Molecular biological role of epithelial splicing regulatory protein 1 in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

AIM: Epithelial splicing regulatory protein 1 (ESRP1) regulates tumor progression and metastasis through the epithelial‒mesenchymal transition by interacting with zinc finger E-box binding 1 (ZEB1) and CD44 in cancers. However, the role of ESRP1 in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) remains unclear. METHODS: Three iCCA cell lines (HuCCT-1, SSP-25, and KKU-100) were analyzed using small interfering RNA to investigate the molecular biological functions of ESRP1 and ZEB1. The association between clinicopathological features and the expression of ESRP1 and ZEB1 in iCCA tissues was analyzed immunohistochemically. Proteomic analysis was performed to identify molecules related to ESRP1 expression. RESULTS: ESRP1 expression was upregulated in HuCCT-1 and SSP-25 cells. Cell migration and invasion were enhanced, and the expression of ZEB1 and CD44s (CD44 standard) isoforms were upregulated in the ESRP1 silencing cells. Moreover, ESRP1 silencing increased the expression of N-cadherin and vimentin, indicating the presence of mesenchymal properties. Conversely, ZEB1 silencing increased the expression of ESRP1 and CD44v (CD44 variant) isoforms. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that a lower ESRP1-to-ZEB1 expression ratio was associated with poor recurrence-free survival in patients with iCCA. Flotillin 2, a lipid raft marker related to epithelial‒mesenchymal transition, was identified as a protein related to the interactive feedback loop in proteomic analysis. CONCLUSIONS: ESRP1 suppresses tumor progression in iCCA by interacting with ZEB1 and CD44 to regulate epithelial‒mesenchymal transition.

Safety and Feasibility of Laparoscopic Liver Resection with the Clamp-Crush Method Using the BiSect.

BACKGROUND: Various energy devices are available for resection of the liver parenchyma during laparoscopic liver resection (LLR). We have historically performed liver resections using the Cavitron Ultrasonic Surgical Aspirator (CUSA). More recently, we have used new bipolar forceps (BiSect; Erbe Elektromedizin GmbH, Tübingen, Germany) to perform clamp-crush dissection with good results. The BiSect is a reusable bipolar forceps with a laparoscopic dissecting forceps tip and both an incision mode and coagulation mode. We evaluated the perioperative clinical course of patients who underwent LLR using the clamp-crush method with the BiSect compared with the CUSA. METHODS: This single-center case control study involved patients with liver metastasis from colorectal cancer who underwent LLR using either the BiSect or CUSA at our hospital from January 2019 to December 2022. We performed the LLR using CUSA from January 2019 to early October 2020. After introduction of the BiSect in late October 2020, we used BiSect for the LLR. Before surgery, the three-dimensional liver was constructed based on computed tomography images, and a preoperative simulation was performed. We evaluated the results of LLR using the BiSect versus the CUSA and assessed the short-term results of LLR. RESULTS: During the study period, we performed partial liver resection using the BiSect in 26 patients and the CUSA in 16 patients. In the BiSect group, the median bleeding volume was 55 mL, the median operation time was 227 minutes, and the median postoperative length of hospital stay was 9 days. In the CUSA group, the median bleeding volume was 87 mL, the median operation time was 305 minutes, and the median postoperative length of hospital stay was 10 days. There were no statistically significant differences in the clinical course including bile leakage, bile duct stenosis, and post operative hospital stay between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with LLR using the CUSA, the clamp-crush method using the BiSect in LLR is a safe and useful liver transection technique. Further study should be conducted to clarify whether BiSect is safe and useful in LLR for patients with other tumor types and patients who undergo other procedures.

Distribution of Splenic Arterial Flow and Segmental Spleen Volume for Partial Splenic Arterial Embolization.

INTRODUCTION: The spleen is a lymphatic organ that manages immune surveillance of the blood, produces blood cells, and helps filter the blood, remove old blood cells, and fight infection. The normal splenic weight is approximately 65-265 g. This study evaluated spleen volume and segmental volume. METHODS: 121 patients who underwent enhanced CT at our center were analyzed. The spleen was divided into upper, middle, and lower segments according to arterial flow area, and the volume of each segment was measured. Patients were classified into two groups as those with and without liver cirrhosis, and differences in the distribution of the segments in these groups was evaluated. RESULTS: The mean upper, middle, and lower spleen segmental volume ratios were 35.4%, 37.0%, and 27.6%, respectively. In the liver cirrhosis group, the segmental splenic volume ratios for the upper, middle, and lower segments were 34.5%, 38.5%, and 28.0%, respectively, indicating that these ratios remain similar regardless of liver cirrhosis status. CONCLUSION: The present findings on segmental spleen volume are useful for estimating infarction volume in cases of partial splenic arterial embolization.

Evaluation of splenic infarction ratio and platelet increase ratio after partial splenic artery embolization.

OBJECTIVE: The spleen is part of the lymphatic system and is one of the least understood organs of the human body. It is involved in the production of blood cells and helps filter the blood, remove old blood cells, and fight infection. Partial splenic artery embolization (PSE) is widely used to treat pancytopenia and portal hypertension. The efficacy of PSE for improving thrombocytopenia has been well demonstrated. In this study, we evaluated the splenic infarction ratio and platelet increase ratio after PSE. METHODS: Forty-five consecutive patients underwent PSE from January 2014 to August 2022. We retrospectively evaluated the splenic infarction volume and ratio after PSE and analyzed the relationship between the splenic infarction ratio and platelet increase ratio after PSE. RESULTS: The platelet increase ratio was correlated with the splenic infarction ratio after PSE. The cutoff value for the splenic infarction ratio with a two-fold platelet increase was 63.0%. CONCLUSION: We suggest performance of PSE in patients with a splenic infarction ratio of 63% to double the expected platelet count.

Retroperitoneal solitary neurofibroma mimicking lymph node metastasis of colon cancer: a case report.

BACKGROUND: A neurofibroma is a benign tumor that arises from Schwann cells and neurofibromas occur throughout the skin of neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF-1: Von Recklinghausen's disease) patients. A retroperitoneal solitary neurofibroma without any clinical signs of NF1 has been rarely reported. Herein, we present a case of a retroperitoneal solitary neurofibroma mimicking lymph node metastasis of colon cancer as well as a literature review. CASE PRESENTATION: An 80-year-old woman with abdominal pain and nausea was transported and diagnosed with bowel obstruction arising from sigmoid colon cancer A colonic stent was inserted to alleviate the bowel obstruction. A computed tomography scan with contrast revealed a liver tumor in segment 3, and an enlarged lymph node around the abdominal aorta. Whole-body 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography-CT (FDG-PET-CT) examine revealed increased FDG uptake in the liver tumor and enlarged lymph node. Liver and distant lymph node metastasis were diagnosed and we made a plan for a two-stage operation of the colon cancer and the metastatic lesions because laparotomy resection was needed for the retroperitoneal lymph node. Laparoscopic sigmoid colectomy was performed first. Pathological examination showed a tubular adenocarcinoma. A laparotomy for the metastatic lesions was performed to ensure complete lymph node dissection secondly. Histopathological findings of the liver tumor showed metastasis of sigmoid colon cancer. However, the tissue regarded as the enlarged lymph node was diagnosed as a neurofibroma. No metastasis and recurrence were observed. CONCLUSION: Although most neurofibromas are benign, malignant transformation of a neurofibroma is possible. PET-CT showed our patient had a high accumulated retroperitoneal tumor co-existing with colon cancer and liver metastasis. The treatment strategy of a solitary neurofibroma must be selected carefully considering the site of occurrence and the patient's background and aggressive resection of a tumor co-existing with another malignant tumor is needed.

Periappendiceal fluid collection on preoperative computed tomography can be an indication for interval appendectomy: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: The treatment strategies for acute appendicitis, such as emergency appendectomy (EA), interval appendectomy (IA), and repeating nonoperative management (NOM), are controversial. In this study, we examined the preoperative factors that can be used to distinguish which patients should undergo IA. METHODS: We retrospectively identified 902 patients who underwent surgery for appendicitis in our hospital from January 2010 to December 2021. Of these patients, 776 were included in this study. The patients were divided into two groups: those with a periappendiceal fluid collection (PAFC) on preoperative computed tomography (PAFC-positive group, n = 170) and those without a PAFC (PAFC-negative group, n = 606). In each group, we compared patients who underwent EA and IA. RESULTS: In the PAFC-positive group, patients who underwent EA had a significantly higher postoperative complication rate than those who underwent IA (40.5% vs. 24.0%, p = 0.037). In the multivariate analysis, only the presence of PAFC was significantly associated with an increased risk of postoperative complications (odds ratio, 7.11; 95% confidence interval, 2.73-18.60; p < 0.001). The presence of PAFC alone was not significantly associated with an increased risk of IA or NOM failure (odds ratio, 1.48; 95% confidence interval, 0.19-11.7; p = 0.71). The rate of neoplasia on pathologic examination was significantly higher in the PAFC-positive than PAFC-negative group (7.6% vs. 1.5%, p < 0.001); the rate of carcinoma was also higher in the PAFC-positive group (2.4% vs. 0.17%, p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: The presence of PAFC on preoperative computed tomography was found to be a risk factor for postoperative complications but not IA or NOM failure. It was also correlated with neoplasia as the etiology of appendicitis. Therefore, PAFC positivity is useful as an indication for IA.

Prediction of portal vein thrombosis after hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma.

PURPOSE: Portal vein thrombosis (PVT) following hepatectomy is potentially life-threatening. We aimed to evaluate the incidence of PVT after hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma and identify coagulation and fibrinolytic factors that could predict early-stage postoperative PVT. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 65 hepatocellular carcinoma patients who underwent radical hepatectomy. The risk factors for postoperative PVT were identified based on univariate and multivariate analyses, and the levels of coagulation and fibrinolytic factors were measured during the perioperative period. RESULTS: The incidence of PVT after hepatectomy was 20.0%. The patients were divided into two groups: those with PVT (n=13; PVT group) and those without PVT (n=52; no-PVT group). The frequency of the use of the Pringle maneuver during surgery was higher in the PVT group than in the no-PVT group, and the postoperative/preoperative ratios of thrombin-antithrombin III complex (TAT) and of D-dimer were significantly higher in the PVT group. CONCLUSION: A high incidence of PVT was found in hepatocellular carcinoma patients after hepatectomy. The frequency of the Pringle maneuver is a potential risk factor for postoperative PVT, and the postoperative/preoperative TAT and D-dimer ratios may be used as early predictors of PVT after hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Pedunculated esophageal carcinoma endoscopically removed using SB knife Jr with detachable snare after neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

An 82-year-old Japanese man with alcoholic liver cirrhosis was referred to our hospital for treatment of advanced esophageal cancer. A protruding tumor was endoscopically observed in the middle thoracic esophagus, and pathological findings of the biopsy specimens revealed a squamous cell carcinoma. The clinical tumor staging was stage II (T3N0M0). The patient received two courses of neoadjuvant chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil and nedaplatin. After the treatments, computed tomography showed significant reductions in the size of the target tumor. However, radical esophagectomy was not performed because the patient refused major invasive treatments. Instead, endoscopic resection was performed using a combination of polypectomy and endoscopic submucosal resection (ESD). To prevent bleeding during endoscopic treatment, we applied a detachable snare to the base of the tumor and cut the stalk using by an SB knife Jr, without hemorrhage. The pathohistology of the resected specimen was positively showed cancer cells on the margin of the esophageal carcinoma stalk. At 4 weeks after the initial operation, an additional ESD was successfully performed, which pathologically led to radical removal. The patient survived for more than 18 months after beginning the initial treatment. We describe a successful treatment using endoscopic resection after chemotherapy for advanced esophageal cancer with high surgical treatment risks.

Development of transomental hernia shortly after laparoscopic colonic surgery: a case report.

BACKGROUND: A transomental hernia is defined as bowel invagination into an abnormal hiatus of the omentum. It is a rare type of internal hernia that is sometimes lethal. We herein report a case of a transomental hernia developing shortly after laparoscopic sigmoidectomy. CASE PRESENTATION: A 71-year-old man underwent laparoscopic sigmoidectomy. He was admitted to our hospital because of abdominal pain and nausea on postoperative day 12. Laboratory investigation showed increased levels of inflammatory markers. Abdominal computed tomography showed a closed loop and mesenteric edema of the small intestine with ascites. We performed an emergency operation under the diagnosis of strangulated bowel obstruction. Operative findings showed internal herniation of strangulated ileal loops through a defect of the omentum with hemorrhagic ascites. The incarcerated small bowel was resected and reconstructed because the ischemic change was irreversible after the reduction. We partially resected the omentum that had formed the defect. The patient's postoperative progress was good, and he was discharged on postoperative day 8. CONCLUSIONS: Almost all internal hernias after intestinal surgery are mesenteric hernias; however, we should bear in mind that the more lethal transomental hernia is also possible. Therefore, immediate surgical exploration should be performed in a timely manner for internal hernias, especially for patients with early-onset symptoms after laparoscopic intestinal surgery.