Case-control study of risk factors in cholangiocarcinoma / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the risk factors of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) and extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ECC).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The clinicopathological data of 190 patients with cholangiocarcinomas (61 ICC and 129 ECC) diagnosed and treated in the Peking Union Medical College Hospital between 1998 and 2008 were collected. The clinicopathological data of 380 matched healthy controls were also collected. The information about liver diseases, family history, diabetes, smoking and drinking were recorded and analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The positive rate of HBsAg(+) and anti-HBc(+), HBsAg(-) and anti-HBc(+) and the incidence of choledocholithiasis or hepatolithiasis in ICC patients were 27.9%, 50.8% and 14.8%, respectively. The incidence of diabetes mellitus, cholecystolithiasis, choledocholithiasis or hepatolithiasis and previous cholecystectomy in ECC patients were 18.6%, 15.5%, 18.6% and 13.2%, respectively. The incidences of all above mentioned factors in the ICC or ECC patients were significantly higher than that in the controls (P < 0.05). Compared with the patients with ECC, the ICC patients had a significantly higher cirrhosis rate (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Our study results show that choledocholithiasis or hepatolithiasis, liver cirrhosis and chronic HBV infection are possible risk factors for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, while choledocholithiasis or hepatolithiasis, diabetes mellitus, cholecystolithiasis, history of cholecystectomy are risk factors for extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.</p>

Expression of hepatocyte-enriched transcriptional factors during the differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell-derived hepatocytes / 中国医学科学院学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the expression and distribution of hepatocyte-enriched transcriptional factors during the differentiation of hepatocyte by rat bone marrow stem cells in vitro.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Mesenchymal stem cells were isolated from rat bone marrow and induced into mature hepatocyte in vitro. The mRNA expression levels of hepatocyte nuclear factor 4 alpha (HNF4 alpha), CCAAT enhancer binding protein (C/EBP) alpha and beta were compared between induced and non-induced cultures using semi-quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The distribution pattern of HNF4 alpha was detected by immunofluorescence staining and observed by fluorescence microscope.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Transcriptional factors HNF4 alpha, C/EBP alpha, and C/EBP beta were expressed in the induced cells during the culture process. The mRNA expression levels of HNF4 alpha and C/EBP alpha were significantly higher in induced cultures than those in non-induced cultures in the early stage, whereas C/EBP beta expression was significantly up-regulated in induced cultures at the late stage (P < 0.05). Immunofluorescence staining showed that HNF4 alpha was located in the cell nucleus of differentiated cells.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The characteristic time-dependent expression of transcriptional factors HNF4 alpha, C/EBP alpha, and C/EBP beta during the hepatocyte differentiation by bone marrow stem cells demonstrates that the expressions of these transcriptional factors are closely related to the initiation and maintenance of hepatocyte differentiation.</p>