Portal vein thrombosis(PVT) may occur in liver cirrhosis patients. Malignant PVT is a common complication in cirrhotic patients with concomitant hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) and, in some cases, it may be even the ini...Portal vein thrombosis(PVT) may occur in liver cirrhosis patients. Malignant PVT is a common complication in cirrhotic patients with concomitant hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) and, in some cases, it may be even the initial sign of an undetected HCC. Detection of malignant PVT in a patient with liver cirrhosis heavily affects the therapeutic strategy. Gray-scale ultrasound(US) is widely unreliable for differentiating benign and malignant thrombi. Although effective for this differential diagnosis, fine-needle biopsy remains an invasive technique. Sensitivity of color-doppler US in detection of malignant thrombi is highly dependent on the size of the thrombus. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography(CT) and contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance(MRI) can be useful to assess the nature of portal thrombus, while limited data are currently available about the role of positron emission tomography(PET) and PET-CT. In contrast with CT, MRI, PET, and PET-CT, contrast-enhanced ultrasound(CEUS) is a fast, effective, well tolerated and cheap technique, that can be performed even in the same session in which the thrombus has been detected. CEUS can be performed bedside and can be available also in transplanted patients. Moreover, CT and MRI only yield a snapshot analysis during contrast diffusion, while CEUS allows for a continuous real-time imaging of the microcirculation that lasts several minutes, so that the whole arterial phase and the late parenchymal phase of the contrast diffusion can be analyzed continuously by real-time US scanning. Continuous real-time monitoring of contrast diffusion entails an easy detection of thrombus maximum enhancement. Moreover, continuous quantitative analyses of enhancement(wash in- wash out studies) by CEUS during contrast diffusion is nowadays available in most CEUS machines, thus giving a more sophisticated and accurate evaluation of the contrast distribution and an increased confidence in diagnosis in difficult cases. In conclusion, CEUS is avery reliable technique with a high intrinsic sensitivity for portal vein patency assessment. More expensive and sophisticated techniques(i.e., CT, MRI, PET, and PET-CT) should only be indicated in undetermined cases at CEUS.展开更多
AIM: To investigate factors that accurately predict hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) development after antiviral therapy in chronic hepatitis C(CHC) patients. METHODS: CHC patients who received pegylated interferon and r...AIM: To investigate factors that accurately predict hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) development after antiviral therapy in chronic hepatitis C(CHC) patients. METHODS: CHC patients who received pegylated interferon and ribavirin were enrolled in this cohort study that investigated the ability of alpha-fetoprotein(AFP) to predict HCC development after interferon(IFN) therapy. RESULTS: Of 1255 patients enrolled, 665 developed sustained virological response(SVR) during mean follow-up period of 5.4 years. HCC was occurred in 89 patients, and 20 SVR patients were included. Proportional hazard models showed that HCC occurred in SVR patients showing AFP ≥ 5 ng/m L before therapy and in non-SVR patients showing AFP ≥ 5 ng/m L before and 1 year after therapy besides older age, and low platelet counts. SVR patients showing AFP ≥ 5 ng/m L before therapy and no decrease in AFP to < 5 ng/m L 1 year after therapy had significantly higher HCC incidence than non-SVR patients showing AFP ≥ 5 ng/m L before therapy and decreased AFP(P = 0.043). AFP ≥ 5 ng/m L before therapy was significantly associated with low platelet counts and high values of alanine aminotransferase(ALT) in stepwise logistic regression analysis. After age, gender, platelet count, and ALT was matched by propensity score, significantly lower HCC incidence was shown in SVR patients showing AFP < 5 ng/m L before therapy than in those showing AFP ≥ 5 ng/m L.CONCLUSION: The criteria of AFP < 5 ng/m L before and 1 year after IFN therapy is a benefical predictor for HCC development in CHC patients.展开更多
Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) secondary to chronic viral hepatitis is a major health problem in AsianPacific regions due to the endemics of chronic hepatitis B and C virus infection. HCC surveillance has been recommen...Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) secondary to chronic viral hepatitis is a major health problem in AsianPacific regions due to the endemics of chronic hepatitis B and C virus infection. HCC surveillance has been recommended to patients who are at risk to develop HCC. Unfortunately, a significant proportion of patients still died in long run due to tumor recurrence. The key components of an optimal surveillance program include an accurate tumor biomarker and optimal surveillance interval. Serum alpha-fetoprotein(AFP), despite of being the most widely used biomarker for HCC surveillance, it was criticized as neither sensitive nor specific. Other HCC biomarkers, including lectin-reactive AFP(AFP-L3), des-gamma carboxyprothrombin, are still under investigations. Recent study showed cancerassociated genome-wide hypomethylation and copy number aberrations by plasma DNA bisulfite sequencing to be accurate with both sensitivity and specificity close to 90% in detecting HCC in a case-control study. Concerning the optimal surveillance interval, we believe one size does not fit all patients. Accurate risk prediction to assist prognostication with well-validated HCC risk scores would be useful to decide the need for HCC surveillance. These key components of an optimal HCC surveillance program should be further validated at a surveillance setting.展开更多
Although hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) primarily arises in the background of liver cirrhosis,the development of HCC in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD) without cirrhosis is increasingly recognized. The pathogen...Although hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) primarily arises in the background of liver cirrhosis,the development of HCC in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD) without cirrhosis is increasingly recognized. The pathogenesis of NAFLD associated non-cirrhotic HCC is distinct from that of cirrhotic HCC because the metabolic syndrome(MS) along with obesity and insulin resistance(IR) underlie several unique mechanisms that promote tumorigenesis. IR associated with MS,NAFLD,and type 2 diabetes mellitus lead to the release of multiple pro-inflammatory cytokines,including tumor necrosis factor alpha,interleukin-6,leptin and resistin,as well as decreased amounts of adiponectin. These processes favor the development of hepatic steatosis and inflammation within the liver,which precede HCC development. Nevertheless,further investigation is necessary to elucidate the determinants for development of HCC in patients with NAFLD in the absence of cirrhosis.展开更多
文摘Portal vein thrombosis(PVT) may occur in liver cirrhosis patients. Malignant PVT is a common complication in cirrhotic patients with concomitant hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) and, in some cases, it may be even the initial sign of an undetected HCC. Detection of malignant PVT in a patient with liver cirrhosis heavily affects the therapeutic strategy. Gray-scale ultrasound(US) is widely unreliable for differentiating benign and malignant thrombi. Although effective for this differential diagnosis, fine-needle biopsy remains an invasive technique. Sensitivity of color-doppler US in detection of malignant thrombi is highly dependent on the size of the thrombus. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography(CT) and contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance(MRI) can be useful to assess the nature of portal thrombus, while limited data are currently available about the role of positron emission tomography(PET) and PET-CT. In contrast with CT, MRI, PET, and PET-CT, contrast-enhanced ultrasound(CEUS) is a fast, effective, well tolerated and cheap technique, that can be performed even in the same session in which the thrombus has been detected. CEUS can be performed bedside and can be available also in transplanted patients. Moreover, CT and MRI only yield a snapshot analysis during contrast diffusion, while CEUS allows for a continuous real-time imaging of the microcirculation that lasts several minutes, so that the whole arterial phase and the late parenchymal phase of the contrast diffusion can be analyzed continuously by real-time US scanning. Continuous real-time monitoring of contrast diffusion entails an easy detection of thrombus maximum enhancement. Moreover, continuous quantitative analyses of enhancement(wash in- wash out studies) by CEUS during contrast diffusion is nowadays available in most CEUS machines, thus giving a more sophisticated and accurate evaluation of the contrast distribution and an increased confidence in diagnosis in difficult cases. In conclusion, CEUS is avery reliable technique with a high intrinsic sensitivity for portal vein patency assessment. More expensive and sophisticated techniques(i.e., CT, MRI, PET, and PET-CT) should only be indicated in undetermined cases at CEUS.
基金Supported by In part a Research Program for Intractable Disease by the Ministry of Health,Labor,and Welfare of Japan(to Iwasaki Y)
文摘AIM: To investigate factors that accurately predict hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) development after antiviral therapy in chronic hepatitis C(CHC) patients. METHODS: CHC patients who received pegylated interferon and ribavirin were enrolled in this cohort study that investigated the ability of alpha-fetoprotein(AFP) to predict HCC development after interferon(IFN) therapy. RESULTS: Of 1255 patients enrolled, 665 developed sustained virological response(SVR) during mean follow-up period of 5.4 years. HCC was occurred in 89 patients, and 20 SVR patients were included. Proportional hazard models showed that HCC occurred in SVR patients showing AFP ≥ 5 ng/m L before therapy and in non-SVR patients showing AFP ≥ 5 ng/m L before and 1 year after therapy besides older age, and low platelet counts. SVR patients showing AFP ≥ 5 ng/m L before therapy and no decrease in AFP to < 5 ng/m L 1 year after therapy had significantly higher HCC incidence than non-SVR patients showing AFP ≥ 5 ng/m L before therapy and decreased AFP(P = 0.043). AFP ≥ 5 ng/m L before therapy was significantly associated with low platelet counts and high values of alanine aminotransferase(ALT) in stepwise logistic regression analysis. After age, gender, platelet count, and ALT was matched by propensity score, significantly lower HCC incidence was shown in SVR patients showing AFP < 5 ng/m L before therapy than in those showing AFP ≥ 5 ng/m L.CONCLUSION: The criteria of AFP < 5 ng/m L before and 1 year after IFN therapy is a benefical predictor for HCC development in CHC patients.
文摘Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) secondary to chronic viral hepatitis is a major health problem in AsianPacific regions due to the endemics of chronic hepatitis B and C virus infection. HCC surveillance has been recommended to patients who are at risk to develop HCC. Unfortunately, a significant proportion of patients still died in long run due to tumor recurrence. The key components of an optimal surveillance program include an accurate tumor biomarker and optimal surveillance interval. Serum alpha-fetoprotein(AFP), despite of being the most widely used biomarker for HCC surveillance, it was criticized as neither sensitive nor specific. Other HCC biomarkers, including lectin-reactive AFP(AFP-L3), des-gamma carboxyprothrombin, are still under investigations. Recent study showed cancerassociated genome-wide hypomethylation and copy number aberrations by plasma DNA bisulfite sequencing to be accurate with both sensitivity and specificity close to 90% in detecting HCC in a case-control study. Concerning the optimal surveillance interval, we believe one size does not fit all patients. Accurate risk prediction to assist prognostication with well-validated HCC risk scores would be useful to decide the need for HCC surveillance. These key components of an optimal HCC surveillance program should be further validated at a surveillance setting.
文摘Although hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) primarily arises in the background of liver cirrhosis,the development of HCC in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD) without cirrhosis is increasingly recognized. The pathogenesis of NAFLD associated non-cirrhotic HCC is distinct from that of cirrhotic HCC because the metabolic syndrome(MS) along with obesity and insulin resistance(IR) underlie several unique mechanisms that promote tumorigenesis. IR associated with MS,NAFLD,and type 2 diabetes mellitus lead to the release of multiple pro-inflammatory cytokines,including tumor necrosis factor alpha,interleukin-6,leptin and resistin,as well as decreased amounts of adiponectin. These processes favor the development of hepatic steatosis and inflammation within the liver,which precede HCC development. Nevertheless,further investigation is necessary to elucidate the determinants for development of HCC in patients with NAFLD in the absence of cirrhosis.
