Molecular targets and mechanisms of different aberrant alternative splicing in metastatic liver cancer

Metastasis remains a major challenge in the successful management of malignant diseases.The liver is a major site of metastatic disease and a leading cause of death from gastrointestinal malignancies such as colon,stomach,and pancreatic cancers,as well as melanoma,breast cancer,and sarcoma.As an important factor that influences the development of metastatic liver cancer,alternative splicing drives the diversity of RNA transcripts and protein subtypes,which may provide potential to broaden the target space.In particular,the dysfunction of splicing factors and abnormal expression of splicing variants are associated with the occurrence,progression,aggressiveness,and drug resistance of cancers caused by the selective splicing of specific genes.This review is the first to provide a detailed summary of the normal splicing process and alterations that occur during metastatic liver cancer.It will cover the role of alternative splicing in the mechanisms of metastatic liver cancer by examining splicing factor changes,abnormal splicing,and the contribution of hypoxia to these changes during metastasis.

Prognostic role of platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in patients with non-metastatic and metastatic prostate cancer:A meta-analysis and systematic review

Objective: To analyze data available in the literature regarding a possible prognostic value of the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in prostate cancer (PCa) patients stratified in non-metastatic and metastatic diseases.Methods: A literature search process was performed following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. In our meta-analysis, the pooled event rate estimated and the pooled hazard ratio were calculated using a random effect model.Results: Forty-two articles were selected for our analysis. The pooled risk difference for non-organ confined PCa between high and low NLR cases was 0.06 (95% confidence interval [CI]: −0.03-0.15) and between high and low PLR cases increased to 0.30 (95% CI: 0.16-0.43). In non-metastatic PCa cases, the pooled hazard ratio for overall mortality between high and low NLR was 1.33 (95% CI: 0.78-1.88) and between high and low PLR was 1.47 (95% CI: 0.91-2.03), whereas in metastatic PCa cases, between high and low NLR was 1.79 (95% CI: 1.44-2.13) and between high and low PLR was 1.05 (95% CI: 0.87-1.24).Conclusion: The prognostic values of NLR and PLR in terms of PCa characteristics and responses after treatment show a high level of heterogeneity of results among studies. These two ratios can represent the inflammatory and immunity status of the patient related to several conditions. A higher predictive value is related to a high NLR in terms of risk for overall mortality in metastatic PCa cases under systemic treatments.

Current status of yttrium-90 microspheres radioembolization in primary and metastatic liver cancer

Liver malignancy,including primary liver cancer and metastatic liver cancer has become one of the most common causes of cancer-related death worldwide due to the high malignant degree and limited systematic treatment strategy.Radioembolization with yttrium-90(^(90)Y)-loaded microspheres is a relatively novel technology that has made significant progress in the local treatment of liver malignancy.The different steps in the extensive work-up of radioembolization for patients with an indication for treatment with^(90)Y microspheres,from patient selection to follow up,both technically and clinically,are discussed in this paper.It describes the application and development of^(90)Y microspheres in the treatment of liver cancer.

Toxicity of targeted anticancer treatments on the liver in myeloproliferative neoplasms

The liver has a central role in metabolism,therefore,it is susceptible to harmful effects of ingested medications(drugs,herbs,and nutritional supplements).Druginduced liver injury(DILI)comprises a range of unexpected reactions that occur after exposure to various classes of medication.Even though most cases consist of mild,temporary elevations in liver enzyme markers,DILI can also manifest as acute liver failure in some patients and can be associated with mortality.Herein,we briefly review available data on DILI induced by targeted anticancer agents in managing classical myeloproliferative neoplasms:Chronic myeloid leukemia,polycythemia vera,essential thrombocythemia,and myelofibrosis.

Study of angiogenesis induced by metastatic and non-metastatic liver cancer by corneal micropocket model in nude mice

AIM To study the angiogenesis induced by liver cancer with different metastatic potentials using corneal micropocket model in nude mice.METHODS Corneal micropockets were created in nude mice. Tumor tissues and liver tissues were implanted into the corneal micropockets. Angiogenesis was observed using a digital camera under slit-lamp biomicroscope, and compared among different grafts and incision alone. Vascular responses were recorded in regard to the range, number and length of new blood vessels toward the grafts or incisions.RESULTS Vascular responses induced by tumor tissues were greater than those by incision alone and liver tissue grafts. LCI-D20 induced more intensive angiogenesis than LCI-D35.CONCLUSION Highly metastatic liver cancer LCI D20 was more angiogenic than low metastatic cancer LCI D35 and liver tissue. Micropocket was a useful model to study dynamic process of angiogenesis in vivo.

Neoplastic disease after liver transplantation: focus on de novo neoplasms

De novo neoplasms account for almost 30% of deaths 10 years after liver transplantation and are the most common cause of mortality in patients surviving at least 1 year after transplant. The risk of malignancy is two to four times higher in transplant recipients than in an age- and sex-matched population, and cancer is expected to surpass cardiovascular complications as the primary cause of death in transplanted patients within the next 2 decades. Since exposure to immunosuppression is associated with an increased frequency of developing neoplasm, long-term immunosuppression should be therefore minimized. Promising results in the prevention of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) recurrence have been reported with the use of m TOR inhibitors including everolimus and sirolimus and the ongoing open-label prospective randomized controlled SILVER. Study will provide more information on whether sirolimus-containing vs m TOR-inhibitorfree immunosuppression is more efficacious in reducing HCC recurrence.

Liver transplantation as an alternative for the treatment of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: Past, present, and future directions

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma(iCCA)is a rare biliary tract cancer with high mortality rate.Complete resection of the iCCA lesion is the first choice of treatment,with good prognosis after margin-negative resection.Unfortunately,only 12%-40% of patients are eligible for resection at presentation due to cirrhosis,portal hypertension,or large tumor size.Liver transplantation(LT)offers margin-negative iCCA extirpation for patients with unresectable tumors.Initially,iCCA was a contraindication for LT until size-based selection criteria were introduced to identify patients with satisfied post-LT outcomes.Recent studies have shown that tumor biology-based selection can yield high post-LT survival in patients with locally advanced iCCA.Another selection criterion is the tumor response to neoadjuvant therapy.Patients with response to neoadjuvant therapy have better outcomes after LT compared with those without tumor response to neoadjuvant therapy.Another index that helps predict the treatment outcome is the biomarker.Improved survival outcomes have also opened the door for living donor LT for iCCA.Patients undergoing LT for iCCA now have statistically similar survival rates as patients undergoing resection.The combination of surgery and locoregional and systemic therapies improves the prognosis of iCCA patients.

Neuroendocrine neoplasms of liver-A 5-year retrospective clinico-pathological study applying World Health Organization 2010 classification

AIM To study the clinicopathological characteristics of neuroendocrine neoplasms(NEN) on liver samples and apply World Health Organization(WHO) 2010 grading of gastroenteropancreatic(GEP) NEN.METHODS Clinicopathological features of 79 cases of NEN of the liver diagnosed between January 2011 to December 2015 were analyzed. WHO 2010 classification of GEP NEN was applied and the tumors were graded as G1, G2 or G3. Two more categories, D1/2(discordant 1/2) and D2/3(discordant 2/3) were also applied. The D1/2 grade tumors had a mitotic count of G1 and Ki-67 index of G2. The D2/3 tumors had a mitotic count of G2 and Ki-67 index of G3. The follow up details which were available till the end of the study period(December 2015) were collected.RESULTS Of the 79 tumors, 16 each were G1 and G2, and 18 were G3 tumors. Of the remaining 29 tumors, 13 were assigned to D1/2 and 16 were D2/3 grade. Male preponderance was noted in all tumors except for G2 neoplasms, which showed a slight female predilection. The median age at presentation was 47 years(range 10-82 years). The most common presentation was abdominal pain(81%). Pancreas(49%) was the most common site of primary followed by gastrointestinal tract(24.4%) and lungs(18%). Radiologically, 87% of the patients had multiple liver lesions. Histopathologically, necrosis was seen in only D2/3 and G3 tumors. Microvascular invasion was seen in all grades. Metastasis occurred in all grades of primary NEN and the grades of the metastatic tumors and their corresponding primary tumors were similar in 67% of the cases. Of the 79 patients, 36 had at least one follow up visit with a median duration of follow up of 8.5 mo(range: 1-50 mo). This study did not show any impact of the grade of tumor on the short term clinical outcome of these patients.CONCLUSION Liver biopsy is an important tool for clinicopathological characterization and grading of NEN, especially when the primary is not identified. Eighty-seven percent of the patients had multifocal liver lesions irrespective of the WHO grade, indicating a higher stage of disease at presentation. Follow up duration was inadequate to derive any meaningful conclusion on long term outcome in our study patients.

Evolution in the treatment of metastatic colorectal carcinoma of the liver

Metastatic colorectal cancer to the liver is associated with a uniform poor prognosis without treatment. Advances in therapy over the past decades have now allowed surgical resections of the liver to occur with a low morbidity and mortality. Improvements in chemotherapy regimes have paralleled technical improvements and now allow a new group of patients to become eligible for surgical resection. This chapter will review the recent advances in surgical and chemotherapeutic regimes in metastatic colorectal cancer to the liver.

Silencing phospholipid scramblase 1 expression by RNA interference in colorectal cancer and metastatic liver cancer

BACKGROUND:Phospholipid scramblase 1(PLSCR1) not only participates in the transbilayer movement of phospholipids,but also plays a role in the pathogenesis and progression of cancers.The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of silencing PLSCR1 expression by RNA interference in colorectal cancer(CRC) and metastatic liver cancer.METHODS:The expression of PLSCR1 in CRC and metastatic liver cancer samples was assessed by immunohistochemistry.The cultured cells with the highest expression were selected for subsequent experiments.We designed three siRNA oligonucleotide segments targeted at PLSCR1.Successful transfection was confirmed.The biological behavior of the cells in proliferation,adhesion,migration and invasion was determined.RESULTS:PLSCR1 protein expression increased significantly in the majority of CRC and metastatic liver cancer samples compared with normal samples.Lovo cells had the highest expression of PLSCR1.The siRNA-390 oligonucleotide segment had the best silencing effect.After transfection,Lovo cell proliferation was significantly inhibited compared with the controls in the MTT assay.Laminin and fibronectin adhesion assays showed Lovo cell adhesion was also significantly inhibited.In the migration assay,the number of migrating cells in the PLSCR1 siRNA-390 group was 50±12,significantly lower than the number in the siRNA-N group(115±28) and in the control group(118±31).In an invasion test,the number of invading cells in the PLSCR1 siRNA-390 group was 60±18,significantly lower than that in the siRNA-N group(97±26) and the control group(103±24).CONCLUSIONS:PLSCR1 is overexpressed in CRC and metastatic liver cancer.Silencing of PLSCR1 by siRNA inhibits the proliferation,adhesion,migration and invasion of Lovo cells,which suggests that PLSCR1 contributes to the tumorigenesis and tumor progression of CRC.PLSCR1 may be a potential gene therapy target for CRC and associated metastatic liver cancer.

Macrophage inflammatory protein-2 contributes to liver resection-induced acceleration of hepatic metastatic tumor growth

AIM： To study the role of macrophage inflammatory protein （HIP）-2 in liver resection-induced acceleration of tumor growth in a mouse model of hepatic metastasis. METHODS： After a 50% hepatectomy, 1×10^5 CT26.WT cells were implanted into the left liver lobe of syngeneic balb/c mice （PHx）. Additional animals were treated with a monoclonal antibody （HAB452） neutralizing HIP-2 （PHx＋mAB）. Non-resected and non-mAB-treated mice （Con） served as controls. After 7 d, tumor angiogenesis and microcirculation as well as cell proliferation, tumor growth, and CXCR-2 expression were analyzed using in- travital fluorescence microscopy, histology, immunohisto- chemistry, and flow cytometry. RESULTS： Partial hepatectomy increased （P〈0.05）the expression of the HIP-2 receptor CXCR-2 on tumor cells when compared with non-resected controls, and markedly accelerated （P〈 0.05） angiogenesis and metastatic tumor growth. Neutralization of HIP-2 by HAB452 treatment significantly （P〈 0.05） depressed CXCR-2 expression. Further, the blockade of MIP-2 reduced the angiogenic response （P〈 0.05） and inhibited tumor growth （P〈 0.05）. Of interest, liver resection-induced hepatocyte proliferation was not effected by anti-HIP-2 treatment. CONCLUSION： HIP-2 significantly contributes to liver resection-induced acceleration of colorectal CT26.WT hepatic metastasis growth.

Liver transplantation as an alternative for the treatment of perihilar cholangiocarcinoma: A critical review

Background:Perihilar cholangiocarcinoma(phCCC)is a dismal malignancy.There is no consensus regard-ing the best treatment for patients with unresectable phCCC.The present review aimed to gather the current pieces of evidence for liver transplantation and liver resection as a treatment for phCCC and to build better guidance for clinical practice.Data sources:The search was conducted in PubMed,Embase,Cochrane,and LILACS.The related references were searched manually.Inclusion criteria were:reports in English or Portuguese literature that a)patients with confirmed diagnosis of phCCC;b)patients treated with a curative intent;c)patients with the outcomes of liver resection and liver transplantation.Case reports,reviews,letters,editorials,conference abstracts and papers with full-text unavailability were excluded from the analysis.Results:Most of the current literature is based on observational retrospective studies with low grades of evidence.Liver resection has better long-term outcomes than systemic chemotherapy or palliation ther-apy and liver transplantation is a good alternative for selected patients with unresectable phCCC.All candidates for resection or transplantation should be medically fit and free of intrahepatic or extrahep-atic diseases.As a general rule,patients presenting with a tumor having a longitudinal size>3 cm or extending below the cystic duct,lymph node disease,confirmed extrahepatic dissemination;intraoper-atively diagnosed metastatic disease;a history of other malignancies within the last five years,and did not complete chemoradiation regimen and were medically unfit should not be considered for transplan-tation.Some of these criteria should be individually assessed.Liver transplantation or resection should only be considered in highly experienced hepatobiliary centers,and any decision-making must be based on a multidisciplinary evaluation.Conclusions:phCCC is a complex condition with high morbidity.Surgical therapies,including hepatec-tomy and liver transplantation,are the best option for better long-term disease-free survival.

FEASIBILITY STUDY OF AN ULTRASOUND CONTRAST AGENT(LEVOVIST) IN COLOR DOPPLER IMAGING OF LIVER NEOPLASMS

The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of using an ultrasound contrast agent(levovist)to enhance the color Doppler imaging of liver neoplasms.Thirty patients with hepatic tumors were enrolled in this study.After intravenous administration of levovist,the color Doppler signals of normal hepatic vessels were enhanced.In various hepatic tumors,the different patterns of tumor vascularity were observed,which had not been demonstrated in conventional non contrast color Doppler imaging.In 11 of 16 patients with hepatocarcinoma,additional color Doppler signals were observed in the central part of the tumors.On the contrary,3 patients with metastatic liver lesions the enhanced color Doppler signals appear only at the peripheral of tumors.A typical rim like color enhancement was seen in 2 of the 3 cases.In six patients with hepatic hemangiomas contrast enhanced color Doppler imaging demonstrated the blood vessels at the margin of the neoplasms.Contrast enhanced color Doppler imaging improves the visualization of the hepatic neoplasm vascularity.This technique holds great promise for detecting small liver tumors and differentiating hepatic neoplasms.

Evaluation of Lipid Peroxidation and Some Antioxidant Activities in Patients with Primary and Metastatic Liver Cancer

Abstract: HCC is the 6th most common cancer in the world. The main risk factors associated with HCC are hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C viral infections and other factors that play a role in HCC development, include aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) cigarette smoking, and chronic inflammation. The aim of this study is to investigate lipid peroxidation and some antioxidant enzyme activities in patients with primary and metastatic liver cancer. For this purpose, 25 primary and metastatic liver cancer patients and 15 healthy controls were included in the study. In blood samples taken from the patient and control groups, the main product of lipid peroxidation MDA and SOD, GSH, GPx activity levels were examined. In result of study serum MDA level is higher and erythrocyte SOD, GSH, and GPx activities were found to be significantly lower in the patient group compared with the control group (p 0.05). As a result, liver cancer is associated with oxidative stress and antioxidant system weakens, which is an important indicator of oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation levels increased and promotes the tissue damage.

Simultaneous liver mucinous cystic and intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms of the bile duct:A case report

Cystic hepatic neoplasms are rare tumors,and are classified into two separate entities:mucinous cystic neoplasms(MCNs)and intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms of the bile duct(IPMN-B).We report the case of a 56-year-old woman who presented with abdominal pain and jaundice due to the presence of a large hepatic multilocular cystic tumor associated with an intraductal tumor.Partial hepatectomy with resection of extrahepatic bile ducts demonstrated an intrahepatic MCN and an intraductal IPMN-B.This is the first report of the simultaneous occurrence of these two histologically distinct entities in the liver.

Application of two-phase helical CT in liver neoplasms

Objective: To assess the value of helical CT in the di- agnosis of liver diseases. Methods: 59 patients with different liver diseases were examined by two-phase or multi-phase dynamic helical CT. Results: Small hepatocellular carcinoma showed a higher density in the arterial phase, and a lower den- sity in the portal vein phase. Large hepatic carcino- ma showed a mixed pattern of higher-density in the arterial phase, and a lower density in the portal vein phase. Metastasis carcinoma showed an 'oxeye sign' in the portal vein phase. Hemangioma was not obvi- ously enhanced in the early arterial phase, marginal- ly enhanced in the arterial phase, and equally-densed in the balanced phase. Conclusion: Two-phase helical CT is of value in im- proving the detection rate of or determining the fea- tures of hepatic diseases by two-phase helical dyna- mic scan (2.0-3.0 ml/s speed, and delay time 25- 30 s and 70-85 s).

Focal peliosis hepatis in a colon cancer patient resembling metastatic liver tumor

Peliosis hepatis(PH) is a rare benign condition characterized by the presence of multiple,randomly distributed,blood filled cystic areas of variable size within the liver parenchyma.PH is difficult to recognize and may be mistaken for neoplasm,metastases or multiple abscesses.A 75-year-old female with a previous history of colon cancer was admitted when a liver mass in the right liver lobe was found 11 mo after surgery during the follow-up period.Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging scan of the abdomen were performed.The initial possible diagnosis was metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma.The patient underwent excision of the hepatic segment where the nodule was located.The pathological diagnosis of the surgical specimen was PH.PH should be considered in the differential diagnosis of new liver lesions in patients whose clinical settings do not clearly favor metastasization.Clinicians and radiologists must recognize these lesions to minimize the probability of misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment.

Liver-directed therapies for liver metastases from neuroendocrine neoplasms:Can laser ablation play any role?

Aggressive cytoreduction can prolong survival in patients with unresectable liver metastases(LM)from neuroendocrine neoplasms(NEN),and minimally invasive,liver-directed therapies are gaining increasing interest.Catheter-based treatments are used in disseminated disease,whereas ablation techniques are usually indicated when the number of LM is limited.Although radiofrequency ablation(RFA)is by far the most used ablative technique,the goal of this opinion review is to explore the potential role of laser ablation(LA)in the treatment of LM from NEN.LA uses thinner needles than RFA,and this is an advantage when the tumors are in at-risk locations.Moreover,the multi-fiber technique enables the use of one to four laser fibers at once,and each fiber provides an almost spherical thermal lesion of 12-15 mm in diameter.Such a characteristic enables to tailor the size of each thermal lesion to the size of each tumor,sparing the liver parenchyma more than any other liver-directed therapy,and allowing for repeated treatments with low risk of liver failure.A recent retrospective study reporting the largest series of LM treated with LA documents both safety and effectiveness of LA,that can play a useful role in the multimodality approach to LM from NEN.

Comprehensive treatment for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer with neuroendocrine differentiation:a case report

Retrospective analysis of the progression of a case of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer with neuroendocrine differentiation:the patient was a 65 year old man with prostate adenocarcinoma on prostate biopsy,Gleason 4+4 score=8,70%,ISUP4 group,localized invasion of nerves.Progressed to metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer after 8 months of novel endocrine therapy,persistent elevated PSA after endocrine therapy,chemotherapy,and radiation,abdominal metastasis,brain metastasis,gastric metastasis,and staging as neuroendocrine differentiation after second prostate biopsy,which is a highly malignant subtype and has been concerned as a mechanism of resistance to targeted therapies.We discuss how to choose a more optimal treatment plan and outline the patient's diagnostic and therapeutic course.We provide a reflection for the clinical study of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer with neuroendocrine type.

Acute autoimmune hepatitis mimicking metastatic liver disease: A case report

We report progressive painless jaundice in a 39 year old female with a suspicion of metastatic liver disease on ultrasound and computed tomography scan of the abdomen. Although the most frequent liver lesions are liver metastasis because of dual blood supply of the liver and the impact of hormones, the index case proved to have acute autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) after liver biopsy was undertaken. AIH, an unresolving inflammation of liver, occurs predominantly among females worldwide. It may present acutely and even fulminant hepatitis has been described. The index case had a dramatic response to steroid treatment with total recovery and complete resolution of liver lesions. She is clinically fine and has been regularly attending our clinic for the last year. To our knowledge from a Medline search, this is the first report where AIH was seen to mimic metastatic liver disease.