MicroRNAs as possible biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis of hepatitis b- and c-related-hepatocellularcarcinoma

Aim of the present review is to summarize the current knowledge about the potential relationship between mi RNAs and hepatitis B virus(HBV)-hepatitis C virus(HCV) related liver diseases. A systematic computerbased search of published articles, according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analysis Statement, was performed to identify relevant studies on usefulness of serum/plasma/urine mi RNAs, as noninvasive biomarkers for early detection of HBV and HCV-induced hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) development, as well as for its prognostic evaluation. The used Medical Subject Headings terms and keywords were: "HBV", "HCV", "hepatocellular carcinoma", "micro RNAs", "mi RNAs", "diagnosis", "prognosis", "therapy", "treatment". Some serum/plasma mi RNAs, including mi R-21, mi R-122, mi-125a/b, mi R-199a/b, mi R-221, mi R-222, mi R-223, mi R-224 might serve as biomarkers for early diagnosis/prognosis of HCC, but, to date, not definitive results or well-defined panels of mi RNAs have been obtained. More well-designed studies, focusing on populations of different geographical areas and involving larger series of patients, should be carried out to improve our knowledge on the potential role of mi RNAs for HCC early detection and prognosis.

The impact of extent of pancreatic and venous resection on survival for patients with pancreatic cancer

Background:Borderline resectable pancreatic cancer may require extended resections in order to achieve tumor-free margins,especially in the case of up-front resections,but it is important to know the limits of surgical therapy in this disease.This study aimed to investigate the impact of extent of pancreatic and venous resection on short-and long-term outcomes in patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma(PDAC).Methods:This was a retrospective study from a prospectively maintained database of pancreatic resections for PDAC.Short-and long-term outcomes were analyzed in patients having borderline resectable PDAC submitted to up-front total pancreatectomy(TP)or pancreaticoduodenectomy(PD)with simultaneous portal vein(PV)and/or superior mesenteric vein(SMV)resection.Venous resections were carried out as tangential venous resection(TVR)or segmental venous resection(SVR).Patients were divided into 4 groups:(1)PD+TVR,(2)PD+SVR,(3)TP+TVR,(4)TP+SVR.Uni-and multivariate Cox regression analysis were performed to identify factors associated with survival.Results:Ninety-nine patients were submitted to simultaneous pancreatic and venous resection for PDAC.Among them,25 were submitted to PD+TVR(25.3%),12 to PD+SVR(12.1%),23 to TP+TVR(23.2%),and 39 to TP+SVR(39.4%).Overall,major morbidity(Clavien-Dindo grade≥IIIA)was 26.3%.Thirty-and 90-day mortality were 3%and 11.1%,respectively.There were no significant differences among groups in terms of short-term outcomes.Median overall survival of patients submitted to PD+TVR was significantly higher than those to TP+SVR(29.5 vs 7.9 months,P=0.001).Multivariate analysis identified TP(HR=2.11;95%CI:1.31–3.44;P=0.002)and SVR(HR=2.01;95%CI:1.27–3.15;P=0.003)as the only independent prognostic factors for overall survival.Conclusions:Up-front TP associated to SVR was predictive of worse survival in borderline resectable PDAC.Perioperative treatments in high-risk surgical groups may improve such poor outcomes.

Intermittent gastric outlet obstruction due to a gallstone migrated through a cholecysto-gastric fistula:A new variant of “Bouveret’s syndrome”

Bouveret's syndrome, defined as gastric outlet obstruction due to a large gallstone, is still one of the most dramatic biliary gallstone complications. Although new radiological and endoscopic techniques have made pre-surgical diagnosis possible in most cases and the death rate has dropped dramatically, "one-stage surgery" (biliary surgery carried out at the same time as the removal of the gut obstruction) should be still considered as the gold standard for the treatment of gallstone ileus.In this case, partial gastric outlet obstruction resulted in an atypical and insidious clinical presentation that allowed us to perform the conventional one-stage laparatomic procedure that completely solved the problem, thus avoiding any further complications.

Possible association between hepatitis C virus and malignancies different from hepatocellular carcinoma:A systematic review

AIM: To summarize the current knowledge about the potential relationship between hepatitis C virus(HCV) infection and the risk of several extra-liver cancers. METHODS: We performed a systematic review of the literature, according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analysis(PRISMA) Statement. We extracted the pertinent articles, published in MEDLINE and the Cochrane Library, using the following search terms: neoplasm/cancer/malignancy/tumor/carcinoma/adeno-carcinoma and non-Hodgkin lymphomas, kidney/renal-, cholangio-, pancreatic-, thyroid-, breast-,oral-, skin-, prostate-, lung-, colon-, stomach-, haematologic. Case series, case-series with control-group, case-control, cohort-studies as well as meta-analyses, written in English were collected. Some of the main characteristics of retrieved trials, which were designed to investigate the prevalence of HCV infection in each type of the above-mentioned human malignancies were summarised. A main table was defined and included a short description in the text for each of these tumours, whether at least five studies about a specific neoplasm, meeting inclusion criteria, were available in literature. According to these criteria, we created the following sections and the corresponding tables and we indicated the number of included or excluded articles, as well as of meta-analyses and reviews:(1) HCV and haematopoietic malignancies;(2) HCV and cholangiocarcinoma;(3) HCV and pancreatic cancer;(4) HCV and breast cancer;(5) HCV and kidney cancer;(6) HCV and skin or oral cancer; and(7) HCV and thyroid cancer. RESULTS: According to available data, a clear correlation between regions of HCV prevalence and risk of extra-liver cancers has emerged only for a very small group of types and histological subtypes of malignancies. In particular, HCV infection has been associated with:(1) a higher incidence of some B-cell Non-HodgkinLymphoma types, in countries, where an elevated prevalence of this pathogen is detectable, accounting to a percentage of about 10%;(2) an increased risk of intra-hepatic cholangiocarcinoma; and(3) a correlation between HCV prevalence and pancreatic cancer(PAC) incidence. CONCLUSION: To date no definitive conclusions may be obtained from the analysis of relationship between HCV and extra-hepatic cancers. Further studies, recruiting an adequate number of patients are requiredto confirm or deny this association.

Molecular alterations in pancreatic tumors

Genetic alterations in pancreatic tumors can usually be classified in:(1)Mutational activation of oncogenes;(2)Inactivation of tumor suppressor genes;and(3)Inactivation of genome maintenance genes controlling the repair of DNA damage.Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration has improved preoperative diagnosis,but the management of patients with a pancreatic lesion is still challenging.Molecular testing could help mainly in solving these“inconclusive”specimens.The introduction of multi-gene analysis approaches,such as next-generation sequencing,has provided a lot of useful information on the molecular characterization of pancreatic tumors.Different types of pancreatic tumors(e.g.,pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas,intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms,solid pseudopapillary tumors)are characterized by specific molecular alterations.The aim of this review is to summarize the main molecular alterations found in pancreatic tumors.