Tivantinib Decreases Hepatocyte Growth Factor-Induced BCRP Expression in Hepatocellular Carcinoma HepG2 Cells.

Tivantinib, a mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor (cMET) inhibitor, is a molecular targeting drug that kills hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. Tivantinib alone does not affect the overall survival of patients with HCC, and combination treatment with tivantinib and other therapies has not been evaluated. This study was conducted to clarify the effect of the tivantinib in regulating breast cancer therapy-resistant protein (BCRP), a key transporter of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), and dihydropyridine dehydrogenase (DPYD), a major metabolic enzyme of 5-FU. To this end, cMET gene expression was determined by RT-PCR in HepG2 (human hepatoma) cells. The transcriptional start sites of BCRP were determined by 5'-rapid amplification of cDNA ends (5'-RACE). BCRP and DPYD mRNA levels were determined by real-time RT-PCR, and promoter activities were measured by dual-luciferase assays. Results show that hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) upregulated the mRNA level of BCRP, but not DPYD, in HepG2 cells. The upregulation of BCRP expression by HGF was down-regulated by tivantinib. We also identified two transcriptional start sites (E1α, E1ß) in BCRP by 5'-RACE. The transcriptional activity of the region -287 to E1α of BCRP was upregulated by HGF, which was decreased by tivantinib, whereas activity of the region -297 to E1ßo f BCRP was not affected by tivantinib. Therefore, tivantinib regulates BCRP expression upstream of exon 1α. Combination treatment of tivantinib and 5-FU should be further evaluated for HCC therapy.

[Plasma Biomarkers as Predictive Factors for Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Sorafenib].

We examined plasma biomarkers as predictive factors for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma(ad-HCC)patients treated with sorafenib. We analyzed a-fetoprotein(AFP), AFP-L3, des-g-carboxy prothrombin(DCP), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio(NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio(PLR), and vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)before sorafenib therapy, and changes in AFP-L3, NLR, PLR, and VEGF 1 month after sorafenib therapy in 16 patients. High AFP-L3(hazard ratio: 1.058, 95%CI: 1.019-1.098, p=0.003)and high NLR(hazard ratio: 1.475, 95%CI: 1.045-2.082, p=0.027)were significantly associated with poor prognosis in ad-HCC patients treated with sorafenib. There were no significant differences in changes in AFP-L3, NLR, PLR, and VEGF 1 month after sorafenib therapy. We suggest that AFP-L3 and NLR levels before sorafenib therapy in patients with ad-HCC are an important predictive factor for the therapeutic effect of sorafenib and patient survival.

[Evaluation of Sorafenib for Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Low α-Fetoprotein by Arrival Time Parametric Imaging Using Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasonography with Sonazoid].

We aimed to determine the usefulness of arrival time parametric imaging (AtPI) using contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS)with Sonazoid in the evaluation of early response to sorafenib for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Thirteen ad- vanced HCC patients with low a / -fetoprotein (AFP) level (≤35 ng/mL) who received sorafenib for at least 4 weeks were enrolled in this study. CEUS was performed before and after treatment (2 weeks), and the images of the target lesion in the arterial phase were analyzed by AtPI. In the color mapping images obtained by AtPI, the mean arrival time of the contrast agent in the target lesion from the starting point (mean time: MT) was calculated. In each patient, differences between MT before and MT 2 weeks after treatment were compared. MT (+) and MT(-) groups were designated as such if the difference was 0 or greater(blood flow velocity of the lesion was reduced)and less than 0 sec(blood flow velocity of the lesion was increased), respectively. The overall survival was evaluated between the 2 groups. In the MT (+) group (7 patients) and MT (-) group (6 patients), the median survival times were 307 and 208 days, respectively, which was statistically significant. We suggest AtPI is useful for evaluating early response to sorafenib in advanced HCC patients with low AFP level.

Host Immunity Influences the Efficacy of Combined Intra-Arterial Chemotherapy for Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Liver Cirrhosis Patients.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: It has been reported that Th2 cytokines down-regulate antitumor immunity, while activation of Th1 cells promotes such immunity. The aim of this study was to assess changes of host immunity in relation to efficacy in patients with liver cirrhosis (LC) and advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (aHCC) treated by combined intra-arterial chemotherapy (CIAC). METHODOLOGY: Forty-three adult Japanese LC patients who had aHCC received CIAC. Blood samples were collected before and after CIAC. RESULTS: Eleven of the 43 patients showed a partial response (group PR) and 21 patients had stable disease (group SD), but 11 patients showed no response (group PD). There were no significant differences of Th1 or Th2 cells between before and after CIAC in each group. However, groups SD and PD had higher levels of Th2 cells than in group PR before and after CIAC. The percentage of regulatory T (Treg) cells in group PD was significantly increased after CIAC compared with before CIAC, whereas groups PR and SD showed significant decrease after CIAC. CONCLUSIONS: The percentage of Th2 cells is useful for predicting the response to CIAC and the percentage of Treg cells is useful for assessment of efficacy in LC patients with aHCC receiving CIAC.

Ultrasonography of intrahepatic bile duct adenoma with renal cell carcinoma: correlation with pathology.

Intrahepatic bile duct adenoma (BDA) is a relatively rare benign tumor. Most cases are incidentally discovered during surgery or autopsy. We report here the co-existence of renal cell carcinoma and BDA mimicking metastasis in a 30-year-old female. An isoechoic nodule with a hypoechoic rim sized 10 × 9 mm was observed by ultrasonography in S2 of the liver. On contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS), the mass was enhanced in the early vascular phase and a defect with a clear border appeared in the post-vascular phase. We present the ultrasonography findings of BDA, including those yielded by CEUS using Sonazoid, along with the gross and microscopic pathological correlation.

Sorafenib prevents escape from host immunity in liver cirrhosis patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.

PURPOSE: It has been reported that Th2 cytokines downregulate antitumor immunity, while activation of type T cells promotes antitumor immunity. The aim of this paper was to evaluate host immunity in liver cirrhosis (LC) patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (aHCC) receiving sorafenib therapy. METHODS: Forty-five adult Japanese LC patients received sorafenib for aHCC between 2009 and 2011 at our hospital. Sorafenib was administered at a dose of 200-800 mg/day for 4 weeks. Blood samples were collected before and after treatment. RESULTS: Eleven patients were treated with sorafenib at 200 mg/day (200 group), 27 patients received sorafenib at 400 mg/day (400 group), and 7 patients were given sorafenib at 800 mg/day (800 group). There was no significant change in the percentage of Th1 cells after treatment in any group. However, the percentages of Th2 cells and regulatory T cells were significantly decreased after treatment in the 400 group and 800 group compared with before treatment, although there was no significant change after treatment in the 200 group. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that treatment with sorafenib might induce Th1 dominance and prevent the escape of tumor cells from the host immune system in LC patients with aHCC.

Usefulness of arrival time parametric imaging in evaluating the degree of liver disease progression in chronic hepatitis C infection.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the degree of liver disease progression in chronic hepatitis C infection can be evaluated by arrival time parametric imaging using contrast-enhanced sonography with Sonazoid (perfluorobutane; GE Healthcare, Oslo, Norway). METHODS: In this study, 60 patients with liver disease in chronic hepatitis C infection were examined and compared with 10 healthy volunteers who served as controls. A recommended dose of the sonographic contrast agent Sonazoid was intravenously infused, and the S5 or S6 region of the liver and right kidney were observed concurrently while movies of the procedure were saved. Arrival time parametric images of liver parenchymal blood flow were created, with red pixels to indicate an arrival time of 0 to 5 seconds and yellow pixels to indicate an arrival time of 5 to 10 seconds. From the obtained images, the ratio of the red area to the entire enhanced area of the liver was calculated using image-processing software. Each participant was subsequently subjected to liver biopsy for liver fibrosis staging according to Metavir scores, and the determined fibrosis stage was compared with the ratio of red. The serum albumin level, platelet count, and prothrombin time were also compared with the ratio of red for each participant. RESULTS: The ratio of red increased significantly as liver fibrosis stage advanced (P < .01 for F1 versus F2; P < .01 for F1 versus F3; P < .01 for F1 versus F4; and P < .01 for F2 versus F4). As the ratio of red increased, significant decreases were observed in the serum albumin level (r = -0.29; P = .027), platelet count (r = -0.46; P = .0003), and prothrombin time (r = -0.46; P = .0002). CONCLUSIONS: Arrival time parametric imaging using Sonazoid-enhanced sonography enables noninvasive evaluation of the degree of progression of liver disease in chronic hepatitis C infection and is thus considered clinically useful.

Adaptation of lenvatinib treatment in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and portal vein tumor thrombosis.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to clarify the adaptation of lenvatinib treatment in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and portal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT). METHOD: Fifty-three patients with HCC were treated with lenvatinib. Before and after treatment blood sampling, patients were examined by computed tomography and ultrasonography. In patients with portal trunk invasion (Vp4), the analysis focused on the degree of occlusion due to the tumor in the portal trunk. In patients without major PVTT {ie, invasion of the primary branch of the portal vein [Vp3] or Vp4}, portal blood flow volume was measured by Doppler analysis; however, Doppler analysis is difficult to perform in patients with major PVTT, so the time from administration of the contrast agent to when it reached the primary branch of the portal vein (portal vein arrival time) was evaluated with the contrast agent Sonazoid. RESULTS: Patients with Vp4 had a significantly worse prognosis than patients with Vp3 and a significant increase in Child-Pugh score at 2 months. Patients with major PVTT had a poor prognosis if the degree of occlusion of the portal trunk was 70% or more. In patients without major PVTT, portal blood flow was significantly decreased after administration of lenvatinib; and in patients with major PVTT, the hepatic artery and portal vein arrival times were significantly increased. CONCLUSION: Lenvatinib treatment should be avoided in patients with Vp4 with a high degree of portal trunk occlusion because of concerns about decreased portal blood flow.

Silencing glycogen synthase kinase-3beta inhibits acetaminophen hepatotoxicity and attenuates JNK activation and loss of glutamate cysteine ligase and myeloid cell leukemia sequence 1.

Previously we demonstrated that c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) plays a central role in acetaminophen (APAP)-induced liver injury. In the current work, we examined other possible signaling pathways that may also contribute to APAP hepatotoxicity. APAP treatment to mice caused glycogen synthase kinase-3beta (GSK-3beta) activation and translocation to mitochondria during the initial phase of APAP-induced liver injury ( approximately 1 h). The silencing of GSK-3beta, but not Akt-2 (protein kinase B) or glycogen synthase kinase-3alpha (GSK-3alpha), using antisense significantly protected mice from APAP-induced liver injury. The silencing of GSK-3beta affected several key pathways important in conferring protection against APAP-induced liver injury. APAP treatment was observed to promote the loss of glutamate cysteine ligase (GCL, rate-limiting enzyme in GSH synthesis) in liver. The silencing of GSK-3beta decreased the loss of hepatic GCL, and promoted greater GSH recovery in liver following APAP treatment. Silencing JNK1 and -2 also prevented the loss of GCL. APAP treatment also resulted in GSK-3beta translocation to mitochondria and the degradation of myeloid cell leukemia sequence 1 (Mcl-1) in mitochondrial membranes in liver. The silencing of GSK-3beta reduced Mcl-1 degradation caused by APAP treatment. The silencing of GSK-3beta also resulted in an inhibition of the early phase (0-2 h), and blunted the late phase (after 4 h) of JNK activation and translocation to mitochondria in liver following APAP treatment. Taken together our results suggest that activation of GSK-3beta is a key mediator of the initial phase of APAP-induced liver injury through modulating GCL and Mcl-1 degradation, as well as JNK activation in liver.

Usefulness of virtual touch tissue quantification for predicting the presence of esophageal varices in patients with liver cirrhosis.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Measuring the hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) is an established technique to detect increased portal pressure and predict the presence of esophageal varices (EVs); however, the risk of the test is greater than the information it provides. This study aimed to clarify the usefulness of virtual touch tissue quantification (VTQ), which assesses liver stiffness, in predicting the presence of EVs in patients with liver cirrhosis by comparing it with HVPG. METHODS: Two hundred seventeen patients with liver cirrhosis underwent VTQ, HVPG measurement, and upper endoscopy. Patients were divided into three groups: group V, hepatitis C virus liver cirrhosis (n = 40); group A, alcoholic liver cirrhosis (n = 116); and group N, other liver cirrhosis (n = 61). In each group, we performed linear regression analysis of VTQ and HVPG data. The accuracy of VTQ and HVPG measurement in predicting the presence of EVs and high-risk EVs (EV category F2 and F3) was assessed by area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC). RESULTS: VTQ was significantly correlated with the HVPG in the whole patients and in each group, and both VTQ and HVPG values were significantly higher in patients with EVs and high-risk EVs than in those without. The AUROC for the presence of EVs for VTQ was 0.76 in the whole sample, 0.76 in group V, 0.79 in group A, and 0.67 in group N; and for HVPG, 0.92, 0.94, 0.93, and 0.88, respectively. For VTQ, the AUROC for the presence of high-risk EVs was 0.78 in the whole sample, 0.78 in group V, 0.73 in group A, and 0.73 in group N; and for HVPG, it was 0.85, 0.82, 0.85, and 0.82, respectively. CONCLUSION: VTQ was reliable at predicting the presence of EVs and high-risk EVs. Therefore, we propose that VTQ is a useful, noninvasive tool for predicting the presence of EVs in daily medical care.

Interferon alpha receptor 2 expression by peripheral blood monocytes in patients with a high viral load of hepatitis C virus genotype 1 showing substitution of amino Acid 70 in the core region.

BACKGROUND/AIM: When patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) are treated with interferon (IFN)-based therapy, achieving serum HCV-RNA negativity by week 12 (early viral response, EVR) is an important predictor of a sustained virologic response. The aim of this study was to clarify whether changes in IFN-alpha receptor 2 (IFNAR-2) expression by peripheral blood monocytes (Mo) and the EVR rate differed between patients with genotype 1b and a high viral load showing substitution of amino acid 70 in the core region of HCV (mutant, n = 20) and patients without this substitution (wild, n = 23). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Forty-three CHC patients were studied, and received pegylated IFN plus ribavirin. IFNAR-2 expression by Mo was determined using flow cytometry to measure the mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) before and up to 28 days after starting therapy. RESULTS: The EVR rate of the mutant group was significantly lower than that of the wild group (35 vs.70%). The MFI of Mo was significantly higher in the wild group than in the mutant group before and also 3, 7, and 28 days after starting therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Mutation of HCV was related to lower IFNAR-2 expression by Mo before and after starting therapy.

Signal transduction pathways involved in drug-induced liver injury.

Hepatocyte death following drug intake is the critical event in the clinical manifestation of drug-induced liver injury (DILI). Traditionally, hepatocyte death caused by drugs had been attributed to overwhelming oxidative stress and mitochondria dysfunction caused by reactive metabolites formed during drug metabolism. However, recent studies have also shown that signal transduction pathways activated/inhibited during oxidative stress play a key role in DILI. In acetaminophen (APAP)-induced liver injury, hepatocyte death requires the sustained activation of c-Jun kinase (JNK), a kinase important in mediating apoptotic and necrotic death. Inhibition of JNK using chemical inhibitors or knocking down JNK can prevent hepatocyte death even in the presence of extensive glutathione (GSH) depletion, covalent binding, and oxidative stress. Once activated, JNK translocates to mitochondria, to induce mitochondria permeability transition and trigger hepatocyte death. Mitochondria are central targets where prodeath kinases such as JNK, prosurvival death proteins such as bcl-xl, and oxidative damage converge to determine hepatocyte survival. The importance of mitochondria in DILI is also observed in the Mn-SOD heterozygous (+/-) model, where mice with less mitochondrial Mn-SOD are sensitized to liver injury caused by certain drugs. An extensive body of research is accumulating suggesting a central role of mitochondria in DILI. Drugs can also cause redox changes that inhibit important prosurvival pathways such as NF-kappaB. The inhibition of NF-kappaB by subtoxic doses of APAP sensitizes hepatocyte to the cytotoxic actions of tumor necrosis factor (TNF). Many drugs will induce liver injury if simultaneously treated with LPS, which promotes inflammation and cytokine release. Drugs may be sensitizing hepatocytes to the cytotoxic effects of cytokines such as TNF, or vice versa. Overall many signaling pathways are important in regulating DILI, and represent potential therapeutic targets to reduce liver injury caused by drugs.

Influence of Sorafenib on Host Immunity in Patients with Liver Cirrhosis With Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma Stratified by Etiology.

AIM: We previously reported that sorafenib induces Th1 [interferon-γ (IFNγ)-positive interleukin 4 (IL4)-negative] dominance which prevents tumor cells from escaping the host immune system in patients with liver cirrhosis (LC) and advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (aHCC). However, in that study we did not assess the influence of sorafenib on host immunity according to the etiology of LC. Therefore, this study was retrospectively performed to evaluate the impact of sorafenib therapy for aHCC on host immunity in patients stratified according to the etiology of LC: Patients and Methods: A total of 116 adult Japanese patients with LC and aHCC received sorafenib therapy at our hospital. Blood samples were collected before and after treatment for 4 weeks. RESULTS: Twenty-two patients had hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related LC, 62 patients had hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related LC, 22 patients had alcoholic LC, and 10 patients had LC without these causative factors. In patients receiving sorafenib at a dose of 400 mg/day, patients in Child-Pugh class A, and patients with stage IVA aHCC, Th2 (IFNγ-negative/IL4-positive) cells decreased significantly after treatment, although there was no significant impact on the tumor response. In addition, Th2 cells decreased significantly in patients with HCV-related LC after treatment, while there were no significant changes in the other groups. CONCLUSION: Sorafenib might prevent tumor cells from escaping the host immune system in patients with aHCC and HCV-related LC, although it does not seem to do so in those with LC of other etiologies.

Flash Imaging Used in the Post-vascular Phase of Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasonography is Useful for Assessing the Progression in Patients with Hepatitis C Virus-Related Liver Disease.

Sonazoid is a commonly used contrast agent for characterizing liver tumors in ultrasonography (US). We performed flash imaging in the post-vascular phase of contrast-enhanced US (CEUS) to investigate associations between collapse of Sonazoid microbubbles (MB) and progression of liver disease. This study enrolled 409 patients (205 men, 204 women) with hepatitis C virus-related liver disease (CLD) between 2007 and 2017 (mean age 60 ± 14 y; range 20-90 y). In the post-vascular phase, 10 min after administering Sonazoid, flash imaging was performed to burst MB in the liver parenchyma; the range of bubble destruction was measured from the surface of the liver. The range of bubble destruction, stage of fibrosis, shear wave velocity (Vs), serologic markers and fibrosis-4 (FIB4) index were analyzed in 259 patients who underwent liver biopsy. Fibrosis stage was F0-1 in 108 patients, F2 in 73, F3 in 38 and F4 in 40. In 150 patients with cirrhosis, diagnosis was made based on imaging findings. The range of bubble destruction was 42.0 ± 10.4 mm in F0-1 patients, 42.9 ± 13.2 mm in F2, 51.5 ± 15.9 mm in F3 and 55.4 ± 17.3 mm in F4 and was significantly increased according to progression of fibrosis staging. The range of bubble destruction was positively correlated with Vs (r = 0.34; p < 0.01), total bilirubin (r = 0.25; p < 0.01) and FIB4 index (r = 0.38; p < 0.01). In contrast, the range of bubble destruction was negatively correlated with serum levels of albumin (r = -0.34; p < 0.01), platelet count (r = -0.35; p < 0.01) and prothrombin time (r = -0.36; p < 0.01). The results indicated that flash imaging in the post-vascular phase of CEUS was a non-invasive assessment and could predict disease progression in patients with CLD.

Hepatic arterialization can predict the development of collateral veins in patients with HCV-related liver disease.

PURPOSE: Arrival time parametric imaging (At-PI) using contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) is a procedure for evaluating liver disease progression in chronic hepatitis C infection (CHC). We investigated At-PI diagnostic efficacy in predicting development of collateral veins. METHODS: In total, 171 CHC patients underwent CEUS and upper gastrointestinal (UGI) endoscopy before liver biopsy. Conventional US was performed before CEUS to identify paraumbilical veins (PV) or splenorenal shunts (SRS). After intravenous perflubutane, contrast dynamics of liver segments 5-6 and the right kidney were saved as raw data. At-PI image ratio of red (ROR) pixels to the entire liver was analyzed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated to investigate the utility of At-PI for collateral vein identification. RESULTS: Conventional US revealed PV in two patients and SRS in five patients; UGI endoscopy detected esophageal varices (EV) in eight patients. Diagnostic capability of At-PI for detecting PV, SRS, and EV was satisfactory, and high for PV and SRS [PV; area under the ROC curve (AUROC) 0.929, cutoff value 77.9%, SRS; AUROC 0.970, cutoff value 82.0%, EV; AUROC 0.883, cutoff value 66.9%]. CONCLUSIONS: Evaluation of hepatic arterialization by At-PI was useful for predicting collateral vein development in CHC patients.

Effect of Hepatic Inflammation in Chronic Hepatitis C Infection on Fibrosis Assessment by Arrival Time Parametric Imaging.

Arrival time parametric imaging (At-PI) in contrast-enhanced ultrasonography is useful for assessing liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) infection. The study aimed to elucidate the effect of hepatic inflammation on At-PI efficiency. Subjects were 159 CHC patients who underwent contrast-enhanced ultrasonography immediately before liver biopsy. Ultrasound contrast agent was injected, and contrast dynamics of the S5 to S6 region of the liver and right kidney were recorded for 40 seconds. The At-PI of liver parenchyma blood flow was generated using saved video clips. Hepatic blood flow during the first 5 seconds after starting contrast injection was displayed in red and that after another 5 seconds was displayed in yellow. The ratio of red (ROR) in At-PI images of the entire liver was measured with ImageJ. Ratio of red values of livers with different activity grades (0-3) were compared for each fibrosis (F) stage as determined by biopsy. Correlations of ROR with alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels were analyzed using a linear regression line from the distribution map. Comparison of ROR for different activity grades in each F stage revealed no significant differences. Correlation coefficient R (P value) for ALT and ROR was R = -0.0094 (P = 0.43) at F0 to F1, R = -0.186 (P = 0.21) at F2, R = -0.233 (P = 0.27) at F3, and R = 0.041 (P = 0.89) at F4, with no significant correlation between ALT and ROR in any F stage. Hepatic inflammation in CHC infection does not affect At-PI diagnostic accuracy.

Evaluation of sorafenib for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma with low α-fetoprotein in arrival time parametric imaging using contrast-enhanced ultrasonography.

PURPOSE: To determine the usefulness of arrival time parametric imaging (AtPI) using contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) with Sonazoid in evaluating early response to sorafenib for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: Twenty-one advanced HCC patients with low α-fetoprotein (AFP) levels (≤35 ng/ml) who received sorafenib for at least 4 weeks were enrolled in this study. CEUS was performed before and 2 weeks after treatment, and the images of the target lesion in the arterial phase were analyzed by AtPI. In the color mapping images obtained by AtPI, the mean arrival time of the contrast agent in the target lesion from the reference point (mean time: MT) was calculated. In each patient, differences between MT before and MT 2 weeks after treatment were compared. MT (+) and MT (-) groups were defined as difference of 0 s or greater and less than 0 s, respectively. Overall survival was evaluated between the two groups. RESULTS: In the MT (+) (11 patients) and MT (-) (10 patients) groups, the median survival time was 792 and 403 days, respectively, which was statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggested that AtPI was useful for evaluating early response to sorafenib for advanced HCC with low AFP level.

Early immune-mediated response to ribavirin combined with IFN in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

AIM: This study was to investigate the immunomodulatory effects of ribavirin combined with interferon (IFN)-alpha 2b (R+IFN) compared with consensus IFN monotherapy (IFN-Con) in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Thirty-four adult patients with biopsy-proven CHC, who were infected with HCV genotype 2a or 2b, were studied. A 24-week regimen of IFN-alpha 2b (6MU daily for 2 weeks followed by 6MU tiw for 22 weeks) and ribavirin (600-800mg/day for 24 weeks) was given to 17 patients. The other 17 patients were treated with a 24-week regimen of IFN-Con (18MU daily for 2 weeks followed by 18MU tiw for 22 weeks). Flow cytometric determination of cytoplasmic IFN-gamma and IL-4 expression in peripheral blood CD4+ T cells was performed, and the percentage of IFN-gamma+ and IL-4- (Th1), IFN-gamma- and IL-4+ (Th2) cells were calculated before and 3, 7, 14, and 28 days after the start of therapy. RESULTS: In the R+IFN group, the percentage of Th1 cell peaked on day 3, and then decreased to near baseline by day 14, while the percentage of Th2 cell did not change. In the IFN-Con group, the percentage of Th1 cell peaked on day 14 and the percentage of Th2 cell peaked on day 3, and then decreased to near baseline by day 14. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that ribavirin induces an early immune response by peripheral blood CD4+ T cells in CHC patients.

Th2 Dominance Might Induce Carcinogenesis in Patients with HCV-related Liver Cirrhosis.

BACKGROUND/AIM: It has been reported that type 2 helper T-cell (Th2) cytokines down-regulate antitumor immunity, while Th1 cytokines up-regulate it. We previously reported that hepatocarcinogenesis was associated with Th2 dominance in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related liver cirrhosis (LC), but we did not determine whether Th2 dominance induced carcinogenesis or carcinogenesis led to Th2 dominance. The aim of the study was to clarify whether Th2 dominance induces carcinogenesis or vice versa in patients with HCV-related liver diseases. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study population was 82 adult Japanese patients who had chronic inflammation due to HCV infection diagnosed by pathological examination of liver biopsy specimens, including 21 patients with early hepatocellular carcinoma (eHCC) and HCV-related LC. All patients were admitted to our hospital between 2008 and 2014. eHCC was treated by radiofrequency ablation (RFA). The non-HCC patients were divided into four subgroups based on the fibrosis score of Desment (stage F1-4). Blood samples were collected just before starting RFA and after 4 weeks of RFA. Flow cytometry was used to assess the percentages of IFNγ(+) and IL4(-) (Th1) cells and IFNγ(-) and IL4(+) (Th2) cells in CD4(+) T-cells of peripheral blood before the start of each RFA session. RESULTS: There were 21 patients with fibrosis stage 1, 21 with stage 2, 18 with stage 3, 22 with stage 4, and 21 patients with eHCC. Before RFA, Th1 cells were significantly more frequent in the F4 and eHCC groups than in the F1 group, although there was no significant difference between the HCC and F1 groups after RFA. Both before and after RFA, Th2 cells were significantly more frequent in the HCC group than in the F1 group. CONCLUSION: Th2 dominance was not altered by elimination of eHCC after RFA therapy. Therefore, Th2 dominance might induce carcinogenesis in patients with HCV-related LC rather than carcinogenesis leading to Th2 dominance.

The Importance of Lamivudine Therapy in Liver Cirrhosis Patients Related HBV with Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma Receiving Hepatic Arterial Infusion Chemotherapy.

PURPOSE: We have previously reported that continuous hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) might be more effective for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (aHCC) in patients with liver cirrhosis (LC) related to HCV infection (C-LC) or alcohol abuse (A-LC) than in patients who had LC related to HBV infection (B-LC). The aim of the present study was to retrospectively assess the efficacy of lamivudine therapy for B-LC patients with aHCC undergoing HAIC. METHODS: Seventeen adult Japanese B-LC patients with aHCC were treated by HAIC with or without lamivudine (100 mg/day) between 2002 and 2008 at our hospital. Their tumors were inoperable according to computed tomography findings. HAIC (LV at 12 mg/hr, CDDP at 10 mg/hr, and 5-FU at 250 mg/22 hr) was given via the proper hepatic artery every 5 days for 4 weeks using a catheter connected to a subcutaneously implanted drug delivery system. RESULTS: Nine of the 17 patients received lamivudine at a dose of 100 mg/day together with HAIC (LAM group), while 8 patients did not receive lamivudine and only had HAIC (non-LAM group). The response rate was 12.5 in the non-LAM group and 0.0% in the LAM group. However, the survival of the LAM group was better than that of the non-LAM group, although there was no significant difference between them. The median survival time of the LAM and non-LAM groups was 310 and 157 days, respectively. HBV-DNA levels were significantly lower after chemotherapy compared with that before chemotherapy in the LAM group. In the non-LAM group, the percentage of Th2 cells before HAIC and after HAIC was significantly higher than in the control group. However, the percentage of Th2 cells in the LAM group after HAIC was not different from that in the control group, although it was significantly higher in the LAM group than in the control group before chemotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that lamivudine therapy may prolong the survival of B-LC patients receiving HAIC for aHCC by reducing HBV-DNA level and inhibiting the increase of Th2 cells in host immunity.