Clinical features of hepatocellular carcinoma with reference to ages in Korean patients / 대한내과학회지

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) has characteristic differences in both viral profiles and the most frequently occurring age in each country. It also has clinically distinct features between adult patients of the age under 65 and senile patients over 65 years. Herein we investigate differences in clinical features of the patients with HCC of the three different age groups : young patients (group 1) below 45 years of age; most frequently occurring age (45 - 65 year) (group 2); and elderly patients (group 3) above 65 years of age. METHODS: The 371 HCC patients hospitalized and followed-up from 1986 to February 1997 have been analyzed. At the time of diagnosis there was no significant difference among the three groups in alcohol intake, cigarette smoking, sex, family history of liver disease, mean values of aminotransferases, Child-Pugh class, tumor location, TNM stage, tumor size, varix grade, metastasis, abdominal pain, ascites, encephalopathy, fever, or jaundice. RESULTS: In the younger group HCC showed (1) a high incidence of HBsAg positivity (group 1, 95.3%; group 2, 78.6%; group 3, 25%; p400 ng/mL) showed no differences among the three age groups (p=0.23766). (6) The overall survival rates did not differ statistically among the three groups (mean survival: group 1, 12 months; group 2, 18 months; group 3, 15 months; p=0.4635, log rank test). CONCLUSION: These data support the younger patients with HCC are the most frequently associated with HBV contrarily to the elderly patients the more frequently associated with HCV or NBNC rather than HBV. This suggests, in turn, that the onset of HCC occurs one or two decades later in those with adult-acquired HCV than it does in lifelong HBV patients after neonatal vertical infection.

Autoradiographic Investigation for 3H-Thymidine Labeling Indicies of gamma-Glutamyl Transpeptidase Positive Foci during the Rat Liver Carcinogenesis / 대한간학회지

No abstract available.

Autoradiographic Investigation for 3H-Thymidine Labeling Indicies of gamma-Glutamyl Transpeptidase Positive Foci during the Rat Liver Carcinogenesis / 대한간학회지

No abstract available.

Centrilobular Distribution of Ethylnitrosourea-Induced Hepatocellular Foci in the Mouse / 대한간학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Hepatocytes on the hepatic lobule mipate from portal zone to centrilobular mea as the DNA synthesis within it. And also, the xenobiotic reactions reveal characteristic differences associated with zone specific metabolism in the liver acinus. In this study, the zonal distribution of ethylnitrosourea (ENU)-induced hepatic precancerous lesion was stereologically investigated. METHODS: Nine B6C3F1 mices were given I.p. injection of ENU (60 ug/pn body weight) when the pups were 15 days old prior to sacrifices at 8 weeks of life. All the 150 consecutive sections, 3 p m in thickness, were stained with hematoxylin and eosin and identified the basophilic precancerous lesions with 80-165 p m diameter in equatorial plane by the Zeiss microprojector. And then the distances from the center of selected foci to terminal hepatic vein or portal vein branches were estimated under the microscopic fields. As a control group, the same estimations were performed from the random points by the appointments of random digit table. RESULTS: Mean distance between ENU-induced 52 hepatocellular foci and the nearest terminal hepytic vein was 181.15+112.39 p m (Mean+ SD), but that of randomly selected 104 points was 291.73+157.98pm (Mean+5D) (Students t-test, p<0.0005). Substantially, 52.7% of ENU-induced 52 hepatocellular foci were within 300 p m from the terminal hepatic vein, but randomly selected 104 points were only 50.9% (Shapiro Wilk W test, w=0.819857, p=0.048038). Mean distance from ENU-induced 52 foci to portal vein was 398.85+149.98pm (Mean+SD), but that from the randomly selected 104 points was 315.87+145.79 pm (Mean+SD)(Students t-test, p<0.0005). CONCLUSION: Stereologically, ENU-induced mice liver cell foci distribute non-randomly to Zone III, centrilobular zone of mouse hepatic acini where promote invasion toward terminal hepatic veins.

Changes of Epidermal Growth Factor in Sera among the Patients with Chronic Hepatitis, Cirrhosis and Hepatocellular Carcinoma / 대한간학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Epidermal growth factors (EGF) is known to activate mitogen activated protein kinase (MAP kinase) in hepatocytes by the route of both Raf-dependent and Raf-indefendent pathways. And this is likely to play important role in normal liver cell growth and regeneration. EGF is also reported as a potent mitogen and one of the angiogenic factors. To elucidate the dynamic changes of the serum concentration of epidermal growth factor in chronic liver disease and its correlation with role of EGF and mechanism of tumor development, this study is intended to employ an ELISA in 38 biopsy-proven cases. METHODS: Sera taken out of 5 patients with chronic persistent hepatitis. 4 patients with chronic active hepatitis, 19 patients with liver cirrhosis, 10 patients with hepato-cellular carcinoma that pathological diagnosis was proven later were tested for EGF employing Quantikine ELISA Kits (R & D Systems Inc. Minneapolis, MN). The statistical analysis was evaluated by student's t-test. RESULTS: EGF concentration was 253.33+ 69.5pg/ml(Mean+ SE) in hepatocellular carcinoma, 246.60+ 91.19pg/ml(Mean+ SE) in chronic active hepatitis, 222.71+ 115.97pg/ml (Mean+ SE) in chronic persistent hepatitis, 141.15+ 23.12pg/ml(Mean+ SE) in liver cirrhosis in orders. Serum EGF concentration in hepatocellular carcinoma was significantly higher than that in liver cirrhosis(p value=0.021695). However, comparing to the remaining other groups, no significant difference was found. CONCLUSION: These results support that the reconstruction of the capillary networks in liver cirrhosis resplts in down-regulation of the EGF in comparison to chronic hepatitis. But it is suggested that revaluation of EGF stimulates MAP kinase activity eventually playing in tumorigenesis of the liver with neoangiogenesis.