Malignant Transformation of Human Embryonic Liver Cells Induced by Hepatitis B Virus and Aflatoxin B_1

In order to investigate the effect of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and aflatoxin B 1 (AFB 1) on hepatocarcinogenesis, the human embryonic liver cells infected with HBV were transplanted to nude mice by subcutaneous route and the transplanted mice were divided into 4 groups for study, in which the group A of mice was injected with HBV-infected human embryonic liver cells and followed by injections of AFB 1 once a week (HBV+AFB 1); the group B was treated with HBV as group A, but no AFB 1 was given (HBV +); the group C was injected with normal human embryonic liver cells and AFB 1 was used as group (AFB 1 +) and the group D or control group was injected with normal embryonic liver cells without addition of AFB 1. The experimental results showed that the incidences of tumor formation in different groups were 27.3% (6/22) in group A; 0% (0/13) in group B; 13.3% (2/15) in group C and 0% (0/14) in group D respectively. All the tumors formed were proved to be human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by pathological examinations and the tumor tissues were anthrogenetic as demonstrated by EMA monoclonal antibody. The HBV-X and HBV-S genes could be detected in the tumor tissues by means of slot hybridization and PCR amplification, indicating that the HBV-DNA genes had integrated into DNA of host cells. Thus, we have successfully induced the human HCC through HBV infection and introduction of AFB 1 with a synergistic effect between HBV and AFB 1 in hepatocarcinogenesis.

Undifferentiated embryonal sarcoma of the liver:Clinical characteristics and outcomes

BACKGROUND Undifferentiated embryonal sarcoma of the liver(UESL)is a rare liver malignancy originating from primary mesenchymal tissue.The clinical manifestations,laboratory tests,and imaging examinations of the disease lack specificity and the preoperative misdiagnosis rate is high.The overall prognosis is poor and survival rate is low.AIM To investigate the diagnosis,treatment,and prognosis of UESL.METHODS We performed a retrospective,single-center cohort study in Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University,which is a central hospital in northeast China.From 2005 to 2017,we recruited 14 patients with pathologically confirmed UESL.We analyzed the clinical manifestations,laboratory tests,imaging examinations,pathological examinations,therapy,and prognosis of these patients.RESULTS There were nine males and five females aged 2-60 years old included in the study.The major initial symptoms were abdominal pain(71.43%)and fever(57.14%).Preoperative laboratory tests revealed that seven patients had increased leukocyte levels,four showed a decrease in hemoglobin levels,seven patients had increased glutamyl transpeptidase levels,nine had increased lactate dehydrogenase levels,and three showed an increase in carbohydrate antigen 199.There was no difference in the rate of misdiagnosis in preoperative imaging examinations of UESL between adults and children(6/6 vs 5/8,P=0.091).The survival rate after complete resection was 6/10,while that after incomplete resection was 0/4(P=0.040),suggesting that complete resection is important to improve survival rate.In total,five out of the eight children achieved survival.During the follow-up,the maximum survival time was shown to be 11 years and minimum survival time was 6 mo.Six adult patients relapsed late after surgery and all of them died.CONCLUSION Preoperative imaging examination for UESL has a high misdiagnosis rate.Multidisciplinary collaboration can improve the diagnostic accuracy of UESL.Complete surgical resection is the first choice for treatment of UESL.

Undifferentiated (embryonal) sarcoma of liver in adult: A case report

We report a case of undifferentiated (embryonal)sarcoma of the liver (UESL), which showed cystic formation in a 20-year-old man with no prior history of any hepatitis or liver cirrhosis. He was admitted with abdominal pain and a palpable epigastric mass. The physical examination findings were unremarkable except for a tenderness mass and the results of routine laboratory studies were all within normal limits. Abdominal ultrasound and computed tomography (CT) both showed a cystic mass in the left hepatic lobe. Subsequently, the patient underwent a tumor excision and another two times of hepatectomy because of tumor recurrence.Immunohistochemical study results showed that the tumor cells were positive for vimentin, alpha-1-antichymotrypsin (AACT) and desmin staining, and negative for alphafetoprotein (AFP), and eosinophilic hyaline globules in the cytoplasm of some giant cells were strongly positive for periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining. The pathological diagnosis was UESL. The patient is still alive with no tumor recurrence for four months.

Neoadjuvant transcatheter arterial chemoembolization and systemic chemotherapy for the treatment of undifferentiated embryonal sarcoma of the liver in children

BACKGROUND Undifferentiated embryonal sarcoma of the liver(UESL)is a rare and aggressive mesenchymal tumor in children.Herein,we describe our experience in neoadjuvant therapy(NAT)and subsequent surgery for the treatment of UESL in children.AIM To evaluate the efficacy of NAT and explore a new choice for successful operation of UESL in children.METHODS We retrospectively analyzed six patients newly diagnosed with unresectable UESL who received NAT and then surgery at our center between January 2004 and December 2019.The tumor was considered unresectable if it involved a large part of both lobes of the liver or had invaded the main hepatic vessels or inferior vena cava.The NAT included preoperative transcatheter arterial chemoembol ization(TACE)and systemic chemotherapy.The patients were 4 boys and 2 girls with a mean age of 7 years.The longest tumor at presentation ranged from 8.6 to 14.8 cm(mean,12 cm).Extrahepatic metastases were present in 2 cases.Preoperative systemic chemotherapy was administered 3 wk after TACE.Tumor resection was performed 3 wk after one or two cycles of NAT.The patients received systemic chemotherapy after surgery.RESULTS All patients successfully underwent NAT and complete resection.The tumor volumes decreased by 18.2%–68.7%,with a mean decrease of 36%after 1 cycle of NAT(t=3.524,P=0.017).According to the Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors criteria,4 patients had a partial response and underwent surgery,while 2 had stable disease and received another cycle of NAT before surgery.Massive tumor necrosis was seen on pathological examination of the surgical specimen:>90%necrosis in two,>50%necrosis in three,and 25%necrosis in 1,with an average of 71.8%.Post-NAT complications included fever,nausea and vomiting,and mild bone marrow suppression.Elevated alanine transaminase levels occurred in all patients,which returned to normal within 7–10 d after treatment.No cardiac or renal toxicity,severe hepatic dysfunction,bleeding and nontarget embolization were observed in the patients.The median follow-up period was 8 years with an overall survival of 100%.CONCLUSION NAT effectively reduced tumor volume,cleared the tumor margin,and caused massive tumor necrosis.This may be a promising choice for successful surgery of UESL in children.

Recurrent undifferentiated embryonal sarcoma of the liver in adult patient treated by pembrolizumab: A case report

BACKGROUND Undifferentiated embryonal sarcoma of the liver(UESL)is a neoplasm that rarely develops in adults.The main treatments for UESL are upfront gross total surgical resection and adjuvant multiagent chemotherapy.Here,we report a case of recurrent UESL in an adult treated with pembrolizumab and discuss a method to identify proper candidates for antibody of programmed cell death protein 1(anti-PD-1)treatment.CASE SUMMARY A 69-year-old woman was admitted for abdominal pain that developed for 1 wk.Computed tomography showed a 16 cm mass in the right lobe of the liver.Right hemihepatectomy and lymphadenectomy were performed,and histological diagnosis was UESL.Six months later,the patient suffered from painless obstructive jaundice,and positron emission tomography-computed tomography revealed multiple metastases.Then,percutaneous transhepatic cholangial drainage was applied to reduce jaundice,and radiofrequency ablation was used to control the lesion near the hepatic hilum.However,the patient suffered from a serious fever caused by the tumor.The patient received treatment with pembrolizumab,and the prescribed dosage was 2 mg/kg every 3 wk.After the seventh dose,positron emission tomography-computed tomography revealed that the multiple metastases had nearly disappeared.Radiologic exam was used to evaluate the disease state,and no new lesions were found.Next-generation sequencing and immunohistology were applied to determine the reason why the patient had such a favorable response to pembrolizumab.Tumor mutation burden,microsatellite instability,and programmed death ligand 1 expression can be combined to predict the effect of PD-1 antibodies. When every one of thesebiomarkers are detected in a tumor patient, the patient may be a proper candidatefor PD-1 antibodies.CONCLUSION Anti-PD-1 treatment for tumors needs further research to identify indications andproper biomarkers.

Liver transplantation in malignant disease

Liver transplantation for malignant disease has gained increasing attention as part of transplant oncology.Following the implementation of the Milan criteria,hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)was the first generally accepted indication for transplantation in patients with cancer.Subsequently,more liberal criteria for HCC have been developed,and research on this topic is still ongoing.The evident success of liver transplantation for HCC has led to the attempt to extend its indication to other malignancies.Regarding perihilar cholangiocarcinoma,more and more evidence supports the use of liver transplantation,especially after neoadjuvant therapy.In addition,some data also show a benefit for selected patients with very early stage intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.Hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma is a very rare but nonetheless established indication for liver transplantation in primary liver cancer.In contrast,patients with hepatic angiosarcoma are currently not considered to be optimal candidates.In secondary liver tumors,neuroendocrine cancer liver metastases are an accepted but comparability rare indication for liver transplantation.Recently,some evidence has been published supporting the use of liver transplantation even for colorectal liver metastases.This review summarizes the current evidence for liver transplantation for primary and secondary liver cancer.

Hepatocytes in a normal adult liver are derived solely from the embryonic hepatocytes

In vertebrates,body weight increases many folds as a consequence of body growth from the childhood to adulthood（e.g.,～20 folds for a mouse）.Considering the fact that the liver-to-body weight ratio（LBR）stays relatively constant within species（Weglarz and Sandgren,2000;Kan et al.,2009）,the cell number in a liver must therefore keep increasing along with the growth of an individual organism. For example, during the growth of the zebrafish from 5 days post-fertilization （dpf） to 1.5 years old, the number of liver cells increased -900 folds （Figs. 1A and S1 ）.

Adult primary undifferentiated embryonal sarcoma of the liver： a case report

Undifferentiated embryonal sarcoma of the liver （UESL） was first described by Stocker and Ishak in 1978. It is a rare tumor that most often presents in childhood between 6 to 10 years of age.2 The adult patients diagnosed with UESL often show nonspecific symptoms with normal laboratory results. Ultrasonography, CT, or MRI often reveals a cystic mass. Complete surgical resection plus pre- and/or post-operative systemic chemotherapy offers the possibility of a cure. We report a case of primary UESL in an adult with no specific symptoms, tumor markers, or image results. The diagnosis of the case was based on the resulting pathology from surgery.