BACKGROUND Neoangiogenesis is one of the key pathogenetic mechanisms in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Modulation of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) by angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE-Is) and angiote...BACKGROUND Neoangiogenesis is one of the key pathogenetic mechanisms in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Modulation of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) by angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE-Is) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) seems to be a possible adjuvant therapy for HCC, due to the antiangiogenic and anti-fibrogenic activity of these drugs. AIM To elucidate the role of ARBs and ACE-Is in HCC. METHODS We performed an electronic search of the literature using the most accessed online databases (PubMed, Cochrane library, Scopus and Web of Science), entering the query terms "angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors" OR "ACE inhibitors" OR "ACE-I" AND "hepatocarcinoma*" OR "hepatocellular carcinoma;moreover "angiotensin II type 1 receptor blockers" OR "ARBs" AND "hepatocarcinoma*" OR "hepatocellular carcinoma". Eligibility criteria were:(1) prospective or retrospective clinical studies;(2) epidemiological studies;and (3) experimental studies conducted in vivo or in vitro. Abstracts, conference papers, and reviews were excluded a priori. We limited our literature search to articles published in English, in peer-reviewed journals.RESULTS Thirty-one studies were selected. Three interventional studies showed that ACEIs had a significant protective effect on HCC recurrence only when used in combination with vitamin K or branched chain aminoacids, without a significant increase in overall survival. Of six retrospective observational studies, mainly focused on overall survival, only one demonstrated a prolonged survival in the ACE-Is group, whereas the two that also evaluated tumor recurrence showed conflicting results. All experimental studies displayed beneficial effects of RAS inhibitors on hepatocarcinogenesis. Numerous experimental studies, conducted either on animals and cell cultures, demonstrated the anti-angiogenetic and antifibrotic effect of ACE-Is and ARBs, thanks to the suppression of some cytokines such as vascular endothelial growth factor, hypoxia-inducible factor-1a, transforming growth factor-beta and tumor necrosis factor alpha. All or parts of these mechanisms were demonstrated in rodents developing fewer HCC and preneoplastic lesions after receiving such drugs. CONCLUSION In humans, RAS inhibitors - alone or in combination - significantly suppressed the cumulative HCC recurrence, without prolonging patient survival, but some limitations intrinsic to these studies prompt further investigations.展开更多
Cryoglobulinemia is a pathological condition usually associated with hepatitis C virus(HCV) chronic liver disease and less commonly with autoimmune or lymphoproliferative disorders.The possible association of cryoglob...Cryoglobulinemia is a pathological condition usually associated with hepatitis C virus(HCV) chronic liver disease and less commonly with autoimmune or lymphoproliferative disorders.The possible association of cryoglobulinemia with hepatitis B virus(HBV) infection is not widely accepted.In our patient,serum negativity for HCV markers initially led us to consider two other causes of cryoglobulinemia.Myelodysplastic disorders were excluded on the basis of hematological studies,while serum markers for active HBV infection were positive.Surprisingly,the detection of HCV RNA in the cryocrit,even in the absence of anti-HCV antibodies suggested a pathogenetic role of HCV in this case of cryoglobulinemia.Negative "first level" tests for HCV in the serum do not completely exclude HCV involvement in the pathogenesis of cryoglobulinemia.Analysis of the cryoprecipitate is always essential for diagnosis.展开更多
文摘BACKGROUND Neoangiogenesis is one of the key pathogenetic mechanisms in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Modulation of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) by angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE-Is) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) seems to be a possible adjuvant therapy for HCC, due to the antiangiogenic and anti-fibrogenic activity of these drugs. AIM To elucidate the role of ARBs and ACE-Is in HCC. METHODS We performed an electronic search of the literature using the most accessed online databases (PubMed, Cochrane library, Scopus and Web of Science), entering the query terms "angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors" OR "ACE inhibitors" OR "ACE-I" AND "hepatocarcinoma*" OR "hepatocellular carcinoma;moreover "angiotensin II type 1 receptor blockers" OR "ARBs" AND "hepatocarcinoma*" OR "hepatocellular carcinoma". Eligibility criteria were:(1) prospective or retrospective clinical studies;(2) epidemiological studies;and (3) experimental studies conducted in vivo or in vitro. Abstracts, conference papers, and reviews were excluded a priori. We limited our literature search to articles published in English, in peer-reviewed journals.RESULTS Thirty-one studies were selected. Three interventional studies showed that ACEIs had a significant protective effect on HCC recurrence only when used in combination with vitamin K or branched chain aminoacids, without a significant increase in overall survival. Of six retrospective observational studies, mainly focused on overall survival, only one demonstrated a prolonged survival in the ACE-Is group, whereas the two that also evaluated tumor recurrence showed conflicting results. All experimental studies displayed beneficial effects of RAS inhibitors on hepatocarcinogenesis. Numerous experimental studies, conducted either on animals and cell cultures, demonstrated the anti-angiogenetic and antifibrotic effect of ACE-Is and ARBs, thanks to the suppression of some cytokines such as vascular endothelial growth factor, hypoxia-inducible factor-1a, transforming growth factor-beta and tumor necrosis factor alpha. All or parts of these mechanisms were demonstrated in rodents developing fewer HCC and preneoplastic lesions after receiving such drugs. CONCLUSION In humans, RAS inhibitors - alone or in combination - significantly suppressed the cumulative HCC recurrence, without prolonging patient survival, but some limitations intrinsic to these studies prompt further investigations.
文摘Cryoglobulinemia is a pathological condition usually associated with hepatitis C virus(HCV) chronic liver disease and less commonly with autoimmune or lymphoproliferative disorders.The possible association of cryoglobulinemia with hepatitis B virus(HBV) infection is not widely accepted.In our patient,serum negativity for HCV markers initially led us to consider two other causes of cryoglobulinemia.Myelodysplastic disorders were excluded on the basis of hematological studies,while serum markers for active HBV infection were positive.Surprisingly,the detection of HCV RNA in the cryocrit,even in the absence of anti-HCV antibodies suggested a pathogenetic role of HCV in this case of cryoglobulinemia.Negative "first level" tests for HCV in the serum do not completely exclude HCV involvement in the pathogenesis of cryoglobulinemia.Analysis of the cryoprecipitate is always essential for diagnosis.
