Repeat hepatic resection versus percutaneous ablation for the treatment of recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma: meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The efficacy of repeat hepatic resection (rHR) in the treatment of recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma compared with radiofrequency or microwave ablation after resection of the primary tumour remains controversial. A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed to compare the safety and efficacy of these procedures. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases were systematically searched to identify related studies published before 10 October 2021. Overall and recurrence-free survival after different treatments were compared based on pooled hazard ratios with a random-effects model. RESULTS: Two randomized clinical trials and 28 observational studies were included, involving 1961 and 2787 patients who underwent rHR and ablation respectively. Median perioperative mortality in both groups was zero but patients in the rHR group had higher median morbidity rates (17.0 per cent) than those in the ablation group (3.3 per cent). rHR achieved significantly longer recurrence-free survival than ablation (HR 0.79, 95 per cent c.i. 0.70 to 0.89, P < 0.001), while both groups had similar overall survival (HR 0.93, 95 per cent c.i. 0.83 to 1.04, P = 0.18). CONCLUSION: rHR and ablation based on radio- or microwaves are associated with similar overall survival in patients with recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma after resection of the primary tumour.

Lower risk of hepatocellular carcinoma with tenofovir than entecavir treatment in subsets of chronic hepatitis B patients: an updated meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Previous smaller meta-analyses comparing the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients treated with tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) versus entecavir (ETV) provided controversial results. This updated meta-analysis aimed to reliably identify any difference in the HCC incidence between TDF-treated or ETV-treated CHB patients in general or in specific subgroups. METHODS: PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library were systematically searched for relevant studies with hazard ratios (HRs) for HCC between TDF-treated and ETV-treated CHB patients. Retrieved dates ranged from January 2009 to October 2021. HRs with or without adjustment were pooled with random-effects model. RESULTS: Twenty-four comparative studies involving 37 771 CHB patients treated with TDF and 72 094 treated with ETV were included. TDF was associated with lower risk of HCC compared with ETV, with pooled unadjusted HR of 0.76 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.67-0.86) (24 studies) and adjusted HR of 0.81 (95% CI: 0.72-0.91) (21 studies). In propensity score matching cohorts, the TDF superiority was confirmed for unadjusted HR 0.83 (95% CI: 0.71-0.97) (14 studies) and was close to significance for adjusted HR (0.78, 95% CI: 0.58-1.04) (8 studies). Subgroup analyses showed that TDF was associated with lower HCC risk than ETV treatment in CHB patients who were from Asia (adjusted HR: 0.76, 95% CI: 0.66-0.87; 15 studies) or nucleos(t)ide naïve (adjusted HR:0.74, 95% CI: 0.65-0.84; 18 studies). CONCLUSION: Current evidence from a sizable population suggests that TDF is associated with significantly lower HCC risk compared with ETV treatment in patients who are from Asia and/or nucleos(t)ide naïve.

Dexmedetomidine Exerts Renal Protective Effect by Regulating the PGC-1α/STAT1/IRF-1 Axis.

BACKGROUND: Ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury is the main cause of acute kidney injury (AKI), and its incidence and mortality increase year by year in the population. Dexmedetomidine (DEX) can improve AKI by regulating inflammation and oxidative stress, but its mechanism is still unclear. METHODS: A hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) model of HK-2 cells and a kidney I/R model of C57BL/6J mice were established. In the experiment, cells were transfected with sh-PGC-1α to inhibit PGC-1α expression. The changes of ROS level and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) were analyzed. HE staining was used to assess kidney damage in mice. Concentration of kidney injury markers serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen and expression of inflammatory factors were detected by ELISA. qPCR analysis was used to detect mRNA levels of related proteins in cells and mouse kidney tissues. The protein intracellular content and phosphorylation levels were determined by Western blotting. RESULT: The production of inflammatory factors and ROS was increased in HK-2 cells treated with H/R, while MMP, cell viability, and mitochondrial-related protein levels were decreased. DEX attenuated pathological changes induced by H/R, while knockdown of PGC-1α eliminated the mitigation effect. DEX inhibited the damage of I/R to the kidneys of mice and increased the expression of mitochondrial-related proteins and PGC-1α in the kidneys, while inhibiting the phosphorylation of STAT1 and the expression of IRF-1. CONCLUSIONS: DEX appears to inhibit mitochondrial damage and cellular inflammation by upregulating PGC-1α to affect STAT1 phosphorylation level and IRF-1 expression, thereby preventing AKI.

Perioperative entecavir for patients with HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma and low levels of viral DNA: analysis using propensity score matching.

The safety and efficacy of perioperative antiviral therapy for patients with hepatitis B virus related hepatocellular carcinoma and low serum levels of hepatitis B virus DNA are unknown. This retrospective study compared serum levels of hepatitis B virus DNA, liver function, morbidity, and length of hospital stay between patients who underwent hepatic resection alone and patients who received entecavir therapy before and after resection (n = 44 in each group). Propensity score matching was used to reduce confounding due to baseline differences between the groups. Hepatitis B virus reactivation during follow-up, which lasted a median of 6.1 months, occurred in one patient in the entecavir group (2.3%) and 11 patients in the resection-only group (25%; P = 0.02). Liver function, especially alanine aminotransferase levels, recovered much faster in the entecavir group. This group also showed a slightly lower rate of morbidity (P = 0.081) as well as significantly shorter overall hospital stay (20.1 ± 4.9 vs 24.9 ± 13.2 days; P = 0.028) and postoperative hospital stay (11.4 ± 1.9 vs 16.8 ± 13.1 days; P = 0.008). These results from this pilot study suggest that patients with hepatitis B virus related hepatocellular carcinoma and low levels of hepatitis B virus DNA are at risk of hepatitis B virus reactivation following resection, and that perioperative entecavir therapy can safely and effectively reduce this risk. Such therapy also appears to improve liver function and shorten hospitalization.

Efficacy of ultrasound and nerve stimulation guidance in peripheral nerve block: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Evidence was controversial about whether nerve stimulation (NS) can optimize ultrasound guidance (US)-guided nerve blockade for peripheral nerve block. This review aims to explore the effects of the two combined techniques. We searched EMBASE (from 1974 to March 2015), PubMed (from 1966 to Mar 2015), Medline (from 1966 to Mar 2015), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and clinicaltrials.gov. Finally, 15 randomized trials were included into analysis involving 1,019 lower limb and 696 upper limb surgery cases. Meta-analysis indicated that, compared with US alone, USNS combination had favorable effects on overall block success rate (risk ratio [RR] 1.17; confidence interval [CI] 1.05 to 1.30, P = 0.004), sensory block success rate (RR 1.56; CI 1.29 to 1.89, P < 0.00001), and block onset time (mean difference [MD] -3.84; CI -5.59 to -2.08, P < 0.0001). USNS guidance had a longer procedure time in both upper and lower limb nerve block (MD 1.67; CI 1.32 to 2.02, P < 0.00001; MD 1.17; CI 0.95 to 1.39, P < 0.00001) and more patients with anesthesia supplementation (RR 2.5; CI 1.02 to 6.13, P = 0.05). USNS guidance trends to result in a shorter block onset time than US alone as well as higher block success rate, but no statistical difference was demonstrated, as more data are required. © 2017 IUBMB Life, 69(9):720-734, 2017.

Timely meta-analysis on the efficacy of adoptive immunotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma patients after curative therapy.

AIMS: The role of adoptive immunotherapy (AIT) for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who have received curative therapy is still not well illustrated. This timely meta-analysis aims to update the current evidence on efficacy and safety of AIT for patients with HCC who have received curative therapy. METHODS: We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus and the Cochrane Library Through January 2017 for relevant studies. Mortality and tumor recurrence were compared between patients with or without adjuvant AIT. The meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager 5.3. RESULTS: Eight studies involving 1861 patients met the eligibility criteria and were meta-analyzed. Adjuvant AIT was associated with significantly lower mortality at 1 year (RR 0.64, 95%CI 0.52-0.79), 3 years (RR 0.73, 95%CI 0.65-0.81) and 5 years (RR 0.86, 95%CI 0.79-0.94). Similarly, adjuvant AIT was associated with significantly lower recurrence rate than curative therapies alone at 1 year (RR 0.64, 95%CI 0.49-0.82), 3 years (RR 0.85, 95%CI 0.79-0.91) and 5 years (RR 0.90, 95%CI 0.85-0.95). Short-term outcomes were confirmed in sensitivity analyses based on randomized trials or choice of random- or fixed-effect meta-analysis model. None of the included patients experienced grade 4 adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: This timely meta-analysis confirms the evidence that adjuvant AIT for patients with HCC after curative treatment lowers risk of mortality and tumor recurrence.

Harms and benefits of adoptive immunotherapy for postoperative hepatocellular carcinoma: an updated review.

The harms and benefits of adoptive immunotherapy (AIT) for patients with postoperative hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are controversial among studies. This study aims to update the current evidence on efficacy and safety of AIT for patients with HCC who have received curative therapy. Electronic databases were systematically searched to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and cohort studies evaluating adjuvant AIT for patients with HCC after curative therapies. Recurrence and mortality were compared between patients with or without adjuvant AIT. Eight RCTs and two cohort studies involving 2,120 patients met the eligibility criteria and were meta-analyzed. Adjuvant AIT was associated with significantly lower recurrence rate than curative therapies alone at 1 year [risk ratio (RR) 0.64, 95%CI 0.49-0.82], 3 years (RR 0.85, 95%CI 0.79-0.91) and 5 years (RR 0.90, 95%CI 0.85-0.95). Similarly, adjuvant AIT was associated with significantly lower mortality at 1 year (RR 0.64, 95%CI 0.52-0.79), 3 years (RR 0.73, 95%CI 0.65-0.81) and 5 years (RR 0.86, 95%CI 0.79-0.94). Short-term outcomes were confirmed in sensitivity analyses based on RCTs or choice of a fixed- or random-effect meta-analysis model. None of the included patients experienced grade 3 or 4 adverse events. Therefore, this update reinforces the evidence that adjuvant AIT after curative treatment for HCC lowers risk of recurrence and mortality.

Propensity score-based comparison of hepatic resection and transarterial chemoembolization for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.

For patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), official guidelines recommend palliative treatments such as transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) but not hepatic resection (HR). This study compared short- and long-term outcomes in patients with advanced HCC treated by either HR or TACE. A retrospective analysis was performed for a consecutive series of 444 patients with advanced HCC who underwent HR (n = 339) or TACE (n = 205). Analyses were performed over all participants as well as for propensity score-matched patients to adjust for any baseline differences. When all patients were included in the analysis, the HR and TACE groups showed similar postoperative complication rate and mortality at 30 and 90 days (all P > 0.05). However, median survival time was significantly higher in the HR group (16.4 months) than in the TACE group (11.8 months; P = 0.012). Overall survival at 1, 3, 5, and 7 years was 58, 26, 18, and 18 % in the HR group, higher than the corresponding rates of 49, 14, 12, and 7 % in the TACE group. Similar results were obtained in the analysis of propensity score-matched patients. Therefore, HR can be safe and effective for patients with advanced HCC. Randomized controlled trials are warranted to confirm this finding.