Association of serum lactate dehydrogenase with prognosis and tumor metabolism in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma treated with atezolizumab plus bevacizumab therapy.

PURPOSE: Treatment outcomes are predicted by analyzing peripheral blood markers such as serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). We conducted this study to investigate whether serum LDH levels can predict the prognosis of patients treated with atezolizumab plus bevacizumab (ATZ/BEV) therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and whether LDH levels correlate with metabolic changes. METHODS: We enrolled 66 HCC patients treated with ATZ/BEV. Based on the change in serum LDH levels before and after treatment, the patients were divided into two groups, and the prognosis of each group was examined. Moreover, the association of LDH levels with tumor metabolism was analyzed by fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT). RESULTS: There were 32 patients categorized as the LDH-decrease group. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis indicated worse progression-free survival (PFS) in the LDH-increase group than in the LDH-decrease group (p = 0.0029). Multivariate analysis showed that an increase in the LDH level was an independent risk factor for worse PFS (p = 0.0045). The baseline LDH level correlated significantly with a high maximum standardized uptake value of 18F-FDG, according to the PET/CT findings. Transcriptomic analyses of specimens resected after ATZ/BEV therapy showed downregulated mitochondria-related pathways. CONCLUSION: Serum LDH levels are a potential prognostic marker and an indicator of tumor metabolism.

What is the crux of successful living-donor liver transplantation for recipients aged 70 and beyond?

Aim: There is limited evidence regarding the feasibility of living-donor liver transplantation (LDLT) for patients aged over 70. The aims of this study were to assess postoperative outcomes in elderly recipients and to ascertain the potential feasibility and acceptability of LDLT. Methods: Data were collected from 762 recipients, including 26 in the elderly group (aged ≥70) and 736 in the younger group (aged <70), and reviewed even by propensity score matching (PSM). Results: No significant differences were observed in the frequency of postoperative complications between the two groups. Additionally, both groups exhibited a comparable 30-day mortality rate after LDLT (3.9% in both) and similar hospital stays (36 days vs. 40 days). The 1-, 3-, and 5-year graft survival rates in the elderly group were 92.0%, which was comparable to those in the younger group (p = 0.517), as confirmed by PSM. Notably, all donors for elderly patients were the children of the recipients, with an average age of 41.6 years, and grafts from donors aged ≥50 years were not utilized, signifying the use of high-quality grafts. Our inclusion criterion for elderly recipients was strictly defined as an ECOG-PS score of 0-2, which played a pivotal role in achieving favorable postoperative outcomes. Conclusion: LDLT can be performed safely for elderly patients aged 70 years or older, provided they have a preserved PS and receive high-quality grafts from younger donors, inevitably all children of elderly recipients. This approach yields acceptable long-term outcomes. Consequently, age alone should not serve as an absolute contraindication for LDLT.

Is preoperative weight reduction of living-donor liver transplant recipients and donors harmful to postoperative outcomes?

PURPOSE: Although the incidence of recipients and donors with overweight and obesity is increasing worldwide, few reports have focused on outcomes of preoperative weight reduction (WR) in living-donor liver transplantation (LDLT). Therefore, we examined the outcomes and the impact of WR on the postoperative course. METHODS: We analyzed 217 consecutive LDLT procedures performed from 2017 to 2022. We divided the recipients and donors into a WR group and non-WR group. RESULTS: Twenty-two recipients (10.1%) achieved WR (preoperative recipient WR [RWR] group), reducing their weight by 6.8% ± 6.0% within 2.2 ± 1.4 months with a significant decrease in body mass index (BMI) (P < .0001). The RWR group showed no significant differences in short-term postoperative outcomes (operative factors, postoperative liver function tests, amount of ascites, and morbidity) or in the graft survival rate as a long-term outcome (P = .24) compared with the non-RWR group. Forty-one donors (18.9%) achieved WR (preoperative donor WR [DWR] group), reducing their weight by 9.7% ± 6.3% within 3.2 ± 5.8 months with a significant decrease in BMI (P < .0001). Compared with the non-DWR group, the DWR group showed no significant differences in short-term postoperative outcomes between themselves and recipients or in the graft survival rate (P = .49). Furthermore, WR resulted in an increase to 32 donor-eligible and 6 recipient-eligible patients. CONCLUSION: WR in LDLT recipients and donors had no harmful effect on postoperative outcomes and should lead to increase recipients' chance of undergoing LDLT and to expand the donor pool.

Impact of electrical muscle stimulation on serum myostatin level and maintenance of skeletal muscle mass in patients undergoing living-donor liver transplantation: Single-center controlled trial.

AIM: Sarcopenia is reportedly associated with a poor prognosis in patients who undergo living-donor liver transplantation (LDLT), most of whom are not able to tolerate muscle strengthening exercise training. Myostatin is one of the myokines and a negative regulator of skeletal muscle growth. The clinical feasibility of an electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) system, which exercises muscle automatically by direct electrical stimulation, has been reported. In this study, we aimed to determine the effect of perioperative application of SIXPAD, which is a type of EMS system, with reference to the serum myostatin and sarcopenia in LDLT patients. METHOD: Thirty patients scheduled for LDLT were divided into a SIXPAD group (n = 16) and a control group (n = 14). In the SIXPAD group, EMS was applied to the thighs twice daily. The serum myostatin was measured in samples obtained before use of SIXPAD and immediately before LDLT. The psoas muscle index (PMI) at the level of the third lumbar vertebra and the quadriceps muscle area were compared on computed tomography images before use of SIXPAD and 1 month after LDLT. RESULTS: The preoperative serum myostatin was found to be higher in LDLT patients than in healthy volunteers and EMS significantly reduced the serum myostatin. Electrical muscle stimulation prevented a postoperative reduction not only in the area of the quadriceps muscles but also in the PMI despite direct stimulation of the thigh muscles. CONCLUSION: Stimulation of muscles by EMS decreases the serum myostatin and helps to maintain skeletal muscle in patients who have undergone LDLT.

Impact of ACSL4 on the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma: Association with cancer-associated fibroblasts and the tumour immune microenvironment.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Recently, the association between hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and ferroptosis has been the focus of much attention. The expression of long chain fatty acyl-CoA ligase 4 (ACSL4), a marker of ferroptosis, in tumour tissue is related to better prognosis in various cancers. In HCC, ACSL4 expression indicates poor prognosis and is related to high malignancy. However, the mechanism remains to be fully understood. METHODS: We retrospectively enrolled 358 patients with HCC who had undergone hepatic resection. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) for ACSL4 was performed. Factors associated with ASCL4 expression were investigated by spatial transcriptome analysis, and the relationships were investigated by IHC. The association between ACSL4 and the tumour immune microenvironment was examined in a public dataset and investigated by IHC. RESULTS: Patients were divided into ACSL4-positive (n = 72, 20.1%) and ACSL4-negative (n = 286, 79.9%) groups. ACSL4 positivity was significantly correlated with higher α-fetoprotein (p = .0180) and more histological liver fibrosis (p = .0014). In multivariate analysis, ACSL4 positivity was an independent prognostic factor (p < .0001). Spatial transcriptome analysis showed a positive correlation between ACSL4 and cancer-associated fibroblasts; this relationship was confirmed by IHC. Evaluation of a public dataset showed the correlation between ACSL4 and exhausted tumour immune microenvironment; this relationship was also confirmed by IHC. CONCLUSION: ACSL4 is a prognostic factor in HCC patients and its expression was associated with cancer-associated fibroblasts and anti-tumour immunity.

Development of predictive score for postoperative dysphagia after emergency abdominal surgery in patients of advanced age.

Aim: Postoperative dysphagia after emergency abdominal surgery (EAS) in patients of advanced age has become problematic, and appropriate dysphagia management is needed. This study was performed to identify predictive factors of dysphagia after EAS and to explore the usefulness of swallowing screening tools (SSTs). Methods: This retrospective study included 267 patients of advanced age who underwent EAS from 2012 to 2022. They were assigned to a dysphagia group and non-dysphagia group using the Food Intake Level Scale (FILS) (dysphagia was defined as a FILS level of <7 on postoperative day 10). From 2018, original SSTs including a modified water swallowing test were performed by nurses. Results: The incidence of postoperative dysphagia was 22.8% (61/267). Patients were significantly older in the dysphagia than non-dysphagia group. The proportions of patients who had poor nutrition, cerebrovascular disorder, Parkinson's disease, dementia, nursing-care service, high intramuscular adipose tissue content (IMAC), and postoperative ventilator management were much higher in the dysphagia than non-dysphagia group. Using logistic regression analysis, high IMAC, postoperative ventilator management, cerebrovascular disorder, and dementia were correlated with postoperative dysphagia and were assigned 10, 4, 3, and 3 points, respectively, according to each odds ratio. The optimal cut-off value was 7 according to a receiver operating characteristics curve. Using 1:1 propensity score matching for high-risk patients, the incidence of postoperative dysphagia was reduced by SSTs. Conclusions: The new prediction score obtained from this study can identify older patients at high risk for dysphagia after EAS, and SSTs may improve these patients' short-term outcomes.

A successful case of deceased-donor liver transplantation from a donor with Marfan syndrome: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Liver transplantation is the definitive therapy for patients with decompensated cirrhosis. Marfan syndrome is a systemic inheritable connective tissue disease associated with fibrillin-1 gene mutations, which cause abnormalities in connective tissue. Vascular changes due to Marfan syndrome occur mostly in the main vessels due to the high amount of connective tissue within the vessel wall and the high pressure and blood flow to which they are exposed. The incidence of changes in visceral arteries is about 0.42% and usually presents with cystic medial necrosis. This report is the first deceased-donor liver transplantation with a donor with Marfan syndrome with a history of abdominal surgery. CASE PRESENTATION: A patient in his 50s underwent liver transplantation for decompensated alcoholic cirrhosis. The donor, a 50s male with Marfan syndrome, was diagnosed with brain-death due to a cerebral hemorrhage caused by a cerebral aneurysm. The donor's clinical presentation as Marfan syndrome was aortic dissection, with multiple surgical procedures performed from the aortic root to the abdominal aorta. An intraoperative biopsy of the hepatic artery showed no abnormality, so this organ was considered appropriate. The surgery was completed without any problems of the arterial anastomosis. The patient's postoperative course was uneventful, and he was transferred to a hospital for recuperation on the 18th postoperative day. One year after the surgery, the patient is still alive without any complications from the transplantation or arterial problems. CONCLUSIONS: Even if the patient had a history of surgery for vascular anomalies extending to the abdominal aorta due to Marfan syndrome, the patient can be a donor for liver transplantation under appropriate judgment, including intraoperative biopsy.

Impact of TP53-induced glycolysis and apoptosis regulator on malignant activity and resistance to ferroptosis in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

TP53-induced glycolysis and apoptosis regulator (TIGAR) is an important gene that encodes a regulatory enzyme of glycolysis and reactive oxygen species (ROS) detoxification and is associated with worse prognosis in various cancers. Ferroptosis is a recently identified type of programmed cell death that is triggered by iron-dependent lipid peroxidation. There are no reports on the prognostic impact of TIGAR on intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC), and its role in ferroptosis is unclear. Ninety ICC patients who had undergone hepatic resection were enrolled. Immunohistochemical staining for TIGAR was performed. The regulation of malignant activity by TIGAR and the association between ferroptosis and TIGAR were investigated in vitro. Twenty-two (24.4%) patients were categorized into TIGAR-high and -low groups by immunohistochemical staining. There were no noticeable differences in background factors between the two groups, but TIGAR positivity was an independent prognostic factor in disease-free survival (hazard ratio [HR], 2.00; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04-3.85, p = 0.0378) and overall survival (HR, 2.10; 95% CI, 1.03-4.30, p = 0.00422) in a multivariate analysis. In vitro, TIGAR knockdown (KD) decreased cell motility (cell proliferation/migration/invasion/colony-forming capabilities) and elevated ROS and lipid peroxidation. This indicated that TIGAR KD induced ferroptosis. TIGAR KD-induced ferroptosis was suppressed using liproxstatin. TIGAR KD decreased the expression of glutathione peroxidase 4, known as factor-suppressing ferroptosis. The combination of TIGAR KD with cisplatin significantly induced more ferroptosis. In conclusion, TIGAR is associated with poor outcomes in ICC patients and resistance to ferroptosis.

Pretreatment eosinophil count predicts response to atezolizumab plus bevacizumab therapy in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

AIM: Pretreatment peripheral blood markers have value in predicting the treatment outcome of various cancers. In particular, the eosinophil count has recently gained attention. However, no study has reported the influence of the pretreatment eosinophil count on the outcomes of atezolizumab plus bevacizumab (ATZ/BEV), which is the recommended first-line systemic therapy for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (u-HCC). METHODS: We enrolled 114 patients with u-HCC treated with ATZ/BEV (n = 48) or lenvatinib (n = 66). The patients receiving ATZ/BEV or lenvatinib were divided into two groups by calculating the cutoff value of the pretreatment eosinophil count. The groups were compared regarding the clinicopathological characteristics, outcomes, and incidence of adverse events (AEs). RESULTS: Twenty-three of 48 patients (47.9%) who received ATZ/BEV therapy were categorized as the ATZ/BEV-eosinophil-high group, which had better responses than the ATZ/BEV-eosinophil-low group (P = 0.0090). Kaplan-Meier curves revealed a trend toward significantly better progression-free survival (PFS) in the ATZ/BEV-eosinophil-high group than the ATZ/BEV-eosinophil-low group (the median PFS: 4.7 months in the ATZ/BEV-eosinophil-low group vs 12.6 months in the ATZ/BEV-eosinophil-high group; P = 0.0064). Multivariate analysis showed that a low eosinophil count was an independent risk factor for worse PFS after ATZ/BEV therapy (P = 0.0424, hazard ratio: 2.24, 95% confidence interval: 1.02-4.89). AEs (≥ grade 3) were significantly more likely to occur in the ATZ/BEV-eosinophil-high group (P = 0.0285). The outcomes did not significantly differ between the LEN-eosinophil-high group and the LEN-eosinophil-low group. CONCLUSION: A high pretreatment eosinophil count predicted a better response to ATZ/BEV therapy for u-HCC and was associated with the incidence of AEs (≥ grade 3).

Impact of albumin-lymphocyte-platelet-C-reactive protein index as a prognostic indicator of hepatocellular carcinoma after resection: Associated with nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2.

AIM: To investigate the prognostic value of the preoperative albumin-lymphocyte-platelet-C-reactive protein (ALPC) index in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) undergoing curative hepatectomy. We also evaluated the relationship between the ALPC index and the phosphorylated nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (p-Nrf2) levels. METHODS: Data were analyzed retrospectively from 256 patients who underwent resection for HCC. For cross-validation, patients were divided into the training and testing cohort. We assessed eight combinations of inflammatory markers for predictive value for recurrence. We examined the associations of the ALPC index with recurrence-free survival and overall survival in univariate and multivariate analyses (Cox proportional hazards model). Immunohistochemical staining of p-Nrf2 was performed on tumor samples of 317 patients who underwent hepatic resection for HCC. RESULTS: A high preoperative ALPC index correlated with a high serum albumin concentration, small tumor size, low rate of poor differentiation, solitary tumor, early Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage, and low rate of microscopic intrahepatic metastasis in the training dataset. A high preoperative ALPC index correlated with a high serum albumin concentration, high serum alpha-fetoprotein concentration, small tumor size, a low rate of poor differentiation and a low rate of microscopic intrahepatic metastasis in the testing dataset. A higher preoperative ALPC index was an independent predictor of longer recurrence-free survival and overall survival in the training and testing datasets. A high ALPC index was associated with negative p-Nrf2 expression in HCC tumor cells. CONCLUSIONS: We showed that a high ALPC index was an independent prognostic factor for patients with HCC undergoing curative hepatic resection.

Hand-assisted laparoscopic splenectomy and gastropancreatic fold division: a less-invasive simplified technique of Hassab's procedure for refractory esophagogastric varices.

Some patients with refractory esophagogastric varices require surgery, such as gastric devascularization and splenectomy (Hassab's procedure). However, these patients are at risk of perioperative morbidities when undergoing devascularization to develop collateral vessels. We performed a more simplified procedure, splenectomy, and en bloc gastropancreatic fold division (GPFD) with hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery. Four patients with refractory esophagogastric varices and portal hypertension underwent splenectomy and GPFD. We reviewed patients' perioperative laboratory and morphological data, operative variables, and postoperative outcomes. Esophagogastric varices improved in 3 (75%) of the 4 patients. In one patient, esophageal varices (F1RC0) were observed 3 years after surgery, but they required no treatment and only received follow-up. Treatment with splenectomy and GPFD is not only less invasive than Hassab's procedure but also provides effective outcomes for refractory esophagogastric varices.

[A 30-Month Survival Case of Undifferentiated Carcinoma of the Duodenum Treated by Pancreaticoduodenectomy].

The patient was an elderly man in his early 80s who was admitted to our hospital due to anemia and tarry stools. An upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed a type 2 tumor in the second portion of the duodenum. An endoscopic biopsy revealed poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. We performed a pancreaticoduodenectomy because neither lymphadenopathy nor distant metastases were found. Macroscopic findings revealed that the lesion was mainly in the second portion of the duodenum, and there was no evidence of invasion of the main pancreatic duct, the bile duct, or the ampulla of Vater. Histologically, the tumor was composed of atypical cells with polymorphic or spindle-shaped nuclei proliferating in a scattered fashion, and immunohistological examinations showed weakly positive results for cytokeratin(CK)AE1/AE3 and CK20 and positive results for vimentin but negative results for CK7. The tumor was diagnosed as undifferentiated carcinoma of the duodenum(pT4N0M0, pStage ⅡB). The patient recovered enough to be discharged and was followed up without postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy. He maintained recurrence-free survival for 27 months, after which lymph node and lung metastases reoccurred. This is a rare case of undifferentiated carcinoma of the duodenum treated by curative resection with a relatively favorable prognosis.

Textbook outcome in the laparoscopic cholecystectomy of acute cholecystitis.

PURPOSE: Textbook outcome (TO) is a novel composite measure of clinical outcomes that can be used to measure the quality of surgical outcomes. The aim of this cohort study was to propose TO criteria for laparoscopic cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis and to identify reasons for TO failure and individual patient factors that predispose to failure. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed data for 189 patients with acute cholecystitis who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy. TO was defined as laparoscopic cholecystectomy without conversion to open cholecystectomy, intraoperative complications, postoperative complications (Clavien-Dindo classification ≥2), prolonged length of stay (≥10 days), readmission within 30 days, or mortality. RESULTS: TO was achieved in 154 of 189 patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis. Medical costs were lower in the TO-achieved group than in the TO-failure group. Factors associated with TO failure on multivariate analysis were age > 70 years, hemoglobin <11.9 g/dL, and white blood cells >18 000 / µL (all P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Applying TO to patients with acute cholecystitis allowed us to evaluate the overall quality of care related to hospitalization. TO may provide better assessment of the quality of care and help determine the treatment choice and reduce costs.

Safety of laparoscopic cholecystectomy in patients with a cerebrospinal fluid shunt in the peritoneal cavity.

INTRODUCTION: The management of patients with a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shunt located in the peritoneal cavity undergoing laparoscopic surgery is an issue that has not yet been settled. These patients are at risk of increased intracranial pressure caused by peritoneal insufflation, shunt dysfunction, and shunt infection/retrograde meningitis. This study aimed to determine the need for perioperative shunt intervention in CSF shunt patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. METHODS: We reviewed and analyzed five shunt patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy in our institution between 2012 and 2022, as well as 17 patients described in previous reports. RESULTS: Among the 22 patients, shunt type was ventriculoperitoneal in 14 and lumboperitoneal in eight. The most common indication for CSF shunt was hydrocephalus caused by cerebral vascular accident (50.0%). Laparoscopic cholecystectomy was performed for cholecystolithiasis in 13 patients (59.1%), acute cholecystitis in eight (36.4%), and gallbladder polyp in one (4.5%). Shunt clamping or externalization was performed in six patients. Two patients in the group that did not undergo shunt clamping or externalization experienced complications (intra abdominal abscess and subcutaneous emphysema). However, the incidence of short-term complications (both overall and shunt-related) and median length of hospital stay did not significantly differ between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Routine shunt clamping, externalization, or removal might not be necessarily required in patients with a ventriculoperitoneal or lumboperitoneal shunt undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Successful laparoscopic cholecystectomy for gallbladder hemorrhage from a Dieulafoy lesion in a patient on hemodialysis: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Patients on long-term dialysis are prone to hemorrhagic complications, particularly uremic bleeding, but gallbladder hemorrhage is rare, even in patients on dialysis. There have been occasional reports of a Dieulafoy lesion being a cause of gastrointestinal hemorrhage, but its occurrence within the gallbladder is quite rare. This report describes a case of gallbladder hemorrhage from a Dieulafoy lesion in a patient on hemodialysis that was diagnosed early and successfully treated by laparoscopic cholecystectomy. CASE PRESENTATION: The patient was a 68-year-old woman on long-term hemodialysis with end-stage renal failure who presented with epigastralgia and back pain. There was no history of trauma or oral administration of antiplatelet or anticoagulant agents. There were no signs of an inflammatory reaction or hyperbilirubinemia. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography revealed a slightly hyperdense area in the distended gallbladder and extravasation within the gallbladder lumen but no gallstones. A severe atherosclerotic lesion was also found. She was diagnosed to have gallbladder hemorrhage and emergency laparoscopic cholecystectomy was performed. Although the postoperative course was complicated by drug fever, she was discharged on postoperative day 10 in a satisfactory condition. Histology revealed hemorrhagic ulceration with an exposed blood vessel accompanied by abnormal arteries in the submucosa. Arteriosclerosis with eccentric intimal hyperplasia in a small-sized artery was also seen. The diagnosis was gallbladder hemorrhage from a Dieulafoy lesion. CONCLUSIONS: A Dieulafoy lesion should be kept in mind as a cause of gallbladder hemorrhage in a patient with severe arteriosclerosis and a bleeding diathesis, particularly if on dialysis, and treated as early as possible.

Clinical Significance of Signal Regulatory Protein Alpha (SIRPα) Expression in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Signal regulatory protein alpha (SIRPα), expressed in the macrophage membrane, inhibits phagocytosis of tumor cells via CD47/SIRPα interaction, which acts as an immune checkpoint factor in cancers. This study aimed to clarify the clinical significance of SIRPα expression in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: This study analyzed SIRPα expression using RNA sequencing data of 372 HCC tissues from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and immunohistochemical staining of our 189 HCC patient cohort. The correlation between SIRPα expression and clinicopathologic factors, patient survival, and intratumor infiltration of immune cells was investigated. RESULTS: Overall survival (OS) was significantly poorer with high SIRPα expression than with low expression in both TCGA and our cohort. High SIRPα expression correlated with lower recurrence-free survival (RFS) in our cohort. High SIRPα expression was associated with higher rates of microvascular invasion and lower serum albumin levels and correlated with greater intratumor infiltration of CD68-positive macrophages and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). Multivariate analysis showed that SIRPα expression and high infiltration of CD8-positive T cells and MDSCs were predictive factors for both RFS and OS. Patients with high SIRPα expression and infiltration of CD8-positive T cells and MDSCs had significantly lower RFS and OS rates. In spatial transcriptomics sequencing, SIRPα expression was significantly correlated with CD163 expression. CONCLUSIONS: High SIRPα expression in HCC indicates poor prognosis, possibly by inhibiting macrophage phagocytosis of tumor cells, promoting MDSC infiltration and inducing antitumor immunity. Treatment alternatives using SIRPα blockage should be considered in HCC as inhibiting macrophage antitumor immunity and MDSCs.

Prognostic Impact of Lymphocyte-to-C-Reactive Protein Ratio in Patients Who Underwent Surgical Resection for Pancreatic Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Increasing evidence indicates that increased systemic inflammation is correlated with poorer cancer-specific survival in various cancer types. This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of various combinations of inflammatory factors in patients who underwent surgical resection for pancreatic cancer (PC). METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 97 consecutive patients with PC who underwent pancreatectomy. We assessed the predictive impact for recurrence using a combination of 5 inflammatory markers and focused on the lymphocyte-C-reactive protein ratio (LCR) to elucidate its prognostic and predictive value for recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) in univariate and multivariate analyses using the Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: Low preoperative LCR was correlated with low serum hemoglobin, low serum albumin concentration, high frequency of microscopic vascular invasion, and high frequency of microscopic perineural invasion. The low LCR group had significantly worse RFS and OS. Lower preoperative LCR was an independent predictor of shorter RFS and OS in this cohort. DISCUSSION: Preoperative LCR is a novel and convenient prognostic marker for patients with PC. Patients with low LCR may require more favorable intensive therapy.

Prognostic Impact of the Preoperative Systemic Inflammation Score in Patients With Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUD: The systemic inflammation score (SIS), which is based on the preoperative lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) and serum albumin (Alb) level, is a prognostic indicator for several cancer types. However, the prognostic significance of the SIS in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains unknown. METHODS: Seventy-eight patients who underwent radical surgery for PDAC were categorized as follows: SIS 0 (LMR ≥3.51 and Alb ≥4.0 g/dl), n = 26; SIS 1 (LMR <3.51 or Alb <4.0 g/dl), n = 29 and SIS 2 (LMR <3.51 and Alb <4.0 g/dl), n=23. RESULTS: The tumour size sequentially increased in SIS 0, 1 and 2 groups. A higher SIS was associated with increased vascular invasion, perineural invasion and surgical margin positivity rate. Recurrence-free survival (RFS) rates between the SIS 1 and 2 groups showed no significant difference However, patients of the SIS 1 and 2 groups had poorer outcomes than those of the SIS 0 group for RFS. Overall survival (OS) rates between the SIS 1 and 2 groups also showed no significant difference. However, patients of the SIS 1 and 2 groups had poorer outcomes than those of the SIS 0 group for OS. The SIS was an independent prognostic factor for RFS and OS. DISCUSSION: The SIS is a simplified prognostic factor for patients with PDAC.

Association of gut microbiota with portal vein pressure in patients with liver cirrhosis undergoing living donor liver transplantation.

Background and Aim: Many recent studies have shown a relationship between various systemic diseases and the gut microbiota (GM), with the gut-liver axis receiving particular attention. In contrast, no report has comprehensively shown the effects of GM on the pathophysiology of patients undergoing living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). Method: We enrolled 16 recipients who underwent LDLT for liver cirrhosis, and 17 donors constituted the reference group. We examined the differences in GM between recipients and donors. We also examined the relationships between GM, short-chain fatty acids, and portal vein pressure (PVP) in recipients. Results: There was no significant difference in alpha-diversity between the recipients and donors, but there was variation in beta-diversity among the recipients. The abundance of the phylum Bacteroidetes was significantly higher in recipients than in donors (P = 0.016), and it was positively correlated with PVP (r = 0.511, P = 0.043). Propionic acid, which is a component of short-chain fatty acids, was positively correlated with PVP (r = 0.544, P = 0.0295), the phylum Bacteroidetes (r = 0.677, P = 0.004), and total bilirubin concentration (r = 0.501, P = 0.048). Propionic acid was negatively correlated with serum albumin concentration (r = -0.482, P = 0.043). Conclusion: Our findings suggest relationships between fecal Bacteroidetes levels, propionic acid concentrations, and PVP in patients with liver cirrhosis undergoing LDLT.