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Semin Liver Dis 2021 May 6. Epub 2021 May 6.

Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.

Current treatments for hepatitis B virus (HBV) using nucleos(t)ide analogs cannot eliminate the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development. As HBV-associated HCC can develop even in the absence of liver cirrhosis, HBV is regarded to possess direct oncogenic potential. HBV regulatory protein X (HBx) has been identified as a primary mediator of HBV-mediated hepatocarcinogenesis. Read More

Phytomedicine 2021 Apr 18;87:153575. Epub 2021 Apr 18.

Center of Integrative Medicine, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China. Electronic address:

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignant tumor with limited treatment options. Conventional antitumor therapy combined with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to limit tumor progression has gradually become the focus of complementary and alternative therapies for HCC treatment. The Fuzheng Jiedu Xiaoji formulation (FZJDXJ) alleviates the clinical symptoms of patients and inhibits tumor progression, but its curative effect still requires extensive clinical research and mechanistic analysis. Read More

Life Sci 2021 May 10:119592. Epub 2021 May 10.

Department of Gastroenterology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China; Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Gastrointestinal Motility Disorders, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China. Electronic address:

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the common malignancies worldwide. Slit-Robo GTPase-activating proteins (SRGAPs) have been shown to regulate the occurrence and development of various tumors. However, their specific roles in HCC remain elusive. Read More

Bioengineered 2021 Dec;12(1):1698

Am J Gastroenterol 2021 Apr;116(4):631

1Department of Hepatology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka City University, Osaka, Japan.

Transplantation 2021 Jan 7. Epub 2021 Jan 7.

1Multi-Organ Transplant Program, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada 2Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, Mount Sinai Hospital, Joseph & Wolf Lebovic Health Complex. Phone: + 1 (416) 586-8224. Ext 7804, Address: 600 University Avenue, 6th floor, office 6-200. M5G 1X5, Toronto, ON, Canada. 3Joint Department Medical Imaging, Toronto General Hospital, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada 4Genetics and Genome Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Background: Despite Trans-Arterial Chemo Embolization (TACE) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a significant number of patients will develop progression on the liver transplant (LT) waiting list or disease recurrence post-LT. We sought to evaluate the feasibility of a pre-TACE radiomic model, an imaging-based tool to predict these adverse outcomes.

Methods: We analyzed the pre-TACE computed tomography images of patients waiting for a LT. Read More

Oncol Rep 2021 Jul 13;46(1). Epub 2021 May 13.

Department of Neurosurgery, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, P.R. China.

Following the publication of the above article, an interested reader drew to the authors' attention that Figs. 6C and 7A apparently contained overlapping panels, suggesting that these data for purportedly different experiments had been derived from the same original source. The wound‑healing result for the anti‑miR‑122+siRNA PKM2 experiment in the lower panel of Fig. Read More

Mol Med Rep 2021 Jul 13;24(1). Epub 2021 May 13.

Medical School, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan, Anhui 232001, P.R. China.

Liver cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer deaths worldwide. The therapeutic effect of oxaliplatin on liver cancer is often limited by acquired resistance of the cancer cells. Abnormal activation of the PI3K/AKT pathway plays an important role in the acquired resistance of oxaliplatin. Read More

Hepatol Res 2021 May 13. Epub 2021 May 13.

Division of Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Iwate Medical University School of Medicine, Yahaba, Japan.

We herein report two cases of locally advanced unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (u-HCC) that were resected after achieving a radiological complete response to initially administered lenvatinib followed by transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (LEN-TACE sequential therapy). A 78-year-old woman and an 80-year-old man with HCC of Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer classification stage C were treated for 15 and 14 months with lenvatinib, respectively. Both patients were subsequently treated with TACE, resulting in complete remission on imaging. Read More

J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2021 May 12. Epub 2021 May 12.

Department of Burn and Plastic Surgery, The First Hospital, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China.

Background: (1E,4E)-1,5-bis(2-bromophenyl) penta-1,4-dien-3-one (GL63) is a curcumin analogue that can protect against carcinogenesis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The aim of this study was to explore the molecular mechanism of GL63 in HCC.

Methods: Cell viability was examined by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. Read More

J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2021 May 12. Epub 2021 May 12.

Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.

Background: Increased aerobic glycolysis has been well-known as a hallmark of cancer, which is closely related to mitochondrial dysfunction. TFB2M (mitochondrial transcription factor B2) is a core mitochondrial transcription factor, which has been shown by us to play an oncogenic role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, whether TFB2M contributes to the aerobic glycolysis in HCC cells remains unexplored. Read More

Dig Dis Sci 2021 May 12. Epub 2021 May 12.

Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Institute of Hepatobiliary Diseases of Wuhan University, Transplant Center of Wuhan University, Hubei Key Laboratory of Medical Technology on Transplantation, Wuhan, Hubei, 430071, People's Republic of China.

Background: With the rise of liquid biopsy in oncology, circulating miRNAs have become one of the most promising noninvasive biomarkers for early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, a reliable HCC-related circulating miRNA panel and corresponding diagnostic model remain to be explored.

Methods: Five large public datasets related to intact miRNA profiles in the serum or tumors of HCC patients were included and divided into training cohorts (GSE113740 and TCGA-LIHC) and validation cohorts (GSE112264, GSE113486 and GSE106817). Read More

Visc Med 2021 Mar 27;37(2):116-119. Epub 2020 May 27.

Liver Disease Center, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has a high degree of malignancy and poor prognosis. Treatment options for patients with advanced HCC are limited. There is currently no evidence to approve the accumulation of targeted therapies for HCC to support the inhibition of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway as an effective therapeutic strategy. Read More

Visc Med 2021 Mar 27;37(2):102-109. Epub 2020 Oct 27.

Hepato-Pancreatico-Biliary Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.

Background/purpose: 90-day mortality is a key performance indicator for short-term perioperative outcome of hepatic resection (HR). Although many preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative variables predict 90-day mortality following elective HR, only few are specific to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study aims to determine the predictors of 90-day mortality following elective HR for HCC. Read More

Visc Med 2021 Mar 7;37(2):87-93. Epub 2020 May 7.

I. Department of Internal Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.

Introduction: The number of efficacious systemic agents for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has rapidly increased over the past 3 years. However, guidance for optimal sequential systemic treatment in patients with advanced disease and experience with outcome and safety profiles are lacking.

Objective: We aimed to assess efficacy and tolerability of sequential systemic therapy of advanced HCC. Read More

Front Mol Biosci 2021 26;8:615133. Epub 2021 Mar 26.

Center of Interventional Radiology and Vascular Surgery, Department of Radiology, Zhongda Hospital, Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing, China.

To identify the independent risk factors for transarterial embolization (TACE) refractoriness and to develop a novel TACE refractoriness score and nomogram for predicting TACE refractoriness in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Between March 2006 and March 2016, HCC patients who underwent TACE monotherapy as initial treatment at two hospitals formed the study cohort and validation cohort. The criteria of TACE refractoriness followed the Japan Society of Hepatology 2014 version of TACE refractoriness. Read More

Gastrointest Tumors 2021 Apr 11;8(2):96-100. Epub 2021 Mar 11.

Department of Pathology, Medical School of Shiraz University, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.

Background: Hepatocellular malignant neoplasm, not otherwise specified (HEM, NOS), is a rare liver tumor that is most commonly seen in adolescents. To the best of our knowledge, there has been no published review on this rare tumor in the English literature so far.

Summary: In this review, we will discuss all reported details, including demographic findings, clinical presentations, molecular histogenesis, imaging, gross pathology and histopathology, immunohistochemical findings, treatment modalities, and outcome, of the published cases of HEM, NOS, in the liver. Read More

Gastrointest Tumors 2021 Apr 9;8(2):71-80. Epub 2021 Feb 9.

Department of Oncology, Kansas University Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, USA.

Introduction: Gastrointestinal cancers have a strong association with splanchnic vein thrombosis (SVT), yet the hospitalization data is unknown.

Objective And Methods: We analyzed around 78 million discharges from the 2007-2017 Nationwide Inpatient Sample with an inclusion criterion of adult patients admitted for portal or hepatic vein thrombosis as a primary diagnosis with a gastrointestinal or hepatobiliary malignancy as a secondary diagnosis. The outcomes were in-hospital mortality, complication rates, and resource utilization. Read More

Gastrointest Tumors 2021 Apr 4;8(2):41-46. Epub 2021 Feb 4.

Department of Radiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, India.

Hepatoblastoma (HB) is a rare tumor, but it is the most common primary liver malignancy in children and comprised of approximately 1% of all pediatric malignancies. Mostly, this tumor is sporadic in nature but can show a syndrome association. Upregulation in Wnt/β-catenin pathway can be there in 70-80% cases of HB. Read More

Front Public Health 2021 26;9:633792. Epub 2021 Apr 26.

Clinical Medical Examination Center, Northern Jiangsu People's Hospital, Yangzhou, China.

Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and viral load are important clinical indicators for antiviral therapy. Few studies have evaluated viral sequence biomarkers predicting the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in the stage, which show a low serological response (HBsAg < 100 IU/ml) and high viral levels (HBV DNA > 2,000 IU/ml). This study aims to determine the trend of the biological prevalence within the pre-S/S regions of special model of inactive CHB infection. Read More

J Hepatocell Carcinoma 2021 5;8:349-359. Epub 2021 May 5.

Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215006, People's Republic of China.

Purpose: To determine the potential findings associated with vessels encapsulating tumor clusters (VETC)-positive hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), with particular emphasis on texture analysis based on gadolinium-ethoxybenzyl-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-EOB-DTPA)-enhanced MRI.

Methods: Eighty-one patients with VETC-negative HCC and 52 patients with VETC-positive HCC who underwent Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI before curative partial hepatectomy were retrospectively evaluated in our institution. MRI texture analysis was performed on arterial phase (AP) and hepatobiliary phase (HBP) images. Read More

Liver Cancer 2021 Apr 11;10(2):94-106. Epub 2021 Mar 11.

Department of Radiology, Biomedical Research Institute, Pusan National University Hospital, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Busan, Republic of Korea.

Purpose: Microvascular invasion (MVI) is an important prognostic factor in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the reported results of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features for predicting MVI of HCC are variable and conflicting. Therefore, this meta-analysis aimed to identify the significant MRI features for MVI of HCC and to determine their diagnostic value. Read More

Front Immunol 2021 26;12:642958. Epub 2021 Apr 26.

Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States.

Representing the fourth leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, liver cancers constitute a major global health concern. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most frequent type of liver cancer, is associated with dismal survival outcomes and has traditionally had few treatment options available. In fact, up until 2017, treatment options for advanced HCC were restricted to broad acting tyrosine kinase inhibitors, including Sorafenib, which has been the standard of care for over a decade. Read More

Front Pharmacol 2021 26;12:542891. Epub 2021 Apr 26.

Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India.

The endophytic fungal community in the marine ecosystem has been demonstrated to be relevant source of novel and pharmacologically active secondary metabolites. The current study focused on the evaluation of cytotoxic and apoptosis induction potential in the culture extracts of endophytic fungi associated with , a marine brown alga. The cytotoxicity of the four marine endophytes, sp. Read More

HIV AIDS (Auckl) 2021 5;13:485-490. Epub 2021 May 5.

Medical Microbiology, Tigray Health Research Institute, Mekelle, Ethiopia.

With the introduction of highly active antiretroviral treatment, HIV-related morbidity and mortality have declined. But underlying hepatitis B virus infection remains the major cause of AIDS-defined illness and liver-related disease progression mainly in endemic settings. Moreover, HBV-HIV co-infection is the leading cause of cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and liver-related death. Read More

Onco Targets Ther 2021 5;14:2975-2988. Epub 2021 May 5.

Graduate Department, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, Anhui, 233000, People's Republic of China.

Purpose: SLC41A3 is a member of the solute carrier family 41 (SLC41) and is involved in many cellular processes as a magnesium ion transporter. Although it plays an important role in cancer formation and development, the correlation between the expression of SLC41A3 and the occurrence and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unclear. Therefore, this study was focused on the evaluation of the relationship between SLC41A3 and the development and prognosis of HCC. Read More

Int J Nanomedicine 2021 4;16:3125-3139. Epub 2021 May 4.

MOE Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma-associated antigen 59 (HCA59) from excretory/secretory products of is known to have the ability to modulate the functions of host cells. However, its immunogenicities using different nanoparticles adjuvants remain poorly understood.

Purpose: The study aimed to select an efficient nanoparticle antigen delivery system, which could enhance the immune responses of HCA59 in mice. Read More

BMJ Case Rep 2021 May 12;14(5). Epub 2021 May 12.

Department of Neuroscience, University of Padova, Padova, Veneto, Italy.

Orbital metastases represent a rare condition and only 33 cases of metastases from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), usually revealed by slowly progressive exophthalmos, have been described in the literature. A 62-year-old man affected by HCC reported a sudden left exophthalmos and amaurosis. A cranial CT scan revealed pathological tissue occupying the superior portion of the orbit. Read More

Curr Probl Diagn Radiol 2021 Apr 14. Epub 2021 Apr 14.

Department of Radiology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA. Electronic address:

Objective: The Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LI-RADS) has been widely applied to CT and MR liver observations in patients at high-risk for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We investigated the impact of CT vs MR in upgrading LI-RADS 3 to LI-RADS 5 observations using a large cohort of high-risk patients.

Methods: We performed a retrospective, longitudinal study of CT and MR radiographic reports (June 2013 - February 2017) with an assigned LI-RADS category. Read More

J Nanosci Nanotechnol 2021 Nov;21(11):5414-5428

US Environmental Protection Agency, Retired from EPA, Durham NC 27709, USA.

In order to understand toxicity of nano silver, human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cells were treated either with silver nitrate (AgNO₃) or with nano silver capped with glutathione (Ag-S) at various concentration. Differentially expressed genelists for mRNA and microRNA were obtained through Illumina RNA sequencing and DEseq data analyses. Both treatments showed non-linear dose response relationships for mRNA and microRNA. Read More