Long-term survival of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma with inferior vena cava tumor thrombus treated with sorafenib combined with transarterial chemoembolization: report of two cases and literature review / 癌症

The prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with tumor thrombus formation in the main vasculature is extremely poor. Sorafenib combined with transarterial chemoembolization is a novel treatment approach for advanced HCC. In this study, we report two HCC patients with inferior vena cava tumor thrombus who underwent the combination treatment. The overall survival times for these two patients were 44 months and 35 months, respectively. Our report suggests that sorafenib combined with transarterial chemoembolization may be a viable choice for patients with advanced HCC even with inferior vena cava tumor thrombus. Further studies are required to verify the efficacy and safety of this combination therapy for patients with advanced HCC with inferior vena cava tumor thrombus.

Effect of Qingyi Decoction on gene expression profiles of severe acute pancreatitis rats by gene chip technique / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effect of Qingyi Decoction (QYD) on pancreatic gene expression profiles in rats with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Totally 60 Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into the sham-operation group (SO group), the SAP group, and the QYD group, 20 in each group. SAP model was replicated by the pancreatic duct retrograde injection with 4% sodium taurocholate. Rats in the QYD group was intragastrically intervened by QYD (0.75 mL/100 g) for 3 times. Pancreatic RNA expression was analyzed using Illuminate whole genome expression profiles. Changes of mRNA and protein in specific genes [heat shock proteins a8 (Hspa8) and heat shock proteins b1 (Hspb1)] were verified by real-time quantitative PCR and Western blot analysis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the SAP group, 575 differential genes were screened in the QYD group, including 92 up-regulated genes and 483 down-regulated genes. Gene Ontology (GO) categories indicated the genes are associated with negative regulation of transcription regulator activity, oxidoreductase activity and enzyme inhibitor activity. Effects of QYD on the SAP rats were major related to mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), NOD like receptors (NLR) receptor-like signaling pathway, cell cycle, metabolic pathways, oxidoreductase activity. Protein and mRNA changes of Hspa8 and Hspb1 in microarray were verified [relative mRNA expression for Hspa8 and Hspb1 was increased by (13.24 +/- 1.22) times and (7.55 +/- 1.09) times respectively, P < 0.01].</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>QYD was effective in treating experimental SAP involved the MAPK and NLR signaling pathways, cell cycle, metabolic pathways, and oxide reductase activities.</p>

Percutaneous radiofrequency ablation combined with other minimally invasive treatments for recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma after hepatectomy / 中华外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the efficacy and safety of percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (PRFA) and combined with other minimally invasive treatments for recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma (RHCC) after hepatectomy.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Eighty-four patients with RHCC after hepatectomy who were treated with PRFA or combined with other minimally invasive therapies between August 1999 and February 2008 were analyzed retrospectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>There was no treatment related mortality in the study population, and the morbidity was 2.4% (2/84). The complete ablation rate was 94.0% (79/84), and the 1-, 3- and 5-year overall survival rates were 74.9%, 54.9% and 48.2%, respectively. The 1-, 3- and 5-year overall survival rates of patients with recurrent interval after hepatectomy less than 1 year and over 1 year were 72.1%, 36.2%, 24.2% and 76.8%, 70.6% and 65.1%, respectively (P = 0.040). The 1-, 3- and 5-year overall survival rates of patients with tumor size <or= 3 cm and > 3 cm were 83.2%, 67.7%, 67.7% and 59.1%, 24.2%, 12.1%, respectively (P = 0.003). The 1-, 3- and 5-year overall survival rates of patients treated with PRFA alone and combined with percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI) were 66.7%, 33.3%, 22.2% and 76.5%, 57.3%, 57.3%, respectively (P = 0.017). The 1-, 3- and 5-year overall survival rates of patients treated with PRFA alone and combined with transcatheter hepatic arterial chemoembolization (TACE) were 55.6%, 24.7%, 24.7% and 81.6%, 66.0%, 57.5%, respectively (P = 0.001).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>PRFA is an effective and safe treatment for RHCC, and tumor size and recurrent interval after hepatectomy are important prognostic factors. Combination with PEI or TACE may improve the efficacy of PRFA for treatment of RHCC.</p>

Exploration of differential expressed genes involved in the development and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma using oligo microarray / 中华肝脏病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVES</b>To analyze the differential expression genes (DEGs) among hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), para-cancerous tissue (PCT) and normal liver tissue (NLT) and explore the target genes related to the development and progression of HCC.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The total RNAs of matched HCC, PCT and NLT of HCC patients were isolated using one step Trizol method. Matched RNAs were qualified using 10 g/L agarose gel electrophoresis and lab-on-chip. cRNAs were synthesized, fluorescence labeled and purified after total RNAs were purified. The RNAs of HCC and NLT, HCC and PCT were hybridized with Agilent oligo microarray (21,074 probes). The fluorescence intensity features were detected by Agilent scanner and quantified by feature extraction software. The selected candidate genes were confirmed by SYBR Green I stained real time RT-PCR.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>(1) The total RNA, reverse transcription product and fluorescence labeled cRNA were all of high quality; (2) There were 420 up-regulated genes and 552 down-regulated genes among 2-fold DEGs, including DKK1 (dickkopf homolog 1) which was 5-fold up-regulated; (3) The results of real time RT-PCR, using beta-actin as an internal control, showed that the 2-Delta Ct values of DKK1 in HCC, PCT and NLT were 0.089 504, 0.007,65 and 0.000,631 respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>(1) The high throughput and effective Agilent oligo microarray can screen novel therapy targeted genes by analyzing the DEGs in development and progression of HCC; (2) The development and progression of HCC is a complicated process involving multigenes and multiprocedures; (3) DKK1, as a novel gene, is involved in the development and progression of HCC and may be a new therapy target.</p>

Detection of?-catenin and c-myc expression in gastric adenocarcinoma by tissue microarray and its clinical significance / 中华消化杂志

Objective To study the expression and clinical significance of?-catenin and c-myc in gastric adenocarcinoma and corresponding para cancer gastric mueosa.Methods Two hundreds and ninety seven samples were collected from 102 cases of gastric adenocarcinoma,including 102 cancerous tissues and 195 para-cancerous tissues.Each sample was made into 282,156 and 156 dots tissue microarrays.Expressions of?-catenin and c-myc proteins were detected by immunohistochemical stain- ing.Results The expressions of?-catenin and c-mye were increased gradually in the process of gastric carcinogenesis.The rates of?-catenin and c myc expression were higher in carcinoma than that in intesti- nal metaplasia( P＜0.05,P＜0.001).The aberrant expression of?-catenin was closely related to the depth of invasion(P＜0.05),and the expression of c-myc was related to histological grade( P＜0.05). The aberrant expression of?-catenin was significantly correlated with the expression of c-myc in gastric adenocarcinoma(P＜0.05).Conclusions The aberrant expression of?-catenin may activate the expres sion of target gene c-myc,which plays a pivotal role in the carcinogenesis and progression of gastric adenocarcinoma.