Transmembrane serine protease 4 expression in the prognosis of radical resection for biliary tract cancer

BACKGROUND Recent advancements in biliary tract cancer(BTC)treatment have expanded beyond surgery to include adjuvant therapy,yet the prognosis remains poor.Identifying prognostic biomarkers could enhance the assessment of patients who have undergone radical resection for BTC.AIM To determine transmembrane serine protease 4(TMPRSS4)utility as a prognostic biomarker of radical resection for BTC.METHODS Medical records of patients who underwent radical resection for BTC,excluding intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma,were retrospectively reviewed.The associations between TMPRSS4 expression and clinicopathological factors,overall survival,and recurrence-free survival were analyzed.RESULTS Among the 85 patients undergoing radical resection for BTC,46(54%)were TMPRSS4-positive.The TMPRSS4-positive group exhibited significantly higher preoperative carbohydrate antigen 19-9(CA19-9)values and greater lymphatic invasion than the TMPRSS4-negative group(P=0.019 and 0.039,respectively).Postoperative overall survival and recurrence-free survival were significantly worse in the TMPRSS4-positive group(median survival time:25.3 months vs not reached,P<0.001;median survival time:28.7 months vs not reached,P=0.043,respectively).Multivariate overall survival analysis indicated TMPRSS4 positivity,pT3/T4,and resection status R1 were independently associated with poor prognosis(P=0.032,0.035 and 0.030,respectively).TMPRSS4 positivity correlated with preoperative CA19-9 values≥37 U/mL and pathological tumor size≥30 mm(P=0.016 and 0.038,respectively).CONCLUSION TMPRSS4 is a potential prognostic biomarker of radical resection for BTC.

Prophylactic managements of hepatitis B viral infection inliver transplantation

Liver transplantation(LT)is a considerably effective treatment for patients with end-stage hepatitis B virus(HBV)-related liver disease.However,HBV infection often recurs after LT without prophylaxis.Since the1990s,the treatment for preventing HBV reinfection after LT has greatly progressed with the introduction of hepatitis B immunoglobulin(HBIG)and nucleos(t)ide analogues(NAs),resulting in improved patient survival.The combination therapy consisting of high-dose HBIG and lamivudine is highly efficacious for preventing the recurrence of HBV infection after LT and became the standard prophylaxis for HBV recurrence.However,mainly due to the high cost of HBIG treatment,an alternative protocol for reducing the dose and duration of HBIG has been evaluated.Currently,combination therapy using low-dose HBIG and NAs is considered as the most efficacious and cost-effective prophylaxis for post-LT HBV reinfection.Recently,NA monotherapy and withdrawal of HBIG from combination therapy,along with the development of new,potent high genetic barrier NAs,have provided promising efficacy,especially for low-risk recipients.This review summarizes the prophylactic protocol and their efficacy including prophylaxis of de novo HBV infection from anti-HBc antibody-positive donors.In addition,challenging approaches such as discontinuation of all prophylaxis and active immunity through hepatitis B vaccination are discussed.