 18 (IL-18). Meanwhile, toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)-modulated mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and apoptosis-related Janus kinase 2 (JAK2)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling pathway are involved in the progression of hepatic injury and inflammation. And juglanin was found to suppress fructose-feeding-induced activation of these signaling pathways compared with the model group administrated only with fructose. These results indicate that juglanin represses inflammatory response and apoptosis via TLR4-regulated MAPK/NF-κB and JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway respectively in rats with hepatitis induced by LPS for fructose-feeding. Treatment of juglanin might be an effective therapeutic strategy for preventing hepatitis.

Tumor necrosis factor alpha gene polymorphism contributes to pulmonary tuberculosis susceptibility: evidence from a meta-analysis.

This study is to estimate the association between polymorphisms in the tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) gene and pulmonary tuberculosis susceptibility (pTB). Studies were identified by searching PubMed and ISI web of Knowledge. The strength of association between the TNF-α gene and pTB susceptibility was assessed by odds ratios. Totals of 18 studies including 2, 735 cases and 3, 177 controls were identified referring to four single-nucleotide polymorphisms: -308G>A, -863C>A, -857C>T and -238G>A. The significantly associations were found between -308G>A (Dominant model: OR 0.53, 95% CI 0.35-0.81, P=0.004; Homozygote model: OR 0.51, 95% CI 0.33-0.78, P=0.002), -238G>A (Dominant model: OR 0.33, 95% CI 0.18-0.57, P<0.001) and pTB susceptibility. The results showed that the variant genotype of TNF-α -308G>A was protective in pooled groups of patients with pTB in the dominant genetic model (OR 0.16, 95% CI 0.06-0.39, P<0.001), the homozygote comparison (OR 0.14, 95% CI 0.06-0.36, P<0.001) in African, while that was with -238G>A in the dominant genetic model (OR 0.31, 95% CI 0.18-0.56, P<0.001) in Asian. Our meta-analysis suggest TNF-α -308G>A and -238G>A polymorphisms increases the risk of pTB susceptibility regardless of ethnicity and HIV statue. In Asian population, the significantly association with pTB is TNF-α -238G>A, while TNF-α -308G>A is in African population.

[Effect of auxiliary heterotopic partial liver transplantation on the pig with acute ischemic liver failure].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of auxiliary heterotopic partial liver transplantation on the pig with acute ischemic liver failure. METHODS: When portal vein was shrinked more than 85 percent and artery was ligated or reserved, auxiliary heterotopic partial liver transplantation was performed in the pigs. The living condition, liver function, blood supply, pathological change and bile secretion of donor liver were observed, analysed and summarized. RESULTS: In the artery-ligated pigs, the volume of original liver reduced and the hepatocytes were necrotic evidently. While in the artery-reserved pigs, the colour and hepatocytes of original liver were normal. The volume of donor liver augmented, and the hepatocytes lived and proliferated well. CONCLUSIONS: Liver artery-ligated and portal vein-shrinker can result in acute ischemic liver failure, and auxiliary heterotopic partial liver transplantation is effective to treat this liver failure. reducing portal vein blood supply is little harmful to liver.

Misdiagnosis of left supraclavicular lymph node metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma: a case report.

Left supraclavicular lymph node metastasis is a rare presentation of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This phenomenon is easily neglected in the clinic. A 56-year-old man presented with HCC. On examination, a 1cm long left supraclavicular lymph node was palpated. Auxiliary examination indicated a lesion located in the right lobe of the liver. Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) of the enlarged lymph node was performed; however, only necrosis was found. Hepatectomy was performed and HCC was confirmed by Hematoxylin-Eosin staining. However, 14 d after surgery, significantly enlarged left supraclavicular lymph nodes, a new intrahepatic lesion, and pulmonary and mediastinal metastasis appeared. An excisional biopsy of the left supraclavicular lymph node was performed, and its findings confirmed metastatic HCC. The patient's HCC rapidly progressed and he died one month later. It is possible for HCC to metastasize to the left supraclavicular lymph node. Surgeons should always consider an overall physical examination. When left supraclavicular lymphadenopathy of unknown origin is encountered, FNAC should be performed initially. If the results are negative, an excisional biopsy and subsequent Positron emission tomography - computed tomography scanning should be performed. These are very important for making the correct diagnosis and for selecting reasonable therapies.