The Utility of Serum Alpha-fetoprotein for Monitoring for Relapse of Alpha-fetoprotein-Positive Hepatoblastoma.

Hepatoblastoma is the most common liver malignancy in children. Treatment typically involves surgery and cisplatin-based chemotherapy. After therapy completion, children undergo repetitive surveillance imaging to screen for relapse, which occurs in <12% of cases. Monitoring for relapse has gradually shifted to serial determination of serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) alone as most cases have AFP elevation at the time of relapse. Little primary data supports, such a practice, however, and herein we present both our institutional experience with relapsed hepatoblastoma and a careful review of published literature on this topic. While serial AFP monitoring may suffice for most patients, certain clinical characteristics should give pause to the practitioner, when considering posttreatment monitoring with serum AFP alone.

Hepatoblastoma in a cirrhotic child with Alagille syndrome.

Alagille syndrome (AGS) is a genetic disorder due to mutations in the JAGGED 1 or NOTCH 2 genes leading to multisystemic manifestations. Though these patients are at risk of developing various liver tumours, no cases of hepatoblastoma among young children with cirrhosis in AGS have been reported. We report a male toddler, with cirrhosis due to AGS who developed a hepatoblastoma. He underwent a liver transplant for decompensated chronic liver disease with marked pruritus, very high alpha-fetoprotein levels and malignant liver lesions on positron emission tomography CT. His explant histology revealed a paucity of bile ducts and liver lesions turned out to be hepatoblastoma for which he received postoperative chemotherapy. The genetic testing sent before transplantation confirmed the clinical diagnosis of AGS. Hepatoblastoma should be suspected in any child with AGS presenting with a right upper quadrant mass even in the setting of chronic liver disease.

A rare case of severe Ebstein's anomaly and hepatoblastoma in a neonate.

Primary liver tumours in neonates with single-ventricle palliation are exceedingly rare. We present the first reported case of neonatal hepatoblastoma with severe Ebstein's anomaly following Starnes procedure. The patient's postoperative course highlights the challenges and complications in simultaneous management of these diagnoses. Transition from shunted single-ventricle physiology to bidirectional cavopulmonary connection improved end-organ function, permitting more aggressive hepatic malignancy treatment.

Molecular Profiling of a Hepatocellular Neoplasm Not Otherwise Specified (HCN-NOS) Demonstrates Distinct Molecular Features in Hepatoblastoma and HCC-Like Components.

Hepatoblastomas (HB) are embryonal tumors with quiet genomes diagnosed mostly in children under 3 years of age and often cured by surgical resection and chemotherapy. However, a subset of HBs behave aggressively, displaying characteristic histologic features and higher genomic instability. Hepatocellular neoplasm-not otherwise specified (HCN-NOS) is a provisional diagnostic category for tumors exhibiting either intermediate or a combination of both HB and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) histological features. In this study, we characterized an HCN-NOS diagnosed in a 3-year-old patient presenting with a liver mass, in which both HB and HCC histological components were amendable to macro-dissection and molecular profiling. The spectrum of mutations, copy number changes, mRNA, and protein expression profiles within these 2 histologically distinct tumor areas demonstrate molecular heterogeneity and suggest intratumoral clonal evolution of this hepatocellular CTNNB1-mutant lesion.

2 years is a reasonable age cut-off level for prognostic assessment of children with hepatoblastoma.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to elucidate the prognostic significance of age in hepatoblastoma patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Data from 783 patients with hepatoblastoma were obtained from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database (2000-2018). The best age cut-off level was determined by X-tile, and the Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS). The results of the X-tile were verified by selecting the appropriate cut-off value to maximize the difference in survival outcomes at intervals of 1 year. The Cox regression model was used to determine the prognostic impact of risk factors and age. RESULTS: X-tile analysis determined that 2 years was the best cut-off age for OS and CSS. The overall prognosis in the ≥ 2 years group was worse than that in the < 2 years group (OS: p = 0.00017; CSS: p < 0.0001). In Cox univariate analysis, when 2 years was used as the standard group, the numbers of patients in the two groups were similar, with high hazard ratio (HR) value and narrow 95% confidence interval (CI) (OS: HR, 1.834; 95% CI, 1.329 - 2.532; p < 0.001; CSS: HR, 1.988; 95% CI, 1.410 - 2.801; p < 0.001), which was consistent with the age cut-off point determined by X-tile. Cox multivariate analysis showed that age ≥ 2 years, black ethnicity, no surgery, no chemotherapy, distant metastasis, and tumor size ≥ 5 cm were independent predictors of poor OS and CSS. On subgroup analysis, patients aged ≥ 2 years had worse survival if they were Caucasian, had elevated alpha-fetoprotein, tumor size ≥ 5 cm, or distant metastasis. CONCLUSIONS: Age is an important prognostic factor for hepatoblastoma. Age ≥ 2 years at diagnosis may predict poor prognosis and more active treatment measures can be implemented.

Cytomorphology of paediatric hepatocellular carcinoma: A useful diagnostic adjunct.

INTRODUCTION: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common primary malignancy of the liver but is rare in the paediatric age group; thus, it may be misdiagnosed as the more common tumour, hepatoblastoma. Management varies in both these tumours, and pathological diagnosis thus plays an important role for definitive therapy. Only a few case reports available in the literature have described the cytological characteristics of paediatric HCC. The present study was thus planned to evaluate the cytomorphological features of paediatric HCC. METHODS: Cases diagnosed with HCC on ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration cytology over a period of 14 years were retrieved. The cases were evaluated for detailed cytological features including cellularity, architecture, sinusoidal wrapping, trabecular thickness, necrosis, anisonucleosis, chromatin, nucleoli, nuclear contours, bi- or multinucleation, intranuclear and intracytoplasmic inclusions, naked nuclei, extra-medullary haematopoiesis, monomorphism, and nuclear overlapping. RESULTS: Twelve cases of HCC were included in the study. The median age at diagnosis was 10 years. Serum alpha-fetoprotein level was raised in most of them. Five of the 12 cases were characterised as moderately differentiated, three as poorly differentiated, two as well differentiated, and two as the fibrolamellar type of HCC. Cytohistological correlation was performed in seven cases. CONCLUSIONS: Ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration serves as a useful tool to diagnose paediatric HCC and differentiate it from other primary hepatic malignancies, especially hepatoblastoma which closely mimics HCC in this age group, as serum alpha protein levels and imaging findings are unable to distinguish these two tumours.

O-GlcNAcylated LARP1 positively regulated by circCLNS1A facilitates hepatoblastoma progression through DKK4/ß-catenin signalling.

BACKGROUND: Accumulating studies have shown that La-related protein 1 (LARP1) is involved in the occurrence and development of various tumours. However, the expression pattern and biological role of LARP1 in hepatoblastoma (HB) remain unclear so far. METHODS: LARP1 expression level in HB and adjacent normal liver tissues was analysed by qRT-PCR, Western blotting and immunohistochemistry assays. The prognostic significance of LARP1 was evaluated by Kaplan-Meier method and multivariate Cox regression analysis. In vitro and in vivo functional assays were implemented to clarify the biological effects of LARP1 on HB cells. Mechanistically, the regulatory roles of O-GlcNAcylation and circCLNS1A in LARP1 expression were investigated by co-immunoprecipitation (co-IP), immunofluorescence, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP), RNA pull-down and protein stability assays. Moreover, RNA-sequencing, co-IP, RIP, mRNA stability and poly(A)-tail length assays were performed to investigate the association between LARP1 and DKK4. The expression and diagnostic significance of plasma DKK4 protein in multi-centre cohorts were evaluated by ELISA and ROC curves. RESULTS: LARP1 mRNA and protein levels were remarkably elevated in HB tissues and associated with worse prognosis of HB patients. LARP1 knockdown abolished cell proliferation, triggered cell apoptosis in vitro as well as prohibited tumour growth in vivo, whereas LARP1 overexpression incited HB progression. Mechanistically, O-GlcNAcylation of LARP1 Ser672 by O-GlcNAc transferase strengthened its binding to circCLNS1A and then protected LARP1 from TRIM-25-mediated ubiquitination and proteolysis. LARP1 upregulation subsequently led to DKK4 mRNA stabilisation by competitively interacting with PABPC1 to prevent DKK4 mRNA from B-cell translocation gene 2-dependent deadenylation and degradation, thus facilitating ß-catenin protein expression and nuclear import. CONCLUSION: This study indicates that upregulated protein level of O-GlcNAcylated LARP1 mediated by circCLNS1A promotes the tumorigenesis and progression of HB through LARP1/DKK4/ß-catenin axis. Hence, LARP1 and DKK4 are promising therapeutical target and diagnostic/prognostic plasma biomarker for HB.

Coexisting Infantile Hepatic Hemangioma and Hepatoblastoma in a Neonate: A Case Report.

Infantile hepatic hemangioma and hepatoblastoma are the most common benign and malignant tumors of the liver in the neonatal and early childhood periods, respectively. However, the simultaneous occurrence of these 2 tumors in the same liver lesion is very rare. We report a case of a newborn infant diagnosed with a liver mass by ultrasound examination 4 days after birth. Serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) was elevated for his age (32,881.7 ng/mL). The liver mass was resected. Macroscopically, an externally protruding mass measuring 6 × 4 × 3.5 cm was identified. Microscopically, we observed the coexistence of infantile hepatic hemangioma and epithelial hepatoblastoma components within the tumor. The infantile hepatic hemangioma component was composed of multiple small vascular channels lined by endothelial cells. In the hepatoblastoma component, tumor cells were arranged in a 2- to 3-cell-thick trabecular formation. Immunohistochemistry indicated that the tumor cells in the infantile hepatic hemangioma component expressed CD34, CD31, FLI1, and ERG, and those in the hepatoblastoma component expressed hepatocyte, keratin AE1/AE3 and keratin 8, glypican 3, glutamine synthetase, and AFP. Pathological examination confirmed the presence of an infantile hepatic hemangioma combined with epithelial hepatoblastoma (fetal type). The boy did not undergo chemotherapy after the operation. Regular follow-up through serum AFP levels and liver ultrasound for 16 months to date show that the serum AFP levels decreased continuously to normal levels, with no signs of tumor recurrence or metastasis. The coexistence of infantile hepatic hemangioma and hepatoblastoma is rare. Hepatoblastoma should be considered in neonates with liver tumors and elevated AFP.

Primary Pediatric Yolk Sac Tumor of Liver With Lung Metastasis: An Unusual Presentation With Diagnosis Aided by LIN28 Immunohistochemistry.

Yolk sac tumor is a malignant germ cell tumor, which typically occurs in the gonads with elevated serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). Among extragonadal sites, the liver is an uncommon location for primary pediatric yolk sac tumors. Other common hepatic tumors in this age group presenting with elevated serum AFP like hepatoblastoma and hepatocellular carcinoma must be differentiated from yolk sac tumors for initiating appropriate treatment and accurate prognostication. Lung metastasis with refractoriness to chemotherapy is an extraordinary presentation that has never been documented in the literature. We report our experience with a 2-year-old female child initially misdiagnosed as hepatoblastoma. It was found that LIN28 positivity by immunohistochemistry aided in confirmation of the histopathological diagnosis of primary yolk sac tumor of the liver.

Lateralized overgrowth as a guiding sign of abdominal neoplasms for pediatric orthopedic surgeons.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to increase the awareness of the association between lateralized overgrowth (LO) and abdominal tumor among the pediatric orthopedic community and to evaluate its incidence in our center. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between January 1997 and December 2021, a total of 166 patients with Wilms tumors and hepatoblastomas were retrospectively analyzed. Data including age, sex, initial clinical signs (hematuria, abdominal mass with or without general discomfort), type of asymmetric regional body overgrowth (isolated or in relation with any syndrome), and tumor stage at diagnosis were recorded. In addition, age at which asymmetric regional body overgrowth was described and age at the time of tumor diagnosis were noted. RESULTS: Of a total of 166 patients, 133 were diagnosed with Wilms tumors (nephroblastomas) and 33 were diagnosed with hepatoblastomas. In 94% of the cases, the initial clinical signs were an abdominal mass and/or hematuria. Overall, five (3%) patients presented with LO. Four patients with Wilms tumor presented it at the initial clinical examinations. In three of these cases (2.3%), we found it isolated and, in the remaining patient (0.75%), it was associated with Beckwith-Wiedemann spectrum. Only one patient affected from hepatoblastoma (3%) presented with an isolated LO at the time of tumor diagnosis. CONCLUSION: Our study results show an incidence of LO in relation to intra-abdominal tumors of 3%. The latest updates recommend genetic testing to identify subgroups with a higher risk for tumor development that are more likely to benefit from tumor protocol surveillance.

A Malignant Hepatoblastoma Mimicking a Benign Mesenchymal Hamartoma: Lessons Learned.

Differentiating hepatoblastomas from other congenital benign hepatic tumors is key to surgical management. We, herein, present an unusual case of an antenatally diagnosed liver lesion assessed in the neonatal period. Because of its predominantly cystic ultrasound/MRI appearance and borderline alpha-fetoprotein serum levels the diagnosis of mesenchymal hamartoma was favored and protocol-based tumor resection was performed. Due to the intraoperative diagnosis of a fetal subtype of hepatoblastoma with positive resection margins the child had to undergo a second laparotomy. This report raises awareness to an unusual appearance of hepatoblastoma and discusses noninvasive imaging clues to consider atypical appearances of hepatoblastoma preoperatively as they can have profound implications in patient management.

Focal Nodular Hyperplasia-Like Lesions With Glypican-3 Positivity in Infancy.

PURPOSE AND CONTEXT: Glypican-3 is often used to discriminate between neoplastic and nonneoplastic liver. In focal lesions, positivity may be considered suggestive of a malignancy such as hepatoblastoma. However, glypican-3 is also normally expressed in the immature liver. We present a series of 5 cases of focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH)-like lesions arising in very young patients with glypican-3 expression and highlight the challenges these lesions present in the differential diagnosis of hepatoblastoma. METHODS: Cases were obtained from the files of 3 tertiary pediatric hospitals. Clinical data were obtained from the electronic medical record and histopathologic material including immunohistochemical stains were reviewed. KEY RESULTS: Patients were aged 2 weeks to 6 months with peak AFP levels ranging from 88.6 to 204,696 ng/mL. Microscopically, all were variably demarcated hepatocellular lesions with cords of hepatocytes, marked sinusoidal dilatation, and occasional fibrous bands and areas reminiscent of central scar with bile ducts. No significant cytologic atypia or increased mitotic activity were present. All showed glypican-3 expression and were negative for nuclear beta-catenin with intact reticulin framework. CONCLUSIONS: Our study highlights the pitfalls of evaluating focal liver lesions in infants when high AFP levels and glypican-3 expression may reflect immaturity rather than neoplasia.

Abdominal Tumors: Wilms, Neuroblastoma, Rhabdomyosarcoma, and Hepatoblastoma.

Pediatric cancer patients have improved outcomes over the past several decades leading to a greater number of survivors living well into adulthood. Owing to their increased longevity, adult care providers are encountering childhood cancer survivors with greater frequency in their clinics and hospitals. Childhood cancer treatments are associated with varied and significant systemic complications that either persist or develop well into adulthood, including secondary malignancies, cardiomyopathies, and adhesive disease that can complicate even the simplest operation. This article reviews four of the most common solid abdominal tumors in the pediatric population and the long-term sequelae of their respective treatment regimens.

Construction of a combined random forest and artificial neural network diagnosis model to screening potential biomarker for hepatoblastoma.

PURPOSE: The purpose of our study is to identify potential biomarkers of hepatoblastoma (HB) and further explore the pathogenesis of it. METHODS: Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were incorporated into the combined random forest and artificial neural network diagnosis model to screen candidate genes for HB. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was used to analyze the ARHGEF2. Student's t test was performed to evaluate the difference of tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TIICs) between normal and HB samples. Spearson correlation analysis was used to calculate the correlation between ARHGEF2 and TIICs. RESULTS: ARHGEF2, TCF3, TMED3, STMN1 and RAVER2 were screened by the new model. The GSEA of ARHGEF2 included cell cycle pathway and antigen processing presenting pathway. There were significant differences in the composition of partial TIICs between HB and normal samples (p < 0.05). ARHGEF2 was significantly correlated with memory B cells (Cor = 0.509, p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: These 5 candidate genes contribute to the molecular diagnosis and targeted therapy of HB. And we found "ARHGEF2-RhoA-Cyclin D1/CDK4/CDK6-EF2" is a key mechanism regulating cell cycle pathway in HB. This will be helpful in the treatment of HB. The occurrence of HB is related to abnormal TIICs. We speculated that memory B cells play an important role in HB.

A functionalized magnetic nanoparticle regulated CRISPR-Cas12a sensor for the ultrasensitive detection of alpha-fetoprotein.

Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is an important clinical tumor marker of hepatoblastoma, and the concentration of AFP in serum is closely related to the staging of hepatoblastoma. We report a magnetic bead separation platform based on a switching aptamer triggered hybridization chain reaction (SAT-HCR) and the CRISPR-Cas12a sensor for the in vitro detection of AFP. AFP aptamer, as an easily regulated nucleic acid strand, is responsible for binding to AFP into nucleic acid detection, while HCR-CRISPR-Cas12a, regulated by functionalized magnetic nanoparticles, is responsible for highly specific nucleic acid signal amplification. Under the optimal conditions, the fluorescence intensity was proportional to the concentration of AFP in the range of 0.5-104 ng mL-1 and the limit of detection was 0.170 ng mL-1. In addition, we have successfully applied this biosensor to detect AFP in clinical samples from patients with hepatoblastoma, with greater sensitivity relative to ELISA. Our proposed method showed great potential application in clinical diagnosis and pharmaceutical-related fields with the properties of high sensitivity, low cost and high selectivity.

Diagnostic and Prognostic Value of miRNAs in Hepatoblastoma: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis.

Background and aim: Increasing evidence has revealed the valuable diagnostic and prognostic applications of dysregulated microRNAs (miRNAs) in hepatoblastoma (HB), the most common hepatic malignancy during childhood. However, these results are inconsistent and remain to be elucidated. In the present study, we aimed to systematically compile up-to-date information regarding the clinical value of miRNAs in HB. Methods: Articles concerning the diagnostic and prognostic value of single miRNAs for HB were searched from databases. The sensitivity (SEN), specificity (SPE), positive and negative likelihood ratios (PLR and NLR), diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), area under the curve (AUC), and hazard ratios (HRs) were separately pooled to explore the diagnostic and prognostic performance of miRNA. Subgroup and meta-regression analyses were further carried out only in the event of heterogeneity. Results: In all, 20 studies, involving 264 HB patients and 206 healthy individuals, met the inclusion criteria in the 6 included literature articles. For the diagnostic analysis of miRNAs in HB, the pooled SEN and SPE were 0.76 (95% CI: 0.72-0.80) and 0.75 (95% CI: 0.70-0.80), respectively. Moreover, the pooled PLR was 2.79 (95% CI: 2.12-3.66), NLR was 0.34 (95% CI: 0.26-0.45), DOR was 10.24 (95% CI: 6.55-16.00), and AUC was 0.83, indicating that miRNAs had moderate diagnostic value in HB. For the prognostic analysis of miRNAs in HB, the abnormal expressions of miR-21, miR-34a, miR-34b, miR-34c, miR-492, miR-193, miR-222, and miR-224 in patients were confirmed to be associated with a worse prognosis. The pooled HR was 1.74 (95% CI: 1.20-2.29) for overall survival and 1.74 (95% CI: 1.31-2.18) for event-free survival, suggesting its potential as a prognostic indicator for HB. Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis that examines the diagnostic and prognostic role of dysregulated miRNAs in HB patients. The combined meta-analysis results supported the previous individual finds that miRNAs might provide a new, noninvasive method for the diagnostic and prognostic analyses of HB.

Hepatoblastoma in molecularly defined, congenital diseases.

Beckwith-Wiedemann spectrum, Simpson-Golabi-Behmel syndrome, familial adenomatous polyposis and trisomy 18 are the most common congenital conditions associated with an increased incidence of hepatoblastoma (HB). In patients with these genetic disorders, screening protocols for HB are proposed that include periodic abdominal ultrasound and measurement of alpha-fetoprotein levels. Surveillance in these children may contribute to the early detection of HB and possibly improve their chances of overall survival. Therefore, physicians must be aware of the high HB incidence in children with certain predisposing genetic diseases.

New insights in gastrointestinal "pediatric" neoplasms in adult patients: pancreatoblastoma, hepatoblastoma and embryonal sarcoma of the liver. A practical approach by GIPPI-GIPAD Groups.

Pediatric solid neoplasms are rare and very different from those observed in adults. The majority of them are referred to as embryonal because they arise as a result of alterations in the processes of organogenesis or normal growth and are characterized by proliferation of primitive cells, reproducing the corresponding tissue at various stages of embryonic development. This review will focus on embryonal gastrointestinal pediatric neoplasms in adult patients, including pancreatoblastoma, hepatoblastoma, and embryonal sarcoma of the liver. Although they are classically considered pediatric neoplasms, they may (rarely) occur in adult patients. Hepatoblastoma represents the most frequent liver neoplasm in the pediatric population, followed by hepatocellular carcinoma and embryonal sarcoma of the liver; while pancreatoblastoma is the most common malignant pancreatic tumor in childhood. Both in children and adults, the mainstay of treatment is complete surgical resection, either up front or following neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Unresectable and/or metastatic neoplasms may be amenable to complete delayed surgery after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. However, these neoplasms display a more aggressive behavior and overall poorer prognosis in adults than in children, probably because they are diagnosed in later stages of diseases.